========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 09:45:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Nets Seized in NZ Hector's San From: Brian_Sandle(\)equinox.gen.nz (Brian Sandle) Newsgroups: alt.animals.dolphins Subject: Nets Seized in NZ Hector's Sanctuary Date: 25 Apr 1995 08:58:58 GMT Set Nets Seized in NZ Dolphin Sanctuary The Department of Conservation is considering prosecution after seven set nets breaching the Banks Peninsula Marine Mammal Sanctuary regulations were seized over the Easter holiday. The sanctuary regulations, under review at present, were established in 1988 after concern that set nets were trapping hector's dolphins. Between November 1 and February 31 set nets are banned from the sanctuary. Specific regulations govern the setting of nets outside that time. Recreational fishermen were outraged when the regulations limiting netting were introduced. They mounted a campaign to have them altered. DOC's conservancy law enforcement manager, Barrie Thomas, was concerned that such a large number of nets was located within the sanctuary, despite publicity given to the regulations. "Notices explaining the regulations and diagrams of the sanctuary boundaries have been posted throughout the sanctuary," he said. Under the regulations, nets have to be less than 30 metres long; they should not be left out overnight; and only one net is allowed for each boat. The boat and crew must always be within 50 metres of the net. Mr Thomas said submissions on the sanctuary review had no effect on the present regulations. Akaroa Harbour Recreational Fishing Club president Bob Meikle said while the regulations were in force, members were expected to abide by them. Christchurch Press. April 25, 1995. Brian_Sandle(\)equinox.gen.nz ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Jan 1995 23:19:58 -0500 From: RobbinsB(\)aol.com Subject: VIEWS FROM JAPAN To: MARMAM(\)UVVM.UVIC.CA (Recipients of MARMAM digests) From: Robbins Barstow, Wethersfield, CT, USA (RobbinsB(\)aol.com) Date: 7 January 1995 Subject: Views from Japan Thanks are due to Alan Macnow for submitting to MARMAM the two articles by Kunio Yonezawa (from Japan Times, 8 & 9 November 1994) and the additional article by Ms. Shigeko Misaki (from Asahi Shinbun, 27 December 1994). I take strong issue with their interpretations and conclusions, but these are well-written, reasoned presentations of Japanese government viewpoints and deserve in-depth replies which I hope will be forthcoming. I know a number of Japanese scientists and authors who would strongly disagree with the positions taken by Yonezawa and Misaki, but these extended statements do elevate the level of discussion of Japan's whaling. Lacking time here to analyze and seek to refute all of their arguments, I would like nevertheless to respond to just a few key points. Yonezawa raises the issue of "respect for divergent cultural and ethical values," and says it is "presumptuous to seek to impose one's ethical values or penchant for certain fauna on others who do not share the same views." I believe, however, that whales constitute a special case. The fact is that whales are a global resource and a global responsibility. Unlike land-based fauna, whether wild like pandas or elephants, or domesticated like cows, which exist within national, territorial boundaries, whales connot be considered to be resources belonging to any one nation. As migratory, marine mammals, they are part of the "common heritage" of all humankind. As pointed out by Japanese scientist Hideo Obara, "Whales are not domestic animals. The oceans where whales live are not the private property of Japan." As recognized both by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) and by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the conservation, management, and study of cetaceans in particular falls under the global jurisdiction of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) as the sole acknowledged appropriate international organization. The member nations of the IWC, representing the overwhelming majority of the world's people, must determine collectively the values to be applied to this particular category of fauna, even if the Commission's judgment is not shared by all. Misaki properly calls attention to the Whaling Convention's mandate "to provide for the conservation, development and OPTIMUM UTILIZATION of the whale resources" (Article V, Section 2), and to the Law of the Sea's objective of "OPTIMUM UTILIZATION of the living resources" (Article 62) (emphases added). The fundamental question is what constitutes "OPTIMUM utilization." Until recent years, it was taken for granted that "optimum utilization" meant maximum sustainable harvesting. In the two decades since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stokcholm, Sweden, however, the idea has grown throughout the world that whales are worth more to humankind alive than dead, and that their "optimum utilization" should involve their non-lethal conservation, management and study. There is nothing in either ICRW or UNCLOS which precludes non-consumptive uses such as benign research, education, and whalewatching as appropriate, desirable, and legitimate bases for whale management. Many people now believe that live use is the best use for whales. In today's world, the rational, science-based, sustainable utilization of natural resources has come to be accepted as a general rule. However, as pointed out by Australia's Dr. Peter Bridgewater, now Chairman of the IWC, in commenting on the 1992 Rio United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, "UNCED certainly did not decide that where there is a resource it must be used for consumption." Indeed, the non-consumptive utilization of the international resource of whales may be considered their "most highly sustainable" and therefore rational use. What constitutes the optimum utilization of whales is the primary issue now facing the IWC for future years. It is not something to be decided unilaterally by individual nations. It must be determined collectively for all by the representatives of the world's people comprising the membership of the International Whaling Commission. Japan, Norway, and Iceland, if it rejoins the IWC, as well as other countries, have every right to try to persuade the Commission to authorize the resumption of commercial whale killing, with specified restrictions, under a "Revised Management Scheme." By the same token, other nations have every right to take the political position that zero commercial quotas should remain in effect indefinitely and that non-lethal interactions best fulfill the Commission's mandate to provide for the optimum utilization of this particular global resource. Robbins Barstow Director Emeritus, Cetacean Society International Wethersfield, Connecticut, USA ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Jan 1995 11:39:41 -0800 From: m82240095(\)ntou66.ntou.edu.tw Subject: Ask for help Hello there: I would like to be in contact with Dr. Toshio Kasuya by e-mail. If anyone knows that , please tell me. I really appreciate of your help and thanks in advance. Chu, Hsiao-yu Tawian Ocean University e-mail add: m82240095(\)ntou66.ntou.edu.tw ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Jan 1995 19:15:58 -0800 From: Michael Torok Subject: Harbor Seal Investigator List The Harbor Seal Investigator List is now available via anonymous ftp. Monthly updates will be posted in my directory. For those unfamiliar with ftp, it stands for 'file transfer protocol' and is one of the most universally supported methods for moving files between Internet sites. Not all Internet providers support ftp, so you should check with your system administrator. To access the HSIL, type 'ftp ftp.netcom.com' and login as 'anonymous'. At the password prompt, enter your email address. To change to the correct directory, type 'cd pub/mt/mtorok'. You may then retrieve the HSIL by typing 'get hsil.txt'. Type 'bye' to terminate the session. The January edition will be sent to all list members via email as before. Future editions may be available primarily by ftp. Any questions or comments regarding the HSIL may be directed to mtorok(\)netcom.com Michael L. Torok -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok | Wildlife Research Consultants Type "finger mtorok(\)netcom.com" | ..improving research through for PGP public key | custom engineering.. ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Jan 1995 15:31:18 -0200 From: Marcos Cesar de Oliveira Santos Subject: Tursiops in Brazil January, 2nd, 1995. Dear marmamers: I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a nice end of 1994. The new year comes and I deserve the best wishes in another hard working year! We had some problems in the end of 1994 at Caraguatatuba. It was estimated that 50.000 to 60.000 tourists would be there in the last days, and I received numbers around 200.000 tourists at Caraguatatuba!!! It was difficult to deliver folders to all these people and to control them too. There were lots of jet-skies, jet-bananas, boats and catamarans close to the shore, mainly in the beaches that the dolphin could be found. Many bathers didn't respect the buoys. We had difficulties to put the buoys in all beaches (about 70% of Caraguatatuba's beaches have buoys isolating people and the dolphin). The power of the waves turned some buoys to the sand. We had problems to put them again on their place, put the new ones and to monitorate the dolphin and tourists. On 29th of december the dolphin was not found. On 30th he was found in a beach at Sao Sebastiao, next to Caraguatatuba. He was doing well. We moved towards there. I returned to Sao Paulo on 30th and stayed here this last days. A friend of mine stayed there and told me that he is still there. He is at less frequented beaches now. I am going there to discuss with our team of volunteers the next steps we should take. Maybe the noise or the crazy demanding of people and jet-skies, etc made him go out of that place. Maybe the buoys around the beaches contributed, however the part that he surfed many times is still free. I will continue to monitorate him, and trying to monitorate the media and the tourists. Thanks for everyone that is helping. Have a nice day! Greetings, Marcos Cesar de Oliveira Santos Biologist - Universidade de Sao Paulo e-mail: marcosos(\)cat.cce.usp.br ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Jan 1995 14:02:07 BDB From: Andre Barreto Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: Re: ANTARCTIC WHALE RESEARCH In-Reply-To: Message of Fri, 30 Dec 1994 23:11:51 -0500 from On Fri, 30 Dec 1994 23:11:51 -0500 Ronald Orenstein said: > >Gee, Alan, you mean you DON'T have to kill whales to do research on them? Oh, comeon! Give the man a break! Lets get serious here. >Actually, I am a mite puzzled. How is the expedition planning to collect >skin samples if no whales are to be killed or captured? > >Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) You can use a series of methods. I don't have the references at hand, but you can use skin that comes off during strong energetic behaviour of whales or using crossbows with specially designed arrowheads (they don't penetrate too deep, but catches some skin). Apart from this information, I would like to say some words concerning Alan Mcnow and all his enemies: first of all, to get things straight, I don't support whaling. I do this for diverse reasons, specially because (as Truda Palazzo has stated in many of his postings) I don't believe that a good managing programme can be implemented. And I think that every species should be protected from extinction. I'm against whaling not because I think that whales "are magnificent animals", "are our brothers in the sea" and all those slogans. A whale is as magnificent as a mouse in the biological side, both have evolved through millenia to be what they are today. What turns my stomach is seeing some posts here in MarMam that say thigs like "thou shall not kill" when the authors of the postings go to a McDonalds to eat a hamburger. You know what is inside those hamburgers you eat? MEAT! From animals! If you are against whaling on purely moral grounds, than I expect nothing less from you than being a vegetarian. If not, stop with those emotional messages that only flame people that you disagree with. Let's get something useful from the presence of Mr Macnow here in the Net. Let's stop flaming just for flaming. If we see something wrong with japanese research, then we cry out. Not before. Lots of things have been learned through whaling. Sometimes a stranding is not enough, it is an occasional fact that makes difficulties to do populational studies. Lots of things can be learned without injuring whales. Others don't. The Net is a useful forum for almost live discussions, where we can "talk" with people from many parts of the world and from many specialties. Lets not waste it with emotional flaming. By the way, I'm omnivore. :) Andre S. Barreto | Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinhos | Depto. de Oceanografia - FURG (posasb(\)brfurg.bitnet) | C.P. 474 Rio Grande RS | 96201-900 | Brasil __________________________|_____________________________________ | "Problems worthy of attack, show their value hitting back" | |________________________________________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 10:16:51 EST From: Winfield Hill Subject: Re: Echolocation field recording > ... Do you know of >anyone who has used a divider network or heterodyning amplifier >to punch the frequency down for recording on a DAT or other >high-res digital format? Any tips would be quite useful. DAT and similar CD-quality audio recording techniques are only good to about 20kHz. Any method to reduce the frequency (mixing, etc) would be subject to the severely limited 20kHz bandwidth, e.g. you could record from 45 to 65kHz. This would be of questionable use where high-resolution acoustic time-domain information is needed. I have solved the problem for myself by using a 12-bit 330kHz digitizing card in a small PC (ComputerBoards CIO-DAS 16/330 for about $650, if I remember), which can then sample the data and continuously "stream" the data to your hard drive. Actually, I used a large amount of RAM (32Mbytes, borrowed for the experiment) and streamed the data to a "ramdisk" and then moved it from the ramdisk to the hard-drive. This meant I was limited to 30Mbyte files. For acoustic measurements over a 100Hz to 100kHz range, I digitized at 220kHz (remember the Nyquist rule). It's also necessary to use an anti-aliasing filter. Each sample takes 2 bytes, so each file holds only 68 seconds of continuous sound data. A typical small cheap 420Mbyte hard-drive ($250) could hold about 15 minutes of this data, which would have small gaps corresponding to the moving of the 68-second files. Winfield Hill Rowland Institute for Science Cambridge, MA 02142 USA ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 01:47:55 -0500 From: MPTrapani(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Peri-Orbital Abscess My experience with sub-orbital and retro-bulbar abscesses in veterinary practice causes me to offer these comments: 1) Consider the possibility of a foreign body, or a foreign-body like reaction caused by osteomyelitis of the peri-orbital bones. Any foreign material must be removed surgically or the abscess will simply return after each episode of drainage. Osteomyelitis will often behave like a foreign body if antibiotic treatment has been discontinued before the body has had adequate time to remove and replace infected boney tissue. In most mammals, this will require treatment of 4 weeks or longer. 2) In mixed bacterial infections, especially those involving anaerobic bacteria, a focus of infection may remain after prolonged treatment. This may occur due to differences in antibiotic sensitivity of the various organisms, or because some areas of an abscess are poorly perfused and may be effectivly excluded from treatment by the antibiotic's inability to penetrate white blood cells (containing phagocytized, vital pathogens) and/or inability to penetrate lipid compartments of the body. Consider the use of intracellular antibiotics such as chloramphenicol or tetracycline if indicated. 3) A small apical abscess of the tooth root may occasionally drain into the periorbital space. This should be considered. 4) Consider the possible presence of non-bacterial pathogens. This case cries out for bacterial and fungal culture, as well as cytologic and/or histologic evaluation. 5) My experience convinces me that homeopathic remedies aren't reliable. FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO ARGUE THIS POINT, PLEASE SAVE YOU BREATH AND SIMPLY POST A CONTROLLED, DOUBLE BLIND STUDY WHICH HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN A REFERREED JOURNAL AND SHOWS HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN UNTREATED CONTROLS. I'd love to have additional, effective treatments to use with my patients, but am not interested in anecdotes or wishful thinking. That's my two cents' worth. I hope it helps. MPTrapani, D.V.M. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 11:06:56 +1100 From: "C. Garrigue" Subject: Interlock Dear Marmam's reader, I am looking for information about the "Interlock project" managed in New Zealand by Wade Doak. Any information will be hepful. Thanks Claire GARRIGUE ****************************************************************** Dr Claire GARRIGUE Centre ORSTOM BPA5 Noumea NEW-CALEDONIA Fax : (687)26-43-26 Phone : (687)26-10-00 e-mail : garrigue(\)noumea.orstom.nc ****************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 09:47:32 +1100 From: Peter Corkeron Subject: Re: ANTARCTIC WHALE RESEARCH In-Reply-To: <199501010535.QAA18408(\)extra.ucc.su.OZ.AU> This discussion of the IDCR / IWC whale research cruise seems to be getting a little carried away. The selection of the scientists for the cruise was determined by the IWC secretariat (as I understand the process). If you don't know the background to the IWC/IDCR cruises, then perhaps its time to get to a library and read up a bit. And (perhaps Alan Macnow can correct me on this if I'm wrong) I thought it was the Japanese government (not the JWA) that funded the research cruise. Maybe we need to remember that "Japan" isn't some sort of unitary blob. A few other points - The IDCR cruises have generated the only decent quantitative data on numbers of cetaceans in the Antarctic (and, even if their motivation is questionable, the data are extremely valuable). Anyone who thinks that Paul Ensor would be a stooge to whaling interests has rocks in their head. And its not a 6 MAN group of scientists - at least one member of the group is female. Peter Corkeron pcorkero(\)extro.ucc.su.oz.au ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 00:15:35 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: ANTARCTIC WHALE RESEARCH > What turns my stomach is seeing some posts here in MarMam that say >thigs like "thou shall not kill" when the authors of the postings go >to a McDonalds to eat a hamburger. You know what is inside those hamburgers >you eat? MEAT! From animals! If you are against whaling on purely >moral grounds, than I expect nothing less from you than being a vegetarian. >If not, stop with those emotional messages that only flame people that >you disagree with. Well, sir, I have never made any such statements on this net. In fact I am not a vegetarian, and my objections to whaling are largely those of Jose Truda Palazzo who is a good friend and, in fact, one of our organization's regular delegates to whaling commission meetings. Since you approve of Jose's position, I assume you must aprove of mine (and I am sure he will be glad to give you his opinion of Mr. Macnow. Further, it is quite possible to object to whaling without being a vegetarian or an animal rights advocate, and base that objection on moral grounds, if you believe that whales are, in some way, different from domestic cattle and should therefore be treated differently. I will leave others to make that case if they wish. > Let's get something useful from the presence of Mr Macnow here in >the Net. Let's stop flaming just for flaming. If we see something >wrong with japanese research, then we cry out. As it happens, I do see something wrong with research whose primary purpose appears to be to evade the whaling moratorium, keep Japanese whalers afloat and provide whale meat for Japanese markets. These are not, in my view, valid scientific justifications for research. > The Net is a useful forum for almost live discussions, where we can >"talk" with people from many parts of the world and from many specialties. >Lets not waste it with emotional flaming. > Andre S. Barreto | Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinhos > | Depto. de Oceanografia - FURG May I remind you that my "flames" of Mr. Macnow are in part a response to highly emotional and accusatory messages that he posted originally. And I'm sorry, but I do think the guy merits a little ribbing now and again. I notice that you did NOT respond to the remainder of my message which was (I believe) a quite calmly-phrased request that the data set from the expedition Mr. Macnow referred to would be available in raw form to researchers. This is a perfectly valid purpose for a message on this net. And please note that I am not trying to flame you in this message! -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 10:27:05 PST From: "C. Garrigue" Subject: help for address ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear All, I would like to join Dr Helen Marsh who is working at James Cook University in Townsville Australia. Do you know her e-mail address ? Thank you very much and Happy New Year to everyone. Claire Garrigue ****************************************************************** Dr Claire GARRIGUE Centre ORSTOM BPA5 Noumea NEW-CALEDONIA Fax : (687)26-43-26 Phone : (687)26-10-00 e-mail : garrigue(\)noumea.orstom.nc ****************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 10:29:29 PST From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: NET FLOWN FROM QUEENSLAND LAST ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- NET FLOWN FROM QUEENSLAND LAST HOPE FOR TRAPPED DOLPHI PORT VILA, Jan 3 AAP - Australian experts flown to Vanuatu to help try and save 28 dolphins trapped in a shallow lagoon here feared tonight their efforts would be in vain. The Erakor Lagoon, about three kilometres from downtown Port Vila, has none of the small fish on which the dolphins feed, and the scared mammals were becoming weaker by the hour. One of the 28 died today in the arms of would-be rescuers after beaching itself then refusing to eat proferred fish. Another, a newborn baby, swam feebly to the beach this evening near the Erakor Resort where desperate efforts were being made to save it. "It looks like we may be near the end," said one of the Australians, Trevor Long, marine operations manager at Sea World on Queensland's Gold Coast. Tomorrow, Sea World is flying to Port Vila a 350-metre-long net into which it is hoped the surviving dolphins will be herded then "walked" to the open sea, a tantalising 25 metres away. Even with their natural "sonar" they have been unable to find the narrow entrance to the ocean. Mr Long and Peter Lynch, Sea World's senior animal behaviourist, were given free tickets by the national airline Air Vanuatu to fly here last Friday to assist in the rescue attempt. They brought with them 200 kilograms of frozen fish, including tropical species caught off Queensland and usually favoured by dolphins, which it was hoped they would eat. The plan failed. The oceanic spinner dolphins, used to a diet of live "shoaling" fish, refused to eat dead ones. The rescue bid recalled the recent successful operation to free a trapped whale, nicknamed Willy, from the Manning River at Taree late last year - an operation in which Mr Long and Mr Lynch were also involved. The dolphins at Port Vila entered the shallow lagoon on December 19, apparently for the females to give birth. "The dolphins normally use their natural 'sonar' to navigate, but the lagoon is so shallow and the entrance so narrow that they couldn't find their way out," Mr Long said. "We tried to herd them out by boat, but they were frightened and wouldn't go. "They've reached a state of advanced malnutrition. It's an alien environment for them." With the equipment available at Sea World, Mr Long said, a rescue might have been effected earlier. The net being flown in tomorrow was the last hope, and even then "it might be too late." Even the net plan would be a delicate operation, as the net could become caught on coral outcrops. Tourists staying at the Erakor and nearby Le Lagon and Iririki resorts have been keeping a 24-hour vigil in the lagoon, tending the dolphins and trying vainly to persuade them to eat. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 10:33:31 PST From: PWARHOL(\)delphi.com Subject: Re: Interlock ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- You can reach Project Interlock and Wade Doak through: Ruth Samuels P. O. Box 687 West Palm Beach, FL 33402 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 15:38:59 PST From: RobbinsB(\)aol.com Subject: Re: MARMAM Digest - 30 Dec 1994 to 31 Dec 1994 ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- TO: MARMAM(\)UVVM.BITNET From: Robbins Barstow, Wethersfield, CT, USA Subject: Cetacean Research in India In response to Joe Olson's request for info re cetacean research in India, I suggest he contact two persons from whom the Cetacean Society International has received helpful information regarding cetacean conservation activity and research in India: (1) Dr. R.S. Lal Mohan, Conservation of Nature Trust, B/24, Gandhinager, CALICUT - 673 005, Kerala, India (among other involvements, he has been particularly active in efforts to preserve the highly endangered Ganges River Dolphin [Platanista gangetica]; (2) Dr. E.G. Silas, A/56, Girinagar, NORTH COCHIN - 682 020, Kerala, India (among other roles, he has been president of the Marine Biological Association of India, and edited the published proceedings of a Symposium on Endangered Marine Animals and Marine Parks, held in Cochin in January 1985). Good luck, Joe. Robbins Barstow, Director Emeritus, Cetacean Society International RobbinsB(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 08:17:25 EST From: ARAGONES Organization: Tropical Env Studies and Geography Subject: help for address Helene Marsh email address is helene(\)cathar.jcu.edu.au unfortunately she will be away until the middle of January. Cheers LEM V Aragones Dept Tropical Env't Studies & Geography James Cook University Townsville, Qld 4811 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 11:56:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Jubilant islanders, tourists Jubilant islanders, tourists free Vanuatu dolphins SYDNEY, Australia (Reuter) - A jubilant team of marine experts and volunteers Wednesday freed 15 starving dolphins that were trapped for more than two weeks in a lagoon on the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, one of the volunteers said. Hundreds of islanders and tourists, under the guidance of Australian marine experts, have been trying over the past two days to release the spinner dolphins from the shallow lagoon near the Vanuatu capital, Port Vila. "Everyone is very relieved that at least some of them have been freed," volunteer Lynne Cowper told Reuters from a resort that sits on a tiny island in the lagoon. A total of 28 dolphins, including 10 calves, became trapped in the barren waters of the lagoon last month. They were unable to swim out because of the reefs and shoals surrounding the mouth of the lagoon. Four have died of starvation and nine remain trapped, said Cowper, who co-manages the Erakor Island Resort. The 15 dolphins freed Wednesday were herded into a corner of the lagoon using a large net and then carried in blankets across a sandy spit to the sea, she said. "But there were a few dolphins that did not get into the net," Cowper said, adding that an attempt to free the others would be made Thursday morning. Six marine experts were flown in from Australia's Sea World marine park by the Vanuatu government to organize the rescue. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 11:55:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Colombia-Cocaine War Colombia-Cocaine War By CHRIS TORCHIA Associated Press Writer SAN JOSE DEL GUAVIARE, Colombia (AP) -- ... much of article deleted ... Despite the drug war, the vast Guaviare wilderness remains largely unchanged. Iguanas and turtles clamber along the banks of a river where sword-nosed dolphins cavort. --------------------------------------------------------------------- What kind of dolphins are these? Rich Mallon-Day ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 11:23:14 +0100 From: Etienne Douaze Subject: Re: help for address >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Dear All, >I would like to join Dr Helen Marsh >who is working at James Cook University in Townsville >Australia. Do you know her e-mail address ? >Thank you very much and Happy New Year to everyone. >Claire Garrigue >****************************************************************** > Dr Claire GARRIGUE Centre ORSTOM BPA5 Noumea NEW-CALEDONIA > Fax : (687)26-43-26 Phone : (687)26-10-00 > e-mail : garrigue(\)noumea.orstom.nc >****************************************************************** Dear Claire: Here is Dr Marsch's address: Marsh, Helene Dept. Environmental Studies James Cook University Townsville 4811 AUSTRALIA Ph: 62-077 814242 Happy New Year! Etienne Douaze AD USUM DELPHINORUM 15, rue de Normandie (Bat. B) 92400 Courbevoie france voice: (33) 1 46 67 78 67 fax: (33) 1 46 67 78 67 E-mail: Compuserve ID: 100413,347 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 21:51:39 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: Re: Interlock > I am looking for information about the "Interlock > project" managed in New Zealand by Wade Doak. Any information > will be hepful. Wade and Jan Doak can be contacted on the following address: P.O. Box 20 Whangerei Auckland New Zealand Please could you enclose a self addressed envelope, as Wade receives many letters, and can't afford all the postage. Terry ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 00:32:37 -0800 From: Albert Pizzo Subject: Re: ANTARCTIC WHALE RESEARCH again In-Reply-To: <199501031637.IAA15231(\)netcom16.netcom.com> from "Peter Corkeron" at Jan 3, 95 09:47:32 am Concerning the 6 members of the research team. I think to be politically correct and fair, that the team should be composed of two men, two women, and a pair of whales! ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 22:22:48 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: ANTARCTIC WHALE RESEARCH >This discussion of the IDCR / IWC whale research cruise seems to be >getting a little carried away. The selection of the scientists for the >cruise was determined by the IWC secretariat (as I understand the >process). If you don't know the background to the IWC/IDCR cruises, then >perhaps its time to get to a library and read up a bit. And (perhaps >Alan Macnow can correct me on this if I'm wrong) I thought it was the >Japanese government (not the JWA) that funded the research cruise. Maybe >we need to remember that "Japan" isn't some sort of unitary blob. I appreciate this point; it was not made clear in the original news item posted by Mr. Macnow that this was indeed set up through IWC. I would appreciate a reference, if you know one, to the history of these cruises. > >A few other points - > >The IDCR cruises have generated the only decent quantitative data on >numbers of cetaceans in the Antarctic (and, even if their motivation is >questionable, the data are extremely valuable). As I have asked before, are the raw data sets readily available? > >Anyone who thinks that Paul Ensor would be a stooge to whaling interests >has rocks in their head. >Peter Corkeron >pcorkero(\)extro.ucc.su.oz.au > I should make it very clear that I had no intention of casting such aspersions on any participant in this expedition; my concern stemmed entirely from the source of the funding. If any individual assumed that I was casting such aspersions on him (or her) I unhesitatingly apologize for giving that impression. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 12:06:54 PST From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: abstract Fertl,D. 1994. Occurrence patterns and behavior of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Galveston Ship Channel, Texas. Texas Journal of Science 46:299-317. Abstract: Surveys for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were conducted in the Galveston Ship Channel between January 1990 and December 1992. Dolphins occurred year-round with seasonal peaks in spring and autumn. Many of the dolphins were well-marked and some appear to have scars resulting from human interactions. Dolphins observed in the Galveston Ship Channel appear to be part of an open population with no pronounced changes in the population size. Fifty-six individuals (23% of the individuals identified) were observed in all three years. Thirteen (23%) of the 56 dolphins were photographed as early as 1986/1987 in this same area, nine of these were determined to be females. Seventy-five percent of the 240 identified dolphins were sighted more than once during 1990-1992. Group sizes were small (mean = 3.2 +- S.D.2.02 for groups without mother/calf pairs; mean = 2.9 +- S.D.2.10 for goups with mother/calf pairs), and solitary dolphins were frequent (23% of groups with no mother/calf pairs were single individuals). The smallest groups, both with and without mother/calf pairs were observed in association with shrimp boats (mean = 2.7 +- S.D.1.80 and mean = 2.7 +- S.D.1.78, respectively), while the largest were socializing (mean = 3.7 +- S.D.1.81 and mean = 4.2 +- S.D.2.06, respectively). Dagmar C. Fertl, Coordinator of University Research, Texas A&M University (\) Galveston, Galveston, TX 77551. Ph:(409) 740-4737; Fax:(409) 740-4787 fertld(\)tamug2.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 12:14:13 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: WHALING: JAPAN'S VIEWS, 1 of 2 FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association For participants in this conference who are interested in Japan's views on whaling, following is the first of two articles by Mr. Kunio Yonezawa, former Commissioner of Japan to the IWC, as pub- lished in the Japan Times, 8 Nov. 1994: FOES OF WHALING LACK LOGIC For more than 20 years, whaling has been both an emotional and a political issue. Science, logic and trust among nations have, thus far, been the losers. It all began as a political wrangle in late 1971, when the secretary general of the United Nations Conference on Human En- vironment introduced an agenda item to consider a 10-year moratorium on all commercial whaling, alleging that all whales species were threatened with extinction. As I witnessed, and as documents in the United States Na- tional Archives corroborate, this last-minute maneuver was, it ap- peared, part of a grand design to divert the Stockholm Confer- ence's attention from the mounting bitter criticism of the Vietnam War. The ploy succeeded and the conference adopted the resolu- tion. The U.S. delegation then proceeded triumphantly to London for the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). However, this time, just two weeks later, the U.S. found itself stunningly defeated by the ruling of the IWC's Scientific Committee. The committee had considered the resolution and had ruled unanimously - including the two top U.S. scientific aides in Stockholm - that "there is no scientific justification for the blanket moratorium." Failing to prevail with this extinction approach, anti whaling delegations gradually shifted their strategy to the more salable one of uncertainty and inadequacy of available scientific information. This, they thought, combined with recruitment of new mem- bers voting in their favor, would enable them to prevail. (The number of IWC member nations mushroomed from 17 in 1972 to 39 in 1982. Prominent leaders of anti whaling nongovernmental organiza- tions (NGOs) found it advantageous to seat themselves in many of these new delegations as commissioners, spokesmen or scientists.) When in 1982, they finally succeeded in having their coveted resolution for a moratorium adopted, the moratorium had, however, still never been recommended by the IWC's own Scientific Committee. The Scientific Committee's antipathy (or, perhaps, in some cases, apathy) regarding the moratorium was particularly worth noting in view of the radical changes in the committee's composi- tion. Anti whaling delegations had placed or substituted scientists of their choice, many of whom had quite dubious qualifications. Indeed, what had been a small gathering of some 20 scientists had, by 1989, been turned into an almost unmanage- able caucus of over 100 participants. The 1982 moratorium resolution, premised on alleged con- cerns of scientific insufficiency and inadequacy, mandated the commission, through two rider resolutions, to undertake and com- plete a comprehensive assessment of major whale resources by 1990, and to develop a new resource management mechanism to ensure the safety of these resources. With these riders, the "victory" of the anti whaling na- tions was bound to be short-lived. The completion of these tasks, particularly the completion of the Revised Management Procedure (RMP) in 1991, put an end to the perennial controversy over the adequacy and reliability of data and analyses. For the RMP, Japanese and other scientists put forward five proposals, all of which proved equally effective. However, it was ironic that the Scientific Committee decided to recommend to the commission for formal adoption the one developed by Justin Cooke, a British scientist known to be closely linked to Green- peace. It chose Cooke's proposal for its relative simplicity in application. The RMP's comprehensive stock analysis also generally con- firmed the scientific Committee's earlier conclusions, establish- ing, inter alia, that the best population estimate of minke whales between the ice pack edge and 60 degree south was 760,000. (There are also a large number of minke whales outside this area in the southern oceans.) The completion of the RMP and the comprehensive assessment came as a shuddering shock to the ultra-antiwhaling nations. Among them, New Zealand was the one which, two months later, rushed to Geneva to the third session of the Preparatory Committee of the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) to propose for the UNCED agenda a resolution for a new 10-year moratorium. The document - by IWC commissioner Ian Stewart - was dis- tributed at PrepComm. It described the reasons for the proposal in a shamelessly candid way, warning that,"...the RMP might well be adopted at IWC's next meeting in June 1992...(This would) un- lock the door to the resumption of whaling....[I]t was not that a majority if IWC members were necessarily in favor of resumption, [but that] they were being driven by the IWC Convention itself," which would allow whaling under satisfactory stock conditions. The proposal concluded that therefore the resolution at UNCED for a 10-year moratorium was the only way to prevent this resumption. In a nutshell, it confessed callously that after more than 20 years of fuss over science, they intended to renege on their 1982 commitments, and that all their arguments had been nothing more than expedient devices for pursuing their hidden agenda. New Zealand failed. France was next to move. It proposed for the 1992 meeting consideration of the establishment of a sanctuary 40 degrees south in the southern oceans. Although the proposal was deceptively dubbed the Antarctic Sanctuary, it cov- ered far too extensive an area to justify such terminology - vast areas equivalent in the Northern Hemisphere north to a line con- necting roughly Aomori, Lisbon and Washington, D.C. In failing to explain why the RMP could not be applied in this area, the proposal was nothing more than "a desperate attempt by animal rights groups to prevent the use of minke whales in the southern oceans." [Dr.Douglas Butterworth, associate professor, University of Cape Town, "Science and Sentimentalism," June 18, 1992, Nature.] Nonetheless, the commission did adopt this proposal at its 1994 meeting, amending it to exclude the exclusive economic zone of the affected coastal states from the sanctuary - an attempt to override the objections of Latin American countries. In the adop- tion process, anti whaling delegations turned a deaf ear to both of the Japanese proposals: one that the French proposal be referred to the Scientific Committee for detailed computer stimulation; the other that the sanctuary exclude from its ap- plication minke whales - the smallest and the most prolific species, and the one which, through exhaustive study, the Scientific Committee had established was the most robust. The absurdity of the French proposal is beyond doubt. It alleged that the annual harvesting of 2,000-3,000 minke whales from a stock in excess of 760,000, by a process the RMP would detail, might well retard the recovery of other whale species and interfere with the ecosystem. Even the French delegate himself, when confronted with these logical points at the 1993 IWC meeting, admitted in a plen- ary session that the French proposal was more political than scientific. With all of this, it was inevitable that the government of Japan would lodge a formal objection to the sanctuary resolution. Japan did so in September. -end- i c d t q ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 12:31:07 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: WHALING: JAPAN'S VIEWS, 2 of 2 FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association For participants in this conference who are interested in Japan's views on whaling, following is the second of two articles by Mr. Kunio Yonezawa, former Commissioner of Japan to the IWC, as pub- lished in the Japan Times, 9 Nov. 1994: MAINTAINING IWC MEMBERSHIP IS IN JAPAN'S INTEREST Events in the International Whaling Commission point to a rather startling change in the major antiwhaling nations' stance: In the last few years, they have gone from advocating science to unabashed candidness as regards their earlier hidden agenda. It does not appear to trouble them that this agenda is not only com- pletely incompatible with both the spirit and the letter of the IWC Convention itself, but also with the concept of sustainable use of living marine resources to which these nations pledged their support at UNCED two years ago. They have cornered themselves into admitting the truth about their biases under the weight of scientific evidence against them - evidence to which Japan has contributed significantly through its research and field surveys. Objectively, the scientific irrationality of the commis- sion's behavior in refusing to adopt the Revised Management Proce- dure (RMP) comes clear in the resignation of the Scientific Com- mittee Chairman, Dr. Philip Hammond of Britain, two weeks after the 1993 meeting. He said,"...the work of Scientific Committee [on the RMP] was praised and acknowledged by several delegations to be complete, but it remained unadopted....(R)easons for this were nothing to do with science....[I concluded that] I can no longer justify to myself being the organizer of and spokesman for a committee whose work is held in such disregard by the body to which it is responsible..." As things stand now, many in Japan and elsewhere rightly doubt the merit of Japan's staying in the IWC. However, there is a consideration I see, particularly when I sense the beginning of a groundswell in certain Western govern- ments, the media, and NGOs against antiwhaling and other extremist positions as regards resources management. Were Japan to withdraw from the IWC, it would lose the formal arena in which to confront the antiwhaling nations with reason and science. For example, at the 1994 meeting, two re- searchers, funded by Earthtrust - a U.S. antiwhaling group - charged that there is marketing in Japan of illegally caught whale meat. This allegation attracted wide media coverage in the U.S. and elsewhere, but the truth was otherwise. As they admitted, these researchers did not have even a responsibly minimal set of reference type specimens against which to check their meager 16 samples. This led to them to fail to distinguish between legally taken Antarctic minke and protected humpback whales, among other mistakes. They submitted their paper to the IWC Scientific Com- mittee, but the committee simply dismissed it as not up to the scientific standards necessary for consideration. Other non-IWC scientists, who work in genetics and DNA, have reportedly reached similar conclusions. Sadly, through the misuse of scientific techniques, Earthtrust achieved a successful publicity stunt be- cause the truth has not been as widely reported. For Japan to withdraw from the IWC might please extrem- ists, but it would not necessarily help our concern for sustaining whaling or further our larger cause. The larger cause we stand for goes well beyond the immedi- ate issue of whaling. It encompasses much broader questions, among which are the fundamental human right to use natural resources responsibly; mutual respect for divergent cultural and ethical values; and freedom from tyranny of the majority. It is most presumptuous to seek to impose one's ethical values or pen- chant for certain fauna on others who do not share the same views, especially when these views are merely ideological and wholly un- scientific, as with the IWC. However, what remains most unconscionable to me is that a civilized government which has signed a treaty can attempt to use the treaty organization to promote objectives that are utterly in- compatible with the purpose and letter of the agreement. The ex- cuse that the whale issue is somehow an exception is not convinc- ing. -End- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 13:27:22 EST From: ARAGONES Organization: Tropical Env Studies and Geography Subject: references on dolphins killing sharks A friend of mine is looking for any references on dolphins killing (attacking, or should I say protecting themselves from) sharks. I will greatly appreciate any help. Regards. LEM V ARAGONES Dept Trop'l Env't Studies & Geog James Cook University Townsville, Qld 4811 email: aragones(\)cathar.jcu.edu.au ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 10:28:40 +0000 From: Paul Slootweg Subject: Re: Orenstein/Macnow debate I have been closely following the Alan Macnow/Ronald Orenstein debate with considerable interest. From these discussions I have drawn some conclusions: Japan (or do I mean the JWA?) supports the scientific 'research' into whales because they wish/intend to pursue commercial whaling at some time in the future. There is not necessarily, for everyone, a *reason* (or science) for having a distaste for the killing. After all, our perception of WRONG is not based on reason, but on morals (guilt?). I understand the Japanese view, I just cannot agree with it because I, too, am an irrational (and clearly abjectly hypocritical) opponent of whaling. We must accept that there is a real difference between animal husbandry as practised by farmers on land, where the animals are totally dependant on their human keepers, and the desire to reap (rape?) the 'harvest' at sea. After all, if we get it wrong, there is no way we can step in to help the whales. Just look at the problems and arguments we have had reported here on the net about attempts to assist species back from the brink of extinction. The view that we can 'manage' the resources of the sea is very arrogant when we consider our track record so far on our stewardship of the planet: Acid rain Ozone holes Water pollution Heavy metal polution Nuclear waste Chemical waste Wholesale de-forestation ... the list goes on. We cannot continue to justify every action we take with the good intentions of scientific research or the economic benefits we might enjoy. There is far more *reason* in preserving the very planet (and all it contains) that sustains the life of every one of us, than the clearly dubious practice of whaling. -- Regards, Paul Slootweg prs(\)radstone.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 15:42:17 +0000 From: Chris Johnson Subject: Re: Cetacean Brains Doug Cross, from the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology at Ithaca College did some evoked potential work on dolphin brains at The Living Seas of EPCOT Center. His paper entitled "Surface recorded auditory evoked potentials in the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin: A non-invasive method" was, I believe, published in 1989, but I don't know where - the only copy I have is a pre-publication manuscript. I think Doug is still at Ithaca College. If you can't reach him there, the folks at EPCOT probably have a reprint of his paper. Happy New Year! Chris Christine M. Johnson UC San Diego johnson(\)cogsci.ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 12:08:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Vanuatu-Dolphins Vanuatu-Dolphins SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Marine experts herded 15 dolphins out of a lagoon in Vanuatu today, 17 days after the mammals first became trapped in shallow water. Forty people, including Erakor islanders, helped experts from Australia's Sea World herd the mammals into a 1,150-foot-long, 20-foot-deep net that had been lowered from an inflatable boat above the coral-filled lagoon. The rescuers managed to get 15 of the pod's original 28 mammals out to sea, Trevor Long, Sea World marine operations manager, said today by phone. Nine dolphins remained in the lagoon and rescuers will try to free them Thursday, Long said. Two in the pod died Tuesday, and two others died today, all from starvation. The lagoon, a "natural trap" about two miles from Port Vila, has none of the small fish on which dolphins feed. Those saved in today's 4 1/2-hour operation included three mothers and their newborns who ranged in age from one to three months. The dolphins and a large number of other mammals entered the lagoon Dec. 19, probably to escape predators. Vacationers and islanders came in canoes to see them, inadvertently forcing the dolphins further into the lagoon. The Sea World officials had taken 440 pounds of the dolphins' favorite frozen fish to the site, but they did not feed because they were not used to eating dead fish. Long said the dolphins normally used natural sonar to navigate, but the lagoon was so shallow and the entrance so narrow they could not find their way out. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 09:44:54 PST From: RobbinsB(\)aol.com Subject: Re: MARMAM Digest - 2 Jan 1995 to 3 Jan 1995 ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- To: MARMAM(\)UVVM.BITNET From: Robbins Barstow, Wethersfield, CT, USA Subject: Project Interlock Claire Garrigue can reach Wade and Jan Doak directly at Project Interlock, P.O. Box 20, Whangarei, New Zealand. As of September, Wade had not yet gotten on line with Internet, but he's been working on it. Wade Doak's latest book is "SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS IN NEW ZEALAND: Where to Go to Meet Bottlenose, Common, Dusky, Hector's and Risso's Dolphins." It was scheduled for publication in September 1994. Robbins Barstow, Director Emeritus, Cetacean Society International RobbinsB(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 09:45:46 PST From: "Jeanette A. Thomas" Subject: Re: Echolocation field recording In-Reply-To: <199501010527.AA10747(\)uxa.ecn.bgu.edu> from "David M. Cole" at Dec 31, 94 07:30:48 pm ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear David; RE: portable, high frequency recorder for echolocation clicks. You should check in the bat literature there are several bat detectors which heterodyne or otherwise change ultrasonic bat signals into audible (e.g. recordable with cassette recorder range). Anabat II from an australian company seems to be the most popular. There is a whole internet bat research group that also can be monitored for more details. Jeanette Thomas ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 09:46:25 PST From: Michael Torok Subject: HSIL (Jan) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The January edition of the HSIL (harbor seal investigator list) has been distributed. If you did not receive your copy, please contact me at mtorok(\)netcom.com. The HSIL (hsil.txt) is also available via anonymous ftp from ftp.netcom.com in the 'pub/mt/mtorok' directory. The harbor seal investigator list is NOT a discussion group. It simply contains contact information to facilitate communication (primarily electronic) between investigators. If you would like to be included on the list, please send the following information to: mtorok(\)netcom.com Your Name Affiliation (incl. address and phone/fax) Internet address(es) Research Interests -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok | Wildlife Research Consultants Type "finger mtorok(\)netcom.com" | ..improving research through for PGP public key | custom engineering.. ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 09:57:24 PST From: Andre Barreto Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: Re: ANTARCTIC WHALE RESEARCH In-Reply-To: Message of Tue, 3 Jan 1995 00:15:35 -0500 from ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- On Tue, 3 Jan 1995 00:15:35 -0500 Ronald Orenstein said: > >Well, sir, I have never made any such statements on this net. In fact I am (lots deleted) Mr Orenstein, I never intended to address my message specifically to you. If so I would send it personally to you, to your e-mail address and not to Marmam. If you took it personally, then I'm sorry, that was not the intention. >Further, it is quite possible to object to whaling without being a >vegetarian or an animal rights advocate, and base that objection on moral >grounds, if you believe that whales are, in some way, different from >domestic cattle and should therefore be treated differently. I will leave >others to make that case if they wish. > I disagree with that. Cattle has the same rights as whales, the only differenc e is that cattle is managed and not in risk of being extinct (well, wild populations ARE in risk, but that is another history). The message that created this confusion was not directed to anyone specially, but to a series of small messages that carried a lot of emotional charge but few sustainable acusations. Sorry if anyone felt I was criticizing him/her directly, that was not the intention. Well, as someone wrote those messages, then someone _should_ feel offended, but I didn't try to attack anyone in special. See you all in the Net, Andre S. Barreto | Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinhos | Depto. de Oceanografia - FURG (posasb(\)brfurg.bitnet) | C.P. 474 Rio Grande RS | 96201-900 | Brasil __________________________|_____________________________________ | "Problems worthy of attack, show their value hitting back" | |________________________________________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 09:59:35 PST From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Dead sperm whale found on Casa ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dead sperm whale found on Casablanca beach RABAT, Jan 4 (Reuter) - The body of a sperm whale weighing 15 tonnes was washed up from the Atlantic onto a beach by the Moroccan town of Casablanca on Tuesday, the Moroccan news agency MAP reported. It quoted experts as saying the whale had a cavity in its head containing oil. It was the first time in more than 10 years that a whale, rarely found in warm waters, had been washed up on Morocco's shores. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 14:56:17 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: WHALING: ANOTHER VIEW FROM JAPAN FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association For participants in this conference who are interested in Japan's views on whaling, following is an article by Ms. Shigeko Misaki, Counsellor, Institute of Cetacean Research, as published in the opinion column of Asahi Shinbun, 27 Dec. 1994: "CONSIDERATION OF THE WHALING ISSUE IN RELATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS' LAW OF THE SEA CONVENTION" The United Nations' Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS) was ratified in mid-November, 1994. "A constitution for the sea", as it is acknowledged by the global community, UNCLOS has far-reaching effects in many aspects. Having attended various international negotiations addressing whaling issues, I attempt to put forward my view of the current situation at the Interna- tional Whaling Commission (IWC) in relation to the UNCLOS. The International Convention for the Regulation of Whal- ing (ICRW), on which the IWC is founded, declares in its Pre- amble to "provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry". In its Article VIII, the ICRW allows that "any Con- tracting Government may grant to its nationals a special permit authorizing that national to kill, take and treat whales for purposes of scientific research". In the recently ratified UNCLOS, Article 62 encourages that "The Coastal States shall promote optimum utilization of living resources" while in Article 65 it provides that States shall co-operate with a view to the conservation of marine mam- mals and in the case of cetaceans shall in particular work through the appropriate international organizations for their conservation, management and study". It can be construed that both in ICRW and UNCLOS science is the fundamental approach to the utilization of living resources, and there is not much difference, in that sense, be- tween the two. In reality, however, the situation we face in the IWC is far from the ideals with which UNCLOS and ICRW were written. Let me examine the course of events that occurred at the IWC in the recent decade. Behind the fervent anti-whaling belief adhered to by the majority members of the IWC, there is the spurring support of wide-spread international "environmentalism", the basis of which is a deep-seated distrust of science. Distrust of science has begotten the ethics that nature as it stands should be left alone so that no human hand should touch its wild state. Such ethics was the basis of the "Southern Ocean Sanctuary" adopted by the IWC in Mexico in June 1994. However, dire distrust of science and technology can lead to a collapse of human society in which our very own way of living is structured. This is why I believe that development of science and technology, hand in hand with rational conservation in nature, including culling, is a task charged to humankind. The Scientific Committee of the IWC, having toiled through the maze of massive scientific demands for eight years, has completed the Revised Management Procedure (RMP), the core of the Comprehensive Assessment which was contingent to the adoption of the 1982 moratorium. The RMP is an epoch-making management regime with which whale stocks, even in the case where information available is uncertain, may be safely and steadily managed using a scenario closest to the reality. Use of RMP enables sustainable utilization of whale stocks, when they are abundant enough to sustain harvesting, without any damage to their population. Thus RMP is a most con- servative approach to marine resource management, as it only takes a very small portion of surplus out of the population in- crease with careful periodical monitoring. The IWC acknowledged the unanimous recommendation of its Scientific Committee to adopt the RMP in 1992, but postponed its implementation until such time as the "RMS" (Revised Management System), which are administrative rules peripheral to the RMP, is completed. Faced with this political decision by the Commission, Dr.Phil Hammond, the Chairman of the Scientific Committee, resigned: he wrote to the Secretary of the IWC "what was the point of having a Scientific Committee if its unanimous recom- mendation on a matter of primary importance are treated with such contempt?" Since then, the works required for the RMS have been steadily undertaken by a group of administrative representatives of Japan, Norway and other IWC member nations. The writing of the last part of a series of administrative rules, the interna- tional observer scheme, necessary for implementation of the RMP which will comprise the RMS, is expected to be complete at the preparatory meeting to be held early next year. The completion of the RMS has a great significance, be- cause it means the achievement of all there is to do to satisfy the contingent clause for the moratorium. A reasonable conclusion may be drawn at this stage in light of the concept of UNCLOS and ICRW as follows. The IWC should lift the moratorium by adoption of the RMS, so that rational and sustainable whaling may start. At the same time, the IWC should "reconsider" its current anomaly with which it condemns the research activities conducted by Japan and Norway, since international co-operation of scientific studies is called for by the new order of the sea. Humankind will have to cope with the population explo- sion in the foreseeable future. Sustainable utilization of wildlife will be an effective way in which we can help resolve the food shortage for the global human population. The time is now to establish an international regime for the utilization of surplus marine resources for the global food demands. We should not regard the whaling issue as an isolated case. It should be treated as a fundamental example of wise and sustainable utilization of widelife and marine living resources. -end- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Jan 1995 08:34:24 -0500 From: GBUCK(\)crs.loc.gov Subject: Info. Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff MARMAM Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am shortening the summary to include only new items added since my last posting. However, I will post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. Today's posting is the longer version for the first Friday in January. I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . {Ballard Lock Sea Lions. On Jan. 5, 1994, NMFS announced that permission had been given to the State of Washington to kill California sea lions, after all feasible and practical non-lethal removal methods have been exhausted, to protect steelhead trout in the vicinity of the Ballard Locks. However, an official of the Humane Society of the United States stated that this organization would go to court to stop any killing. NMFS has agreed to provide $120,000 to Washington State for temporarily holding nuisance sea lions.} [Assoc Press] . {Coast Guard to Patrol Stellwagen Bank. On Jan. 5, 1994, the U.S. Coast Guard signed an agreement with NMFS to routinely patrol Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to provide increased protection for whales.} [Assoc Press] . Dolphin Problems in Brazil. On Dec. 8, 1994, a male dolphin injured two men swimming at a beach on Brazil's southcentral coast. One man subsequently died of internal hemorrhaging. On Dec. 10, seven additional swimmers were injured by the same animal. [Reuter] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Jan 1995 09:58:45 PST From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: Colombia-Cocaine War ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Colombia-Cocaine War > >By CHRIS TORCHIA > Associated Press Writer > SAN JOSE DEL GUAVIARE, Colombia (AP) -- >... much of article deleted ... > Despite the drug war, the vast Guaviare wilderness remains >largely unchanged. Iguanas and turtles clamber along the banks of a >river where sword-nosed dolphins cavort. >--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >What kind of dolphins are these? >Rich Mallon-Day > Presumably botos (Inia), which could be described as "sword-nosed". -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Jan 1995 10:00:29 PST From: Jim Moore Subject: Re: WHALING: ANOTHER VIEW FROM JAPAN ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >there is the spurring support of >wide-spread international "environmentalism", the basis of which >is a deep-seated distrust of science. Yes, I've noticed that EO Wilson is pretty close to phobic about science; you'd never catch Paul Ehrlich in a science department, Peter Raven ain't much onthe subject... As the header says, it's "another view" ... -------------- ---------------------------------- Jim Moore | HOW TO READ RESEARCH LITERATURE (2): Anthro, UCSD | PHRASE MEANING jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu | "It has been I have not bothered to (619) 534-5572 | shown that..." look up the original 534-5946 [fax] | reference, but ... ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Jan 1995 15:04:20 -0500 Reply-To: Robert Kenney From: Robert Kenney Subject: Query re: Vanuatu spinner dolphins In-Reply-To: <9501041647.AA11678(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu> Dear MARMAM-ers: The recent business involving the group of spinner dolphins trapped in the lagoon at Vanuatu has me wondering. How likely is it that spinners would be starving to death in only a couple of weeks, presuming that they were healthy and well-fed when they first entered the lagoon? Granted my expertise is in mysticetes, which can go months without eating, but my impression is that cetaceans are opportunistic feeders adapted to "feast or famine" prey availability. Humans can certainly last a month or two, based on the IRA hunger strikers in British prisons. Perhaps someone more conversant in odontocete physiology might enlighten us on this question. Cheers, Bob =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Robert D. Kenney rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu | | University of Rhode Island TEL: (401)-792-6664 | | Graduate School of Oceanography FAX: (401)-792-6497 | | Box 41, Bay Campus | | Narragansett, RI, U.S.A. 02882-1197 | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Jan 1995 14:47:02 BDB From: ANdre Batata Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: Re: WHALING: ANOTHER VIEW FROM JAPAN In-Reply-To: Message of Thu, 5 Jan 1995 14:56:17 -0800 from On Thu, 5 Jan 1995 14:56:17 -0800 Alan Macnow said: > FROM: Alan Macnow > Consultant, Japan Whaling Association > For participants in this conference who are interested in > Japan's views on whaling, following is an article by Ms. Shigeko > Misaki, Counsellor, Institute of Cetacean Research, as published > in the opinion column of Asahi Shinbun, 27 Dec. 1994: (lots deleted) > In the recently ratified UNCLOS, Article 62 encourages > that "The Coastal States shall promote optimum utilization of > living resources" while in Article 65 it provides that States > shall co-operate with a view to the conservation of marine mam- > mals and in the case of cetaceans shall in particular work > through the appropriate international organizations for their > conservation, management and study". I think that the key words in this paragraph is "optimum utilization". Although the RMP was prepared with extreme care and it has a "conservative approach" (as is said on another part of this article), I've seen other examples of fisheries that collpsed even with management programs, that appeared to be perfect when they were developed. (more deleted) > The RMP is an epoch-making management regime with which > whale stocks, even in the case where information available is > uncertain, may be safely and steadily managed using a scenario > closest to the reality. Again we use a simulation of reality that is "close enough" to reality for us to use it safely. But is it really close? Specially when we deal with an enviroment as complex as the ocean, small differences might turn to big problems. I'm not against use of natural resources, but as G. Patton told with exceptional clarity: we can use what we can produce. This is the only way to assure that a resource won't be depleted. (more deleted) > Humankind will have to cope with the population explo- > sion in the foreseeable future. Sustainable utilization of > wildlife will be an effective way in which we can help resolve > the food shortage for the global human population. The time is > now to establish an international regime for the utilization of > surplus marine resources for the global food demands. We should > not regard the whaling issue as an isolated case. It should be > treated as a fundamental example of wise and sustainable > utilization of widelife and marine living resources. > I'm sorry but here I have to disagree with Mr. Misaki. Whale will never be used as a solution for global food demands. Management can't even be used as an example for it. To feed everyone we need a resource that renews itself quickly, and whales are far from that. And again I think that man can produce food in other ways much more efficiently and economicaly than hunting. Wildlife won't never be able to be the only source of food for man because it has many other predators that would compete with us. I don't agree with the fundament behind RMP that there is a "surplus" in the natural populations of whales that can be harvested. I think this idea difficult to accept because it brings with it the idea that there were always a surplus (if it exists now, it existed before) and before we started hunting where did this surplus go? Perhaps we are hunting only the whales that would die because of accidents, or killed by orcas, or sick? I don't think that we can know in advance which whales would die anyway and get only those. This would be a surplus, any other thing sounds strange to me. Please the population dinamicists on duty correct me. Andre S. Barreto | Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinhos | Depto. de Oceanografia - FURG (posasb(\)brfurg.bitnet) | C.P. 474 Rio Grande RS | 96201-900 | Brasil __________________________|_____________________________________ | "Problems worthy of attack, show their value hitting back" | |________________________________________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Jan 1995 13:48:27 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: sea otter position at MBA (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 6 Jan 1995 13:04:40 -0800 (PST) From: HARVEY(\)MLML.CALSTATE.EDU SEA OTTER RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION PROGRAM MANAGER The Monterey Bay Aquarium seeks an individual with exceptional leadership qualities to direct its sea otter research and conservation programs. The candidate will be expected to develop and implement a program plan that integrates scientific research with the aquarium's sea otter exhibit and conservation programs. Responsibilities include administrative oversight of the sea otter program, scientific oversight of in-house and visiting investigator research, working with state and federal agencies, obtaining extramural support and contributing to the aquarium's education programs. Requirements include a Ph.D. or equivalent plust 5 years experience in marine mammal science, wildlife management and/or rehabilitation; highly effective communication skills. This is a two-year term appointment with promotion to regular status dependent upon satisfactory dvelopment and implementation of program goals. Submit letter of application, curriculum vitae and three letters of recommendation to Human Resources, Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940. Review of applications will begin on Feb. 15, 1995. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is an equal opportunity employer. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Jan 1995 16:55:03 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Vanuatu dolphins In all of the email I've seen on this event, I've never seen the species of dolphin mentioned. It is possible that I missed it. In any event, I saw some video to the capture/release and the animals appeared to be spinner dolphins. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 12:44:50 -0200 From: Marcos Cesar de Oliveira Santos Subject: Tursiops in Brazil January, 9th, 1995 Dear Marmamers: Things are better now!!! The dolphin "moved" towards Sao Sebastiao, the city he first appeared last year and the reason he received his nickname "Tiao". It is a very nice city, with better conditions to control the situation. The prefecture is helping a lot giving the best conditions to avoid any problems. We have now a specialized civil guard working at Sao Sebastiao's beaches. Since January 3rd I am monitoring dolphin, public and media behaviour there. The dolphin is doing very well. He is fishing, playing with turtles, resting and getting in touch with few researchers when necessary, mainly when he comes next to the shore to get in touch with bathers. It seems that he loves to give the bathers a surprise, suddenly appearing!! At these moments, they can see how wonderful these mammals are. We stay next to them and they are recording, taking photos, learning something about dolphins and they enjoy a lot. They can see that it is almost impossible to believe that this docile dolphin hurted somebody. His image is better now to the public in general. The media saw it. Part of it wait for an accident (believe it or not!!). The other part turned back and is respecting the real image of the dolphin. We are living the best moment now. Since this operation begun (middle of December), no more accidents were recorded. Difficulties like crowded beaches on week-ends and drunk people exist, and we have to deal with them in a very special way. "After the storm, it seems that a dream is coming true". Greetings, Marcos Cesar Biologist - University of Sao Paulo e- mail code: marcosos(\)cat.cce.usp.br ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 09:13:18 EST From: John Francis <74151.1327(\)compuserve.com> Subject: post doc oppty--fur seal research I am trying to locate a proven (post-doc or higher) researcher who might be interested in participating in a collaborative study of the Juan Fernandez fur seal on the Juan Fernandez Islands, Chile. The research program at this remote site over the last 7 years indicates this presently threatened species to be exceptional with respect to reproductive behavior (Behaviour 119:104-126) and foraging strategy (in prep.) and promises fertile ground for investigation. However, I am prevented by a new position from continuing research at this site. A doctoral candidate and Chilean national, Hugo Ochoa at the Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, continues studies of food habits, population monitoring, and maternal energetics and would be a good collaborator for a researcher with compatible interests. While no funding is presently available, I would be happy to suggest promising sources and offer a longitudinal data set on reproductive behavior that would provide a strong foundation for future study. Please reply to me by email if you are interested and capable of taking full advantage of this opportunity. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 8 Jan 1995 21:38:57 -0600 From: Gottfried Mayer-Kress Subject: Tursiops in a big trouble needs help!!! (collected msgs on WWW) I have a collection of all messages sent to MARMAM(\)UVVM.BITNET or to myself that are related to Tiao, the dolphin who killed a swimmer in Brazil. They can be accessed via World Wide Web (WWW) at the URL: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/Projects/Orcas-SW/Tiao.txt I am interested in getting information about similar cases of aggression by dolphins (or whales) against humans. Best, --- Gottfried Mayer-Kress Center for Complex Systems Research, Beckman Institute, Physics Dept. UIUC 405 N Mathews, Urbana, Il 61801,gmk(\)pegasos.ccsr.uiuc.edu, gmk(\)igc.apc.org, gmk(\)santafe.edu, (217)-244-5877(voice/fax1),x8371(fax2), x1994 (msg) URLs: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/, ftp://ftp.santafe.edu/pub/gmk ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 8 Jan 1995 23:37:28 +1100 From: Mr SB Birch Subject: Bat echolocation field recording Here is ,hoping my terminal troubles do not garble it, a copy of my previous response re: a portable high frequency recorder for echolocation. Original questioner now unknown. Of interest for bat location, the following report, including circuit diagram presents bat echolocation recorder using 40kHz ultrasonic transducer. VSP Technical report no. 12 An inexpensive ultrasound detector for monitoring bat activity H.Parnaby, R.Roper, R.Meggs, P.Close, S.O'Meley & K.Cherry Dept of Conservation & Environment (now Conservation & _Natural resources_) 240 Victoria Pde East Melbourne, VIC 3002, AUSTRALIA (August 1992) ISSN 1038-0094 The detector has output to tape and headphones. Steven Birch Interspecies r&d sbb(\)fred.eng.monash.edu.au ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 09:37:06 PST From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: ANTARCTIC WHALE RESEARCH ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I do dispute Peter Corkeron's assumption that counting a few whales from a Japanese ship and, without knowing enough of their ethology and ecology, extrapolating those numbers in a computer can be deemed 'decent' data for management. Again, let's get real on this issue. IDCR cruises may be good for the curriculka of those involved and maybe for some sporadic data gathering, but for population estimates? Geez. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 17:11:05 GMT From: Cherry Allison Subject: CETACEANS AND GILLNETS ANNOUNCING THE PUBLICATION OF A MAJOR NEW VOLUME IN THE IWC SPECIAL ISSUE SERIES : CETACEANS AND GILLNETS. EDITED BY W.F. PERRIN, G.P. DONOVAN AND J. BARLOW REPORTS OF THE IWC SPECIAL ISSUE 15. 1994. ISSN 0255-2760; ISBN 0 906975 28 X HARDBACK. [x] + 629pp. 210mm x 305mm; figs, tables, photographs. AVAILABLE FROM: GREG DONOVAN, IWC, THE RED HOUSE, STATION ROAD, HISTON, CAMBRIDGE, UK. PRICE 45 POUNDS STERLING OR US$80 PLUS P&P. This volume represents the culmination of over four years work, beginning with the organisation of a Symposium and Workshop held in La Jolla in 1990. The volume includes the report of that Workshop, the IWC Scientific Committee's report on stocks of small cetaceans that are subjected to `significant' directed and incidental takes as submitted to the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and a total of over 50 papers presented to the Workshop, subsequent IWC Scientific Committee meetings or requested to address important relevant issues not covered by the presented papers. The production of this volume has been a major task. For a number of reasons, including communication with authors from every continent (except Antarctica), and a full publication schedule for IWC volumes, production took longer than originally anticipated. For this reason we took the opportunity to (1) encourage authors to update their papers to include data and information up to mid-1994; (2) include papers that originated in part in response to recommendations made in the Report of the Workshop. Although this resulted in a slight additional delay to the volume it now represents the most complete and current account of the worldwide situation of a problem that probably represents the most serious threat to cetaceans today - some of the papers include data up as far as November 1994. The papers published each received at least two anonymous peer reviews. CONTENTS: International Whaling Commission. Report of the Workshop on Mortality of Cetaceans in Passive Fishing Nets and Traps. pp. 1-71. Bjorge, A., Brownell, R.L., Donovan, G.P. and Perrin, W.F. Significant direct and incidental catches of small cetaceans. A report by the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). pp. 73-130. Read, A.J. Interactions between cetaceans and gillnet and trap fisheries in the Northwest Atlantic. pp. 133-48. Lien, J. Entrapments of large cetaceans in passive inshore fishing gear in Newfoundland and Labrador (1979-1990). pp. 149-58. Fontaine, P.M., Barrette, C., Hammill, M.O. and Kingsley, M.C.S. Incidental catches of harbour porpoises ({IPhocoena phocoena}) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the St. Lawrence River Estuary, Quebec, Canada. pp. 159-64. Sequeira, M. and Ferreira, C. Coastal fisheries and cetacean mortality in Portugal. pp. 165-82. Kinze, C.C. Incidental catches of harbour porpoises ({IPhocoena phocoena}) in Danish waters 1986-89. pp. 183-8. Di Natale, A. and Notarbartolo-di-Sciara, G. A review of the passive fishing nets and trap fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea and of the cetacean bycatch. pp. 189-202. Lowry, N. and Teilmann, J. Bycatch and bycatch reduction of the harbour porpoise ({IPhocoena phocoena}) in Danish waters. pp. 203-10. Berggren, P. Bycatches of the harbour porpoise ({IPhocoena phocoena}) in the Swedish Skagerrak, Kattegat and Baltic waters, 1973-93. pp. 211-6. Benke, H. A note on cetacean bycatches in German waters. pp. 217-8. Vidal, O., Van Waerebeek, K. and Findley, L.T. Cetaceans and gillnet fisheries in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean: a review. pp. 221-34. Gonzalez, A.Z., Ramirez, J.U. and Mac!as, C.E. A note on artisanal fisheries interactions with small cetaceans in Mexico. pp. 235-8. Siciliano, S. Review of small cetaceans and fishery interactions in coastal waters of Brazil. pp. 241-50. Pinedo, M.C. Review of small cetacean fishery interactions in southern Brazil with special reference to the franciscana, {IPontoporia blainvillei}. pp. 251-60. Pinedo, M.C. Impact of incidental fishery mortality on the age structure of {IPontoporia blainvillei} in southern Brazil and Uruguay. pp. 261-4. Barros, N.B. and Teixeira, R.L. Incidental catch of marine tucuxi, {ISotalia} {Ifluviatilis}, in Alagoas, northeastern Brazil. pp. 265-8. Crespo, E.A., Corcuera, J.F. and Cazorla, A.L. Interactions between marine mammals and fisheries in some coastal fishing areas of Argentina. pp. 269-82. Corcuera, J., Monzon, F., Crespo, E.A., Aguilar, A. and Raga, J.A. Interactions between marine mammals and the coastal fisheries of Necochea and Claromec" (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina). pp. 283-90. Corcuera, J. Incidental mortality of franciscanas in Argentine waters: the threat of small fishing camps. pp. 291-4. Goodall, R.N.P., Schiavini, A.C.M. and Fermani, C. Net fisheries and net mortality of small cetaceans off Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. pp. 295-304. Maigret, J. Marine mammals and fisheries along the west African coast. pp. 307- 16. Cockcroft, V.G. and Krohn, R. Passive gear fisheries of the southwestern Indian and southeastern Atlantic Oceans: an assessment of their possible impact on cetaceans. pp. 317-28. Lal Mohan, R.S. Review of gillnet fisheries and cetacean bycatches in the northeastern Indian Ocean. pp. 329-44. Zhou, K. and Wang, Z. Brief review of passive fishing gear and incidental catches of small cetaceans in Chinese waters. pp. 347-54. Dolar, M.L.L. Incidental takes of small cetaceans in fisheries in Palawan, Central Visayas and northern Mindanao in the Philippines. pp. 355-64. Yatsu, A., Hiramatsu, K. and Hayase, S. A review of the Japanese squid driftnet fishery with notes on the cetacean bycatch. pp. 365-80. Nagao, K. Regulation of the Japanese high seas driftnet fisheries. pp. 381-4. Watanabe, Y. The Japanese large-mesh driftnet fishery in the Pacific Ocean. pp. 385-92. Perrin, P.M. and Brownell, R.L. A brief review of stock identity in small marine cetaceans in relation to assessment of driftnet mortality in the North Pacific. pp. 393-402. Barlow, J., Baird, R.W., Heyning, J.E., Wynne, K., Manville, A.M., Lowry, L.F., Hanan, D., Sease, J. and Burkanov, V.N. A review of cetacean and pinniped mortality in coastal fisheries along the west coast of the USA and Canada and the east coast of the Russian Federation. pp. 405-26. Gearin, P.J., Melin, S.R., DeLong, R.L., Kajimura, H. and Johnson, M.A. Harbour porpoise interactions with a chinook salmon set-net fishery in Washington state. pp. 427-38. Heyning, J.E., Lewis, T.D. and Woodhouse, C.D. A note on odontocete mortality from fishing gear entanglements off southern California. pp. 439-42. Kornev, S.I. A note on the death of a right whale ({IEubalaena glacialis}) off Cape Lopatka (Kamchatka). pp. 443-4. Jefferson, T.A., Curry, B.E. and Black, N.A. Harbor porpoise mortality in the Monterey Bay halibut gillnet fishery, 1989. pp. 445-8. Lennert, C., Kruse, S., Beeson, M. and Barlow, J. Estimates of incidental marine mammal bycatch in California gillnet fisheries for July through December, 1990. pp. 449-64. Reyes, J.C. and Oporto, J.A. Gillnet fisheries and cetaceans in the southeast Pacific. pp. 467-74. Felix, F. and Samaniego, J. Incidental catches of small cetaceans in the artisanal fisheries of Ecuador. pp. 475-80. Haase, B. and Felix, F. A note on the incidental mortality of sperm whales ({IPhyseter macrocephalus}) in Ecuador. pp. 481-4. Lescrauwaet, A.C. and Gibbons, J. Mortality of small cetaceans and the crab bait fishery in the Magallanes area of Chile since 1980. pp. 485-94. Van Waerebeek, K. and Reyes, J.C. Interactions between small cetaceans and Peruvian fisheries in 1988/89 and analysis of trends. pp. 495-502. Van Waerebeek, K. and Reyes, J.C. Post-ban small cetacean takes off Peru: A review. pp. 503-20. Van Waerebeek, K. and Reyes, J.C. A note on incidental mortality of southern minke whales off western South America. pp. 521-4. Van Waerebeek, K. A note on the status of the Dusky dolphin ({ILagenorhynchus} {Iobscurus}) off Peru. pp. 525-8. Earle, M., Woodley, T.H. and Hagler, M. An investigation of incidental catches of large-mesh driftnet fisheries from the South Pacific and North Atlantic. pp. 529-32. Lien, J., Stenson, G.B., Carver, S. and Chardine, J. How many did you catch? The effects of methodology on bycatch reports obtained from fishermen. pp. 535- 40. Cockcroft, V.G. Is there a common cause for dolphin capture in gillnets? A review of dolphin catches in shark nets off Natal, South Africa. pp. 541-8. Hatakeyama, Y., Ishii, K., Akamatsu, T., Soeda, H., Shimamura, T. and Kojima, T. A review of studies on attempts to reduce the entanglement of Dall's porpoise, {IPhocoenoides dalli}, in the Japanese salmon gillnet fishery. pp. 549-64. Au, W.W.L. Sonar detection of gillnets by dolphins: theoretical predictions. pp. 565-72. Dawson, S.M. The potential for reducing entanglement of dolphins and porpoises with acoustic modifications to gillnets. pp. 573-8. Silber, G.K., Waples, G.T. and Nelson, P.A. Response of free-ranging harbour porpoises to potential gillnet modifications. pp. 579-84. Goodson, A.D., Klinowska, M. and Bloom, P.R.S. Enhancing the acoustic detectability of gillnets. pp. 585-96. Goodson, A.D., Mayo, R.H., Klinowska, M. and Bloom, P.R.S. Field testing passive acoustic devices designed to reduce the entanglement of small cetaceans in fishing gear. pp. 597-606. Donovan, G.P. Developments on issues relating to the incidental catches of cetaceans since 1992 and the UNCED conference. pp. 609-14. Abstracts and Resumes. pp. 617-29. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 11:12:24 -0800 From: US Fish and Wildlife Service - Int'l Affairs Subject: Orphan Sea Otter Pup Needs Home The Anchorage, Alaska Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a 2 or 3 week old male sea otter pup that has been orphaned and is available for adoption by a zoological park/aquarium. Contact: Ms. Carol Gorbics, Marine Mammals Management, telephone: (907) 786-3804 fax: (907) 786-3816 GorbicsC(\)mail.fws.gov ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 08:59:06 +1100 From: Peter Corkeron Subject: Re: ANTARCTIC WHALE RESEARCH In-Reply-To: <199501091740.EAA15957(\)extra.ucc.su.OZ.AU> So what are you saying Jose - should the IDCR cruises happen or not? I put in my previous message because there seemed to be some implication that the cruise was some sort of fiendish Japanese plot. Good to see people seem to have moved somewhat from that position. Isn't the whole point of the RMP algorithm that, given that lack of statistical power that can be achieved doing surveys like the IDCR surveys (i.e. the probability of making a Type II error in trend detection), the safe aproach (assuming that you realy are going to go commercial whaling) is to take an extremely small proportion of the estimated population. As things stand at present, the management regime in place for southern hemisphere baleen whales is the southern ocean sanctuary. There are few research groups involved in studies of sanctuary whales, either on migration or at their breeding or feeding grounds, and fewer still who are generating data on population trends. We have reasonable recent data on humpbacks and rights in some places, but apart from that? Not a hell of a lot, really. So I'd say we're better off having the IDCR cruises than not having them. Though perhaps my perspective's coloured by working on humpbacks and rights in Australia. On a slightly different tack, I've found it kind of amusing to see the pro-whaling types carry on about the importance of the IWC's charter, and the stuff about optimal utilization. And wasn't there something in the charter about the orderly development of the whaling industry? Since the establishment of the IWC, whaling has always avoided optimal utilization by going for overkill, and ignoring the advice of scientists. Now we have whaling mouthpieces bleating about scientists being ignored. Please. Perhaps someone would care to explain how the take of protected species fits into optimal utilization? Or how it fits in with following advice from scientists? And if people are going to continue to slag Palumbi and Baker's work on the samples bought in Japan, could they at least offer arguments based on decent science? After all, the stuff did get published in Science. And Macnow's posting months back of the letter to the editor of Science seemed a little light on in the good arguments department. Geez indeed Peter Corkeron pcorkero(\)extro.ucc.su.oz.au My little wanky quote: ITS A JOKE Rampaging Roy Slaven (Haven't heard of Roy and HG? Some Australian culture doesn't travel too well). PC ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 14:12:35 -1000 From: Stacy Braslau-Schneck Subject: Wanted: "Post-MA" position in HI or NorCA Dear MARMAMers, Encouraged by the recent numbers of post-Doc announcements, I'll post this short note. I am looking for a position working with marine mammals in either Hawaii (short-term) or Northern California (long-term). I have a MA degree from the University of Hawaii and experience with dolphins, orcas, whales, seals, and sea lions, in these and other locations. I have experience working both in the field and with resident animals, and am an advanced marine mammal trainer. I am particularly interested in social behavior of marine mammals; other interests include communication, cognition, and other aspects of behavior. I will be moving to California sometime this summer or fall. I would be willing (even eager) to investigate and pursue independent funding as well. If you are interested, or have any suggestions, advice, or just want to wish me luck, please respond to this e-mail address, or to the address or phone number below. Thank you for your time, Stacy Braslau-Schneck, MA sbraslau(\)uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu 2118 Haena Drive Honolulu, HI 96822 (808) 944-3826 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 11:14:11 -0200 From: Marcos Cesar de Oliveira Santos Subject: Information about Tursiops and humans interactions Dear marmamers: I would like to get in touch with researchers who had experienced working with Tursiops and human interactions to discuss about those cases and relate them with this case that is happening in Brazil. He have lots of things to learn by changing our experiences!!! I look forward to hearing from you. Greetings, Marcos Cesar de Oliveira Santos Biologist - Universidade de Sao Paulo E-mail code: marcosos(\)cat.cce.usp.br Snail-mail: Rua Professor Artur Ramos Num. 178/162 - A 01454-010 Sao Paulo Brazil ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 10:37:44 +0100 From: SBU2MA(\)rulsfb.LeidenUniv.nl Subject: Genetics of the Southern Elephant Seal Dear MARMAM I am posting this message for a friend who is not yet on email, if you can help him either respond to my email number, or by snail mail to the address listed below. Marjan Addink SBU2MA(\)RULSFB.LeidenUniv.NL L.S., I am very interested in genetical research on Elephant Seals (Pinnipedia: Phocid ae: genus Mirounga), specifically the Southern Elephant Seal, Mirounga leonina. Who knows persons working on this subject? Of special interest are evolutionary biological /conservati- onal aspects as genetic variability and gene flow, and techniques as allozyme el ectropho- resis, RAPD and RFLP detection, and DNA hybridisation & fingerprinting. Hoping for your reaction, yours sincerely, Georg Engelhard Section of Evolutionary Biology and Systematic Zoology I.E.E.W. University of Leiden P.O. Box 9516 NL-2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 04:34:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com GREATER WHALE PROTECTION NEEDED, CENTRE SAYS By Christopher Lines of AAP ADELAIDE, Jan 10 AAP - The fishing industry must not be allowed to prevent the creation of a Great Australian Bight Marine Park, a whale welfare spokesman said today. Les McDiarmid of the South Australian Whale Centre called for greater protection from humans and the establishment of the proposed marine park despite the objections of the South Australian Fishing Industry Council. The proposal for the park, which would be the state's first marine park, consist of a twenty kilometre exclusion zone in whale breeding areas. The creation of the park has stalled in the office of State Primary Industries Minister Dale Baker and the fishing industry have now come out against the move despite having originally supported the concept. "The whales do not have appropriate protection and they do not have a refuge, despite both stronger regulations and a sanctuary proposal having been prepared and presented by departmental staff to their relevant government ministers for some months now," Mr McDiarmid said. "The benefits to South Australia of looking after the whales vastly outweigh all other interests. "Besides our moral duty to safeguard their survival, the potential exists for them to make a major contribution to our burgeoning ecotourism industry. "An industry which, unlike the fishing industry, is both environmentally friendly and sustainable," he said. Mr McDiarmid has also called for the whales to be granted greater protection from sightseers when they return to popular viewing spots in May. He called for greater powers for Fisheries Officers and stricter guidelines to prevent helicopters, boats and even swimmers from getting too close to the mammals. "In South Australian waters they will again be virtually unprotected from harassment and countless hazards, because we do not have strong enough regulations for NPWS and Fisheries Officers to prosecute wrongdoers," he said. About 100 to 200 of the world's Southern Right Wales visit the South Australian coastline during the cooler months, with many of them in the proposed park area where 30 calves were born last year. Up to half of all whale calves die in their first year, with many of them from human interference including collisions with vessels, entaglement in fishing equipment and ingestion of litter. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 17:47:24 -0800 From: John Potter Subject: acoustic data collection oppportunity I expect to be sailing from San Diego, CA to Singapore between March and September this year, taking a route via the Marquesas Islands, Society Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Northern Australia & Indonesia. I will be on board a 46' sailing vessel, which offers a number of advantages for acoustic data collection. The vessel is relatively unobtrusive to marine mammals while under sail power and proceeds at a comparatively gentle pace of 4-7 knots. I already have some acoustic equipment on board, and plan to augment this with a custom-designed miniature array or directional hydrophone if time and finances allow. Data from two channels can be recorded on DAT tape, with a bandwidth of 20 kHz and 90 dB dynamic range. If anyone has a specific need for acoustic data along the intended track, or suggestions on what to look out for, please contact me at my email address. It might be possible to tailor the new acoustic equipment to a particular set of requirements if the data promises to fill a clearly-defined need in someone's programme. I am sending this out to the marmam and bioacoustics groups, please accept my apologies if you receive this missive twice. ___________________________________________ John R. Potter Tel: (619) 534 8151 MPL 0238, SIO, UCSD Fax: (619) 534 7641 9500 Gilman Drive johnp(\)mpl.ucsd.edu La Jolla, CA 92093 "Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans" ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 21:33:35 -0400 From: GUANX(\)folly.cofc.edu Organization: College of Charleston Subject: Info on Aquatic Mammalogy Dear Marmam Readers, Does any body know how to subscribe "Aquatic Mammalogy" and "Cetology"? I couldn't find any library in Charleston area has them. Your information is much appreciated. Shane SHANE (XINGHUI) GUAN 205 FORT JOHNSON CHARLESTON, SC 29412 (803)762-5552 GUANX(\)COFC.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 16:58:46 GMT From: Cherry Allison Subject: CETACEANS AND GILLNETS: add CETACEANS AND GILLNETS. EDITED BY W.F. PERRIN, G.P. DONOVAN AND J. BARLOW REPORTS OF THE IWC SPECIAL ISSUE 15. 1994. ISSN 0255-2760; ISBN 0 906975 28 X HARDBACK. [x] + 629pp. 210mm x 305mm; figs, tables, photographs. AVAILABLE FROM: GREG DONOVAN, IWC, THE RED HOUSE, STATION ROAD, HISTON, CAMBRIDGE, UK. PRICE 45 POUNDS STERLING OR US$80 PLUS P&P. Addition to yesterday's message: Post and packing charge is 6 POUNDS STERLING OR US$14. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Jan 1995 10:56:00 GMT From: Ian Chalklin 11 January 1995 To all list users, Can anybody advise me if there is an International Marine Mammal Notification System which reports Worldwide Sightings and Stranding of Cetaceans? Regards Ian Chalklin ******************************************************************************** ** Ian Chalklin Geography Department Canterbury Christ Church College North Holmes Road Canterbury Kent CT1 1QU United Kingdom Tel:(44 1227) 767700 Ext:337 Fax:(44 1227) 470442 E-Mail:Ian(\)C71.Canterbury.AC.UK ******************************************************************************** ** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Jan 1995 03:34:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Seals found slashed in NY Seals found slashed in NY NEW YORK, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Three harbor seals have been viciously slashed in the Atlantic Ocean off the Long Island coast over the past few months, prompting a federal investigation into the matter, it was announced Tuesday. The latest victim, a 6-month-old female, was rescued Monday, but her chances for survival are slim. "We don't know if she's going to survive," said Kim Durham, staff biologist for Okeanos, a non profit organization that runs the state's Marine Mammal Stranded Program. "The two other animals died from infections, basically they died from blood poisoning brought on by their wounds," she said. Harbor seals are small mammals, weighing between 40 and 50 pounds. Okeanos workers picked up the first slashed seal on Nov. 8. All three were found at the eastern tip of Long Island, the latest near the Fire Island lighthouse. "At this point we have no idea who did this or why," Durham said. "These animals all federally protected," she added. "Technically it's against the law to even feed them." The seals migrate to Long Island during the winter months and dozens of them can be seen at low tide on clear days sunning themselves on the rocks. "Usually it's a pretty nice life," Durham said. Durham said the National Marine Fishery Service, the Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Coast Guard are all involved in investigating the slashings. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 15:26:00 -0800 From: rice(\)racesmtp.afsc.noaa.gov Subject: Books for sale 100+ marine mammal books and other publications for sale. Prefer to sell set as one unit. For list of titles, send SASE with $0.64 postage to: Allen Wolman 19103 104th Ave. NE Bothell WA 98011 Do NOT reply via E-mail. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 02:05:27 +0900 From: Toshiyuki Kimura Subject: metabolic rate and generation time Dear Marmam readers I am interested in metabolic rate of whales and dolphins. I would like to have references concerning cetacean metabolic rate and generation time. I would appreciate it if anyone sends me information. Thanks in advance for any help, <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Toshiyuki Kimura Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Nagoya University, Japan E-mail: i45115a(\)nucc.cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Jan 1995 12:56:36 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: WHALING: REPLY TO BARSTOW From: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association RE: Robbins Barstow's Response to "Views from Japan" I appreciate Robbins Barstow's commitment to informed debate and the fact that he has never stooped to ad hominem attacks in all of the many years I have known him. Thank you, Robbins. I respect your point of view and your feelings about whales even though I do not share them. I am afraid that I have to strongly disagree with a number of Rob- bins Barstow's points: 1. While I agree that "whales are a global resource and a global responsibility" by virtue of the fact that they are highly migratory, I do not agree that they are "a special case" and there- fore exempt from utilization. Certainly, neither Japan nor any other country has any inherent right to the whales, neither to their exploitation nor to declaring them sacrosanct. However, many countries consider them a renewable natural resource capable of being sustainably utilized and their views should not be denied nor suppressed by those who believe otherwise. 2. Mr. Barstow stated: "As pointed out by Japanese scientist Hideo Obara, "Whales are not domestic animals. The oceans where whales live are not the private property of Japan." I believe that Obara is a journalist, not a scientist. The Japa- nese do not believe that the whales are Japan's private property and, in fact, the IWC does not permit the allocation of whale catch quotas to any particular country. All countries with an interest in catching them can do so, provided that the total catch does not exceed the IWC's catch limits. 3. While "The member nations of the IWC, representing the over- whelming majority of the world's people, must determine collective- ly the values to be applied to this particular category of fauna, even if the Commission's judgment is not shared by all," this statement misses some important facts. First, taking into account the fact that the U.S., China, India and Russia are all members of the IWC, and therefore Mr. Barstow can correctly say they represent the majority of the world's people, they do not come close to representing the interests and values of the majority of the na- tions of the world. Only 39 of the world's almost 200 countries belong to the IWC, and the 23 which voted for the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary do not comprise either the majority of the coun- tries nor the majority of world population. Second, the IWC was not established to determine the "values to be applied to this par- ticular category of fauna." It was established and empowered to manage whaling, not "values," under the provisions of the Interna- tional Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). And third, international conventions or treaties depend entirely upon the voluntary adherence to its provisions of their signatory nations, each of which is a sovereign state. Non-signatories are not bound by it. And signatory nations are not bound by provisions estab- lished by the IWC to which they object. 4. Mr. Barstow states: "Until recent years, it was taken for granted that "optimum utilization" meant maximum sustainable har- vesting. . . however, the idea has grown throughout the world that whales are worth more to humankind alive than dead, and that their "optimum utilization" should involve their non-lethal conservation, management and study." I am afraid that Mr. Barstow has general- ized and universalized the "idea" promoted by him and his like- minded friends. Most of the countries that utilize whale products, or who would like to utilize whale products and other renewable natural resources would strongly dispute any idea of placing any natural resource off-limits. 5. Mr. Barstow states: "There is nothing in either ICRW or UNCLOS which precludes non-consumptive uses such as benign research, edu- cation, and whalewatching as appropriate, desirable, and legitimate bases for whale management." The ICRW regulates whaling, not non- consumptive uses. Whaling, under sustainable management, does not preclude benign research, education nor whalewatching because it would not allow the taking each year of more whales than are born each year or that are needed to replace those lost to natural mortality. 6. Mr. Barstow states: "In today's world, the rational, science- based, sustainable utilization of natural resources has come to be accepted as a general rule." Quite right! 7. Mr. Barstow states: "Indeed, the non-consumptive utilization of the international resource of whales may be considered their 'most highly sustainable' and therefore rational use." There are popula- tion dynamics scientists who can point out many stocks of wildlife that were unable to sustain their populations although untouched by predation. Most populations go through cycles; they increase until they reach the limits of the carrying capacity of their environ- ment, then experience population declines as lack of sufficient food for all members leads to starvation, susceptibility to dis- ease, and incomplete pregnancies. Non-consumptive utilization, therefore, is hardly a "highly sustainable use." Consumptive utilization under the principles of sustainable management is more rational because it provides humans with food and products while maintaining the populations for future generations. It is a way to have one's cake and eat it, too. 8. Mr. Barstow states: "Japan, Norway, and Iceland, if it rejoins the IWC, as well as other countries, have every right to try to persuade the Commission to authorize the resumption of commercial whale killing, with specified restrictions, under a 'Revised Man- agement Scheme.' By the same token, other nations have every right to take the political position that zero commercial quotas should remain in effect indefinitely and that non-lethal interactions best fulfill the Commission's mandate to provide for the optimum utilization of this particular global resource." I agree entirely with this statement. However, those "other nations" have no right to violate the provisions of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) which call for the IWC to take measures "to provide for the conservation, development, and optimum utilization of the whale resources; (b) shall be based on scientific findings; ... and (d) shall take into consideration the interests of the consumers of whale products and the whaling indus- try." Nor do these "other nations" have a right to contravene the purpose of the ICRW which, among other things, calls for providing "for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry." If these "other nations" cannot fully adhere to the ICRW, they should resign from the IWC. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 16:23:59 +0100 From: solvi.hansen(\)smu.unit.no Subject: Grey seal - migration pattern GREY SEAL MIGRATION PATERNS - HOW TO DOCUMENT THEM The Norwegian grey seal population is small and widely spread along the coast of Norway. So far very little is known about their life outside the breeding periode. Some of the knowledge needed to mangage them in a sustainable manner, is their migration patern in the winter and spring. I am working on an idea for ph.D and need to get in contact with scientists with experience in grey seal radio tracking, or other methods to detect migration. Can anyone help me? References on grey seal migration patterns will also be very welcome! Please answer to solvi.hansen(\)smu.unit.no Solvi Hansen Centre for Environment and Development University of Trondheim 7005 Dragvoll Norway ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 17:31:08 +0100 Reply-To: ecs-all(\)mailbase.ac.uk From: JAN WILLEM BROEKEMA Subject: stranding in the Netherlands Apparently today (12-1) again three sperm whales stranded on the Dutch coast. After the strandings in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany earlier this winter, this is an extraordanairy phenomenon. Never before have so many different strandings taken place in so short time at such short distance: all along the eastern shore of the North Sea. Today's stranding was at Kijkduin (The Hague) and involved three whales, of which one was still alive at the time. This is a first report and only hear-say. We hope the Dutch National History Museum will present more information in a few days. Regards, Jan Willem Broekema ECS Computer Support Group ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 00:07:11 -0500 From: Bret S Weinstein In-Reply-To: <199501112106.QAA20683(\)biology.lsa.umich.edu> .Dear Marmamers, I study bats so I am usually just an observer on this list. I would like to comment on the ongoing debate between Alan Macnow and others on this list; perhaps a more distant viewpoint would be helpful. I apologize to all, if this is out of place. Mr Macnow, you should know that you have been very clear in your presentation and that this conflict is not the result of a failier to comprehend your message. Nor is the resistance you experience the result of a lack of cultural sensitivity, as you have suggested. Rather it is the result of a lack of trust. The members of this list don't trust you; and why should they? You are a paid spokesman, which we all recognize means that you are paid to hold an opinion that just happens to justify the actions or goals of your employer. We do not even know the extent to which your private opinions match your stated ones (you will probably protest that you only espouse beliefs that you and your employer share: those of us who do not trust you will not believe that either). You should also understand that your employer has a less generic credibility gap with people who are informed about issues of ecological management. Japan has tremendous gall to claim that it is interested in 'managing' whales as a 'renewable resource' when Japan has lead the way on strip-mining the oceans of all kinds of species with driftnets. Japan has behaved similarly in tropical forests world wide. Your position that Japan should be allowed to manage whale populations is not in any substantial way different from advocating that the fox be allowed to guard the chicken coop (except that fox would never act in so short-sided, greedy and waistful a way as Japan has in the worlds forests and oceans). To the rest of this list, I know that there was substantial debate as to whether Mr. Macnow should be allowed standard access to this resource, but it seems to me that he has been given privilege and priority here. In the six months I have been listening Mr Macnow has not contributed anything of real importance to the discussion. He has succeeded in frustrating this debate at such a basic and transparent level that it is almost certain that nothing of value will be learned. If Japan was simply paying him to tie up the cetacean-studying community, they would be getting their moneys worth-- Think about all of the person hours spent reading and responding to this one man's ridiculous and disingenuous position. It is also worth recognizing that, whether it is his primary purpose here or not, Mr Macnow is getting essentialy private lessons on what to say and how to say it in order to counter scientific viewpoints. If scientific information is what he wants, he should keep reading what is posted here, but I can see no reason he should be able to post Japan's spin on everything. Why not restrict him to substantial contributions or questions (not self-serving opinions or questions intended to bait people). I hope this will be taken in the constructive spirit in which it is meant. I look forward to learning more about marine mammals from this excellent resource. Bret Weinstein University of Michigan ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 10:53:26 PST From: Leo Novelli Subject: Underwater Speakers ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am in need of a pair of inexpensive underwater speakers. If anyone knows of a place where I can purchase a set or if you know anyone that will donate a set to a non-profit organization (tax deductable), please e-mail me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leo A. Novelli - LNOVELLI(\)ix.netcom.com Dolphins, let them be "Wild & Free"! ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 11:06:57 PST From: Howgar(\)aol.com Subject: New J pod babies ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- On January 2, 1995, two new calves, one possibly only a few weeks old, were seen alongside their mothers, travelling north along the west side of San Juan Island, Washington. J14's mother, J12, well over fifty years old, and J14's probable grandmother, J2, into her sixties or seventies, were all travelling together. The four generations were in close association. After sufficient identification photographs were taken to document the appearance of the new calf, other whales were photographed as they moved out toward Swanson Channel in Canadian waters. J8 was positively identified. It was then that an unexpected discovery was made. Another new calf was seen. This one was swimming tight along the right flank of 22 year-old J11, while J1l's other offspring, 3 year old J27, swam along the left side, This calf appeared to have fetal folds along its sides, indicating that it may have been only a few days old. J1l's presumed mother, J4, approximately 38 years old, and possible grandmother, J8, believed to be in her fifties or sixties, were only a few yards away. Thus there were two groups that are believed to be composed of four generations of resident orcas. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 11:10:54 PST From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: WHALES 2 ADELAIDE (REOPENS) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- WHALES 2 ADELAIDE (REOPENS) Dr Karen Edyvane, drawing up proposals for the marine park for the SA government, says it will cover an area of 8,627km from just west of Cape Adieu, west of Ceduna, to the West Australian border. Dr Edyvane, of the South Australian Research and Development Institute, says the special 20km exclusion zone, off Twin Rocks at the head of the Bight, will serve as special and highly protected breeding ground. No mining excavation of any sort is likely to be permitted in the area. Dr Edyvane is preparing a so-called draft plan of management for the park which will then go to SA primary industries minister Dale Baker and state cabinet for approval. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 11:19:21 PST From: wayne stobo Subject: Re: Seals found slashed in NY ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Seals found slashed in NY > NEW YORK, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Three harbor seals have been viciously >slashed in the Atlantic Ocean off the Long Island coast over the past >few months, prompting a federal investigation into the matter, it was >announced Tuesday. > The latest victim, a 6-month-old female, was rescued Monday, but her >chances for survival are slim. > "We don't know if she's going to survive," said Kim Durham, staff >biologist for Okeanos, a non profit organization that runs the state's >Marine Mammal Stranded Program. > "The two other animals died from infections, basically they died >from blood poisoning brought on by their wounds," she said. > Harbor seals are small mammals, weighing between 40 and 50 pounds. > Okeanos workers picked up the first slashed seal on Nov. 8. All three >were found at the eastern tip of Long Island, the latest near the Fire >Island lighthouse. > "At this point we have no idea who did this or why," Durham said. >"These animals all federally protected," she added. "Technically it's >against the law to even feed them." > The seals migrate to Long Island during the winter months and dozens >of them can be seen at low tide on clear days sunning themselves on the >rocks. > "Usually it's a pretty nice life," Durham said. > Durham said the National Marine Fishery Service, the Department of >Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Coast Guard are all involved in >investigating the slashings. Hi, Wayne Stobo responding to your note on harbor seal slashing. Are you certain that it is not a shark attack? Over the last several years we have found harbor seal pups (25-50 lbs.) which have been killed by shark attacks - but the appearance of the pelt is that someone, or something, took a razor and sliced them from head to tail, one or more times (when more than once, the slashes are parallel); when the pelt is put back together it appears as a corkscrew slash in most cases. We are certain that these are shark attacks and a colleague of mine is researching the species of shark which may be responsible. Please have Ms. Durham or the appropriate authority contact me if they wish more information. Thanks. -- Dr. Wayne Stobo (w_stobo(\)bionet.bio.ns.ca) Marine Fish Division Bedford Institute of Oceanography P.O. Box 1006 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada B2Y 4A2 902-426-3316 (voice) 902-426-1506 (FAX) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Jan 1995 21:44:17 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: POD MOVING INTO SAFER WATER - DOC New Zealand Press Association. 13-Jan-95 09:28 pm Regular National POD MOVING INTO SAFER WATER - DOC Wellington, Jan 13 - A pod of about 100 long-fin pilot whales was tonight moving south into deeper water off Golden Bay after rescuers spent the day trying to prevent them from stranding. Seven boats containing DOC staff and members of the Golden Bay Marine Mammal Rescue group were waccompanying thre wahles out to sea, Conservation Department Golden Bay manager Geoff Rennison said. Earlier in the day DOC had been concerned the whales might strand themselves at high tide tonight, but rescuers worked to keep the pod together and it was now moving south in a safer direction, away from Farewell Spit. ``They'll be left to their own devices overnight, then at first light a spotter plane will search for them. We'll then review the situation,'' Mr Rennison said. Golden Bay Marine Mammal Rescue group spokesman Buzz Davis told NZPA the pod had earlier been split into smaller groups and appeared to be without a leader, usually the eldest female of the group. DOC used an air bubble curtain at one stage to provide the whales with a point of reference for their sonar. Replacement DOC staff from Motueka would stay overnight in the area to resume rescue efforts tomorrow if necessary, Mr Rennison said. NZPA WGT sc ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 18:42:54 -0800 Reply-To: ecs-all(\)mailbase.ac.uk From: Tom Norris Subject: Re: stranding in the Netherlands Jan (or anyone else who knows): How common are sperm whales in the North Sea, especially off Holland. Isn't it true that the water is extremely shallow in the region where they stranded (even far offshore). Any word on the condition of the animals when they were found? I'm curious about this because I used to live in Kijkduin, but never was aware that sperm whales inhabited waters ofshore. -curiously --Tom Norris Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, CA NORRIS(\)MLML.CALSTATE.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 20:23:30 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: WHALING: REPLY TO BARSTOW The following is a reply to Alan Macnow's post with respect to Robbins Barstow's excellent statement recently posted on MARMAM. > 1. While I agree that "whales are a global resource and a global > responsibility" by virtue of the fact that they are highly > migratory, I do not agree that they are "a special case" and there- > fore exempt from utilization. Certainly, neither Japan nor any > other country has any inherent right to the whales, neither to > their exploitation nor to declaring them sacrosanct. However, many > countries consider them a renewable natural resource capable of > being sustainably utilized and their views should not be denied nor > suppressed by those who believe otherwise. Whether or not whales are "special", they differ from many other potentially exploitable marine resources in that many people, and many countries, have a special attitude towards them that goes beyond their mere exploitability. While Japan, or others, may disagree with this, or argue that it is not scientifically based, it is nonetheless there and as strongly-entrenched culturally as the attitude towards whales that we are often told prevails in Japan (regardless of which attitude is historically older). Thus, considering that they are not the property of any one country, ALL the attitudes towards them, be they exploitationist, protectionist or whatever, deserve to be aired and considered (rather than being "denied or suppressed", which is not happening anyway). As long as we believe that international cooperation and mutual respect among peoples is valuable, nations cannot merely act as they wish while riding roughshod over the wishes of others. Of course this argument cuts both ways; in effect it does not tip the scales in one direction or another but balances them. Thus, the argument "You must let us whale because that our attitudes towards whales (whatever their source) require or permit it" is no stronger than the argument "You must not whale because our attitudes towards whales (in which our share is as great as yours) require that they not be taken in this way". Thus the decision whether or not to permit whaling must be decided on the assumption that both positions are legitimate under international law and by resorting to the international legal mechanisms available to do so (in this case, the ICRW). > > 2. Mr. Barstow stated: "As pointed out by Japanese scientist Hideo > Obara, "Whales are not domestic animals. The oceans where whales > live are not the private property of Japan." > I believe that Obara is a journalist, not a scientist. The Japa- > nese do not believe that the whales are Japan's private property > and, in fact, the IWC does not permit the allocation of whale catch > quotas to any particular country. All countries with an interest > in catching them can do so, provided that the total catch does not > exceed the IWC's catch limits. I was under the impression that Mr. Obara did, indeed, have scientific credentials; perhaps someone could clarify this? As to the wording of the ICRW, I believe Mr. Macnow is referring to Article V, par. 2(c), which forbids the allocation of specific quotas "to any factory ship or land station or to any group of factory ships or land stations".- > > 3. ...... Only 39 of the world's almost 200 countries > belong to the IWC, and the 23 which voted for the Southern Ocean > Whale Sanctuary do not comprise either the majority of the coun- > tries nor the majority of world population. However, they certainly represent a greater proportion of it than the ONE country, Japan, that voted against it. There is nothing in the ICRW that requires member states either to be involved in whaling themselves or to attempt to be representative of the world as a whole. If other nations feel that their voices are not heard, let them join. Second, the IWC was > not established to determine the "values to be applied to this par- > ticular category of fauna." It was established and empowered to > manage whaling, not "values," under the provisions of the Interna- > tional Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). And third, > international conventions or treaties depend entirely upon the > voluntary adherence to its provisions of their signatory nations, > each of which is a sovereign state. Non-signatories are not bound > by it. And signatory nations are not bound by provisions estab- > lished by the IWC to which they object. Actually, the Preamble to the ICRW states that it recognizes "the interest of the nations of the world in safeguarding for future generations the great natural resources represented by whale stocks", and notes that "it isessential to protect all species of whales from further over-fishing". Thus the ICRW was set up to protect whales, and though in 1946 it was not expected that this would mean a moratorium on whaling or the establishment of sanctuaries there is nothing in the language of the ICRW making such things impossible. As to Mr. Macnow's third point, I agree but I do not see its relevance here. > 4. Mr. Barstow states: "Until recent years, it was taken for > granted that "optimum utilization" meant maximum sustainable har- > vesting. . . however, the idea has grown throughout the world that > whales are worth more to humankind alive than dead, and that their > "optimum utilization" should involve their non-lethal conservation, > management and study." I am afraid that Mr. Barstow has general- > ized and universalized the "idea" promoted by him and his like- > minded friends. Most of the countries that utilize whale products, > or who would like to utilize whale products and other renewable > natural resources would strongly dispute any idea of placing any > natural resource off-limits. But, as I pointed out, others, including some ICRW signatories, feel otherwise. In any case, the ICRW signatories have never taken any step that closes the door on whaling for all time. The moratorium is just that, a moratorium, and the sanctuary does not extend to the entire ocean. > 5. Mr. Barstow states: "There is nothing in either ICRW or UNCLOS > which precludes non-consumptive uses such as benign research, edu- > cation, and whalewatching as appropriate, desirable, and legitimate > bases for whale management." Mr. Macnow's reply (accidentally deleted here) was that the ICRW regulates whaling only. However, I would argue that though this is largely true the preambular language quoted earlier is broad enough to permit members to take into consideration the protection of whale stocks for other purposes. > > 6. Mr. Barstow states: "In today's world, the rational, science- > based, sustainable utilization of natural resources has come to be > accepted as a general rule." Quite right! Well, I would say that it has come to be accepted as a mantra. Whether or not it is actually happening on a case-by-case basis is another matter altogether; indeed, one can question for certain marine resources whether it is even possible in the light of our current knowledge. There are quite a few fisheries that have collapsed under so-called "rational, science-based sustainable utilization". In my experience at CITES and elsewhere the terms "rational", "scientific", and especially "sustainable" are trotted out as buzzwords to justify any type of wildlife utilization as though merely mentioning them was proof that they were, indeed, applicable - as though there were only two states possible, "sustainable use" and "protectionism", and that there was no such thing as poor wildlife management or overexploitation. > > 7. Mr. Barstow states: "Indeed, the non-consumptive utilization of > the international resource of whales may be considered their 'most > highly sustainable' and therefore rational use." There are popula- > tion dynamics scientists who can point out many stocks of wildlife > that were unable to sustain their populations although untouched by > predation. Yes, but so what? Are you suggesting that ADDING pressure to these populations will improve the situation? This is not one of those "use-it-or-lose-it" arguments trotted out, with varying degrees of justification, for species living on land that might be expropriated for other purposes if exploitation is not permitted - I cannot see how such arguments could apply to whales. What happens in natural populations has nothing to do with humans deciding what uses, if any, are appropriate for us to apply to them. >Non-consumptive utilization, > therefore, is hardly a "highly sustainable use." Consumptive > utilization under the principles of sustainable management is more > rational because it provides humans with food and products while > maintaining the populations for future generations. It is a way to > have one's cake and eat it, too. Non-consumptive utilization is certainly capable of being highly sustainable in that it can add little or no ADDITIONAL stress to wild populations. If a population is unable to sustain itself under natural conditions, it is probably not capable of being used in any way that stresses it further - unless Mr Macnow is arguing that whales are declining so let's grab 'em before they go. Once again, utilization under the "principles" of sustainable manaement guarantees nothing; only the actual PRACTICE of truly sustainable utilization, or, if this cannot be put into place, non-utilization for varying periods of time, can have a chance of doing so. > > 8. ....However, those "other nations" have no right > to violate the provisions of the International Convention for the > Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) which call for the IWC to take > measures "to provide for the conservation, development, and optimum > utilization of the whale resources; (b) shall be based on > scientific findings; ... and (d) shall take into consideration the > interests of the consumers of whale products and the whaling indus- > try." Nor do these "other nations" have a right to contravene the > purpose of the ICRW which, among other things, calls for providing > "for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible > the orderly development of the whaling industry." If these "other > nations" cannot fully adhere to the ICRW, they should resign from > the IWC. As pointed out above there have been no violations of ICRW. A moratorium or the establishment of sanctuaries can be perfectly justified in the legal sense as measures taken to permit recovery of stocks and for the conservation of whale resources. They are NOT ultra vires the wording of the treaty, though arguably a permanent global ban might be. As to Article V, clauses (b) and (d), quoted above, I submit the following: (b) requiring decisions to be "based on" scientific findings does not require parties to cede their sovereign decision-making powers to the Scientific Committee. This is equivalent to the situation in which a judge may hear expert evidence in a case but is not required to let the expert direct his or her verdict. The Parties, under the general principles of state sovereignty, are free to take other factors, including sociopolitical ones, into account. Further, as others have pointed out, Japan has ignored the Scientific Committee in the past and has certainly attempted to influence the decisions of other Parties with economic pressure. Well, what's sauce for the goose... (d) again, "taking into consideration" the interests of the whaling industry only means that these interests cannot be ignored, not that they must direct the result. If the treaty had said something like "act in accordance with the interests..." a different argument might have been possible - but even then one could argue that steps designed to preserve whale stocks in perpetuity ARE in the interest of consumers of whale products. After all, no whales=no products. Bear in mind that international law is an evolving thing, and that the ICRW was signed in 1946. In 1995 it must be interpreted in the light of our present standards, not those that existed in the 1940's; as with any treaty, it should be a living instrument for cooperation among nations, not a dead hand throttling necessary or even highly desirable actions by its Parties. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 20:21:59 -0500 From: RobbinsB(\)aol.com Subject: Re: MARMAM Digest - 10 Jan 1995 to 11 Jan 1995 TO: MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS OF LIST M FROM: ROBBINS BARSTOW, WETHERSFIELD, CT, USA DATE: 12 JANUARY 1995 SUBJECT: HIDEO OBARA For the record, and Alan Macnow's information, Hideo Obara, whom I quoted in my previous message, is indeed an active and well-known Japanese scientist, in the fields of mammalogy, conservation and public education and has been professor of zoology and human etho-ecology at Kagawa Nutrition College since 1969. Among other positions, he has been a board member of the Mammalogical Society of Japan, a member of the Animal Protection Council of the Prime MInister's Office, and regional vice-chairman of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. In 1982 he received the Conservation Merit Award from World Wildlife Fund International. He is the author of over 60 books and papers on nature conservation, and has consistently expressed his strong anti-whaling opinions both in Japan and abroad. The article from which I quoted was published in the December 1987 issue of THE SIREN, a periodic magazine issued by the United Nations Environment Programme's Oceans and Coastal Areas Programme. I will be happy to mail to anyone interested a reprint of Professor Obara's complete article, entitled "Whaling: The Conservation Side of Japanese Public Opinion." In opining that Obara "is a journalist, not a scientist," Macnow may have confused Obara with Takeshi Hara, an equally outspoken opponent of Japanese whaling, who is indeed a prominent Japanese journalist and the author of a powerful anti-whaling book in Japan called "The Whale." Hara has in fact attended meetings of the IWC, and further demonstrates that a vigorous portion of Japanese media representatives, as well as respected Japanese scientists, stand in strong opposition to the vews and opinions expressed and quoted by Alan Macnow. Robbins Barstow, Director Emeritus, Cetacean Society International ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 16:56:12 EST From: Winfield Hill Subject: Re: Underwater Speakers >I am in need of a pair of inexpensive underwater speakers. The standard "industrial" pool speaker is made by University Sound and now costs $630. It's intended to be mounted through a hole in a wall in a pool. Both sides are flooded with water, but the baffling is provided by your extra construction. The cable is included. Alternately I have seen a simple Radio Shack speaker used inside a plastic baggy. It had to be frequently replaced due to water damage. Cost: $ zip. I designed a plastic underwater housing with 3 large O-rings, a thin plastic diaphram, a set of stainless bolts and a single-piece 5-inch diameter machined plastic block. It used a modified $12 high-quality 4" auto speaker. An Impulse underwater cable and connector finished it off. Works fine, but cable, plastic ($140) and machining costs drove the price close to the University Sound speaker. Winfield Hill Rowland Institute for Science Cambridge, MA 02142 USA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 15:39:26 -0500 From: GBUCK(\)crs.loc.gov Subject: Info. Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff MARMAM Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on marine mammal and fisheries public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Sound Tests Postponed. Low-level sound tests, to be conducted offshore of the island of Kauai, Hawaii, beginning in January 1995, were postponed after NMFS did not approve the necessary permits. The tests were part of research to determine the possible effects of underwater sound on humpback whales in preparation for the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) project. [Assoc Press] . Ballard Locks Sea Lions. On Jan. 9, 1995, NMFS officials announced that a floating trap for holding sea lions in the vicinity of Ballard Locks had been intentionally sabotaged and sunk. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 17:18:49 -0500 From: Alastair Watson Organization: Oklahoma State University Subject: Graduate Stipends Available TWO GRADUATE STIPENDS AVAILABLE M.S. in Functional Morphology Research Programs: 1. Graduate training opportunity in functional mammalian morphology, specializing in skeletal adaptations of marine mammals. Developmental, comparative, evolutionary, and functional aspects of skeletal morphology (and radiology) in cetaceans will be emphasized. 2. Graduate training opportunity in connective tissue biology, with special interest in tendons: role of growth factors in tendon healing utilizing immunohistochemistry, histomorphometrics, tissue culture techniques to evaluate in vivo and in vitro tissue models. Potential Research Projects: 1. a.) Developmental and radiographic osteology of the dolphin flipper. b.) Developmental and functional osteology of dolphin vertebral column and locomotion. c.) Morphological and radiographic variation of cranio-vertebral junction in small dogs. 2. a.) Assessment of growth factor effects on tendon cell populations in vitro. b.) Evaluate modulation of growth factor receptors during tendon healing in vivo. Prerequisites: Strong background in mammalian morphology preferred. Stipend: $10,600 per annum for 2-3 years. Graduate students are required to assist in laboratory teaching of gross anatomy to first- year veterinary students. Tuition: Qualified students may be eligible for a limited number of tuition waivers. Starting Date: Fall 1995 Application Deadline: 1 April 1995, or until suitable applicant is found. Please send your letter of inquiry to:: Dr. Alastair Watson (marine mammals/osteology) Dr. Larry Stein (tendons/growth factors) Department of Physiological Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 74078 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Jan 1995 10:51:13 CST From: Spencer Lynn Subject: Abstract Lynn, S. K. 1995. Movements, site fidelity, and surfacing patterns of bottlenose dolphins on the central Texas coast. MS thesis. Texas A&M University, College Station. 92 pp. Radio-tracking of 10 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), from 9 July 1992 to 13 September 1992, and photographic surveys of 35 freeze-branded dolphins, from May 1992 to June 1993, were conducted in the Matagorda Bay area of Texas, in response to a mass mortality event which occurred between Matagorda and Aransas Bays, Texas, during spring 1992. The primary goals of the study were to assess range size and site fidelity, as well as to initiate a long-term ecological study by collecting data on social and behavioral patterns. The Matagorda Bay dolphin population was found to be numerically robust, occupying all regions of the bay surveyed. Mean range size, based on radio telemetry, was 140 km2 (SD = 90.7, n = 10 dolphins). Males and females had similar range sizes though males visited the extremities of their ranges more frequently or for longer periods. Most, if not all 35 freeze- branded dolphins, appeared to be resident to the Matagorda- Espiritu Santo Bay area with much fluidity of group membership. Overall mark/recapture population size estimates from photo-identification suggested that 218 +\- 71.4 (95% CI) dolphins utilized an area of 312 km2 in Matagorda and Espiritu Santo Bays, similar to an estimate made in 1981. Dolphins spent longer times at the surface and dove less often at night, indicating lower activity levels at night. Observations of long- distance movement between Texas bays, and an autumn increase in dolphin numbers in the study area, suggested that the study animals were not an isolated population. Spencer Lynn Texas A&M University Marine Mammal Research Program 4700 Ave. U, Bldg. 303 Galveston, TX 77551 LynnS(\)tamug2.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 14 Jan 1995 08:33:33 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: IWC GROUP FAILS TO AGREE ON WHALE HUNT MONITORING Reuters New Service. 14-Jan-95 07:42 am Regular International IWC GROUP FAILS TO AGREE ON WHALE HUNT MONITORING By Stella Bugge of Reuters Oslo, Jan 13 Reuter - A working group of the International Whaling Commission ended a three-day meeting on Friday without making any progress on how to inspect and monitor commercial whaling, Norwegian officials said. ``We did not agree on anything,'' Stein Owe, a senior fishing ministry official, told Reuters. ``It's a long process and difficult to agree.'' But several officials stressed that the 53 delegates from 14 nations who had gathered at Reine in northern Norway might not have expected to reach an agreement, let alone a draft for a new set of regulations on monitoring and inspection. ``We agreed to continue our discussions,'' one official said. Anti-whaling nations want Norway and other whale hunting countries to have international observers on every vessel to make sure the hunt is carried out properly. ``The big question is who is going to pay for it,'' Owe said. Norway, which resumed commercial whaling two years ago in defiance of a 1985 moratorium imposed by the IWC, already has a veterinary inspector on every vessel. But in addition to a debate over who's going to pay for the international observers, Norway fears that its small coastal whaling vessels may just not have enough space for so many people in addition to the whalers themselves. Norway has nothing against international observers as long as the vessels have sufficient space to take them on board. National news agency NTB said it cost Norway three million crowns ($NZ704,956.) annually to have an inspector on every vessel and that an international observer force of 30 would cost up to eight million crowns ($NZ1.88 million) for three months. ``For the anti-whaling nations the meeting was a success, for us it was a disgrace,'' said Georg Blichfeldt, secretary of the High North Alliance, which represents whalers' interests. At last year's IWC meeting in Mexico, the IWC accepted a crucial part of a programme to manage commercial whaling, but delegates then said the move did not sanction a resumption of hunting until many other elements were in place. Owe said the working group would meet again in Dublin in May, just before the annual IWC meeting is held in the Irish capital. Norway, which killed a total of 279 minke whales last year, argues that stocks have recovered to 86,700 minke whales in the north-east Atlantic and can withstand limited harvesting. Reuter ad ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Jan 1995 13:26:30 -0500 From: "Helen E. Nearing" Subject: Duke Marine Lab course Explore the fascinating world of MARINE MAMMALS with us Summer Program 1995 at Duke University School of the Environment, Marine Laboratory MARINE MAMMALS. (Environment 226L.) Ecology, social organization, behavior, acoustic communication and management issues. Focused on marine mammals in the southeastern United States (for example, bottlenose dolphin, right whale, West Indian manatee). Laboratory exercises will consider social organization and acoustic communication in the local bottlenose dolphin population. Prerequisite: introductory biology. One course or 4 semester hours. Instructors: A. Pabst, J. Reynolds, K. Rittmaster, D. Rubenstein, L. Sayigh, V. Thayer, and R. Wells. The biology and management of marine mammals throughout the world attract considerable interest and raise ecological, evolutionary, economic, and ethical questions. This course provides a systematic overview of marine mammals in general, but focuses on selected marine mammals found in the southeastern United States. For such species, we emphasize the following topics: behavior and ecology, current research techniques, and key management issues. The final week of the course involves small-group field research projects. Evaluation is based on examinations and research project reports. Course space is limited and admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Room and board will be available for course participants at the Marine Laboratory. The course is offered during Summer Term III (July 24 - August 25). APPLICATION: Required credentials include the completed summer course application found at the back of the Marine Laboratory 1995 publication) and an academic transcript. TO REQUEST APPLICATION MATERIALS CONTACT: Admissions Office Duke University School of the Environment, Marine Laboratory 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort NC 28516-9721 phone 919/504-7502; fax 919/728-2514; email hnearing(\)acpub.duke.edu Duke University students: The Marine Laboratory 1995 publication is available in the Office of Enrollment Services, School of the Environment (Levine Science Research Ctr.), in the Biology Office (135 Bio. Sci.) or in the Pre-Major Advising Center. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Jan 1995 14:20:33 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: Mexican conference on marine mammals Second Announcement: The 20th Annual International Reunion for the Study of Marine Mammals, co-sponsored by the Mexican Society for the Study of Marine Mammals (SOMEMMA) and the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS), will be held at UABCS, in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Deadline for submission of abstracts: February 15, 1995 Abstracts can be submitted via e-mail to Jorge Urban (jurban(\)calafia.uabcs.mx). If possible, both English and Spanish versions should be submitted. Presentations may be in either Spanish or English. Specify whether poster or spoken presentation preferred. Dates: April 18 - 22, 1995 Presentations will run from April 19 through April 21. A field trip in the Bay of La Paz, to view marine mammals, will be held on April 22. Registration will take place Tuesday, April 18th at the Hotel Araiza Inn Palmira, and all day on the 19th at the University. Cost of registration: SOMEMMA members: General - 150 pesos (approx. 30 U.S. dollars) Student - 75 pesos (approx. 15 U.S. dollars) Non-members: General - 250 pesos (approx. 50 U.S. dollars) Student - 125 pesos (approx. 25 U.S. dollars) Accommodation: Hotel Araiza Inn Palmira (special price for participants) Phone: 52-112-24000 Fax: 52-112-23727 Single or double room price: 154 pesos (approx 31 U.S. dollars) Other hotels: Hotel Perla de La Paz. Phone 52-112-20777 Hotel Los Arcos. Phone 52-112-22744 Hotel Gardenias. Phone 52-112-23088 For information and to submit abstracts, contact: Jorge Urban Ramirez, M.S. Departament de Biologia Marina Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur Apdo. Postal 19-B. 23081 La Paz, Baja California Sur Mexico Phone 52-112-12801 Fax 52-112-11880 E-mail: jurban(\)calafia.uabcs.mx ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 14 Jan 1995 15:32:06 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: WHALES HEAD TO LAND, STRANDING FEARED New Zealand Press Association. 14-Jan-95 01:37 pm Regular National WHALES HEAD TO LAND, STRANDING FEARED Wellington, Jan 14 - A pod of 100 long-fin pilot whales were this afternoon heading towards a Golden Bay beach, again raising fears they could strand. ``It's all action here. They still haven't stranded but they've definitely got a movement on...they're moving fast and sure towards Pakawau beach between Collingwood and Farewell Spit,'' Conservation Department officer Marieke Hilhorst said at 1pm. The whales, the focus of rescue efforts since Thursday, had spent the morning travelling in every direction they could, and there was a possibility they might turn at the last moment, she told NZPA. Five small boats had been shadowing the pod since daylight attempting to herd them to sea and up until now they had been moving sedately. ``The whales have suddenly just picked up speed and the boats are having trouble keeping up,'' she said. At least 100 volunteers, including specially trained volunteers, were on standby should the whales beach. DOC was also fielding calls from around the country and at least one Aucklander, an expert in whale sounds, had arrived to help in the rescue effort, she said. The whales were swimming about 1.5km from the shore and appeared to be together after earlier splitting up. NZPA WGT ams acb ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 15 Jan 1995 08:48:17 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: FREE WILLY WHALE IS US BOUND 15-Jan-95 08:38 am Regular International FREE WILLY WHALE IS US BOUND Newport, Oregon, Jan 14 AFP - The ailing whale that had the starring role in the film Free Willy is being brought back to the United States from Mexico after money was raised to build him a new home. Keiko, a seven-metre, 3.5 tonne killer whale, is currently ailing in a marine park pool in Mexico where it is said to have infected skin and is losing weight. But more than $US5 ($NZ7.86) million has been collected and a new whale home is to be built in the form of a 7.5 million litre tank for Keiko at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Earth Island Institute, the San Francisco organisation behind the money collection, said all that remains is for the deal to be signed. More money will be raised in connection with Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home which is due for release in July. Warner Bros, and New Regency Productions both donated $US2 million as did an anonymous donor from Washington state. The first Free Willy, was a box-office smash in 1993, telling the tale of a friendship between a small boy and the huge whale which is being cooped up in an over-small water tank. AFP ams ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 14 Jan 1995 11:45:55 -0800 From: "Deborah M. Fine" Subject: CARDIOLOGY I am looking for information related to cardiology studies in marine mammals, particularly cetaceans, though information including pinnapeds would also be helpful. I'm interested in non-invasive methods of diagnosing cardiac pathology, especially ultrasound, and ECG analysis. Has anyone worked out the normal values for ECG's in cetaceans? I would appreciate any specific references to journal articles, or other publications that could be provided. Thank you very much. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 15 Jan 1995 07:27:21 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: DOC STAFF BACK OFF AS WHALES START CALVING New Zealand Press Ascociation 14-Jan-95 05:12 pm Regular National DOC STAFF BACK OFF AS WHALES START CALVING Wellington, Jan 14 - Department of Conservation officers trying to shoo 100 pilot whales from stranding on a Golden Bay beach, late today backed off when they found new-born calves in the pod. ``Its really neat,'' DOC officer Marieke Hilhorst said. ``As soon as we realised some of the long-fin whales were calving, we pulled our boats back, leaving only three to maintain a watch from a distance.'' So far two calves have been spotted. One aircraft late today was in the air around Pakawau Beach between Collingwood and Farewell Spit, also watching the pod's movements. DOC staff, who have spent several days trying to re-direct the whales from close inshore to the open sea, are now re-assessing the situation. Volunteers from as far away as Christchurch and Auckland, keen to help the whales from beaching themselves, are resting on standby ``The whales are maintaining the same pattern of the past few days -- just mooching around,'' Ms Hilhorst said. ``Now we are thinking they have have come in close to shore for calving, so our people and other volunteers have pulled back to leave them to it.'' Earlier today five small boats shadowed the pod as the whales moved sedately but with frequent changes of direction. They would suddenly pick up speed, and the boats had trouble keeping up. The sounds of the whales were this afternoon recorded by Dave Helweg, from the University of Auckland psychology department, who came to tape the sounds of whales in distress. It was planned to use the sounds later to deter pods from stranding. Instead he hopes now to have the sound of whales calving. NZPA WGT jt ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 15 Jan 1995 10:52:42 CST From: "David W. Weller" Subject: Request for Pilot Whale Info Marmam subscribers, I am interested in obtaining any information on pilot whale agressive interactions with other marine mammals (published and anecdotal). I am aware of the dolphin/pilot whale interaction reported by Perryman and Foster 1980, and the human/pilot whale interaction reported by Shane, Tepley and Costello 1993. Thanks in advance for any such reports you may have knowledge of... David W. Weller Marine Mammal Research Program Texas A&M University 4700 Ave U, Bldg 303 Galveston, Texas 77551 Phone:409-740-4718 FAX:409-740-4717 EMAIL: DWW3911(\)TAM2000.TAMU.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 15 Jan 1995 19:46:26 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: WHALES STRAND AT PAKAWAU BEACH, RESCUED WITHIN AN HOUR NZPA 15-Jan-95 05:27 pm Regular National WHALES STRAND AT PAKAWAU BEACH, RESCUED WITHIN AN HOUR Wellington, Jan 15 - About six pilot whales stranded themselves at Pakawau Beach, between Collingwood and Farewell Spit in Golden Bay, this afternoon but were rescued within an hour. Department of Conservation Takaka field centre manager Geoff Rennison told NZPA about half a dozen whales, believed to be from a pod which had been sticking close to the shore for the past few days, became stranded about 3.30pm. Staff were sent to the scene immediately and boats were launched, despite rough conditions, when it was noticed the rest of the 100-member pod was starting to come in to shore. However, Mr Rennison said by 4.30pm the whales were off the beach and all were 300-400 metres out to sea. ``There's a lot of hard work going on there right now because they are still very close to the shore. The tide is now rising, which is good, but the wind and the seas are not good. It's not a pleasant day out there,'' he said. The stranding provided some excitement on a day when the weather restricted many monitoring activities. The whale pod, believed to have come inshore to calve, was located this morning out to sea and quite a few kilometres south of where it was yesterday. It then moved north, back to where the whales spent most of the previous three days. Three boats were sent out to follow them and ensure they did not charge for the beach, but the boats were forced to turn back when the winds and seas whipped up late in the morning. A spotter aircraft was also grounded by the wind. DOC then received a report of a second pod of about 40 pilot whales which were close to stranding several kilometres south. The pod turned out to consist mainly of dolphins. It backed off the beach and moved north along the coast, shadowed by DOC staff. ``The whale segment of them was seen to detach and swim out towards the horizon and disappear, and we haven't seen them since,'' Mr Rennison said. He said this group appeared to be separate from the one at Pakawau. NZPA WGT am acb ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 14 Jan 1995 21:07:54 -0800 From: Bernard Brennan Subject: cetacen physiology 2 Dear marmamers: I wrote a message to marmam a couple of weeks ago asking about information on recently published books related with cetacean physiology. I got a very good response, the best suggestions so far are: Diverse divers (1989) by G. Kooyman and Animal Physiology by Knut-Smith Nielsen (last reprint 1993). Nothing as specific as I was looking for, but very good place to start on. Someone with interest on cetacean physiology, sent me a message from Canada (a woman), but unfortunately the message was lost from my account so I could not save it nor found it again. I will appreciate if this person can send this message again so I can responde to her. Thank you for all your suggestions, Patricia Rodriguez ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 11:54:45 +0100 From: SBU2MA(\)rulsfb.LeidenUniv.nl Subject: Dutch spermwhales Concerning the stranding of three spermwhales: Jan Willem Broekema already reported that 3 spermwhales lifes- tranded on Januari 12 near The Hague in the Netherlands. After the animals had died various groups of researchers took samples. A postmortem on al three animals was carried out by veterinary pathologists of the veterinary faculty of Li ge, Belgium in cooperation with biologists of the National Museum of Natural History, Leiden. (The same pathologists dissected the Belgian spermwhales.) I have two questions: 1) The flukes had very distinct edges, I have foto's of the flukes of all three animals. Anyone who keeps a catalogue of spermwhale flukes of Atlantic spermwhales who would be intere- sted please contact me. 2) One animal had rake marks along the fluke. Those were to small for Orca's. In one rake mark tooth spacing 18-20 mm, in the other rake mark tooth spacing 24-26 mm. The scars were well healed and it were fairly deep rake marks. Does anyone know tooth spacing for Feresa or Peponocephala? I do not have those species available to check. Marjan Addink SBU2MA(\)RULSFB.LeidenUniv.NL ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 08:55:08 GMT From: harland_e(\)taz.dra.hmg.gb Subject: Hydrophone info? I was recently given a hydrophone which may be useful for monitoring cetacean underwater sounds but have so far not been able to find any information on it. The unit is a black cylindrical moulding 4 1/2inches long by 1 7/8inch diameter. One end is flattened. Marked on the unit is the following text:- MARK PRODUCTS HOU. TEX. USA MODEL P-44 Also marked in a different place:- 10HZ 9044/710.2 The manufacturing date is March 1993. The DC resistance of the unit is 136 Ohms. Does anyone h ave any information on this unit. ie what type of transducer is it? or better still, a copy of the data sheet. I have been unable to trace the company so any information would be useful. Thanks. Ed Harland Harland_e(\)dra.hmg.gb ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 21:07:50 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: WHALES ALL SAFELY OUT TO SEA AFTER GROUNDING 16-Jan-95 08:37 pm Regular National WHALES ALL SAFELY OUT TO SEA AFTER GROUNDING Wellington, Jan 16 - About 30 pilot whales which beached themselves at Farewell Spit at 4pm today were 6-7km out to sea and picking up speed four hours later, the Department of Conservation reported tonight. The whales, which tried to ground themselves on a sand spit about 5km south of the base of Farewell Spit near Puponga, were rescued swiftly by about 50 DOC staff and volunteers and by 8pm they were all swimming strongly away from shore. Conservation officers were monitoring their progress by boat, but it was hoped the crisis was over for the night. DOC advocacy manager Alan White told NZPA two pods, one of about five whales and another of about 25, remained in the water during the grounding and were able to be guided to deeper water quite easily on the rising tide. (PICK UP EARLIER AS REQUIRED) NZPA WGT am ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 00:19:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Sea Lions Sea Lions By JAMES L. ENG Associated Press Writer SEATTLE (AP) -- For years, state and federal fisheries officials have tried everything from firecrackers to rubber-tipped arrows to stop hungry sea lions from feasting on trout swimming through a fish ladder. Now, they have another option: execution. Following months of contentious debate, the National Marine Fisheries Service recently approved the state's request for permission to kill sea lions as a last resort to protect Lake Washington steelhead trout, a scarce game fish that swims through the Ballard Locks to spawn. "We've certainly tried everything we can think of," said Brian Gorman, a spokesman for the Commerce Department, which oversees NMFS. "This is clearly a last-resort attempt to solve a very serious problem with the steelhead run." However, because of several strict conditions imposed by the fisheries service, it's unlikely any sea lions will be killed anytime soon. Before "lethal removal" can take place, the state must ensure that all feasible and practical nonlethal removal methods have been exhausted, NMFS administrator Rolland Schmitten said. For example, the state must try to prevent the sea lions from approaching the locks by using special noise-making devices to scare them away. It must also try to capture and find temporary holding facilities for sea lions identified as munching on steelhead. And the animals would have to be eating more than 10 percent of the steelhead run during a seven-day period before lethal removal could be considered. Those were among the conditions recommended last November by a federally convened task force of scientists, environmentalists, fish organizations and others. Dr. John Grandy, vice president of wildlife and habitat protection for the Humane Society of the United States, said he was pleased the fisheries service was emphasizing nonlethal solutions. He warned, though, that his group will go to court if state or federal officials move to kill any sea lions. "Our commitment remains: If they attempt to allow any animals to be killed, we will bring suit," he said. The Humane Society and the Lynnwood-based Progressive Animal Welfare Society, which met with Schmitten earlier this month, assert that killing the animals would violate the National Environmental Policy Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. They and other groups also say that killing the sea lions -- collectively nicknamed "Herschel" -- won't save the fish. The environmentalists contend that any sea lions killed would only be replaced by others. They advocate more humane restraint, such as holding troublesome sea lions until the fish run is over. They also suggest that sea lion predation is not the only reason for the steelhead decline, which could be complicated by overfishing and habitat problems. The California sea lions congregate each year outside the Ballard Locks, which connect Puget Sound with Lakes Union and Washington. From January through March, steelhead bound for spawning grounds in Lake Washington are funneled through a fish ladder at the locks, which makes them easy pickings for the hungry pinnipeds. When Herschel and his buddies first started showing up in the 1986-87 season, some 1,172 steelhead passed through the locks, Gorman said. Last season, that figure dropped to 70. Meanwhile, Washington's population of California sea lions has grown from occasional sightings in the 1970s to 400-500 today, NMFS said. Overall, the population of the California sea lion is growing about 10 percent annually and now numbers more than 100,000, the NMFS said. "Nobody knows what percentage of those fish are being eaten by sea lions, but suffice it to say it is a substantial amount," Gorman said. In past years, the fisheries service and the state have tried a variety of means to control sea lion predation: capturing and trucking them back to California, installing barriers and changing water flows at the locks, shooting the animals with rubber-tipped arrows, feeding them bad-tasting fish and setting off firecrackers. But each year, the pesky mammals returned. Under an amendment last year to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the state in July petitioned the federal government for permission to kill the nuisance animals. Such killings would be done "humanely" -- such as by lethal injection -- under the supervision of a veterinarian. Schmitten said he would immediately make available $120,000 in federal funds to the state to identify and temporarily hold nuisance sea lions. Fred Felleman of the Washington Environmental Council said fisheries officials have underestimated the number of Lake Washington steelhead, which are under consideration for protection under the Endangered Species Act. And he said officials should work harder on finding ways to get fish past the locks faster. At the moment, he said, the fish are "sitting ducks." ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 15:35:42 -0600 From: HABERYAN <0100730(\)NORTHWEST.MISSOURI.EDU> Subject: Advising undergraduates Greetings, About two months ago I solicited comments on marine mammal careers, especially about what to tell a freshman who has his/her heart set on becoming a dolphin trainer or vet. I received six replies to my mailed survey form, and about 8 replies via e-mail. Thanks to all who replied! The results are summarized below, for what they're worth. Employment: BS: lab tech, very few jobs MS: federal lab/university, very few jobs PhD: federal lab/univ/nmfs, very few jobs Good grad schools: veterinarian: U. Guelph, U. California Davis trainer: Moorpark Junior College, Moorpark CA stranding: Texas A&M, U. California Santa Cruz General advice: develop contacts to professors (read their articles) develop another career to provide income get excellent grades develop other skills: photography, boating, archery, dissection get a good basic biology degree (BS) focus on wild populations because they're less known Careers booklet: Marine Mammal Sci Suppl 10(2) April '94 I do not pretend that these are the only answers, nor that this information is necessarily accurate. I only report the results of the few surveys. I can be reached at 0100730(\)northwest.Missouri.edu if you wish to comment or provide more information. Thanks! Kurt Haberyan ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 09:37:47 PST From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Should Alan Survive? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I do take Bret Wetstein's point that Alan somehow disrupts the normal 'scientific scope' of this List. However, and as much as hate Alan Macnow's bosses - the Japanese Whaling industry which I see as proteges of a corrupt and criminal government - I do not have personal feelings against him, nor do I think he should have his right to speak (post) on behalf of whalers restricted. You who are not active participants of Whaling Comission meetings may feel surprised to discover that, much to the contrary, many environmentalists enjoy reading Alan's papers - oh boy aren't they so much fun! And, after all, who is worse - Alan Macnow as a pid lobbyist (PAID lobbyist, I mean) or the 'neutral' scientists that play with computerized, theoretical statistics based on no reliable field data, and come back to us pretending that what they are doing is a 'safe' 'management' regime for whaling??? No censorship, let Alan speak. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 09:38:35 PST From: DVWHALING(\)delphi.com Subject: Mr. Weinstein's comment on Mr. Macnow ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Mr. Weinstein My interest is in whaling and whales from almost every angle imaginable. I collect books, ephemera, prints, products of whales, whaling and anything else I can acquire. I go to aquariums watch films, lectures and anything else available. I find what the antiwhalers and the whalers have to say interesting and while I don't agree with either side I save the information and I am sure it educates me. What I am certain about is that I have not elected you as a spokeman for me. I am a member of this list and I don't distrust Alan Macnow. I trust him to represent fairly the opinion of himself (maybe) and the Japanese whalers (certainly). Mr. Macnow has an agenda, you have and agenda, most everyone that listens to this debate has an agenda. Please don't invalidate what Mr. Macnow says because he has an agenda,paid or otherwise. You also easily dismiss the Japanese intentionsbecause that they have a commercial interest. The Japanese has a commercial interest in aquaculture and a record that surpasses what any other country has done. So, it is not fair to judge one group of Japanese by what another may or m;ay not be doing. What lumber interests have done does not apply because these people are not whalers. Judge the whalers by what the whalers are saying and what they are doing today, not 10 or more years ago. While this group may be most scientists or cetologists, you and I are apparantly not marine biologists. I suspect many other are interested but not working in the field. I was not asked to provide a resume to join this resource so why do you feel it is your responsibility to suggest that Mr. Macnow's opinions and the quality of his opinions or postings are not suitable fodder for this resource. It may be your opinion that Mr. Macnow "has not contributed anything of real importance" but I don't agree. If you don't like what he has to say don't listen. If you don't agree argue the message. I don't think it is beneficial to attack the messenger if you don't like the message. I think your agenda is showing. Regards, Dale Vinnedge No official affiliation with anyplace or anyone! ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 10:09:06 PST From: Gottfried Mayer-Kress Subject: Re: WHALES STRAND AT PAKAWAU BEACH, RESCUED WITHIN AN HOUR ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- in the message from Terry Hardie: >About six pilot whales stranded themselves at Pakawau Beach, (...) > believed to be from a pod which had been sticking close to the > shore for the past few days > (...) >The whale pod, believed to have come inshore to calve (...) > Three boats were sent out to follow them and ensure they did not > charge for the beach (...) Is there a literature about the "motivation" for this behavior, or at least some systematic statistics about those events? like, is there a beaching database, which records location, time etc. to see if there is some systematic structure behind this behavior? Other questions would be: in what cases was calving involved? what was the behavior prior to beaching? what whale species show this behavior? Who in the pod initiates it and how, who follows? Is the "charging for the beach" typical? (That sure sounds like voluntary behavior.) How do the whales respond to rescue attempts? What do the other whales in the pod do during that "suicide" operation? (I guess whales would not have many other options to commit suicide besides offering themselves to Orcas, which was reported also.) Is there a reasonable suicide theory for whales? (Do they show indications for depression prior to the beaching?) These are some aspects that I have been missing in the frequent beaching and rescue discussions on this list. Best, --- Gottfried Mayer-Kress Center for Complex Systems Research, Beckman Institute, Physics Dept. UIUC 405 N Mathews, Urbana, Il 61801,gmk(\)pegasos.ccsr.uiuc.edu, gmk(\)igc.apc.org, gmk(\)santafe.edu, (217)-244-5877(voice/fax1),x8371(fax2), x1994 (msg) URLs: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/, ftp://ftp.santafe.edu/pub/gmk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 10:34:00 PST From: "Richard C. Connor" Subject: Re: FREE WILLY WHALE IS US BOUND In-Reply-To: <9501142119.AA23001(\)casbs.Stanford.EDU> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- So, $5 million for Willy. Thats great for Willy but I can't help thinking about what kind of conservation-oriented basic research that kind of money could fund. 50 $100,000 projects, 100 $50,000 projects. Studies on behavior, ecology, life history, habitat use, threats to habitats--species like the vaquita, Lipotes, Platanista spp., and so many more--lets not leave out Orcinus orca. It is well known that if you want to preserve habitat it helps to have someone on-site studying a charasmatic megavertebrate. Are you listening, Earth Island Institute, Warner Bros., unknown million dollar donors? You really want to help these animals? Fund some basic research. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 10:43:11 PST From: "James K. Wetterer" Subject: children's whale story ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi everyone, I would like to offer a picture-book story I have written called "Nancy's Whale" about a little girl who helps save a stranded pilot whale. I teach here at Wheaton College and I write ecological, environmental children's picture book stories. I'd be happy to send you the stories over e-mail, for your kids, for your class, or for your own amusement. I made this offer some weeks ago over four other bulletin boards and I got many positive responses from all over the world. Thanks to all who responded. Here are four other stories I'd be happy to send you: "Kate's Caterpillars": Kate discovers a new species of butterfly and saves a forest. "Dinosaurs in the Backyard": Margaret wants a pet dinosaur, but finds that dinosaurs live right in her own backyard (birds). "Mary Veronica and the Dragon": Mary Veronica learns why dragons and other animals hide from humans. "Horseshoe Crabs and their Relatives" (non-fiction) All my fictional stories have a female protagonist. I believe that little girls need more role models, particularly in the sciences. Most children's stories (and cartoons) have male protagonists. This is done under the assumption that girls will like stories about girls or boys, but boys are only interested in stories about boys. I believe that children need to learn that it's not just a boy's world. I've had no luck publishing my stories. Picture-book editors tell me that they have no place for stories like mine that mix fiction and science. I believe that there is a place. And I plan to keep trying. Jim jwettere(\)wheatonma.edu James K. Wetterer Department of Biology Wheaton College Norton MA 02766 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 09:29:06 PST From: "Sam H. Ridgway" Subject: Re: Dutch spermwhales According to published data in HANDBOOK OF MARINE MAMMALS, VOLUME 5: THE FIRST BOOK OF DOLPHINS (Academic Press), both species you mention would have tooth spacing no more than about 15 mm. A 24 to 26 mm spacing would be right for Pseudorca or a moderately sized Orcinus and the 18 to 20 mm spacing would be right for a young Orcinus or Pseudorca. Sam Ridgway Concerning the stranding of three spermwhales: 2) One animal had rake marks along the fluke. Those were to small for Orca's. In one rake mark tooth spacing 18-20 mm, in the other rake mark tooth spacing 24-26 mm. The scars were well healed and it were fairly deep rake marks. Does anyone know tooth spacing for Feresa or Peponocephala? I do not have those species available to check. Marjan Addink SBU2MA(\)RULSFB.LeidenUniv.NL ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 13:58:48 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: PLANE CONTINUES WHALE WATCH 18-Jan-95 11:51 am Regular National PLANE CONTINUES WHALE WATCH Nelson, Jan 18 - A spotter plane was searching for whale pods in Golden Bay this morning after an early morning flight revealed no sign of the long-fin pilot whales which had been getting stranded in the area since Thursday. Conservation Department spokeswoman Marieke Hilhorst said pilot Wayne Pomeroy was going back up at 9.30am with three Christchurch Whalewatch Group members to search the coastline. She said Mr Pomeroy did not see any sign of whales during his 6.30am flight but choppy seas had limited visibility. Doc staff and volunteers spent several hours yesterday afternoon preventing about 70 whales from stranding themselves along Farewell Spit. Ms Hilhorst said that at one point whales' tails were hitting the sand and even the rescue boats were nearly grounded. ``If the boats hadn't been there, we definitely would have had a stranding.'' The near-miss occurred about three-quarters of the way along the spit in a highly inaccessible location which would have caused a nightmare rescue operation, she said. Originally, a pod of 50 was seen yesterday morning and this was joined during the day by a further 20 whales. The first pod of whales, numbering between 100 and 120, entered Golden Bay on Thursday night and was followed by a second pod on Friday morning. Since then, there had been one stranding on Sunday when six whales beached themselves at Pakawau and a near-stranding on Monday when 30 whales became grounded at the base of the spit. NZPA NNM km ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 00:31:50 EST From: "Andrew F. Richards" Subject: Re: rake marks So, how does one estimate tooth spacing from rake marks? Measuring perpendicular to the rakes would give an underestimate most of the time. The only time a perpendicular measurement would give an accurate estimate is if the flukes were pulled out perpendicular to the tooth row. Flukes pulled out of even a killer whales mouth could produce narrow spaced rake marks if the flukes were pulled out at an oblique angle to the tooth row. Is there any way to tell the relative motion of jaws and teeth from the rake marks themselves? Andrew Richards ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 15:00:12 PST From: "Sam H. Ridgway" Subject: Re: : rake marks on sperm whale flukes Andrew makes a good point about tooth spacing and rake marks. Tooth spacing, however, can be used to rule out species because parallel mark spacings larger than the tooth spacings could not be made. A species with maximum tooth spacing of 15 mm could not make marks with a spacing of 18 to 20 mm unless it was missing teeth at regular intervals. Also, the flukes are flexible and would likely be pulled from the attacker's mouth in the direction of least resistance which would be perpindicular to the tooth row. Study of the rake marks might give some idea of the how oblique the jaws were placed. Sam Ridgway From: "Andrew F. Richards" Subject: Re: rake marks To: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM So, how does one estimate tooth spacing from rake marks? Measuring perpendicular to the rakes would give an underestimate most of the time. The only time a perpendicular measurement would give an accurate estimate is if the flukes were pulled out perpendicular to the tooth row. Flukes pulled out of even a killer whales mouth could produce narrow spaced rake marks if the flukes were pulled out at an oblique angle to the tooth row. Is there any way to tell the relative motion of jaws and teeth from the rake marks themselves? Andrew Richards ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 14:15:23 -0500 From: Goober2805(\)aol.com Subject: BALLARD LOCKS/SEA LIONS Once again, the focus of the situation at Ballard Locks is moved from major habitat degradation to a predatory species. Since this situation has been occuring, advice has been solicited from many organizations. The advice regarding improving the fish ladders(they are so poorly constructed that it is difficult for the fish to climb them), dealing with silting problems in spawning areas caused by nearby logging, and facing the fact that the area is contaminated with heavy metals and other pollutants was ignored based on cost. Meanwhile the same government agencies that could not afford to do the above have spent several million to move sea lions(despite advice that the sea lions would return before the run was over) or trying to find ways to get rid of them. The decline in the run cannot be laid entirely on the doorstep of the sea lion and many of us are tired of other species taking the fall for human error and greed! ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 21:00:32 -0500 From: Alastair Watson Organization: Oklahoma State University Subject: Graduate Stipends Available TWO GRADUATE STIPENDS AVAILABLE M.S. in Functional Morphology Research Programs: 1. Graduate training opportunity in functional mammalian morphology, specializing in skeletal adaptations of marine mammals. Developmental, comparative, evolutionary, and functional aspects of skeletal morphology (and radiology) in cetaceans will be emphasized. 2. Graduate training opportunity in connective tissue biology, with special interest in tendons: role of growth factors in tendon healing utilizing immunohistochemistry, histomorphometrics, tissue culture techniques to evaluate in vivo and in vitro tissue models. Potential Research Projects: 1. a.) Developmental and radiographic osteology of the dolphin flipper. b.) Developmental and functional osteology of dolphin vertebral column and locomotion. c.) Morphological and radiographic variation of cranio-vertebral junction in small dogs. 2. a.) Assessment of growth factor effects on tendon cell populations in vitro. b.) Evaluate modulation of growth factor receptors during tendon healing in vivo. Prerequisites: Strong background in mammalian morphology preferred. Stipend: $10,600 per annum for 2-3 years. Graduate students are required to assist in laboratory teaching of gross anatomy to first- year veterinary students. Tuition: Qualified students may be eligible for a limited number of tuition waivers. Starting Date: Fall 1995 Application Deadline: 1 April 1995, or until suitable applicant is found. Please send your letter of inquiry to: Dr. Alastair Watson (marine mammals/osteology) Dr. Larry Stein (tendons/growth factors) Department of Physiological Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 74078 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 10:25:34 PST From: Joshua Moldover Subject: Re: Should Alan Survive? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I'd like to add my voice to the others in favor of Alan Macnow's presence on this list. While the majority of us (myself included) may not agree with his (or his employer's) position on whaling issues, he still has a right to say his piece. To quote (I believe) the great jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes, "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Just because someone has a different opinion does not necessarily make them wrong, nor should they be prevented from expressing that opinion. (STANDARD DISCLAIMER - ANY OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE MY OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF MY EMPLOYER) Joshua Moldover (Joshua_Moldover(\)ssp.nmfs.gov) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 10:30:02 PST From: Terry Hardie Subject: NZ DUBIOUS ABOUT RULES FOR COMMERCIAL WHALING ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 18-Jan-95 05:06 pm Regular Parliament NZ DUBIOUS ABOUT RULES FOR COMMERCIAL WHALING Wellington, Jan 18 - World agreement on rules governing commercial whaling are a long way off, according to New Zealand's commissioner to the International Whaling Commission, Jim McLay. ``There are major differences between conservationist countries like New Zealand and pro-whaling interests,'' he said on return from a commission meeting in Norway. Despite an international moratorium on commercial whaling, negotiations had been under way for years on a ``revised management scheme'' to apply if commercial whaling ever resumed. ``New rules for inspection and observation of whaling activities are the last major element to be negotiated,'' Mr McLay said. ``New Zealand remains staunchly opposed to any resumption of commercial whaling. At the meeting in Norway, we argued for strong and effective rules. We want to avoid past problems of under-reporting catches, illegal hunting of endangered species and pirate whaling.'' The meeting produced no firm conclusions and negotiations would continue at the commission's annual meeting in Ireland in May, he said. NZPA PAR pq ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 14:33:12 -0400 encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Undetermined origin c/o Postmaster Subject: Re: Allan MacNow - whaler's camp using MARMAM? In-Reply-To: <01HM189JA9SI0074HI(\)BIONET.bio.dfo.ca> I'd also like to add my voice to the others in favor of Alan Macnow (or anybody that is associated with marine mammals sicentifically or otherwise)'s presence on this list. Contrary to the past few commentators, I am not sure that MOST OF US ON MARMAM disagree with the resumption of whaling on those stocks that can sustain a harvest. I do not know who reads MARMAM and nobody has done a census of their personal opinions on that topic. All I know is that those opposed to whaling write to MARMAM a lot. Unless MARMAM was meant to be the private network of the most extreme of "marine mammal conservationists" (in which case I will remove my name from the list), I would like to see a free exchange of ideas from those agreeing with consumptive use of marine mammals (and that includes whalers and sealers), AND from those opposing use, and even from those unsure. I welcome discussions where two opposing points-of-view are expressed. The purpose of these internet mailing lists is to help people accross the world exchange ideas, and not just those who think alike! Otherwise the subjects could become very narrow (as they unfortunatly tend to be on MARMAM, which is swamped with anti-whaling messages). Cheers, Pierre Richard Fisheries & Oceans Winnipeg, Canada richard(\)wpgdfo.wpg.dfo.ca ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 14:28:11 -0500 From: Phocid(\)aol.com Subject: Three subjects I have been associated with a variety of wildlife rehabilitation facilities across the country. One thing these centers all had in common was the constant struggle for operating capitol. These centers are responsible for saving thousands of animals annually. Occasionally a situation arises where an animal can not be helped because of the expense of the treatments. One animal could be saved, or many. The sum of money being spent to relocate "Willy",probably an unreleasable animal, seems almost obscene. Where are all these deep pockets when a rehab. center needs to pay its electric bill? Regarding rake marks on a fluke: can you not measure at the initial point of the bite, before the flukes may have been pulled through at an angle? And for Dr. MP Trapani, here are a few of the references you requested. Please keep in mind, homeopathy is only as reliable as the person prescribing it. Jeff Lederman Antiviral efficacy of homeopathic drugs against animal viruses. Singh and Gupta, Division of Virology, Central Drug Research Inst, India. The British Homeopathic Journal, 74: (1985) A double blind trial to access the benefit of Arnica Montana in acute stroke illness. Savage and Roe. The British Homeopathic Journal, 66: 207-220 (1977) Salicylates and homeopathy in rheumatoid arthritis. Gibson, MacNeill, Gray, Dick and Buchanan. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 6: 391-395 (1978) Homeopathic therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: evaluation by double- blind clinical therapeutic trial. Gibson, Macneill and Buchanan. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 9: 453-459 ( 1980b) Controlled trial of homeopathic treatment of osteoarthritis. Shipley, Berry, Broster, Jenkins, Clover and Williams. Lancet: i, 97-98 ( 1983) A review of investigations into the action of microdilutions. Stephenson. Journal of American Institute of Homeopathy, 48: 335-377 ( 1955) Clinical trials in bovine mastitis. Christopher Day. The British Homeopathic Journal, Vol. 75, #1, ( 1986) Double-blind trial of homeopathic Borax and Candida in the treatment of vaginal discharge. H. Carey Comm. BHRG., 15: 12-14 ( 1986) The action of low potency homeopathic remedies on the movement of guinea pig macrophages and human leucocytes. Roberts and Simpson. The British Homeopathic Journal, 71: 48-61 ( 1982) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 10:37:40 -0500 From: Robert Kenney Subject: SCOPEX publication announcement Fellow MARMAM-ers: The special issue of Continental Shelf Research containing ten papers from the South Channel Ocean Productivity Experiment has finally been published. The list of papers follows, and the abstracts will be posted individually to make it easier for those interested in only specific topics. CONTENTS: Kenney, R.D. and K.F. Wishner. 1995. The South Channel Ocean Productivity EXperiment. Cont. Shelf Res. 15(4/5): 373-384. Kenney, R.D., H.E. Winn, and M.C. Macaulay. 1995. Cetaceans in the Great South Channel, 1979-1989: right whale (_Eubalaena glacialis_). Cont. Shelf Res. 15(4/5): 385-414. Chen, C., R.C. Beardsley, and R. Limeburner. 1995. Variability of water properties in late spring in the northern Great South Channel. Cont. Shelf Res. 15(4/5): 415-431. Durbin, E.G., A.G. Durbin, and R.C. Beardsley. 1995. Springtime nutrient and chlorophyll _a_ concentrations in the southwestern Gulf of Maine. Cont. Shelf Res. 15(4/5): 433-450. Chen, C., R.C. Beardsley, and R. Limeburner. 1995. Variability of currents in late spring in the northern Great South Channel. Cont. Shelf Res. 15(4/5): 451-473. Wishner, K.F., J.R. Schoenherr, R. Beardsley, and C. Chen. 1995. Abundance, distribution and population structure of the copepod _Calanus finmarchicus_ in a springtime right whale feeding area in the southwestern Gulf of Maine. Cont. Shelf R. 15(4/5): 475-507. Macaulay, M.C., K.F. Wishner, and K.L. Daly. 1995. Acoustic scattering from zooplankton and micronekton in relation to a whale feeding site near Georges Bank and Cape Cod. Cont. Shelf Res. 15(4/5): 509-537. Durbin, E.G., R.G. Campbell, S.L. Gilman, and A.G. Durbin. 1995. Diel feeding behavior and ingestion rate in the copepod _Calanus finmarchicus_ in the southern Gulf of Maine during late spring. Cont. Shelf Res. 15(4/5): 539-570. Durbin, E.G., S.L. Gilman, R.G. Campbell, and A.G. Durbin. 1995. Abundance, biomass, vertical migration and estimated development rate of the copepod _Calanus finmarchicus_ in the southern Gulf of Maine during late spring. Cont. Shelf Res. 15(4/5): 571-591. Winn, H.E., J.D. Goodyear, R.D. Kenney, and R.O. Petricig. 1995. Dive patterns of tagged right whales in the Great South Channel. Cont. Shelf Res. 15(4/5): 593-611. Reprints of individual papers will be available from the authors (addresses with abstracts). Bound copies of the entire journal will be available for sale at cost plus postage through Rhode Island Sea Grant. The exact cost will not be known until we receive the invoice from Pergamon Press, but if you are interested, contact me and I will let you know the details as soon as possible. Cheers, Bob ************************************************************************ * Robert D. Kenney, Ph.D. rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu * * University of Rhode Island Tel: (401) 792-6664 * * Graduate School of Oceanography Fax: (401) 792-6497 * * Box 41, Bay Campus * * Narragansett, RI, USA 02882-1197 * ************************************************************************ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 10:39:52 -0500 From: Robert Kenney Subject: SCOPEX abstract 1 of 10 Kenney, Robert D. and Karen F. Wishner. 1995. The South Channel Ocean Productivity EXperiment. Continental Shelf Research 15(4/5): 373-384. Abstract - The South Channel Ocean Productivity Experiment (SCOPEX) was a multi-disciplinary study of a whale-zooplankton predator-prey system in the southwestern Gulf of Maine, focusing on the oceanographic factors responsible for the development of dense patches of the copepod _Calanus finmarchicus_, which comprise the major prey resource for right whales (_Eubalaena glacialis_). Three non-mutually exclusive hypotheses underlay the study: patch development is due to (1) extremely high _in situ_ primary and secondary productivity, (2) large numbers of _Calanus_ advected into the region and concentrated by hydrographic processes, and/or (3) a behavioral tendency of the copepods themselves to aggregate. The results confirmed the co-occurrence of right whales with high density _Calanus_ patches, and also demonstrated that right whales fed on patches with higher proportions of larger lifestages. The physical oceanographic studies supported the advection hypothesis, possibly augmented by a tendency of _Calanus_ to aggregate, but there was little evidence to support the productivity hypothesis. Box 41, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, U.S.A. rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 09:32:47 -0700 Reply-To: Alana Murray From: Alana Murray Subject: Wilma the whale?? In-Reply-To: <199501182326.QAA170976(\)gpu.srv.ualberta.ca> I read the following brief article in the Edmonton Journal (Jan 16/95): >TOURISM GOES TO THE DOGS > The Wilma and Rocky affair is putting the town of Goshen, N.S., on the > tourist map. "Media, photographers, and tourists have already been > making bookings for next season," said Jim Johnson, who owns a local > bed-and-breakfast in the town. Johnson also owns Rocky, the Siberian husky > who has struck up a frienship with Wilma the Whale. When they first > met, says Johnson, Rocky became so excited that he jumped right in the > water and the two began communicating vocally and nuzzling. "You realize > there is a dialogue going on between them," Johnson said last summer. > "They are completely absorbed with each other." Does anyone know anything else about this? What species is "Wilma the Whale"?? A dog and a whale "communicating vocally"??! Hmmmm.... ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 10:41:29 -0500 From: Robert Kenney Subject: SCOPEX abstract 2 of 10 Kenney, Robert D., Howard E. Winn, and Michael C. Macaulay. 1995. Cetaceans in the Great South Channel, 1979-1989: right whale (_Eubalaena glacialis_). Continental Shelf Research 15(4/5): 385-414. Abstract - A continuous eleven-year time-series of aerial and shipboard survey data in the Great South Channel region reveals a remarkably consistent pattern of right whale distribution, with several interesting variations. Right whales occur in the area during the spring, with a distinct peak in May. Arrival and departure dates appear to vary by a month or more between years. The distribution is concentrated in the deeper basin north of the V-shaped 100-meter isobath and a thermal front which approximately parallels the isobath. Within a single year, this concentration tends to be within a relatively small area and may remain stable for days or weeks. The center of distribution changes between years, and in 1984, 1987, and 1989 was on the eastern side of the basin rather than the "typical" western side. At any one time, nearly all of the right whales may aggregate into one to several clusters of < 10 km exp2 each. A gradual southward shift in the center of distribution can be observed as the season progresses. Single-day abundance estimates, uncorrected for animals missed while submerged, ranged up to 179 animals. There was a statistically significant long-term increase in right whale sighting rates in the region, after correcting for estimated increases in survey efficiency, of 3.8% per year. This suggests that the population might be recovering, albeit slowly, from extreme depletion. It is likely that a significant proportion of the western North Atlantic right whale population utilizes the Great South Channel region as a feeding area each spring, aggregating to exploit exceptionally dense copepod patches. Box 41, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, U.S.A. rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 08:41:06 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on marine mammal and fisheries public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . IWC Working Group Meeting. On Jan. 13, 1995, an International Whaling Commission working group completed three days of meetings in Reine, Norway. The group discussed means to inspect and monitor commercial whaling, but did not reach any conclusions. This group will meet again in Dublin in May. [Reuter] . Manatee Deaths. On Jan. 5, 1995, Florida State officials announced that 192 manatees died during 1994, the second highest recorded annual mortality. Human-related causes were responsible for 70 deaths with 49 from boating accidents and 16 from floodgate and canal lock operation. [Orlando Sentinel] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 16:33:37 PST From: jerash(\)seaccc.sccd.ctc.edu Subject: Rehab monies Rehabilitation centers certainly need money.....the question is if the need for that many rehab. centers exists. The money being spent on the "sick & stranded" animals in this area is 10 fold over money spent on finding out what is killing the seals we find expired on the beaches. People tend to donate money to saving a cute harbor seal pup off the beach (whether it needs it or not) than to assist in performing necropsies on the expired ones. The costs of running a toxicology and histopath series on these seals are very expensive. The fact that over 300 seals were found expired on Washington beaches lends itself to further investigation of the possible causes of death. If the rehab centers would spend as much time and effort looking into the other side of the seals existance...the need for rehab may decrease drastically. Jeff Rash ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 10:49:54 -0500 From: Robert Kenney Subject: SCOPEX abstract 6 of 10 Karen F. Wishner, Jill R. Schoenherr, Robert Beardsley, and Changsheng Chen. 1995. Abundance, distribution and population structure of the copepod _Calanus finmarchicus_ in a springtime right whale feeding area in the southwestern Gulf of Maine. Continental Shelf Research 15(4/5): 475-507. Abstract - Springtime aggregations of the planktivorous right whale (_Eubalaena glacialis_) occur in the northern Great South Channel region of the southwestern Gulf of Maine, where they feed upon dense concentrations of the copepod _Calanus finmarchicus_. This association was studied during the multidisciplinary South Channel Ocean Productivity Experiment (SCOPEX) in 1988 and 1989. The spatial and temporal variability of the abundance, geographic distribution, and population structure of these copepods were analyzed using data from 99 vertically-stratified or horizontally-sequenced MOCNESS plankton tows. Higher water column abundances and higher relative proportions of older copepod lifestages occurred near feeding whales compared to sites without whales, but total water column copepod biomass and _Calanus_ abundance did not always differ between these types of locations. This suggests that the whales seek out aggregations of older copepod lifestages rather than simply the most dense aggregations. Other factors (and perhaps an element of chance) may influence which specific patches, among all patches potentially suitable in terms of copepod abundance and age composition, the whales utilize at a particular time. The times and locations of the highest _Calanus_ water column abundances varied between years, as did the presence of feeding whales, probably because of year-to-year differences in the springtime temperature cycle and current strength. A temporal progression of lifestages occurred within the region in both years during the roughly 3-week duration of each survey, indicative of a growing rather than diapausing population, at least up to the copepodite 4 (C4) stage. Due in part to a delay in the springtime warming in 1989 compared to 1988, the copepod development cycle, which is largely driven by _in situ_ temperature, was delayed by about 1-2 weeks in 1989. Peak abundances of younger _Calanus_ were found in the northwestern part of the region each year, whereas peak abundances of older _Calanus_ were found in the southwestern and northeastern part. This was probably due to the advection of maturing copepods by the regional circulation, especially the near-surface current associated with the movement of the low-salinity surface plume which forms each spring off Cape Cod. The copepod development cycle occurs within a moving frame of reference (i.e. the water itself); thus, peak abundances of the older copepods (those fed on by the whales) occurred later in the spring and further downstream in 1989 (when there were colder springtime temperatures and faster currents) than in 1988 (when the springtime temperatures were warmer and currents slower). Maximum _Calanus_ abundances and biomass and water-column abundances of older copepodite stages were significantly higher (about double) in 1989 than in 1988, both in the region as a whole and at sites where whales were feeding. Maximum concentrations from the MOCNESS tows were 13,300 m exp-3 in 1988 and 30,800 m exp -3 in 1989; however, a thin, visibly-red surface patch of _Calanus_, sampled in 1989 by a bucket, had a concentration of 331,000 m exp -3. Copepods were also more aggregated in the vertical (i.e. more highly concentrated at the depth of maximum abundance) in 1989 than in 1988, and samples from whale-feeding areas were more homogeneous in composition (higher proportion of _Calanus_ relative to all zooplankton) in 1989. At smaller spatial and temporal scales, abundances varied by a factor of 1-890X in samples from horizontal tows spanning about 0.5-1.5 km and by a factor of 1-50X over 24 h in the same geographic location in whale-feeding areas. Some of this variability was probably due to advection by the semidiurnal tidal currents. Near feeding whales, the copepod spatial distribution was patchy on small scales (with an estimated mean patch "size" of about 500 m), but the patchiness varied in texture interannually. Copepod abundances were much lower in early spring (March 1988) than in later spring (May 1988), with the March population structure dominated by adult females and the May population dominated by copepodite 4 and 5 stages (C4 and C5). Box 69, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, U.S.A. kwishner(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 09:14:30 PST From: Gottfried Mayer-Kress Subject: Re: FREE WILLY WHALE IS US BOUND ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- "Richard C. Connor writes: > So, $5 million for Willy. Thats great for Willy but I can't help thinking > about what kind of conservation-oriented basic research that kind of money > could fund. 50 $100,000 projects, 100 $50,000 projects. Studies on > behavior, ecology, life history, habitat use, threats to > habitats--species like the vaquita, Lipotes, Platanista spp., and so many > more--lets not leave out Orcinus orca. > the way you present this list of projects I could not think of many people who would go and spend five bucks and 90min to see more about it. What is your "story" behind "ecology, life history" that would interest people enough that they would pay money for it? The trainers at SeaWorld study the behavior of marine mammals and have attracted a lot of funding for their work. What are in your opinion the most exciting questions of general interest that have been answered in your field? Or what are your top examples about how basic research has helped these animals? (This was not intended to be confrontational, I really would like to know the answers, to tell people who ask me the same questions, thanks.) Best, --- Gottfried Mayer-Kress Center for Complex Systems Research, Beckman Institute, Physics Dept. UIUC 405 N Mathews, Urbana, Il 61801,gmk(\)pegasos.ccsr.uiuc.edu, gmk(\)igc.apc.org, gmk(\)santafe.edu, (217)-244-5877(voice/fax1),x8371(fax2), x1994 (msg) URLs: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/, ftp://ftp.santafe.edu/pub/gmk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 09:17:04 PST From: jerash(\)seaccc.sccd.ctc.edu Subject: Re: BALLARD LOCKS/SEA LIONS ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I agree with the statement about the California Sea Lion being made out to be the culprit in the situation at the Ballard Locks in Seattle. The Marine Animal Resource Center has investigated over 250 California Sea Lion deaths since 1980...85% were shot. Will shooting or lethally removing 30-40 more make a difference???? The calls we get are referred to the National Marine Mammal Lab. in Seattle. They request that all calls regarding CSL's go to them. Do they investigate causes of death?? What happens to these expired sea lions? NMML says that MARC needs to give more causes of death of what we find rather than body counts. We are all volunteer and we usually find secondary causes of deaths. What has NMML found on the dead CSL's MARC has referred to them? Isn't that what they get paid for???? So much money has been spent on this project. What a waste of the taxpayers money!!!!! The money could have been spent on the salmon and finding more realistic solutions!!! The environment the salmon are living in is slowly but surely being wiped out. Now, some are saying that high levels of PCB's are being found in some salmon. Are the sea lions to blame for that too!!!! If you're managing a resource, you do not shoot or kill something you cannot manage. You go down the line and look at all of the factors that are affecting the salmon....water quality, overfishing, deforestation, shellfsh problems. Then you have the foresite and wisedom to work together to solve these problems. We have seen increases in Harbor seal deaths....oh what that sea lion money could do for that research. Once we start screwing with the top of the food chain...what will happen to the rest of the chain....will the salmon make a come back...will we stop polluting the waters???? I realize that sea lions do not vote, but they also do not kill us they do not use oil, chemicals in the waters. The marine ecosystem is the sea lions home....why take food from them and then blame them for the loss. I apologize for the ranting....I rarely do this. But it is time to stop watching the governmental spending on senseless projects. There comes a time when you have to open your eyes and look into the mirror at the real problem....and possibly the only solution!! Jeffrey A. Rash Marine Animal Resource Center jerash(\)seaccc.sccd.ctc.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 09:18:31 PST From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: WAGES OF CAPTIVITY ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Reposted from USENET group alt.animals.dolphins. -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: KSUMMER(\)american.edu Newsgroups: alt.animals.dolphins Subject: CAPTIVITY HARMFUL TO DOLPHINS: A STUDY Date: Wed, 18 Jan 95 09:08:39 EST Organization: The American University >From the Winter 1995 HSUS News: WAGES OF CAPTIVITY by Michael O'Sullivan, executive director, HSI (Canada) (excerpted for brevity)... A Canadian team of researchers with the International Marine Mammal Association, Inc., which included Thomas H. Woodley, Janice L. Hannah, and David Lavigne, Ph.D., of the University of Guelph, investigated the overall survival rates of captive and free-ranging bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, and beluga whales. The basis of this research was data on captive populations in the United States and Canada for the years 1960-1992, provided by U.S. and Canadian government agencies; information on free-ranging populations in the United States and Canada, supplied by U.S. and Canadian cetacean biologists; and computer models, prepared by the researchers themselves. The researchers found that, for the calves of all three species, annual survival rates were significantly lower in captivity than in the wild. For adult animals the annual survival rates of killer whales and dolphins were lower in captivity. Such was indicated to be the case for adult beluga whales as well. Calculations taken from the study showed that on average the expected lifespan of a bottlenose dolphin in captivity could be as little as 14 years, while in the wild the dolphin could live 20 to 29 years. A killer whale would live on average only 15 years in captivity but as long as 29 to 58 years in the wild. The Canadian team found that other species of cetaceans, such as the narwhal and short-finned pilot whale, have even lower annual survival rates in captivity than do dolphins, killer whales, and beluga whales. ________________________________ The study was done by the International Marine Mammal Association, Inc. (Canada). I suggest you contact them for a copy. ________________________ K. Summers ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 09:20:05 PST From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: help with hydrophones ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Newsgroups: alt.animals.dolphins Repost from USENET group alt.animals.dolphins. Please respond to the following address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mathew(\)baesema1.demon.co.uk (Mathew Littlejohn) Subject: help with hydrophones Organization: BAeSEMA There's a project using hydrophones to monitor dolphins (and other sea life) off the south coast of the U.K. They have one static hydrophone and are experimenting with portable ones for boat use. I'd be gratefull for contacts of similar projects anywhere - postal or voice addresses would be best (The project does not have Interent access as yet - I'm using a guest facilitiy here). The project manager is very keen to compare results with others. Thanks for any help. -- Mathew Littlejohn ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 09:23:38 PST From: Robert Kenney Subject: SCOPEX abstract 3 of 10 ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Changsheng Chen, Robert C. Beardsley, and Richard Limeburner. 1995. Variability of water properties in late spring in the northern Great South Channel. Continental Shelf Research 15(4/5): 415-431. Abstract - Regional CTD/ADCP surveys made in the northern Great South Channel (GSC) in late spring of 1988 and 1989 show different patterns of surface salinity in the extent of the freshwater plume east of Cape Cod. In April 1988, the surface plume was just beginning to form along the outer coast of Cape Cod, while 6 weeks later in the season in 1989, the minimum salinity was about 1.5 less, and a large pool of water fresher than 31.6 had pushed eastward over much of the northern GSC region. The difference in the amount of freshening between these two years is due primarily to the 6-week difference in the seasonal cycle and increased river discharge in 1989. The offshore spreading of the low-salinity plume was driven by the deeper circulation and upwelling-favorable winds. The distribution of Maine Intermediate Water (MIW) also significantly differed between April 1988 and June 1989. In April 1988, the seasonal thermocline was just beginning to form, and the spatial structure of MIW was relatively uniform. In June 1989, a narrow core of temperature minimum water (with T sub min in a range of 3.2-4.4 degrees C) was found along the western flank of the northern GSC between 40 m and 120 m. This colder and fresher water spread to mix with the interior MIW as the core flowed southward into the central GSC. Hydrographic data plus satellite sea-surface temperature images showed a relatively permanent continuous thermal front (with a 10-km cross-isobath variation) along the eastern flank of Nantucket Shoals, across the northern shallow region of the GSC and along the northwestern flank of Georges Bank, which separated the well-mixed water over the shallow region of the GSC from stratified water in the center of the northern GSC. Comparison of the location of this front with theoretical predictions by Loder and Greenberg [(1986) Continental Shelf Research, 6, 397-414] suggests that enhanced tidal mixing due to the spring-neap cycle is important in determining the relative balance between buoyancy import and tidal mixing in the GSC region. Dept. of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, U.S.A. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:38:03 EST From: Dean Wilkinson Subject: Re: Rehab monies Dear Jeff and others: I am a little disappointed that someone who has worked at a rehab center chooses to downgrade the scientific potential of these facilities, but perhaps I have not been doing my job well enough. The members of the Stranding Networks often serve a dual role--both rehab and providing scientific information. Over the last few years, rehab centers have provided NMFS with significant information. To wit: 1. The New England Aquarium was responsible for detecting phocine distemper virus in pinnipeds on the U.S. east coast, and then conducting research that determined that the disease is enzootic and has been present since at least 1986. 2. Stranding Network members in the Southeast who also rehabilitate animals collected the tissues that established that dolphin morbillivirus is present in the Gulf of Mexico--see the October issue of Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 3. Stranding Network members detected a potentially serious fisheries interaction affecting harbor porpoise in the mid-Atlantic--something on which there was little information prior to a couple of years ago. Documentation of such interactions is going to become ever more important as NMFS implements the new management regime. 4. Both the New England Aquarium and the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito are working to provide tissues to the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank. The first marine mammal Standard Reference Material (SRM 1945 available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and certified for 27 PCB congeners and 15 chlorinated pesticides) was developed from a pilot whale stranding directed by New England Aquarium. 5. Stranded animals are being utilized in our real time monitoring program of contaminants run by the Environmental Conservation Division of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. We are reaching the point where we have baselines on specific species for comparison. In addition, the Marine Mammal Center is working with the NWFSC on a project to compare contaminant levels of California sea lions that strand sick with those that strand because of traumatic injury. There is more, but those happen to be a few of my favorites. In addition, Stranding Network members (including those that rehabilitate animals) provide tissues to independent researchers authorized by NMFS. Since I am not in a position to provide Stranding Network members with federal funding, they are in the position of having to raise their own funds. Unfortunately, rescue and rehabilitation of animals is more appealing to the general public than scientific investigation. Therefore, in large measure, the rehabilitation activities both provide public support and funding for the science that is carried out. Dean Wilkinson National Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator National Marine Fisheries Service INTERNET address: Dean_Wilkinson(\)ccgate.ssp.nmfs.gov ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 10:51:50 -0500 From: Robert Kenney Subject: SCOPEX abstract 7 of 10 Macaulay, Michael C., Karen F. Wishner, and Kendra L. Daly. 1995. Acoustic scattering from zooplankton and micronekton in relation to a whale feeding site near Georges Bank and Cape Cod. Continental Shelf Research 15(4/5): 509-537. Abstract - This research was part of the South Channel Ocean Productivity Experiment (SCOPEX), a multidisciplinary study to investigate the biological and physical processes associated with the very high annual springtime abundance of right whales (_Eubalaena glacialis_) in the Great South Channel off New England. Right whales appear to gather there in the spring because of the increased abundance of aggregations of their principal prey, the copepod _Calanus finmarchicus_. Observations of hydroacoustic scattering were made in relation to the hydrography, whale distributions, and other biological measurements in the vicinity of the Great South Channel during May 1986, March, April and May of 1988, and May and June of 1989. Copepods were detected (at 200 kHz) as a near-surface layer with strong diel changes. In 1989, a second frequency (120 kHz) was used to discriminate between copepod layers (which the 120 kHz detected only weakly) and other targets (which both frequencies detected). Acoustically distinct layers of zooplankton and micronekton were observed, which were often correlated in time and space with the copepod layers. Quantitative estimates derived from the acoustic data indicate that the abundance of zooplankton varied from 1-5 g wet weight m exp-3 to 18-25 g wet weight m exp-3, which correlates well with the abundances observed from MOCNESS tows. The acoustic data revealed a complex diel migration of two layers in addition to the copepods. Euphausiids (predominantly _Meganyctiphanes_ sp.) were found in a layer above the bottom, and a mid-water layer may have been due to sand lance (_Ammodytes americanus_). The observed biological phenomena appeared to be related to the complex hydrography of the region. A surface thermal front existed at the northern entrance to the channel in 1988 and 1989, with colder vertically mixed water to the south and warmer stratified water to the north. A Fast Fourier Transform analysis for spectral composition and autocovariance shows (a) strong contrasts in spectral density across one frontal feature (predominantly a salinity front) as opposed to away from the front, and (b) significant differences between those areas where a whale moved more rapidly (presumably searching for food) and where it spent more time (presumably or observably feeding). The behavior of whales, in particular the right whale, can be shown to be related to the spatial scales and abundance of their prey by the use of hydroacoustic estimates of target distribution and abundance. Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, U.S.A. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 09:35:36 PST From: Terry Hardie Subject: DOC TO HOLD MEETING ABOUT WHALE RESCUE ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 19-Jan-95 10:56 am Regular National DOC TO HOLD MEETING ABOUT WHALE RESCUE Nelson, Jan 19, NZPA - The Conservation Department in Nelson will meet next week to count the cost of the six-day whale rescue operation in Golden Bay, and pool new information learned. The operation was called off yesterday after an aerial grid search showed no sign of the whales for the first time since a stranding by 100 long-fin pilot whales was averted last Thursday. DOC spokeswoman Marieke Hilhorst said the cost of the operation was not yet known but would be discussed early next week. She said during the six days about 50 DOC staff were involved in rescue attempts, with 12 people helping each day. Staff were called in from Nelson, Motueka and St Arnaud. DOC had to provide fuel for two spotter planes and would also have to pay for flying time, to be settled next week. In addition DOC provided food for about 25 volunteers when they were involved in the rescue duties. Ms Hilhorst said although there was a large cost involved in the operation, the rescue attempts certainly avoided the huge costs involved if a big-scale stranding had occurred. On Tuesday afternoon about 70 whales nearly stranded near the tip of Farewell Spit and rescue boats spent several hours directing the pod away from the beach. ``If that stranding had occurred the costs of getting people out there would have been phenomenal,'' she said. Under the Marine Mammals Act DOC is required where possible to save whales from stranding. The meeting would look at the rescue attempts and pool any new information learned. DOC's Takaka manager, Geoff Rennison, said although whale strandings had occurred in seven of the past eight years, this week's experience in first averting a stranding and then keeping the whales off the beach for five days was unprecedented. Much was learned from the event but it also showed how little was known about whales at sea, and particularly their reasons for entering Golden Bay. There were a range of possibilities: they could come in to feed, for rest or recreation or to commit suicide. One thing learned was that too much boat activity trying to shepherd them was not good unless they were desperate. It was better to shut down motors and just watch. ``We have also learned that if they decide to do something they will do it,'' Mr Rennison said. Rescuing whales which had beached themselves was a straightforward operation but at sea they were their own bosses and would-be rescuers had to try to outguess them. ``And we can't at the moment do that very well,'' he said. NZPA NNM rm rds ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 10:14:48 -0800 From: Parrot Head Subject: Re: Rehab monies Is there a real need to spend so much money to go against the natural flow of mother nature to save the "sick and dying" animals. It sort of goes against the natural order of nature (if there is one?). Or are we just saving all this money to save the "cute" seals and sea lions? I am presenting this point as a discussion. This goes along with a discussion that was circulating regarding the conservation of large animals. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 12:06:52 -0800 From: "Richard C. Connor" Subject: Re: FREE WILLY WHALE IS US BOUND In-Reply-To: <9501201724.AA13564(\)casbs.Stanford.EDU> Gottfried makes an interesting and important point about the $5 million that has been raised, by Warner Bros., a $2 million dollar donor, etc. to move Willy to a new facility. Willy will, no doubt, be a huge tourist draw so what we may be talking about is simply a commercial venture; perhaps the $2 million dollar donor is really a $2 million dollar investor. How, I wonder, will they split the gate? The message about the New England Aquarium was an impressive case of what such a facility can do for conservation efforts. I would like to hear a similar defence of Sea World by someone who is familiar with their efforts. It seems to me that we need two things in our field; funds for basic research and academic positions. Students that aspire to study marine mammals, and especially whales and dolphins, don't have many places to go. Professors are bombed with inquiries from interested students and have to turn many highly qualified individuals away. So in addition to setting up a fund for basic research, perhaps a corporate giant like Warner Bros. or Anheuser-Busch could endow a chair or two at a major university. I should point out that we are at a very early stage in cetology in terms of long-term studies in the wild--there simply haven't been that many. Those that have been done illustrate nicely the close, and probably inevitable, link between basic issues in behavior and ecology and conservation. The longest-running study of bottlenose dolphins, in Sarasota Bay, Florida, began with management oriented questions over 20 years ago,and has continued to provide fascinating information on the social structure of bottlenose dolphins as well as information critical for conservation such as mortality patterns, contaminent loads, health of individuals etc. But basic research can provide critical information for conservation whether that was the initial motivation for the research or not. Hal Whitehead discovered that male sperm whales are a transient presence in female groups, furthering a fascinating parallel with elephant society but also important for population models. The same goes for the discovery that neither sex disperses from killer whale pods--absolutely fascinating from an evolutionary perspective and maybe unparalleled among terrestrial mammals but critical for our understanding and protection of the population. Our team in Shark Bay, Australia, has, until recently, focused almost exclusively on social relationships among individuals. We have discovered some real 'gee-whiz' stuff including complex alliance formation among males (that rivals any non-human primate), females that carry sponges during foraging bouts (possible tool use), etc; neat but hardly conservation oriented, right? But it was our data that recently was used to show that calves born to the dolphins fed at the Monkey Mia beach had higher mortality rates than calves born to non-provisioned females. The point is that even pure research in relatively pristine habitats will eventually confront important conservation issues. Certainly studies on the behavior and ecology of populations that are more threatened would yield similar returns. We have barely scratched the surface in our studies of cetaceans--and that is true even for bottlenose dolphins. We really need to get teams of researchers working on a lot more species in many more habitats, especially threatened ones--and it may simply be too late for some like the chinese river dolphin. Finally, does the public want to hear this stuff--would they pay $5 dollars for it? I think so; witness the number of television programs on dolphins and whales in the last few years. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 14:23:57 -0500 From: Bret S Weinstein Subject: Rebutal by the antiMacnowist In-Reply-To: <199501171750.MAA07572(\)biology.lsa.umich.edu> I would like to respond to the messages posted in favor of leaving intact Mr. Macnow's current status on this list. I should certainly start with an apology-- I have reread my original message and I can see why several people felt as if I was trying to speak for them. My comment that marmam readers do not trust Alan Macnow was poorly phrased. I meant only to observe that he is mistrusted (judging by the responses he generally evokes). I did not intend to represent anyone's opinion but my own and I apologize if that is how it seemed. For the record, I do not trust Alan Macnow because he is paid to hold the opinions that he represents to us. I think that that is a good minimum standard, people who's beliefs are for sale should, automaticly, have their opinions discounted. I should point out that there is no analogy between people who sell control of their opinions and people who, in course of paid investigation, reach an opinion of their own. Second, I want to address the idea that Mr. Macnow`s right to speak is at stake. As far as I am aware, this list is not governmentally administered and therefore, Alan Macnow has no CONSTITUTIONAL right to speak here. Do evolutionists have to invite creationists to conferences? Does Limbaugh give Chomsky equal time? Of course not! In fact, I am not even advocating that he be restricted compared to others on this list. It was and is my assertion that Mr. Macnow has "privilege and priority" on this list-- He seems to be able to post whatever he wants. This is a refereed list and it seems unlikely that anyone else could post politicly and financially motivated opinion after opinion here. I stick by my proposal to restrict him to substantial contributions and questions, the standard that everyone else seems to adhere to. We all now know that Japan says: it is wailing for legitimate scientific reasons It is hunting unthreatened whales Whales are a sustainable resource Killing whales and cows is only different because of cultural bias Who else on this list would be allowed to post the same viewpoints again and again? As for the idea that I am trying to "shoot the messenger"; that this should be a "free exchange of ideas" and that Mr. Macnow is accurately representing the Japanese viewpoint if not his own; let me say this: I strongly support the idea of a free exchange of ideas. If Mr. Macnow were not paid for his advocacy, I would be open to hearing his position and I would defend his ability to voice his opinion if he was was under attack. I am not sure if a research and conservation list would be the place for that discussion, but it might be. I am strongly in favor of a free exchange of ideas and adamantly against paid pollution of such an exchange. As for his supposedly accurate representation of the Japanese position, I think it deserves more scrutiny before we accept it as genuine. Just for a moment, lets imagine the LEAST GENEROUS interpretation of the Japanese stance-- Whale meat is a delicacy eaten by wealthy people with lots of political power who don't care if they drive species to extinction one by one so long as the have whales to eat. If that were the actual motivation for Japanese whaling, you would still here their lobbyists saing EXACTLY what Mr. Macnow is saying: It's sustainable! Why say that if you don't believe it???????????? Because it is the best possible defense for whaling whether it is actually sustainable or not! Do the Japanese really believe it is sustainable? Who knows? The fact that they say they believe it is not compelling evidence. Finally, I would like to respond to the accusation that my agenda is showing-- Yes it is. Agenda's are nothing to be ashamed of, HIDDEN agendas are. I have no conflict of interest on the issue of whaling. My interest is no greater than that of any other planetary citizen. I base my opinion on what I believe are facts and sound scientific principals. My agenda is showing because it stands the light of day-- I am not ashamed of my beliefs or my agenda, shared or not. Bret Weinstein University of Michigan ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 13:37:01 PST From: DDVFFVS(\)UVVM.UVic.CA I am currently in the process of analyzing dive profiles has and sequences in gray whales. Two of the four dive types display shallow to mid water usage, but are far longer than normal ventilation dives, yet not deep enought to obtain access to prey. It is these two dive types that prompt me to solicit guidance from those subscribers that have experience in calculating the theoretical aerobic dive limit (ADL) in pinnipeds and cetaceans. Blood histology (Ridgway, Lenfant) has shown that the grey whales demonstrate low hematocrit, hemoglobin, RBC and oxygen combining characteristics when compared to other cetaceans. This, in conjunction with a relatively small spleen, may suggest limited diving capabilities. Grey whales commonly feed in relatively shallow water, and as a result would not need the blood physiology that would enable them to attain deeper depths. However, recent work by Castellini, Kooyman, Hindell, Hill, Ponganis, Qvist, Le Boeuf and others, suggest that there are times that grey seals, elephant seals and weddell seals produce lactic acid via anaerobic respiration. This presumably occurs in diving cetaceans as well. Do these cetaceans display similar dive behaviours to rid themselves of any lactic acid build up? The questions that I am currently addressing are: 1) has anyone calculated an ADL for any free ranging cetacean? 2) is there any recent work on blood and tissue histology for grey whales, more specifically Mb oxygen stores? 3) would a dive reflex (bradycardia, vasoconstriction etc.) be sufficient to allow a grey whale to remain aerobic? 4) can the Kleiber equation be used to calculate the MBR of marine mammals? Of course other possibilities such as social activity, alternative prey, or vessel disturbance may explain the two dive types that are in question here. It is not because I love mind-boggling mathematical calculations that I have chosen this direction as the first line of inquiry or I just like beating my head against a wall!! Can anyone enlighten me or direct me to the seminal source.... Steve Wischniowski (swischn1(\)sol.uvic.ca) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 17:21:05 -0500 From: "Kathryn A. Zagzebski" Subject: Re: Rehab monies In-Reply-To: <199501202011.PAA07432(\)acpub.duke.edu> On Fri, 20 Jan 1995, Parrot Head wrote: > Is there a real need to spend so much money to go against the natural > flow of mother nature to save the "sick and dying" animals. It sort of > goes against the natural order of nature (if there is one?). Or are we > just saving all this money to save the "cute" seals and sea lions? I am > presenting this point as a discussion. I agree that spending large sums of money to save animals that naturally would have died seems like a questionable use of scarce resources. In addition to the idea of working against the balance of nature, there is the ethical question of reintroducing rehabilitated animals into wild populations, thereby possibily contaminating and weakening those populations. Frequently, however, animals strand as a result of human interaction. This may be an obvious interaction, such as entanglement in fishing nets or being covered with oil. Or, it may be an interaction that is less obvious, such as chronic poisoning from toxic discharge. In these cases, humans have already subverted the natural order, and ought to try to rescue and rehabilitate the affected animal in order to restore the balance of nature. Since it can be extremely difficult to determine whether or not an animal has stranded due to human interaction, I think that most rescue and rehabilitation efforts are worthwhile. Besides, the vast majority of strandings are dead. The scientific information that can be gathered from these animals is important in learning more about the animals, assessing general population health, and predicting possible large-scale die-offs. If high profile rescue efforts help bring money into minimally-funded stranding networks, more power to them! > This goes along with a discussion that was circulating regarding > the conservation of large animals. > The fascination humans have with large animals is well-known, and may be discouraging to those who study less popular organisms or who prefer an ecosystem approach. All approaches are valid, however, and contribute to a greater understanding of the world we live in. Microbiology may increase our understanding of the effect of pathogens on an organism, small organisms are frequently excellent indicator species of ecosystem health, an understanding of ecosystem function is important in preserving habitat for all users. In turn, large animals can also make a contribution. Coastal bottlenose dolphins, for example, may be subject to many of the same toxicants as humans and, as high-order predators, may be effective indicator species for ecosystem effects that aren't apparent at lower levels of the trophic pyramid. On the behavioral side, an understanding of the complex societies of large mammals such as dolphins and apes can lead to a greater understanding of human behavior and society. Fortunately for everyone with inquisitive minds, there are infinite subjects left to study at every level of organization. There is room for everyone's pet research project to make it's small contribution to society's accumulated knowledge. Just my two (or more) cents worth.... Kathryn Zagzebski Program in Coastal Environmental Management Internet: kaz(\)acpub.duke.edu Duke University School of the Environment Phone: 919/728-2111 x294 Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC 28516 Fax: 919/728-2514 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 13:55:21 -0800 From: Michael Torok Subject: Re: Rebutal by the antiMacnowist In-Reply-To: <199501202030.MAA01936(\)netcom15.netcom.com> from "Bret S Weinstein" at Jan 20, 95 02:23:57 pm > apologize if that is how it seemed. For the record, I do not trust Alan > Macnow because he is paid to hold the opinions that he represents to us. > I think that that is a good minimum standard, people who's beliefs are > for sale should, automaticly, have their opinions discounted. I should > point out that there is no analogy between people who sell control of > their opinions and people who, in course of paid investigation, reach an > opinion of their own. Your a priori assumption that Mr. Macnow has his opinions simply because he is being paid to have them is not necessarily valid. I've not seen anything in any of Mr. Macnow's posts that clearly delineates his opinions vs. the opinions of his employer. I assume the information in his posts represents the views of the Japanese Whaling Association. The assertion that Mr. Macnow's opinions are for sale is slanderous unless you have facts to prove it. I will clearly state here that I do not agree with much of his postings to MARMAM. I view them as the point of view of the JWA (and possibly his own as well). I absolutely despise this one-sided critique of people's credentials and biases. If Mr. Macnow were a paid lobbyist for any of the myriad environmental organizations, those who are currently screaming "foul" would be strangely silent. > after opinion here. I stick by my proposal to restrict him to > substantial contributions and questions, the standard that everyone > else seems to adhere to. MARMAM has been better focused since it became a moderated list. Prior to the moderation, volumes of fluff were posted and subscribers were dropping like flies. Even with moderated lists, fluff still works its way through from time to time. It sounds like you would like to restrict input to those points of view that agree with yours. > Finally, I would like to respond to the accusation that my agenda > is showing-- Yes it is. Agenda's are nothing to be ashamed of, HIDDEN > agendas are. I have no conflict of interest on the issue of whaling. My Exactly what agenda is Mr. Macnow hiding? Do we have a budding conspiracy here? As far as I am aware, everyone knows exactly who he work for, and their position. Michael Torok ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 21 Jan 1995 00:36:43 -0600 From: Gottfried Mayer-Kress Subject: Re: FREE WILLY WHALE IS US BOUND "Richard C. Connor" writes: > We have discovered some real 'gee-whiz' stuff including > complex alliance formation among males (that rivals any > non-human primate), females that carry sponges during > foraging bouts (possible tool use), etc; neat but hardly > conservation oriented, right? > hey, you have a video about that? I would be willing to pay 10$ for that ;-> when I worked in Los Alamos that used to call those types of results which where interesting to the public "spin off products" and had an "office for technology transfer". Maybe Warner Bros. or Anheuser-Busch would endow a chair more willingly if there was more effort shown by the experts to invest a little more on these "spin off products" even if they are not "pure and fundamental science" and earn you browne points within the respected cetology academia. I am not a cetologist and I have asked a few admittedly naive questions to this list, such as about whale beaching and the interpretation as suicide. I got one response which referred to one researcher who has studied beaching and apparently the conclusion was "No suicide." ummm... in all cases? for all kind of whales? No exceptions? sounds more like a dogma to me than an empirical result especially since no alternative explanation was even hinted at. From the postings to this list I got the strong impression that it was an active effort for the whales to get stranded and some heroic efforts from the rescuers to keep them away from the beach. Why? Aren't they supposed to be so smart? Is it so clear that the whales have to be prevented from stranding? Even if they choose to do so? Don't have whales the right to lie on the beach? What do the animal rights people think about that? On the other hand it is clear from the postings that every beached whale causes enormous public interest. I could imagine that there are (private) funding resources for that question, maybe even from the whaling industry: They might speculate that if it turns out that whales have suicide as part of their behavioral repertoire they could just go and harvest beached whales. --- Gottfried Mayer-Kress Center for Complex Systems Research, Beckman Institute, Physics Dept. UIUC 405 N Mathews, Urbana, Il 61801,gmk(\)pegasos.ccsr.uiuc.edu, gmk(\)igc.apc.org, gmk(\)santafe.edu, (217)-244-5877(voice/fax1),x8371(fax2), x1994 (msg) URLs: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/, ftp://ftp.santafe.edu/pub/gmk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 23:06:42 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: saving individual animals/mandate of MARMAM Re allowing Macnow to contribute to MARMAM. On the one hand, he is a paid PR person for Japanese whaling; on the other, we all know from whence he cometh. I for one, have little other access to detailed arguments used by the Japanese whaling industry; therefore, I find his comments helpful and the counter-arguments even more helpful. However, this is a political debate and as a new subscriber to MARMAM, I am not sure of its objectives; that might be decisive in the debate. Re the comments on the money being spent to "free" Willy, or stranded animals, etc.. As someone who has marginally more background in philosophy than science, I would ask, would we assess the situation in the same way if the subject were, for example, the funds spent in medical research and services for the benefit of another charismatic mega fauna, i.e. the over 5.5 billion humans on earth, or, more accurately the funds spent on the middle-aged, affluent members of the wealthy members of this species, or is it just non-human species whose individual members have no significance? If this is the case, how, from a moral point of view, do we justify saving individuals of one species alone? I would just add that I agree that we need to know a lot more about the science of whales, and the environment, and wildlife, but do scientists not have to establish a dialogue and a rapport with the public, and, few as they are, publically-driven environmentally friendly enterprises, to attract their funds? I remember an American philosopher-scientist saying, if you want to know how to assess bias, look very carefully at the vested interest of those engaged in the dialogue. I think the bias of those who want to protect wildlife is very clear; they want to protect wildlife. I'd like to hear more from scientists, many of whom work for governments, or others engaged in the exploitation of wildlife. P.S. The Canadian Minister of Fisheries, based on the FRCC report (3 scientists are represented: I understand, 1 psychologist and 2 oceanographers) is organizing a forum to discuss the marketting of seal products from (grey, harps and hoods) whose populations must be reduced. Date and location remain to be announced. I believe a number of MARMAM subscribers are scientists; I'd be interested in their assessment of the FRCC report and any other comments they'd care to make. I should also appreciate hearing from the great unwashed who have great sympathy for Willy, whom I would argue, would never have in the predicament he is in, had scientists spoken out. Anne Doncaster ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 15:51:30 MST From: "PAM J. STACEY" Subject: Agus Priyono; whereabouts I'm trying to get in touch with Agus Priyono, who was last at Bogor Agricultural University in Indonesia where he was studying Irrawaddy dolphins. Can anyone give me any information on his current whereabouts and how I can contact him? Thanks very much. Pam (stacp(\)augustana.ab.ca) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 10:55:03 -0500 From: Robert Kenney Subject: SCOPEX abstract 9 of 10 Edward G. Durbin, Sharon L. Gilman, Robert G. Campbell, and Ann G. Durbin. 1995. Abundance, biomass, vertical migration and estimated development rate of the copepod _Calanus finmarchicus_ in the southern Gulf of Maine during late spring. Continental Shelf Research 15(4/5): 571-591. Abstract - Abundance, biomass, diel vertical migration, and estimated _in situ_ development in the copepod _Calanus finmarchicus_ were investigated during late spring 1988 and 1989 in the southern Gulf of Maine. This region is an important feeding ground for the planktivorous right whale, _Eubalaena glacialis_. The 1988 study took place during the declining spring bloom, with phytoplankton biomass variable, but quite high. The 1989 study occurred after seasonal stratification, and phytoplankton biomass was low. During the 1988 cruise the dominant stage in _C. finmarchicus_ shifted from C1-C2 to C4-C5. Stage durations during 1988 (4.0 days for C3 and 6.6 days for C4), estimated from the temporal change in stage distribution, were similar to maximal values observed in the laboratory. In contrast, during 1989 stages C4 and C5 were dominant throughout the study period and development rate was slow (estimated C4 stage duration about 24 days). Diel vertical migration patterns changed, from an absence of vertical migration at the first two 1988 stations where younger stages predominated (C1-C3), to a very strong vertical migration at the later 1988 stations where stages C3-C5 predominated. This was not a simple ontogenetic change in migratory behavior since all copepodite stages at each station showed similar patterns. During 1989 dense aggregations of _C. finmarchicus_ remained in the surface layer both day and night, and no diel vertical migration was observed. A small, nonmigratory population of late-stage _C. finmarchicus_ was found at depth. Individual body size of these copepods was considerably greater than those found at the surface. Differences in development rate between years reflect differences in the food environment, brought about seasonal hydrographic changes and the development of more intense stratification. Diel vertical migration patterns, however, did not show a simple relation with food availability, and it is suggested that predation may play an important role in regulating the behavior of copepods. Box 45, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, U.S.A. edurbin(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 10:56:42 -0500 From: Robert Kenney Subject: SCOPEX abstract 10 of 10 Howard E. Winn, Jeffrey D. Goodyear, Robert D. Kenney, and Richard O. Petricig. 1995. Dive patterns of tagged right whales in the Great South Channel. Continental Shelf Research 15(4/5): 593-611. Abstract - Right whales were tagged in 1988 and 1989 with radio and sonic telemetry tags as part of a multidisciplinary investigation of right whales and their habitat in the Great South Channel region east of Cape Cod. The tags yielded data on the durations of 6456 dives and 6482 surfacings, as well as 23,538 measurements of the depth of a diving whale. Log-survivorship analysis of the 1988 data showed a clear separation between the durations of dives between blows within a single surfacing sequence or bout (intra-bout dives) and longer dives between surfacing sequences (inter-bout dives) at 27 s, which was also applied to the 1989 data. Inter-bout dives averaged 127.3 s, and were significantly longer in 1988 than in 1989. Inter-bout dives were significantly longer during the day than night in 1988, and longer at night in 1989. The average intra-bout dive duration was 11.8 s, with 1989 dives longer than those in 1988. Surface durations averaged 6.2 s, and were also significantly longer in 1989. Dive depths were recorded only in 1989. Mean dive depth was 7.3 m, and only 12 dives went deeper than 30 m. The typical right whale dive pattern in 1988 included relatively short surfacings, long dives during the day, and shorter dives at night. This correlated with strong diel vertical migration by the dense zooplankton patches on which they were presumed to be feeding based on indirect evidence - from near the surface at night to near the bottom during the day. The 1989 pattern included longer dives during the night, as well as some exceptionally long surfacings. Zooplankton in 1989 did not migrate vertically, and remained near the surface day and night in right whale feeding areas. Right whale dive patterns in the Great South Channel are closely correlated with the horizontal and vertical distributions and movements of dense patches of their zooplankton prey. Box 31, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, U.S.A. hwinn(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 21 Jan 1995 12:45:16 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: WHALING: REPLY TO BARSTOW THIS MESSAGE WAS POSTED A WHILE BACK TO MARMAM BUT WAS APPARENTLY(?) BOUNCED. I AM THEREFORE RESUBMITTING IT; MY APOLOGIES IF IT HAS ALREADY BEEN RECEIVED. The following is a reply to Alan Macnow's post with respect to Robbins Barstow's excellent statement recently posted on MARMAM. > 1. While I agree that "whales are a global resource and a global > responsibility" by virtue of the fact that they are highly > migratory, I do not agree that they are "a special case" and there- > fore exempt from utilization. Certainly, neither Japan nor any > other country has any inherent right to the whales, neither to > their exploitation nor to declaring them sacrosanct. However, many > countries consider them a renewable natural resource capable of > being sustainably utilized and their views should not be denied nor > suppressed by those who believe otherwise. Whether or not whales are "special", they differ from many other potentially exploitable marine resources in that many people, and many countries, have a special attitude towards them that goes beyond their mere exploitability. While Japan, or others, may disagree with this, or argue that it is not scientifically based, it is nonetheless there and as strongly-entrenched culturally as the attitude towards whales that we are often told prevails in Japan (regardless of which attitude is historically older). Thus, considering that they are not the property of any one country, ALL the attitudes towards them, be they exploitationist, protectionist or whatever, deserve to be aired and considered (rather than being "denied or suppressed", which is not happening anyway). As long as we believe that international cooperation and mutual respect among peoples is valuable, nations cannot merely act as they wish while riding roughshod over the wishes of others. Of course this argument cuts both ways; in effect it does not tip the scales in one direction or another but balances them. Thus, the argument "You must let us whale because that our attitudes towards whales (whatever their source) require or permit it" is no stronger than the argument "You must not whale because our attitudes towards whales (in which our share is as great as yours) require that they not be taken in this way". Thus the decision whether or not to permit whaling must be decided on the assumption that both positions are legitimate under international law and by resorting to the international legal mechanisms available to do so (in this case, the ICRW). > > 2. Mr. Barstow stated: "As pointed out by Japanese scientist Hideo > Obara, "Whales are not domestic animals. The oceans where whales > live are not the private property of Japan." > I believe that Obara is a journalist, not a scientist. The Japa- > nese do not believe that the whales are Japan's private property > and, in fact, the IWC does not permit the allocation of whale catch > quotas to any particular country. All countries with an interest > in catching them can do so, provided that the total catch does not > exceed the IWC's catch limits. I was under the impression that Mr. Obara did, indeed, have scientific credentials; perhaps someone could clarify this? As to the wording of the ICRW, I believe Mr. Macnow is referring to Article V, par. 2(c), which forbids the allocation of specific quotas "to any factory ship or land station or to any group of factory ships or land stations".- > > 3. ...... Only 39 of the world's almost 200 countries > belong to the IWC, and the 23 which voted for the Southern Ocean > Whale Sanctuary do not comprise either the majority of the coun- > tries nor the majority of world population. However, they certainly represent a greater proportion of it than the ONE country, Japan, that voted against it. There is nothing in the ICRW that requires member states either to be involved in whaling themselves or to attempt to be representative of the world as a whole. If other nations feel that their voices are not heard, let them join. Second, the IWC was > not established to determine the "values to be applied to this par- > ticular category of fauna." It was established and empowered to > manage whaling, not "values," under the provisions of the Interna- > tional Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). And third, > international conventions or treaties depend entirely upon the > voluntary adherence to its provisions of their signatory nations, > each of which is a sovereign state. Non-signatories are not bound > by it. And signatory nations are not bound by provisions estab- > lished by the IWC to which they object. Actually, the Preamble to the ICRW states that it recognizes "the interest of the nations of the world in safeguarding for future generations the great natural resources represented by whale stocks", and notes that "it isessential to protect all species of whales from further over-fishing". Thus the ICRW was set up to protect whales, and though in 1946 it was not expected that this would mean a moratorium on whaling or the establishment of sanctuaries there is nothing in the language of the ICRW making such things impossible. As to Mr. Macnow's third point, I agree but I do not see its relevance here. > 4. Mr. Barstow states: "Until recent years, it was taken for > granted that "optimum utilization" meant maximum sustainable har- > vesting. . . however, the idea has grown throughout the world that > whales are worth more to humankind alive than dead, and that their > "optimum utilization" should involve their non-lethal conservation, > management and study." I am afraid that Mr. Barstow has general- > ized and universalized the "idea" promoted by him and his like- > minded friends. Most of the countries that utilize whale products, > or who would like to utilize whale products and other renewable > natural resources would strongly dispute any idea of placing any > natural resource off-limits. But, as I pointed out, others, including some ICRW signatories, feel otherwise. In any case, the ICRW signatories have never taken any step that closes the door on whaling for all time. The moratorium is just that, a moratorium, and the sanctuary does not extend to the entire ocean. > 5. Mr. Barstow states: "There is nothing in either ICRW or UNCLOS > which precludes non-consumptive uses such as benign research, edu- > cation, and whalewatching as appropriate, desirable, and legitimate > bases for whale management." Mr. Macnow's reply (accidentally deleted here) was that the ICRW regulates whaling only. However, I would argue that though this is largely true the preambular language quoted earlier is broad enough to permit members to take into consideration the protection of whale stocks for other purposes. > > 6. Mr. Barstow states: "In today's world, the rational, science- > based, sustainable utilization of natural resources has come to be > accepted as a general rule." Quite right! Well, I would say that it has come to be accepted as a mantra. Whether or not it is actually happening on a case-by-case basis is another matter altogether; indeed, one can question for certain marine resources whether it is even possible in the light of our current knowledge. There are quite a few fisheries that have collapsed under so-called "rational, science-based sustainable utilization". In my experience at CITES and elsewhere the terms "rational", "scientific", and especially "sustainable" are trotted out as buzzwords to justify any type of wildlife utilization as though merely mentioning them was proof that they were, indeed, applicable - as though there were only two states possible, "sustainable use" and "protectionism", and that there was no such thing as poor wildlife management or overexploitation. > > 7. Mr. Barstow states: "Indeed, the non-consumptive utilization of > the international resource of whales may be considered their 'most > highly sustainable' and therefore rational use." There are popula- > tion dynamics scientists who can point out many stocks of wildlife > that were unable to sustain their populations although untouched by > predation. Yes, but so what? Are you suggesting that ADDING pressure to these populations will improve the situation? This is not one of those "use-it-or-lose-it" arguments trotted out, with varying degrees of justification, for species living on land that might be expropriated for other purposes if exploitation is not permitted - I cannot see how such arguments could apply to whales. What happens in natural populations has nothing to do with humans deciding what uses, if any, are appropriate for us to apply to them. >Non-consumptive utilization, > therefore, is hardly a "highly sustainable use." Consumptive > utilization under the principles of sustainable management is more > rational because it provides humans with food and products while > maintaining the populations for future generations. It is a way to > have one's cake and eat it, too. Non-consumptive utilization is certainly capable of being highly sustainable in that it can add little or no ADDITIONAL stress to wild populations. If a population is unable to sustain itself under natural conditions, it is probably not capable of being used in any way that stresses it further - unless Mr Macnow is arguing that whales are declining so let's grab 'em before they go. Once again, utilization under the "principles" of sustainable manaement guarantees nothing; only the actual PRACTICE of truly sustainable utilization, or, if this cannot be put into place, non-utilization for varying periods of time, can have a chance of doing so. > > 8. ....However, those "other nations" have no right > to violate the provisions of the International Convention for the > Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) which call for the IWC to take > measures "to provide for the conservation, development, and optimum > utilization of the whale resources; (b) shall be based on > scientific findings; ... and (d) shall take into consideration the > interests of the consumers of whale products and the whaling indus- > try." Nor do these "other nations" have a right to contravene the > purpose of the ICRW which, among other things, calls for providing > "for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible > the orderly development of the whaling industry." If these "other > nations" cannot fully adhere to the ICRW, they should resign from > the IWC. As pointed out above there have been no violations of ICRW. A moratorium or the establishment of sanctuaries can be perfectly justified in the legal sense as measures taken to permit recovery of stocks and for the conservation of whale resources. They are NOT ultra vires the wording of the treaty, though arguably a permanent global ban might be. As to Article V, clauses (b) and (d), quoted above, I submit the following: (b) requiring decisions to be "based on" scientific findings does not require parties to cede their sovereign decision-making powers to the Scientific Committee. This is equivalent to the situation in which a judge may hear expert evidence in a case but is not required to let the expert direct his or her verdict. The Parties, under the general principles of state sovereignty, are free to take other factors, including sociopolitical ones, into account. Further, as others have pointed out, Japan has ignored the Scientific Committee in the past and has certainly attempted to influence the decisions of other Parties with economic pressure. Well, what's sauce for the goose... (d) again, "taking into consideration" the interests of the whaling industry only means that these interests cannot be ignored, not that they must direct the result. If the treaty had said something like "act in accordance with the interests..." a different argument might have been possible - but even then one could argue that steps designed to preserve whale stocks in perpetuity ARE in the interest of consumers of whale products. After all, no whales=no products. Bear in mind that international law is an evolving thing, and that the ICRW was signed in 1946. In 1995 it must be interpreted in the light of our present standards, not those that existed in the 1940's; as with any treaty, it should be a living instrument for cooperation among nations, not a dead hand throttling necessary or even highly desirable actions by its Parties. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 21 Jan 1995 22:45:27 -1000 From: Stacy Braslau-Schneck Subject: rehab centers, "Wages of Captivity" Greetings, Marmamers, Regarding Rehab centers and the difficulty they have for funding of projects that do not include live, charismatic animals: Surely these centers are not funded by people interested in individual animals, are they? Are funds donated "earmarked" for particular projects? It *is* a pity that people will contribute to "save" an individual or an individual species if it's charismatic, but not so much if it's not or if they're funding pro-active research that can prevent strandings or find the cause. Perhaps an increase in public education that would show clearly the connection between the "background research" on dead animals and their environment and preventing more strandings would help increase funding. Or instead of a drive to sponsor an individual animal or species, have one to support an individual project (a "save the morbillivirus research project!") or even individual researchers ("support the necropsy researchers!"). Regarding the book (?) "Wages of Captivity": Did the book compare *average* surviving age of captive animals to the *maximum* surviving age of wild animals? And did it compare the best estimates of wild animals made in the 1960s with the ages of animals kept in the '60s? Remember that keeping animals alive in captivity is a relatively new science. At the last IMATA conference one of the speakers mentioned that the first walruses kept in captivity at the London Zoo were kept alive for almost a year on milk and hay! I also just read _Window in the Sea_, by Ralph Nading HIll (1956, Rinehart & Co., Inc, NY), about the founding and first days of Marine Studios, later Marineland of Florida. The two chapters on the dolphins there were eye-opening; the people who owned and ran the place knew almost nothing about "porpoises" (bottlenosed dolphins) and "blackfish" (pilot whales) and so much was learned from those first animals. (Fun book to read, by the way!). Just some thoughts to share, Stacy ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 21 Jan 1995 17:44:57 -0400 encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Undetermined origin c/o Postmaster Subject: Re: Rebutal by the antiMacnowist In-Reply-To: <01HM2QNWER36007LUL(\)BIONET.bio.dfo.ca> In regards to Bret Weinstein's clarification of his position, I am struck once again by his attitude which I find prevalent in the anti-whaling movement. The attitude is: if the message does not please you, attack the credibility of the messenger, bedevil him by suggesting that he has more means that the common person, and therefore the game is fixed in his favour. Mr Macnow is paid to represent the whalers, yes! Therefore, one should consider the message he conveys as that of the whalers, yes! So what is wrong with considering the arguments and opinions of whalers (their scientists and lobbyists)? The implication is that, if somebody makes a living of harvesting wildlife, he or she cannot be trusted, that they do not worry about the conservation of the resource that they depend on?! Granted that many whale populations have been depleted historically but are we to believe that only anti-whalers have learned from that, that only anti- whalers can be trusted to do whale science? Bret Weinstein says: "I base my opinion on what I believe are facts and sound scientific principles." I suppose that, for Mr. Weinstein, there are two kinds of people: the unscrupulous money-grubbing whalers (and their paid whaling scientists and lobbyists) incapable of considering "the facts" and ignoring "sound scientific principles", and the pure-as-driven-snow cool- headed objective anti-whalers who are solely motivated by a careful consideration of "the facts" under the revealing light of science. I recommend that Mr. Weintein read Donald Worster's "Nature's Economy: a history of ecological ideas" (2nd ed. 1994. Cambridge University Press). If anything is to be learned from that book, it is that ecologists are still struggling with many concepts which are considered gospel by the environmental movement. There is no consensus on what are "sound scientific principles" of ecology. Only the popular litterature makes such claims. Mr Worster in his conclusion (p. 420) makes the following observations: "Science, I have been suggesting in these pages, is not a single-minded, monolithic foce marching through time. It is not the pure, disinterested search for knowledge many of its supporters make it out to be, nor is it an undeviating advance along the "edge of objectivity, ... Science has had as many schisms, conflicts, dissensions, and personality contrasts as any human activity. A less protean enterprise could never have accomodated so many minds or described so many of nature's patterns. Precisely because of that internal diversity of outlook, science has contributed vastly to expanding our vision of the natural world and of our place within it. Science has been a house with many doors, some leading to one view of nature, some to another. But as the philosopher William James wrote of his summer cottage in New Hampshire, those doors have generally opened outward." We all suffer from partial blindness because our thinking is tainted by our culture, personal tastes, beliefs, and experience. Listening to people with a different point-of-view can only help to reduce the blind spots and clear our thoughts. In absence of clear principles of planetary behaviour (that ecology cannot yet provide!), the "planetary citizen" must strive to understand his "complaneteriotes" and work with them towards reasonable solutions that address both economic and conservation needs. Pierre Richard Fisheries & Oceans Winnipeg, Canada richard(\)wpgdfo.wpg.dfo.ca ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 21 Jan 1995 10:58:18 -0800 From: Jim Moore Subject: Re: Wages of captivity >in the wild the [bottlenose] dolphin could live 20 to 29 years At the Marine Mammal Genetics symposium in La Jolla (9/94), Randy Wells presented data on paternity determinations for bottlenose dolphins at Sarasota; his group found that males did not *start* to father offspring until their 20s (the >youngest< father was 24) and most infants were conceived by males in their 30s. As I recall, the oldest males were in their early 40s (all this by dental analysis + observations since ca 1970). >a killer whale would live ... as long as 29 to 58 years in the wild Olesiuk et al (1990)* estimate *mean* life expectancy for females of 50 years; 8 known females were believed > 60; 2 oldest vanished at estimated 76-77 years and there is a reason to think some reach 90 years. They concluded males have mean life expectancy of only 29 but life tables suggest about 50-60# (this sex difference is a common mammalian pattern, which is worth noting re the above dolphin data). *Rep. Int. Whal. Commn. Special Issue 12 # Because male ages could not be estimated once past physical maturity, they conservatively assumed that any fully mature male had just reached maturity in the year he was first sighted, and based their minimum age estimate on that (birthday = year of sighting minus mean age at maturity). These minimum age estimates apparently were the ones used in estimating mean life expectancy of 29.2 years; CLEARLY this is a significant underestimate of the real figure. As an anthropologist interested in how humans distinguish ourselves from nonhumans (the old "man the toolmaker" sort of thing) I am fascinated at the persistent highly conservative estimates of cetacean life expectency, such as in 20-29 for Tursiops, when (a) good data to the contrary are available, and (b) we wouldn't *expect* such short life expectancies on allometric grounds [eg orca: 72-81 years, sex unspecified, according to Olesiuk et al.]. Something more than pure data-driven science going on here... cheers Jim -------------- ---------------------------------- Jim Moore | HOW TO READ RESEARCH LITERATURE (2): Anthro, UCSD | PHRASE MEANING jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu | "It has been I have not bothered to (619) 534-5572 | shown that..." look up the original 534-5946 [fax] | reference, but ... ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 21 Jan 1995 13:36:55 -0500 Reply-To: "Mark B. Wise" From: "Mark B. Wise" Subject: Request for strandings info Greetings! I'm a M.S. student at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. I'm in my final semester stressing out over oral exams (perhaps I should be stressing about what happens after graduate school). Anyways- I'll be working on a project involving the spatial and temporal distribution of Tursiops and Kogia (possibly) for research credit. I was hoping that someone out there could provide me with some info involving similar analyses. I am particularly concerned with locating anything in the literature! Thank you in advance for your help. Mark Wise -- Two roads diverged in a yellow wood... One's own self conquer is better than all other people conquered; not even a god could change into defeat the victory of a man who has vanquished himself. from the Dhammapada Mark Wise-mbw(\)po.cwru.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 13:35:20 GMT+2 Reply-To: SGN0002(\)SCINET2.UP.AC.ZA From: Dr MN Bester Organization: University of Pretoria Subject: EMPLOYMENT/POST-DOC ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- MARINE MAMMAL/SEAL BIOLOGIST SEEKING EMPLOYMENT/POST-DOC I am writing to users of MARMAM in search of either a post-doc position or employment in the field of marine mammal population/behavioural ecology. I am currently employed (15 month contract - ending August 1995) by the South African Endangered Wildlife Trust to conduct a population survey of the African Wild Dog in the Kruger National Park and adjacent lowveld game reserves. The project aims at determining the current population size (this is the most endangered large carnivore in Africa), population structure (by age and sex), distribution and habitat preference, longevity and aspects of dispersal. I am also involved in a study of food provision by wild dog adults and yearlings to pups, with Dr Gus Mills of the National Parks Board. Prior to taking up this contract I was employed as a senior oceanographer at the Sea Fisheries Research Institute (SFRI). My work involved management related research on commercially important demersal fish species. This work included diet studies and vertical and geographical migration studies of Cape hakes, Merluccius spp. and I was instrumental in the development of management guidelines for the efficient utilisation of South Africa's elasmobranch resources. I was also responsible for hake biomass surveys conducted in the Benguela system off the South African West Coast. When I joined SFRI, it was with a view to becoming involved in their marine mammal programme. However, this was not possible as no opportunities arose due to the relatively low priority assigned to marine mammal research. Therefore, although my current position is less secure than the one I held at SFRI, I accepted the post as it would once again permit me to pursue my career in mammal biology. In the four year period before joining SFRI I was employed in the South African Antarctic Programme as a contract biologist (under the auspices of the University of Pretoria's Mammal Research Institute) to investigate factors responsible for the decline in the southern elephant seal population at Marion Island (Southern Indian Ocean) and the population ecology of antarctic and subantarctic fur seals at the island. The elephant seal work (the topic of my PhD thesis) involved both an in-depth longitudinal study of reproductive behaviour in these animals, aswell as the continuation of the population monitoring programme that began in the mid 1970's. Since 1983 all pups (q 600 per year) born on the island have been double tagged to facilitate individual identification and accrue data to permit demographic parameters of the population to be determined. A considerable part of my PhD thesis dealt with the analysis of these population data, and indicated that despite very high fecundity rates among females, survival to maturity was so low that they are unable to sustain the population. The influence of low male:female sex ratios on the breeding success of seals at this site was also investigated in detail over three breeding seasons. Maternal investment in the species was also considered; which factors influenced sex of offspring and how sex of offspring and investment in those offspring can influence future reproductive success. Much of the elephant seal and fur seal work was related to population dynamics; estimation of population size, survival and fecundity rates, pup mortality estimates and diet studies of fur seals (through scat analysis). I was also involved in the deployment of time depth recorders with geolocation facility (GLTDRs), on southern elephant seals for the collection of distribution-at-sea data. I immobilised adult female elephant seals for this work and therefore have both practical experience in animal immobilisation and the deployment of these devices as well as a good background to the theoretical aspects of this type of work. Since leaving the University in 1991 I have maintained my links with Dr Marthan Bester and am still involved with the mark-recapture programme, conducting analyses of tag loss rates and population growth rates of pinnipeds on the islands. I would like to pursue my career in marine mammal biology, and would appreciate it if any one could pass on details of vacancies or post-doc positions they may be aware of. I have attached a CV for your reference, and I can be contacted at the address and below. Many thanks Dr Ian S Wilkinson Department of Research Kruger National Park P.Bag X402 SKUKUZA 1350 Email: BIGGS(\)AQUA.CCWR.AC.ZA BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IAN STEWART WILKINSON Present position: Research Biologist - Endangered Wildlife Trust, c/o National Parks Board, Kruger National Park Academic interests: Population ecology, reproductive success and parental investment strategies of pinnipeds Address: Department of Research, Kruger National Park, Private Bag X402, Skukuza, 1350, South Africa. Biographical Date of Birth: 13 November 1960 Place of Birth: Bishop's Stortford, England Citizenship: British Marital Status: Married, no children Qualifications University Degrees: 1983: BSc (Hons) Zoology, Class IIi, University of London. 1984: BSc (Hons) Zoology, cum laude, University of Pretoria. 1992: PhD Zoology, University of Pretoria. Title of PhD thesis: Factors affecting reproductive success of southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, at Marion Island (degree awarded 3 April 1992) Previous appointments 1984 - 1986: Assistant medical researcher at the South African Medical Resear ch Council, Pretoria. 1986 - 1990: Research Biologist, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria. 1991 - 1994: Senior Oceanographer, Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Cape Tow n. Research Activities: 1984: Use of 22Sodium in ecophysiological studies of brown hyaenas and aardwolves. 1984 - 1986: Methods of tuberculosis control in southern Africa. 1986-present: Population ecology of elephant seals and fur seals, Arctocephalu s spp., at Marion Island. 1986-present: Factors affecting reproductive success of elephant seals at Mari on Island. 1986-present: Dispersal and dispersion of southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina from Marion Island. 1991-present: Geographical and vertical migration behaviour of demersal fish species. 1992-present: Feeding of Cape hakes (Merluccius spp.). 1994-present: Population Biology of African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus). Research Interests: (1) Factors affecting reproductive success of southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina. (2) Maternal strategies of fur seals, Arctocephalus spp. (3) Population ecology of pinnipeds. (4) Diving behaviour in elephant seals (Mirounga spp.) and fur seals (Arctocephalus spp.). (5) Post-weaning development in pinnipeds. (6) Parental investment strategies in pinnipeds. Positions of responsibility 1993 Co-convener: Demersal Working Group, Sea Fisheries Research Institut e. 1993 Convener: Shark Task Group, Sea Fisheries Research Institute. 1994 Convener: Demersal Working Group, Sea Fisheries Research Institute. 1994 Convener: Chondrichthyan Working Group, Sea Fisheries Research Insti tute. January 1992 Scientist-In-Charge: West Coast Hake Biomass Survey, Cruise 100, Sea Fisheries Research Institute. January 1993 Scientist-In-Charge: West Coast Hake Biomass Survey, Cruise 109, Sea Fisheries Research Institute. January 1994 Scientist-In-Charge: West Coast Hake Biomass Survey, Cruise 119, Sea Fisheries Research Institute. Membership of societies Zoological Society of Southern Africa. Southern African Wildlife Management Association. The Society for Marine Mammalogy. Journal referee Marine Mammal Science South African Journal of Marine Science South African Journal of Science South African Journal of Wildlife Research Conference participation 1988: Zoological Society of Southern Africa Symposium on 'Predator:Prey Relationships', University of Pretoria. Topic: Long range movement of southern elephant seals in relation to Marion Island. (Poster with M.N.Bester) 1990: Zoological Society of Southern Africa Symposium on 'Influence of water availability and water movement in animal ecology: terrestrial and aquatic systems', University of Port Elizabeth. Topic: Parental investment in the southern elephant seal. 1990: Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort Symposium on 'Wildlife management in southern Africa - A veterinary perspective'. University of Pretoria. Topic: Parental investment in the southern elephant seal. 1991: International conference on the biology of elephant seals, University of Santa Cruz, California, U.S.A. Topic: Population parameters of southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, at Marion Island (With M.N.Bester). 1991: Zoological Society of Southern Africa Symposium on 'Animals in their changing world', University of Stellenbosch. Topic: Population parameters of southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, at Marion Island. 1991: Silver Jubilee Symposium of the Mammal Research Institute on 'Functional mammalogy', University of Pretoria. Topic: A tale of two mediums: the elephant seal predicament. (With M.N. Bester). 1993: Sixth International Theriological Congress, University of New South Wale s, NSW, Australia. Topic: Reproductive success in southern elephant seals at Marion Island. (Poster with R.J. van Aarde). 1993: Eighth Southern African Marine Science Symposium on 'Marine science for a sustainable future', Club Mykonos, Langebaan, South Africa. Topic: Feeding of Merluccius capensis off the South African South Coast. (Poster). 1994: Sixth SCAR Biology Symposium on 'Antarctic Communities: Species, Structu re and Survival', Venice, Italy. Topic: Estimating survival rates in the declining southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina, population at Marion Island. (Poster with M.N. Bester). 1994: Sixth SCAR Biology Symposium on 'Antarctic Communities: Species, Structu re and Survival', Venice, Italy. Topic: Significant differences in weaning mass of southern elephant seals from five Sub-antarctic islands in relation to population declines. (Poster- multiple authors). Other spoken presentations 1984: Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria. Annual general meetin g. 26 - 28 November 1984. Topic: The use of 22Na turnover techniques in studies of the energetics of brown hyaenas and aardwolves. 1989: Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria. Annual general meetin g. 3 - 4 October 1989. Topic: Timing and duration of oestrus in the southern elephant seal: implications for reproductive success. 1990: Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria. Annual general meetin g. 3 - 4 December 1990. Topic: Population parameters of southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, at Marion Island. Participation in Subantarctic Research Expeditions: 1986/87: 43rd South African Expedition to Marion Island (9 months). Mammalogi st. 1987/88: 44th South African Expedition to Marion Island (9 months). Senior mammalogist. 1988/89: 45th South African Expedition to Marion Island (9 months). Senior mammalogist. Participation in meetings and workshops: 1991: SCAR/CCAMLR workshop on southern elephant seals. Monterey, California, U.S.A. May 22-23 1991. Rapporteur for section on population parameters and nutritional status of stocks. Publications, Reports and Manuals 1. Published articles in specialised journals WILKINSON, I.S. & SKINNER, J.D. 1988. Efficacy of 22Na turnover in ecophysiological studies of carnivores. S. Afr. J. Zool. 23: 32 - 36. WILKINSON, I.S. & BESTER, M.N. 1988. Is onshore human disturbance a factor in the decline of the southern elephant seal?. Sth. Afr. J. Antarct. Res. 18: 14 - 17. BESTER, M.N. & WILKINSON, I.S. 1989. Field identification of Antarctic and Subantarctic fur seal pups. S. Afr. J. Wildl. Res. 19: 140 - 144. WILKINSON, I.S. & BESTER, M.N. 1990a. Duration of post-weaning fast and local dispersion in the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina, at Marion Island. J. Zool., Lond. 222: 591 - 600. WILKINSON, I.S. & BESTER, M.N. 1990b. Continued population increase in fur seals, Arctocephalus tropicalis and A. gazella, at the Prince Edward Islands. S. Afr. J. Antarct. Res. 20: 58 - 63. BESTER, M.N. & WILKINSON, I.S. 1994. Population ecology of southern elephant seals at Marion Island. In Elephant Seals: Population ecology, behaviour and physiology, ed. B. J. Le Boeuf and R.M. Laws, 85 - 97, Berkeley: University of California Press. 2. Articles in 'In house' journals WILKINSON, I.S. 1985. The effect of publicity campaigns on clinic attendance. Tuberculosis Research Institute Bulletin, Vol 6 No. 2. SKINNER, J.D. & WILKINSON, I.S. 1984. A bibliography of the Hyaenidae. I.U.C.N. Hyaena Specialist Group Newsletter. No. 1 3. Scientific reports WILKINSON, I.S. 1987. Factors affecting reproductive success of southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, at Marion Island. Report to SASCAR, CSIR. 3 pp. WILKINSON, I.S. 1988a. Elephant seal research, progress report January - December 1987. Internal report MRI. 8 pp. WILKINSON, I.S. 1988b. Factors affecting reproductive success of southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, at Marion Island. Report to SASCAR, CSIR. 7 pp. WILKINSON, I.S. 1988c. Elephant seal research, progress report January - June 1988. Internal report MRI. 7 pp. WILKINSON, I.S. 1989a. Factors affecting reproductive success of southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, at Marion Island. Report to SASCAR, CSIR. 8 pp. WILKINSON, I.S. 1989b. Elephant seal research, progress report July - December 1988. Internal report MRI. 8 pp. WILKINSON, I.S. 1989c. Elephant seal research, progress report January - June 1989. Internal report MRI. 6 pp. WILKINSON, I.S. 1990a. Elephant seal research, progress report July - December 1989. Internal report MRI. 6 pp. WILKINSON, I.S. 1990b. Factors affecting reproductive success of southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, at Marion Island. Final Report to Department of Environment Affairs. 20 pp. WILKINSON, I.S. 1990c. Elephant seal research, progress report January - June 1990. Internal report MRI. 3 pp. WILKINSON, I.S. 1990d. Elephant seal research, progress report July - October 1990. Internal report MRI. 3 pp. WILKINSON, I.S. 1991. Elephant seal research, progress report November 1990 - June 1991. Internal report MRI. 2 pp. BESTER, M.N. & WILKINSON, I.S. 1987. Environmental impact on Marion Island Mammalian Fauna. Report to Environmental Impact Assessment Panel, Marion Island, February 1987. 5 pp. BESTER, M.N. & WILKINSON, I.S. 1989. M.R.I. activities on relief voyage 57, Marion Island 1989. Internal report MRI. 1 pp. BESTER, M.N. & WILKINSON, I.S. 1991. Progress report of South African pinniped research. In: Meeting of the SCAR Group of Specialists on Seals, So Paulo, Brazil, July 1990. BIOMASS Rep. Ser. in press. WILKINSON, I.S. 1994. Wild Dog research project, progress report May - June 1994. Internal report EWT. 3 pp. WILKINSON, I.S. 1994. Wild Dog research project, progress report July - August 1994. Internal report EWT. 3 pp. 4. Typescripted Field Manuals WILKINSON, I.S., PASCOE, C. & BESTER, M.N. 1987. Marion Island Beach Descriptions. Typescript, MRI, University of Pretoria, Pretoria. 24 pp. WILKINSON, I.S., SWART, J.J. & BESTER, M.N. 1989. Prince Edward Island Beach Descriptions. Typescript, MRI, University of Pretoria, Pretoria. 9 pp. BESTER, M.N. & WILKINSON, I.S. 1990. Seal monitoring manual, Marion Island. Typescript, MRI, University of Pretoria, Pretoria. 30 pp. Referees Dr M N Bester, Antarctic Research Officer, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa. Tel: (27-12) 4202067 E-mail: SGN0002(\)SCINET2.UP.AC.ZA Professor R J Van Aarde, Associate Professor, Department of Zoology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa. Tel: (27-12) 4202753 Dr A I L Payne, Deputy Director, Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Private Bag X2, Rogge Bay, 8012, South Africa. Tel: (27-21) 4023105. E-mail AILPAYNE(\)SFRI.SFRI.AC.ZA Professor C T Lewis, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biology, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, England. Dr J R Seager, Centre for Epidemiological Research, P.O.Box 70, Tygerberg, 7050. Tel (021) 9320311. Many thanks Dr Ian S Wilkinson Department of Research Kruger National Park P.Bag X402 SKUKUZA 1350 Email: BIGGS(\)AQUA.CCWR.AC.ZA +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Dr MN Bester E-Mail: SGN0002(\)SCINET2.UP.AC.ZA | | Department of Zoology & Entomology | University of Pretoria FAX: National: (012)-432185 | | PRETORIA International: (+27)-(12)-432185 | | 0002 | | South Africa PHONE: (+27)-(12)-4202067 | | TIME: GMT+2 | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 09:45:39 PST From: Michael Torok Subject: Re: Rehab monies In-Reply-To: <199501201806.KAA04713(\)netcom6.netcom.com> from "Dean Wilkinson" at Jan 20, 95 11:38:03 am ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > I am a little disappointed that someone who has worked at a > rehab center chooses to downgrade the scientific potential > of these facilities, but perhaps I have not been doing my > job well enough. The members of the Stranding Networks > often serve a dual role--both rehab and providing scientific > information. Over the last few years, rehab centers have > provided NMFS with significant information. Unless I am mistaken, Jeff's original criticism was regarding rehab centers specifically, not necessarily stranding networks. In my experience, the work of rehab centers and stranding networks hardly overlap. -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok | Wildlife Research Consultants Type "finger mtorok(\)netcom.com" | ..improving research through for PGP public key | custom engineering.. ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 09:58:07 PST From: Phocid(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Rehab monies ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I don't want to get into a long discussion about the importance of wildlife rehabilitation, but you did make a few statements that merit a reply. How have you arrived at your figure that ten times the money is spent on rehab rather than research? When I was doing rehab in Washington, I don't ever recall submitting our budget to you. In fact, the money we raised, including that money donated for "cute harbor seals", was spent rehabilitating all of Washingtons indiginous wildlife. Harbor seals made up less than 10% of our patients. You make it sound like if it were not for the rehab centers, that money would be donated for your necropsies. Maybe you should start an "adopt a dead seal" program. Perhaps, as head of the stranding network, if you did not force rehab centers to leave orphaned pups on the beach to die, "let nature run its course", then there might not be 300 expired seals in Washington. Thousands of people visit rehabilitation centers. These are people who are frequently unaware of the impact their lives are having on the environment. At these centers they see the effects of habitat loss, environmental toxins, irresponsible fishing practices and countless other wildlife tragedies. The educational benefits of wildlife rehabilitation are all to often overlooked. And finally Jeff, if rehab centers spent as much time and effort looking into the other side of seal existance, they wouldn't be rehab centers, would they? They would be research centers. Jeff Lederman ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 10:14:05 PST From: Phocid(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Rehab monies ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Dean Wilkinson, It was not my intention to downgrade the scientific potential of rehab centers. However, I noticed in your examples of contributions by rehab centers, that the Northwest region was not represented. Let me give you a feeling for what it was like doing rehabilitation in this region. For two years I was in charge of animal care at a center in this region. During this time I was in frequent contact with many other centers in this region and I am confident I am also reflecting their experience. The relationship between the stranding coordinator, NMFS, and the centers was very antagonistic. It was a constant struggle just to maintain the privilege of working with these animals. We were never made aware that our help in collecting samples would be appreciated. We were never advised of collection techniques or authorized laboratories. We were in no way made to feel that our help could be important. Instead, communications from the coordinator and NMFS took the form of threats and accusations. We were told we were releasing diseased pups back into a healthy population. We offered to test pups for the disease of their choice and the issue was dropped. We were told we were depleting the gene pool. We were accused of picking up healthy pups in an effort to raise more funds. We were constantly told to leave emaciated dehydrated pups on the beach to die. Centers and the public were consistantly told that it was COMMON practice for harbor seal mothers to leave a pup on the beach for 3 or 4 days and then return. ( I would love to see some references supporting this) Finally, we received a call from NMFS informing us that if we brought in one more pup for any reason, we would lose our permit to rehab marine mammals. The center I have been referring to did really fine work. The two years I was there we had a 60% survival rate for pups surviving the first 24 hours. The pups were raised in 12 and 18 foot pools and were never released under 55 pounds. We never brought in a pup that would have survived on its own and the idea of bringing in healthy animals to help raise funds is ludicrous. There is never a shortage of wildlife in need. In my opinion, the stranding coordinator and NMFS in the Northwest region has never been honest with us as to exactly why they want to stop seal rehab in their region. Why is this region so different than the rest of the country? Should not regulations set forth and enforced by a federal agency be consistant for the whole country? Jeff Lederman ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 10:29:24 PST From: Paul Slootweg Subject: Re: rehab centers and Willy In-Reply-To: <199501221628.QAA18187(\)granite.radstone.co.uk> from "Stacy Braslau-Schneck" at Jan 21, 95 10:45:27 pm ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Stace Braslau-Schneck writes : > Regarding Rehab centers and the difficulty they have for funding of > projects that do not include live, charismatic animals: Surely these > centers are not funded by people interested in individual animals, are Sometimes. > they? Are funds donated "earmarked" for particular projects? It *is* a Frequently. > pity that people will contribute to "save" an individual or an individual > species if it's charismatic, but not so much if it's not or if they're > funding pro-active research that can prevent strandings or find the cause. People need a focus - many projects use an individual to represent the case for the group. It relies on the organisers of the project to recognise the wider need! > Perhaps an increase in public education that would show clearly the > connection between the "background research" on dead animals and their > environment and preventing more strandings would help increase funding. Unfortunately this relies on the public *wanting* to be educated. > Or instead of a drive to sponsor an individual animal or species, have one > to support an individual project (a "save the morbillivirus research > project!") or even individual researchers ("support the necropsy > researchers!"). Whilst this may be attractive to the individual project/researcher, the overall benefit to the species might well be reduced. I understand the frustration that many must feel when they see how a project achieves its funding without the blood, sweat and tears that so many have to suffer to survive, but don't expect the public to get too excited about 'the morbillivirus' (unless they might contract it?). -- Regards, Paul Slootweg prs(\)radstone.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 10:30:27 PST From: Paul Slootweg Subject: Re: Rehab monies In-Reply-To: <199501202241.WAA16106(\)granite.radstone.co.uk> from "Kathryn A. Zagzebski" at Jan 20, 95 05:21:05 pm ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Kathryn A. Zagzebski wrote: > On Fri, 20 Jan 1995, Parrot Head wrote: > > > Is there a real need to spend so much money to go against the natural > > flow of mother nature to save the "sick and dying" animals. It sort of > > goes against the natural order of nature (if there is one?). We do it all the time (saving sick and dying individuals) - we even have laws to ensure that we do! And when we do, we don't consider it 'unnatural'. -- Regards, Paul Slootweg prs(\)radstone.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 11:06:25 PST From: Mark S Gilthorpe ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Apologies for cross-postings. This is a request seeking vocational work, at minimal cost to employer, to provide practical work experience for a young student with an interest in pursuing a career in marine biology/aquatic or related areas of research/work. The individual is currently 14 yrs old and requires work experience as part of their school vocational training scheme. Their interests are presently broad and they seek on location experience to establish and develop current knowledge of career prospects and areas of particular interest. They are willing to do any form of work around such an establishment, assisting in any tasks. They live in Birmingham, UK, and are willing to travel anywhere world-wide. However, there are no travel/accommodation grants provided by the school and they would therefore require assistance with such costs if they were offered an opportunity outside the UK. Availability is primarily between 3 July and 14 July, although this may be extended to include the Summer vacation, if possible. In particular, any opportunity is sought to work with animals or within a laboratory/research environment, or with national water authorities. Advice for alternative mail-lists would also be appreciated. Many thanks for your attention. Please reply to M.S.Gilthorpe(\)bham.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 14:45:05 -0500 From: DUNNL(\)aol.com Subject: re Wages of captivity > Calculations taken from the study showed that on average the expected lifespan of a >bottlenose dolphin in captivity could be as little as 14 years, while in the wild the dolphin >could live 20 to 29 years. A killer whale would live on average only 15 years in captivity >but as long as 29 to 58 years in the wild. I'm concerned about the accuracy of the statements attributed to the International Marine Mammal Association. (Who are they, and does anyone have an adress where one could obtain a copy of their study?) The excerpt published on MARMAM speaks of " averages or as little as when refering to captive held animals but then switches over to "as long as" when refering to the same species in the wild. Kind of reminds me of apples and oranges!! I trust this is just the HSUS slant and not the way the study was originally presented. JL DUNN VMD ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 23:38:23 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: Rebutal by the antiMacnowist >>Mr Macnow is paid to represent the whalers, yes! Therefore, one should >consider the message he conveys as that of the whalers, yes! So what is >wrong with considering the arguments and opinions of whalers (their >scientists and lobbyists)? The implication is that, if somebody makes a >living of harvesting wildlife, he or she cannot be trusted, that they do not >worry about the conservation of the resource that they depend on?! Granted >that many whale populations have been depleted historically but are we to >believe that only anti-whalers have learned from that, that only anti- >whalers can be trusted to do whale science? I believe the original point was that ANTI-whalers were being attacked by some correspondents to this list for having an "agenda", as though the Japanese (say) did not. Mr. Macnow, whatever his virtues, has never claimed to be a researcher or a scientist to my knowledge; questioning his statements (or even his bona fides) is in no way the same thing as suggesting that the results produced by pro-whaling cetologists are untrustworthy. Like any results, of course, either they or their interpretation are open to dispute, but I do not recall messages proposing that "only anti-whalers can be trusted to do whale science". > >I recommend that Mr. Weintein read Donald Worster's "Nature's Economy: a >history of ecological ideas" (2nd ed. 1994. Cambridge University Press). If >anything is to be learned from that book, it is that ecologists are still >struggling with many concepts which are considered gospel by the >environmental movement. There is no consensus on what are "sound >scientific principles" of ecology. Only the popular litterature makes such >claims. All the more reason to be skeptical of claims that we understand ecosystems well enough to "manage" them "sustainably". If environmentalists are precluded from protecting ecosystems because of this lack of consensus, where does that leave those who wish to exploit them? >We all suffer from partial blindness because our thinking is tainted by our >culture, personal tastes, beliefs, and experience. Listening to people with a >different point-of-view can only help to reduce the blind spots and clear our >thoughts. In absence of clear principles of planetary behaviour (that >ecology cannot yet provide!), the "planetary citizen" must strive to >understand his "complaneteriotes" and work with them towards reasonable >solutions that address both economic and conservation needs. > >Pierre Richard >Fisheries & Oceans >Winnipeg, Canada >richard(\)wpgdfo.wpg.dfo.ca > I sincerely hope that M. Richard will promote this point of view within his own department, which has been notoriously deaf to the views of environmental organizations (and, at times, its own scientists) in the past. It would be a refreshing change. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 21:23:12 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: re Wages of captivity >> Calculations taken from the study showed that on average the expected >lifespan of a >bottlenose dolphin in captivity could be as little as 14 >years, while in the wild the dolphin >could live 20 to 29 years. A killer >whale would live on average only 15 years in captivity >but as long as 29 to >58 years in the wild. > I'm concerned about the accuracy of the statements attributed to the >International Marine Mammal Association. (Who are they, and does anyone have >an adress where one could obtain a copy of their study?) The excerpt >published on MARMAM speaks of " averages or as little as when refering to >captive held animals but then switches over to "as long as" when refering to >the same species in the wild. Kind of reminds me of apples and oranges!! I >trust this is just the HSUS slant and not the way the study was originally >presented. I would just like to point out that the quotations referring to the International Marine Mammal Association's report and attributed to me are not mine. (lifespan of bottlenose dolphins and orcas). You might check authorship with HSUS. For copies of the report, you can contact: Dr. David Lavigne International Marine Mammal Association 3 Paisley Street, Box 515 Guelph, Ont. N1H 6K9 Canada Tel: (519) 767-2548 Fax: (519) 767-0289 Anne Doncaster > > > > > > > JL >DUNN VMD ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 17:31:22 PST From: "Sam H. Ridgway" Subject: Re: WAGES OF CAPTIVITY Does anyone know if the cited paper (by Thomas H. Woodley, Janice L. Hannah, and David Lavigne, Ph.D., of the University of Guelphin) in the HSI excerpt has been published in a peer- reviewed journal? I can't seem to find it. This is a difficult issue since the term captive is so very broad encompassing any animal in human care for most any reason, of any age, fed any diet, in any waters, any enclosure etc, etc. The species mentioned in the excerpt appear to be breeding well in human care -- in United States waters, none have been captured to replenish the stock during this decade of the 90s. Without replenishment, the captive animals will all be gone in a few years if the HSI excerpt is correct. I doubt that this will happen. In the 1960s there was an active live capture fishery for California Sea Lions, now so many have been bred at marine parks that contraception is required. I see the same trend with Tursiops and with Orcinus and Delphinapterus progressing along the same lines. Sam Ridgway WAGES OF CAPTIVITY by Michael O'Sullivan, executive director, HSI (Canada) (excerpted for brevity)... A Canadian team of researchers with the International Marine Mammal Association, Inc., which included , investigated the overall survival rates of captive and free-ranging bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, and beluga whales. The basis of this research was data on captive populations in the United States and Canada for the years 1960-1992, provided by U.S. and Canadian government agencies; information on free-ranging populations in the United States and Canada, supplied by U.S. and Canadian cetacean biologists; and computer models, prepared by the researchers themselves. The researchers found that, for the calves of all three species, annual survival rates were significantly lower in captivity than in the wild. For adult animals the annual survival rates of killer whales and dolphins were lower in captivity. Such was indicated to be the case for adult beluga whales as well. Calculations taken from the study showed that on average the expected lifespan of a bottlenose dolphin in captivity could be as little as 14 years, while in the wild the dolphin could live 20 to 29 years. A killer whale would live on average only 15 years in captivity but as long as 29 to 58 years in the wild. The Canadian team found that other species of cetaceans, such as the narwhal and short-finned pilot whale, have even lower annual survival rates in captivity than do dolphins, killer whales, and beluga whales. ________________________________ The study was done by the International Marine Mammal Association, Inc. (Canada). I suggest you contact them for a copy. ________________________ K. Summers ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 08:18:32 -0800 From: Jim Moore Subject: Re: Wages of captivity Regarding trends in life expectancy as a function of growing experience of oceanaria (and hence the applicability of the HSI figures), I think that's addressed by DeMaster & Drevenak (1988) Survivorship patterns in three species of captive cetaceans. Marine Mamm. Sci 4: 297 who found that things have gotten better, there IS an important 'experience effect'. They found that for a captive born Tursiops that makes it past calf status, life expectancy was an additional 33 years; for killer whales captive survival is lower than in the wild; beluga data are buried in there somewhere. *NOTE* that their bottom-line is that we don't know enough about longevity in captivity or wild to use it for comparing the two situations, and there are a bunch of detailed statistical issues that make for caution interpreting results of their survey. cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 13:03:10 -0800 From: Jim Moore Subject: Re: Wages of captivity -- Orcinus >Jim Moore suspects that mean life expectancy estimates for >wild Orca are conservative. I suspect that they may be very >optimistic for mean life expectancy at birth. (ridgway(\)nosc.mil (Sam H. Ridgway)) I agree with Sam! The key is "mean life expectancy *AT BIRTH*", and what one is trying to do with the figures. For most of human history (and in parts of the world today) I believe the mean life expectancy at birth was 25-30 years max; this was due to very high mortality rates for infants pulling the mean down. Once an individual made it TO 25-30, my [poorly informed] understanding is that the chances of going on to a 'modern' 70-80 years weren't bad. The significance of the figures in the captive cetacean context is that one repeatedly sees things in the press like "captive orca dies of old age at 32" [I could dig out some specific examples, but for now let's avoid names etc; I'm sure everyone's seen that approach taken]. This is a (willfull?) abuse of "mean life expectancy at birth", OR a sort of persistent confusion/blind spot that I find fascinating from a sort of anthropological viewpoint. Until recently only killer whales that had made it PAST the period of high infant mortality ended up in oceanaria, and so the "life expectancy at birth" estimates are pointless when evaluating impact of captive management on survivorship relative to the wild. Regarding males: Sam's points are well taken and there is a real major puzzle there--males tend not to live as long as females in mammals, so some difference is expected, but males 30 and females 60-80??? Any mammalogists out there know another species THAT survivorship-skewed? Possibilities: 1) HIGH sex-biased infant-juvenile male mortality, with male life expectancy at 20 approaching the females' --implication, older males are knocking off younger ones (?) 2) Deviation from 1:1 secondary sex ratio. Seems unlikely, but... 3) Only moderate juvenile sex biased mortality, and indeed a male is geriatric at 30 -- which demands explanation in light of females!! 4) Endocrinological suppression of male secondary sexual characteristics among subordinates/alternate morphs ("hummels" in the ungulate literature--male deer who don't grow antlers, AKA "sneaky fuckers"). This can be hard to demonstrate--there is a possibility, STILL unconfirmed, that orangutans have 2 male morphs, one that never gets past looking like a juvenile and mates .. well, another story. Nifty and fascinating puzzle, but note that the original context for the posting was evaluating the performance of oceanaria at maintaining animals--in which case possibility #3 is relevant and important, but ONLY for MALE orcas. >the population should be exploding. ... the numbers just don't add up. Again, I agree -- there's a puzzle here; it's the sort of puzzle that keeps the question alive. What I was commenting on in my initial post was that the OTHER numbers -- allometric predictions, field studies, life-table analysis -- point one way, and calculations such as Sam's point another, BUT there is this "conservative" tendency to choose the *lower* set of numbers. Odd, since I think the former set involve fewer assumptions. cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 07:03:08 -0800 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: FREE WILLY WHALE IS US BOUND That `kind of argument - spend your conservation dollars with me or my colleagues, not with Willy! - is equal to the old- fashioned prejudice ignorant people often spit in conservationists' faces - 'why spend money with animals with so many children dying woerldwide?'. Both are prejudiced and ridiculous. No one is entitled to try determine where other conservation groups or people want to spend their money. If you want more funds for basic research, go harass Newt Gingrich or whatever his name is in the new, no-research-budget Congress, not Earth Island Institute. Removing Willy from a ppigpen, or spending funds in rehab and release of cetaceans, have enormous intrinsec value that does surpass the welfare of that animal alone. It send a clear, powerful and media-covered message that wildlife has rights of its own and each animal deserves to be treated not only as a 'resource' or as 'research subject'. By identifying animal welfare or conservation groups as targets for this kind of complaint, I suspect you are doing a great service for the political scum that cuts public funding for research. Bravo! That's the sort of 'researcher' we may as well do without at least here in Brasil. Jose Truda Palazzo Jr., President International Wildlife Coalition, Brasil Coordinator, Right Whale Project (1982-present) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 15:03:39 +0800 From: olesiukp(\)pbs.dfo.ca Subject: Life expectancy and maximum longevity of killer whales I would like to offer a few comments of the life expectancy and longevity of killer whales in the wild based on our population studies (Olesiuk et al (1990) IWC Special Issue 12). Mean Life Expectancy (MLE) is simply the additional number of years an animal would be expected to survive, which of course varies with age. MLE can be easily calculated for any age, but inter-specific comparisons have generally been based on MLE at birth. This poses problems for species like killer whales where almost half of the neonates die in the first year of life. Using life tables, we es- timated MLE at age 0.5 (ie. for animals that has survived the first vulnerable six months of life) to be 50.1 years for females and 28.7 years for males. In the same paper (p.233) we noted that, due to the high incidence of neonate mortality, MLE at birth was only 28.9 years for females and 16.6 years for males. The life tables were based on age-specific mortality rates. For males, all animals 30.5+ were pooled as we could only ascertain their minimum ages. However, I would expect this would only result in a very minor bias in the MLE estimates, as mortality rates increase rapidly beyond age 20 years (Figure 19) such that animals aged greater than 30.5 years contribute very little to the cohort and thus have little influence on the MLE estimates. Everyone seems to understand what maximum longevity means - the longest an animal might be expected to live should there be no premature complications - but is a difficult statistic to derive mathematically. It doesn't seem reasonable to estimate it on the basis of the very oldest animal, as there are rare outliers and the maximum will of course depend on the size of the population or sample on which it is based. For example, is maximum longevity for humans really 135 years (I made this number up) because some Monk in Tibet might have attained this age? Our killer whale analysis was based on observations up to 1987, at which time the two oldest females in the population were estimated to have been aged 76.5 and 77.5 years. Both of these individuals were still alive when last seen in 1994. Based on life tables, we estimated that maximum longevity probably extended to 80-90 years (the age by which 99% of animals would have died), which still seems valid. We had no way of directly estimating the age of the oldest males in the popula- tion (those that were physically mature when first encountered in the early 1970s), and only knew that they were _at least_ in their late 30s when we did the analysis in 1987. Several of these males were still alive when last seen in 1994, and would thus have been _at least_ in their mid 40s. Extrapolation of mortality curves in life tables would suggest that maximum longevity for males extends to 50-60 years. One last comment: I would encourage those interested in comparing wild and captive survivorship to compare _mortality_ rates (the conventional practice is to compare _survival_ rates). As a simple example, DeMaster and Drevenak (1988) reported an annual survival rate of 0.96 for captive female killer whales whereas our estimate for mature females in the wild was 0.9886. At first glance, one might conclude that the values differ by only a few percent. How- ever, expressed in terms of mortality (4.0% in captivity vs 1.14% in the wild) one might come to a different conclusion. Peter Olesiuk OLESIUKP(\)PBS.PBS.DFO.CA ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 16:08:22 -0900 From: KIMBERLEE B BECKMEN Subject: Re: Rehab monies In response to Michael's statement " the work of rehab centers and stranding networks hardly overlap." and Jeff's previous comments: Rehab centers can not exist without at least cooperating with stranding networks, but are usually important members of stranding networks. For example, The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito California is the primary responder for all live strandings on the northern and central California coast. Any animal that expires while in the hands of TMMC is subject to a rigorous post mortem examination. Not only are samples collected for histopathology and toxicology done and supported by TMMC funds, but a multitude of tissues are collected for scientists and museums through the network. TMMC also contributes to the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank. Because of the ability to perform post mortem examinations so soon after death, and on animals with a clinical history, a huge amount of important information can be obtained by the veterinary pathologist that could never be diserned by a field biologist attempting to necropsy a decomposing carcass on the beach. Members and contributors of TMMC frequently respond to requests for funds specifically for scientific studies including pathology. TMMC is committed to increasing knowledge and understand of marine mammal health and disease, not just rehabing seals. I am no longer at TMMC but having spent two years in a full time position as veterinarian in charge of pathology there, I felt I can still voice my support. Kimberlee Beckmen, D.V.M., M.S. University of Alaska Institute of Arctic Biology ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 20:06:52 EST From: RMARCIN(\)VMREDIPN.IPN.MX Greetings, I am working on my Masters degree, examining acoustics in bottlenose dolphins in the harbor of La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico. I have a lot of questions about this topic, and am looking for some help. The first question is about using DAT recorders, rather than cassette recorders. I would appreciate hearing from anyone with experience using DAT machines for recording cetacean sounds, specificially regarding different brands and models, size (dimensions), costs, frequency range, whether all models have recording levels, places to purchase, cost of tapes, etc? I am interested both in the cost of different models in the US and in Mexico, if anyone has that information. Regarding analysis of sounds, I would also appreciate finding out about pros and cons of different systems, both hardware (IBM, Macintosh, Atari) and software. There is a possibility of an Atari system being available here in La Paz for sound analysis, but I am unsure whether this system can be used in the same way as other sound analysis systems. Lastly, I would like to know if there are any references on acoustics of cetaceans written in spanish (particularly bottlenose dolphins but anything would do), or if there are any individuals working on cetacean acoustics who plan on publishing in spanish, to try to coordinate translations for various acoustic terms in english (e.g., buzzes, clicks, burst pulse, etc). Thank you very much, Rocio Marcin Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR) Instituto Politecnico Nacional APDO. Postal 592 La Paz, B.C.S., C.P. 23000 Mexico e-mail: rmarcin(\)vmredipn.ipn.mx ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 09:50:57 AST From: Hal Whitehead/Lindy Weilgart Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: Re: Stranded sperm whales in Belgium and pollutants A little while ago there was discussion on MARMAM of some stranded sperm whales in Belgium. In the Friday 14 January issue of the Guardian (UK newspaper) there is an article "Dead whales fuel row over toxic waste" which includes: "Whales found dead on the Belgian coast, which contained such high levels of hazardous chemicals that they should have been burned as toxic waste, have fuelled a row between Britain and the Netherlands over industrial discharges into the North Sea.... "A report prepared by Professor Claud Joiris of Brussels University, head of a team of scientists who analysed samples from the dead whales, is being flourished as proof of the need for action. "Professor Joiris told the Guardian that the concentrations of toxic materials was surprisingly high. "He said: 'Metals and chemicals we normally measure in microgrammes were there in large amounts. Put together they would have weighed a kilo. Really, the whales should have been burned as toxic waste to destroy the PCBs that they contained. In fact, before we got our results the authorities had already rendered them down into oil and they had been turned into cattle feed. This is not a very good idea.' "The professor said levels of cadmium, mercury, DDT and PCB's was high but not unknown in the scientific literature. Some scientists believe that sea mammals could stand such levels and others had doubts." The article goes on to debate the "Britain is the dirty man of Europe" concept. I care a great deal about sperm whales and am trying to review their biology, but I know little about analysis of toxicity. I had believed that sperm whales were usually fairly free of pollutants, because of their deepwater habits. The article implicitly assumes that the sperm whales picked up the pollutants in the North Sea, but the North Sea is mostly 50-150m deep, not typical sperm whale habitat (although sperm whales are very occasionally seen in these depths off Nova Scotia). This, then, seems to imply that the pollutants are well imbedded into the deep water ecosystem off the European continental shelf. So some questions: 1) Are there records of sperm whales in the North Sea or other shallow areas off the northern European coasts? 2) If not, can we assume that European pollutants have reached into the deep water ecosystem? 3) Is there any other evidence of such concentration of pollutants outside the continental shelves? 4) Are there any other records of very high levels of pollutants in sperm whales, or any other animal which feeds in the deep ocean? Thanks for any help on this, Hal Whitehead, Biology Dept Dalhousie University Halifax Nova Scotia Canada ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 11:05:34 +0100 From: s141(\)brems.ii.uib.no Subject: Whaling/Anti-whaling discussion I've watched(read) and at times paricipated in the whailng discussions on this mailinglist and in other places on Internet, and there is one recurring problem which surfaces every time the isssue is brought up. Both sides of the debate dismiss each others argument on the basis of their affeliations and agenda. The "whalers" dismiss the "environmentalists" arguments on the grounds that they are "environmentalists" and vice versa. If the discussion is going to be friutful and we are to reach some kind of concesus both sides have to debate the issue on a factual basis, and not on whether Mr.X is affeliated with the whaling community or Ms. Y is an environmentalists. So, please stop harassing each other for your affeliations, and start debating the issue on a purely factual basis. Sincerely Erik J. S. Olsen s141(\)brems.ii.uib.no ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 10:13:50 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: FAX number for NOAA, Maryland? Greetings, I'm trying to get a FAX number for the NOAA Assistant General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation, in Silver Spring, Maryland. If anyone knows it and could let me know, it would be greatly appreciated! (Also an e-mail address, if they have it) Thanks a lot, Robin ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 13:11:00 EST From: Smolen Michael Subject: Re: Stranded sperm whales in Be MHS: Source date is: 25-Jan-95 12:49:20 EDT I am responding to the request for more information concerning contaminant loading in sperm whales that originated from Hal Whitehead. A number of questions are presented and I respond to two. Please by all means assume that synthetic chemicals occur in the deeper waters off of the continental landmass adjoining industrial countries. I don't know if the loading is a result of magnification from the sediment into the fauna or if it reflects the lateral transport in the fauna itself from the more coastal waters. Two papers that address patterns of distribution in the oceans are: 1) Tanabe, S. and R. Tatsukawa. 1986. Distribution, behavior, and load of PCBs in the oceans, in: PCBs in the environment. Vol. II (J.S. Waid, ed.). CRC Press, Boca Raton, 228pp. 2) Falandysz, J., K. Kannan, S. Tanabe, and R. Tatsukawa. 1994. Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in col-liver oils: North Atlantic, Norwegian Sea, North Sea and Baltic Sea. Ambio, 23(4-5):288-293. I am sure that there are others which are probably better citations. These are handy from my work space. I would be interested in leaning if there are others. Lastly, I attach a table of the reported contaminant loads that have appeared in the literature as they relate to sperm whales. These values are based on blubber samples and are either wet weights or have been corrected for lipid concentrations. The values are high, and are only surpassed by the dolphins and porpoises (pilot whales too). I sure hope that the sperm whales that are appearing along the European coast are being assayed for concentrations of chemical contaminants. There is so little known. I wonder what effect these concentrations of contaminants would have on the levels in the cows that are now eating higher on the foodchain? Or the humans? ______________________________________________________________ Sperm whales - Concentrations in PPM dDDT DDT DDE DDD 8.30 2.10 5.35 0.85 Taruski 1975 8.90 3.70 4.60 0.60 Aguillar 1983 4.20 1.27 2.28 0.36 Wolman/Wilson '70 5.80 1.66 3.62 0.52 Henry/Best, 1983 0.45 0.23 0.22 nd Duinker el/al '89 (\)45 (\)7.0 (\)35.0 (\)3.0 Aguillar male 5.10 1.63 2.94 0.53 female 7.73 3.23 3.97 0.53 Borrell 10.23 7.80 4.16 1.10 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Concentrations of total DDTs and total PCBs reported as ppb (wet weight basis) in blubber from selected cetacean species. Symbols indicate wet (w) or lipid (l) weight basis, ampersand ((\)) identifies approximate concentrations of only 17 congeners, presences not detected (nd). -PPB- dDDTs dPCBs n locality sperm 8,300 w 2,350 w 2 Caribbean Taruski et al., 1975 8,900 w 2,100 w 1 east. U.S. Taruski et al., 1975 4,200 l 8,320 l 14 Spain Aguilar, 1983 5,800 w - 6 west. U.S Wolman & Wilson, 1970 450 w nd 12 S. Africa Henry & Best, 1983 (\) 45,000 l (\) 12,000 l 1 Netherlands Duinker et al., 1989 -PPB- sperm 7 - 34,980 oil nd - 1,000 3 Antarctic Addison et al., 1972 7,660 oil 1,000 1 N. Atlantic Addison et al., 1972 ____________________________________________ These tables are clipped out of some other tables. Be very careful of the units (ppm or ppb). Mike Smolen World Wildlife Fund smolen+r%WWFUS(\)mcimail.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 10:34:21 -0800 From: Daniel Costa Subject: Marine Mammal Text I teach a Marine Mammal Biology course here at UCSC and have used a combination of textbooks and a reader for this course. Although the texts I currently use are adequate they still miss the mark in many respects. I typically use two texts, one on cetaceans and one on pinnipeds. I was curious to know if anyone has had experience or suggestions regarding a textbook for a University level marine mammal textbook that is still in print? Daniel Costa ============================================================================ Daniel P. Costa Ph.D. Professor of Biology Earth & Marine Science Bldg University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (408) 459-2786 Voice (408 459-4882 FAX ============================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 17:12:58 PST Reply-To: DDVFFVS(\)UVVM.UVic.CA From: Peter Corkeron Subject: Re: FREE WILLY WHALE IS US BOUND In-Reply-To: <199501250033.LAA16060(\)extra.ucc.su.OZ.AU> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- On the ongoing commentary re Willy - Personally, I'm glad that Richard Connor is the sort of researcher who comes out to work in Australia. And I support the sentiments of his initial posting on Willy, too. Bravo Richard indeed Peter Corkeron pcorkero(\)extro.ucc.su.oz.au ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 17:17:03 PST From: Paul Slootweg Subject: Re: Whaling/Anti-whaling discussion In-Reply-To: <199501251614.QAA11971(\)granite.radstone.co.uk> from "s141(\)brems.ii.uib.no" at Jan 25, 95 11:05:34 am ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Erik Olsen writes: > So, please stop harassing each other for your affeliations, and start debating > the issue on a purely factual basis. > > Sincerely > Erik J. S. Olsen > s141(\)brems.ii.uib.no > Would you debate facts with someone you believed to be distorting those facts? If only there were more *facts* and fewer interpretations of research data then we could debate the facts. As it is, each person's interpretation is very much decided by their point of view. (Which in turn is assumed to be determined by their affilliation etc...) As an example of this 'paranoia'... So far (IMHO) when someone has wanted to limit the debate to the 'facts' they have turned out to be pro whaling. See where this is leading? -- Regards, Paul Slootweg prs(\)radstone.co.uk Radstone Technology PLC Voice: +44 1327 359444 Water Lane, Towcester Fax: +44 1327 358113 Northants, NN12 6JN, UK ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 17:18:20 PST From: Nick Voth Subject: Re: Whaling/Anti-whaling discussion ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hello, I agree with Mr. Olsen's general statement that no meaningful resolution will ever come from flaming each other's organizations or affiliations. However, the issue of whaling is not one that can be entirely debated on the issues of science either. The Pro whaling forces view their practice as a archtypal privelage and one that outside forces should have no control over. The Anti whaling forces, (myself included), view the issue of whaling in a very different light than other issues of conservation. We believe that there is a moral stance that must be taken to protect whales. Certainly one can argue that we don't take that approach with the slaughter of chickens. Well, that is true, but it's pretty hard to argue that whales are just another chicken. The bottom line for many of the anti-whaling supporters is that they believe that there is much more at stake than just science, sustainable harvest and population dynamics. We believe that whales are worthy of total protection simply based on their own merits. We don't need to drive yet another species to the brink and then say, "oops, maybe we should have protected them." We have a unique opportunity with whales. World opinion is in favor of the global protection of whales. So lets take the opportunity and take advantage of the situation and stop all the endless debate and actually do something. Granted, there have been some recent moves towards total protection. More has to happen. Sincerely, -Nick Voth ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 17:20:24 PST From: aberta(\)nsf.gov Subject: Re: Marine Mammal Text ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dan: I'm currently writing such a text with Jim Sumich tentatively titled Evolution and Ecology of Marine Mammals. It is designed as text/reference. Our publisher is Academic Press and we expect to complete the book by the end of the summer--which probably means it won't be on the shelves until late in 1996. John Reynolds is editing a Marine Mammal text. It's a two volume book , vol 1 biology and vol. 2 conservation. It is nearly completed. Annalisa Berta ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 17:21:24 PST From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Whaling/Anti-whaling discussion ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >I've watched(read) and at times paricipated in the whailng discussions on this > mailinglist and in other places on Internet, and there is one recurring >problem > which surfaces every time the isssue is brought up. > >Both sides of the debate dismiss each others argument on the basis of their > affeliations and agenda. The "whalers" dismiss the "environmentalists" > arguments on the grounds that they are "environmentalists" and vice versa. > >If the discussion is going to be friutful and we are to reach some kind of > concesus both sides have to debate the issue on a factual basis, and not on > whether Mr.X is affeliated with the whaling community or Ms. Y is an > environmentalists. > >So, please stop harassing each other for your affeliations, and start debating > the issue on a purely factual basis. > >Sincerely >Erik J. S. Olsen >s141(\)brems.ii.uib.no It seems to me that no-one can provide a "factual" basis for discussing whaling. Assuming the reference to "facts" here is synonomous with "science" there seems to be a question of whether science can ever allow a discussion on a "purely factual basis". If it does, presumeably one discussion is over. However, another discussion remains;that is, whether whaling is morally acceptable. I suspect that even those who look to science for answers also have a moral position and if so, these differences can not be resolved by "fact", although they do lend themselves to sophisticated rational argument. As the only facts we have to go on are that neither science nor philosophy are exact sciences, where do we look for a factual basis that could lead to consensus? ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 15:55:37 PST From: "Gerry Rising (by way of fertld(\)tamug2.tamu.edu Dagmar Fertl)" Subject: Gary Larson Favorite Cartoon ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am writing a column thanking Gary Larson for his contributions to natural history through his cartoon panels entitled "The Far Side." As many of you know, Larson has retired from this work. My column, "Nature Watch," appears in The Buffalo News. As the main part of my tribute, I hope to include descriptions of their favorite Larson cartoons by people who work in the various fields of natural science. PLEASE ASSIST ME BY SENDING ME A SENTENCE OR TWO THAT DESCRIBES YOUR FAVORITE. So that this will not take up too much space on the Internet, I urge you to send your responses directly to me (addresses below). I promise to post a copy of the column and to add those submissions for which there was simply not enough space to print. (I am limited to 600 words.) I will also forward the results to Larson. Just to start things off: my own favorite has thousands of lemmings racing across the panel; among them you notice one wearing a life jacket. Thanks in advance for your help. Gerry Rising phone: 716-689-8301 295 Robinhill Drive messages: 716-645-3175 Williamsville, NY 14221-1639 fax: 716-645-3161 ---- e-mail: insrisg(\)UBVMS.bitnet or insrisg(\)UBVMS.cc.buffalo.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 13:12:33 CST From: "Christine N. Cibula" Subject: Re: WAGES OF CAPTIVITY The biggest question that comes to mind about the cited paper, at least in my mind, is that the data was collected from 1960 clear through 1992. I would like to know if the data is positively skewed for captive deaths since that time. I would also like to get my hands on the research data to analyze the data by decades in terms of losses due to the wages of captivity. I'm sure that we had a high number of losses in the initial stages of captive marine mammals due to trial and error, as sad as it is to admit. Not all marine mammals in captivity have been subjected to a set standard of captive requirements and regulations, and as a result, many were unfairly treated and subjected to less than humane standards. However, many marine mammals in captivity have been given exceptional treatment, have fared rather well, and have reproduced in captivity. In all other mammalian groups, reproduction in captivity is considered to be a green light to the organization that the animals have adjusted rather well and are in a sound and suitable environment which meets their basic needs. Therefore, I think that it is important to analyze research with a critical eye, looking for the representativeness of the data as a generalization to the population of captive marine mammals with our current level of knowledge and levels of reproduction. To put this in a different perspective, what if we analyzed the success rates of human heart transplants from the day they started until today? I think the failure rate would show that the data is positively skewed. However, the chances for a heart transplant patient in 1995 to live a full and complete life following the procedure is much higher than in the initial years of study. So would it be representative of success rates of heart transplants and longevity to lump all of the data from 1967 until 1995 into one study? Therefore, I challenge all MARMAM readers not to accept blanket generalizations as some form of ultimate truth. Instead, I challenge us all to work together to find what isn't working, fix it, and move forward with the continuous analysis of what we are doing and how to improve upon it. Sincerely yours, C.C. In Message Fri, 20 Jan 1995 09:18:31 PST, r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com writes: >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Reposted from USENET group alt.animals.dolphins. >-------------------------------------------------------------------- >From: KSUMMER(\)american.edu >Newsgroups: alt.animals.dolphins >Subject: CAPTIVITY HARMFUL TO DOLPHINS: A STUDY >Date: Wed, 18 Jan 95 09:08:39 EST >Organization: The American University > >>From the Winter 1995 HSUS News: > >WAGES OF CAPTIVITY > >by Michael O'Sullivan, executive director, HSI (Canada) >(excerpted for brevity)... > >A Canadian team of researchers with the International Marine Mammal >Association, Inc., which included Thomas H. Woodley, Janice L. Hannah, >and David Lavigne, Ph.D., of the University of Guelph, investigated >the overall survival rates of captive and free-ranging bottlenose >dolphins, killer whales, and beluga whales. The basis of this research >was data on captive populations in the United States and Canada for >the years 1960-1992, provided by U.S. and Canadian government agencies; >information on free-ranging populations in the United States and Canada, >supplied by U.S. and Canadian cetacean biologists; and computer models, >prepared by the researchers themselves. > >The researchers found that, for the calves of all three species, annual >survival rates were significantly lower in captivity than in the wild. >For adult animals the annual survival rates of killer whales and >dolphins were lower in captivity. Such was indicated to be the case >for adult beluga whales as well. Calculations taken from the study >showed that on average the expected lifespan of a bottlenose dolphin >in captivity could be as little as 14 years, while in the wild the >dolphin could live 20 to 29 years. A killer whale would live on >average only 15 years in captivity but as long as 29 to 58 years in >the wild. The Canadian team found that other species of cetaceans, >such as the narwhal and short-finned pilot whale, have even lower >annual survival rates in captivity than do dolphins, killer whales, >and beluga whales. >________________________________ >The study was done by the International Marine Mammal Association, Inc. >(Canada). I suggest you contact them for a copy. >________________________ >K. Summers ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 08:43:04 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on marine mammal and fisheries public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Florida Manatees. {On Jan. 26, 1995, Florida authorities released results of a winter aerial survey of manatees -- 1,443 individuals were counted. This compares with 1,856 manatees counted in the last survey in January 1992.} [Orlando Sentinel, Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 17:45:10 -0800 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: Allan MacNow - whaler's camp using MARMAM? I strongly disagree with Pierre Richard from FIsheries & Etc./ Winnipeg who dubbed MARMAM as a swarm of anti-whaling people. Though I do think that a poll 'round the list woul;d show a strong majority against it, pro-whalers such as good old Alan have free access too. No wonder such a comment comes from Canada, which government withdrew from the Whaling Comission only to have its ' governmental observers'going around the Comission meetings with the Japanese whalers and their preferred so-called Eskimos to promote 'aboriginal' whaling. Alas, to my knowledge, Canada is a PIRATE WHALING Nation due to its illegal catch of bowhead that happened recently and may continue to happen. I feel entitled to make such comments being a Brazilian because around here Canada, with its poor wildlife & marine resources management policies, is dubbed "Brazil of the North". Too bad it has a lot of money to invest in mismanagement... ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 15:25:01 -0800 From: Frederick Sharpe Subject: Re: just another chicken In-Reply-To: <199501260128.RAA22070(\)whistler.sfu.ca> from "Nick Voth" at Jan 25, 95 05:18:20 pm In response to Nick VothUs statement Rit is pretty hard to argue that whales are just another chickenS. I agree it may not be particularly relavant to compare cetaceans to the fowl-like birds such as grouse, chickens, and their allies. None-the-less, one could develop a convincing argument that whales are in fact Rjust another bovineS. There is much anatomical, physiological, and behavioral evidence that links baleen whales to the ungulates. For example, both groups typically live in open habitats, attain large body sizes, bare precocial young, undergo extensive food-based migrations, feed on patchily distributed but locally abundant food resources, and engage in communal defence of young (Jarman 1974, Leuthold 1977, Gaskin 1982, Dolphin 1987). Similar to whales, feral cattle establish stable social groups based on long-term social links among members (Lazo 1994). There is also much fossil and genetic evidence indicating that mysticete whales and ungulate are closely related. Perhaps most importantly, there is compelling evidence to suggest that both cows and whales experience many of the same basic emotions including fear, anger, and fright. These basic emotions are powered by a phylogenetically ancient portion of the brain which developed early in vertebrate evolution, and are thus common to whales, ungulates, humans, and chickens (see Panksepp 1992). My point is this, the ability to suffer is trait that is probably well developed in all of the vertebrates. I suspect that a cow feels pretty much the same about being bludgeoned between the eyes as a minke whale feels being a recipient of an exploding tipped harpoon. Fred Sharpe P.S. I am ignorant about the current harvest methods of minke whales; perhaps Allan Macnow would like to shed some ligtht on this. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 18:28:47 -0500 From: Steve Swartz Subject: Book wanted I am trying to replace a book on marine mammals that "walked away" when I wasn't looking. Specifically, Ridgeway, S.H. (ed) 1972. Mammals of the Sea: Biology and Medicine. C.C. Thomas. H.C. Does anyone have a copy in their library that they would be willing to part with? Thanks. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 09:03:53 -0800 From: Amy Martin Subject: Whales Activity Search I'm a graduate student in Science Education at the Univeristy of Washington College of Education and am creating a list of THE BEST resources for the study of Whales and Marine Mammals for use by K-12 teachers. For this project I am doing two things. 1 - creating an age appropriate, multidisciplinary, list of resources teachers can include in a unit on Whales or Marine Mammals. 2 - compiling the BEST HANDS-ON WHALES (and marine mammal) ACTIVITIES to include in a multidisciplinary whales curriculum packet that will accompany a kit of Whale and marine mammal bone specimens. If you know of any TOP NOTCH activites/resources that fit into the categories listed below I would appreciate hearing from you. If you have DEVELOPED A UNIT or ACTIVITY I would like to talk with you about it being included in the curriculum packet. SUBJECT Whales (any and all species) and Marine Mammals (any and all species but especially, sea otters, seals, porpoises, and dolphins) The resource list and activities packet will be divided into the following topics - The Ocean Environment (habitat) Feeding Stategies (adaptation, food sources) Interrelationships Form and Structure (anatomy/adaptations) AGE GROUPS - K-12 TYPES of resources sought: Monographs (books/excerpts) Periodical Articles CLASS ROOM OR OUTDOOR HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES CD ROM WEB sites databases list serves (to post this to - or for kids to gather info) newsgroups (") games videos audio tapes Please forward compete citations, age group focus, and a very brief explanation of why the resource or activity is THE BEST in your opinion to me at asmartin(\)u.washington.edu THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!!! ps - If you'd like information about how to get a hold of this once completed - contact me for more information. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- To UNSUBSCRIBE from the SNAP mailing list, send a message containing the word "unsubscribe" to the email address: "snap-request(\)stolaf.edu" An archive of past postings to the SNAP mailing list is available on the St. Olaf Gopher Server under: Internet Resources/St. Olaf Sponsored Mailing Lists/SNAP ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 00:12:07 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Whaling/Anti-whaling discussion Re looking at evidence instead of affiliations, Eric Olsen seems a bit naive. The history of science is replete with instances of misrepresentation for pecuniary or political ends. Likewise the history of journalism, which is why the first question most of us journalists ask is, "Who's paying you?" When man bites dog, that may be news, but when any human voluntarily produces evidence that isn't in his/her own best interest, that's bigtime news indeed. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 19:22:19 MST From: Paul K Anderson Subject: ATOC- AN UPDATE AN UPDATAE ON THE ACOUSTIC THERMOMETRY OF OCEAN CLIMATE (ATOC) PROJECT This is posted in the belief that MARMAM readers shoul be kept informed on the progress of ATOC and the associated Marine Mammal Research Project (MMRP). The following represents the best I've been able to assemble by way of a chronology and summary of the present state of affairs. For those with the technology in hand ATOC has a monthly activity report on Mosaic at . Copies of Draft Environmental Impact Statements (DEIS) can be obtained by contacting Cindy Rogers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (e-mail address: Cindy_Rogers(\)igppqm.ucsd.edu). Deadline for comments on the DEIS for California is 31 Jan. Deadline for comments on the DEIS for Hawaii is 20 February. A CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS 25 October 1993 - Application for research permit for ATOC-MMRP Kauai submitted to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). ATOC test broadcasts off Kauai scheduled for February 1994. 8 December 1993 - Application for research permit for ATOC-MMRP of Pt. Sur, California, submitted to NMFS. ATOC test broadcasts scheduled for April 1994. January-February 1994 - Discussion on MARMAM attracts media attention and public controversy erupts. Concern expressed that broadcasts would start with little or no baseline data on which assessment of impact could be based. Public interest, and intervention of environmental organaizations forced NMFS to schedule public hearings. 22 March through 16 May 1994 Public hearings held in Maryland Hawaii, California. NMFS receives >5000 communications. 29 April 1994 - Funding agency (Advanced Research Projects Agency) announced intention to submit Environmental Impact Statements (EIS). 13 May 1994 - Sylvia Earle hosts meeting of concerned parties and reports indicate that: 1. ATOC broadcasts will be delayed to allow MMRP to establish baselines of marine mammal behavior at sites before broadcasts begin. 2. ATOC operational cycle would be scaled back from an 8% duty cycle to a 2% cycle (one day of transmission every 4 days). 3. Conditional on an agreement that ATOC would be allowed to proceed with installation of sound sources, MMRP biologists would have control of the sources to conduct low-level tests (185 dB re 1 micropascal, water standard) and evaluate marine mammal responses before ATOC began operations. At some point after this NMFS decided to reject the initial permit applications and require new applications after EIS had been submitted and reviewed. It now appeared that ATOC was unlikely to proceed without approval of NMFS permits. It remains unclear, however that some way cannot be found to evade the requirement. 19 July 1994 - Sylvia Earle hosted a second meeting. The repor was that "refinements to project protocols" were agreed upon. Scripps announced that "Acoustic Engineering Tests (apparently tests of the sound sources) were planned off Baja California in the fall. 19 October 1994 - Walter Munk (heading the ATOC project) wrote a letter to Lindy Weilgart that read in part, "With regard to climate, my views of what we should focus on have been modified over the last two years. A stand-alone detection and mapping of the greenhouse-induced chages over and above the ambient changes will take a long time, a few decades if Manabe's predictions are correct. I now think our emphasis should be to test, and help improve, current climate models." 24 October 1994 - Scripps press release announces AET for 8 November 1994. Plans also announced for playing low intensity ATOC-like sounds to humpback whales off Kauai during winter of 1994-95 under existing permit as part of MMRP. 8 November 1994 Acoustic Engineering Test (AET) off Jasper Seamount. 28 November 1994 - Draft EIS for California site released. This document considers various alternatives, including not proceeding, and alternate sites on the west coast, and summarizes knowledge of effects of low frequency sound on marine biota. It is maintained that the site originally proposed (Pt. Sur ridge) is best because it is most favorable for sound projection, most economical, and most suitable for studies on marine mammals (largely because they are abundant). Exposure of marine mammals is desirable if effects are to be assessed, therefore use of the Monterrey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of the desiderata. The review of available data on low frequency sound on marine organisms makes it clear that there is little certainty with respect to any group. The review is a valuable compendium, with an extensive bibliography. It includes a crash introduction to marine bioacoustics, and gives an indication of the extreme difficulty faced by the MMRP in attempting to assess risks to marine mammals. Appendix C outlines the current MMRP protocol, consisting of 3 phases: Phase 1 -April-October 1995. Collection of baseline data on mammal numbers and behavior: a. Aerial and shipboard surveys and photo-id to assess abundance and activity. b. Towed hydrophone array assessment of acoustic behavior. c. Attachment of radio-tags and time-depth recorders to elephant seals and blue whales to establish dive and movement patterns. Phase 2 - July-November 1995 (provisional on NMFS permit approvals) "Pilot Study" lasting about 6 months. ATOC source under biologist control of MMRP, using broadcast cycle of 4 days on and 7 days off, variable to meet observational opportunities and needs. .. INTERIM EVALUATION - one month -on basis of which ATOC will be modified or aborted if Pilot Study results so indicate. Chris Clark has made a personal commitment to this effect. Criteria for modifying or aborting have not been specified, however. Phase 3 -Two-year ATOC experiment - broadcasting 75 Hz (center frequency) rumbles at a depth of 850 m with an intensity of 195 db(water standard), a 5 min ramp-up period followed by 20 min full intensity, every four hours every 4th day. MMRP to monitor marine mammals and (possibly) leatherback turtles. Experiment to be modified or terminatead if unacceptable impacts detected. Veto power not specified. late December 1994 DEIS for Kauai site released. Kauai schedule: January-May 1995 -Aerial survey, shore-based and aerial observations plus shipboard observation and acoustic monitoring of humpback whales. (During this period Chris Clark proposed that, under modification of an already existing NMFS permit, to broadcast ATOC-like sounds (maximum output 175 dB water standard or 1% of ATOC intensity) from a mobile source.) June 1995-April 1996 -Pilot Study. MMRP operates ATOC source and observes mammal responses as above. Whale numbers low. ...EVALUATION AS ABOVE..May-June 1996 June 1996-Dec.1996 ATOC duty cycle operational, MMRP monitoring. Dec. 1996 -Final report on MMRP pilot study. Dec. 1996-June 1997 ATOC duty cycle operates - increased to 8% if MMRP does not contra-indicate. MMRP monitoring continues. 23 December 1994. Chris Clark announces postphonement of Kauai low-intensity broadcasts in the face of objections and threat of litigation by environmental groups. 6 Jan. 1995 NMFS held public hearing at Santa Cruz California. SUMMING IT ALL UP 1.ATOC has been held at bay for 12 months 2. A tentative commitment has been forced to allow more thorough baseline studies BEFORE ATOC broadcasts begin. 3. A tentative commitment has been made for Pilot Phases in which biologists will control ATOC sources. 4. A one-month evaluation period will follow the pilot studies and preceed ATOC broadcasts. 5. A commitment has been made to modify or abort ATOC if the evaluation so indicates. 6. The preliminary low intensity broadcasts planned by Clark at Kauai have been canceled. This may have been unfortunate as it might have allowed some early evaluation. 7. ATOC seems to be retreating from the position that it will provide definitive evidence of greenhouse warming. PERSONAL COMMENTS 1) It seems to me that ATOC should be dependent on the MMRP study, rather than the reverse. 2) How you view ATOC depends on whether you: A- Believe ANY risk to marine mammals or other organisms is unacceptable. B- Believe it is POSSIBLE to adeequately assess risk in this case. C - Trust that ATOC will modify procedures satisfactorily, or abort if MMRP results so indicate. D- Believe that our world society is capable of taking corrective action should unasailable greenhouse data become available. Paul Anderson ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 11:24:40 EST From: LEM V ARAGONES Organization: Tropical Env Studies and Geography Subject: abstract Aragones, L.V. 1994. Observations on dugongs at Calauit island, Busuanga, palwan, Philippines. Wildlife Research 21 (6): 709-717. Abstract A simultaneous monitoring system that used a team of local observers to count dugongs around Calauit Island, Busuanga, Palawan, Philippines, from eight vantage points was employed from March 1989 to May 1990 to identify important dugong habitats around the island. On average, five dugongs were seen per survey day. More dugongs were observed during March and July 1989 than in other months. These periods coincided with the bimodal peaking of seagrass biomass in the region and the lull between monsoons for that year. The site where dugongs were most often sighted was about 1.5 m deep, had the largest area of seagrass on the island (approximately 50 ha) and supported a seagrass (above ground) biomass averaging 1060 g/m2 (wet weight). The dugongs were shy, making observations difficult. They were observed to graze at the study sites once per day, usually starting in the late afternoon or at night. Animals usually stayed on the seaward side of the spur-and -groove sections of the reefs. Short seagrasses such as ^Halophila ovalis^, ^Cymodocea rotundata^, ^C. serrulata^, ^Syringodium isoetifolium^ and ^Thalassia hemprichii^ showed more evidence of being grazed than the taller ^Enhalus acoroides^. By direct observations of the area grazed by a single dugong, an average consumption rate of 30.50 kg (wet weight) of seagrass (above ground only) per day was estimated. The methodology developed in this study may be used to identify reserve areas for the protection of dugong habitats in the Philippines. The dugong populations of Palawan require further attention and implementation of conservation measures. LEM V ARAGONES Dept Tropical Env't Studies & Geog James Cook University Townsville, Qld 4811 Australia Phone (+61) 77 815053 or 814325 Fax (+61) 77 814020 email aragones(\)cathar.jcu.edu.au ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 20:09:52 -0600 From: Gottfried Mayer-Kress Subject: Literature on Stranding Some time ago I asked for the current status of theories about marine mammal strandings. Dean Wilkinson was kind enough to send me an annotated list of references for which he gave me permission to pass it on. I make it available as http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/Projects/Orcas-SW/Misc/StrandLit.html If anybody knows of other reports on that topic, I'd appreciate a note and I'll include it in the list. There seems to be one really interesting book of which I am not sure how I can get it: Robson, F.D. 1984. Strandings: Way to Save Whales. Science Press, Johannesburg, 124 pp. I am also still looking for references and reports about aggressive behavior of whales/dolphins against humans. J.R. Heimlich-Boran mentioned a case of a pilot whale biting a woman in Hawaii, can anyone tell me more about that case? Thanks, --- Gottfried Mayer-Kress Center for Complex Systems Research, Beckman Institute, Physics Dept. UIUC 405 N Mathews, Urbana, Il 61801,gmk(\)pegasos.ccsr.uiuc.edu, gmk(\)igc.apc.org, gmk(\)santafe.edu, (217)-244-5877(voice/fax1),x8371(fax2), x1994 (msg) URLs: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/, ftp://ftp.santafe.edu/pub/gmk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 17:24:08 -0800 From: Jim Moore Subject: Re: ATOC UPDATE >Deadline for comments on the DEIS for Hawaii is 20 February. I have a card received from the ATOC Project Office which states that "The revised public comment period ... begins on January 23, 1995 and closes on March 9, 1995." Which is correct (or is there a semantic twist such that both are? The card makes reference to _written_ comments...). Thanks VERY much for the chronology! cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu (ps: the card is dated Jan 20) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 14:55:46 -0800 From: Jim Moore Subject: Galapagos problem (crosspost) The following was just posted on ABSnet. Note the sea lion penis sold as a possible aphrodisiac; there's a direct marine mammal connection as well as (a) ecosystem relevance, and (b) a perhaps relevant parallel with discussions of fishery management... Jim Moore Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ---------------------------- ************************************************************************* Galapagos Crisis Dear Fellow Scientists - Very disturbing news is coming out of the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. Those of us who care deeply about the islands are trying to bring the ecological crisis described below to the attention of the international scientific community. The information below is retyped from a FAXed letter I recently received from Macarena Green in Quito. She is a biologist who worked on ascidians and is now a naturalist in the islands. She can be reached by FAX at Andando Tours in Quito at 593-2-443188. Please write a letter to the President of Ecuador at the address provided below. I will cross-post this several times (to TAXACOM, MOLLUSCA, and PALEONET) so you might get it more than once, and please feel free to post it to additonal news groups. I can be reached by e-mail, phone, FAX, & snail mail: Matthew J. James Associate Professor and Chairman Department of Geology Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, California 94928 USA matt.james(\)sonoma.edu voice: 707-664-2301 (my office) voice: 707-664-2334 (Dept. office) FAX: 707-664-2505 or FAX: 707-664-3012 The original FAX is retyped below: ***************************************** Quito, 12 de Enero de 1995 Quito, January 23, 1995 FAX: 707-664-2505 Attn: Dr. Matt James >From: Macarena Green Dear Dr. James, I received your fax in regards the sea cucumber exploitation in the Galapagos. Following you will find some general information as to how things have developed. As you must know since 15th of October of 1994 the sea cucumber fisheries was legally opened in the Islands. Most of the activities took place in Bolivar Channel (western side of the Archipelago) and principally the west coast of Isabela and all around Fernandina Islands. Until the 15 of December there were over 800 fishermen working on the exploitation of the sea cucumber, Isostichopus fuscus in that area. It was calculated that each of them was collecting over 1500 sea cucumbers daily. Besides that these people lived in small boats on which they carried live chickens, as a source of food, unwashed vegetables and other introduced organisms that if they landed by chance on one of the Islands could germinate. It is known that onboard the boats there were rats, mice and introduced insects. They were cleaning their bilges and throwing all their garbage overboard. Most of them were anchored only 20 feet from the shore line of Fernandina Island. When the cucumber fisheries was opened a limit of 550,000 sea cucumbers, in three month season, was established. However, in two months it had exceeded more than 7 million. By the beginning of December reports on the abuse of the resource went to the different official involved, to the news and to the press. There were reports that the fishermen were not only collecting sea cucumbers, but sea horses, snails, sea urchins and black coral. Also, one fisherman admitted that they had already sent to Japan sea lion penises as a try out for a new aphrodisiac. The Japanese buyer paid $50 dollars for each penis. The 15th of December the sea cucumber fisheries was officially closed until technical and scientific studies were done, due to the abuse that had occurred in the first two months. The people involved in such lucrative, yet devastating, enterprise were not about the accept the new disposition. The first days of January, 1995, they took over the installations of the Park Service and the Darwin Station. They kept all the people inside as hostages, including the wives of many of the workers and children. They threatened to kill all the tortoises in captivity at the Station and they threatened to start fires on little islands like South Plaza and Santa Fe, also they demanded that Chantal Blanton and Arturo Izurieta resign their positions as director of the respective institutions. It was quite strange to see the total absence of the police and military help. In Quito some government officials said that this time they will not let them get their way, and that the fishermen will have to change their attitude, but on Friday, January 6 the director of the National Institute of Fisheries went to Puerto Ayora and offered the fishermen that by the 13th of January they could start catching sea cucumbers again. All the people involved in tourism and science in Puerto Ayora got together and decided to take actions in case this type of activity started again. So in Quito and Guayaquil the minister of Fisheries met with the fishermen and the people involved and after getting pressure from all the environmental groups, the association of travel agents, the association of ecotourism, the association of tour operators in Galapagos, and the government of Spain. He felt in the position to close the Pepino (Cucumber) fisheries until October of the present year. All the groups named above have got together to fight for the same cause. Our aim is to persuade the government to close all types of industrial fisheries in the Galapagos, to stop all type of exportation of any resource that comes from the Islands, to include the marine area within the National Park and be managed by only one institution and to make the law come true. As you know there is a master plan to manage the marine resources reserve, but it is completely ignored. We have strong reason to beleive that there is someone very powerful involved in the exploitation and commercialization of sea cucumbers in the Galapagos waters. It seems the Ecuadorian government is doing very little to fight against this type of exploitation. however we have noticed that when there is international pressure their attitude changes. If you could get together in the States and write a demanding letter to the President of Ecuador, I think that they may think twice about opening the Pepino or any other type of fisheries in the Galapagos. In fact I think that the same letter should be sent to the Ecuadorian press. The address of the President of Ecuador is: Arq. Sixto Duran Ballen Presidente Constitucional de la Republica de Ecuador Palacia de Gobierna Quito - ECUADOR We are sending information in regards all this matter to Jack Grove. Please contact him if you need more detailed information or if you need to coordinate any moves from your side. It is time that the world demands from the Ecuadorian government the right type of management for the Galapagos Islands as a whole. We need international pressure and demands in order to save the Galapagos Islands. We appreciate your help very much. Let us know if you need more information. With best regards, (Signed) Macarena Green FAX: 593-2-443188 ***End of Original FAX*** ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 13:22:00 EST From: Phil Clapham Subject: Oman Dear MARMAM folks: Does anyone know anything about the Arabian Seas Expedition, who are currently conducting research off the coast of Oman? They were involved in a recent disentanglement of a humpback whale there. Is there an address out there? Please reply directly to me. Thanks. Phil Clapham clapham(\)simnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 13:18:03 -0500 From: "Richard Wallace (GD 1999)" Subject: Re: Galapagos crisis (fwd) Marmam folks: As this issue has now appropriately made it to marmam (I was planning on posting it this weekend, but am happy to have been beaten to the draw), FYI I post the following message I posted to the conslink list on Thursday in response to the original letter from Macarena Green and the pleas for action from Dennis Paulson and Matt James (respectively). The marine mammal-related effects described (the taking of sea lions), may not be a substantial aspect of the overall conflict, but the significance of the issue of conservation in the Galapagos is of global importance and warrants all of our attentions. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 20:34:07 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Wallace (GD 1999) To: Multiple recipients of list CONSLINK Subject: Re: Galapagos crisis To all conslinkers: I have just returned from 10 days in the Galapagos, and though I cannot vouch for all of the factual statements made in Ms. Green's letter, I can and STRONGLY do encourage all to take a few moments to send a short letter or postcard to the appropriate authorities in Ecuador. People in the islands are terribly and rightfully concerned. The current sea cucumber fishery issue is still at the pre-crisis stage, but the direct and indirect effects of the fishery are potentially devastating. International political pressure appears to be a necessary step in averting this imminent crisis. Also, not mentioned in Ms. Green's letter: the fishermen, in a previous protest, tracked down and killed something like 50 endangered giant tortoises on the island of Isabela. These guys mean business and are apparently ready and willing to use even the basest violent scare tactics to fight for their new-found right to degrade the Galapagos' fragile ecological systems. As a result of their recent actions, there is a sizable (for the Galapagos) military presence now in Puerto Ayora. When I visited the Darwin Research Station two weekends ago, a company of troops were receiving a tour and briefing from the Station's director. We are at a critical point in this conflict where outside influence may help -- please write! Richard L. Wallace School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University -------------------------------------------- On Thu, 26 Jan 1995, Dennis Paulson wrote: > This was forwarded to me by the UW department of zoology. It's an > absolutely terrifying example (I hate being the one to forward bad news!) > of how no environmental fight is ever won, just an ongoing series of > battles. Some days are more exhausting than others, and here is a case > that needs as much quick response as we can muster. > > >---------- Forwarded message ---------- > >Date: Wed, 25 Jan 95 20:09:18 PST > >From: Matt James > >To: collin(\)fhl.washington.edu > >Subject: Galapagos Crisis > > > > Galapagos Crisis > >Dear Fellow Scientists - Very disturbing news is coming out of the Galapagos > >Islands in Ecuador. Those of us who care deeply about the islands are trying > >to bring the ecological crisis described below to the attention of the > >international scientific community. The information below is retyped from a > >FAXed letter I recently received from Macarena Green in Quito. She is a > >biologist who worked on ascidians and is now a naturalist in the islands. She > >can be reached by FAX at Andando Tours in Quito at 593-2-443188. > > > >Please write a letter to the President of Ecuador at the address provided > >below. I will cross-post this several times (to TAXACOM, MOLLUSCA, and > >PALEONET) so you might get it more than once, and please feel free to post it > >to additonal news groups. I can be reached by e-mail, phone, FAX, and snail > >mail: > > > >Matthew J. James > >Associate Professor and Chairman > >Department of Geology > >Sonoma State University > >Rohnert Park, California 94928 USA > >matt.james(\)sonoma.edu > >voice: 707-664-2301 (my office) > >voice: 707-664-2334 (Dept. office) > >FAX: 707-664-2505 or > >FAX: 707-664-3012 > > > >When you read how not only are the sea cucumbers being impacted but also the > >repercussions on the sea lions of Darwin's Islands, I hope you will be moved > >to action. > >The original FAX is retyped below: > >***************************************** > >Quito, 12 de Enero de 1995 > > > >Quito, January 23, 1995 > >FAX: 707-664-2505 > >Attn: Dr. Matt James > >From: Macarena Green > > > >Dear Dr. James, > > > >I received your fax in regards the sea cucumber exploitation in the > >Galapagos. Following you will find some general information as to how things > >have developed. > > > >As you must know since 15th of October of 1994 the sea cucumber fisheries was > >legally opened in the Islands. Most of the activities took place in Bolivar > >Channel (western side of the Archipelago) and principally the west coast of > >Isabela and all around Fernandina Islands. Until the 15 of December there > >were over 800 fishermen working on the exploitation of the sea cucumber, > >Isostichopus fuscus in that area. It was calculated that each of them was > >collecting over 1500 sea cucumbers daily. Besides that these people lived in > >small boats on which they carried live chickens, as a source of food, > >unwashed vegetables and other introduced organisms that if they landed by > >chance on one of the Islands could germinate. It is known that onboard the > >boats there were rats, mice and introduced insects. They were cleaning their > >bilges and throwing all their garbage overboard. Most of them were anchored > >only 20 feet from the shore line of Fernandina Island. > > > >When the cucumber fisheries was opened a limit of 550,000 sea cucumbers, in > >three month season, was established. However, in two months it had exceeded > >more than 7 million. By the beginning of December reports on the abuse of the > >resource went to the different official involved, to the news and to the > >press. There were reports that the fishermen were not only collecting sea > >cucumbers, but sea horses, snails, sea urchins and black coral. Also, one > >fisherman admitted that they had already sent to Japan sea lion penises as a > >try out for a new aphrodisiac. The Japanese buyer paid $50 dollars for each > >penis. The 15th of December the sea cucumber fisheries was officially closed > >until technical and scientific studies were done, due to the abuse that had > >occurred in the first two months. > > > >The people involved in such lucrative, yet devastating, enterprise were not > >about the accept the new disposition. The first days of January, 1995, they > >took over the installations of the Park Service and the Darwin Station. They > >kept all the people inside as hostages, including the wives of many of the > >workers and children. They threatened to kill all the tortoises in captivity > >at the Station and they threatened to start fires on little islands like > >South Plaza and Santa Fe, also they demanded that Chantal Blanton and Arturo > >Izurieta resign their positions as director of the respective institutions. > >It was quite strange to see the total absence of the police and military > >help. > > > >In Quito some government officials said that this time they will not let them > >get their way, and that the fishermen will have to change their attitude, but > >on Friday, January 6 the director of the National Institute of Fisheries went > >to Puerto Ayora and offered the fishermen that by the 13th of January they > >could start catching sea cucumbers again. All the people involved in tourism > >and science in Puerto Ayora got together and decided to take actions in case > >this type of activity started again. So in Quito and Guayaquil the minister > >of Fisheries met with the fishermen and the people involved and after getting > >pressure from all the environmental groups, the association of travel agents, > >the association of ecotourism, the association of tour operators in > >Galapagos, and the government of Spain. He felt in the position to close the > >Pepino (Cucumber) fisheries until October of the present year. > > > >All the groups named above have got together to fight for the same cause. Our > >aim is to persuade the government to close all types of industrial fisheries > >in the Galapagos, to stop all type of exportation of any resource that comes > >from the Islands, to include the marine area within the National Park and be > >managed by only one institution and to make the law come true. As you know > >there is a master plan to manage the marine resources reserve, but it is > >completely ignored. > > > >We have strong reason to beleive that there is someone very powerful involved > >in the exploitation and commercialization of sea cucumbers in the Galapagos > >waters. It seems the Ecuadorian government is doing very little to fight > >against this type of exploitation. however we have noticed that when there is > >international pressure their attitude changes. > > > >If you could get together in the States and write a demanding letter to the > >President of Ecuador, I think that they may think twice about opening the > >Pepino or any other type of fisheries in the Galapagos. In fact I think that > >the same letter should be sent to the Ecuadorian press. The address of the > >President of Ecuador is: > > > >Arq. Sixto Duran Ballen > >Presidente Constitucional de la Republica de Ecuador > >Palacia de Gobierna > >Quito - ECUADOR > > > >We are sending information in regards all this matter to Jack Grove. Please > >contact him if you need more detailed information or if you need to > >coordinate any moves from your side. > > > >It is time that the world demands from the Ecuadorian government the right > >type of management for the Galapagos Islands as a whole. > > > >We need international pressure and demands in order to save the Galapagos > >Islands. We appreciate your help very much. Let us know if you need more > >information. > > > >With best regards, > > > > > >(Signed) Macarena Green > >FAX: 593-2-443188 > >***End of Original FAX*** > > Dennis Paulson phone: (206) 756-379 8 > Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352 > University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson(\)ups.edu > Tacoma, WA 98416 > ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 09:29:52 -0800 From: Robin Baird ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 26 Jan 95 11:43:55 +0100 From: s141(\)brems.ii.uib.no Most of the replies to my original message pointed out that there is no consesus of what is facts in the Whaling discussion, and that it therefore is very diffi cult to discuss "facts". I'm aware of this lack of consensus, but my hopes for a more rewarding discussions lies not in the arrival at a concensus on interpreta tion to facts, BUT that we limit the discussion to facts and stop harassing each other for our affeliations and views of whaling. To be specific: Arguments of the type: "Ms. X is pro-whaling, and her argument is therefore inhe rently faulty" should be avoided at all costs since it only leads to infuriating Ms. X, and does not enlighten the issue. If you want to refute Ms X stand on w haling, attack her argument and interpretation of facts, NOT her affeliation. If you want to flame your opponent, please do so through E-mail or on a Usenet n ewsgroup (talk.environment or sci.environment are good places), MARMAM should IM HO be reserved for a more "enlightened" debate. Sincerely Erik J.S. Olsen s141(\)brems.ii.uib.no ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 09:27:16 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: ABSTRACT-HUMPBACK WHALES (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 15:52:10 +1100 From: garrigue(\)noumea.orstom.nc Garrigue C. and Gill P. 1994. Observations of humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae in New Caledonian waters during 1991-1993. Biological Conservation, 70 : 211-218. Recent sightings confirm that humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae migrate to New Caledonia. Totals of 37 and 73 incidental sightings were made during the winter an spring of 1991 and 1992 respectively. Sightings were distributed widely all around New Caledonia, but concentrated in the south, mainly around Noumea, Ile des Pins and the Southeast lagoon, areas with the highest human visitation. Very young calves were photographed in some sightings. Encouraged by the number of sightings, in August 1993 we commenced a programm of photo-identification and behavioural observation in the Southeast lagoon. In five days of field work, 12 humpback whales were individually identified. One of the was a resight of an animal previously photograph off the coast of Queensland, Australia in 1991. this supports the hypothesis that humpback whales migrating to New Caledonia are from Antarctica Area V stock. 'Surface active' group behaviour, typical of male competition for females in breeding areas, was also noted, and humpback whale song was detected on every day on which it was monitored for in the study area. Several juvenile animals were also observed. We interpret these observations as strong evidence that humpback whales mate and calve in New Caledonian waters. ****************************************************************** Dr Claire GARRIGUE Centre ORSTOM BPA5 Noumea NEW-CALEDONIA Fax : (687)26-43-26 Phone : (687)26-10-00 e-mail : garrigue(\)noumea.orstom.nc ****************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 17:13:05 -1000 From: Stacy Braslau-Schneck Subject: MM Internships Dear Marmamers, I'm posting the following list in response to many requests . Here are the names and addresses of programs that have at least some internships or volunteer positions available involving marine mammals. I gathered most of these through a mass mailing about 2 years ago so I cannot guarantee their accuracy. I also am not including here their descriptions. I'm sorry that they only include opportunities within the US (with one Canadian exception). If you represent or know more about any of these programs, please post corrections, etc. to MARMAM (not to me, please). If you're interested in more information about any of these programs, please write to these programs directly! Yours in service, Stacy Braslau-Schneck Honolulu, HI (*formerly* intern co-coordinator, Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Lab) Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation Attn.: George Biedenbach/Training Department 610 Surf Avenue Brooklyn, NY 1124? Aquarium of Niagara Falls Intern/Volunteer program 701 Whirlpool St. Niagara Falls, NY 14301 Atlantic Cetacean Research Center Intern/Volunteer Program 70 Thurston Point Road PO Box 1413 Gloucester, MA 01930 Belle Isle Zoo & Aquarium Intern/Volunteer Program PO Box 39 Royal Oak, MI 48068-0039 Center for Coastal Studies Intern Review Committee Box 1036 Provincetown, MA 02657 Center for Marine Conservation Intern/Volunteer Program 1725 DeSales St., NW Washington, D.C. 20036 Cetacean Research Unit Intern/Volunteer Program PO Box 159 Gloucester, WA 01930 Chicago Zoological Park Brookfield Zoo Intern/Volunteer Program 3300 Golf Rd. Brookfield, IL 60513 EPCOT Center Trailer #251 Peter Cook Walt Disney World Co. P.O. Box 10,000 Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000 Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection Florida Marine Research Institute Intern/Volunteer Program 100 8th Ave., S.E. St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5095 Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory Krista Berkland, Intern Coordinator 1129 Ala Moana Blvd. Honolulu, HI 96814 Marine Mammal Research Program Intern/Volunteer Program Texas A&M University at Galveston Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife 4700 Ave. U, Bldg. 303 Galveston, TX 77551 Mirage Hotel Intern/Volunteer Program P.O. Box 7777 Las Vegas, NV 89177-0777 Mote Marine Lab Andrea Davis, Coordinator of Intern/Volunteer Services 1600 Thompson Pkwy Sarasota, FL 34236 Mystic Marinelife Aquarium Intern/Volunteer Program 55 Coogan Boulevard Mystic, CT 06355-1997 National Aquarium in Baltimore Pier 3 501 E. Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21202-3194 National Museum of Natural History Intern Coordinator, Education Office Room 212, MRC 158 Smithsonian Institution Washington, D.C. 20560 Friends of the National Zoo Research Traineeship Program National Zoological Park Washington, D.C. 20008 Marine Sanctuaries Intern Coordinator National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1305 East-West Highway, 12th Floor Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301) 713-3145, ext. 153 New England Aquarium Intern/Volunteer Program Central Wharf Boston, MA 02110-3399 Pacific Whale Foundation Intern/Volunteer Program Kealia Beach Plaza 101 N. Kihei Rd., Ste. 21 Kihei, HI 96753-8833 San Antonio Zoological Gardens and Aquarium Education Coordinator 3903 N. St. Mary's St. San Antonio, TX 78212-3199 Theater of the Sea Intern/Volunteer Program P.O. Box 407 Islamorada, FL 33036 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Volunteer Program 1011 E. Tudor Road Anchorage, AK 99503 Waikiki Aquarium Intern/Volunteer Program 2777 Kalakaua Ave. Honolulu, HI 96815 Whale Museum Craig Snapp, Volunteer Coordinator 62 First Street North P.O. Box 945 Friday Harbor, WA 98250 Whale Research Group Dr. Jon Lien 230 Mount Scio Rd. Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's, Newfoundland CANADA A1C 5S7 The Wild Dolphin Project Intern/Volunteer Program P.O. Box 3839 Palos Verdes, CA 90274 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 20:38:49 -0500 From: SGASPARI(\)aol.com Subject: ABSTRACT Common and Grey Seals S. Gaspari, 1994. Haul out behaviour, site fidelity and vigilance of common seals (Phoca vitulina) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Tees Estuary. Dissertation for a degree of Master of Sciences in Advanced Ecology. ABSTRACT The project was carried out from the beginning of May to the beginning of July 1994, at Seal Sands, in the Tees estuary. The study aimed to examine (i) ecological and (ii) behavioral aspects of two species of seals, common seals (Phoca vitulina ) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus s). The aims of the study were (i): (a) to document the seasonal fluctuation in number of seals using haul out sites during May and June. (b) To compare activities between day and night. (c) To examinine possible factors influencing the proportion of the Tees population of common and grey seals hauling out at Seal Sands, and factors conditioning haul out sites choice. (ii): (a) To examine distribution on haul out sites and haul out site fidelity, group and individual behaviour. (b) To determine vigilance behaviour in common and grey seals in relation to time of the day and group size. The number of seals hauled out at Seal Sand varied from day to day and night to night, and between successive low tides. The common seal number hauling out, varied from a minimum of 13 to a maximum of 39, at day time, and from 9 to 15 at night time. These numbers increased gradually during the study period. The number of grey seals varied from nil on two occasions to 27 at day time, and from 2 to 26 at night time. Both high and low numbers of common and grey seals tended to occur on same days. The number of animals hauling out could be influenced both by environmental factors and population size at Teesmouth. Number of common seals at site C during the day time was significantly and inversely related to the tide level at low water. The number of grey seals at site C at night time were inversely related to the wind speed and positively related to maximum temperature. The changes in sites use are discussed in relation to physical characteristics of the sites and tide levels. Common and grey seals were observed to haul out in restricted areas, although space availability was not a limiting factor. Common seals showed site fidelity both as individual and as a group. Grey seals, showed site fidelity as a group. Vigilance behaviour varied considerably within the two species of seals. In relation to the time of the day, the percentage of common seals alert, tended to decrease progressively after low tide. The percentage of grey seals alert was lower than in common seals with few peaks caused by sudden disturbance. Common seals show a strong negative correlation between the percentage of individuals alert and group size, whereas grey seals did not show any relation to size of the group. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 11:49:01 PST From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Re: help with hydraphones ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Just thought I'd pass on this E-mail message from Mathew, in case anyone can use his volunteers. Rich Mallon-Day -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: MATHEW(\)BAESEMA1.DEMON.CO.UK To: R.MALLON1 Richard S. Mallon-Day Sub: Re: help with hydraphones > Mathew, > > I posted your request to the marine mammal list server, MARMAM. MARMAM > currently > has over 1000 cetacean researcher and student subscribers. If you are > interested in > subscribing to MARMAM let me know and I'll give you instructions. > > Rich Mallon-Day > > Thanks for your help - MARMAM led to lots of useful responses... Heres some info on this UK project: The project I was referring to is run by: Rolf Williams, Coastwatch programme development officer, Durlston Country Park, Swanage, Dorset Tel: 01929-424443 The technical authority for their hydrophone equipment is Ed Harland (harland_e(\)taz.dra.hmg.gb). I'm not directly involved in marine research myself - I'm a coordinator for a volunteer group which does community + environmental projects in the UK. We are ex-volunteers from Operation Raleigh expeditions (a youth development charity which runs 3 month overseas expeditions, now called Raleigh International). I'd contacted Rolf to see if our group could help with their Coastwacth, and I've passsed on all responses my "help with hydrophones" onto him (and Ed). Thanks for your response. - if anyone could use the services of enthusiastic young (20-30 ish) people,interested in environmental work and with experience of field expeditions then please contact me. (I'm co-ordinator for our Hampshire group, but we have a UK wide network and also a few other countries...) Regards... -- Mathew Littlejohn ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 11:51:12 PST From: Terry Hardie Subject: TOURIST WARNED AFTER SWIMMING WITH WHALE ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 27-Jan-95 11:44 am Regular National TOURIST WARNED AFTER SWIMMING WITH WHALE Blenheim, Jan 27 - An overseas tourist was formally warning yesterday by the Department of Conservation after he swam with a whale off Kaikoura. DOC received a report yesterday afternoon about the man after flight operators saw him enter the water near a sperm whale. Under the Marine Mammals Protection Act approaching a whale closer than 50m is prohibited. A DOC boat was sent out to find the tourist, who admitted the offence when spoken to. Field centre manager Mike Morrissey said the man had swum with humpback whales overseas and did not realise swimming with whales was banned in New Zealand. Mr Morrissey said if the tourist had deliberately broken the regulations or endangered the whale, prosecution could have followed. This summer DOC has received a number of complaints in Kaikoura. Tour operators say recreational boaties are often ignorant of the act and in some cases have blatantly broken the regulations concerning distance and speed when approaching marine mammals. To combat the problem, DOC will install permanent signs at two launching areas in Kaikoura to inform the public of regulations surrounding wildlife. NZPA BLE bt jlc cf ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 11:52:25 PST From: Michael Scholl Subject: Marine Mammals Hospital... ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Marmam readers I am looking for a Center where otters, seals (or any other marine mammals) or birds are being saved and healed. For we (I and my girlfriend) would like to work (freely of course) in one of those centers next summer (july or august) for a few weeks if that would be possible. Unfortunatelly all the people I already have contacted answered me negatively. So if someone would know addresses of such places around the world I would be pleased if he could send them to me... Thank you very much in advance... I am a student in biology at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and will be soon finished with my biology studies. My professional dream has always been to work in the field of Chondrichtyes or Mammal ethology and ecology research. Coming from Switzerland, no special marine biology course may be studied, and so I have to find my own way thru the world. My girlfriend, Nadine, is studying medecine and is also an animal lover. We have both been thru some little animal experiences. It would really carry out a dream if a center (Marine Animal Hospital) would allow us to come both and let us help them in their interesting work, and hopefully save some lives.. With all my respect and thank you in advance for your attention. Yours sincerly, Michael Scholl Michael Scholl Chemin de la Chenalettaz 18 1806 Saint-Ligier Vaud Switzerland Tel 010 41 21 943 13 56 Fax 010 41 21 921 12 79 E-Mail Scholl(\)uliiui.unil.ch ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 14:07:10 +0100 From: Manel Gazo Perez Subject: TDRs info request *********************************************************** FROM:Manel Gazo Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08071 Barcelona, SPAIN FAX: 34-3-411 08 87 PHONE: 34-3-402 14 53 E-MAIL: MANELG(\)PORTHOS.BIO.UB.ES *********************************************************** Dear colleagues: We starting a project on monk seals in Mauritania and are thinking in the possibility of using TDRs, perhaps those linked to satellite. We have been informed that equipments produced by Wildlife Computers are among the most reliable and small. We have two queries: - Does anyone know of better (smaller, cheaper or more accurate) TDR equipment available in the market? - Has anyone in Europe direct experience on deploying TDRs on seals and, particularly, with those build by Wildlife Computers? If this is so, we would like to ask more details about the equipment, including attachment techniques. Thanks in advance to anyone answering. Please, reply to my address (shown in the heading of the message). Manel. *********************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 11:36:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Dolphins Rescued Dolphins Rescued NEW YORK (AP) -- Harbor police spent 6 1/2 hours Sunday coaxing some unusual visitors out of Flushing Bay: two dolphins who ventured into the area and began swimming in circles. The dolphins, first spotted in the morning off the borough of Queens, were eventually eased out of the bay into the safer waters of Long Island Sound, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Kevin Miller. "They were confused," he said. "Inland waters are not their normal habitat. They're used to deeper waters with different food sources." The dolphins were having difficulty breathing but apparently were never in danger of dying, Miller said. They were coaxed out of the bay by police harbor patrol and Coast Guard units. It was unclear where the dolphins came from. Miller said he could not recall another dolphin swimming into inland waters around New York City in recent years. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 22:58:17 GMT From: Mike Halford Subject: Help! Humpback in the Clyde, UK A humpback whale has been residing in the River Clyde, Gourock, Nr Glasgow, Scotland for the last three weeks. Humpbacks are rarely seen around the British coastline, let alone up the Clyde, supposedly one of the most polluted waters in the UK. So, this presents a rather unusual and unique sighting for this species and this area. The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) based on the Isle of Mull, which conducts research on cetaceans and their marine environment, were asked by various organisations to identify and assess the well being of the whale. Our initial findings are that the whale appears to be healthy and is feeding. We are able to confirm that the whale is a humpback (Megaptera novaengliae). Echo sounding revealed and abundance of fish in the area, probably sprat and herring. Depth in the area averages 20 metres The whale appears not to fluke up, this may be due to the shallow waters. So it has not been possible, as yet, to obtain photo identification. No vocalisation has, as yet, been recorded. The whale appears to stay within a 2 -3 mile range and if it decides to stay for a long period there will be a unique opportunity to conduct some behavioural studies and maybe, if we're lucky, to identify this individual. HWDT is a charity and does not have the funding necessary to conduct such a study but does have an experienced team with the appropriate equipment so we need an organisation to help fund this study. Can you help ? Do you have any suggestions? We would be particularly interested to hear from people who have conducted similar studies, especially studies relating behaviour and feeding to tidal influences. Please reply to Mike Halford (mchalford(\)gn.apc.org) or Richard Fairbairns (sealifesurvy(\)gn.apc.org) You can also contact Alison Gill at The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust c/o Sealife Surveys Torrbreac Dervaig Isle of Mull Scotland PA75 6QL Telephone (44)(0)688 400223 Mike Halford Phone (44) (0)1962 885071 or 0973 388 940 Fax (44) (0)1962 881782 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 18:02:05 -0200 From: Marcos Cesar de Oliveira Santos Subject: Tursiops in Brazil January, 30th 1995 Dear marmamers: 44 DAYS WITHOUT ACCIDENTS!! what a hard work! "Tiao" is doing very well; human beings don't. As times passes by, many tourists know about the dolphin and some don't hesitate to get in the water to hold him, or to rent a boat or a jet-ski to come closer to the dolphin. Most of them are rich persons that have no fear from justice and laws. Those are not respected here in Brazil when you talk about rich people. It is becoming hard to control. We are having mamy problems during this job. We have to consider that the dolphin helps us a lot. I am trying to solve some problems. In some cases, I can't do anything. It is hard when you depend on others interests to help solving a case. I have recorded some good images and have good photos too. I am now preparing a scientific report about the human fatality and about this Tursiops behavior. In those last weeks I joined some new info. that will be reported in this paper. I continue to keep efforts in protecting this dolphin and to show his really good image to all folks here in Sao Paulo. I would like to thanks for the cetacean citation I received from CETACEAN SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL, signed by Robbins Barstow. You guys made me stronger to deal with this case! Thanks a lot. HAVE A VERY NICE WEEK! Greetings, Marcos Cesar Biologist - Universidade de Sao Paulo e-mail: marcosos(\)cat.cce.usp.br ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 14:31:36 -0400 From: "Arthur H. Kopelman" Organization: Fashion Inst. of Tech. 227 West 27 St, NYC NY 10001 Subject: Re: Dolphins Rescued As the biologist directing the rescue effort, let me give some details. The two animals were a mother calf pair of common dolphins. They were first sighted by an NYPD Harbor Police unit at Harbor George in Flushing Bay, at 11:00. The officers contacted the Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation for assistance. The Foundation runs the Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Styranding Program for NY State. I was asked to assess the situation and was directed by Sam Sadove, Okeanos's Research Director, to attempt to herd the animals from the shallow area they were in into more open waters of the Sound. In the shallows, the animals were swimming in circles and breathing rapidly (4-10 sec intervals). Three harbor police vessels (33', 55 ', and a whaler) were used, and joined several hours later by two CG vessels). Using motor sounds and occasional banging on vessel sides, the animals were herded into deeper channels. Once in the channel, began swimming strongly and breathing more regularly. With the help of a phalanx of vessels formed in a semicircle 200 yards behind the animals, and with the cooperation of several tugs that slowed their speeds as they passed us, the animals were moved to the waters adjacent to Stepping Stone light. As the light faded, we observed the animals diving for extended periods and perhaps feeding, as indicated by the activity of gulls directly over the dolphins. The larger animals was 7' long, the smaller one 4'. Neither animal showed any signs of external injury. If you have any questions, please contact me at the following: KOPELMAH(\)SFITVA.CC.FITSUNY.EDU or kopelman(\)pipeline.com (case sensative address) or contact Sam Sadove at bphysa1(\)pipeline.com Or contact us at Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation 278 East Montauk Highway Hamptone Bays, NY 11946 (that's Hampton Bays, not Hamptone ...) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 16:11:08 -0900 From: "From: Kurt Byers, Alaska Sea Gr" Subject: Re: Marine Mammals Hospital... Regarding the query about places to work that rehabilitate sea otters, I think you will be interested to learn that the University of Alaska Press will in May or so be publishing a book entitled Emergency Care and Rehabilitation of Oiled Sea Otters: A Guide for Oil Spills Involving Fur-Bearing Marine Mammals, edited by Terrie N. Williams of Univ. Calif. Santa Cruz and Randall W. Davis of Texas A&M. For more info, contact Univ. of Alaska Press, 1st Floor Greuning Building, UAF, Fairbanks, AK USA 99775 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 20:11:13 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: Re: ATOC UPDATE (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: 30 Jan 1995 08:30:01 -0800 From: "Susie Pike" The correct date is March 9, 1995. The ATOC Project Office -------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 17:24:08 -0800 From: Jim Moore Subject: Re: ATOC UPDATE I have a card received from the ATOC Project Office which states that "The revised public comment period ... begins on January 23, 1995 and closes on March 9, 1995." Which is correct (or is there a semantic twist such that both are? The card makes reference to _written_ comments...). ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 15:27:13 GMT+0200 From: Vic Cockcroft Organization: University of Port Elizabeth Subject: Re: Thanks and help! Firstly I'd like to thank all those who replied to my query re: an abcess on one of our captive animals. Your help and advice is much appreciated. I will endevour to reply to each of you as soon as our vet. has sorted the problem out. Secondly ..... does anyone know of a grad school that has courses in EIA methods, protocol etc. Alternatively, does anyone know of books, courses that are available by mail. This may seem like a silly request, but I don't want to re-invent the wheel when proposing to do EIAs, I just want to follow what someone else has already been through!!!! Thirdly .... South Africa is going through the tedious process of writing a 'peoples' constitution and the powers that be are asking for representations from individuals. Does anyone know of a constitution anywhere, from any country, that has speific paragraphs, sections, for the protection or rights of the environment or animals? I don't want to get into a philisophical debate on the rights of animals, plants etc, I'm just trying to make sure that the powers that be get at least one recommendation on what might be good for the environment, rather than what's good for people. I'd be grateful if anyone, from wherever or whatever country, that has any such information would get in contact with me. Thanks. (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) Dr. V.G. Cockcroft Centre for Dolphin Studies Port Elizabeth Museum & University of Port Elizabeth P.O. Box 13147 Humewood 6013 South Africa Telephone 27 + 41 + 561051 Telefax 27 + 41 + 562175 (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 10:27:28 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: Defining group size - workshop report The following is a report summarizing some of the important points raised during a workshop held at the Tenth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Galveston, Texas, on "Defining group size". Printed copies of the following report may be obtained from one of the authors, Dagmar Fertl, at the address presented. ----------------------------------------------------------------- DEFINING GROUP SIZE - Workshop Report We report on the proceedings of the "Defining group size" workshop held at the Tenth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Galveston, TX, on Sunday, 14 November 1993. The purpose of the workshop was primarily to discuss the terminology used in studies of marine mammal social behavior, and to develop some consistent definitions that would facilitate comparisons between studies. While it became obvious that a strict definition of "group" will never be applicable in all situations, many important points were made that we felt should be shared with those studying both the general and specific aspects of the definition of groups, as well as the behavior of marine mammals in groups. Definition of group The definition of "group" is based on a set of assumptions about the animals being studied, and care must be taken to avoid "anthropomorphizing" the individuals and their behavior. Groups are generally defined in two ways: spatially (more observer- centric) and socially (less observer-centric). Definitions of group-size need to distinguish between these different definitions. One of the major conclusions resulting from this workshop was that researchers need to be very explicit in their description of how they define groups. The following measures have been used to develop definitions of groups: (1) distance (between animals or spatially), (2) associations between individuals, (3) time frame (length of observation period), (4) relatedness between individuals, (5) similar behavior (coordinated), (6) species, (7) habitat, and (8) seasonality. Often one measure or set of measures (1-5) will be used to define groups during data collection, with separate criteria (6-8) used to categorize groups during data analysis. Studies Most studies of marine mammals can be grouped into two broad categories: behavioral or census-taking. Studies of the former are done by observing the animals from some platform, recording their behaviors, and then attempting to make quantitative and qualitative assessments during analyses. An objective view of the animals' behaviors requires an objective set of criteria for behavioral and group definitions. In this case, we tend to use group names to refer to geographical positioning of animals, and subsequently try to relate this to what we know about social links. While behavioral studies consist of a hierarchy of variables, censuses typically represents just a "snapshot". The idea behind census-taking is to count animals at one particular point in time. Census studies often report some value for the mean group size for the species in question; values often times obtained during behavioral studies. Still, census studies tend to be weak in their description of herd, group, pod and similar terms. One needs to define what the sighting target is, individual or group. If the target is a group, the probability of sighting increases as a function of the increase in size, thus affecting the assumptions of some census techniques. The use of standardized definitions and sampling units in both behavioral studies and censuses should be possible and would be beneficial for comparative purposes. Terminology The major concern voiced during this workshop is the misrepresentation and/or casual use of terms. For example, the term "pod", as applied to whales, was first coined by whalers, who thought that the groups of whales they were hunting were all related (just as the peas in a pod). Technically, this may be incorrect usage of the word, considering the social structure of these animals. Today, the term has lost much of its original meaning and is used to describe any group of whales, in the same way that birds are said to gather in flocks. In some specific studies (such as, killer whales in BC and WA state, Bigg et al. 1990), the term pod explicitly refers to a group of related individuals, whereas in other species (e.g., bottlenose dolphins, Shane et al. 1986) with more social fluidity, there is no implied degree of relatedness. There is inconsistency in many of the terms used to refer to a "number of cetaceans together" or group. For example, what is a herd? Common usage defines herd as "a number of wild animals of one species that remain together as a group (Morris 1969)". This definition seems rather circular when we are attempting to define "group". We often speak of a herd of whales, although confusion arises when we try to write it down -- how many pods in a herd? Or is such a structure even relevant? How big does a group have to be to be called a herd instead of a pod? The term "school" usually refers to a large mass of fish all acting in unison. This word is often used with the same general meaning in studies of dolphins, but it is also used frequently as a general description of a dolphin group. Another question raised during the workshop: Is one animal a "group"? While this decision rests mostly on the definitions set forth with a given study, common usage would suggest that one individual does not represent a "group". According to a standard dictionary definition, a group is an assemblage of persons or objects. But in calculating average group sizes (especially in behavioral studies), we need to consider groups of one animal. This presents a Catch-22 of sorts, and has lead to a relative impossibility of comparison between some studies. It follows from the above discussion that group names and definitions need to be selected with care, so as not to be misleading, and also stated in detail in the methods section of publications, manuscripts, and presentations. Neutral terms such as "unit" and "multiplet" might also be of use in such definitions. These terms might provide the foundation for a more standardized and, therefore, comparative set of terms, usable in both behavioral and censusing studies. Suggestions A number of suggestions were made during the workshop. The two major suggestions follow -- 1) group names be explicitly defined, with distinctions made between social and spatial groups, in each published account of a particular study, and 2) that Jarman's (1974) "typical" group size (the group size experienced by an average animal in a group) be used as an additional measure of grouping tendencies (over and above mean and modal group size). We thank all the society members that participated in the lively discussions during the workshop. Hopefully, we have objectively and thoroughly represented the sentiments expressed during those few hours at the Tenth Biennial Conference. We invite a discussion and comments on this topic. References Bigg, M.A., Olesiuk, P.F., Ellis, G.M., Ford, J.K.B., and K.C. Balcomb III. 1990. Social organization and genealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the coastal waters of British Columbia and Washington state. Report of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 12):383-405. Jarman, P.J. 1974. The social organisation of antelope in relation to their ecology. Behavior 48:215-267. Morris, W. (ed). 1969. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 1550pp. Shane, S.H., Wells, R.S., and Wursig, B. 1986. Ecology, behavior and social organization of the bottlenose dolphin: a review. Marine Mammal Science 2(1):34-63. Kathleen M. Dudzinski* Dagmar Fertl** William Megill# Robin W. Baird(\) and S. Jonathon Stern* *Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 4700 Avenue U, Building 303, Galveston, Texas 77551-5923, USA **Coordinator of University Research, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas 77551, USA #Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Bldv., Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4 Canada (\)Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR), Apdo. Postal 592 y 476, La Paz, Baja California Sur, C.P. 23000, Mexico ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 11:14:03 PST From: "KEVIN L. LEBLANC" Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Re: Allan MacNow - whaler's camp using MARMAM? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I WAS TOLD THAT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR ANSWERS. WHY DON'T YOU SHOW THE READERS PROOF OF THESE SO CALLED "CANADIAN PIRATE WHALERS" ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 11:22:52 PST From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Sea Birds ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Marmam Readers, I am posting this message for a friend, so please respond to him directly. ***************** I realize that this is a marine mammal discussion group, but I know that a lot of marine mammal researchers study sea birds as well. I am finishing my B.S. in Marine Biology in May 1995, and I am looking for a job or research position dealing with marine birds. I have been a volunteer avian rehabilitator for approximately five years and have also worked in the avian department at two different zoological institutions. Presently, I am working on a marine bird parasite survey with one of my professors at Texas A&M University. Please let me know if you are aware of any positions/internships available. Thank you in advance. S. Mark Kullman KU9899(\)tamug3.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 11:42:27 PST From: michal strauss Subject: E-mail address ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I'm looking for John Oliver's e-mail address in Moss Landing Marine Lab. Does anybody know ? I'll appreciate the help. Michal Strauss. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 10:21:05 EST From: Kathy Hough Organization: College of the Atlantic Subject: Loran-C conversion into lat/long I am currently working on an undergraduate project at College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine. The study involves plotting a couple thousand whale sightings using GIS. However, all of the sighting locations are LORAN-C coordinates and I need them converted into latitude and longitude coordinates. I am in desperate need of a DOS or UNIX based conversion program or an algorithm to convert a large database of LORAN-C coordinates. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who may be able to help me overcome this obstacle. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Kathy Hough hough(\)ecology.coa.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 13:49:30 -0400 From: David M Lavigne Subject: Wages of captivity We would like to address some of the queries that have been raised with regard to "Wages of Captivity". The International Marine Mammal Association Inc. was asked by several organizations, including HSI, to compare survival rates of captive bottlenose dolphins and killer and beluga whales with their wild counterparts. A draft report (A comparison of survival rates for captive and free-ranging bottlenose dolphins, killer whales and beluga whales) was produced and distributed to contracting parties, as well as to a number of marine mammal scientists for comment. The ms is currently being revised and a final version will be available shortly. To summarize findings of the draft report, we followed DeMaster and Drevenak (1988; Mar. Mamm. Sci. 4#4) and calculated annual survival rates (ASR) of captives using the animal-days survived method. ASRs from the entire data base and a post-1980 subset were calculated to establish whether the two samples would lead to different conclusions. Not surprisingly, overall ASRs derived for captive bottlenose dolphins, killer whales and beluga whales were similar to those reported by DeMaster and Drevenak (1988) and Small and DeMaster (1994; Galveston poster). No significant differences between ASRs from the entire sample and post-1980 subsets were found for any species and conclusions drawn from either data base would be similar. Comparable data for deriving animal-day ASRs of wild populations is limited: Wells and Scott (1990; Rep. Int. Whal. Commn. Special Issue 12) was used for bottlenose dolphins and Bigg (1982; Rep. Int. Whal. Commn. 34) and Olesiuk et al. (1990; Rep. Int. Whal. Commn. Special Issue 12) were used for killer whales. Estimated ASRs from the wild population of bottlenose dolphins (Sarasota, Florida) were significantly higher than those of captives for calves, non-calves and all-animals combined. Because of limitations in the wild killer whale data, we deemed the best comparison was between captive non-calves and all (age 0.5+) wild killer whales and the wild ASR was significantly higher. Results from models for hypothetical stable populations were consistent with these results. Small and DeMaster (1994) also reported higher survival rates for wild non-calf bottlenose dolphins and killer whales than for their captive counterparts. Data for wild beluga whales were deemed unsuitable for comparisons with captive animals and the hypothetical models provided equivocal results. Although based on small samples with wide confidence limits, first-year ASRs of captive-born belugas were lower than would be expected for a mammal with similar longevity. Potential biases and limitations of the study were also discussed. The draft study did not report on life spans although, as is reported in DeMaster and Drevenak (1988), the expected number of years that an animal will survive can be estimated from ASRs [E = -1/ln(ASR)] where it is assumed that survival is constant over time and across ages. NB - small differences in ASRs result in large differences in life expectancy. >From the average survival rates calculated for captives of each species, DeMaster and Drevenak (1988) got life expectancies of 14 yr for bottlenose dolphins, 13 yr for killer whales and 16 yr for beluga whales; our captive ASRs give essentially the same life expectancies for bottlenose dolphins and killer whales but give 14 (entire data base) and 12 (post-1980) yr for belugas. The ASRs we derived for wild bottlenose dolphins from Wells and Scott (1990) give overall life expectancies of 20 and 22 yr; our ASRs for non-calf killer whales in captivity give a life expectancy of 16 yr, while the all-animal wild estimates from Bigg (1982) and Olesiuk et al. (1990) give 58 and 50 yr, respectively. (The latter figure is best since it includes data from the former.) We are now out of copies of the draft report but preprints of the revised ms will be available in the not too distant future from IMMA (3 Paisley St., P.O. Box 515, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 6K9). Any recent empirical data on survival rates of wild populations of killer whales, beluga and Tursiops would be appreciated. Thom Woodley, Jan Hannah and Dave Lavigne International Marine Mammal Association Inc. and Dept. of Zoology, University of Guelph ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 12:39:35 EST Reply-To: dave(\)ornith.cornell.edu From: Dave Mellinger Subject: ocean bioacoustics workshop, 8/95, Santa Cruz Bioacoustical Oceanography Workshop II: Top Predators and their Prey in the Marine Environment A bioacoustical oceanography workshop will be conducted during August 1-25, 1995 at the University of California, Santa Cruz. This workshop will be held to train graduate students and postdoctoral investigators in the fundamental principles of bioacoustical oceanography. The workshop will address issues of sound propagation and scattering in the ocean as well as active and passive acoustic signal processing. The primary goal of the workshop is to provide students with a broad understanding of the acoustic tools and techniques required to address fundamental questions pertaining to the distributions and behaviors of top predators and their prey in the marine environment. Lecture and Seminar Topics: The following topics are planned for seminars and lectures to be offered during the workshop: Seminars: * Bioacoustics: How and why animals produce sound * Foraging bioenergetics of marine predators * Integrating acoustic studies with efforts to model interactions between diving predators and their prey * Biological oceanography and marine mammals * IUSS and the tracking of marine mammals * Acoustic assessment of zooplankton distributions and abundance * Dolphin BioSonar Lectures: * Acoustic principles: Sound propagation and scattering theory * Introduction to active and passive acoustics * Signal processing and classification: active and passive acoustics * Sensor/Instrumentation demonstrations * Tagging and tracking: Theory and practice * Advanced topics in active and passive acoustics: Advanced signal processing and acoustic imaging; beamforming * Application of survey/experimental design, spatial statistics, and visualization to studies in bioacoustical oceanography Research Modules and Laboratory Exercises: The following topics are planned for research modules and laboratory exercises to be offered during the workshop: Research Modules: * Experimental studies of zooplankton backscattering * Echolocation and physiological studies with captive dolphins * Passive acoustic localization and tracking of marine mammals * Acoustic studies of top predators foraging in their 3-dimensional prey environment * Translocation experiment: studying the behavioral responses of elephant seals to their acoustic environment Laboratory Exercises: * Marine mammal sounds classification laboratory * Scientific data visualization laboratory Application Procedures: We intend to provide partial support for the participation of 15 full-time students. Additional students will be allowed to participate in portions of the workshop on a space-available basis. The workshop will be taught at the graduate level, although more senior-level, postdoctoral students will be encouraged to attend as well. Student selection will be based on statements of interests and letters of recommendation. All correspondence and application materials will be transmitted by electronic mail. Please transmit the following information to CHG2(\)CORNELL.EDU as your formal application to the workshop: 1. Name: 2. Mailing Address: 3. Telephone Number: 4. E-mail Address: 5. FAX Number: 6. Sex: Male or Female 7. Birthdate 8. Citizenship: 9. Universities Attended: 10. Current Academic Status (e.g., Graduate Student, Postdoc, Professor, Research Scientist): 11. Housing Requirements: Do you require on-campus housing? 12. Financial Aid: Tuition (5 credit hours) and room and board at the workshop will amount to approximately $1,500. Could you participate in the workshop without receiving partial financial aid? If you require some financial assistance, then how much would you need to participate? (You will not be denied acceptance for requesting financial aid, we are just trying to allocate limited resources in such a way that the most competitive applicants will not be excluded on financial grounds.) 13. Statement of Interests: Please describe in 500 words or less, 1.) what experience in acoustics, marine ecology, and/or animal behavior you would bring to the workshop; 2.) what your long-term research goals are in these areas; and 3.) how you feel participation in the workshop could further your efforts toward achieving those goals. 14. Letter of Recommendation: Please have a letter of recommendation transmitted by e-mail from your advisor, if you are a graduate student or postdoc, or from your departmental chair, if you are a professor or research scientist. Whoever writes your letter should be familiar with the statement of interests that you have submitted and should emphasize how your participation in the workshop will benefit not only you, but also other peers and colleagues at your home institution. All applications must be in by April 1, 1995 to ensure full consideration. We will attempt to have decisions transmitted to all applicants by May 15, 1995. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Feb 1995 21:45:11 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: LOBBYISTS PLAN DOLPHIN BILL TACTICS 02-Feb-95 12:52 pm Urgent National LOBBYISTS PLAN DOLPHIN BILL TACTICS Napier Feb 2 - A private member's bill to ban the keeping of dolphins in captivity will be promoted if conservation groups cannot persuade Conservation Minister Denis Marshall to change the law. Five conservation groups, the RSPCA, Greenpeace, Forest and Bird, Project Jonah, and the World Wide Fund for Nature have combined to campaign for law changes. RSPCA director Jim Boyd said today the coalition had held talks with MPs and two or three were interested in promoting a private member's bill. He refused to say who they were, but confirmed that both Government and Opposition MPs were involved. ``There's some very interesting names there,'' he said. The coalition had prepared a lengthy submission to Mr Marshall, and Mr Boyd said it was being considered by officials. He hoped for a response in the next few weeks. A nationwide petition had also been launched to drum up public support for the campaign, he said. The coalition thought it was important to change the law before the Napier City Council could complete its plans for the expansion of Marineland, Mr Boyd said. The coalition also believed there were one or two businesses in other parts of New Zealand interested in setting up similar dolphin parks, and it was important to change the law before these businesses were operating. ``If the zoo transfer of dolphins is allowed, that sets a precedent which will have an effect for 30 or 50 years,'' Mr Boyd said. The coalition was ``quite sad'' about the effect of the law changes on Marineland and Napier, Mr Boyd said. ``There has never been an issue about their care of the dolphins. The issue is really that we don't believe it is possible to provide an adequate environment for dolphins in captivity.'' Mr Boyd said that New Zealand, having made such strong stands on marine conservation issues such as drift-net fishing and whaling, would be inconsistent if it did not take an equally strong stance on the captivity of dolphins. The Department of Conservation will allow the public to comment on the issue before decisions are made. DOC officer Clinton Duffy said as the issue was sensitive, consultation plans were being developed. NZPA DAT sje ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Feb 1995 14:17:09 -0800 From: Michael Torok Subject: Harbor Seal Investigator List The February edition of the HSIL (harbor seal investigator list) has been distributed. If you did not receive your copy, please contact me at mtorok(\)netcom.com. The HSIL (hsil.txt) is also available via anonymous ftp from ftp.netcom.com in the 'pub/mt/mtorok' directory. The harbor seal investigator list is NOT a discussion group. It simply contains contact information to facilitate communication (primarily electronic) between investigators. If you would like to be included on the list, please send the following information to: mtorok(\)netcom.com Your Name Affiliation (incl. address and phone/fax) Internet address(es) Research Interests -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.Sc. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-8625 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 08:47:30 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I usually shorten the summary to include only new items added since my last posting. However, today I am posting the entire summary; I do this once each month on the first Friday, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: New info and changes since 1/27/95 are bracketed {...}. Marine Mammals . IWC Working Group Meeting. On Jan. 13, 1995, an International Whaling Commission working group completed three days of meetings in Reine, Norway. The group discussed means to inspect and monitor commercial whaling, but did not reach any conclusions. This group will meet again in Dublin in May. [Reuter] . Florida Manatees. On Jan. 5, 1995, Florida State officials announced that 192 manatees died during 1994, the second highest recorded annual mortality. Human-related causes were responsible for 70 deaths with 49 from boating accidents and 16 from floodgate and canal lock operation. On Jan. 26, 1995, Florida authorities released results of a winter aerial survey of manatees -- 1,443 individuals were counted. This compares with 1,856 manatees counted in the last survey in January 1992. [Orlando Sentinel, Assoc Press] . Sound Tests Postponed. Low-level sound tests, to be conducted offshore of the island of Kauai, Hawaii, beginning in January 1995, were postponed after NMFS did not approve the necessary permits. The tests were part of research to determine the possible effects of underwater sound on humpback whales in preparation for the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) project. [Assoc Press] . Ballard Locks Sea Lions. On Jan. 5, 1995, NMFS announced that permission had been given to the State of Washington to kill California sea lions, after all feasible and practical non-lethal removal methods have been exhausted, to protect steelhead trout in the vicinity of the Ballard Locks. However, an official of the Humane Society of the United States stated that this organization would go to court to stop any killing. NMFS has agreed to provide $120,000 to Washington State for temporarily holding nuisance sea lions. On Jan. 9, 1995, NMFS officials announced that a floating trap for holding sea lions had been intentionally sabotaged and sunk. {On Feb. 1, 1995, an animal rights protester chained himself inside the floating trap to protest the capture and possible killing of sea lions; officers cut the chain/lo ck to set him loose several hours later.} [Assoc Press] . Coast Guard to Patrol Stellwagen Bank. On Jan. 5, 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard signed an agreement with NMFS to routinely patrol Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to provide increased protection for whales. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 11:48:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: SYDNEY POLICE LAUNCH TOWS BABY SYDNEY POLICE LAUNCH TOWS BABY WHALE OUT TO SEA SYDNEY, Feb 3 AAP - A baby sperm whale was towed out to sea by a police rescue launch today, after it had accidentally beached itself on rocks on Sydney's northern beaches. The whale, which was about 3.5 metres long, suffered several lacerations from being trapped on the rocks, but was otherwise healthy, National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) spokeswoman Anna Dawson said. It was first noticed on the rocks at the southern end of Dee Why beach about 8am but by 10.30am it had been moved into the water. At 3.30pm, the launch had started towing the mammal out to sea on a mat between two dinghies. "When we get the whale far enough out, we'll let the ropes go and release the whale," Ms Dawson said. Four sperm whales were seen in the area earlier in the morning. "We think it's a juvenile from that pod that has been washed up on the rocks accidentally," Ms Dawson said. The other whales had not been seen since. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 04:07:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Bottlenose Dolphin Field Schoo Bottlenose Dolphin Field School May 30 - June 30, 1995 Christopher Newport University OVERVIEW The Bottlenose Dolphin Field School is based at a field station on Virginia's Eastern Shore. During the field study period, teams of 15 to 25 staff and volunteers will carry out systematic observations of the seasonally abundant dolphins. Most days will be spent conducting coordinated observations of wild bottlenose dolphins and/or their haditat. Evening activities will include lectures/seminars, data analysis and lively discussions of the day's events. Students of the Field School will staff observation posts, augment research boat crews, analyze photographs and other data, work on special assignments and support operations of the field station. This field experience will be enhanced by guest lecturers and trips to areas of interest on the Eastern Shore. BENEFITS Bottlenose Dolphin Field School students will get hands-on experience with the photographic identification method of scientific inquiry. Participation in this field study is also intended to: o allow students to learn field methods of wildlife observation and data recording procedures; o introduce participants to techniques of wildlife behavioral analysis; o reinforce basic ecological concepts by examining interrelationships of the dolphins and their environment, and o offer an opportunity to become familiar with the life-styles and living conditions of a coastal marine mammal species. HOUSING Bottlenose Dolphin Field School students will reside in multiple-bedroom houses on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The houses will serve as dorms, meeting areas and research labs during the five-week course. Although "rustic," these facilities are servicable and comfortable and provide for adequate hygiene and recreation. Preparation of meals will be the shared responsibility of all those participating in the course. COSTS The field school fee is $600, of which a $100 deposit is due by April 15, 1995. Tuition (subject to changes required by the Board of Visitors) for in-state students is $798 for the six-credit course; out-of-state tuition is $1962. The registration fee is $20 for all students. THE FACULTY Sherman C. Jones III, has a B.S. in Biology from Tarleton State College in Texas, a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and an M.S. in Zoology from Texas A&M University. He has been studying marine mammals since 1982. His thesis research involved bottlenose dolphins at Galveston, Texas, and he has since done dolphin research at Texas A&M/Galveston and at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. Additionally, he has worked extensively with marine mammal strandings and as a specialist for the National Marine Fisheries Service. He is currently an instructor with the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Science at Christopher Newport University. For an application write to... Bottlenose Dolphin Field School Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Science 50 Shoe Lane Newport News, VA 23606 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 04:08:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Atlantic Coastal Dolphin Confe The Third Annual Atlantic Coastal Dolphin Conference Dates: March 24 - 26 1995 Beaufort, North Carolina Hosted by Duke University Marine Laboratory National Marine Fisheries Services The North Carolina Maritime Museum Full Package ($50) Registration, snacks, luncheon, and banquet. Registration Only ($25) Includes snacks. Registration Deadline: March 10, 1995 Since Duke's dormitory rooms are being remodeled at this time, a block of rooms has been reserved at the Hampton Inn in Morehead. We have been given excellent rates ($35/night including a continental breakfast). Duke and/or N.M.F.S. will provide shuttle service for those who need transportation to and from the motel. To reserve your room, call The Hampton Inn at 1(800) 538-6338 by March 10, mention the conference and tell the clerk whether or not you would like to share a room (or name your roommate). Twenty rooms have been reserved - some waterfront, some non-smoking, some with one kingsize bed and some with 2 double beds. They will be assigned on a first come, first serve basis. Questions? Contact... Gail Cannon (919) 504-7625 (919) 728-2514 Fax E-Mail: gcannon(\)metolius.ml.duke.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 11:33:56 -0500 From: Palacios1(\)aol.com Subject: Susan Kruse's address Dear MARMAM'ers: 1. Does anyone know how can I contact Susan Kruse (affiliation, phone #, fax #, e-mail)? 2. Does anyone know of accounts (published or unpublished) of epimeletic (care-giving) behavior in Risso's dolphins (_Grampus griseus_; either in the wild or in captivity)? Any information will be appreciated. Daniel M. Palacios ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 13:16:43 -0500 From: Delphin(\)aol.com Subject: Friday Harbor Whale Museum Email Contact? Hello! I am wondering if there is an email contact for the Whale Museum at Friday Harbor, Washington state? I'm interested in their educational offerings, and would like to discuss possible joint education ventures. -Rick Hobson Whale Conservation Institute ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 11:12:23 -0800 From: Michael Torok Subject: Harbor Seal Investigator List Intermittent problems with my Internet provider have resulted in occassional mail loss over the last several months. If you have requested to be included in the HSIL and have not received a response from me, please send it again. My apologies for the inconvenience. -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.Sc. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-8625 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 14:31:32 -0500 From: Marine Mammal Stranding CTR Subject: Release of Hooded Seal On January 13, 1994 the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine New Jersey took in a yearling male Hooded Seal (Cystophora cristata). The animal weight 102 lbs. and was suffering from respiratory distress and loss of hair from 95% of it`s body. In addition the animal had a shark bite on it`s hind flippers. The seal was released on May 12, 1994 at Lat: 39 30.38 and Long: 74 19.03 at a weight of 187 lbs. with a green tag #15. The tag was returned February 3, 1995 with a note that stated the animal had been found dead on August 24, 1994 in the St. Lawrence Estuary in the region of Metis Sur Mer, Quebec province, Canada. A rough estimate indicates that the animal traveled over 1600 miles in a period of 3 months. If anyone has any questions they can contact the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, P.O. Box 773, Brigantine New Jersey 08203 or call (609) 266-0538 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 15:28:32 PST From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: Shadle Fellowship >Newsgroups: bit.listserv.mammal-l >Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 15:52:38 EST >Reply-To: Mammalian Biology >Sender: Mammalian Biology >From: Richard Ostfeld >Subject: Shadle Fellowship >To: " > >Dear Mammalogists, > >I am writing to enlist your help in attracting the best possible >student mammalogists as applicants for the 1995-96 Albert R. and >Alma Shadle Fellowship from the American Society of Mammalogists. >The Shadle Fellowship is the highest award that the Society gives >to its student members. The fellowship is intended to promote a >professional career in mammalogy by allowing the recipient greater >freedom to pursue research, but it is not a grant in support of a >specific research project. Careers of applicants should have >progressed sufficiently to demonstrate the potential for productive >and important roles in professional mammalogy. The 1995 award is >expected to be about $3500 plus approximately $100 in books from >the University of Chicago Press. Each year the announcement of the >Shadle Fellow is a highlight of the awards ceremony following the >banquet at the ASM Annual Meeting. Applicants must be U.S. >citizens. More details regarding the Shadle Fellowship are given >in the Journal of Mammalogy, 1994, 75:1104-1105. > >If you have excellent students in mammalogy, please urge them to >apply for this award. If you are a student yourself, please >consider applying. Application forms are available from Richard S. >Ostfeld, Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Box AB, Millbrook, NY >12545. Completed applications must be RECEIVED BY 25 April 1995. > >Thank you, and good luck! > >Rick Ostfeld [CACW(\)VM.MARIST.EDU] Dagmar C. Fertl, Coordinator of University Research, Texas A&M University (\) Galveston, Galveston, TX 77551. Ph:(409) 740-4737; Fax:(409) 740-4787 fertld(\)tamug2.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 15:38:34 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: Re: Dolphins Rescued (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 13:17:56 -0500 (EST) From: Marine Mammal Stranding CTR On January 28, 1995 a resident of Keyport, N.J. reported a dead dolphin on a marsh in Keyport Harbor, to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. The animal was recovered by the Stranding Center and brought to the University of Pennsylvania for necropsy and pathology; results are pending. The animal was a male Common dolphin, 7'5" long, weighing 269 lbs. This animal may be one of the dolphins herded out of the Flushing Bay. Further information may be obtained through the Marine Mammal Stranding Center of Brigantine N.J. at 609-266-0538. Jason Kennedy Stranding Technician. MMSC. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 15:46:56 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: rescuing free-swimming cetaceans in distress - a purpose of stranding networks? Greetings, I would appreciate any feedback from individuals involved in or coordinating cetacean stranding networks in the U.S. or elsewhere, on a fairly controversial issue. In particular it involves an incident which was brought up previously on MARMAM (a month or so ago, when Peter Watts was asking about Tursiops beating up harbour porpoise, I think). Anyway, as I mentioned previously on MARMAM, last summer (1994) I witnessed a neonate harbour porpoise being harassed by two Pacific white-sided dolphins off San Juan Island, Washington State. This occurred in an area where harbour porpoises are not regularly found, there were no other harbour porpoises around, and I (as well as a variety of other marine mammal types in the area that I discussed the matter with) considered the animal's chance of survival for more than a day or two in the wild negligible. In my opinion its chances of survival if taken into captivity were much greater, especially considering the experience the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, in Tacoma, WA, has in rehabilitating neonate harbour porpoises. So after watching the two lags drag the porpoise around by its flipper, breaching on top of it, etc, for two and a half hours, we decided to try capturing it. This was done after discussing the matter with Point Defiance as to whether they would be able to take the animal, and also after discussion with the regional coordinator (for the San Juan Islands) of the Northwest stranding network. Anyway, the problem arises in that the National Marine Fisheries Service considers this a violation of the MMPA, since the porpoise was free-swimming and not "stranded". Now at this time I'm not interested in debating the ethical issue of interference in such "natural" situations (although I'd love to discuss it later if anyone wants), I would just like to find out whether individuals in/coordinators of stranding networks elsewhere have ever encountered such a situation (i.e., capturing a free-swimming animal because its condition or probability of survival was judged to be extremely poor, and likely with a greater chance of survival if taken in for rehabilitation)? The strict definition of a stranded animal under the MMPA is something like an animal in water too shallow to be able to return to its normal habitat. Considering its age (it still had fetal folds), its condition (with the dolphins and not its mother), and its location (off the west side of San Juan Island about 4 nautical miles from the nearest habitat where harbour porpoises are regularly found), I considered the porpoise to be unable to return to an area where harbour porpoise are regularly found. The only difference from the definition of stranded marine mammal provided by NMFS is water depth. I acted believing that the actions were undertaken in accordance with one of the purposes of the stranding network, that is, "the assistance and rehabilitation of sick or injured animals". Just to back up my argument a bit, I should mention the decision to capture the animal was not made quickly. Like I said, the decision was made after observing the white-sided dolphins drag the porpoise around for two and a half hours. As white-sided dolphins do not prey on harbour porpoise (as far as I know), I thought that this behaviour was somewhat aberrant and I did not think we were interfering in a "normal" process, for example a similar situation where killer whales might be harassing a harbour porpoise. As well, an individual with extensive experience with the care and handling of cetaceans in captivity was present during the capture and transport of the animal. Albeit, such actions have not been contemplated under the NMFS Guidelines for Handling Live Stranded Marine Mammals, but I suspect this is true primarily because of the rarity of such incidents. To the best of my knowledge, this precise type of incident has not been previously observed in U.S. waters. Anyway, after being formally cited by NMFS enforcement for violating the MMPA, I'm wondering what the regional and national coordinators of stranding networks in the U.S. (and other interested parties) think about this issue, and whether some sort of explicit guidelines for how such matters should be dealt with in the future are warranted, just to avoid formal action being taken for other people in similar situations? Although it is not directly relevant to the discussion above, I thought I should mention as well at least one of the scientific justifications for capturing the porpoise. Harbour porpoise populations in British Columbia and Washington State appear to be threatened, and little is known regarding this species in that area. If the animal could have been rehabilitated successfully and re-released back to the wild with a VHF or satellite tag, this would provide some information on movement patterns of harbour porpoise in that area, as well as providing more information on methods of radio-tagging and tracking for small cetaceans (of which relatively little is known). TTFN, Robin ======================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Research Group Current address: P.O. Box 6244 Centro Interdisciplinario de Victoria, B.C. Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR) V8P 5L5 Canada APDO. Postal 476 y 592, La Paz Phone 604-380-1925 B.C.S., C.P. 23000, Mexico Fax 604-380-1206 Phone 52-112-25344 or -25366 E-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca Fax 52-112-25322 ======================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 17:56:39 EST From: Diane Gendron Subject: sea otters I am wondering whether any species of marine mammal, other than sea otters, have been recorded carrying sea urchins, while floating on their back (i.e., are those characteristics diagnostic for sea otters?) Thank you in advance, Diane Gendron Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR) La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico dgendron(\)vmredipn.ipn.mx ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 15:42:56 -0500 From: Palacios1(\)aol.com Subject: Colombian Pacific Island MARMAM GROUP, The following message was sent to me: ------------------- >>URGENT HELP is needed from the international environmental community in the fight to save Gorgona National Park in Colombia, South America. The park was created in 1982 after it had served as a prison for 22 years. Now the politicians want to bypass existing environmental laws and turn the National Park back into a maximum security PRISON. > >Isla Gorgona has two of the most complex and productive ecosystems in the world: Humid tropical forest and coral reefs. It is located 56 km west of the Pacific coast of Colombia and is a center of several joining maritime currents. Each year, Gorgona sees the arrival of migrant humpback whales, and is an important territory for nesting turtles. Censuses have found 147 species of birds, 13 of which are residents and the rest migratory. > >This island is compared to the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador because of the high number of endemisms found and the important processes of speciation. > >You can help by sending a FAX to the current Minister of the Environment of Colombia, Dra. Cecilia Lopez Montano, or the viceminister, Dr. Ernesto Guhl at the following FAX number: 011-571-336-3984. The telephone number of the Ministry of Environment is 011-571-336-1166. >Action is extremely URGENT since the final decision will be taken either Friday February 3 or Monday February 6. Please let the Ministry know your opinion. > >This decision is of uttermost importance since if the National Park is turned back into a prison, the politicians will keep on playing with the Colombian National Parks bypassing this an perhaps many other environmental laws that currently exist. > >Thank you for your help in keeping Isla Gorgona as a National Park. > >Camilo A. Camargo >ccamargo(\)sas.upenn.sas ------------------------------- The waters surrounding Isla Gorgona have been proved to be important breeding grounds for SE Pacific humpback whales and other marine mammals. It is also important biogeographically as an island in the eastern tropical Pacific. I have already taken some action, but thought that perhaps some Marmam'ers might join the cause. Daniel M. Palacios Whale Conservation Institute ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 11:28:58 -0500 From: Artie Kopelman Subject: Re: Dolphins Rescued (fwd) The male Common dolphin found dead in NJ could not have been one of the two from Flushing Bay. The two in Flushing were most likely a mother and calf pair and were very much alive in 1/29/95, the day after the dolphins was found dead in NJ. Arthur H. Kopelman ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 15:59:36 EST From: CHRIS CATTON <100541.2716(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Friendly dolphins Dear Marmamers: Friendly dolphins I am writing a book on dolphins, to accompany a TV programme and have begun compiling an up to date list of dolphins that have regularly associated with humans. (The list excludes dolphins that have been seduced by fish feeding). I wonder if anyone out there has any comments, or can fill in any of the gaps. (The list combines and extends earlier lists by Lockyer, Dobbs, Doak and others.) Date Name Location Species Sex Herbie Bahamas * ? Spain * ? Yugoslavia * Patu?? Belize female 1800's Old Tom and others E Australia Orcinus orca 1814 Gabriel England Tursiops truncatus male 1888-1912 Pelorus Jack NZ Risso's male 1950's Carolina snowball S Carolina T truncatus female 1953 Fish and Hoek S Africa T. aduncus female 1954-5 Opo NZ T Truncatus female 1960-67 Charlie UK T truncatus female 1960's Georgie Girl Florida T trucatus female 1960's Dolly Florida T truncatus female 1961-2 Wallis Aus T aduncus uncertain 1964- Monkey Mia W Aus T aduncus males and 1965 Nudgy Florida T truncatus male 1972 Nina Spain T truncatus female 1972-8 Donald (Beaky) UK T truncatus male 1976-78 Sandy Bahamas Stenella plagiodon male 1978-9 Horace NZ T truncatus male 1978 Elsa NZ Delphinus delphis female 1978-1987 Jean Louis France T truncatus female 1979 Dobbie Red sea T truncatus male 1981 Whitianga NZ D delphis female and baby 1981 Nudgy Florida T truncatus male 1982-4 Percy UK T truncatus male 1983 Costa Rican (?) Costa Rica T truncatus male 1984 Rampal NZ D delphis male 1984 Tammy NZ Lagenorhynchus obscurus male 1984-91+? Dorad (Funghie) Ireland T truncatus male 1984-6 Simo II UK T truncatus juv male 1985-7 Romeo Italy T truncatus male 1986 Fanny France T truncatus female 1988 approx Billy Aus * 1988-? Jojo Turks/Caicos T truncatus male 1988-? Freddie Amble, UK T truncatus male 1994- Tiao Brazil T truncatus male * signifies listed in one of Wade Doak's books as in progress in 1988 All help much appreciated. Chris Catton ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 11:21:36 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: La Paz Conference Abstract Submissions Following is the format for submission of abstracts to the 20th Annual International Reunion for the Study of Marine Mammals, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, 18-22 April 1995. If possible, abstracts should be submitted in both Spanish and English. The deadline for receipt of abstracts is 15 February. Abstracts can be submitted via e-mail in ASCII code to jurban(\)calafia.uabcs.mx An example of the format is given below. THE TITLE OF THE PRESENTATION MUST BE WRITTEN FIRST, JUSTIFIED, UPPER-CASE AND BOLD, WITH SCIENTIFIC NAMES IN ITALICS AND LOWER- CASE Armando Jaramillo Legorreta and Jeff Jacobsen Depto. de Biologia Marina. Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur. Apartado Postal 19-B. C.P. 23080. La Paz, B.C.S. Mexico. The text of the abstract should be set off as a separate paragraph, again right-hand justified. The abstract should contain the objectives, materials and methods that were used, the main results, as well as the most relevant conclusions. It must be written without indentations, and no references should be included. Scientific names must be written in italics or cursive. It is recommended that the metric system is used for measures, and metric abbreviations are presented. The abstract including the title, authors and addresses, written in both Spanish and English, must not exceed one page with at least 2.5 cm margins on all sides. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 07:21:48 MST From: Paul K Anderson Subject: Re: ATOC Kauai Draft EIS In-Reply-To: <9502060804.AA43408(\)acs7.acs.ucalgary.ca>; from "Automatic digest p The public comment period for the Kauai DEIS has been extended to 9 March. Copies are available from Ms. Cindy Rogers, ATOC Project Office (619) 534-5671. Written comments should be mailed to: Mr. Clayton H. Spikes, ARPA Contractor Representative, Marine Acoustics Inc., 4 Crystal Park, Suite 901, Arlington, VA 22202, and a copy sent to: Mr Roy Schaefer, Dept. of Land and Natural Resources, P. O. Box 621, Honolulu, Hawaii 96809. Hearing dates and locations are: 9 Feb. 6 p. m. War Memorial Hall, 4191 Hardy St. Lihue, Hawaii; 10 Feb. 6 p. m. at Mabel Smythe Auditorium, 510 S. Beretania St., Honolulu. Further info, contact Mr. Eugene Nitta, NMFS, Honolulu (808)973-2987. It's an important issue, whether you are inclined to believe ATOC is harmless or not MARMAM readers should keep themselves informed and comment according to their conclusions. Cheers: Paul Anderson ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 00:19:52 -0800 From: Parrot Head Subject: NSF MARINE SCIENCE SHORT COURSE 1995 (fwd) National Science Foundation Marine Science Short Course June 10 - 25, 1995 The University of San Diego (USD) and Grossmont College (GC) are now taking applications for the Summer 1995 National Science Foundation Marine Science Short Course. This course offers full-time 2- and 4- year college instructors of undergraduate classes with marine science content the opportunity to update and enhance instruction. Participants will be selected primarily on the basis of the potential impact the information they receive will have on undergraduate marine science instruction. Course applicants most able to benefit from the Short Course will be those with a sound background in the natural sciences, especially biology, zoology, physical geography, geology, chemistry, physics, or meteorology, and who demonstrate enthusiasm for teaching undergraduates. Short Course activities will include: oceanographic data collection at sea with subsequent laboratory data reduction and analysis; field studies in local estuarine habitats, nearshore shallow water environments, sandy and rocky shore habitats; field studies of exemplary paleomarine facies; presentation of specific media aids (including Internet and CD-ROM), laboratory exercises, teaching techniques, and aspects of textbook selection; visits to marine science teaching and research institutions in San Diego and Mexico; and tours of selected commercial/industrial and government marine operations. A schedule of events will be published as lecturers and facilities are confirmed. Approximately three nights per week, guest speakers and other activities will be presented: - Coastal Processes and Tectonic Control of the San Diego Coastline (Shannon O'Dunn, GC) - Ocean Acoustic Tomography - 3D images of ocean currents and temperatures (Dr. Peter Worcester, SIO). - WOCE - World Ocean Circulation Experiment (Dr. Lynee Talley, SIO). - Hydrothermal Vents (Drs. Robert Hessler and Jeff Stein, SIO). - Sea Floor Topography from Satellite Derived Gravity anomaly Data (Dr. Davide Sandwell, SIO). - Marine Policy and Law of the Sea (Doriane Greene, USD). - Evaluation of Salt Marsh and Wetlands Mitigation Efforts (Dr. Joy Zedler, SDSU). - Stress Effects on Dolphins in Tuna Purse Seines (Dr. Al Myrick, NMFS). - The Influence of Circulation in the North Atlantic on Paleoclimate and climate change (Dr. Sarah Gray, USD). - Gray Whale Physiology (Dr. James Sumich, GC) - Reconstructing Paleoecology and Paleoclimate (Dr. Tom Demere, SD Natural History Museum). - The Ocean Drilling Program - Past and Future (Dr. Audrey Meyer, Mira Costa CC). - Kelp Forest Ecology and Commericial Utilization of Kelp (Dale Glanz, KELCO). - Migrating Shore Birds (Dr. Joe Jehl, Sea World-Hubbs Research Institute). ++++Other presentations will be added as lecturers are confirmed++++++ Participants will be housed in modern apartment style dormitories at University of San Diego, and use the dining and recreation facilities (pool, weight room, tennis courts, track) on campus. Funding covers all instructional costs, room and board. Participants are responsible for travel costs to and from San Diego, plus all personal expenses. For computer users, updated information and application forms will be posted for downloading on University of San Diego's "gopher" system. Use gopher commands as follows: At your internet prompt type gopher GOPHER.ACUSD.EDU Choose the following directories under each directory listing: 3. USD - Campus-Wide Information System/ 7. Resources grouped by discipline/ 6. Marine and Environmental Studies/ 11. NSF Oceanogram/ 1. NSF Short Course Schedule 2. NSF Short Course Application FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: Dr. Anne Sturz, Project Director Marine and Environmental Studies Program University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 (619) 260-4096 E-Mail: ASTURZ(\)TEETOT.ACUSD.EDU Shannon O'Dunn, Project Co-Director Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District 8800 Grossmont College Drive El Cajon, CA 92020 (619) 465-1700 ext. 313 Charles S. Harding, Editor OCEANOGRAM See address below. | --O-- | | Charles S. Harding U U DDDD harding(\)teetot.acusd.edu U U D D Marine and Environmental Studies Program U U SSDS D University of San Diego UUUUUS DDDD 5998 Alcala Park SSS San Diego, CA 92110 S SS S S S SSSSS ______________________________________________________________________________ /> / | / | ___________/ |_________ / \__ ____/ \ /______ O \ \____ \___/ | \ | \____\ /_________/------ | \ | \ | \ | /\ |\ \ | / \ | \ \| / \| \ / ____/ \_ | \/ \| ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 13:18:54 -0800 From: Anne Marie Malley Subject: Sea Otter Carcasses The California Sea Otter Stranding Network has available Sea Otter carcasses and/or parts. Shipping costs paid in most cases. Please contact: California Department of Fish and Game Christine Pattison 213 Beach Street Morro Bay, CA 93442 (805) 772-1135 (805) 772-7569 no e-mail ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 09:23:20 -0800 From: Jim Moore Subject: Re GALAPAGOS PROBLEM Several days ago there was a message circulated RE ongoing problems with the sea cucumber fishery in the Galapagos and the possibility that it represents a real danger to the terrestrial ecosystems there. Esther Schrader, Mexico City Bureau Chief for Knight Ridder newspapers, is interested in the story and hopes to go to the Galapagos to look into the situation. To justify doing so, she needs to get in touch with anyone who has either direct knowledge of the ongoing problem, or with scientists who know the islands well and can give her background on such things as where the settlements are, what species are listed as endangered, what the specific scientific/conservation value of the islands is. To be timely, she needs to get this information ASAP, hopefully today (Monday, 6 Feb). If you can help, please contact her directly at Esthermex(\)aol.com or by phone at 011-525-554-4613 and 011-525-554-9804. cheers Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 17:23:15 -1000 From: Stacy Braslau-Schneck Subject: Whaleparts for education? Greetings, Marmamers, Does anyone know where one (in particular, a US citizen) could legally obtain whale part specimins for an educational display? In particular, baleen, a vertebra or other whale bone, preserved krill? This is for educational purposes, of course. Thanks again, Stacy ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 15:08:38 PST From: "Sam H. Ridgway" Subject: Re: rescuing free-swimming cetaceans in distress - a purpose of st Robin, You bring up a good question that I have wondered about often as various notes have been posted on MARMAM about whales or dolphins being driven back to sea. It seems that any animal that is towed, hauled, shooed, driven, or herded back to sea is counted as rescued. In some of these cases, I have wondered if this is the correct or humane thing to do. I especially remember a case reported recently of a baby sperm whale being towed out to sea after stranding. Given the resources available at the time, this may have been the best that could be done, however, a baby sperm whale that stranded and was kept for 8 days in an aquarium in galveston yielded considerable scientific information including auditory assessment and sound production information as well as anatomy which is still being processed. In 1964, I encountered a young Lagenorhynchus swimming aimlessly in a boat harbor. It appeared emaciated so one of our divers jumped in and caught it. It died by the next day but the necropsy yielded interesting information about the severe forestomach ulcers it suffered and the fluke ova in its brain [(1965) Ridgway, S.H. and D.G. Johnston. Two interesting disease cases in wild cetaceans. Am. J. Vet. Res., 26:(112)771-775]. There is no question that this animal would have died at least as soon had it been towed out to sea to serve as shark food or left in the harbor! It appears to me that the Manning River whale incident was handled very well and furnished considerable new information, and, in the end the whale was rescued as far as I know. Your indident with the harbor porpoise seems well justified to me. I guess the problem is that NMFS, under the regulations promulgated under the law, has no specific way of handling this situation. I think that you should work with NMFS and the networks to solve this problem. I recently received a 5-year marine mammal research permit for doing audiograms on several species of "accidentally beached/entrapped" whales and to administer medical treatment to such animals in the process. My funding has been held up, so, I have not yet exercised this permit, however, getting a permit is one way to handle your situation. Who knows, it is a rare happening but it might happen again. Cheers, Sam Ridgway ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 16:15:21 GMT+0200 From: Vic Cockcroft Organization: University of Port Elizabeth Subject: Re: Cephalopods in the diet of walrus For a review of the importance of cephalopods in the diet of seals and walrus, a colleague is trying to find information on whether walrus take cephalopods. Has anyone any information re: this? I'd be grateful if anyone has any info, published or not, for due recognition and credit of course!!! (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) Dr. V.G. Cockcroft Centre for Dolphin Studies Port Elizabeth Museum & University of Port Elizabeth P.O. Box 13147 Humewood 6013 South Africa Telephone 27 + 41 + 561051 Telefax 27 + 41 + 562175 (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Feb 1995 15:53:40 -1000 From: John Henderson Subject: Re: rescuing free-swimming cetaceans in distress - a purpose of strandi In-Reply-To: <9502040025.AA24791(\)honlab.nmfs.hawaii.edu> On Fri, 3 Feb 1995, Robin Baird wrote: > Greetings, > > I would appreciate any feedback from individuals involved in or > coordinating cetacean stranding networks in the U.S. or elsewhere, on a > fairly controversial issue. [account of capturing harbour porpoise being harassed by Lags deleted...] > ... I would just like to find out whether individuals > in/coordinators of stranding networks elsewhere have ever encountered such > a situation (i.e., capturing a free-swimming animal because its condition > or probability of survival was judged to be extremely poor, and likely > with a greater chance of survival if taken in for rehabilitation)? > Robin, This goes back about 15 years, but... I was stranding coordinator for San Diego County (and worked for NMFS in La Jolla), and we once had occasion to rescue an animal when it was still in "deep water". Our offices overlooked the Pacific, and a group of Tursiops regularly frequented the area, swimming up and down the coast just outside the surf line. One day we noticed a lone adult Tursiops swimming listlessly, barely moving. This animal was present all day, and when we returned to work the following day, it was still there, even more listless. A surfer even paddled out and touched the animal, which made no effort to swim away. At that point we alerted Sea World (who handled live strandings) that a stranding was imminent, and that they should begin mobilizing. Sea World queried, if the animal was going to strand anyway, could they capture it BEFORE it hit the beach? (thereby avoiding complications such as, e.g. sand in the blowhole/lungs, physical trauma, etc.). AFTER CONSULTING WITH NMFS ENFORCEMENT, I gave the go-ahead for them to capture it. Long story short...they captured it from a boat (virtually no struggle on part of the animal), but the animal died 2 hrs later as the boat was entering Mission Bay near Sea World. [more deleted...] > The strict definition of a stranded animal under the MMPA is >something like an animal in water too shallow to be able to return to its >normal habitat. Considering its age (it still had fetal folds), its >condition (with the dolphins and not its mother), and its location (off >the west side of San Juan Island about 4 nautical miles from the nearest >habitat where harbour porpoises are regularly found), I considered the >porpoise to be unable to return to an area where harbour porpoise are >regularly found. The only difference from the definition of stranded >marine mammal provided by NMFS is water depth. I acted believing that the >actions were undertaken in accordance with one of the purposes of the >stranding network, that is, "the assistance and rehabilitation of sick or >injured animals". > Anyway, after being formally cited by NMFS enforcement for violating > the MMPA, I'm wondering what the regional and national coordinators of > stranding networks in the U.S. (and other interested parties) think about > this issue, and whether some sort of explicit guidelines for how such > matters should be dealt with in the future are warranted, just to avoid > formal action being taken for other people in similar situations? > > Two points: 1) If the MMPA provides a definition of "stranding" as you have written, it sounds as if there has been an effort to clear up the "grey area" of what constitutes a stranding, and NMFS enforcement may have had little choice in your instance (note, I am NOT in enforcement!). However, you would think there would be some room for flexibility and adjustment based on particular circumstances. 2) More importantly, you said you had "discussed" the incident with the Northwest Regional Stranding Coordinator for the S.J. Islands prior to picking up the animal. What did the coordinator say?? Did s/he approve?? The reason this is important is that, assuming the NW Stranding Network works like most U.S. networks, the coordinators are authorized by NMFS (or may even be NMFS employees), and your coordinator should have had some authority to make the decision. If the decision is "wrong" (as interpreted by enforcement), then the coordinator and NMFS Northwest Region need to clarify procedures. But I wouldn't think the citation would come down on you, acting in good faith on the recommendation of the coordinator. Of course, if the coordinator recommended AGAINST capture and you went ahead anyway, well...I guess you're on your own. As far as recommendations for other people in similar circumstances, when in doubt, check with NMFS or the (NMFS authorized) stranding coordinator. However, perhaps this incident and resulting forum will prompt the networks/coordinators to come up with some protocols BEFORE the next event. John Henderson NMFS Honolulu jhenders(\)honlab.nmfs.hawaii.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 22:18:00 -0800 From: Frederick Sharpe Subject: Re: rescuing free-swimming cetaceans in distress - a purpose of In-Reply-To: <199502032356.PAA07120(\)whistler.sfu.ca> from "Robin Baird" at Feb 3, 95 03:46:56 pm Robin, I think the National Marine Fisheries Service acted appropriately issuing a citation for the removal of the live neonate harbor porpoise. Interspecific harrasment events between marine mammal species should not be grounds for human intervention and removal. It is probably true that harbor porpoises are not a regular dietary item of white-sided dolphins. However, the two species may compete for the same food resources, and harrasment such as this may not be a rare event between marine predators. It is not appropriate to compare the removal of this porpoise to human assistance provided to stranded cetaceans. Most beached cetaceans are assisted back into deeper water, they are not taken into captivity. How often do behavioral researchers carry the necessary equipment in their vessels to enguage in humane live capture opperations? I completely agree with you that studies on declining harbor porpoise populations in northern Puget Sound are in order. However, a captive reared animal would not be the appropriate recipient of a tracking device, as its ranging and association patterns may be quite different from the wild reared animals you wish to study. Sincerly, Fred Sharpe Simon Fraser University fsharpe(\)sfu.ca PS If you need to borrow some funds for your citation, give me a call. Otherwise I suggest you set a good example and take your medicine. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 12:12:01 -0400 encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Undetermined origin c/o Postmaster Subject: Re: Cephalopods in the diet of walrus In-Reply-To: <01HMSZF78ANM000U4Q(\)BIONET.bio.dfo.ca> Kathy Fisher examined stomachs of 107 walrus from Foxe Basin, NWT, Canada in July 1987 and 1988. She found food in only 19. None contained identifiable cephalopod remains. See: Fisher, K. I. 1989. Food habits and digestive efficiency in walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, MSc thesis, University of Manitoba, 88 p Rob Stewart Department of Fisheries and Oceans Winnipeg, Canada stewart(\)wpgdfo.wpg.dfo.ca ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 14:12:21 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: Rescuing Free-Swimming Animals (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 08 Feb 95 11:05:25 EST From: Dean Wilkinson Although I am unable to address the specifics of the incident you related, I can address some of the policy questions you raised. The definition of stranded animals precludes free swimming animlas for a reason totally unrelated to the issue of whether nature should take its course. It is related to both human safety and the safety of animals. Few of the stranding network participants have the equipment or experience necessary to attempt such an operation. The most common situation we encounter is a whale entangled in fishing gear. The last thing that we need is to have someone killed in a rescue attempt. Under section 109(h) of the MMPA, however, a Federal or State employee or an individual authorized for the activity may intervene to protect the health or welfare of an individual marine mammal. In the case of non-stranding situations, authority has been delegated to the NMFS Regional Offices because they are more likely to be familiar with local resources and the qualifications of local responders and because such situations often require timely action that is not likely to occur if it has to work its way to the National Office. As an example of such actions, our Northeast Region has issued a specific authorization to the Center for Coastal Studies to respond to whale entanglements. In the situation you described, the Northwest Region could have issued an authorization. I do not know if they were contacted before a rescue attempt was made, or, if they were contacted, why they made a decision not to rescue the porpoise. It could well have been not to interfere with natural processes--a philosophical discussion that you indicated that you did not want to start. I hope that this at least explains our policy and procedures. If you have any questions exclusive of the specific incident, please contact me. It would also be worth mentioning to the individual from Simon Fraser University that most stranded cetaceans are _not_ guided to deeper water and in most instances it is an inappropriate response--the exception being in certain mass strandings. One of the problems we have experienced is well-meaning individuals pushing singly stranded animals off the beach when they are in need of medical attention. As a rule, all animals should be medically evaluated by qualified members of the stranding network before any action is taken. Dean Wilkinson National Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 17:26:35 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: `FREE WILLY' KILLER WHALE MOVING TO OREGON, EVENTUAL FREEDOM 07-Feb-95 12:53 pm Regular International `FREE WILLY' KILLER WHALE MOVING TO OREGON, EVENTUAL FREEDOM By Alina Guerrero of The Associated Press Mexico City, Feb 6 AP - This time he has a reason to leap. Keiko, the killer whale made famous by the film Free Willy, is heading toward a new home in Oregon and eventual freedom, his owners announced today. The Reino Aventura amusement park where Keiko has lived for the past decade signed an agreement donating the 3.5 tonnes mammal to the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, which plans to eventually free him in waters off Iceland after a rehabilitation period at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. The amusement park said the 15-year-old whale, captured off Iceland at age two, has performed for some 12 million visitors over the past 10 years. Efforts to free him have been under way since the Warner Bros film was released in 1993. ``Keiko will be the only captive orca whale that doesn't have to do shows or perform,'' David Phillips, director of the foundation, said at a news conference today. The foundation plans to move him in November. In many ways, Keiko is like a typical human teenager -- he's got skin problems, has grown (to 6.4m) and now wants a girlfriend. ``He requires more space, different conditions and also a companion,'' said Oscar Porter, director of Reino Aventura. Porter said the park had ``received letters and proposals of aid from all over the world''. He said it waited until receiving ``an absolute guarantee'' that conditions in the killer whale's new home would be adequate. Philips said the entire project would cost more than $US9 million ($NZ14.16 million) over four years and include Keiko's ``relocation, rehabilitation, possible mating, possible liberation and investigations into the whereabouts of the family of Keiko.'' That includes funds to build a $US2 million ($NZ3.14 million) 7.6-million-litre tank at the Oregon aquarium. Experts said Keiko needs to be trained gradually for life at sea -- weaned, for example, from eating dead fish to eating live ones. ``Keiko, who has passed all his life away from the sea, would encounter serious difficulties feeding himself, caring for himself and surviving by himself in a hostile environment,'' Porter said. So far, the foundation has collected about $US4 million ($NZ6.29 million), including $US2 million ($NZ3.14 million) from Warner Bros and New Regency Productions, creators of Free Willy. The money raised so far includes $US800 from 60 students at Sam Case Elementary School in Newport, who conducted a letter-writing campaign and saved pennies. They began sending letters in December to prominent businessmen and individuals, including President Bill Clinton. Clinton sent no money, but praised the children for their efforts. Singer Jimmy Buffett sent $US500 ($NZ786.78). Further fundraising efforts will be tied to a movie sequel due for release next summer. AP bs ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 14:25:56 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: Volunteer position available in La Paz, Mexico A volunteer position is available, working with the marine mammal group at the Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. This position entails a combination of field work on local marine mammals, primarily blue and brydes whales and bottlenose dolphins, and laboratory work (including dark room work, data analysis, etc). Other species of cetaceans that we may be working with or could expect to see in the area at that time include long-beaked common dolphins, short-finned pilot whales, fin whales, humpback whales, sperm whales, and dwarf sperm whales. Approximately 40% of the time would be devoted to field work (2 days per week) and 60% to lab work (3 days per week). The position is available immediately, and lasts until May 1995. Room and board expenses will have to be covered by the individual, but living in La Paz is fairly inexpensive (accomodation can be found for $150 U.S. per month or less). Individuals should be able to speak some spanish. Experience with dark room techniques, photography, IBM computers, and small boat handling are desirable. Please contact either myself at rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca or Diane Gendron at dgendron(\)vmredipn.ipn.mx Robin ====================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Research Group Current address: P.O. Box 6244 Centro Interdisciplinario de Victoria, B.C. Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR) V8P 5L5 Canada APDO. Postal 476 y 592, La Paz Phone 604-380-1925 B.C.S., C.P. 23000, Mexico Fax 604-380-1206 Phone 52-112-25344 or -25366 E-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca Fax 52-112-25322 ====================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 12:33:04 PST From: Shazzam45(\)aol.com Subject: Third Annual Whales Alive Conference Resolutions ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- General Resolution Celebration ofWhales/Whales Alive Conference January 26-29, 1995, Wailea, Maui, Hawaii The Participants of the Third Annual Whales Alive Conference at their meeting on January 26-29 in Wailea, Hawaii urge that (1) All governments strongly oppose any resumption of commercial whaling, and any actions by the International Whaling Commission to overturn the current commercial whaling moratorium; and (2) That higher priority be given to the conservation,protection,and restoration of whales and their endangered ocean ecosystems;and (3) That international efforts be expanded to confront pirate whaling and the illegal trade in whale meat; and (4) That whalewatching be encouraged and promoted as a benign way of educating people about the value of whales and their environment; and as providing a platform for non-lethal research;and (5) That the International Whaling Commission be urged to give continuing consideration to whalewatching and other "non-consumptive" uses as constituting the "optimum utilization"of the whale resources of the world. (6) And call upon individual nations to provide enforcement measures in the Southern and Indian Oceans Sanctuaries whenever economically and technically possible. # # # Whales Alive Resolution on ATOC The participants of the Third Annual Whales Alive Conference, January 26-29, 1995, at Wailea, Maui, hereby express our concern that the proposed Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate ("ATOC") program and associated Marine Mammal Research Program present unacceptable risks to marine mammals and the ocean environment. Particularly in view of the lack of knowledge about the efforts of low frequency sound on marine mammals and other ocean inhabitants, and the potentially disastrous effects on those animals and the marine ecosystems of the sound transmissions contemplated by the ATOC project, we call on Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Advanced Research Projects Agency, National Marine Fisheries Service, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, and all others associated with the ATOC project to scrupulously follow the letter and spirit of all applicable environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. At a minimum, a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement that thoroughly analyzes all alternatives to ATOC as a means of measuring global climate changes, and analyzes the environmental impacts of such alternatives, must be prepared and subjected to public comment and hearing before any work associated with or funded by ATOC proceeds. Furthermore, knowing that there are currently technologies in place that measure the Ocean climate and that it is agreed that Global Warming exists, we suggest that the 35 million dollar budget proposed for ATOC be better utilized toward efforts to stop the causes of global warming. Hereby resolved by the participants on January 29,1995. # # # Environmental Threats Resolution---Whales Alive! January 29,1995 We, the particpants of the third annual Whales Alive Conference, note with serious concern the immense pressures the fragile marine environment and cetaceans inhabiting it are under. We are concerned with the indirect threats facing cetaceans and how these threats may be adversely affecting our whales, dolphins and porpoises. Knowledge, quantification and analysis of these threats, and their effects on cetaceans, is extremely limited at this time both in the scientific and potential worlds. However, we note with urgency the following: - Loss of habitat and food sources due to overfishing - Chemical,toxic and pesticidal waste and contamination - Ozone depletion - Global warming - Incidental entanglement and mortality in fishing gear - Noise pollution - Vessel traffic - Debris - Oil spills We believe that the manner in which these threats are now increasingly showing to negatively affect cetaceans worldwide, should be regarded as actual direct takes of cetaceans and tha the international scientific and political communities must apply the precautionary principle when attempting to co-exist with these animals. We are also growing increasingly concerned with the documented serious implications for human health as consumption of cetacean products have been reported to directly affect immune, nervous and reproductive systems in humans and call for serious attention to be paid to this issue. # # # # ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 12:48:13 PST From: John Daggan <76256.1755(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Request for Information ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hello, folks. I'm sending these questions on behalf of my nine-year-old son, who someday would like to be a marine biologist. He would like to know what kind of schooling he would need to become a marine biologist. What kind of classes should he take in high school? What major should he take in college? Should he go to graduate school? What are the best schools for marine biologists? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Please send your responses to me at 76256.1755(\)compuserve.com. Thank you very much. John Daggan ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 12:57:33 PST From: Earth Island Institute Subject: ATOC EIS ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The following document is a set of comments on the draft EIS for the ATOC project. It was prepared by the law firm of Heller Ehrman for Earth Island Institute, Natural Resources Defense Council, the Marine Mammal Fund, and Coastal Advocates. Please read it, comment on it, and cross post to any other lists you think relevant. This is an 18 page document. Thank you Clayton H. Spikes Advanced Research Projects Agency Monday, February 6, 1995 Page 1 Monday, February 6, 1995 98480-0005 (415) 772-6722 Advanced Research Projects Agency c/o Clayton H. Spikes Marine Acoustics, Inc. Four Crystal Park, Suite 901 2345 Crystal Drive Arlington, Virginia 22202 Campus Planning Office University of California, San Diego 108 Administrative Complex, 0006 La Jolla, CA 92093 Re: Comments on Draft Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report for the California Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate Project To Whom it May Concern: On behalf of our clients, Natural Resources Defense Council, Earth Island Institute, Marine Mammal Fund, and Coastal Advocates, we submit the following comments regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report for the California Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate Project: GENERAL COMMENTS A. Inadequate Time for Public Review and Comments. On December 2, 1994, the Advanced Research Projects Agency ("ARPA"), the National Marine Fisheries Service ("NMFS"), and the University of California, San Diego ("UCSD") submitted for public review and comment a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report ("DEIS/EIR") for the California component of the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate Project ("ATOC"). This document, including well-over 300 pages of text and tables, was produced after over eight months of intense effort by Scripps Institute of Oceanography ("Scripps"), ARPA, NMFS, and the other cooperating agencies. Despite repeated requests for an extension of the public comment period up to and including March 2, 1995, these requests were refused in clear violation of the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. $ 4371 et seq. ("NEPA") and the California Environmental Quality Act, Cal. Pub. Resources Code $ 21000 et seq. ("CEQA"). "Public participation is an essential part of the CEQA process." CEQA Guidelines ("Guidelines") $ 15201. "Comments are an integral part of the EIR." Sutter Sensible Planning Inc. v. Board of Supervisors,122 Cal. App.3d 813, 820, 176 Cal. Rptr. 342 (3d Dist. 1981); see also 40 C.F.R. $ 1506.6 (regarding EIS). In accordance with the mandate of NEPA and CEQA, such an extension would have contributed to a greater level of public understanding of the ATOC project -- a project that has generated an almost unprecedented level of public concern. Instead, the January 31, 1995 deadline offered just sixty-one days in which to review this highly technical and complex document which purports to cover federal NEPA requirements, state CEQA requirements, federal Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act permit requirements and various additional state and local permitting requirements. It is clearly unreasonable to expect the public to review, digest, evaluate and comment on such a multi-facetted scientific document in such a short period of time, especially where a significant portion of that period included the year-end holiday season. Given the extraordinary public interest in the ATOC project and the significant scientific controversy that surrounds it, the small extension of the public comment period to January 31, 1995, was simply insufficient. Therefore, we submit these comments without having had sufficient time to thoroughly and comprehensively review and comment on the DEIS/EIR. B. Inadequate Project Description. The project description is confusing and misleading. As such, the alternatives analysis is skewed to favor the proposed project. If correctly evaluated, most of the alternatives clearly demonstrate reduced adverse impacts as well as the ability to achieve the project goals as they should be indicated. C. Disorganization. The DEIS/EIR is disorganized and intentionally confusing. The admitted and expressly stated negative impacts of the proposed project are scattered throughout the DEIS/EIR rather than clearly stated and cumulatively evaluated. D. Inadequate Evaluation of Cumulative Impacts. The treatment of cumulative impacts is inadequate. E. Inadequate Alternatives Analysis. The alternatives analysis is subjective and unsupported by data or evidence in he record. F. Inadequate Impacts Analysis. The document fails to identify and adequately address the very real concerns regarding the effectiveness and prudence of conducting such a complex and highly speculative scientific research project, especially given its potential impact on the most protected and sacred marine resources in the world -- the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. G. Permitting. ATOC is not "scientific research on marine mammals" as defined in the Marine Mammal Protection Act, 16 U.S.C. $ 1361 et seq. ("MMPA"), and the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. $ 1531 et seq. ("ESA"), but rather a proposed study on global climate changes. DEIS/EIR at 1-3. Therefore, under the MMPA, this project should be permitted, if at all, under the incidental take permit requirements. H. The DEIS/EIR Is Not An Objective and Neutral Evaluation of the Proposed Project. The DEIS/EIR must be a neutral explanation of the project and its potential impacts. 40 C.F.R. $ 1502.1. Furthermore, NEPA procedures must ensure that environmental information is available to public officials and citizens before decisions are made and before actions are taken." 40 C.F.R. $ 1500.1(b)(emphasis added). In contrast, the DEIS/EIR is skewed in favor of the proposed project. For example, under the guise of offering "clarification and explanation," a substantial portion of the Executive Summary is devoted to summarily discounting the very real concerns regarding the potential harm to the marine environment -- as a true adversarial piece. This argumentative section is entirely inappropriate for this document and therefore should be taken out. See DEIS/EIR at ES-5. Moreover, in violation of the NEPA process, it appears that the certain phases of the project have already begun. See 40 C.F.R. $ 1602.2(f),(g) (Agencies shall not commit resources prejudicing selection of alternatives before making a final decision.; EIS's shall serve as the means of assessing the environmental impact proposed agency actions, rather than justify actions already made). For example, a section of the sea cable has already been laid, a permit was issued for the vertical line array installation, and Phase I of the MMRP Pilot Study has begun. I. Ill-Defined and Inadequate Mitigation Measures. Each proposed mitigation measure must be shown to be feasible and effective. The reason for adopting mitigation measures is to "substantially lessen or avoid" significant adverse environmental impacts. Cal. Pub. Res. Code $ 21002. The agency must also adopt a "reporting or monitoring program" designed to "ensure [mitigation] compliance during project implementation." Cal. Pub. Res. Code $ 21081.6(a)(1). Measures derived from the current project description (as submitted in the revised permit application) are not properly determined "mitigation" measures. In the alternatives section, the agencies shall "[i]nclude mitigation measures not already included in the proposed action or alternatives. 40 C.F.R. $ 1502.14(f). Therefore, nearly every "mitigation measure" proposed in the DEIS/EIR is not properly labelled such. For example, Mitigation Measures A-1 through A-5 are already included in the proposed action. See DEIS/EIR at ES-15- 18. Similarly, other so-called "mitigation measures" cited throughout the DEIS/EIR are nothing more than elements of the project description itself. See, e.g., DEIS/EIR at 2- 41. When properly evaluated, the DEIS/EIR proposes only five mitigation measures and not a single mitigation monitoring plan, as required under the law. The failure to include mitigation measure monitoring plans leaves unanswered questions regarding the implementation of such measures. For example, with regard to Mitigation Measure 2-2, how will the MMRP be coordinated with other oceanographic and acoustic research efforts? What other activities, including U.S. Navy activities, will be conducted? Are other activities currently permitted? Specifically how will scheduling and operational conflicts be avoided? There is a long list of ongoing research and education projects set forth at pages 3-72 and 73, how will the potential interference or conflicts with these ongoing activities be avoided? SPECIFIC COMMENTS Executive Summary The executive summary must include each significant effect with proposed mitigation measures and alternatives that would reduce or avoid that effect. Guidelines $ 15123. This section fails to fulfill CEQA's clear requirement by only stating that there are "twenty potential impacts." Even assuming this number is correct, these 20 impacts must be listed and each proposed mitigation measure must include an explanation of how it will mitigate the potential impact. The Executive Summary fails to adequately fulfill this requirement. No comments regarding information in the text, summarized in the executive summary, will be raised here. All such comments will be addressed under each individual section, unless already fully discussed under general comments. ES-4: The Areas of Concern must be more clearly and thoroughly addressed. This section lists only three concerns generated by this proposed project, and fails to adequately address them. First, the impact of the ATOC sound on marine animals, including mammals and sea turtles, is not addressed by reducing the transmission time if, as admitted, there is "insufficient" knowledge as to the impact of the ATOC sound on these animals. This concern is not alleviated by adding the MMRP, as that program is unlikely to generate statistically useful data. In any event, there is no indication that the results of the MMRP will be used to determine whether ATOC should go forward. Similarly, concerns regarding the use of alternative technologies and preservation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary ("the Sanctuary") are inadequately evaluated here and throughout the DEIS/EIR. See, infra at 10-13, 18-20. This section should be more fully developed to adequately address these concerns. ES-6-10: Why is such a large part of this "summary" devoted to the ATOC sound impact comparisons when, in fact, the ultimate conclusion of this DEIS/EIR is that the impacts are "unknown"? What is the basis for comparing sounds produced under water with sounds produced in air? ES-8: How was the estimate one whale will be exposed to ATOC "less than once every hundred years" statistically derived? What purpose will be served by conducting the blue whale tagging experiment and passive acoustic data collection efforts as part of the MMRP? 1 - Introduction, Purpose and Need for Action The project description must be accurate and consistent throughout an EIR. "An accurate, stable and finite project description is the sine qua non of an informative and legally sufficient EIR." County of Inyo v. City of Los Angeles, 71 Cal. App. 3d 185, 193, 139 Cal. Rptr. 396 (3d Dist. 1977); see also Guidelines $ 15124 (Discussion). "Only through an accurate view of the project may affected outsiders and public decision-makers balance the proposal's benefits against its environmental costs, consider mitigation measures, assess the advantage of terminating the proposal (i.e. the "no project" alternative) and weigh other alternatives in the balance." County of Inyo, supra, 71 Cal. App. 3d at 192-93. As discussed below, the inaccurate and unstable project description in the DEIS/EIR is legally inadequate. 1.1 The ATOC Project Scope of Project. NMFS and ARPA have already received numerous letters emphasizing the need to prepare a comprehensive programmatic environmental impact statement evaluating the cumulative environmental impacts of the ATOC Program as a whole. In particular, these letters have emphasized that the ATOC project lawfully cannot be parcelled into separate projects for purposes of evaluating the environmental impacts of each of these related projects in isolation. (See e.g. June 15, 1994 letter from Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe; April 14, April 29, May, 6, May 14, November 4, and November 7, 1994 letters from Sierra Club Legal Defense Club, Inc.; March 17 and March 21, 1994 letters from Natural Resources Defense Council). Under the law, NMFS and ARPA must prepare a comprehensive programmatic EIS that evaluates the cumulative impacts of the ATOC Program before any significant aspect of the program is implemented, and before resources are irrevocably committed. The DEIS/EIR, as currently drafted, does not satisfy this requirement. In their efforts to avoid evaluating the environmental impacts of the ATOC Program as a whole, the entire DEIS/EIR is limited to only a six-month Marine Mammal Research Program ("MMRP"), designed to test the impact of the ATOC Low Frequency Sound ("LFS") on marine animals, and a two-year, California- based "proof-of-concept" study of the ATOC program. The numerous other locations which have been proposed for ATOC-related projects, including Hawaii and New Zealand, cannot lawfully be excluded from the DEIS/EIR. Moreover, the full extent of the proposed ATOC project cannot be ignored. The DEIS/EIR itself states, "If successful, a ten-year follow-on global ATOC program would be proposed. . ." DEIS/EIR at Abstract. The goal of ATOC is "proving the acoustic thermometry concept for future global ocean climate monitoring programs." DEIS/EIR at ES-3. Three new hydrophone receiver arrays will be installed -- near New Zealand, near Pt. Sur and south of Adak, Alaska, combined with 10 drifting receivers that will be deployed along selected transmission paths. DEIS/EIR at ES-2. "This initial phase should demonstrate that it is possible to construct and operate an international network capable of detecting and characterizing ocean climate change." DEIS/EIR at 1-20. Therefore, this ten year project, the possible international/global system, as well as the ATOC-related projects proposed in other locations, are clearly part of the ATOC program as a whole and, as such, are foreseeable, potential environmental impacts of the "proof-of-concept" study. Accordingly, the potential environmental impacts of the entire ATOC project must be evaluated in a single programmatic EIS/EIR. For example, no consideration of the New Zealand and Alaska hydrophone arrays exists in this document, let alone the cumulative impacts of these projects. Moreover, what criteria will be used to determine the location of the 10 drifting receivers? Are there any possible environmental impacts of choosing such a location, and any mitigating factors that should be applied? Until and unless the project is properly defined and a proper environmental impacts evaluation is drafted, the implementation of any aspect of the ATOC project will be in violation of both NEPA and CEQA. This obligation cannot be avoided by alleging that a programmatic EIS may be "too speculative" or subject to "several key uncertainties." DEIS/EIR at 1-20, 1-21, ES-3. If speculative and baseless, why was the full 10-year ATOC experiment part of Scripps' initial permit application submitted to NMFS? See Research Permit P557A at 25. Only when faced with drafting an EIS/EIR did Scripps reduced this project to a two-year California- only phase. The agencies' attempt to avoid its statutory and regulatory duties by misrepresenting the full scope of the proposed project is unseemly and patently unlawful. Moreover, each of the smaller ATOC- related projects, including the recent Acoustic Engineering Test, which have improperly been proposed and conducted outside of the NEPA/CEQA process is a component of the proposed ATOC project. As such, each of these projects will have cumulative impacts when viewed with the other parts of the ATOC Program. See 40 C.F.R. $ 1508.25(a)(2). Cumulative impacts, as closely related, "connected" actions, must be evaluated in a single EIS. Id. Therefore, the impacts of the entire ATOC Program must be fully considered, and alternatives to that program fully explored, in a complete EIS before any components of the ATOC Program are conducted. Such a requirement ensures that before the ATOC program or any of its related projects can be implemented, a determination will be made whether measuring ocean temperature is the most prudent, practicable and feasible method to evaluate global warming and, if so, whether there are less intrusive means than the ATOC project to obtain those measurements. It is just this determination that ARPA, NMFS, UCSD and Scripps apparently seek to avoid. As currently drafted, the DEIS/EIR fails to analyze the proper scope of the ATOC project, and therefore, does not meet the legal requirements for such a document. Military Purpose. The DEIS/EIR fails to disclose the military purpose allegedly associated with the ATOC project. What are the military uses associated with the ATOC project? All potential environmental impacts of these military uses must be evaluated as well as any alternatives to this project which will fulfill such military purposes. Is this funding provided by Department of Defense ("DoD") a dual use or non-military use of DoD's funds? Global Warming. The DEIS/EIR alleges that ATOC "is necessary to validate global climate computer models being used and developed to answer the question whether our earth is warming as a result of the 'greenhouse' effect." DIES/EIR at ES-1, 1-3. The document fails to explain how or why the ATOC data is "necessary," and how such measurements would "validate" other climate models. Without the supporting evidence and explanations, these bare representations fail to inform the public and assist agencies in decision making. Therefore, a full explanation of the "global climate models" should be included in the EIS/EIR, as well as an appendix which includes the models themselves. See 40 C.F.R. $ 1502.24 ("Agencies shall insure that professional integrity, including scientific integrity, of the discussions and analyses in EISs. They shall identify any methodologies used and shall make explicit reference by footnote to the scientific and other sources relied upon for conclusions in the statement.") As currently written, the DEIS/EIR does not explain how the information generated by the ATOC experiment on the deep sea temperature will validate those models. Moreover, the DEIS/EIR proposes that certain computer models of global climate change "have been criticized as inaccurate and oversimplified. Therefore, they have had very little impact on governmental decisions to take action to curb emissions of greenhouse gases." DEIS/EIR at 1-4. It is further proposed that ATOC will fulfill the need for large-scale observations of ocean temperatures so that the models may serve as a persuasive basis for policy formulation. DEIS/EIR at 1-4, 2-46, 2-47. Such baseless statements fail to explain how the results of the ATOC project, even if considered accurate and precise, will result in governmental policy actions to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, if global warming policy changes is a purpose of the ATOC project, then alternatives which will effect such a policy changing result must be included in the EIS/EIR. For example, a very effective means to attain that goal is to direct the millions of dollars devoted to the ATOC design and implementation towards demonstrating that it is economically feasible and scientifically prudent to take action now to abate the global warming problems -- without any further proof of the problems existence. 1.1.2 The Marine Mammal Research Program Determining deep sea ocean temperature, providing information for future global ocean climate monitoring programs, confirming computer models of global climate change, and allegedly affecting government policy determinations regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are wholly unrelated to marine animals or the effects of noise on marine animals. Yet, "the ATOC program recognizes a need to evaluate the potential effects of the proposed source transmissions on marine animals, in particular marine mammals and sea turtles." DEIS/EIR at 1-4. Accordingly, the MMRP was designed for a single purpose -- to evaluate the effects of the ATOC source sound on marine animals. Inexplicably, however, the DEIS/EIR alleges that the MMRP itself will govern the location of the ATOC project -- going so far as to claim that the presence of marine animals is a necessary element of the ATOC project. DEIS/EIR at 1-21. Clearly, to achieve its stated goal of global warming evaluation and governmental policy impact, the ATOC project need not involve the presence of marine animals. Obviously, if located in an area nearly free of marine animals, particularly marine mammals and sea turtles, the possible impacts of the source noise emissions on marine animals would be greatly reduced, if not eliminated. It is the location of the ATOC source which should dictate the parameters (and location) of the MMRP, not visa versa. However, the DEIS/EIR continues to misstate the purpose and goals of the ATOC project. "A goal of these experiments is to evaluate the potential impacts of low frequency sound on marine animals." DEIS/EIR at ES-12. The MMRP was neither a goal nor even a part of the ATOC project prior to the significant public outcry and pressure mandating that ARPA, NMFS and Scripps obey the law and comply with NEPA and CEQA requirements. As admitted in the DEIS/EIR, the MMRP is a last-minute addition to the proposed project, added "in response to the question of potential effects" of low frequency sound on marine animals. DEIS/EIR at 1-4. It is entirely disingenuous to now claim that marine animal research is a part of ATOC. The MMRP is properly labelled a mitigation measure, intended to determine and monitor any adverse impacts of the ATOC source sound on marine animals. See DEIS/EIR at ES-15. The unclear and confusing stated goals of the ATOC project as presented in the DEIS/EIR render the document inadequate and unlawfully insufficient. As presently drafted, the entire alternatives evaluation is fundamentally flawed as it evaluates, as a necessary element of this project, the presence of an abundance of marine animals. Properly analyzed, the alternative site analysis would likely result in very different conclusions. Specifically, siting the ATOC project in the center of the Sanctuary would clearly be unnecessary. 1.1.3 The Acoustic Thermometry Program ES-3, 1-5: In what way will the results of ATOC "support" all facets of future global climate change research planning, and "provide important information for studying global climate questions"? 1-4: How will the ATOC project obtain any data on temporal variation in "large scale observations of ocean temperatures" useful for "comparing with and verifying the predictions of existing climate models"? The ATOC data is limited to the deep sound channel axis only where there is a several year delay in responding to changes in surface temperature. How will this data apply to existing climate models? Can statistically significant data be obtain over a two-year program? If not, then this document must evaluate the ten year program necessary to obtain this information, including all the environmental impacts and alternatives available for such a project. Table 1.1.3-1: This table is misleading and inaccurate; it fails to explain the basis for the sound comparisons, thereby leaving the reader with no understanding of its validity or accuracy. 2.0 Alternatives "This section is the heart of the EIS." 40 C.F.R. $ 1502.14.; see also Grazing Fields Farm v. Goldshmidt, 626 F.2d 1068, 1072 (1st Cir. 1980)(NEPA's "primary procedural mechanism" is the requirement to discuss alternatives in the EIS). An EIS must "[d]evote substantial treatment to each alternative considered in detail including the proposed action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits." 40 C.F.R. $ 1502.14(d). Under CEQA, alternatives must be discussed in "meaningful detail." Laurel Heights Imp. Ass'n v. Un. of Cal., 47 Cal. 3d 376, 406, 253 Cal. Rptr. 426 (1988). Based on Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences sections, this section should present impacts of the proposal and the alternatives in comparative form. Alternatives analysis is crucial to CEQA's mandate that avoidable significant environmental damage be substantially lessened or avoided where feasible. Pub. Res. Code $$ 21100(b)(4), 21002; Guidelines $$ 15002(a)(3); 15021(a)(2), 15126(d). When a project and its objectives are defined too narrowly, an EIR's treatment of alternatives may also be inadequate. In City of Santee v. County of San Diego, 214 Cal. App. 3d 1438, 1455, 263 Cal. Rptr. 340 (4th Dist. 1989), the Court of Appeal determined that based on the administrative record, the proposed project would remain in existence substantially longer than the "temporary" period alleged on the record. The Court determined that construction and operation of the "interim" facility was really the first component of a larger plan to expand the project, and that the agency, therefore, had impermissibly "peicemealed" that larger project. The inadequacy of the project description resulted in inadequate, unduly narrow project alternatives. Similarly here, the California ATOC proposed project is actually the first component of the world-wide ATOC project plan. As such, the project description and the alternatives analysis, among other sections of the DEIS/EIR, are unduly narrow and inadequate. See supra at pp. 6-7 (discussing scope of project). Additionally, the DEIS/EIR incorrectly determines that the MMRP criteria, rather than the ATOC project criteria, will govern the site selection. As a result, every alternative site -- using both stationary source and the moored autonomous source -- is dismissed based on a lack of criteria required for the MMRP. As already discussed, such criteria are unnecessarily imposed and therefore artificially skew the entire DEIS/EIR Alternatives analysis. Proposed Project: 2-3: Where is the discussion of the impacts of these activities? 2-4: What affect will the results of the MMRP have on whether the ATOC project will proceed? 2-14: Why are two sources (and presumably more pathways) necessary? Why are those two sources necessary for the initial two-year, "proof of concept" experiment? 2-15: The MMRP Site Survey Criteria, as discussed above, are wholly irrelevant to the goals of the ATOC project. These criteria are included as a post-hoc justification for a previously chosen site -- the Sanctuary. 2-16: It is inappropriate to allege that aspects of the project are mitigation measures. In any event, the explanation of the variable source numbers and pathways is ill-defined and confusing, especially with regard to how these variables will mitigation impacts. Dismissed Alternatives. "If the agency finds certain alternatives to be infeasible, its analysis must explain in meaningful detail the reasons and facts supporting that conclusion." Marin Municipal Water District v. KG Land Corporation California, 235 Cal. App. 3d 1652, 1664, 1 Cal. Rptr.2d 767 (1st Dist. 1991). A project delay and a lack of development funding is not a valid basis for dismissing an alternative as infeasible or inadequate. Rather, the alternatives discussion must focus on alternatives capable of either eliminating any significant adverse environmental effects or reducing them to a level of insignificance, even if such alternatives would be more costly or would impede to some degree the project's objectives. Guidelines $ 15126(d)(3). ATOC is fully funded by the Department of Defense. To allege that delays and "uncertain" funding sources may arise is plainly disingenuous and invalid as permitting decisions and environmental impact determinations are not limited by or based on the funding sources. ES-13-14; 2-17; Table 2.4-1: While we do not currently support location of the ATOC project at the Sur Slope site, that alternative was improperly deemed infeasible because it requires different technology and technology which has not been applied to this type of project. If further testing must be done to properly design a moored autonomous source, then the agency must conduct this further research. Table 2.4-1 and Related Text: The entire alternatives analysis biased toward the preferred alternative. Conveniently, the text and table artificially separate each component, avoiding a cumulative picture to properly analyze each proposed alternative as a whole. Moreover, the ranking system in the DEIS/DEIR uses a mathematical formula that is not explained and skews the outcome of the ranking. How were the percentages of "relative response criteria" determined? 2-41: The evaluation of restricted source transmission times is inadequate. There is no evaluation of the possible advantages of terminating all sound emissions upon detection (visually or acoustically) of suspected sensitive animals (grey whales, blue whales). 2-43: Every "alternative" deemed to be part of the project, it is not an alternative at all. As such, each of these "alternatives" should be fully evaluated as part of the "Project Description" as well as all of the potential impacts and alternatives thereto. See DEIS/EIR at 2-46 to 2-50 (including computer models, satellite sensors, other sensors). 2-43: How and what studies indicate that the frequency proposed is "anticipated to have minimal adverse impacts"? What evidence is there, if any, that such an overlap of frequencies used by whales will not have impact, or that higher or lower frequencies would be better or worse? Additional Alternatives Not Considered. The alternative of conducting the MMRP and ATOC at different sites was not considered. Failure to consider this alternative evidences the project proponents' attempt to ensure that the ATOC experiment is located in the Sanctuary. The full ATOC experiment could be designed and conducted at a suitable location, away from the presence of marine animals. The MMRP could be conducted using low-level portable sources in the present of marine animals, to the extent necessary. The project proponents blatantly avoid this obvious alternative to avoid the indication that the ATOC source need not be located in the Sanctuary. 3 Affected Environment The DEIR must discuss any inconsistencies between the proposed project and existing general plans and regional plans. Guidelines $15125(b). Therefore, this section must discuss inconsistencies of this project and the Sanctuary, as governed by the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, 40 U.S.C. $ 1531 et seq., the state refuges and reserves, including the Pt. Lobos and Carmel Bay Ecological Reserves, the California Sea Otter Game Refuge, state parks and reserves including Pulia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Creek Ecological Reserve, and the entire Big Sur coastline. Any and all inconsistencies with the purpose and design of the above must be disclosed. 4 Environmental Consequences/Impacts 4.1 Introduction - General Comments This section fails to adequately consider cumulative impacts, as required under NEPA and CEQA. "The requirement for a cumulative impact analysis must be interpreted so as to afford the fullest possible protection of the environment within the reasonable scope of the statutory and regulatory language." Citizens to Preserve Ojai v. Board of Supervisors, 176 Cal. App. 3d 421, 431-32, 222 Cal. Rptr. 247 (2d Dist. 1985). The DEIS/EIR fails to list present, past, and anticipated future projects, including those inside and outside the agencies control, or to summarize the expected environmental effects of those projects. See Guidelines $ 15130(b). Examples of cumulative impacts which have not properly been considered here include: the potential to further reduce the severely depleted population of the endangered species proposed to be harassed; the effects of other present or future projects planned for the Marine Sanctuary combined with the ATOC project; the potential impact on marine environment over the tens of thousands of miles that this sound is supposed to travel. These and other cumulative impacts must be fully disclosed and analyzed in this section. 4-131: The cursory consideration of the California and Hawaii ATOC projects cumulative impacts is insufficient. What is the basis for each and every statement of fact on page 4-131? For example, how will the MMRP determine the cumulative impact on the species as a whole? How will the currently proposed mitigation measures reduce that potential impact? Table 4.1-1: Even where one alternative is clearly and expressly stated to have less impact, the table fails to reflect that fact. For example, the moored autonomous source (Alternative 4) has a very low potential impact on the physical environment as it does not involve cable installation and would have a small sea floor "footprint." DEIS/EIR at 4-9. Nevertheless, the preferred alternative, which includes both cable installation and maintenance and a much larger "footprint" is given the same impact level as Alternative 4. These inconsistencies reflected in Table 4.1-1 render the comparison skewed and inaccurate. This table should be remodelled to reflect the impacts, in comparative format, of each alternative. 4.2 Potential Effects on the Physical Environment 4-9: The potential significant impact from construction of the facilities on the physical environment is not fully explained. For example, how will trenching and pipe installation, especially within the surf zone, avoid a threat to the physical environment? Summary statements allegedly dismissing threat of impacts are not sufficient. 4-9, 4-10: How will "proper design of the ATOC facilities . . . minimize the potential for impacts from bluff erosion"? What is the design as currently proposed? How will the design minimize impacts? 4-10: How will removal of ATOC facilities mitigate the impacts of installation? What is the current plan for removal? When is removal anticipated? What will define "economically and practicably feasible"? 4-10: Why is a long term average of ATOC used to determine significance of the noise? Why is that "considered the most appropriate"? DEIS/EIR at ES-8, 4-10. High ambient noise levels expected in the study area are not expected to occur during all hours of the day and night. Therefore, any evaluation of the noise significance must consider that the ambient noise levels will vary. Accordingly, the potential disturbance of marine environment will vary. 4-11: Average ambient noise levels are not an indication of potential impact on marine environment at any given time. If the ATOC source is "turned on" during a period of very low ambient noise, what will the potential impact be and what mitigation measures will be applied to reduce that impact? A single sentence is devoted to the MMRP vessels and aircraft impact on ambient noise levels. This is inadequate. What vessels and aircraft will be used during the ATOC and MMRP programs? What amount of noise will these vessels add to the ocean environment? What impacts will these vessels have? 4.3 Potential Effects on the Biological Environment The bulk of the comments on this section will be submitted by scientists familiar with the studies and research purportedly relied upon in this section. The following general comments are presented below: What is the support for the alleged CEQA Standard of Significance, defined at ES- 11 and 4-14? The text indicates that the standard is "commonly accepted." What is the support for that allegation? The cumulative effects analysis in this section is inadequate and understated. By breaking the analysis of the cumulative effects by species, the DEIS/EIR fails to properly evaluate the cumulative effects on the entire biological environment, including all species potentially effected and all effects cumulatively impacting those species. What are the full cumulative effects on the entire biological environment? 4-12: The lack of information regarding the effects of noise on marine animals requires the agency to investigate this unknown, as it is both practicable and economically feasible to do so. NEPA requires agencies to satisfy certain detailed requirements when they confront incomplete or unavailable information. First, the agencies must acknowledge that relevant scientific information is lacking. Second, they must obtain such information, with original research if necessary. 40 C.F.R. $ 1502.22. Each acknowledged "unknown" impact is improperly translated into "no impact." See e.g. CEQA Impacts at 4-10. Despite a long list of studies which strongly indicate a potential for significant impacts, the DEIS/EIR concludes that the impact is "less than significant." What is the basis for those assumptions? If the impact is truly unknown, the assumption should be that it is a significant impact. How will each of the unknown impacts be mitigated or eliminated? Mysticetes: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill- defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. 4-24: Mitigation Measure 3-11: This measure merely proposes to determine the "likely exposure" of mysticetes to the ATOC sound source. Assuming they are exposed (because they are present), what relevance is their population distribution to the impacts of the ATOC sound? 4-28: Mitigation Measure 4-12: How will reduction in duty cycle and power levels necessarily mitigate potential impacts? How can all the "unknowns" for all the species considered lead to the conclusion that this "mitigation measure" will be effective? This statement is obviously conclusory and invalid. Odontocetes: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill- defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Pinnipeds and Fissipeds: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill-defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Sea Turtles: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill- defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Fish: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill-defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Invertebrates: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill- defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Plankton: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill- defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Seabirds: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill- defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Threatened, Endangered and Special Status Species: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill-defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. The evaluation of these impacts are artificially separated out from the general consideration of impacts on these species, thereby artificially reducing the actual anticipated impacts on these very depleted species. Marine Sanctuaries and Special Resource Areas: The DEIR must discuss any inconsistencies between the proposed project and existing general plans and regional plans. Guidelines $ 15125(b). Therefore, this section must discuss the inconsistencies between this project and the MBNMS, as governed by the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, 40 U.S.C. $ 1531 et seq., the state refuges and reserves, including the Pt. Lobos and Carmel Bay Ecological Reserves, the California Sea Otter Game Refuge, state parks and reserves including Pulia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Creek Ecological Reserve, and the entire Big Sur coastline. Any and all inconsistencies with the purpose and design of the above must be disclosed. 4-111: The DEIS/EIR, by limiting this evaluation to biological resources, fails to consider the impact of the project construction and other physical impacts of the ATOC project (including the proposed MMPA). The statement that the potential for direct, indirect, or cumulative effects on marine sanctuary resources is anticipated to be minimal is unsupported. 4-31: The Sanctuary is a sensitive habitat for many species of marine animals. To state otherwise, without any support, is clearly incorrect. Therefore, all evaluations of potential impact on habitat in the area must be considered significant. 5.0 Consistency with Federal, State, and Local Requirements, Plans and Policies The relevant permitting agencies must consider ATOC's numerous permit applications after completion of the ongoing NEPA and CEQA process. During the official application periods which will occur, if at all, after approval of the EIS/EIR, we will address in greater detail our comments on each of the permits for the ATOC project. Therefore, only our preliminary comments are set forth below. 5.1 Federal Regulatory Programs ESA and MMPA: The proposed ATOC project is not "scientific research on marine mammals" as defined in the MMPA and the ESA, but rather a proposed study on global climate changes. Therefore, under the MMPA, this project should be permitted, if at all, under the incidental take permit requirements. The Sanctuary: Monterey Bay was designated a marine sanctuary based on, among other things, the area's natural resources and ecological qualities, including its contribution to productivity and maintenance of threatened and endangered species and their habitat. See 16 U.S.C. $ 1433(b). Creation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary ("the Sanctuary") secured federal protection and management of the conservation, ecological, recreational, research, educational, historical and aesthetic resources and qualities of the area. See 15 C.F.R. $ 944.1. In order to preserve such an area of national significance, all activities proposed to be conducted within the boundaries of a Marine Sanctuary are severely restricted and highly regulated. See 16 U.S.C. $ 1431 et seq. In stark contrast to the goals and objectives of the Sanctuary, ARPA and Scripps propose to conduct their ATOC project in the Sanctuary's pristine marine environment. The ATOC program, wholly unrelated to marine resource protection, is a study proposed to measure long-term ocean climate changes using acoustic sound paths in the deep sea by constructing a sound source within the Sanctuary which would transmit sounds across the entire North Pacific ocean basin. If successful, ARPA and Scripps intend to conduct a ten-year follow-on global ATOC program that would allegedly help determine the potential for global climate changes. See DEIS/EIR at Abstract and ES-1-3. Contrary to the allegations of ARPA and Scripps, the ATOC program clearly is not consistent with the goals and objectives of the Sanctuary Management Plan, and will not actively contribute to the research and education goals contained therein. In fact, the proposed ATOC project fails to fulfill any of the programs in the Sanctuary Management Plan. According to the DEIS/EIR, the research goals of the Sanctuary include baseline studies, monitoring, and predictive studies of the marine area, including the marine animals living within and migrating through the Sanctuary. The ATOC program, an experiment intended contribute to a predictive model of global climate changes, is entirely unrelated to research on the marine resources within the Sanctuary and, therefore, is unrelated to the goals of the Sanctuary. Admittedly, the MMRP -- a short-term marine mammal research program designed only to determine the potential impact of the ATOC low-frequency sound on marine mammals -- may comport with the research and education goals of the Sanctuary. However, the MMRP is neither necessary nor even related to the purpose and needs of the ATOC program. Most importantly, this last-minute addition to the ATOC program, representing only a small fraction of the entire project, cannot possibly justify allowing the full ATOC experiment to be conducted within the Sanctuary. In fact, the ATOC program potentially involves a number of expressly prohibited activities within the Sanctuary, including: constructing or placing any structure on the seabed of the Sanctuary; taking of marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds in or above the Sanctuary; flying motorized aircraft at less than 1000 feet above the Sanctuary; and operating motorized personal water craft within the Sanctuary. See 15 C.F.R. $ 944.5(a). It is these very activities that subject the ATOC program to the National Marine Sanctuary permit requirements. The DEIS/EIR fails to alleviate the very real concern about protecting our scarce marine resources and offers absolutely no justification for conducting the ATOC program within the Sanctuary. Therefore, the ATOC project cannot be conducted within the boundaries of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Marine Mammal Research Program - Appendix C. General Comments: The Marine Mammal Research Program, as currently proposed, will fail to achieve statistically significant data. As such, the MMRP results will be unable to show any statistically significant difference in marine animal behavior when ATOC source is on or off. The ATOC project and its associated MMRP has far-reaching potential to harm a large number of marine species and their habitats. The impacts of this project have not been adequately discussed or mitigated and the MMRP, as currently designed, will not adequately serve this purpose. Therefore, the MMRP should not be implemented, nor accepted by the agencies as an effective proposal for monitoring the impact of ATOC generated noise on marine animals. See 40 C.F.R. $ 1502.24 ("Agencies shall insure that professional integrity, including scientific integrity, of the discussions and analyses in EISs.") Moreover, under the stringent standards set forth by NMFS for considering and issuing scientific research permits under the ESA and MMPA, the MMRP cannot be permitted. NMFS has established and enforced very strict monitoring programs for projects involving the production of ocean noise. NMFS must subject the ATOC project to the same strict protocols. If the ATOC project is subject to a "lesser standard" of marine animal impact monitoring, the DEIS/EIR must fully set forth the basis for the reduced efforts to protect marine animals as well as include, in its entirety, the two standards applied to monitoring projects -- one for ATOC and the other for all other projects. Specifically, NMFS has imposed very strict scientific protocols to protect marine animals from the potential impact of oil drilling in the Arctic. Some of these very studies are cited in the DEIS/EIR at 4-24. The ATOC project should be subject to the same strict scrutiny as the oil drilling projects because the ATOC project will emit similar sounds into the ocean, at a similar frequency and noise levels. Instead, NMFS has apparently abandoned its strict scientific standards and accepted, for purposes of the ATOC project, a low standard of scientific protocol. As a cooperating/responsible agency with special expertise, NMFS is required to review the DEIS/EIR and offer comments with respect to its expertise. Marine mammal research and its concomitant permit requirements fall squarely within the purview and expertise of NMFS. When a lead agency completes an EIR that identifies one or more significant effects, a responsible agency must make findings concerning the avoidance or mitigation of these effects. Guidelines $ 15096(d). Therefore, it is NMFS duty to stringently review the MMRP and comment on its adequacy. As part of this mandatory duty, we request that NMFS call on its qualified scientific statisticians located in Seattle, Washington to review the MMRP and confirm, as we suspect they will, that the MMRP cannot produce statistically significant data and falls well below the stringent standards required by NMFS in other projects affecting marine animals. Specific Comments: C-1: Outside of the permitting office, are any NMFS employees receiving research funds or equipment from any of the project proponents including, but not limited to, ARPA and/or Scripps? C-1: What role did Robert De Long and Sharon Melin play as "co-investigators" regarding the MMRP? C-4: How is a six-month project characterized as a "broad-based" research program? C-6: The "workshop" designed to present and discuss the results of the proposed Pilot Study should be scheduled at least 30 days after publication of the "results" in order to ensure meaningful public participation. C-6: How will the six-month Pilot Study detect "major changes" in behaviors specifically caused by the ATOC sound transmission? What behaviors will be considered "acute or chronic responses"? What about subtle changes? How will subtle changes be detected? What number of observations of what type of each data is proposed for the MMRP? What is the statistical basis for that number? C-7: Even assuming that the data produced by the MMRP Pilot Study is statistically valid, how will the results be used? How will the data be statistically extrapolated? What statistical significance will be required before a determination of "long-term" changes or "unacceptable long-term effects" be made? How will subtle behavior changes be detected? C-8: How will the MMRP differentiate the effects of introduced noise from the ATOC source from noise produced by ships and seismic exploration? C-8: What projects are proposed to assess the effects of ATOC signals on harbor seals and California sea lions? These experiments should be fully evaluated in this DEIS/EIR as related projects, producing potentially cumulative impacts. C-10: The null hypothesis should assume that the ATOC sound emissions will produce an adverse effect. The project should be designed to determine whether behavioral change is caused by ATOC or another factor. C-11: How will the effect of the observer, specifically the survey aircraft, be statistically eliminated? C-11-13: How will the effect of the observer, specifically the observation boat, be statistically eliminated? C-13-14: What will be accomplished using acoustic surveys? How are these objectives different from other projects, such as oil drilling, for which NMFS expressly denied any use of acoustical data because of its unreliability and lack of statistical significance? How will acoustic detection of marine mammal vocalizing statistically function as any indication of perceived danger? Is there any baseline data to be used for comparison? Is the acoustic testing planned to be conducted at different times of the day and night in order to ensure that data is taken at different levels of ambient noise. C-16: The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is not sensitive enough to detect "slight changes." How, specifically, will this test show slight changes? What number of each type of data sample will be used? C-23: How will the effects of the El Nino, tanker traffic, seismic exploration, weather, and earthquakes be statistically eliminated? C-25: If the blue whale research is "under development" and the results are unknown, why is this aspect included in the MMRP? These are endangered species whose populations need not be unduly harassed to conduct an experiment which, in any event, will likely have no influence on the ATOC project. C-26-27: The proposed capture and tagging of the leatherback sea turtles is an unnecessary and statistically insignificant proposal. These ancient marine animals, which have existed on earth long before the presence of human beings, are now critically endangered and federally protected. A single page is devoted to describing the proposal to harass and monitor these marine reptiles. This is a patently deficient and ill-defined plan. What possible justification is there for such a proposal? What findings will cause any effect on the ATOC project? C-34: Does each of the "authorizing" permits expressly indicate that the activity/research to be conducted is to further the ATOC project? Does each of the "authorizing" permits expressly permit an ATOC-sponsored individual to conduct the activity permitted? If not, on what basis may the "authorizing" permits be interpreted to allow ATOC-related activities? 1-5: Without explanation, the DEIS/EIR states that the "ATOC climate-related transmissions will begin only if the system is determined to be safe for marine animals, particularly marine mammals and sea turtles." What will define "safe"? What extent of harm, if any, will be acceptable to continue with the project? Who will review and analyze the results? ES-3-4 : "This Pilot Study will determine how best to continue the project." This paragraph should explain how the study will determine that. For example, may the project be cancelled or moved as a result of the Pilot Study. If so, under what circumstances? How will this threshold be determined? ES-8 and 3-5: Why is a long term average of ATOC used to determine significance of the noise? Why is that "considered the most appropriate"? High ambient noise levels expected in the study area are not expected to occur during all hours of the day and night. Therefore, any evaluation of the noise significance should take into consideration the fact that the ambient noise levels will vary and, accordingly, so will the potential disturbance of the marine environment. Given the ambient noise description at 3-5, how does the MMRP proposed to eliminate statistically the ambient noise influence on the behavior of the studied animals? ES-10: The seal, whale and turtle will be focus of MMRP "to the extent that they are amendable to available research techniques." Is this qualifying phrase meant to infer that, if not amenable, the research with respect to one or more of these animals will be "skipped" and the ATOC project will go forward as planned? What does that statement mean? CONCLUSION The foregoing comments are submitted in a sincere effort to identify the many deficiencies in the Draft EIS/EIR for the California ATOC Project. We hope that each comment will be given serious review and consideration, resulting in a final document which fully comports with the strict requirements of both NEPA and CEQA. Respectfully submitted, HELLER, EHRMAN, WHITE & McAULIFFE Joshua R. Floum Nicole J. Walthall Attorneys for Natural Resources Defense Council, Earth Island Institute, Marine Mammal Fund and Coastal Advocates cc: Joel Reynolds, NRDC David Phillips, EII Mark Berman, EII Stan Minasian, MMF Kathleen Van Velsor, Coastal Advocates 1This comment equally applies to Mitigation Measures A-1, 4-2, and 5-2 as they are the same. 2This comment equally applies to Mitigation Measures A-3, A-5, 2-1, 4-1, and 5-1 as they are the same. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 13:02:41 PST From: Terry Hardie Subject: GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS STORM JAPANESE WHALER ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- # Page 1 07-Feb-95 08:21 pm Regular National GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS STORM JAPANESE WHALER Wellington, Feb 7 - Greenpeace members stormed a Japanese whaling ship outside Wellington harbour today, in a daring protest action. A spokesman for the organisation later claimed one of the protesters was concussed and another suffered a dislocated shoulder after they were ``roughed up'' by police on board the vessel, the Toshi-maru 18, a charge denied by police. The whaler, involved in killing whales for scientific purposes within the internationally-agreed Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, had been due to enter Wellington Harbour to discharge an injured crewman. Greenpeace spokeswoman Elizabeth Mealey told NZPA the organisation had evidence the ship was also using the opportunity to take on supplies. Two inflatable dinghies, each with four Greenpeace activists on board, took off for the Wellington heads when it became clear the vessel would not enter the harbour, she said. She said at least three activists made several attempts to board the vessel and were thrown off by several New Zealand police on board. Greenpeace originally said they had been punched and kicked by crewmen from the whaler, dragged across the ship and thrown from the other side. However, the organisation later revised its report, saying those actions were carried out by the police. Police confirmed two men -- both in their 20s -- were prevented from boarding the vessel several times before being detained on board the police launch Lady Elizabeth II for breaching the peace. Police denied the pair had been ``roughed up'', saying one of the protesters had most likely suffered concussion when one of the dinghies rammed the whaler. The protesters were later released without being charged when the launch returned to Wellington. Police said the injured crewman had lost a finger and was taken to Wellington Hospital. Greenpeace campaigner Nikki Searancke told NZPA the action was in protest at the ship's involvement since last November in whaling in the Ross Sea near Antarctica under a permit issued by the Japanese government. ``We can only assume it had been involved in whale catching.'' The vessel was to return to Antarctica, she said. ``The New Zealand Government and the New Zealand people voted in favour of the sanctuary. ``Greenpeace is exposing this vessel which has a harpoon and explosive warheads by which whales die very painful deaths in the name of research -- they are once again whaling inside the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, against public opinion and against world opinion. ``This is commercial whaling under another guise.'' The Southern Ocean sanctuary, which covers some 50 million sq km of ocean, was agreed by the International Whaling Commission last May and came into effect in December after 30 years of campaigning by environmentalists worldwide. Foreign Minister Don McKinnon said in a statement today that # Page 2 while New Zealand did not condone scientific whaling, it did not refuse port access to a vessel in an emergency, or help to an individual needing urgent medical attention. Japan's scientific whaling was permitted under the rules of the commission, responsible for the conservation and management of whales. Wellington Inspector Brent Craig said if Greenpeace had complaints about police conduct, the organisation would undoubtedly take them up with the Police Complaints Authority. NZPA WGT sc ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 13:06:33 PST From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: rescuing free-swimming cetaceans in distress - a purpose of st ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Sam Ridgway's note puts an interesting question before us: should all possible attempts be made to save a creature in distress or should we assume that it is lost anyway and turn it to 'researchers' for some days of suffering and certain death, yet yielding 'scientific data'? Answers to this draw some sort of line for me... ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 13:28:04 -0800 From: Amy Martin Subject: Re: Request for Information In-Reply-To: <9502102055.AA07888(\)mx4.u.washington.edu> Pick up copy of Whales in the Classroom, Volume 1 Oceanography by Larry Wade, 1992 - it is designed for kids ages 10-14 who are exploring the subject for the first time and are serviously considereing ocenaography as a career. There are those who argue that marine biology and oceanography are worlds apart - but it still may be an excellent starting point. On Fri, 10 Feb 1995, John Daggan wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > Hello, folks. I'm sending these questions on behalf of my nine-year-old son, > who someday would like to be a marine biologist. He would like to know what > kind of schooling he would need to become a marine biologist. What kind of > classes should he take in high school? What major should he take in college? > Should he go to graduate school? What are the best schools for marine > biologists? > > Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Please send your responses to m e > at 76256.1755(\)compuserve.com. Thank you very much. > > John Daggan > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 17:30:42 LCL Reply-To: "David N. Wiley" From: "David N. Wiley" Subject: goodby MMPA In the Contract on America, this Bill's a license to Kill! HR9: The Jobs Creation and Wage Enhancement Act Bill HR9, currently being pushed through the House Commerce Committee, specifically targets rules designed to protect human health, safety and the environment. It necessitates a cost/benefit analysis be done prior to any regulation that may effect the economy, or someone's ability to make a profit. It is on the "fast track" and may reach the house floor within a week. Its backers hope to have it pushed through Committee and the House before opponents see through its deceptive title and mobilize opposition. HR9 will pit the incalculable advantages of a clean environment, biodiversity and public safety VS the almighty dollar. The Bill targets the following agencies: NOAA (but no other portion of the Department of Commerce) EPA OSHA FDA Dept. of Energy Dept. of Transpiration Dept. of the Interior Dept. of Agriculture Consumer Product Safety Adm. Miner Safety and Health Corporation Army Corps of Engineers For marine mammals, bill HR9 means the end of the newly re- authorized MMPA. This is because while the MMPA has already been passed, almost no regulations exist for its implementation. Mandated planning to reduce death and injury to marine mammals in fishing gear can proceed, but recommendations can not be implemented unless we can show that the monetary value of the animals saved exceeds the costs to the fishing industry. You can imagine how much loss will be documented by the National Fisheries Institute and other well financed industry groups. Since the HR9 does not exclude secondary or even tertiary levels of economic costs, it is conceivable that losses incurred by corner grocers because gillnetters don't have as much milk money could be factored into the cost portion of the analysis. If no new regulations can be written, we will be left with the Marine Mammal Exemption Program. The MMEP allows legal killing of marine mammals incidental to commercial fishing, as long as kills are reported. The consequences for environmental protection, and human health and safety are equally alarming. Landmark environmental legislation such as the Clean Water Act or Clean Air Act could never be passed under such a system. Recall of automobiles with safety defects would never occur. Recall of dangerous children's toys would never occur. A new pesticide that caused dangers to the environment and human health could not be banned if it caused economic hardship for either the large chemical company that manufactured it, the workers who made it, the company that distributed it, or the retailer who sold it, and the industries can write their own economic impact statements! A separate portion of the bill, currently speeding through the House Judiciary Committee, will gut the ESA. Because opponents of environmental protection realized that a major battle could erupt over changes to the ESA, the Bill targets the ESA through a "takings" provision. HR9 states that if a restriction is imposed on a private land owner, the federal government should pay for the lost value of the land. There is no way the federal government could afford such costs. It is important to recognize that, while the bill does not allow for new protective regulations, it does allow current regulations to be repealed in favor of less restrictive and economically more favorable ones. For example, fishing areas could not be closed, but they could be opened. HR9 states: 1) Any new regulation which has an effect on the economy of > $25 million is subject to a cost/benefit analysis. Costs are: to the US government, private sector, prices to wage earners, consumers and the economy. Benefits are: monetary benefits of ...... keeping whales alive?, spotted owls?, biodiversity? 2) For any regulations > $100 million, the cost benefit analysis goes through a peer review process that includes user groups. After the cost/benefit analysis, if an agency wants to proceed with a regulation it must certify that: a) the benefits outweigh the costs, b) the rule will substantially advance the purpose of safety, health or environmental protection, c) the rule was based on objective scientific and economic evaluation of all information provided by user groups. What should we do? 1) Take this Bill seriously!! 2) Alert the media! We have to find a way to slow down the bill so that the public can be made aware of its implications. Make the public aware of the real meaning of this "Short Term Greed and Destruction Act". We will be giving away our personal safety and environmental future so major corporations can increase their, not America's, profits. 2) Make the bills backers responsible for its contents. This bill is part of the Republican's Contract with (on) America. The following are Republican members of the House Commerce Committee: Tom Bliley (VA, chair), Carlos Moorhead (CA), Jack Fields (TX), Mike Oxley (OH), Mike Bilirakis (FL), Dan Schaefer (CO), Joe Barton (TX), Dennis Hastert (IL), Fred Upton (MI), Cliff Stearns (FL), Bill Paxon (NY), Paul Gillmor (OH), Scott Klug (WI), Gary Franks (CT), Jim Greenwood (PA), Mike Crapo (ID), Chris Cox (CA), Steve Largebt (OK), Richard Burr (NC), Brian Bilbray (CA), Ed Whitfield (KY), Greg Ganske (IA), Daniel Frisa (NY), Charle Norwood (GA), Rick White (WA) and Tom Coburn (OK). Anyone who knows anyone in these states should contact the offices of these representatives and the media in these states. If you have any media connections, this is the time to use them. By the time enviro groups get mailings to their members it will be too late. I'm tracking down more info, so feel free to get back to me. Any ideas on how to proceed would be appreciated. -- David N. Wiley, Senior Scientist Tel: 508/564-8328, X 220 International Wildlife Coalition Fax: 508/564-8542 70 EastFalmouth Highway e-mail:dnwiley(\)iwcusa.win.net East Falmouth, MA 02536 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 11:13:52 LCL Reply-To: "David N. Wiley" From: "David N. Wiley" Subject: abstract: Stranding and mortality of Mn Wiley, D.N., R.A. Asmutis, T.D. Pitchford, and D.P. Gannon. 1995. Stranding and mortality of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, in the mid-Atlantic and southeast United States, 1985-1992. Fishery Bulletin 93:196-205. Abstract - Stranding data for humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) along the eastern seaboard of the United States (New Jersey-southern Florida) were examined for the years 1985-1992. Significantly more animals stranded during the last half of the study period (1989-1992, n=34) than the first (1985-1988, n=3) (P=0.02). A significantly elevated area of strandings extended from Chesapeake Bay, VA to Cape Hatteras, NC (P<0.01). Many strandings occured during mid-winter, a time when the majority of humpbacks are thought to be located in more tropical waters. Body length data indicated that all stranded animals were sexually immature, with the majority being newly independent calves. Males and females stranded with equal frequency. Up to sixty percent of the animals exhibited indications that ship strike or fishery entanglement may have contributed to or been directly responsible for their death, but not all signs of anthropogenic interaction were obvious. A greater emphasis on thorough necropsy of stranded animals would allow a more reliable investigation into mortality, and provide greater ability to evaluate and alleviate the impact of anthropogenic interactions. -- David N. Wiley, Senior Scientist Tel: 508/564-8328, X 220 International Wildlife Coalition Fax: 508/564-8542 70 EastFalmouth Highway e-mail:dnwiley(\)iwcusa.win.net East Falmouth, MA 02536 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 20:32:55 -0800 From: "Deborah M. Fine" Subject: cardiology A few weeks ago I sent out a request for information related to cetacean cardiology. I got some very helpful references, and I appreciate those who took the time to write. I'm writing to ask for more help. If anyone has any references to cardiology studies in pinnipeds, particularly ECG analysis, I would be very interested in seeing them. Thanks so much. Deb Fine ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Feb 1995 08:35:18 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: ATLANTIC WHALES TURN UP ON TURKISH COAST 11-Feb-95 06:29 am Regular International ATLANTIC WHALES TURN UP ON TURKISH COAST Ankara, Feb 10 Reuter - Two whales normally found in the north Atlantic have turned up hundreds of miles off course on Turkey's western coast, scientists said on Friday. ``I have never seen these types here before,'' said a marine expert at Ege University in Izmir, where a 3.2-metre whale, known as ``psedorce cricidens'', and a 13-metre whale appeared on Thursday. ``The closest they have ever been spotted was on Spain's Atlantic coast. They must have come through Gibraltar to the Mediterranean and then to the Aegean,'' he said. He said the psedorca whale, named ``Urla'' after the bay it landed in, was being treated for wounds presumed to be from a harpoon. Divers tried to guide it out of the bay, where it swims in shallow water, but it refused and turned back. The sperm whale swam unhindered in the larger Izmir bay. It too would not leave, the scientist said. A rare white beluga whale, dubbed Aydin (Brightness) by local villagers, became a celebrity in Turkey in 1992 and again the next year when it escaped from a Ukrainian dolphinarium and swam across the Black Sea to the Turkish port of Gerze. Reuter rap ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 10:09:55 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Keiko Moving to Oregon. On Feb. 6, 1995, Reino Adventura amusement park in Mexico announced that it had signed an agreement with the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation (established by the Earth Island Institute) to donate the killer whale, Keiko, to the Foundation. After rehabilitation in the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, the Foundation plans to free the whale in Icelandic waters, from which it was originally captured in 1981. The whale will be moved to Oregon in November. [Assoc Press] . Florida Manatees. On Jan. 26, 1995, Florida authorities released results of a winter aerial survey of manatees -- 1,443 individuals were counted. This compares with 1,856 manatees counted in the last survey in January 1992. A new survey in early February 1995 resulted in 1,822 manatees being counted. [Orlando Sentinel, Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 11:42:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: EU fisheries ministers meeting THURSDAY, APRIL 6 LUXEMBOURG - EU fisheries ministers meeting; provisional agenda includes discussion on restructuring of the fisheries sector, particularly ship decommissioning measures, a recommendation for EU membership of International Whaling Commission and discussion on use of driftnets. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 10:08:45 -0400 From: "Genaro Sole S. FUDENA" Subject: seals in the Caribbean I need to know which species of seals could be found in the Caribbean Sea. I heard sometime ago a report of a seal that get stranded in Puerto Rico. Which species could this be?. Maybe Phoca vitulina concolor? Thanks in advance for the information. 0 * Genaro Sole' Sempere /o\ * Sea Turtle Program Coordinator /(>o<)\ * FUDENA \o/ * Apdo. Postal 70376. Caracas 1071-A ~ ( ) ~ * Venezuela ~ ~ * Phones: ++582 2381720 /1761/ 1793 ~ ~ * FAX: ++582 2396547 ~ ~ * GSOLE(\)dino.conicit.ve ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 12:29:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: MINISTER BACKS SA MARINE PARK MINISTER BACKS SA MARINE PARK PLAN ADELAIDE, Feb 9 AAP - South Australian Environment Minister David Wotton has given his support for a marine park to protect whale breeding grounds in the Great Australian Bight. Mr Wotton said in a statement today that a marine park covering the breeding grounds of the endangered Southern Right Whale would also attract world focus on SA. The proposed park would include fishing exclusion zones to protect the fragile breeding grounds. The idea was first proposed in 1989. Southern Right Whales spend the summer feeding in Antarctic waters before migrating north every year to gather in the seas off South Australia. The head of the bight, about 1,000 km northwest of Adelaide and Eucla on the Western Auatralia border, is a favoured breeding ground. Blue whales, sperm whales, minke whales, humpbacks and larger numbers of the southern right whale comprise some of the 25 rare and endangered species which visit the area during winter. Of an estimated world population of 1,500 to 3,000 southern right whales, between 50 and 60 migrate annually to the bight, making it a key breeding and calving area for the species in Australia. Marine scientists say about 600 southern right whales regularly visit Australian waters and about 20 calves are born there each winter. Greenpeace spokesperson Richard Mills said that a nursery for the regeneration of whales was long overdue in SA. "Queensland and Western Australia already have 20 to 24 per cent of their coasts protected, while South Australia lags behind with less than two per cent." Mr Mills said the Yalata Aboriginal Community had devised a Marine Park Cliff Top whale watching scheme as a non-obtrusive way to promote tourism in the region. "South Australia has the perfect opportunity to stamp its mark on ecotourism on the world stage", Mr Wotton said. He said discussions about the park were being held by fishing, tourism, environmental and Aboriginal groups. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 04:38:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: OREGON COAST AQUARIUM BUILDING OREGON COAST AQUARIUM BUILDING FACILITY TO REHABILIT NEWPORT, Ore., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Keiko (Kay-ko), the killer whale star of the hit movie Free Willy, is getting a new home at last. The Oregon Coast Aquarium, the Free Willy Keiko Foundation and the Mexican park Reino Aventura jointly announced today in Newport, Oregon that all final signatures have been acquired to cement the deal, and that construction is already underway on a two million gallon rehabilitation pool for the ailing whale. The Free Willy Keiko Foundation simultaneously announced the kick-off of a major fundraising campaign to raise the roughly $10 million needed for Keiko's facility, care and rehabilitation. The Foundation has already received over $4 million in gifts ranging from a $2 million pledge to the weekly allowances sent by many grade school children. "We're very pleased to have reached a formal agreement that gives the green light to building Keiko a new facility," says David Phillips, executive director of Earth Island Institute and founder of the Free Willy Keiko Foundation, which is heading up the project's fundraising efforts. "But we've got a long way to go before Keiko can move there. This is an ambitious effort. But the whole project depends on raising the completion funds." Earth Island Institute, which established the Free Willy Keiko Foundation in November 1994, has worked for more than a year on the ailing killer whale's behalf. The foundation's mission is to raise the necessary funds for the animal's relocation, rehabilitation and potential release to the wild, as well as for the future operation of the new facility as a center for the rescue and rehabilitation of marine mammals. It received an initial donation of $2 million from Warner Bros. and New Regency Productions, which produced Free Willy, and a second substantial contribution from an anonymous donor. If fundraising efforts go well, Keiko may be in his new home by the end of this year. Freedom itself is also a possibility if the whale, which suffers from a skin virus and other medical problems, can be returned to health and retrained in the skills necessary to survive in the wild. The new facility under construction at the Newport, Oregon aquarium will include a pool that is far larger than Keiko's current home at Reino Aventura, a marine park in Mexico City. To make the pool seem even larger, its design won't let Keiko see from one end to the other. And unlike his current swimming-pool-style tank, Keiko's new facility will look and feel as natural as possible. The 150-foot-long, 75-foot-wide, 25-foot-deep pool will be filled with cold clean sea water and will include intricate, naturalistic rockwork above and under water that will support algae growth. At one end of the pool an underwater "rubbing beach" will also provide acoustic variety. The public will be able to see Keiko only from an underwater vantage point. "We're not building a stadium -- he's not going to perform shows here. He'll be here to get well, period," states Phyliss A. Bell, Oregon Coast Aquarium president. "But without being intrusive our visitors will still have a chance to see, from an underwater window, an incredible animal doing what he does naturally: exploring his surroundings. It's an extraordinary educational opportunity." A separate medical pool, a freezer capable of holding 120,000 pounds of frozen fish, and a loading dock are also part of the planned facility, which has a price tag of $7.3 million. Relocation, veterinary care and operating expenses will total another $3 million for Keiko's first three years. Keiko, about 16 years old, was originally captured in Icelandic waters when he was about two years old. He has lived at Reino Aventura since 1985 in a pool that is too small for his needs and in water that is often too warm. Last year, in an effort to shore up the ailing animal's health until a new home could be found, Warner Bros. donated water chillers. But the 21-foot, 3.5-ton animal is still nearly a ton underweight, suffers from skin lesions caused by a papilloma virus, has a fallen dorsal fin, and has badly worn teeth. "Hundreds of thousands of America's children have expressed their concern about Keiko both to Warner Bros. and to us," says Earth Island's David Phillips. "Finally we've got a workable plan for Keiko and a way for people to help." Donations to help relocate and rehabilitate Keiko can be made to the Free Willy Keiko Foundation, care of Earth Island Institute, 300 Broadway, Suite 28, San Francisco, California, 94133 or, in Newport, Oregon, to Free Willy Keiko Foundation, care of Oregon Coast Aquarium, 2820 S.E. Ferry Slip Road, Newport, Oregon 97365. The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a private, nonprofit, educational facility that aims to educate a broad spectrum of the public in an enjoyable way about Oregon's abundant natural resources, so they will cherish and conserve them now and in future generations. The facility's strong emphasis on education and conservation was one of the primary reasons for its selection as Keiko's future home. Also a consideration was the facility's ability to house such a large exhibit. The Oregon Coast Aquarium occupies 32 acres on Yaquina Bay, roughly a quarter-mile from the Pacific Ocean, and showcases Oregon's coastal habitats from the Coast Range mountains to the open ocean. The $24 million facility, which opened in 1992, is currently at work on an expansion that will complete exhibits on freshwater streams, estuaries and upland forests. -0- 2/8/95 /CONTACT: Diane Hammond, PR Officer of the Oregon Coast Aquarium, 503-867-3474, ext. 5224; or David Phillips of Free Willy Keiko Foundation, 415-788-3666/ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Feb 1995 22:56:18 -1000 From: Stacy Braslau-Schneck Subject: More MM Internships These "paying volunteer" programs can be added to the "intern/volunteer" program list posted a few weeks ago. Through these short-term programs, volunteers pay a fee to join a research program or expedition as a volunteer assistant researcher. (Some of the money goes to support the research.) Write these programs for their latest catalog listings. PAYING VOLUNTEER POSITIONS (*You* pay *them* to volunteer). EarthWatch P.O. box 403 BR Watertown, MA 02272-9924 Univeristy Research Expeditions Program (UREP) University of California Berkeley, CA 94720-6586 (510)642-6586 Also add to the regular internship list: Pinniped Learning & Behavior Project Internships UCSC, Long Marine Lab 100 Shaffer Road Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (408) 459-3345 Yours in service, Stacy sbraslau(\)uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Feb 1995 15:57:49 -0500 From: CARVANMJ(\)UCBEH.BITNET Subject: Re: rescuing free-swimming cetaceans in distress - a purpose of st Previous message: Sam Ridgway's note puts an interesting question before us: should all possible attempts be made to save a creature in distress or should we assume that it is lost anyway and turn it to 'researchers' for some days of suffering and certain death, yet yielding 'scientific data'? Answers to this draw some sort of line for me... Reply: I think it is a pretty poor assumption that research cannot take place concurrent with efforts to save a stranded animal. The sperm whale to which Sam was referring was terribly ill and receiving medical treatment 24 hours a day. The research was completed so as to not interfere in any way with the medical attention. The researchers on site also provided valuable extra man power when needed. It appears from the previous message, shown above, that the author feels that any suffering should be avoided. In such a case, no stranded animal should ever be returned to the sea. Stranded animals are weak and in need of medical treatment, and are likely to become easy shark food if immediately returned to the sea. Are we to humanely euthanize all stranded animals in order to avoid suffering? The death of a stranded cetacean is in no way certain, but the records of rehabilitation and release back into the wild are few and far between. Without the proper research, that record is unlikely to improve. All marine mammals are a valuable world resource, and the best thing we can do to ensure their existence on this planet is to understand them and their interactions with the environment. What is absolutely needed is strong, quality, hands- on research, with well-supported data; biochemical, medical, physiological, genetic, anatomical data. ******************************************************************************** Michael J. Carvan III, PhD office (513)558-0919 Center for Environmental Genetics FAX 558-0974 Department of Environmental Health or -0925 University of Cincinnati Medical Center lab 558-0373 P.O. Box 670056 Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0056 ################################################################################ ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Feb 1995 09:41:33 -0800 From: "R.H. Defran" Subject: Dolphin Research Internship Please add the Cetacean Behavior Laboratory (CBL) at San Diego State University, San Diego, California to the list of institutions offering internship opportunities. CBL internships are specifically targeted to scholastically serious advanced undergraduates and recent graduates in the Biological and Behavioral Sciences who lack cetacean field and lab experience and seek such experience preliminary to applying to graduate programs. The internship lasts for a "full" summer or one semester and may be renewed the following summer or semester. To quote Stacy Braslau-Schneck in her recent memo: this is a PAYING VOLUNTEER POSITION (*You pay to volunteer*). For more information about CBL Dolphin Research Internships write or e-mail directly to Dr. R.H. Defran Cetacean Behavior Laboratory Department of Psychology San Diego State University San Diego, CA 92182. Voice Mail: (619) 594-5649 Fax: (619) 594-1332 InterNet: rdefran(\)sunstroke.sdsu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 15:07:42 GMT+0200 From: Debbie Young Organization: University of Port Elizabeth Subject: Re: rescuing of stranded cetaceans I refer to the most recent messages to MARMAM concerning the rescuing of stranded cetaceans. The effects of stress on cetaceans is poorly understood and the implications of this reflect not only on stranded animals but also on those animals involved in potentially stressful whale-watching operations and the ETP tuna fishery. As part of a Ph.D study, I have taken blood samples from stranded (and incidentally caught dolphins) along the East coast of South Africa. The blood chemistry profiles of these dolphins all exhibit signs of capture myopathy (otherwise known as white muscle disease/stress myopathy) i.e. increased serum enzyme activities, high glucose and potassium levels. These results strongly suggest that the levels of stress and the muscle and metabolic damage are usually high, indicating that the stranded animal is unlikely to survive, particularly if it is pushed back into the sea immediately. I would be interested to know if anybody has blood results from stranded animals, showing a progression from time of stranding through to rehabilitation? A short period of rehabilitation may serve to relieve the stress, allowing the animal a better chance of survival when released. Research on the effects of stress on these animals as a result of stranding, and even current rehabilitation processes, will certainly improve our ability to rescue and rehabilitate stranded animals. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 06:35:39 PST From: jerash(\)seaccc.ctc.edu Subject: Minke whale blood values On Feb. 9, 1995 a Minke Whale stranded on Lummi Indian Reservation. The whale stranded at approximately 1230 hours Despite efforts by tribal fisherman to push the whale off of the beach, she died at 1430 hours. I was able to draw blood from the whale 20 minutes after death and the values have been analyzed. We have some values from a Minke whale that stranded in Alaska in 1981, but was wondering of another source for Minke whale blood values. We were also able to get excellent histopathology and toxicology samples, of which the histopathology will be completed later this week. Thank you Jeffrey A. Rash Marine Animal Resource Center jerash(\)seaccc.sccd.ctc.edu Seattle, WA. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 11:37:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Stranded dolphin recovers Stranded dolphin recovers in Galveston GALVESTON (UPI) -- A spotted dolphin founded stranded near Galveston was recovering (Sunday) at the Natinal Marine Fisheries compound and was expected to survive, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network reported. The male dolphin, found on West Beach Friday nearly covered in sand, is a type more common in the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean than in the Gulf of Mexico. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 09:47:31 MET From: Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara Subject: Re: ATLANTIC WHALES TURN UP ON TURKISH COAST In-Reply-To: <9502110222.AA00179(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it>; from "Terry Hardie" at Feb 11, 95 8:35 am > > 11-Feb-95 06:29 am Regular International > > ATLANTIC WHALES TURN UP ON TURKISH COAST > > > Ankara, Feb 10 Reuter - Two whales normally found in the north > Atlantic have turned up hundreds of miles off course on Turkey's > western coast, scientists said on Friday. > ``I have never seen these types here before,'' said a marine > expert at Ege University in Izmir, where a 3.2-metre whale, known as > ``psedorce cricidens'', and a 13-metre whale appeared on Thursday. > ``The closest they have ever been spotted was on Spain's > Atlantic coast. They must have come through Gibraltar to the > Mediterranean and then to the Aegean,'' he said. > He said the psedorca whale, named ``Urla'' after the bay it > landed in, was being treated for wounds presumed to be from a > harpoon. Divers tried to guide it out of the bay, where it swims in > shallow water, but it refused and turned back. > The sperm whale swam unhindered in the larger Izmir bay. It too > would not leave, the scientist said. > A rare white beluga whale, dubbed Aydin (Brightness) by local > villagers, became a celebrity in Turkey in 1992 and again the next > year when it escaped from a Ukrainian dolphinarium and swam across > the Black Sea to the Turkish port of Gerze. > > > Reuter rap > It should be not so surprising to find a false killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens, stranded in the Eastern Mediterranean. Although rare in this region and even more so in its eastern portion, the false killer whale is a well-known species in the Mediterranean Sea, where it has occurred several times during this Century. As far as I know, there is one published record of Pseudorca in the Eastern Mediterranean, of a specimen stranded in Egypt: perhaps a Lessepsian immigrant from the Red Sea, where the species is apparently far from uncommon. Concerning sperm whales, these are regular in the Med, and their presence in the Aegean Sea is well-known. The scarcity of sperm whale observations in this region has a lot to do with the scarcity of observers, I suppose. Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara Tethys Research Institute gnstri(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Feb 1995 16:30:13 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: goodby MMPA David Wiley's assessment of what cost/benefit analysis means is off the mark, unless the Contract With America uses the term in a radically different sense than it's usually used. Cost/benefit analysis should NOT mean pitting the cash value of marine mammals saved vs. the potential losses to the fishing industry, e.g., in normal usage. Rather, cost/benefit analysis starts out by assuming that the objective of the exercise, whatever it is, is worth obtaining. It then assesses whether the cost of undertaking a particular action is reasonable relative to the degree it accomplishes the objective. With reference to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, cost/benefit analysis might find that particular means of protecting marine mammals are inefficient--relative to other means of protecting marine mammals--but unless it's being done from a different starting point than the usual, it wouldn't be used to argue that protecting marine mammals shouldn't be done, because that would require proceeding from somewhere well in advance of the existence of the MMPA, ahead of the value judgement that produces the need for cost/benefit study. That would be going outside the cost/benefit analysis mandate. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 08:32:28 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: Cetacean mortality in the northern Gulf of California Newspaper reports in Mexico last week mentioned several hundred dead Delphinus capensis in the northern Gulf of California, as well as six or more dead baleen whales, and numerous dead seabirds found over a week long period. Nothing has been posted to the list regarding this, and I am wondering whether anyone has any more detailed information regarding this event, that they could post directly to the list (marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca)? Thanks very much, Robin ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 13:44:50 -0800 From: jan hodder Subject: Orca dorsal fins I am searching for literature or personal information as to why the dorsal fins of male Orcas loose their vertical orientation in captivity. Is it a physiological condition of the tissues? __________ Dr. Jan Hodder jhodder(\)oimb.uoregon.edu Oregon Institute of Marine Biology Phone: 503-888-2581 University of Oregon FAX: 503-888-3250 Charleston OR 97420 USA ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 07:05:38 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: MORE THAN 20 PILOT WHALES STRANDED OFF OTAGO COAST 14-Feb-95 12:16 am Regular National MORE THAN 20 PILOT WHALES STRANDED OFF OTAGO COAST Dunedin, Feb 13 - Twenty pilot whales were floundering on a rock platform off the Waianakarua River mouth late tonight in the largest mass stranding in Otago for at least six years. The Department of Conservation planned to begin a rescue attempt at the site, north of Hampden, from first light tomorrow. DOC`s Dunedin centre manager, Chris Stewart, said the whales were spotted ``thrashing around'' about 3pm today, but the stranding was not officially reported until 8pm when local residents raised the alert. He said the whales were trapped on a rock platform and some adjacent reefs and were believed to have ``come in on the high tide''. High tide was due again at 3am tomorrow. ``They may well float out again, but we don`t hold out much hope of them doing that,'' Mr Stewart said. Three DOC staff members were at the scene of the stranding late tonight and Mr Stewart said the rescue effort would be stepped up from 5.30am tomorrow. It was the largest whale stranding in the region for at least six years since an incident at Warrington Beach. This one was ``slightly unusual'' because most stranded whales were stuck on sandy beaches, Mr Stewart said. NZPA ODT bs ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 18:51:53 -0500 From: Artie Kopelman Subject: e-mail address for Alex Aguilar? Does anyone have an e-mail address for Alex Aguilar at the Department of Animal Biology (Vertebrates), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona? or does anyone have a copy of: Aguilar, A. and A. Borrell. 1994. Reproductive transfer and variation of body load of organochlorines with age in fin whales. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 27(4):546-554? By the way, I came across this and several other recent references by subscribing to an experimental service from the US FWS that will scan the Wildlife Fisheries Review Database and mail a monthly listing. To subscribe send a blank e-mail message as follows: To: NBSITCLIB(\)Mail.fws.gov Subject: AUTO ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Arthur H. Kopelman ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 15:25:00 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: Re: goodby MMPA (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 18:08:19 From: David N. Wiley Re: David Wiley's assessment of what cost/benefit analysis means is off the mark, unless the Contract With America uses the term in a radically different sense than it's usually used. One of the powers of the conservative message is in co-opting normal meanings with positive connotations into negative (in terms of protection) results. It is difficult to be against the something called the "Jobs Creation and Wage Enhancement Act" or "cost/benefit analysis", just as its hard to be against "Pro Life". Cost/benefit analysis usually starts with the assumption that there is a goal to achieve and there are several different ways of making that goal a reality. These competing methods are then analyzed to determine which method will best achieve the desired end. But what if you do n't want the goal achieved? You only have to look at the results of several attempted amendments to the Bill to get some idea of its backer's goals. an amendment to prevent the bill from lowering the level of protection of health or the environment - DEFEATED, an amendment to waive the new requirements in cases of an "imminent" threat to human health and safety - DEFEATED, an amendment requiring that the bill not reduce the protection of women's health - DEFEATED I'm not an expert on this Bill. As many of you, I can barely find the time to stay current on my own research and issues. In addition, the Bill's wording is deliberately vague, all owing its backers to refute concerns as "misunderstandings". Its intent, however, is not vague. The inten t of HR9 is to deter regulatory actions. After this Bill is enacted we can all yell, "That's not wha t cost/benefit analysis means". But we'll have to change our definition, not theirs. As we discuss semantics, the Bill has passed through the House Committees on Commerce and Science If you think this Bill contains positive measures regarding human health, safety and environmental protection, you will be in for a rude awakening. But then it will be to late. By the way. I forgot to mention one amendment to the Bill that PASSED. This Bill now supersedes existing statutes in cases where the statutes conflict. According to the Natio nal Journal's Congress Daily, this effectively revises statutes that set technological standards. Take care, Dave -- David N. Wiley, Senior Scientist Tel: 508/564-8328, X 220 International Wildlife Coalition Fax: 508/564-8542 70 EastFalmouth Highway e-mail:dnwiley(\)iwcusa.win.net East Falmouth, MA 02536 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 18:02:33 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: SIX WHALES DEAD IN NORTH OTAGO STRANDINGS 14-Feb-95 11:18 am Regular National SIX WHALES DEAD IN NORTH OTAGO STRANDINGS Christchurch, Feb 14 - Six pilot whales are now dead in the North Otago strandings, the Department of Conservation said today. Four of a pod of 20 whales which were floundering on a rock platform near Oamaru died overnight. Fourteen other whales have probably gone out to sea, DOC's Dunedin centre manager Chris Stewart said. Of the two beached whales alive at dawn, one died at 9am and the other was refloated. Mr Stewart said that whale or another whale was found dead on rocks just north of the Waianakarua River mouth just before 11am. The whales were reported in distress yesterday, floundering on a rock platform near the river mouth, 30km south of Oamaru. Mr Stewart said it was the largest mass stranding in Otago since an incident at Dunedin's Warrington beach in 1988. The whales were spotted ``thrashing around'' about 3pm yesterday, but the stranding was not officially reported until 8pm when local residents raised the alert. Mr Stewart said the whales were trapped on a rock platform and some adjacent reefs and were believed to have come in on the high tide. Waianakarua residents helped DOC staff in the unsuccessful rescue. DOC staff were making coastal searches to check all the other whales had gone out to sea. NZPA CHC kb acb ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 15:38:59 +0100 From: SBU2MA(\)rulsfb.LeidenUniv.nl Subject: The Altantic Lagenorhynchus species Call for papers for a special volume of Lutra, the journal of the Dutch Mammal Society on the species: Lagenorhynchus albirostris and L. acutus When preparing the European contribution to the chapters on L. albirostris and L. acutus for volume 6 of the Handbook of Marine Mammals edited by S.H. Ridgway and R.J. Harrison, a great deal of unpublished material was discovered, far more than could be published in the handbook. Hence the idea was born to publish a special issue of Lutra on the North Atlantic Lagenorhynchus species. Contributions are welcome on any aspect of these two species. For the moment contributions are planned on life history, stomach contents, pathology and distribution. For information: Chris Smeenk, National Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands, phone 31-71-162611, fax 31-71-133344. The volume will be published in 1997. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Carl Chr. Kinze Chris Smeenk A few days ago this call for papers was made during the conference of the European Cetacean Society. I was asked to put this announcement also on the internet. If anyone wants information please contact me on SBU2MA(\)RULSFB.LeidenUniv.NL or contact Chris Smeenk directly by snail mail. I will foreward any messages to him. Yours sincerely Marjan Addink ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 09:52:26 PST From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Greenpeace boards Japanese boa ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Greenpeace boards Japanese boat in whaling protest By Mark Trevelyan WELLINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuter) - Greenpeace environmental activists on Tuesday chased and boarded a Japanese ship involved in killing whales for scientific purposes inside an internationally agreed Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Police, harbour authorities and a witness said several Greenpeace members succeeded in boarding the Toshi-maru 18 off the coast of Wellington before being removed by police officers. ``We detained two people who, when they come to shore, will be simply released with no charges,'' Inspector Brent Craig of Wellington police said by telephone. Paul Estcourt, a photographer filming the protest for Greenpeace, said three or four of its members clambered on board the Japanese boat after a chase and chained themselves briefly to railings before being removed. Greenpeace said the action was in protest at the ship's involvement since last November in whaling in the Ross Sea near Antarctica under a permit issued by the Japanese government. ``We are approaching them to expose them to the world -- that they are once again whaling inside the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, against public opinion and against world opinion,'' campaigner Nikki Searancke said. The Southern Ocean sanctuary, which covers some 50 million square km (19 million square miles) of ocean, was agreed by the International Whaling Commission last May and came into effect in December after 30 years of campaigning by environmentalists worldwide. While commercial whaling in the zone is banned, the Japanese government last year issued a permit authorising the killing of up to 330 Minke whales for scientific purposes in an area of Antarctic waters south of Australia and New Zealand in the 1994/95 summer season. New Zealand's foreign ministry, in a statement, said the Toshi-maru 18 was one of three survey ships accompanying the main vessel involved in Japan's scientific whaling programme. ``New Zealand does not support lethal whale research and we have registered our concerns to the Japanese over their scientific whaling programme on many occasions,'' Foreign Minister Don McKinnon said. He said Japanese authorities had requested approval for the Toshi-maru to land after an accident in which one of the researchers on board was injured. John Dickinson, deputy Wellington harbourmaster, said the Japanese ship had planned to dock in order to drop off the injured man and take on fresh supplies. But it changed its plans after being intercepted by the Greenpeace vessel, and the injured man was transferred instead to a pilot launch. ``The injured gentleman is off, and probably on his way to hospital now,'' Dickinson said. He had no details of the injuries. Staff at the Japanese embassy, approached twice for comment, said its press spokesman was in a meeting and unavailable. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 09:56:01 PST From: Terry Hardie Subject: NZ COULD BECOME WORLD LEADER IN ECO-TOURISM, BANKS SAYS ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 09-Feb-95 07:29 pm Regular National NZ COULD BECOME WORLD LEADER IN ECO-TOURISM, BANKS SAYS Wellington, Feb 9 - An international award to a Kaikoura whale-watching venture proved New Zealand could be a world leader in eco-tourism, Tourism Minister John Banks said today. The Ngai Tahu tribe's Whale Watch Kaikoura was named global winner of the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award after being selected from 15 finalists and a record 120 entries for the ``green tourism'' award. It was presented to Whale Watch's general manager Wally Stone by British Airways chairman Sir Colin Marshall at a gala event in London this morning New Zealand time. Mr Banks said the award was ``very beneficial to New Zealand's tourism image''. ``I am proud that a New Zealand company has been internationally recognised as having the highest possible standards, and futuristic in its approach to tourism.'' Meanwhile, Labour Department community employment group manager Parekura Horomia said he hoped the award would ``provide inspiration to other communities''. ``Whale Watch Kaikoura is a great example of what motivated New Zealand communities can do to generate local economic development,'' he said in a statement. Other communities should ``think laterally about how they could use local resources to create new business opportunities and jobs''. Conservationist and media personality David Bellamy, who chaired the judging panel, said the awards promoted the effective management of tourism and that was what Whale Watch had accomplished. ``It is innovative, makes a major contribution to sustainable tourism and is sensitive to the environment,'' he said. ``While some nations are sadly lobbying for sustainable harvesting of whales, now that world bans have produced gradually increasing numbers of them, this whale watch project is vital because it makes the whales a valuable commodity in the sea without killing them.'' Dr Bellamy also praised Whale Watch for transforming Ngai Tahu's marae into an education centre. ``Education programmes in a range of environmental subjects including marine tourism, forestry and fisheries conservation, plus the teaching of culture and tradition, has re-established the marae as the community centre it should be,'' he said. Mr Stone said Whale Watch was the first of about 30 commercial whale-watching operators in New Zealand, but remained globally unique in that whales could be seen off Kaikoura for 12 months of the year. This was due to the proximity of the continental shelf to the shore and the fact that three ocean currents -- one along the Hikurangi trench from Tonga, another from Antarctica and a third from the Chatham Rise -- rose from the deep to create an abundance of nutrients at the start of the sea mammals' food chain. He said weather was the only inhibiting factor in being unable to watch whales -- particularly sperm whales, but also orcas and sometimes the rare blue species. This financial year Whale Watch expects to take 44,000 people out in its four boats and feels it cannot expand its operations further # Page 2 without harming the whales. ``We are conscious as a business that if we overstep the mark, and scare the whales away, we no longer have a business,'' Mr Stone said. He concurred with a recent World Wildlife Fund report that the current whale-watching operation did not negatively affect the whales, but any more boats could scare them away. Mr Stone said Whale Watch was a non-profit company which had brought social benefits to the whole Kaikoura community. The British Airways award was the first international competition Whale Watch had entered and he was pleased that Whale Watch had become a ``national icon'' reinforcing New Zealand tourism's clean, green image. The ceremony will be broadcast on Britain's top television travel show Wish You Were Here...? and is due to feature on the front page of Britain's Sunday Times' travel section this weekend. NZPA PAR pq reg rds ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 09:58:52 PST From: jim! Subject: news flash! ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- i just read in the San Diego Union-Tribune a few days ago that California sea lions are the "fastest aquatic carnivore" (at 25 miles/hour), and that they use sonar to navigate and capture food. i assume this reporter is mightily confused. certainly mako sharks and billed fish like marlins swim faster that 25 mph. infact, wouldn't that make them the fastest aquatic organisms regardless of dietary preferences? and i imagine that orcas might exceed 25 mph (especially since the reporter also listed orcas as a predator of sea lions), so perhaps they are not even the fastest marine mammal. i have not heard that any pinniped can use echolocation. does anyone know of any definitive peer-reviewed publications on this subject? i just want to get my facts straight so i can write a letter to this poor misinformed reporter. thanks muchly. ---------------------------------------------------------- Dr. James A. Murray tel (619)-534-2127 0202 U.C., San Diego fax (619)-534-7313 La Jolla, CA 92093-0202 Email: "jamurray(\)ucsd.edu" ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 10:12:37 PST From: "From: Kurt Byers, Alaska Sea Gr" Subject: Re: cardiology ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Bob Elsner studies seal cardiology at the University of Alaska Institute of Marine Science. His main focus is the mammalian diving reflex and how changes in heart function during dives may provide clues to better understanding human heart disease. Contact Dr. Elsner at: University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences 200 O'Neill Building Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-7220 Phone: (907) 474-7795 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 12:50:42 EST From: GCHM4191(\)URIACC.URI.EDU Subject: MMPA ECOSYSTEM WORKSHOPS Greetings: I am in the process of analyzing the 1994 Amendments to the MMPA and am looking closely at the provisions mandating the conducting of ecosystem workshops. I would like to speak with persons involved in the conducting of these workshops and with anyone involved with the assessment of "ecosystem management" concepts as applied to the marine environment and/or marine mammals Please respond via E-mail or call (800)628-0089. Thanks. George Chmael ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 10:26:13 PST From: lhj2 Subject: dolphin diurnal, diel or circadian rhythms and periodicity ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Does anyone have information about diurnal or diel or circadian rhythms in dolphins, especially with reference to acoustic communication? I am also interested in longer term, seasonal patterns. I need this information for my final year dissertation, and would be very grateful for any helpful leads. Thanks Leonie Juritz Aberystwyth University, Wales Please reply to: lhj2(\)aber.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 10:32:48 PST From: Michael Payne Subject: Re: seals in the Caribbean ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- It was a hooded seal, contact Greg Early at New England Aquarium. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 10:53:07 PST From: olaf.bininda(\)zoology.oxford.ac.uk Subject: Re: seals in the Caribbean ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- On February 10, 1995, Genaro Soe' Sempere asked: >I need to know which species of seals could be found in the Caribbean Sea. >I heard sometime ago a report of a seal that get stranded in Puerto Rico. >Which species could this be?. Maybe Phoca vitulina concolor? >Thanks in advance for the information. > Depending on the time frame, the most obvious choice would be the Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis) which is thought to have gone extinct in the 1950s. In more recent times, the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) is as good a choice as any, although the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) does have the reputation of occasionally being quite the wanderer, and is an equally likely choice. There are historical accounts also of the hooded seal being found somewhat more southerly than one might expect for the species. Less likely culprits include the harp seal [Phoca (Pagophilus) groenlandica] which is normally tied to the pack ice, and the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) which is predominantly European in its distribution. Hope this helps, O. Bininda-Emonds ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Olaf Bininda-Emonds ____.. Dept. of Zoology /` o =_/' Phone : (011 44) 1865 271263 University of Oxford | / Fax : (011 44) 1865 310447 South Parks Road / | E-mail : olaf.bininda(\)zoo.ox.ac.uk Oxford OX1 3PS ~~~~~~~~~ U.K. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 08:09:31 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: RARE WHALE STRANDED IN MANUAU HARBOUR 14-Feb-95 10:20 pm Regular National STRANDED-N/L-2-DUNEDIN (REOPENS-H976) Meanwhile, an attempt to rescue a rare whale stranded in Auckland's Manukau Harbour was abandoned tonight as the whale became a danger to its rescuers. A bid to place rescue mats under the Cuvier's Beaked whale and float it off a sandbank with the high tide were abandoned when the whale, sensing the incoming tide, began to thrash about. However, a spokesman for the Department of Conservation, Chris Roberts, said he was confident that the whale would survive and refloat itself. ``The whale was upright and although badly cut from the stranding we are confident it will be swimming around the harbour tomorrow morning. ``We were trying to put the whale in a pontoon and float it off the mudbank (near Puketutu Island) but it just became too excited. It's impossible to get the mats around a big whale when they are moving around.'' The whale became stranded about 2pm today. Mr Roberts said it had probably been chasing fish because it seemed quite healthy and it was reasonably common for the particular breed of whale to strand itself this way. A Manukau Volunteer Coastguard boat stayed with the whale tonight. NZPA NZH jc ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 10:16:45 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: Gray whales and boats: many small vs one big Greetings, I'm passing this on to the list for a friend - replies should be made directly to dgendron(\)vmredipn.ipn.mx In Magdalena Bay, Baja, Mexico, boat access to view gray whales is restricted by the Mexican agency SEDESOL, with a limit as to the number of boats which may work in the Bay at any one time. Right now there is some discussion as to whether the potential effects on gray whales of a number of small boats (6-7 m long with outboard powered engines) may be greater or less than one large boat (deisel powered), which can carry many more people. Any comments or suggestions regarding this matter by individuals who may be familiar with the potential effects of boats on gray whale behavior would be greatly appreciated. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 14:02:06 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: MARMAM Editorial Policy Greetings, Several people have requested information on MARMAM's editorial policy, so I'm providing some details here. Dave Duffus and myself established MARMAM in August 1993 to increase communication regarding marine mammal research and conservation, and the list currently has over 1,000 subscribers from around the world. The list was originally set up so that all submissions went directly to the list subscribers. After several personal replies to messages and messages having little to do with marine mammals were sent to the list, we decided to change MARMAM to an edited list. MARMAM has two volunteer editors, Dave and myself. Messages submitted to the list (marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca) are sent first to me. Some are passed on directly to the list subscribers, some are deleted, and others I pass on to Dave, who then decides whether he thinks the messages are of sufficient interest or are appropriate for the list. If you submit a message to MARMAM and we decide not to send it out to the subscribers, you will NOT receive a message from either of us saying so, or why. To do so would simply take more time than either of us have available. Messages are rejected from the list for a variety of reasons. These include (but are not limited to) numerous messages regarding a single subject, where subsequent messages add little to the general idea under discussion, messages which contain what we consider to be personal attacks, rather than which focus on the subject at hand, and messages which have only peripheral relevance to marine mammal research or conservation, or which we consider to be of local interest only. We do not edit out messages on the basis of whether we agree or disagree with the view points of the writer. Unlike some e-mail lists, messages focusing on a commercial interest, such as items for sale, courses offered, etc. are regularly sent to the list subscribers, if we feel that this information is of general interest. We consider many issues regarding marine mammals relevant to the lists mandate. As well as biological matters, these include political issues, social issues, ethics, etc. If you have comments regarding the number or types of messages sent to the list, do not include those comments in a message directly to MARMAM, as we generally do not pass those messages on to the subscribers, and keep in mind that editing the list is a volunteer position, and we do not always have time to reply personally to all questions regarding editorial policy. Robin Baird, MARMAM co-editor, rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 13:57:43 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: Re: More MM Internships (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 13:33:45 -0600 From:dudzinskik(\)tamug2.tamu.edu *********** Please add the following to Stacy Braslau-Schneck's list of PAYING VOLUNTEER POSITIONS (*You* pay *them* to volunteer). Bahamas Project Dolphin Oceanic Society Expeditions Fort Mason Center Building E San Francisco, CA 94123 1-800-326-7491 or 1-415-441-1106 These eight day trips run from 26 May until 4 September each summer. Passengers stay aboard a 50ft trimaran and assist with data collection on the Atlantic spotted dolphins. Data is collected underwater primarily. Thank you. K.M. Dudzinski ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 17:21:00 EST From: Phil Clapham Subject: Chittleborough Does anyone have an address for Graeme Chittleborough? Please respond directly to me, clapham(\)simnh.si.edu. Tx. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 15:12:28 -0800 From: Jaap v/d Toorn Subject: Re: Orca dorsal fins > I am searching for literature or personal information as to why the > dorsal fins of male Orcas loose their vertical orientation in > captivity. Is it a physiological condition of the tissues? > > __________ > > Dr. Jan Hodder jhodder(\)oimb.uoregon.edu > Oregon Institute of Marine Biology Phone: 503-888-2581 > University of Oregon FAX: 503-888-3250 > Charleston OR 97420 USA > I am not sure if this has actually been documented, but I have heard the following possible explanations for this phenomenon: 1) Because killer whales in captivity tend to swim in counterclockwise patterns around their pools, (at least in the northern hemisphere) there is an uneven distribution of pressure on the dorsal fin. If dorsal fins all droop in the same direction, that would support this hypothesis. 2) Differences in diet may cause physiological changes, that can make the dorsal fin less rigid. A combination of the two is also a possibility. Note that drooping dorsal fins are also found in wild killer whales. Jaap -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn jaap(\)tfs.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 16:57:00 LCL From: "Anderson, Gordon" Subject: marked ?pilot whales? A report from teh South Pacific of three whales that stranded at Nananu, Viti Levu, Fiji in early December 1994 has been sent to us with a request for assistance from teh South Pacific Regional Environmetn Program. Of the three, one died and was eaten, estimated at three metres in length. All three had marks on the dorsal fin, C6, C7 and C8. C8 was eaten, the other two left. Species unknown, but possibly pilot whales. We have contacted those likely to be involved locally in Australia in tagging, freeze branding or marking, but can find no records of marks such as those being used on the east coast. Department of Conservation New Zealand, who forwarded the request, says that they are not NZ marks. Does anyone know of a marking program in the Pacific that could have been involved. Would appreciate any information on current tagging or branding projects on Pacific island or or Pacific Rim countries. Gordon Anderson ganderso(\)ancacbr.erin.gov.au ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 10:35:00 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: More seals in the Caribbean Two years ago Tony Mignucci, Caribbean Stranding Network, found a 6 month old hooded seal on the North coast of Puerto Rico. We also had one on the east central coast of Florida at about the same time. In 1980 (or there abouts) we had a juvenile hooded seal (again young of the year) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I 1994 we had another one on the northeast coast of Florida. It seems to be an annual event. These strandings are usually in the summer. I believe that recent sightings of seals in the Caribbean are probably errant hooded seals. The animal in Puerto Rico was in relatively good health. Dan Odell Southeastern US Marine Mammal Stranding Network ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 10:16:47 AST From: Hal Whitehead/Lindy Weilgart Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: Hydrophones To: Marmam From: Hal Whitehead I received the following message which I do not have the information to respond to properly. If anyone can give Mr Smith details directly, I would be grateful. Forwarded Message Follows Date sent: Sun, 12 Feb 1995 09:49:11 +0300 From: smkenneth%BHUOB00.BITNET(\)VTBIT.CC.VT.EDU Subject: Hydrophones Forwarded to: HWHITEHEAD(\)KILCOM1.UCIS.DAL.CA To: HWHITEHE(\)ac.dal.ca Dear Mr Whitehead, I understand that you have considerable experience using hyrophones for whale tracking. We are presently trying to ID our Indo Pacific Humpback Dolphins (Sousa), here in Bahrain using sound. Having been totally frustrated by the conventional methods of photography and video to positively ID all the members of our pod that we regularly associate with, I turned to some underwater recording. To date, using a condom covered microphone, I have some interesting - if not conclusive - correlations between sounds and individuals. What I need to do is seriously upgrade my equipment so that the 'noise' does not obscure the facts. Can you recommend any sources and / or equipment that would be suitable. I feel that some form of directional capability would be in order to isolate sound clips to a specific individual wherever possible. Certainly it is damn noisy down there when there are 30+ sousa milling around and I would have a better chance of proving (or otherwise) my idea if I could point the hydrophone at an individual. Thanks in advance Ken Captain Ken Smith Gulf Air Operations (B767) PO Box 5246 Bahrain, Arabian Gulf Tel / Fax (973) 692498 smkenneth(\)cc.uob.ac.bh ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 08:12:44 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: goodby MMPA (fwd) Re deterring regulatory actions, that's not necessarily a bad thing for the environment. Example: many broad-spectrum pesticides with harmful cumulative effects on the environmental have remained in use for 10-15 years because more target-specific pesticides with fewer cumulative effects have been delayed in reaching the market by having to clear more stringent testing requirements than their predecessors. In this instance, the tougher regulations are having the opposite of their intended effect. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 17:08:51 -0900 From: KIMBERLEE B BECKMEN Subject: Re: Orca dorsal fins It is my understanding that the reason the dorsal fins "droop" in captivity is one of temperature. Because the animals are swimming at slower speeds and spending more time on the surface, the temperature of the connective tissue increases slightly making it softer and it droops under its own weight. It is a reversable condition and orcas held in larger tanks with colder water have less of a problem. Free ranging orcas can also demonstrate this conditon and it may be due to illness that would increase body temperature or cause longer surface intervals. That is all second hand information but I believe it is plausable. I do know that certain types of collageous connective tissues do become softer and more pliable with increased temperature. Hope this infor helps and is accurate. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 11:49:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: JAPAN NOT IN BREACH OF TREATY JAPAN NOT IN BREACH OF TREATY BUT CONTRARY TO IWC SPIRIT CANBERRA, Feb 15 AAP - Japan's hunting of minke whales in Antarctic waters was contrary to the spirit of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) but did not breach the whaling convention, Australia's whaling commissioner Peter Bridgewater said today. Dr Bridgewater, who also chairs the IWC, said Japan had foreshadowed the killing of 330 minke whales this summer as part of its research program. Japan's program is made possible under article 18 of the convention, which allows IWC members to issue permits to themselves for scientific research. Dr Bridgewater said the Australian government supported the need for scientific research of the world's whale population but believed any research necessary could be done by non-lethal means. Japan and Norway, though, disagreed. "Japan is not doing anything that the convention does not allow," Dr Bridgewater said. "It has not done anything that it has not previously announced and been examined by the commission." But it had ignored the IWC's resolution passed in Mexico last year recommending Japan restructure its research program so that research interests could be addressed with non-lethal methods. "It's certainly going against the spirit of the commission," Dr Bridgewater said. The Australian government last December expressed regret that Japan had decided to continue killing whales as part of its scientific program, stating these actions in the Southern Ocean were of a scale and nature that subverted the intent of the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling. Dr Bridgewater said Australia also made representations to the Japanese government in Tokyo last month in an effort to prevent the killings. Greenpeace activists, operating from the Rainbow Warrior II, have been trying to disrupt Japanese whalers in the newly established international whale sanctuary by placing inflatable boats between the hunters and the whales. Greenpeace claims to have photographed yesterday a fleet of four vessels operating 1,200 km inside the sanctuary. A Greenpeace spokesman said the whalers were hunting openly with the harpoons uncovered, despite the six-week-old international treaty banning commercial hunting of whales in the southern waters. Of the 24 IWC nations with a vote, Japan was the only country to vote against the sanctuary. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 23:27:29 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: NEW ZEALAND GOVT PROTESTS JAPANESE WHALING 15-Feb-95 07:03 pm Regular Parliament NEW ZEALAND GOVT PROTESTS JAPANESE WHALING Wellington, Feb 15 - New Zealand has protested to the Japanese Government about whaling in the Southern Ocean sanctuary, Foreign Minister Don McKinnon said today. In a statement, he said New Zealand was strongly opposed to scientific whaling and had said so many times. Greenpeace said today it had ``caught'' a Japanese whaling fleet hunting minke whales in the newly created sanctuary around and north of Antarctica. The sanctuary, which includes two-thirds of New Zealand's territorial waters, came into effect in December. Greenpeace said a fleet of three hunting vessels and a factory ship were caught and photographed yesterday operating 1200km inside the area. Activists from the environmental organisation were trying to disrupt the hunt using inflatable rafts and a helicopter. Japan has given the go-ahead to its whalers to kill 330 whales this summer, apparently for scientific purposes. Japan was the only nation to vote against establishment of the sanctuary at an International Whaling Commission meeting last May. Mr McKinnon said that although scientific whaling was within the rules of the IWC, New Zealand had continued to register its concerns with the Japanese. ``New Zealand considers that with modern techniques, the information essential for management and conservation of whales can be obtained from non-lethal methods. ``While communicating these points to the Japanese Government, we have expressed particular concern that this year's programme is being conducted not only in the agreed Southern Ocean sanctuary but more specifically in Ross Sea,'' he said. NZPA PAR ht ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 10:50:46 PST From: Terry Hardie Subject: BABY WHALE FETED BY TURKS DIES OF WOUNDS ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 14-Feb-95 02:20 am Regular International BABY WHALE FETED BY TURKS DIES OF WOUNDS Ankara, Feb 13 Reuter - An injured baby whale whose odyssey to Turkey became national news died of what appeared to be harpoon wounds, a marine biologist said on Monday. ``It's a real shame. Everyone in the city is very sad but it just didn't want to live,'' said Professor Atilla Alpbaz, head of the Izmir University department of Marine Biology. The youngster of a species related to the killer whale surprised experts last week when it limped into a bay near the Aegean city of Izmir, some 1600 km from its usual haunts in the Atlantic. The whale, whose saga was reported extensively in the Turkish media, died on Sunday night in a marine research pool, Alpbaz told Reuters by telephone. The 3.2-metre whale had been winched to the pool at the weekend to treat severe back injuries. It probably was harpooned at some point on its epic journey, Alpbaz said. Locals had nicknamed the whale ``Urla'' after the bay where it was found and ``Ramazan'' -- Turkish for the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan currently being observed. A larger female sperm whale which had accompanied the baby into the waters around Izmir was still swimming nearby on Monday, the biologist said. Reuter rap ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 10:52:32 PST From: COWEN M Subject: Re: teacher needs information ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Can anyone help this person (message originated via the DEEEPSEA mailing list). ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hello; I am hoping that you may be able to help me. I am a teacher in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and I have a grade two student who has a keen interest in marine life but specifically with whales. She is in the enrichment program and sees me for about an hour each week. What I am looking for is any information about whales. I realize that this is a very large topic, so let me narrow it down a bit for you. This student really would like to interview someone about whales or a whale trainer. I have been unable to find any contacts in this area of Canada, but maybe you could offer some suggestions. Thank you in advance, Melissa Cowen Z5UZ(\)UNB.CA ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 10:53:57 PST From: Terry Hardie Subject: RUNAWAY WHALE DROWNING IN TURKISH LOVE ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 15-Feb-95 04:15 am Regular International RUNAWAY WHALE DROWNING IN TURKISH LOVE Ankara, Feb 14 Reuter - Well-meaning Turks wading out to stroke a stranded sperm whale in the Aegean are putting the 20-metre in danger, a day after a baby whale accompanying it died of what appeared to be harpoon wounds. ``The first thing to do is to prevent the whale from tangling in fishing nets. The second is to set up a security belt around it. The whale may hurt itself against rocks or boats if scared by people or photographers,'' Greenpeace expert John Frizel said. ``People acting in good faith can harm a whale,'' Frizel said in a message carried by the Anatolian news agency, adding that the whale might well leave by its own accord. The two whales, normally found in cold Atlantic waters, turned up in Turkey's Iszmir bay last Thursday. Reuter rap ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 11:44:00 EST From: Phil Clapham Subject: HR9 Re the discussion over HR9: Dave Wiley is right on the mark. Forgive me for the bluntness, but anyone who seriously believes that the Republicans are doing this for any reason other than the gutting of federal ability to impose regulations on such things as environmental practices and standards should, well, they should probably avoid used-car salesmen. This is a concerted attempt by Gingrich & Co. to weaken every environmental protection standard that "gets in the way" of corporate profits (among other things). It is a move that goes hand in hand with the forthcoming effort to gut the Endangered Species Act and other statutes. Stacking relevant committees with freshman congressmen who are an environmentalist's worst nightmare (e.g. some who have in state legislatures voted to develop wetlands or to prevent ANY regulation on agricultural pesticides - no, we are not making this up!) is yet another part of this very well-thought-out plan. For what it's worth, current political wisdom here in your nation's capital says that HR9 will pass the House but die in the Senate. But I wouldn't count on it. As a staffer on the Hill said recently, it's pretty bad when you have to rely on the Senate to protect the environ- ment. Fiat lux, Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 10:58:58 PST From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: GREENPEACE CATCHES JAPANESE WH ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- GREENPEACE CATCHES JAPANESE WHALERS RED HANDED SYDNEY, Feb 15 AAP - Greenpeace has caught Japanese whalers at Antarctica hunting minke whales in contravention of an international ban on commercial whaling. A fleet of three hunting vessels and a mother ship were caught and photographed yesterday operating 1,200 kms inside the international sanctuary, a Greenpeace spokesman said. Greenpeace activists, operating from the Rainbow Warrior II, were trying to disrupt the hunt by putting inflatable boats in between the hunters and the whales as well as using a helicopter. The spokesman said the whalers were hunting openly with the harpoons uncovered, despite the six-week-old international treaty banning commercial hunting of whales in the southern waters. Japan has licensed its whalers to kill 330 whales this summer despite the 8 million square km sanctuary established in December by the International Whaling Commission. Of the 24 nations with a vote, Japan was the only country to vote against the sanctuary. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 11:32:00 EST From: Phil Clapham Subject: Pilot whale masrks Re the possible pilot whales with marks on their dorsal fins: I know nothing of marking in the Pacific, but the logical conclusion or assumption would be that these animals were marked prior to release in a mass stranding. If this is so, then finding their origin would be of considerable importance since it would not only provide valuable data on movement but would also vindicate the efforts of those who have promoted rescue and release programs for stranded animals (vs. those who have stated that these efforts are useless since the animals are "too far gone" once they hit the beach). Could the "C" in the marks stand for some location? Did the folks who ran the Crowdy Head release some years ago mark their animals? Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 11:15:03 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Orca dorsal fins >> I am searching for literature or personal information as to why the >> dorsal fins of male Orcas loose their vertical orientation in >> captivity. Is it a physiological condition of the tissues? >> >> __________ >> >> Dr. Jan Hodder jhodder(\)oimb.uoregon.edu >> Oregon Institute of Marine Biology Phone: 503-888-2581 >> University of Oregon FAX: 503-888-3250 >> Charleston OR 97420 USA >> > > >A combination of the two is also a possibility. Note that drooping >dorsal fins are also found in wild killer whales. > >Jaap > >-- >----------------------------------------------------------------------- >Jaap van der Toorn jaap(\)tfs.com My understanding is that although drooping dorsal fins have been observed in wild orcas that the phenomenon is unusual in the wild but common in captivity. Does anyone have information on this? Please reply to MARMAM Cheers, Anne Doncaster ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 09:31:39 -0800 From: Jim Moore Subject: Re: Orca dorsals Free ranging orcas can also demonstrate this conditon and it may be due to illness that would increase body temperature or cause longer surface intervals. Hey - neat! A conspicuous visual signal, associated with breeding-age males, that is senstive to health and condition. If this explanation for droop is correct, it could explain why their dorsals are so tall in the first place. cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 11:18:06 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: Killer whale dorsal fins In the Pacific northwest region (B.C., WA, AK) about five different individual adult male killer whales with bent over dorsal fins have been recorded. In these cases, the bent over fin appears to be a permanent problem, that is, these individuals have had bent fins for periods ranging from 2 to over 10 years. In addition, Rich Osborne (from the Whale Museum, Friday Harbor, WA) has mentioned to me an incident in the 1970s where a killer whale was seen with numerous fresh tooth rakes on his fin, which was bent over. Over the next while (I can't remember the exact time frame) the fin gradually straightened up, and this individual has a normal fin today. This latter incident suggests that trauma can certainly be a cause of fin bending. When the dorsal fin of a male undergoes a period of rapid growth, usually in their early teens, their fin also becomes much more wobbly. I suspect that during sickness, or periods when killer whales are unable to feed, that the dorsal fin may also lose some of its rigidity. In the wild, the forces of the water on the fin are relatively equal on each side, so when the fin regains its rigidity it likely does straighten up. In captivity, due to the constraints on pool size and shape and decreased swimming speeds and activity levels, as male dorsal fin growth is accelerated during puberty, or if a killer whale becomes sick or stops eating for a while, the fin may lose some of its rigidity, but when it regains its rigidity the fin has bent a bit to one side. Over the space of many years, as these events continue to happen, the fin becomes progressively more bent over. In captivity, this occurs more in males than in females, presumably because male fins are so much larger. The disproportionately large fins of adult males presumably came about through sexual selection, thus the fin may be more subject to damage, injury or bending then the fins of females (where fin size and shape are likely more adaptive, in terms of natural selection). Robin ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 13:22:52 -0800 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: News from Brasil BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT SETS UP MARINE MAMMAL TASK FORCE The Brazilian Federal Environmental Institute (IBAMA), national environmental authority in Brasil, has recently established a Special Working Group on Marine Mammals charged with the development of a National Action Plan for the Research and Conservation of Marine Mammals. The 9-person group should also advice on domestic & foreign policy matters related to marine mammals (e.g. the International Whaling Comission and other agreements). The Group is chaired by Admiral Ibsen de Gusmao Camara, a retired Brazilian Navy high officer with a long career as conservationist and self-taught cetacean expert; other members are Ricardo Soavinski, oceanographer and IBAMA Director of Wildlife, co-founder of the Brazilian Manatee Conservation Center (Centro Peixe-Boi); Marcia Engel, coordinator of the Humpback Whale Project (Projeto Baleia Jubarte) at the National Marine Park of Abrolhos; Miriam Marmontel, manatee researcher; Marcio Augelli, chemist and forefront environmentalist involved in dolphin protection projects; Vera da Silva, a specialist in Amazonian river dolphins and manatees; Maria Cristina Pinedo, researcher on small cetaceans and especially Pontoporia blainvillei; Regis Muller, coordinator of manatee research for IBAMA's Centro Peixe-Boi; and Jose Truda Palazzo Jr., President of the Brazilian Board of the International Wildlife Coalition and coordinator of the Right Whale Project (Projeto Baleia Franca). The Action Plan is expected to be completed and approved by early 1994. The International Wildlife Coalition is compiling relevant information and any information & documents that may be relevant to the drafting process are invited. General information on habitat degradation, especially of coastal areas, and its effect on whales & dolphins will be greatly appreciated. Such information can be passed on to or sent to: IWC/BRASIL, PO Box 5087, 88040-970 Florianopolis/SC, Brasil. These same addresses will be available during 1995 for updated information on the development of the Brazilian Action Plan. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 14:59:30 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: Minke Whale Spermatozoa Preserved FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association MARMAM readers may be interested in the following article, translated from the July 27, 1994 issue of the Japanese evening newspaper, Asahi Shinbun: Minke Whale Spermatozoa Succeessfully Preserved through Freezing "First step forward for artificial insemination" says Prof.Fukui of Obihiro University for Livestock Studies: Professor Yutaka Fukui of Obihiro University of Livestock Studies (age 46) announced on 27 July, 1994, that his research team has succeeded in the preservation through freezing of spermatozoa from the Antarctic minke whales collected by the In- stitute of Cetacean Research scientists in the Southern Ocean in the 1993/1994 season. Prof. Fukui, saying that this is the first step forward to artificial insemination, will present the result of his study on this subject at the Livestock Reproduc- tion Conference to be held in Kitazato University, Towada-shi, Aomori Prefecture on 8-9 September. The study was the result of the joint research program with the Institute of Cetacean Research (under Director-General, Dr. Fukuzo Nagasaki), which undertook the research catch of minke whales in the Antarctic from November, 1993 to April, 1994, un- der contract with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of the Government of Japan. Spermatozoa of 21 male minke whales caught during the research expedition were preserved in the freezing liquid storage at -80 degrees centigrade. When brought back to Japan in April, the spermatozoa were transferred to nitrogenous liquid at -196 de- grees centigrade located in the Obihiro University for Livestock Studies. The research team led by Prof. Fukui has conducted melting tests on the spermatozoa and confirmed that those of 7 out of 21 males successfully survived the test. According to Dr. Hajime Ishikawa of the Biological Section of the Institute of Cetacean Research who collected and preserved the spermatozoa, "I believe this is the first test ever con- ducted on Balaenopteridae", although some test cases have been made with dolphins. Prof. Fukui says, "This is the first step forward for artificial reproduction of minke whales, as fertil- ization could become possible with live spermatozoa." Minke whales are a species of Balaenopteridae, with body length of approximately 10 meters, and are distributed in the relative- ly high latitudinal waters of the Pacific and the Atlantic. Distribution also includes the Japanese coastal waters. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 17:19:56 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: Christophe Guinet e-mail address? Hi, I'm trying to track down an e-mail address for Christophe Guinet, at the Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Animaux Sauvages, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, in France, if anyone knows it. Thanks, Robin ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 06:28:57 EST From: Chris Stroud <100334.3155(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Blow hole Velocity I am trying to find out the following information for a forthcoming piece on whales for a children's television programme. Please could someone let me know the velocity of the blows for the following: blue whale, right whale, sperm whale, humpback whale and bottlenose dolphin. Also the whale with the largest lungs and their comparative size with a human. Otherwise I would be grateful to know if there are any books or papers where this information can be obtained. Thanks. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 17:44:29 PST From: Miguel Cisneros Subject: dolphins, whales and birds in the Gulf of California First-hand info on dead dolphins, whales and birds in the Gulf of California can be obtained from the person who surveyed the region and reported it to the Mexican press. His name is Omar Vidal, and his e-mail address: OVIDAL(\)ITESMVF1.RZS.ITESM.MX Miguel Cisneros Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology UC Davis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miguel A. Cisneros Internet: cisneros(\)megalopa.ucdavis.edu Wildlife & Fisheries Biology macisneros(\)ucdavis.edu University of California Bitnet: macisneros(\)ucdavis Davis, California 95616 Lab: (916) 752-1270 FAX: (916) 752-4154 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 19:20:58 +0200 From: "Access Internet Resources, Inc." Subject: Re: Minke Whale Spermatozoa Preserved > FROM: Alan Macnow > Consultant, Japan Whaling Association > > MARMAM readers may be interested in the following article, > translated from the July 27, 1994 issue of the Japanese evening > newspaper, Asahi Shinbun: > > Minke Whale Spermatozoa Succeessfully Preserved through Freezing > > "First step forward for artificial insemination" says Prof.Fukui > of Obihiro University for Livestock Studies: This may be a really stupid question, but how does one artificially inseminate a 10 metre long minske whale? Presumably the recipient will be in some form of controlled (captive) environment. Is the best approach we can adapt? Might not just letting them do what comes naturally in the wild, make more sense or are well planning to hunt the minsk to the point that only captive animals will be left? Just a ignorant lurkers observation. Bill ============================================================================== J. William Moore, President Il Doge of Piazza.Com Access Internet Resources, Inc. The Renaissance Marketplace on the WWW 1257 Golden Gate Dr., #10 Papillion, NE 68046 USA There are things in heaven and earth, (402) 331-2112 Oh Horatio.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Virtual Renaissance Marketplace ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 09:14:38 PST From: Jon Astin Subject: Re: rescuing free-swimming c In-Reply-To: ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I have to agree that this question is a tricky one. For many us, our natural ins tinct is to help those in distress when possible. In this vein, I feel that all reasonable (ie. not overly time or financially consuming) efforts should be made to rescue a distressed animal. However, if it is found that no efforts will save the creature, we are then forced with the choice of euthanising it or using it for study, which could prolong pain and suffering. If there is actual, valuable and beneficial information to be garnered from this activity, then I believe it to be justified. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 09:20:23 PST From: Jeff Lindsey Subject: Re: teacher needs information ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- A good contact might be the International Marine Animal Trainers Association. Sorry, but I don't have a phone number or address. Maybe someone out there does. Jeff _______________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: teacher needs information From: Marine Mammals Research and Conservation Discussion at CCGATE Date: 2/15/95 11:06 ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Can anyone help this person (message originated via the DEEEPSEA mailing list). ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hello; I am hoping that you may be able to help me. I am a teacher in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and I have a grade two student who has a keen interest in marine life but specifically with whales. She is in the enrichment program and sees me for about an hour each week. What I am looking for is any information about whales. I realize that this is a very large topic, so let me narrow it down a bit for you. This student really would like to interview someone about whales or a whale trainer. I have been unable to find any contacts in this area of Canada, but maybe you could offer some suggestions. Thank you in advance, Melissa Cowen Z5UZ(\)UNB.CA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 09:29:57 PST From: Jim Moore Subject: Re: Minke spermatozoa ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > "First step forward for artificial insemination" says Prof.Fukui In *this* case, it's the SECOND step that's a doozy! I'm certainly glad to learn that valuable science is after all being done under Japanese whaling auspices! cheers, Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 09:30:33 PST From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: News from Brasil ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT SETS UP MARINE MAMMAL TASK FORCE > > > >The Brazilian Federal Environmental Institute (IBAMA), national > >environmental authority in Brasil, has recently established a > >Special Working Group on Marine Mammals charged with the > >development of a National Action Plan for the Research and > >Conservation of Marine Mammals. Jose: This is wonderful news. Congratulations on your appointment. I wonder whether other Canadians on MARMAM see this as a challenge to get some decent policies for marine mammals introduced in this country? Anne Doncaster ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 11:38:16 -0800 From: Barbara Bilgre Subject: Re: Minke Whale Spermatozoa Preserved In-Reply-To: <199502161526.AA10578(\)sunstroke.SDSU.EDU> from "Access Internet Resources, Inc." at Feb 15, 95 07:20:58 pm What is the purpose of freezing minke whale sperm? I can only imagine two possibilities for wanting to artificially inseminate a minke whale. 1) Someone plans to artificially inseminate minke whales to repopulate dwindling free-ranging stocks. What a frightening thought. There is currently disagreement by "cetacean scientists" whether it's plausible or humane to release captive born dolphins to the wild. These animals at least have been (presumably) conceived and reared by their natural mothers. Yet, no one is sure if they can successfully be released to the wild because they lack the environmental upbringing that their free-ranging counter-parts were subject to. How would "scientists" be able to release an artificially inseminated specimen to the wild to repopulate stocks? Would the artificial specimens be considered the same species as wild stocks (another question still up for debate)? 2)The artificially inseminated whales are going to be used as livestock for human consumption. How do you ranch a pod of 10 m long whales? It's highly likely that I overlooked some other possible reason for freezing the sperm. I would appreciate it if someone could enlighten me a little better. Barbara A. Bilgre Cetacean Behavior Lab, San Diego State University Belize Dolphin Project, Oceanic Society Expeditions e-mail: bbilgre(\)sunstroke.sdsu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 16:21:51 +0000 From: Sara Heimlich-Boran Subject: Greetings to everyone Out There. Greetings to everyone Out There. I'm trying to find some information about the life cycle of Globicipitus xenobalanus, a pelagic barnicle resembling goose-neck barnacles. A large proportion of the Tenerife short-finned pilot whales carry these critters and I'm wondering if they might be useful biological indicators vis a vis where the pilot whales go when not 'residing' (or having their annual visit to) Tenerife. Thanks! Sara Heimlich-Boran ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 05:52:51 -0800 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: HR9 Proposed changes in US environmental protection legislation may have negative impacts much broader than you may think. MMPA and several other US regulations have served as examples and blueprints for conservation all over the planet. Especially in countries like Brasil where government is the business of Stone Age-mentality scum, we could always show that civilized nations were adopting better and more rigid regulations - this has been especially true on marine mammals. If you voters in the USA let the whole conservation-support legislation go down the drain with Newt's Gang machinations, then a good part of the planet may be doomed also. HELP! ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 09:32:18 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Icelandic Whaling Resolution. On Feb. 15, 1995, a parliamentary resolution was introduced by the Icelandic Government proposing that commercial hunting for minke whales should resume in 1996, following delivery of a March 1996 report by the Icelandic Marine Research Institute on possible catch quotas. [Reuters] . Canadian Seal Hunt. On Feb. 10, 1995, Canada's Fisheries Minister announced that Canada will expand its Atlantic seal hunt by starting a recreational hunt and by paying a C$0.20-per-pound bounty for seals taken by registered seal hunters. This action is anticipated to increase the seal kill t o 194,000 animals compared to a recent limit of 50,000 animals. [Reuters] . Gulf of California Mass Mortality. In late January 1995, Mexican officials received first reports of a mass mortality of porpoise in the Gulf of California. By early February, almost 300 porpoise and nine whales were reported to have died. [Assoc Press] . Florida Manatees. On Feb. 10, 1995, a Volusia County, FL, judge ruled that a State law requiring reduced boat speeds to protect manatees lacked any scientific basis for choosing in which waters to restrict boat speed, did not consider alternative means to protect manatees, and was too vague to enforce. This decision will likely be appealed by the State. Meanwhile, the State may enact an emergency rule to uphold speed restrictions. [Orlando Sentinel, Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 00:33:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Iceland seeks resumption of mi Iceland seeks resumption of minke whaling REYKJAVIK, Feb 16 (Reuter) - The Icelandic government has proposed that hunting for minke whales should resume next year despite an international moratorium. It introduced a parliamentary resolution to this effect, based on an all-party Icelandic study which suggested minke whaling would not endanger the stock and should be carried out for domestic consumption, ruling out exports. Fisheries Minister Thorsteinn Palsson said the government would await a report from the Icelandic Marine Research Institute in March 1996 before it could allow minke whaling, which would be monitored by internationally-accepted observers. The report will discuss possible catch quotas and consider how whaling would affect Icelandic political interests. Approval of the resolution, introduced on Wednesday, would authorise the government to take the formal decision. Iceland caught about 200 minke whales a year from 1977 to 1985, but drew protests from environmentalists for whom the whale became a symbol of conservation in the 1980s. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned minke whaling in 1985. Iceland, a North Atlantic island state with a tradition of whaling, quit the commission in 1991 to form its own body with Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Norway. Minke whales have survived in greater numbers than other whales because, although they are larger than elephants, they are smaller than the great whales and were consequently hunted less in previous decades. Icelandic researchers estimate there are about 28,000 minke whales in the mid-north Atlantic, half of them around Iceland. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 11:38:56 AST From: "Jerry Conway, DFO. Marine Mammal Coord. DFO Halifax N.S." Subject: Re: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Re: Canadian Seal Hunt. A point of clarification - there is no expansion of the Canadian Seal Hunt, the annual Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Harp Seals has been 186,000 and 8000 for Hooded seals. These TAC's have been in place since the mid 80's. The average take over the last few years has been approximately 57,000 animals. There are no plans at present to increase the take of harp and hooded seals to 194,000 as stated nor was the TAC ever 50,000 animals. Grey seals may become part of the equation however no decision has been made as yet. These issues will be discussed at a "Seal Forum" in St. Johns Newfoundland on Feb 21/95. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 08:50:36 -0800 From: Bill Perrin Subject: iwc volume on gillnets and cetaceans Now available from IWC: Perrin, W. F., G. P. Donovan and J. Barlow (eds). 1994. Gillnets and cetaceans. [Incorporating the proceedings of the Symposium and Workshop on the Mortality of Cetaceans in Passive Fishing Nets and Traps, La Jolla, 1990] Report of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 15), 629pp. Contains Report of the Workshop, Report to UNCED on significant direct and incidental catches of small cetaceans, and 54 contributed papers on North Atlantic, Central America and Caribbean, Western South Atlantic, Africa and Indian Ocean, Asia and North Pacific pelagic, Eastern North Pacific, Southeastern Pacific and Causes and solutions. Table of contents available from me by FAX. Order from : International Whaling Commission, The Red House, 135 Station Road, Histon, Cambridge, UK CB4 4NP. Price US$80 + $15 for postage (surface mail). Complete price list of IWC publications also available. Bill Perrin ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 13:51:47 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff >Re: Canadian Seal Hunt. A point of clarification - there is no expansion of >the Canadian Seal Hunt, the annual Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Harp Seals >has been 186,000 and 8000 for Hooded seals. These TAC's have been in place >since the mid 80's. >The average take over the last few years has been approximately 57,000 >animals. There are no plans at present to increase the take of harp and >hooded seals to 194,000 as stated nor was the TAC ever 50,000 animals. >Grey seals may become part of the equation however no decision has been made >as yet. These issues will be discussed at a "Seal Forum" in St. Johns >Newfoundland on Feb 21/95. Although the TAC has remained at 186000 harps and 8000 hoods the total catch has averaged 57000 seals killed annually. The fact that Brian Tobin has decided to provide a $0.20 per pound subsidy for landed meat, that is, has instituted a cull or bounty, and that sports hunters will be allowed to kill seals, means that the take of harp and hooded seals, will almost certainly be significantly higher than in recent years. As the Minister has announced the subsidy and sports hunt, I do not know why Mr. Conway says no decision has been taken. In fact, the decision appeared in a News Release from Tobin's office dated February 10, 1995, 11 days before the date of the forum at which the management of seals was to be discussed. Although the forum is now a charade, representatives of five organizations that are opposed to the seal hunt will be attending the forum to oppose the Minister's decision and advise Atlantic Canada that unless this decision is reversed, the seal wars are on again. Anne Doncaster ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 14:52:44 -0330 From: William Christopher Bowers Subject: Resident Orca populations in NW Atl. Considerable amount of study has been done on resident orca populations in the Pacific NW, as well as research on orca populations in the Indian Ocean. Has any work been done on orca populations in the NW Atl? My specific question deals with the presence of resident Orca populations on the Eastern Seaboard. Is there any? If not, "why not?" I understand transient pods migrate from Greenland to Maine, is their migration limited to the boundry of the continental shelf? Any help would be great... Considering a thesis, Wm. C. Bowers wbowers(\)ganymede.cs.mun.ca "the last of Barrett's Privateers" ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 10:14:28 -0800 From: Bill Perrin Subject: Re: iwc volume on gillnets and cetaceans >Now available from IWC: > >Perrin, W. F., G. P. Donovan and J. Barlow (eds). 1994. Gillnets and >cetaceans. [Incorporating the proceedings of the Symposium and Workshop >on the Mortality of Cetaceans in Passive Fishing Nets and Traps, La Jolla, 1990] > Report of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 15), 629pp. > >Contains Report of the Workshop, Report to UNCED on significant direct and >incidental catches of small cetaceans, and 54 contributed papers on North >Atlantic, Central America and Caribbean, Western South Atlantic, Africa and >Indian Ocean, Asia and North Pacific pelagic, Eastern North Pacific, >Southeastern Pacific and Causes and solutions. Table of contents available >from me by FAX. > >Order from : International Whaling Commission, The Red House, 135 Station >Road, Histon, Cambridge, UK CB4 4NP. Price US$80 + $15 for postage (surface >mail). Complete price list of IWC publications also available. > >Bill Perrin > OMITTED FROM LAST TRANSMISSION: IWC FAX NUMBER 44 01223 232876, TELEPHONE 44 01223 233971> ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 15:52:52 PST From: Jaap v/d Toorn Subject: Re: teacher needs information ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > A good contact might be the International Marine Animal Trainers Association. > Sorry, but I don't have a phone number or address. Maybe someone out there > does. > > Jeff > IMATA can be reached at the following address: International Marine Animal Trainers Association 1720 South Shores Road San Diego, CA 92109 (USA) fax: (619) 226 3964 (no permanent phone number) Jaap -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn jaap(\)tfs.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 15:54:16 PST From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: Minke spermatozoa ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- You see, this is what people mean when talking about phony research to justify continuation of whaling activities. I wonder whether the National Research Council, when presented with a research proposal to dwell into artificial insemination data for minke whales, would give me a grant or a perpetual ban from grants? With all due respect, I maintain that 'scientific whaling' is not a serious scientific effort but a cover-up for keeping the whalemeat market open. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 15:56:07 PST From: Bret S Weinstein Subject: Re: HR9 In-Reply-To: <199502162041.PAA21957(\)biology.lsa.umich.edu> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I too am very distressed (although not at all surprised) by the seeming progress of HR9. What is truly terrifying is the total lack of public debate on the subject-- How can such an extreme measure be contemplated without stimulating ANY noticeable discourse. I suggest that many of us might be able to jump-start such a discussion in the press by e-mailing our information and fears to All Things Considered (an American public radio program [and a target of another republican attack]). Their address is: ATC(\)NPR.ORG I have sent one such message, but a few hundred more wouldn't hurt. Hopefully, a piece on NPR would catch the attention of other news organizations. Bret Weinstein ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 16:01:37 PST From: Terry Hardie Subject: WATCHING, INSTEAD OF KILLING WHALES LIFTS KAIKOURA ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 17-Feb-95 12:19 pm Regular National WATCHING, INSTEAD OF KILLING WHALES LIFTS KAIKOURA National icon Whale Watch Kaikoura this month won a prestigious international green tourist award, beating a record 120 entries from around the world. The achievement is tipped to have significant flow-on affects for tourism in New Zealand and Kaikoura. Kip Brook of NZPA looks at what whale watching has done to the prosperity of the South Island seaside town. Christchurch, Feb 17 - How times have changed. In 1845, Kaikoura was a bustling whaling station. Ten ships worked the area and up to 100 men could be seen flensing the carcases of whales, rendering down the blubber in try-pots. They butchered the great sea beasts and sold the black oil for 17 pounds a tonne, sperm oil 55 pounds and bones for 130 pounds a tonne. About 10,000 whales were killed in the final year they were caught in New Zealand in the 1960s. Kaikoura was the busy scene of heavy whale slaughtering last century. Whalers were held in high regard, a bit like All Blacks today, and they would stand on the dead whales, proudly having their photos taken. Today, 150 years on, the people of Kaikoura are again riding to prosperity on the back of whales. But this time they are just watching, not bludgeoning the mighty animals. Prized photos are now being shot by tourists of graceful whale tails flipping out of the sea, dragging behind them a wall of seawater. It's not surprising to see at the centre of the town's success the Ngai Tahu's Whale Watch operation. They now launch their boats for tourists next to the remnants of the old whaling station, where strapping whalers used to winch the plundered whales up the beach. It's appropriate Maori are behind the rewarding venture. Kaikoura has long been a popular Maori settlement because of its rich fishing ground. The name Kaikoura in Maori means a meal of crayfish: they catch, kill and process 50 tonnes of crayfish annually -- (that's still alright). But people don't go to Kaikoura to buy expensive crayfish. It's the sight of whales that's made the small town a tourist Mecca. Last year, 135,000 tourists visited the local information centre, compared with under 10,000 people six years ago. Many more whale watchers are expected this year. A survey last December showed 34 percent of visitors were from Germany, 14 percent from New Zealand and 11 percent from Britain. People are flocking to the picturesque town at the foot of the Kaikoura ranges, mostly to get a glimpse of the whales. Mayor Tom Burgin says the whales have brought new life to the town. ``There are new businesses and shops everywhere and twice as many motels as there were five years ago. The accommodation industry is booming. We are quite often short of room. ``I always reckoned it didn't cost you much to live in Kaikoura because there was nothing to spend your money on, apart from the pub. But now there's a whole selection of new shops.'' It's a great boost to the town which 14 months ago was devastated # Page 2 by a flash flood. Scores of people were left homeless and the town suffered millions of dollars in damage after the Kowhai River bursts its banks and water cascaded through the town. Today Kaikoura is vibrant, brighter and better, and is reaping the rewards of its popular eco-tourist trade. Some visitors look at the whale bone arch in the town's Garden of Memories but they all queue up to catch a glimpse of the real whales at sea. Trains stop daily at the whale-orientated rail station, unloading tourists who head for the whale boats. The biggest of the operators is the Whale Watch company, 57 percent owned by the Kaikoura marae, Takahanga, and the other 43 percent by Ngai Tahu. Mr Burgin says whale watching has grown into a huge industry and other marine tourist operations have sprung up: dolphin watching, swimming with seals, sea adventures and one yacht which goes out purely to study seabird life. ``Now we are making money out of watching all this marine life and 100 years ago they used to live off the fruits of killing the whales and the seals. Whale Watch makes that a feature of their talk when they take people out to the whales.'' In the wake of Whale Watch winning its British Airways-backed award, Mr Burgin says he is looking at putting up signs outside the town saying `Welcome to Whale city'' because of its worldwide reputation. British conservationist David Bellamy said in presenting Whale Watch the award this month: ``Some nations are sadly lobbying for sustainable harvesting of whales, but this (Kaikoura) whale watch project is vital because it makes the whales a valuable commodity in the sea without killing them.'' Whale Watch was the first of about 30 commercial whale-watching operators in New Zealand, but the business is lucky that Kaikoura is the only area where sperm, rare blue and orca whales can be seen 12 months of the year. Whale Watch expects to take 44,000 people out in its four boats this year and feels it cannot expand its operations further without harming the whales. Any more boats could scare them away. Last October, the World Wide Fund for Nature New Zealand said it was concerned Kaikoura whales were in danger of being ``over-watched''. As a result WWF-NZ believes no more whale watching permits should be issued for the areas where the whales are most commonly found. WWF-NZ spokeswoman Lyn Holland said the study showed that the number of whales visiting Kaikoura was between 60 and 108. The study concluded that the whales should not be approached more often than they are now. If the level of whale-watching in the areas increased, it could cause the whales to move away. Just back from receiving the award this week, Whale Watch director Wally Stone says Kaikoura operators could ``strangle the golden goose'' by over-watching whales. ``We at Whale Watch disagree with a December High Court decision allowing the Department of Conservation to issue permits. ``We believe as part of the Treaty of Waitangi it is our right to watch the whales. As the WWF-NZ report said there was the potential to lose the whales altogether and there are now eight permits in Kaikoura and DOC could issue more,'' Mr Stone said. Potentially, Kaikoura could lose its whales if they were scared # Page 3 off by too many boats, planes and helicopters, he said. Whale Watch is preparing to file to the Court of Appeal to challenge the High Court decision, he said. ``We have seen people get too close to whales and others jump in the water with them which is dangerous. You are not allowed to go within 50m of the whales. ``We don't want to get to the situation where 12 boats are racing to the whales to outdo each other. The industry will not last if more permits are issued. We would prefer to lose two of our boats, rather than lose the whole operation completely. ``The strength of this is a wilderness experience. We won't have that with planes, helicopters, boats racing each other. We have a policy if you don't see a whale we refund you the money,'' Mr Stone said. NZPA CHC kb krm ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 14:28:52 BDB From: eduardo secchi Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: plastic debris/M.densirostris Hi, On february 1993 we found a bundle plastic threads in the stomach of a 419cm female Blainville's beaked whale washed ashore in southern Brazil. Plastic debris has been several times found in the stomach of coastal species. Does anybody have any information or published paper on this subject, that could send to me? I would appreciate very much to receiving any info, mainly on offshore species. This Mesoplodon densirostris is the third beached in the Brazilian territory and, if I am not wrong, in southwest Atlantic. I didn't find other alimentar item in both stomach and intestines. I really think that the plastic may have caused the animal's death. Hope to hearing from you. Thanks. Best regards, Eduardo Secchi Marine Mammals Laboratory Coordinator Oceanographic Museum "Prof. Eliezer Rios" C.P. 379 CEP 96200-970 Rio Grande - RS BRAZIL ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 13:41:56 -0800 From: Barbara Bilgre Subject: Re: More MM Internships (fwd) In-Reply-To: <199502142236.AA08274(\)sunstroke.SDSU.EDU> from "Robin Baird" at Feb 14, 95 01:57:43 pm As the MM Internship list has been expanding, I wanted to add one more project to the list. Oceanic Society Expeditions has been sponsoring research on bottlenose dolphins in Belize with the help of "paying volunteers." The research projects are organized by graduate students and the volunteers assist in data collection, data entry and photo-id work. The trips run for periods of 8 and 10 days and the field season runs from February through December. For information, contact: Oceanic Society Expeditions Fort Mason Center-Bldg. E San Francisco, CA 94123 PH: 415-441-1106 800-326-7491 FX: 415-474-3395 Barbara A. Bilgre Cetacean Behavior Lab, San Diego State University Belize Dolphin Project, OSE ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Feb 1995 13:21:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Latin American Briefs Latin American Briefs SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Mexico (AP) -- Authorities are investigating the deaths of about 30 dolphins found on the beach in Sonora state. The El Universal newspaper on Friday said investigators were looking into a possible oil spill or decomposed fish thrown into the Gulf of California that were eaten by the dolphins. The dolphins were found on a beach about 60 miles south of the border town of San Luis Rio Colorado. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Feb 1995 09:34:25 PST From: Guy Oliver Subject: Droopy Orca fins If droopy dorsal fins can be attributed to either high internal temperature or high water temperature effecting the rigidity of the supporting structure, we would expect to see 1) floppy fins more common in lower lattitude orca populations than in higher lattitude populations; 2) an inverse relationship between male dorsal fin height and lattitude; or 3) possible morphological differences in the supporting structure. Comparison of sighting data from groups operating along Pacific coast of North America or eastern north Atlantic could perhaps yield sufficeint data to test #1 and #2. Pat Morris and Guy Oliver ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Feb 1995 13:49:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Dramatic whale rescue off Oman Dramatic whale rescue off Oman coast MUSCAT, Feb 19 (Reuter) - British and Omani divers have rescued a 20-tonne whale off Oman where it was trapped in fishermen's nets for 29 days, a statement by an environmental group said on Sunday. Rescuers found the eight-metre (26-foot) long humpback whale sunburned and bleeding in rough waters off one of Oman's most inaccessible coastal areas, said a statement by Oman's Whale and Dolphin Research. The rescue mission this weekend was made more dangerous because the whale was nervous and resisted the divers, it said. ``The whale was clearly nervous, blowing whilst still under water, bucking its head and thrashing its tail.'' The tail -- ``six feet (1.8 metres) across and frighteningly powerful'' -- struck one diver in the chest, knocking his air-supplying regulators from his mouth. ``The net had cut deeply into the whale's head and stretched back along the body, engulfing both flippers. A bundle of ropes, nets and fishing floats were wrapped right around the body and hooked over the dorsal fin. Only the tail remained free. ``Blood spurted from the whale's nose as the net was cut and pulled from inch (2.5 cm) deep wounds inflicted over the past month as the whale had struggled to free itself,'' the statement said. The statement said the whale was set free more than 90 minutes after the start of the rescue. The humpback whale, one of about 20 species of whales and dolphins in Oman waters, is in danger of extinction throughout the world. It is one of Oman's largest species of marine mammals. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 08:27:07 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Canada Revives Seal Massacre CANADA REVIVES SEAL MASSACRE Sex Organs Sold To Aphrodisiac Trade (reprinted from ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 1995) ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland-- Deflecting Atlantic provincial wrath, the Canadian government preceded the February 3 admission that northern cod have been fished to commercial extinction by declaring a bounty on seals and opening a "recreational" seal hunt. The quota of 194,000--186,000 harp seals plus 8,000 hooded seals--is close to the toll during the years before the offshore clubbing of infant harp seals was halted under international protest in 1985. Sealers won't have to leave shore to club, shoot, and hack baby seals and their mothers this year. For the first time since 1982, there is no ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, forcing harp seals and hooded seals ashore to whelp. "It's going to be bloody," promised Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. "I was there the last time this happened. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry from the villages was down there trying to club seals and not doing it right and ending up skinning them alive. It'll be worse this year because they're angry. Atlantic Canada is now locked into a permanent poverty cycle. They've just been told they'll be poor for the rest of their lives: those cod stocks aren't coming back in their lifetimes." Already reports have been received of seals being "shot and dynamited in Atlantic Canada by vigilantes," said Anne Doncaster of the International Wildlife Coalition. On Prince Edward Island, IWC correspondent Pat Gray said a live seal had been found on the beach with her flippers cut off. Similar incidents were reported last year. "The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is apparently terrified there will be another uncontrolled slaughter, and are trying to prepare for the worst," Doncaster said. Video from the 1982 landsman's hunt, as shoreline sealing is called, was key in persuading the European Community to ban the import of sealskins three years later. Eating genitals But the sealers don't need the European market now. The Asian aphrodisiac trade swallows all the seal genitals Canada can provide--literally, as they're made into cocktails and potions sold at the notorious child-brothels of so-called "sex-port" centers catering to the beliefs, strong in Asia, that sex with very young partners can restore youth; that sex with children avoids AIDS; and that men of enhanced virility sire sons. The United Nations Children's Fund reported on December 15 that as many as half a million children a year are exploited in sex-ports by growing numbers of pedophiles who fly in from abroad. Thailand and the Philippines have an estimated 100,000 child-prostitutes apiece. At least eight other Southeast Asian nations are also deeply involved. Beyond the link to commercialized pedophilia, points out Doncaster, "These are the same markets that are responsible for the illegal traffic in critically endangered tigers and rhinos." Tacitly acknowledging at least part of the linkage, the Taiwan Council of Agriculture on January 29 urged citizens to refrain from consuming products made from endangered wildlife on trips abroad during the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays, which began on January 31. Seal genitals might be acceptable; tiger genitals, not. Taiwan is trying to overcome an image as hub of the global traffic in products made from endangered species, to escape limited U.S. trade sanctions imposed in August 1994. The sanctions are expected to cost Taiwan about $25 million annually in export income. Before Canada discovered the genital trade, the landman's sealing kill averaged circa 25,000. Last year, however, Terra Nova Fisheries Co. of St. John's contracted to supply 50,000 seal carcasses to Shanghai Fisheries, of China--whereupon Canada boosted the sealing quota to 57,000. This year unofficial reports claim Asian buyers want 180,000 seal carcasses. The whole carcasses are sold and used, which enables the Canadian government to deny that the seals are being killed just for genitals. But the genitals alone fetch up to $130 per set on the current retail market, while the pelt, meat, and oil of a seal go for about $20. Among the primary markets for the seal meat are mink and fox farms. Atlantic Canadians buy about 6,000 frozen "flipper pies" per year, but otherwise very little seal meat goes to human consumption. Political stakes The money to be had from selling seal carcasses is still small change compared to the former worth of the Atlantic Canada fishery, but the seal hunt has political meaning for the whole of Canada. Traditionally each of the 10 provinces is represented by at least one cabinet minister, picked from among the elected Members of Parliament. Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island among them elect only a handful of Members because of their small populations, but those Members accordingly hold disproportionate influence. The Atlantic influence has been heightened for the past 30 years by the constant threat that Quebec, the fifth sealing province, might secede--which would isolate the Atlantic provinces from the rest of Canada, but meanwhile gives them the balance of power in a perennial three-way struggle among Quebec, industrialized Ontario, and the largely agrarian west. For 28 of the past 30 years a prime minister from Quebec has held power and kept Quebec in confederation through maintaining an alliance with Atlantic Canada. The names have changed, from Pierre Trudeau to Brian Mulroney to Jean Cretien, and the ruling parties have been alternately Liberal and Progressive-Conservative, but for pro-confederation Quebeckers, the key to placating the separatists has been getting special concessions for French-speaking Quebecois from Ottawa; the key to that has been keeping Atlantic Canadian support; and the key to keeping Atlantic Canadian support has been telling Atlantic Canadians what they want to hear. One government after another preferred to absorb the force of global opinion against seal-clubbing, rather than risk losing Atlantic Canadian votes and perhaps the nation by stopping it. Only when the EU cut off the market for pelts and made it possible for Canadian leaders to throw off the blame did any dare act against it. With the separatist Parti Quebecois back in power in Quebec since last year, the game is on again. Soon after Pariseau took office, leaders of the Quebec-dominated Liberal party began calling for a revived and expanded seal hunt. Denial Taking notice of the Terra Nova contract and a resolution in favor of sealing by the Liberal party convention last May, the International Fund for Animal Welfare made banner headlines across Canada with a two-page ad in the Toronto Globe & Mail and a press conference in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, at which executive director Richard Moore gave explicit details of the role of seal genitals in the aphrodisiac market. But most marine mammal protection activists were preoccupied with the simultaneous struggles to renew the Marine Mammal Protection Act, then before Congress; win creation of the Southern Oceans Whale Sanctuary, then before the International Whaling Commission; and forestall a Japanese and Norwegian bid to lift the global moratorium on commercial whaling, also before the IWC. Fisheries minister Brian Tobin meanwhile made soothing statements. As late as July 7, the Ottawa Citizen reported, "Tobin said that Canada will not consider a return to seal culling on its east coast, despite fishermen's claims that the seals threaten Newfoundland's endangered northern cod. Evidence of the impact of the seals in the destruction of cod was not clear, he said. 'There is no doubt in my mind that man has been a far greater predator.'" Cod crash The northern cod fishery yielded 3.1 million metric tons of fish in 1970, but had declined by two-thirds when Canada finally began conservation measures in 1988. Even then, the cutbacks were half-hearted until 1992, when the catch fell to just 400,000 metric tons. Former Progressive-Conservative fisheries minister John Crosbie was forced to halt all cod fishing for at least three years, putting from 30,000 to 35,000 people out of work and helping insure the PC defeat in the 1994 general election. By then it was too late. Five straight years of abnormally cold water inhibited spawning. The cod stock is now estimated at only 2,700 metric tons, according to Canadian Department of Fisheries deputy minister for science Scott Parsons, who adds it will need at least 15 years to recover. Even in announcing the expanded seal hunt, including the bounty of 20c per pound on seals killed, which Quebec and the Atlantic provinces are expected to match, Tobin and Canadian Fisheries Resource Conservation Council scientists admitted a lack of scientific evidence that seals have hurt the cod fishery. Instead, they deferred to the "perceptions" and "common sense" of the fishing industry. The expanded seal hunt follows the recommendation of a study group on the status of the cod fishery, appointed by Tobin, which consisted of nine representatives of the fishing industry, two oceanographers, a chemist, a professor of commerce, and a professor of psychology. They reported that the crisis was caused by a combination of foreign overfishing with Canadian management practices that "are contrary to the conservation process." They conceded that, "the desired level of scientific evidence is not available" to indict seals--but strongly urged killing seals anyway, simply because, "an imbalance is perceived between the amount of fish eaten by seals and the amount that may be taken by fishermen. Damage control proceded immediately. Effective February 9, Cretien appointed former fisheries minister Romeo Leblanc, longtime lead defender of the seal hunt under Trudeau, to serve as Governor-General of Canada--the official Canadian emissary to the British Commonwealth, from which direction much of the pressure against renewed sealing is expected. A February 21 "forum on seal management" in St. John's is to present an economic and scientific rationale for the killing, in apparent hopes of forstalling opposition from the general public. The bloodbath is expected to follow immediately thereafter. (ANIMAL PEOPLE is a newspaper, providing independent professional coverage of the whole range of animal protection issues & perspectives since 1992. Subscriptions are $18/year, $30/2 years, or $40/3 years; write to POB 205, Shushan, NY 12873. We'll send a free sample on request--just provide your full U.S. postal address. Cheers, Merritt Clifton, editor.) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 02:27:26 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: JAPANESE SUPPLY TANKER DRAWS PROTEST ACTION 20-Feb-95 09:57 pm Regular National JAPANESE SUPPLY TANKER DRAWS PROTEST ACTION Timaru, Feb 20 - A Panama-registered tanker believed to be a supply ship for a Japanese whaling fleet sparked protest action and calls for government intervention when it berthed at the Port of Timaru today. Environmental lobby group Greenpeace says the Oriental Falcon supplies the Nisshin Maru fleet with fuel, and was last in the Ross Sea, part of the newly created Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, nine days ago. Greenpeace national campaign manager Michael Szabo said today crew aboard the protest ship M V Greenpeace had video footage of the Oriental Falcon refuelling the fleet. He said that over the past three years, the Oriental Falcon had refuelled the fleet of three whale catchers and a factory ship. Those claims were supported by crew of the M V Greenpeace, in the Ross Sea, spoken to by telephone today. As protesters boarded the ship and peacefully chained themselves to the railing, Greenpeace officials urged Foreign Affairs Minister Don McKinnon to change the law to keep Japanese whaling fleets out of the sanctuary. As well, Greenpeace urged the Government to examine the Oriental Falcon's log to ascertain its movements for the past month -- and make the results public. That would verify its record of fuelling the whaling fleet. But tonight Bill Galer of the Maritime Safety Authority said from Dunedin that although he was asked by Greenpeace to check the log, no checks were made. Mr Galer said he was not required to check the ship's log. Port of Timaru operations manager Roy Weaver confirmed the port company was aware Greenpeace was interested in the ship. He said as far as the company was concerned the Oriental Falcon was in port to load tallow, not fuel. Asked why the port company had not included the ship in the daily shipping list, Mr Weaver said customers often requested omissions, usually for commercial reasons. The Greenpeace protesters unchained themselves about 7pm. The Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, which was created in December, gives all whales protection within an 11-million sq km sanctuary of Antarctica, which includes two-thirds of New Zealand's waters. However, International Whaling Commission rules allow Japan to kill 330 minke whales a year for research purposes. Japan has licensed its whalers to kill 330 whales this summer despite the sanctuary being established by the commission. Of the 24 commission member nations with a vote, Japan was the only country to vote against the sanctuary. The Oriental Falcon is scheduled to sail for China at 3am tomorrow morning. NZPA TUH pm ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 02:26:58 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: GREENPEACE CALLS FOR SUPPLY SHIP INVESTIGATION 20-Feb-95 03:36 pm Regular National GREENPEACE CALLS FOR SUPPLY SHIP INVESTIGATION Wellington, Feb 20 - Environment lobby group Greenpeace wants the Government to investigate a ship they say is supplying a Japanese whale fleet, hunting in the newly created Antarctic sanctuary. Today Greenpeace protesters boarded and protested at the arrival of the Oriental Falcon in Timaru, spokeswoman Nikki Searancke said in a statement. On February 12, the factory ship Nisshin Maru and three hunting vessels were filmed by MV Greenpeace hunting whales inside the international sanctuary. Greenpeace said the whalers, fuelled by the Oriental Falcon in the Ross Sea Antarctica, were hunting openly with the harpoons uncovered, despite the six-week-old international treaty banning commercial hunting of whales in the southern waters. ``Once again Greenpeace has had to take the lead to protect the southern ocean whale sanctuary and its whales,'' Ms Searancke said. ``This tanker has for many years supplied the Japanese whaling fleet, now inside the sanctuary; however this year they have cheekily decided to dock in Timaru, we believe to take on more fuel for the Nisshin Maru whaling fleet. ``We will urgently contact Foreign Affairs Minister Don McKinnon to immediately change the laws, to keep out the Japanese whaling interests from our whale sanctuary waters.'' She said Mr McKinnon two days ago made a formal protest to the Japanese Government about the ``outdated lethal scientific whaling inside the sanctuary''. ``Perhaps the minister needs to extend this protest to include whaling interest supply vessels inside the sanctuary.'' Greenpeace urged the Government to investigate the Oriental Falcon while in Timaru to check the vessel's log to ascertain its movements for the past month. This would verify its record of fuelling the Nisshin Maru whaling fleet, Ms Searancke said. The Southern Ocean whale sanctuary, which includes two-thirds of New Zealand's waters, came into effect in December. International Whaling Commission rules allow Japan to kill 330 minke whales a year for research purposes. Japan has licensed its whalers to kill the 330 whale allocation this summer despite the 8 million sq km sanctuary being established by the commission. Of the 24 commission member-nations with a vote, Japan was the only country to vote against the sanctuary. This month, Greenpeace activists tried to storm another Japanese whaling ship, Toshi-Maru 18, which had stopped at the entrance to Wellington Harbour to discharge an injured crewman who had lost a finger. NZPA WGT ad ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 12:25:47 SAT-2 From: Herman Oosthuizen Subject: STANDING NETWORK/REHABILITATION CENTRE At the moment there is no marine mammal stranding network/rehabilitation centre in existence in Cape Town, South Africa. However, as Cape fur seals are abundant we do get numerous sick animals in need of medical care turning up on the beaches. We are investigating the feasibility of establishing a standing network and/or a rehabilitation centre run by suitably qualified individuals. The problem is that as seal biologists working for the central goverment, we do not have the know-how to go about it eg. funding, facilities required, ect. We will appreciate any help from anybody with experience in establishing and running such networks and centres to make sure that we do it efficiently. Thanking you in advance. Herman Oosthuizen HERMAN OOSTHUIZEN E-MAIL: OOSTHUIZ(\)SFRI.SFRI.AC.ZA SEA FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE FAX NO: 252920 PRIVATE BAG X2 ROGGEBAAI CAPE TOWN 8012 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Feb 1995 12:09:04 -0800 From: Jim Moore Subject: Orca dorsals I went to SeaWorld yesterday, and in the video preamble to the Shamu show they do a Q/A with the audience; one of the questions was something like "why do some dorsal fins tilt over?". The answer given was that each whale is unique, some are folded, some not, both wild and captive (had a video clip of a freeswimming whale with folded-over fin), and it has *nothing* to do with condition, mood, status etc. (Sorry I can't recall exact words). The video went on to talk about how researchers use such individually unique fins to ID wild orcas. btw, the one [near] adult male has a markedly tilted but not yet folded-over fin (he's 15). cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Feb 1995 14:59:22 -0500 From: Michael Williamson Subject: Summer Course-New England ED 654: Field Study in Marine Science << 1995 Dates - July 31 through August 11 >> Instructor: J. Michael Williamson, Assistant Professor Phone: Office-617/734-5200, X256, Home-508/468-4699 Office: 206 Act. Bldg., Wheelock College, 200 Riverway, Boston, MA 02215 Home: 20 Moynihan Rd., So. Hamilton, MA 01982 Lecture and Research Associates: Scott Mercer & Carol Mercer Course Description: Learn about the coastal marine ecosystem, marine mammal biology, the organisms that inhabit the coastal environment, and techniques related to marine field research. Marine food chains, basic oceanographic concepts, animal behavior, general research methods, and data assimilation and analysis will be studied. The participants will also learn elements of navigation, bathymetry, and wildlife photography while participating in a long term study in marine mammal research with an established research organization. Students will spend 10 days participating in an established research program, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday for two weeks aboard a 100 ft. U.S. Coast Guard approved vessel in Massachusetts Bay. An independent 10-day project is also available in Quebec, Canada on the Gulf of St. Lawrence with the Mingan Island Cetacean Study. Students will attend a seminar, complete a pre-project literature search with an annotated bibliography, participate in a research project and will complete an independent project which relates directly to the focus of the research. Room and board is the responsibility of the student and will be a cost in addition to the course tuition paid to Wheelock College. Evaluation: a. A discussion with the Wheelock College instructor - Michael Williamson. b. Attendance at a seminar on research methods, basic data analysis, marine sciences overview, and an introduction to the research site and expectations. (May be completed on first day of course or the Friday prior to the beginning of the field study.) c. A required reading assignment with an annotated bibliography consisting of 25 points related to the research -- 5 points for a book (i.e. general information or interest volume); 1 point for each journal article; and 2 points for selected topics of scientific references (i.e. research a specific point of information on behavior, biology, physiology, etc.) d. Participation in a 10 day session which includes attending the lectures, participating in the daily research, and completion of an individual research project which will enrich your teaching experience. (An independent study with the Mingan Island Cetacean Study is available.) e. Development of a final product. For example, the final product may be a teaching unit for your respective grade level, an article to submit to a professional journal, or a report on a specific point of interest in the research. Outline - ED 654: Field Study in Marine Science General introduction to course, methods, and boat. Navigation methods Data collection methods Photographic techniques Current research methods Intro to Water analysis techniques Characteristics of whale species Animal behavior Social Interaction Methods of species and individual identification. Baleen whales - Humpback, Fin, Minke, and Right Whales. Toothed whales - great whales, dolphins, and porpoises Migration Feeding and reproduction Anatomy & Physiology of Marine Mammals Food Chains Biotic and Abiotic factors Plankton analysis & identification Water analysis techniques Current research methods Physiology of Baleen and Toothed Whales (Off-shore Odontocetes) Echolocation Communication Respiration Diving Reflex Human Interaction and Influences Humpback Whales Right Whales Fishing and Whale Watching Economic Status of Stellwagen Bank Entanglements gill nets and harbor porpoise Summary Discussion NOTE: Alternate day trips to the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University and intertidal studies at local locations may be substituted if the boat trip is cancelled for any reason. email: whe_william(\)flo.org Michael Williamson Assist. Prof.-Wheelock College ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 09:50:44 PST From: Alan Macnow Subject: GREENPEACE AND WHALE RESEARCH ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- FROM: Alan Macnow Tele-Press Associates,Inc. 321 E. 53 Street New York, N.Y., 10022 Tel: (212) 688-5580 FAX: (212) 688-5857 FOR: Japan Whaling Association GREENPEACE USES PUFFERY AND DECEIT TO CREATE CONFLICT Greenpeace, in an apparent attempt to revive flagging income and membership, last week again fabricated a bogus issue in which it could play hero and get publicity. Summoning a gullible press and TV cameras, Greenpeace on February 14 announced that it "caught the Japanese whaling fleet hunting whales in the newly created Antarctic whale sanctuary." The statement, focusing on the word "caught," mis- leadingly implied that Greenpeace had seized or apprehended a "Japanese whaling fleet" furtively doing something wrong. The truth is that a Greenpeace vessel approached one of the four Japanese vessels conducting legitimate whale research on minke whales in the Antarctic and tried to disrupt its operations. There was nothing furtive or illegal about the Japanese research operations. They were announced to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) last May, cleared with the IWC Scientific Committee, and authorized under Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. The so-called "newly created Antarctic whale sanctuary" was voted by 23 anti-whaling delegations out of the 38 IWC mem- ber nations. It was not approved by the IWC Scientific Com- mittee, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis- sion, or the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. It did not even meet the criteria required for adoption under the whal- ing Convention. Moreover, under the terms of the sanctuary provision, only commercial whaling was banned, not whales taken for re- search. Proponents of the measure stated that they wanted to encourage research on whales in the sanctuary. And Article VIII of the whaling Convention guaranteed all signatory nations the right to conduct whale research in all international waters, in- cluding the waters off Antarctica. Japan's research on minke whales has been conducted in Antarctic waters every year since 1987. It has resulted in the publication of more than 120 scientific papers so far and has contributed invaluable knowledge about the stocks. Minke whales are abundant and non-endangered. There are over 760,000 in the Antarctic, from which the Japanese take only 300 per year for the research program, a small sampling of the population. If the research was really commercial whaling, as alleged by Greenpeace, the take would not be restricted to such a small number but could be as high as 4,000. The unused parts of the whales are sold under government authority to help fi- nance the research. Neither Japan nor any other whaling country wants to take any species of whale considered endangered or heavily depleted. Greenpeace has consistently misled the public into thinking that all whales are in danger of extinction. The truth is that most of the whale stocks that were heavily exploited during the 1960s and 1970s appear to be increasing in numbers. The Pacific gray whale, once thought to be extinct, has now recovered to its original population size. Population increases also have been recorded for the badly depleted Atlantic right whales, northeast Pacific blue whales, humpbacks off the coast of Australia, north Pacific bowheads, and Atlantic fin whales. There is absolutely no evidence of any decline in any whale stocks in the past decade. Greenpeace's unjustified interference with the research operations for publicity purposes is equivalent to the destruc- tion of laboratories by extreme animal rights groups. The in- terference with vessels violates international maritime law and exposes the crews to danger. It should not be condoned. -end- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 12:21:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: TV show 02/26/95 1:01 PM EST - Sci-Fi Channel VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA - THE GHOST OF MOBY DICK I think this is the truly awful episode where a sperm whale swallows a diving bell and divers are sent into the whale to rescue the people trapped inside. If this is the episode I appreciate it if someone could tape it for me. Rich Mallon-Day ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 17:20:58 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: MCKINNON TO LOOK AT LAWS BANNING WHALING SHIPS 21-Feb-95 06:55 pm Regular National MCKINNON TO LOOK AT LAWS BANNING WHALING SHIPS Timaru, Feb 21 - Foreign Affairs Minister Don McKinnon today agreed to look at Australian legislation banning ships associated with whaling fleets after calls from Greenpeace for a ban in New Zealand waters. A spokesman for Mr McKinnon said the minister would look at the legislation to determine whether a law change was an appropriate response to government concerns about scientific whaling. His response came after a Japanese-owned tanker, the Oriental Falcon, visited Timaru yesterday and attracted protest action from Greenpeace. However, despite Greenpeace claims that the Government was already examining such legislation, Mr McKinnon said he was unfamiliar with it. ``The call to pass legislation to prevent the refuelling of these boats can't be acted upon. I am not aware of legislation which is currently in the hands of the Australians. I am certainly happy to look at it but it is not easy just to stop ships coming into your port and you can never stop ships in distress. ``But I am happy to look at the legislation to see what is the most appropriate gesture we should make,'' Mr McKinnon said in a statement today. He said there was nothing illegal about ships associated with scientific whaling visiting New Zealand waters. ``Scientific whaling is legal under the rules of the International Whaling Commission. We can't do anything legal, unilaterally, to ban what is going on.'' Mr McKinnon said the best approach was to keep Japan on the inside of the International Whaling Commission so pressure could be applied from within. ``It's loosely called scientific whaling because they claim it's done for scientific purposes but we believe research on whales of the kind that would be useful doesn't have to be lethal research. The Government is opposed to scientific whaling. Naturally we would rather they didn't catch any whales for scientific purposes or anything else.'' NZPA TUH pm ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 17:10:15 -0500 From: Artie Kopelman Subject: 1995 NE Regional Stranding Network Conference 1995 Northeast Regional Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Network Conference April 28 - 30, 1995 Ramada Inn Riverhead, New York, USA Dear Colleagues: It is time to make plans to attend the 1995 Northeast Regional Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Network Conference. This year's meeting will be hosted by the Okeanos Ocean research Foundation, Inc.. The Conference will be held at the Ramada Inn, Riverhead, NY, from Friday 28 April - Sunday 30 April. Friday will be a closed session for letter holders. Registration will begin at 3:30 PM on Friday. Paper and poster sessions will begin Saturday morning and continue through Sunday noon. *****CALL FOR PAPERS***** Anyone interested in presenting a paper is requested to submit an abstract postmarked no later than Tuesday, February 29, 1995. Abstracts postmarked later will not be considered. Abstracts will be reviewed and presenters will be notified by March 17, 1995 regarding acceptance. Conference proceedings will be published. Presented papers will be allotted 15 minutes (12 minutes/3 minutes Q/A). In the event we choose to include poster presentations, please indicate which format (poster or oral) you would prefer. Submit abstracts to: Dr. A. H. Kopelman, Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation P.O. Box 776, 278 East Montauk Highway Hampton Bays, N.Y. 11946. or e-mail to: kopelman(\)pipeline.com or KOPELMAH(\)SFITVA.CC.FITSUNY.EDU. STUDENTS, please indicate if you wish to be included in the competition for best student paper. MEETING LOCATION Facilities for the conference are excellent and Ramada Inn personnel are very eager to have us there. The main room for the paper sessions will seat >300, and adjeacent rooms for posters, vendors and socializing are available. A block of 100 rooms is being held for conference participants at the group rate of $70.00 per room. NY State tax on all rooms is 8.50%. Daily housekeeping service is provided. Rooms will be held until 17 March, after which time all unreserved rooms will be released. Group rates for participants will still apply after 17 March, however. You are urged to make your reservations as soon as possible. Please make all lodging reservations directly with the Ramada Inn at (516) 369-2200. TRAVEL TO SYMPOSIUM Riverhead is located on the eastern end of LI, between the beautioful and historic north and south forks. The Ramada Inn is located on Route 25 at exit 72 of the Long Island Expressway (LIE or I-495). For those of you planning to fly to the meetings, there are several major airports in the area. Pick up can be arranged with prior notice. Please note that Mac Arthur Airport is the closest to the conference site. FOOD, FUN AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES On Friday evening, 28 April, Okeanos will be hosting a catered buffet at one of LI's premier wineries. Unfortunately, space is limited to 70 people and will be open to the first 70 registrants interested in attending. Please indicate on the registration form if you would like to attend this event. On Staurday evening, 29 April, plan to join in the fun at a sit down dinner cruise aboard the Peconic River Queen, an authentically reprodduced paddleboat. Festivities begin with a dockside cocktail hour at 7:00 PM with open bar and hors d'oeuvres. At 8:00 PM the Queen departs for a four hour cruise down the beautiful Peconic River and into Flanders Bay. Dine in scenic elelgance while listening to the sounds of "The New York Connection". Cost per person is $40.00. SPONSORS AND VOLUNTEERS NEEDED We are looking for NGO's to sponsor coffee breaks which will be sceduled during the meeting. The cost to sponsor a nreak is $100.00, which goes directly toward the cost of providing beverages and snacks. We will handle all set-up and serving. If interested, please check the appropriate box on the registration form and enclose the sponsorship check. THANKS!. If you wish to volunteer your help at the meeting, please indicate this on the back of the registration form. Lots of help is needed to ensure a great meeting and all help will be greatly appreciated. We at Okeanos look forward to seeing you in April. A Conference Registration form is included below. We urge you to register in advance. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------- REGISTRATION FORM 1995 Northeast Regional Stranding Network Conference NAME _______________________________________________________________________ AFFILIATION ________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ City ________________ State/Country ________________ ZIP Code ________ TELEPHONE _________________________________ FAX _________________________ EMAIL ______________________________________________________________________ I ENCLOSE $ _____________________ FOR (PLEASE CHECK): ____ Registration ($25.00 until March 24, 1995) __________ ____ LATE Registration ($30.00 after March 24, 1995) __________ ____ Saturday night River-Bay Dinner/Dance Cruise ($40.00) __________ ____ Coffee break sponsorship ($100.00) __________ ____ I would like to attend Fri. night buffet (space permitting) no charge Make check or money order payable to Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation. We can accept checks drawn on foreign banks if converted to US currency. No refunds will be issued unless requested prior to April 14. Mail completed registration form and check to: Sally Kiss 1995 Northeast Regional Stranding Network Conference Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation, Inc. 278 E. Montauk Hwy. P.O. Box 776 Hampton Bays, N.Y. 11946 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CALL (516) 728-4522 -- Arthur H. Kopelman ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 17:07:00 EST From: Shere Abbott Subject: Re: GREENPEACE AND WHALE RESEARCH Text item: Re: GREENPEACE AND WHALE RESEARCH In response to your article referenced above, according to the recently published Annual Report to Congress, 1994 of the Marine Mammal Commission, the IWC agreed at its May 1994 annual meeting to establish an 11.8 million-square-mile sanctuary in antarctic waters. A 3/4 majority was needed for adoption; the Commission's report notes that Japan was the only country to vote against the sanctuary. This seems at odds with your account of the "truth". ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 13:30:32 -0800 From: Greenpeace -- DC Subject: GP CATCHES JAPANESE FLEET IN ANTARCTIC SANCTUARY SOUTHERN OCEAN, ANTARCTICA, 14 FEBRUARY 1995--GREENPEACE HAS CAUGHT AND EXPOSED THE JAPANESE WHALING FLEET HUNTING WHALES IN THE NEWLY CREATED ANTARCTIC WHALE SANCTUARY. The crew aboard the MV GREENPEACE found the fleet in the vast Southern Ocean for the third time in five days today. This time, the three catcher boats and the factory ship Nisshin Maru did not run away. Exclusive Greenpeace footage from the scene shows the harpoons uncovered and crowsnests manned as they began their hunt for minke whales. The sanctuary was created by a vote of 23-1 with Japan completely isolated, at last year's meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Mexico. The Japanese fleet has continued its so called "scientific" whale hunt -- the meat it produces retails in Tokyo's markets and restaurants for up to $US160 a pound, a highly prized delicacy. (Press release) Excerpts from the dispatches of Ocean Ecology campaigner Kieran Mulvaney aboard the MV GREENPEACE to Greenpeace offices around the world. ~Feb. 9 "After 45 days patrolling the Southern Ocean, the MV GREENPEACE intercepted the Japanese "scientific" whaling fleet in the Antarctic. For once, the bad visibility worked to our advantage, as we sat still in the fog and pretended to be an iceberg. After we approached to within a half mile of them, the Nisshin Maru saw us, recognized us, and took off. Kaori Matsunaga and I read a statement in Japanese and English, advising them that they were violating the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary, urging them to stop whaling and leave the area, and warning them that if they did not, we would take all peaceful means at our disposal to prevent them from killing whales." ~Feb. 10 "The Nisshin Maru ran and ran. They ran for about 150 miles and twelve hours with us at their heels. While they're running, they're not whaling. And if we catch them again, they will probably stop running and stand and fight." ~Feb. 12 "We found the Nisshin Maru again this morning. They had run away to refuel. We decided early on that we would not attempt to interfere with the refuelling process, for two main reasons: preventing other ships from gaining access to required fuel supplies, especially in the Antarctic, is most definitely not cool; and disrupting the process might increase the risk of an accident or an oil spill. It was very frustrating, having chased across the Southern Ocean at full speed for three days, having then to stand off and stare at the fog, while, somewhere in the near distance, the whaling fleet refuelled." ~Feb. 13 "One thing is for certain: they have not killed a single whale now for at least five days, since we first found them on Feb. 9. They would have wanted to kill twenty or more during that period." ~Feb. 14 "We headed west toward another promising echo and found another catcher, the Kyo Maru No. 1. We were within a mile or so of the KM1 when visibility suddenly cleared, and the catcher began to slow down course, as if it was hunting. Suddenly a blow appeared directly in front of it. Paula (Greenpeace helicopter pilot) was back in the sky within a couple of minutes, flying right over the catcher and getting right in their faces. The Kyo Maru continued to twist and turn after the whale, cutting in front of the Greenpeace and causing Arne (MV Greenpeace Captain) to sound the horn several times, but Paula parked Tweety (Greenpeace helicopter) right in front of the harpoon. Then we discovered that these guys were actually chasing a humpback whale. I looked at their IWC proposal and realized that it does include biopsy sampling of humpbacks. They will doubtless complain about us interfering with their non-lethal research programme. But, if they weren't hiding their science in a commercial whaling operating, we wouldn't have been after them in the first place, so to hell with them. In the late afternoon, we discovered that the KM1 had killed another whale, which was lashed to the side of the catcher. We turned to intercept it. But they were having none of it. If there is one thing they hate, it is the helicopter, and if there is a second thing they hate, it is us getting photos and footage of them killing and butchering whales. I think we annoyed them a lot today, and with luck, we will be able to do worse tomorrow." ~Feb. 15 "Day Two with the fleet, and the story has gone ballistic in Australia, with every major tv network, radio stations, Sydney's best-selling newspaper and even a few politicians getting in on the act. We just saw the Nisshin Maru start up, with a catcher heading toward it. We put the Rock Boat in the water right away. It pounded through the waves towards the factory ship and was only just able to reach it in time. Within a couple of minutes, the Toshi Maru No. 18 had transferred a freshly-killed minke whale. We attempted to stop it, but in vain, although Liz (crew member ) managed to take bunch of photos of the transfer. We launched the helicopter over the Nisshin Maru to take footage and stills of the flensing and butchering process. As Paula put it, they looked more like a bunch of fisherman than scientists: they measured their catch, they weighed it, and then they hacked it into bite-sized pieces. ~Feb. 16 "The big news of the day is that New Zealand has formally protested to Japan over the fact that they are whaling in the Sanctuary. We have been told that this is entirely the result of our efforts. Now the Australian government is also expected to file a formal protest any time now. How about it folks? What about getting your country to join in? The catchers have learned their lesson from the publicity of the past couple of days and are now adopting a strategy similar to the one they employed three years ago: "when Greenpeace arrives at our bow, we stop whaling, deny them good pictures and hope they get bored and think we aren't really whaling." Greenpeace will not get bored and "go away" until the hunting is stopped. We will continue to bear witness to the world of environmental and social injustices carried out in the name of corporate greed. Without your continued support, this work in the Antarctic, as well as our campaigns worldwide, would not be possible. MV Greenpeace, Antarctica, February 18 1995 Dear Mr. Vice President: We are five U.S. citizens onboard the M.V. Greenpeace as part of a 27 person crew representing 11 nations. We write to you from south of the Antarctic convergence, 300 miles north of the Ross Sea and deep within the newly established Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Since December last year, we have been conducting whale research, UV and plankton studies, and other scientific observations which we hope will help to shed more light on the Antarctic ecosystem and the threats it faces. Ten days ago we found a whaling fleet -- a factory ship and three catchers from Japan harpooning whales at the entrance to the Ross Sea. This is well inside the Whale Sanctuary. We are outraged that this slaughter continues in spite of the fact that the Sanctuary was agreed by the United States and 22 fellow member nations of the International Whaling Commission, and opposed by just one. Our intention is to stop this slaughter by putting ourselves between the whales and the harpooners. These are tactics with which we are sure you are familiar. We will continue to do so for as long as we are able, in an attempt to prevent whales from being killed. But we can obviously not prevent this whaling by ourselves. Although we will interfere with the hunting as much as we can while we are here, we can not stay forever. And if such whaling is to be stopped outright, it will require pressure of a different kind from different sources -- from the people and governments of the world. The government of New Zealand agrees with us, and has filed a formal protest with Japan over whaling in the Sanctuary. Today, we heard that Australia has followed suit. Mr. Vice President, last year you demonstrated great personal commitment to the establishment of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. We urge you now to formally protest to the Japanese Government for allowing its citizens to carry on a whale hunt along the pack ice of the Antarctic. Sincerely, Andy Troia, Port Townsend, Washington Paula Huckleberry, Troy, Montana Tom Briggs, Austin, Texas Liz Carr, Seattle, Washington Marc Defourneaux, Haily, Idaho What You Can Do: Whale research is important. However, countries do not need to kill whales to study them. More than a million whales have been killed in the Southern Ocean during this century alone - thousands in the name of science. Lethal "scientific" whaling must end. To join our fight, please call or write Vice President Al Gore and urge him to send a letter to the Japanese Government formally protesting their lethal "scientific" whaling program in the newly created Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Vice President Albert Gore Old Executive Office Building Washington, DC 20501 Internet: Vice.President(\)Whitehouse.gov Phone: (202)456-2326 Fax: (202)456-7044 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 13:19:21 -0800 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: GREENPEACE AND WHALE RESEARCH Would a half-truth plus a half-truth mean one truth? If so, perhaps we should read Alan Macnow's releases as pairs! Anyway, Alan is -again - partially correct in that Japan is not to be 'caught' doing illgelka whaling. They do it openly, in aa blatant and offensive way, as openly as they deliver 'fisheries aid' to the Caribbean in exchange for 'sincere sympathy' of Caribbean delegates at the Whaling Comission. And all this 'research' to yield such groundbreaking results as sperm data with aview to artificial insemination of baleen whales. My oh my what an age to be a whale researcher! ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 13:41:33 -0500 From: Wendy Lee Subject: Re: Summer Course-New England In-Reply-To: <199502201716.MAA22282(\)emerald.tufts.edu> My name is Wendy Lee, and I am a senior at Tufts University. I would like more information regarding this summer course, and any application materials. I am currently applying to graduate programs with the intention of studying behavioral ecology or animal behavior. If possible, please send any information or materials to the following address: Wendy Lee 35 Teele Ave Somerville, MA 02144 If there is anything more you could tell me about this program, please write to the following e-mail address: WLEE1(\)EMERALD.TUFTS.EDU Thank you for your time. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 12:15:05 -0500 From: Jonah Rosenfield Subject: whales and cancer Does anyone have any information about the proliferation of cancer within population stocks of the great whales, especially those species found along the continental shelf or in coastal waters? Also, in relation to the previous questions, are there data relating to the bio-accumulation of organochlorines in cetacean blubber/muscle If anyone has any information, I would be happy to hear from them. Jonah Rosenfield jrosenfi(\)mbcrr.harvard.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 03:52:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: AUSTRALIA EXPRESSES CONCERN AUSTRALIA EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER JAPANESE ANTARCTIC WHALING CANBERRA, Feb 20 AAP - Australia has expressed official concern over Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Environment Minister John Faulkner and acting Foreign Minister Robert Ray said federal officials today told a visiting Japanese foreign ministry delegation of the Australian concerns. "We join the expressions of opposition to the Japanese scientific whaling in the Sanctuary which New Zealand officials made to the same Japanese delegation on 16 February," the ministers said in a statement. "We remind Japan that the International Whaling Commission (IWC) passed a resolution last year, as in previous years, urging Japan to revise its research program to use only non-lethal techniques. "We had hoped the spirit surrounding the declaration of the Sanctuary would have persuaded Japan to continue its program only with non-lethal methods." Environmental group Greenpeace has filmed a Japanese fleet hunting minke whales inside the newly created sanctuary. IWC rules allow Japan to kill 330 minke whales a year for "research purposes". The Australian ministers said there was strong opinion in many countries, including Australia, against all forms of commercial whaling. "We very much hope that Japan will cease its practice of lethal and large scale scientific whaling, particularly in the Sanctuary," they said. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 13:50:42 -0500 From: William Megill Subject: Re: More MM Internships In-Reply-To: <199502121708.JAA03856(\)unixg.ubc.ca> On Sat, 11 Feb 1995, Stacy Braslau-Schneck wrote: > These "paying volunteer" programs can be added to the "intern/volunteer" > program list posted a few weeks ago. Through these short-term programs, > volunteers pay a fee to join a research program or expedition as a > volunteer assistant researcher. (Some of the money goes to support the > research.) Write these programs for their latest catalog listings. > > PAYING VOLUNTEER POSITIONS (*You* pay *them* to volunteer). > Two more to add : Mingan Island Cetacean Study 285, Green St. St. Lambert, QC, Canada J4P 1T3 (514) 465 9176 Coastal Ecosystems Research Foundation 2173 W 6th Ave #207 Vancouver BC Canada V6K 1V5 (604) 730 0579 megill(\)bcu.ubc.ca Cheers ! William Zoology UBC ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 19:08:53 -0800 From: Lourdes Flores Subject: Dead marine mammals in the Gulf of Ca. **************************************************** ** ** ** This message was sent to the obsolete system ** ** uwavm.u.washington.edu. Please inform the ** ** sender of a more appropriate address. In ** ** most cases you'll want to use a generic ** ** address like user(\)u.washington.edu that does ** ** not include a system name that may become ** ** obsolete in the future. ** ** ** **************************************************** I got this information about the dead marine mammals in the Gulf, for those that are following this issue: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 09:13:45 -0800 (PST) From: Brian Pawlak To: smafolks(\)u.washington.edu Subject: Greenwire 02/16/95 (fwd) Thought the marine affairs news from a national news service would be of interest. *14 MARINE MAMMALS: DID VIRUS CAUSE DIE-OFF IN GULF OF CA? Researchers investigating the causes of a "mysterious," sudden die-off hundreds of dolphins, whales and sea birds over the last month in the Gulf of California suggest a bacterial or viral infection is the "likely culprit." While a Mexico City enviro group blamed a gas leak at an oil well in the gulf, researchers say they have found "no evidence to support that." The Mexican government surveyed and collected samples from the area on 2/6-7, and the Secretariat of Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries is currently analyzing them for infections or contaminants such as pesticides. Antonio Franco of the Mexican Environmental Protection Office in Tijuana: "Any accusation right now would be reckless." As scientists evaluate the die-off, along with two other similar events reported worldwide in recent years, there is "continuing debate" about whether environmental stress caused the animals to be more susceptible to a virus (Cleeland/Dibble, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/10). ============== STATE REPORTS ============== *16 CALIFORNIA: GROUPS OPPOSE SEWAGE-TREATMENT EXEMPTION A bill to exempt San Diego from federal sewage-treatment rules could result in less testing for ocean pollutants and more ocean pollution, environmental, divers' and citizens' groups said on 2/13. The groups have formed a new Clean Water Alliance to oppose the bill. Sponsored by Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA), the measure says San Diego sewage does not need "secondary" treatment before being piped 4.5 miles out to sea. House Speaker Newt Gingrich has cited the secondary-treatment requirement on San Diego as the type of rule the House should revoke in monthly "corrections days" (GREENWIRE 2/2). The Clean Water Alliance wants the city to follow a Clean Water Act procedure for seeking a waiver from the secondary- treatment provisions every five years, after scientific reviews and public comment. City officials say the city would have to do "extensive" monitoring even with the exemption (Steve LaRue, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/14). *17 FLORIDA: PLAN WOULD HELP FISHERS HURT BY NET BAN Commercial fishers idled by the Florida net ban (GREENWIRE 1/11) would receive job training and compensation for lost wages under a proposal being drafted in the legislature. The proposal also includes a provision to buy back boats and nets, bringing the total cost of the plan to about $40 million over three years. State Rep. Allen Boyd (D), the bill's sponsor, said $10 million in federal funds can be used for retraining. The $30 million needed for the buy-back and wage-loss compensation would initially be funded by a loan from a coastal-protection trust fund. A surcharge on saltwater-fishing licenses later could raise money to pay back the fund transfer, Boyd said (Jackie Hallifax, AP/TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT, 2/11). ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 17:53:08 -0500 From: "Kathryn A. Zagzebski" Subject: Re: Microbiology of Cetaceans (fwd) The following was found on another network, and I thought folks here could help. Please respond to this person directly, as s/he is not hooked into MARMAM. (I don't know the e-mail address, so "snail mail" will have to suffice.) Thanks! **************************************************************************** Kathryn Zagzebski Program in Coastal Environmental Management Internet: kaz(\)acpub.duke.edu Duke University School of the Environment Phone: 919/504-7513 Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC 28516 Fax: 919/728-2514 **************************************************************************** ---------- Forwarded message ---------- On 20 Feb 1995, AP MacMillan wrote: I would like to contact others with an interest in the microbiology of cetaceans and other marine mammals. We have recently isolated strains of Brucella from various species, and have serological evidence that infection is very widespread (30%) around the British coast. As brucellosis is a very important of reproductive loss in land mammals and a very serious zoonosis I think that the finding is very significant. The strains isolated appear to be of a previously unrecognised species of Brucella. Has anyone seen any pathological or clinical evidence suggestive of brucellosis. Do you have access to blood samples from cetaceans worldwide? Any ideas for research collaborations? > AP MacMillan > FAO/WHO Centre for Research and Reference on Brucellosis > OIE Brucellosis Reference Centre > Central Veterinary Laboratory, New Haw, > Weybridge, GB > Tel: + 44 932 357216 > Fax; + 44 932 347046 > - ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 13:06:48 -0500 From: William Christopher Bowers Subject: Re: Orca dorsals In-Reply-To: <95Feb20.133820nst.411575(\)garfield.cs.mun.ca> I used to work at SeaWorld of Texas a few years ago (90-91). I worked in the "education' department, answering basic question about marine mammals. One of common question delt with facid fin syndrome. Our responce centered around the fact that ".... the dorsal fin is made up of cartilage sheets virtically arranged....sometimes one sheet goes faster than the other causing the curved effect..." I've read stats that stated flacid fin syndrome occured in about 2% of wild orcas. Now from what I remember SeaWorld at the time that I worked there was in the possesion of 5 adult males (or three not sure)... anyways all the individuals displayed facid fin syndrome. Before creating a new 'Willy' complex, it is important to realize that theme parks gave birth to the conservation movement (ironic eh?). The amount of data gathered as a result of orcas "in a controled environment" greatly aided cetacean study. Conservation through public education!! Flacid fin syndrome is merely cosmetic.... if it is caused by salinity, water temp, diet, inactivity, genetics, I cann't say, but I can say that SeaWorld has lit the fire of learning in many future scientists!!! With that bit of preaching done... I was wondering that if resident populations are not found outside of PNW, are they the exception rather than the rule!? Chris. Wm. C. Bowers wbowers(\)ganymede.cs.mun.ca "the last of Barrett's Privateers" ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 15:36:00 EST From: Phil Clapham Subject: Reply to: WHALES AND CANCER In-Reply-To: <836293(\)SIMNH.SI.EDU> An excellent review of organochlorines in marine mammals is given by Alex Aguilar in: Aguilar, A. 1987. Using organochlorine pollutants to discriminate marine mammal populations: a review and critique of the methods. Marine Mammal Science 3: 242-262. Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 13:04:04 -0800 From: Jaap v/d Toorn Subject: Freeing Willy? Recently there have been numerous messages going around the net with respect to the planned move to Oregon and possible future release of Keiko, the killer whale that starred in the movie Free Willy. In a lot of those messages, it seems as if it is taken for granted that he will be released and that it will be easy to do that. However, releasing a whale or a dolphin that has been in an oceanarium for an extended period of time, like Keiko has, is not as simple as it looks on the surface. You should only do it, if you can be pretty certain that the animal has a reasonable chance of surviving. Releasing an animal in such a way that he/she will be dead within a month is definitely not a good idea. So what should you do? Actually there are a number of things you can do to increase his chances. 1- Release him only in the area he originated from. Since Keiko was captured in Iceland, that's the only sensible choice. (This is not only for Keiko's wel-being by the way. When you are releasing animals (any species) into a location they do not originate from, you are potentially messing with the genetics of the local population. We know far too little about that to be taking risks with that. You may be introducing hereditary diseases into a population without knowing it). 2- Release him close to the pod he was taken from. Killer whales are very social animals. A killer whale alone will have a very hard time. It will be lonely and it will have difficulties foraging (remember that they usually hunt in groups too). 3- If possible, release him together with another one from the same or a closely related group. I don't know his history, so I don't know if he was the only one taken at the time or there may be other whales taken from the same pod at another date that could be release candidates. It is by no means certain that he will be accepted back into his pod and being with a companion will make it easier on him if he is not accepted. This is not essential, but I believe it is worth looking into (they are talking about a 4 year period from his move to the actual release, so there is time). 4- Take a lot of time to "untrain" him. This will be hard, both for Keiko and for the people working with him, but human contact should be gradually faded out (also for that reason having a companion may be very benificial). He should learn not to rely on people for comfort and food. 5- As an extension to the above, he should be moved to Iceland a long time before the actual release is to take place to get him used to the climate. In Iceland he must be kept at a remote location where he can learn to capture live, local fish, without human intervention. People should be kept away from that location as much as possible. 6- He must be healthy and strong/fit at the time of release, obviously for his own good, but also to the benifit of the local population (his extended pre-release stay in Iceland would then also be a quarantine in that respect, to make sure that he does not carry any diseases). We know that he currently has some kind of skin condition. If that's only a minor thing that can be contained without medication, it does not necessarily prevent his release. However, it must be verified that if he still has that condition at the time of his release, that it is an infection that does naturally occur in the Icelandic population. You obviously should not introduce new diseases into a natural population. 7- If he is released there must be an elaborate follow-up. His progress, if any, should be monitored over a period of at a minimum several months. It may be a good idea to fit him with a satelite tag for instance, so that he can be located easily at any given time (these tags will usually fall off after a couple of months). Especially in the first weeks his whereabouts must be monitored daily, so that his health status can be verified. 8- Before his release preparation should be made to recapture him if it looks he is not going to make it. This will be a difficult call in any event, but a good release program should be prepared to recapture the animal if that will be in the animal's best interest (for instance if he cannot collect enough food and is slowly starving to death). 9- Last but certainly not least, it should be checked well in advance if Iceland is willing to co-operate with the release of a killer whale in their waters. That seems to be taken for granted, but it is by no means certain they will allow it. This seems pretty elaborate, but I am pretty sure I have not covered everything. Remember that we are dealing here with an animal that has been in captivity for a long time and has adapted to that situation. That took time and undoing that will take a lot of time too. This is not a stranded animal that has been rehabilitated over the course of a few weeks and never got a chance to get used to captivity. Releasing captive animals is not an easy straightforward operation, but with the proper care and a lot of time and a lot of dedication, it can be done. A good example is the release attempt, conducted by Randy Wells and his group, of 2 bottlenosed dolphins. That program had both the proper preparation and the follow-up to make it successful. Jaap -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn jaap(\)tfs.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 11:29:00 LCL From: "Anderson, Gordon" Subject: Re: Freeing Willy? Keiko rehab and relelease The thoughful piece by Jaap v/d Toom had a lot of meat in it and raised some important issues about re-release, particularly of an animal of that size and mobility. Another reference worth looking at is Gales, N and Waples, K. 1993. The rehabilitation and release of bottlenose dolphins from Atlantis Marine Park, Western Australia. Aquat Mamm. Vol.19 No.2: pp49-59. Deals with the long-term program established when a local oceanarium closed down. Gordon Anderson. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 18:28:41 PST From: Lance Morgan Subject: Mortality estimates in cetaceans We are looking for estimates of interannual variation in natural survival or mortality rates for phocoena (or other small cetaceans). Does anyone have an idea what order of magnitude 1%, 5% 10%? Thanks for any help you can give us. Lance Morgan Miguel Cisneros ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lance Morgan Internet: morgan(\)megalopa.ucdavis.edu Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology University of California Lab: (916) 752-1270/0367 Davis, California 95616 FAX: (916) 752-4154 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 10:48:19 +0000 From: Sara Heimlich-Boran Subject: Clarification on request for information about Xenobalanus globicipitus. Clarification on request for information about Xenobalanus globicipitus. In my last posting asking for information about the life-cycle of these barnacles, I didn't realise my typographic error when writing the scientific name. It may have confused many of you (either about what I was asking for, my mental state or my proffessionalism). I had read Rajarguru and Shanta (1992) and Rappe and Van Waerebeek (1988) and some original descriptions, but I'm looking for specific information about longevity, environmental requirements, etc. If anyone out there is looking at parasitology (external), or can suggest an invertebrate person to contact, I'd greatly appreciate the information. Any literature references would also be appreciated. Again, appologies to colleagues for being so sloppy in my first request! And thanks for the few replies despite it! Sara Heimlich-Boran ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 19:12:44 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: Re: Freeing Willy? On Thu, 23 Feb 1995, Anderson, Gordon wrote: > The thoughful piece by Jaap v/d Toom had a lot of meat in it and raised > some important issues about re-release, particularly of an animal of that > size and mobility. > > Another reference worth looking at is > > Gales, N and Waples, K. 1993. The rehabilitation and release of > bottlenose dolphins from Atlantis Marine Park, Western Australia. Aquat > Mamm. Vol.19 No.2: pp49-59. Another good publication centered around Keiko's release is a reference Ken Balcomb put together called "Cetacean Reintroductions". It has 36 pages and contains a good list of Cetacean reintroductions and references which, I think, will be very helpful in Keiko's release. Copies of the paper can be obtained from: Center for Whale Research Friday Harbour WA 98250 Terry ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 11:33:31 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: GREENPEACE AND WHALE RESEARCH Per Alan Macnow, for the Japan Whaling Association: > GREENPEACE USES PUFFERY AND DECEIT TO CREATE CONFLICT Well, I will leave it to others to judge Mr. Macnow's tone this time (I assume this is a press release, not a message composed specifically for MARMAM). But Mr. Macnow continues to be misleading or incorrect on the very important subject of the international legal status of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, the whaling moratorium and Japan's actions. MARMAM readers, whatever their opinions of Japan's whaling (scientific or otherwise), deserve to have this issue properly presented. > There was nothing furtive or illegal about the Japanese > research operations. They were announced to the International > Whaling Commission (IWC) last May, cleared with the IWC > Scientific Committee, and authorized under Article VIII of the > International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. Article VIII of the ICRW states among other things that any Contracting Government "may grant to any of its nationals a special permit authorizing that national to kill, take and treat whales for purposes of scientific research subject to such restrictions as to number and subject to such other conditions as the Contracting Government thinks fit, and the killing, taking and treating of whales in accordance with the provisions of this Article shall be exempt from the operation of this Convention." The Rules of Procedure of the Scientific Committee give it the responsibility for reviewing such permits, but though the recommendations of the Committee are usually followed they are not legally binding (eg they were disregarded by the Faroe Islands in 1982). However, the treaty language - in my opinion - does impose two conditions: the permits must be issued to nationals of the Contracting Party, and the take must be for the purposes of scientific reserch. Thus, although the permit may be cleared with the Scientific Committee it is surely open to the international community - including organizations like Greenpeace - to scrutinize Japanese activities outside Japan's territorial waters to determine if the activities carried out under the permit meet these conditions. Whatever you may think of Greenpeace's methods, it has the right to investigate non-nationals sailing on boats of Panamanian registry that may be involved in activities under Japan's permit, and to question whether the taking being done is, in fact, actually for scientific research. If it can demonstrate that either of these are true, it will have demonstrated that Japan has, indeed, violated the terms of the IWRC. The issuance of the permit does not disenfranchise the rest of the world, or prevent it from questioning Japan's actions. > The so-called "newly created Antarctic whale sanctuary" > was voted by 23 anti-whaling delegations out of the 38 IWC mem- > ber nations. It was not approved by the IWC Scientific Com- > mittee, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine > Living Resources, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis- > sion, or the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. It did > not even meet the criteria required for adoption under the whal- > ing Convention. The vote was actually 23-1, with Japan the only country voting against it. There is no requirement in the IWRC that the Parties must have the approval of the Scientific Committee or any other body before making decisions: there could hardly be, as such a requirement would be a denial of state sovereignty. The Scientific Committee is responsible for making recommendations, not binding determinations. As to the "criteria" Mr. Macnow refers to, Article V of the ICRW allows the Commission to designate "open and closed waters, including the designation of sanctuary areas" (Par. 1 (c)). Par. 2 states that such designations "(a) shall be such as are necessary to carry out the objectives and purposes of this Convention and to provide for the conservation, development and opimum utilization of the whale resources; (b) shall be based on scientific findings;... and (d) shall take into consideration the interests of the consumers of whale products and thewhaling industry." These are (as I have discussed before on this list) very broad rules that say nothing about what sort of scientific information is required, or on how much scientific evidence such decisions must be based before they meet iWRC terms. There is certainly nothing that says scientific opinion must be unanimous on the point. The article, further, only requires the Parties to "take into consideration" the opinions of whaling states. I would argue that there is no hard-and-fast "test" in existence to determine whether the decision of the Parties met such general criteria. Barring this, they had the sovereign right to vote as they did. > Moreover, under the terms of the sanctuary provision, > only commercial whaling was banned, not whales taken for re- > search. Proponents of the measure stated that they wanted to > encourage research on whales in the sanctuary. And Article VIII > of the whaling Convention guaranteed all signatory nations the > right to conduct whale research in all international waters, in- > cluding the waters off Antarctica. As noted, the terms of Article VII exempt scientific whaling altogether from the requirements of the treaty, so the Parties could not have banned scientific whaling in the sanctuary if they had wanted to. Their failure to do so is hardly, therefore, proof that they approved of Japan's plans. > Minke whales are abundant and non-endangered. There are > over 760,000 in the Antarctic, from which the Japanese take only > 300 per year for the research program, a small sampling of the > population. If the research was really commercial whaling, as > alleged by Greenpeace, the take would not be restricted to such > a small number but could be as high as 4,000. The unused parts > of the whales are sold under government authority to help fi- > nance the research. That is one interpretation. Another is that Japan's take is calculated as that necessary to justify keeping its whaling fleet afloat and maintain some demand for whale products at home, without being so large as to make it blatantly obvious that the take is primarily for commercial, not scientific, purposes (and therefore illegal). Bear in mind that any take of whales can provide scientific data; this does not mean that any killing of whales is for scientific purposes. > Neither Japan nor any other whaling country wants to > take any species of whale considered endangered or heavily > depleted. By whom? Further, DNA evidence (which Mr. Macnow admittedly disputes) suggests that Japan has done just that, clandestinely. > Greenpeace has consistently misled the public into > thinking that all whales are in danger of extinction. The truth > is that most of the whale stocks that were heavily exploited > during the 1960s and 1970s appear to be increasing in numbers. A population increasing in numbers in the absence of whaling is not the same thing as one that is out of danger, or one that could not be plunged back into peril if harvesting resumes. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 09:15:39 PST From: Dave Scheel Subject: Position announcement ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- To all: If you know anyone who might be interested, please pass this on. Thanks, David Scheel Announcement: Research associates/assistants Perform research in an ecosystem monitoring program. Pre and post- doctorates encouraged to apply. Successful applicants will assist with project logistics, field work, analysis and write-up of research. Several positions, both full and part-time, at various education/experience levels: (1) Ph.D., M.S. or Electrical Engineer with expertise in underwater optics/acoustics, aquatic ecology with a fisheries emphasis. Two positions to be hired. (2) M.S. in biology or equivalent experience with biological field research. Familiar with GIS, Unix and long-term databases a plus. Preference given to applicants with field experience in Prince William Sound. Three part-time positions may be combined if applicant is qualified. Positions are to: (a) Perform aerial and sea-based censuses of sea birds at salmon hatcheries, (b) Conduct SCUBA, intertidal and pot survey of nearshore octopus (experience with octopus subsistence harvest preferred), and (c) Design and enter data into a GIS database of killer whale sightings. (3) Masters level scientist/technician in oceanography. Duties include field logistics, extensive field data collection, data processing and analysis, publication of research reports and articles and proposal development. Must be able to work successfully both independently and cooperatively. Experience with physical and biological oceanographic sampling instrumentation (CTD, ADCP, hydroacoustics, plankton/nekton nets) is necessary. Requires excellent scientific and technical writing skills. Experience in Prince William Sound is desirable. The Science Center is designing and conducting a SCUBA survey of octopus in nearshore habitats, and solicits bids not to exceed $15,000 for a consultant with experience handling octopus and conducting SCUBA surveys to assist with design and train divers during initial one week survey in Prince William Sound, June 1995. All positions based at the Prince William Sound Science Center, P.O. Box 705, Cordova, AK 99574. Review of applicants will begin March 3, 1995 and continue until positions are filled. Salary DOE. EOE. Send cover letter and C.V. or statement of qualifications to Dr. Gary Thomas at address above. Internet address: loon(\)grizzly.pwssc.gen.ak.us. Phone (907) 424-5800; fax (907) 424-5820. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 09:31:53 -0800 From: Bill Perrin Subject: Symposium on Small Cetaceans of Southeast Asia An international symposium on the biology and conservation of small whales, dolphins and porpoises in the waters of Southeast Asia will be held at Silliman University, Dumaguete City, Negros, Philippines on 26 June, 1995. The symposium will be convened by the Marine Laboratory of Silliman University and sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) under the East Asian Seas Action Plan. The symposium also will receive support from the Global Plan of Action for Marine Mammals. Abstracts on any aspect of the biology or conservation of small cetaceans in Southeast Asia may be submitted. Covered will be Burma, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines, Hong Kong, (southern) China, Macau, Brunei Darussalam, and (northern) Australia. For further information, email your name, affiliation, address, fax number and nature of interest (plan to come, plan to submit abstract, or don't plan to come but want more information) to wperrin(\)its.ucsd.edu or fax or mail same to Symposium on Small Cetaceans c/o M.N.R. Alava, Marine Laboratory, Silliman University, Dumaguete City 6200, Philippines (fax 63-35-225-4608). ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 15:32:16 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: Lawrence Barnes e-mail address? Greetings, We are trying to track down an e-mail address for Lawrence Barnes at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, if anyone knows whether he uses e-mail. Please reply to: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca Thanks, Robin ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 18:56:10 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: DFO forum on seal slaughter I just got back from the seal forum in St. John's Newfoundland. The sealers are quite confident that people will not care about adult seals and that there will be no protest. However, the need for public education and funds for a PR campaignto counter the protest movement received considerable attention. The media was only allowed to attend an early morning press conference (media only ), and the plenary wind-up, by the Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, although they were free to talk to people in the hall throughout the day. The fishermen, sealers and Department of Fisheries and Oceans repeatedly talked about the importance of managing seals in a sustainable manner, completely ignoring the fact that they had already managed fish populations into commercial extinction on the east coast and were moving in that direction on the west coast. The Deputy Minister referred to the 1990 estimate of 3.1 million harp seals. Although the sealers and fishermen did not question this figure in the forum, they told the media that seal populations were burgeoning and had to be controlled; the media parrotted this without question. The long overdue 1994 census of harp seal populations will not be available until April, that is, post-slaughter. The forum made it quite clear that there are very limited markets for seal meat; there have been efforts to market it for fertilizer, silage and pet food (no-one wants to pay a reasonable price) and for fox and salmon feed (they, like most people, do not like it). Hence the subsidy for meat, which at least some sealers consider a commercial market! The only viable commercial market is for seal penises. All other potential products (for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics) are at the R&D stage and not expected to be ready for market for two or more years. The pro-sealing faction emphasized the humaneness of the hunt but did not explain how the humane shooting of swimming seals by men in moving boats was to be accomplished. There was no information available on wounding and loss rates. Apparently the sealers are all perfect shots. Obviously, the decision to kill seals was based on politics, not science or markets. It came out in my workshop that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans paid for some people to participate in the forum. A representative of the fishing industry recommended that the Ministry either pay for everyone no-one. This was accepted as a recommendation by the group. (Of course, none of the anti-sealing organizations received any funding.) The only positive news to emerge from the forum was the recommendation by each of the four workshops to include all interested parties in seal management decisions in the future. In the past, Fisheries Ministers have only included "stakeholders" (defined as those who utilize the resource) in the decision-making process. It was interesting to see the fishermen, sealers and fishing industry more open to public participation than the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans, particularly as in recent years the Canadian government has stressed openess and transparecy in government. There is no indication that the Minister will accept this recommendation. Anne Doncaster ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 16:34:39 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: URGENT PETITION -- Fight Govt. Censorship!! (70 lines) (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 12:23:47 -0600 (CST) From: Jeanette A. Thomas >From owner-batline(\)UNMVMA.UNM.EDU Thu Feb 23 11:19 CST 1995 From: Tom Allison From: Jeff Guinzburg A matter has come to my attention that is of the utmost importance to all of us online. Simply put, a couple of senators have proposed a particularly heinous piece of legislation titled the "Communications Decency Act of 1995" (Senate Bill S. 314). Basically, the bill would subject all forms of electronic communication -- from public Internet postings to your most private email -- to government censorship. The effects of the bill onto the online industry would be devastating -- most colleges and private companies (AOL, Compuserve, etc.) would probably have to shut down or greatly restrict access, since they would be held criminally liable for the postings and email of private users. Obviously, this bill is designed to win votes for these senators among those who are fearful of the internet and aren't big fans of freedom of speech -- ie., those who are always trying to censor "pornography" and dirty books and such. Given the political climate in this country, this bill might just pass unless the computer community demonstrates its strength as a committed political force to be reckoned with. This, my friends, is why I have filled your mailbox with this very long message. A petition, to be sent to Congress, the President, and the media, has begun spreading through the Internet. It's easy to participate and be heard -- to sign it, you simply follow the instructions below -- which boil down to sending a quick email message to a certain address. That's all it takes to let your voice be heard. (You know, if the Internet makes democracy this accessible to the average citizen, is it any wonder Congress wants to censor it?) Finally, PLEASE forward this message to all your friends online. The more people sign the petition, the more the government will get the message to back off the online community. We've been doing fine without censorship until now -- let's show them we don't plan on allowing them to start now. If you value your freedoms -- from your right to publicly post a message on a worldwide forum to your right to receive private email without the government censoring it -- you need to take action NOW. It'll take fifteen minutes at the most, a small sacrifice considering the issues at hand. Remember, the age of fighting for liberty with muskets and shells is most likely over; the time has come where the keyboard and the phone line will prove mightier than the sword -- or the Senate, in this case. Here's what you have to do to sign the petition: send an e-mail message to: S314-petition(\)netcom.com the message (NOT the subject heading) should read as follows: SIGNED (y/n) eg. SIGNED lsewell(\)leland.Stanford.EDU Laura Sewell YES If you are interested in signing the petition, I would highly suggest investigating the details of the situation. You can find out more on the Web at http://www.wookie.net/~slowdog or in the newsgroup comp.org.eff.talk ***** NOTES from Jeff Guinzburg (JEFF (\) ISI) at 2/22/95 10:51 PM Sorry if this is off-topic or too long for you, but I wanted to ensure a wide distribution for this message, which I feel has a high degree of importance for those of us who value the privacy of our electronic communications. I encourage its wide distribution. I'm planning to sign the petition. Best Regards, Jeff. [full sig on request] ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 08:04:26 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on marine mammal and fisheries public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Whale Harassment. In mid-February 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard began randomly placing undercover agents aboard commercial whale watching boats in Southern California in response to reports of increased harassment of whales. [Assoc Press] . Norwegian Minke Whale Quota. On Feb. 21, 1995, Norway announced that it would allow its whalers to kill 301 minke whales during 1995 for commercial purposes. A total of 278 minke whales were killed in 1994. [Reuters] . Whaling Sanctuary Review. On Feb. 23, 1995, Japanese officials announced that they will request, at the International Whaling Commission's May annual meeting, that the IWC review the scientific justification for the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. [Dow Jones News] . Seal Hunts. On Feb. 21, 1995, a Canadian Seal Management Forum discussed means to achieve a sustainable harvest of seals based on scientifically valid conservation principles. On Feb. 22, 1995, Norway remained undecided concerning whether to resume hunting of baby seals, the hunting of which had been suspended for the last 6 years. [Reuters, DFO press release] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 22:14:06 -0500 From: Howgar(\)aol.com Subject: Keiko release The points raised by Jaap v/d Toorn are all relevant and well thought out, and were all considered by Ken Balcomb in his proposal to rehab and if possible release Keiko, which was presented to Keiko's owners a year ago. The question of participation of Iceland in an internationally publicized reunification of a whale with its family is possibly the most problematic, and will probably call for a very high profile approach to the government, university and fisheries communities. The general question of whether Keiko has a reasonable chance of survival is in the final analysis a matter of informed judgement since release after long term captivity has not been done for a killer whale, although several bottlenose dolphins and at least one pilot whale have successfully reintegrated with social groups, possibly not their own, after years of captivity. (Keiko would, of course, not be released except into the company of his close relatives.) Balcomb has a strong basis for making a well informed judgement in that regard, after thirty years studying a wide range of cetaceans in the wild, with twenty of those years spent observing killer whales in their natural habitats. In addition to the list of cetacean releases (Cetacean Releases, A List of Examples) already mentioned by Terry, a 35 page annotated bibliography of references to sources of information relating to various aspects of cetacean release programs is available (An Annotated Bibliography of Cetacean Releases). The Gales and Waples reference mentioned by Gordon Anderson is listed, for example. Both documents are intended to evolve as new information is brought to light. Any additional material for either document is welcome. To obtain either or both of these documents, please send $10.00 for each to: Release Documents Center for Whale Research P.O. Box 1577 Friday Harbor WA 98250 Howard ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 17:15:07 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: Re: GREENPEACE AND WHALE RESEARCH From: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association RE: Ronald Orenstein's response to my press release: GREENPEACE USES PUFFERY AND DECEIT TO CREATE CONFLICT Mr. Orenstein wrote: >Well, I will leave it to others to judge Mr. Macnow's tone this time (I >assume this is a press release, not a message composed specifically for >MARMAM). But Mr. Macnow continues to be misleading or incorrect on the very >important subject of the international legal status of the Southern Ocean >Sanctuary, the whaling moratorium and Japan's actions. MARMAM readers, >whatever their opinions of Japan's whaling (scientific or otherwise), >deserve to have this issue properly presented. I agree that MARMAM readers deserve to have this issue properly presented. Unfortunately Mr. Orenstein is not the proper presenter. While conceding (or not disputing) my basic points, he raises an army of straw men to distract and mislead the reader. For the sake of brevity, I will abbreviate the press release, and will deal primarily with Mr. O's remarks: (The press release is delineated with >>. Mr. Orenstein's remarks with >) >> There was nothing furtive or illegal about the Japanese >> research operations. . . . >Article VIII of the ICRW states among other things that any Contracting >Government "may grant to any of its nationals a special permit authorizing >that national to kill, take and treat whales for purposes of scientific >research subject to such restrictions as to number and subject to such other >conditions as the Contracting Government thinks fit, and the killing, taking >and treating of whales in accordance with the provisions of this Article >shall be exempt from the operation of this Convention." The Rules of >Procedure of the Scientific Committee give it the responsibility for >reviewing such permits, but though the recommendations of the Committee are >usually followed they are not legally binding (eg they were disregarded by >the Faroe Islands in 1982). The Japanese do not disregard them. >However, the treaty language - in my opinion - does impose two conditions: >the permits must be issued to nationals of the Contracting Party, and the >take must be for the purposes of scientific reserch. Thus, although the >permit may be cleared with the Scientific Committee it is surely open to the >international community - including organizations like Greenpeace - to >scrutinize Japanese activities outside Japan's territorial waters to >determine if the activities carried out under the permit meet these >conditions. Whatever you may think of Greenpeace's methods, it has the >right to investigate non-nationals sailing on boats of Panamanian registry >that may be involved in activities under Japan's permit, and to question >whether the taking being done is, in fact, actually for scientific research. >If it can demonstrate that either of these are true, it will have >demonstrated that Japan has, indeed, violated the terms of the IWRC. The >issuance of the permit does not disenfranchise the rest of the world, or >prevent it from questioning Japan's actions. Issuance of the permit does not empower Greenpeace to interfere with the research, obstruct the movement of vessels in violation of international maritime law, or endanger the safety of vessels and crews, all of which the organization has done. Accredited cetacean scientists are welcome to participate in the research and anyone can critique the scientific papers resulting from the research, which are on file at the IWC. The Japanese scientists also present their research to the IWC Scientific Committee, where scientists are free to question or critique it. Also, your suggestion that Japan is employing non-nationals on boats of Panamanian registry to operate on Japan's whale research permit is unjustified and outrageous. Stop erecting straw men. By the way, Greenpeace has no "right" to investigate anything, particularly if it violates the rights and property of a sovereign nation. I thought the investigatory rights issue was settled at CITES, but you seem to be of a different opinion. >> The so-called "newly created Antarctic whale sanctuary" >> was voted by 23 anti-whaling delegations out of the 38 IWC mem- >> ber nations. It was not approved by the IWC Scientific Com- >> mittee, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine >> Living Resources, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis- >> sion, or the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. It did >> not even meet the criteria required for adoption under the whal- >> ing Convention. >The vote was actually 23-1, with Japan the only country voting against it. Other IWC members abstained because they believed the vote to be illegal in terms of the provisions of the international Convention. Japan voted only in order to preserve its right to file an objection, which it later did. >There is no requirement in the IWRC that the Parties must have the approval >of the Scientific Committee or any other body before making decisions: there >could hardly be, as such a requirement would be a denial of state >sovereignty. The Scientific Committee is responsible for making >recommendations, not binding determinations. As Mr. O points out below, the ICRW (not IWRC) requires that any change in the regulations (Schedule) must be "based on scientific findings." The IWC is free to accept or reject the recommendations of the Scientific Committee but is required to make its decision "based on scientific findings." There were no scientific findings that justified the use of a sanctuary to "provide for the conservation, development and optimum utilization of the whale resources." There were no "scientific findings" that the boundaries of the sanctuary were appropriate for "the conser- vation, development and" etc. There were no scientific findings that demonstrated that the depleted species would recover faster in a sanctuary. Howe ver, there were scientific findings to show that the whales in the area could be better managed by the Revised Management Procedure. And the French Commissioner who first proposed the sanctuary admitted in the 1993 IWC Plenary that the sanctuary was purely political, not scientifically based. >As to the "criteria" Mr. Macnow refers to, Article V of the ICRW allows the >Commission to designate "open and closed waters, including the designation >of sanctuary areas" (Par. 1 (c)). Par. 2 states that such designations "(a) >shall be such as are necessary to carry out the objectives and purposes of >this Convention and to provide for the conservation, development and opimum >utilization of the whale resources; (b) shall be based on scientific >findings; Par. 1 establishes what the IWC may do. Par. 2 sets forth the rules for doing it. Note that any action taken under Par. 1 must be both necessary and, inter alia, ". . . provide for the optimum utilization of the whale resources." The moratorium, which banned the commercial catch of all whales, made the sanctuary unnecessary. The Revised Man- agement Scheme, when adopted, would have prohibited the catch of all species of stocks unable to sustain utilization, while allowing a limited catch of only the most abundant species (at this time only the minke whale), thereby making a sanctuary unnecessary. As for the second part of that requirement, the sanctuary certainly does not provide for the "optimum utilization" (or any utilization) of the whale resources. >... and (d) shall take into consideration the interests of the >consumers of whale products and the whaling industry." These are (as I have >discussed before on this list) very broad rules that say nothing about what >sort of scientific information is required, or on how much scientific >evidence such decisions must be based before they meet iWRC terms. There is >certainly nothing that says scientific opinion must be unanimous on the >point. We are not talking here about "scientific opinion." The ICRW requires a "scientific basis," of which there was none to show that the sanctuary was necessary, rather than some other option that would carry out "the objectives and purposes of this Convention and to provide for the conservation, development, and optimum utilization of the whale resources." >The article, further, only requires the Parties to "take into >consideration" the opinions of whaling states. I believe, if you look at the text above, it says "interests," not opinion. There is a world of difference between taking into consideration the "interests" of the whaling industry and taking into consideration its "opinion". >I would argue that there is >no hard-and-fast "test" in existence to determine whether the decision of >the Parties met such general criteria. Barring this, they had the sovereign >right to vote as they did. Would you be so cavalier about "arbitrary and capricious" when viewing U.S. regulatory requirements? >> Moreover, under the terms of the sanctuary provision, >> only commercial whaling was banned, not whales taken for re- >> search. Proponents of the measure stated that they wanted to >> encourage research on whales in the sanctuary. And Article VIII >> of the whaling Convention guaranteed all signatory nations the >> right to conduct whale research in all international waters, in- >> cluding the waters off Antarctica. >As noted, the terms of Article VII exempt scientific whaling altogether from >the requirements of the treaty, so the Parties could not have banned >scientific whaling in the sanctuary if they had wanted to. Their failure to >do so is hardly, therefore, proof that they approved of Japan's plans. There's that straw man again! No one said that the anti-whaling members of the IWC "approved of Japan's plans." We all know they don't. >> Minke whales are abundant and non-endangered. There are >> over 760,000 in the Antarctic, from which the Japanese take only >> 300 per year for the research program, a small sampling of the >> population. If the research was really commercial whaling, as >> alleged by Greenpeace, the take would not be restricted to such >> a small number but could be as high as 4,000. The unused parts >> of the whales are sold under government authority to help fi- >> nance the research. >That is one interpretation. Another is that Japan's take is calculated as >that necessary to justify keeping its whaling fleet afloat and maintain some >demand for whale products at home, without being so large as to make it >blatantly obvious that the take is primarily for commercial, not scientific, >purposes (and therefore illegal). Bear in mind that any take of whales can >provide scientific data; this does not mean that any killing of whales is >for scientific purposes. Three hundred small whales can hardly "maintain some demand for whale products" in a country with 135 million people. Prior to the moratorium, it took 7,000 per year to do this. Moreover, the returns from the sale of the whale meat do not begin to cover the cost of the research. If you would read the scientific papers produced by the research (some 120) you might have an informed idea of why the annual sample size was set at 300 and how well the scientific purposes are being carried out. >> Neither Japan nor any other whaling country wants to >> take any species of whale considered endangered or heavily >> depleted. >By whom? Further, DNA evidence (which Mr. Macnow admittedly disputes) >suggests that Japan has done just that, clandestinely. I don't understand what you mean by "by whom." As for the DNA "evidence," even the propaganda attached to the poorly carried out study never suggested that Japan caught the so-called "illegal" whales but theorized that the meat came from illegal imports. And I am not the only one who found the study faulty. The IWC Scientific Committee refused to consider it and it was criticized by scientists attending a DNA conference in San Diego last year. >> Greenpeace has consistently misled the public into >> thinking that all whales are in danger of extinction. The truth >> is that most of the whale stocks that were heavily exploited >> during the 1960s and 1970s appear to be increasing in numbers. >A population increasing in numbers in the absence of whaling is not the >same thing as one that is out of danger, or one that could not be plunged >back into peril if harvesting resumes. I am pleased that you did not dispute my point. Do you really think that the anti-whaling dominated IWC would allow any species to be "plunged back into peril if harvesting resumes?" Do you think they would allowing harvesting levels to be set so high as to threaten any population of whales? There's your straw man again, together with your usual fund-raising hype! ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 09:36:57 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: SCIENTIFIC REVIEW OF WHALE SANCTUARY From: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association The following news item was carried by Kyodo News Service: KYODO NEWS SERVICE Thursday February 23, 1995 Japan to call on IWC to review 'sanctuary'+ TOKYO, Feb. 23 Kyodo The Fisheries Agency said Thursday it intends to call on the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to scientifically review the justification of the ''sanctuary'' where whaling is totally banned. The request will be submitted to the IWC's general assembly to be held in Dublin, Ireland, from late May, the agency said. The IWC, at its general meeting in May last year, approved a joint proposal from the United States, France and other member countries to impose a total whaling ban on all areas south of 60-80 degrees south latitude in the Antarctic Ocean, with an agreement to review the sanctuary 10 years later. Although Japan wants to abolish the sanctuary, the IWC, dominated by antiwhaling nations, is thought certain to reject any proposal to abolish it. The agency, therefore, intends to seek a future review of the sanctuary by calling for scientific studies on the justification of the conservation measure. In February last year, the IWC reached a working-level agreement to conduct scientific studies, such as those on the propagation of whales, to determine whether the sanctuary is justifiable. As the imposition of the sanctuary was approved before any such scientific studies were concluded, Japan lodged an objection with the IWC last August. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 12:14:38 -1000 From: Cara Gubbins Subject: dolphin field volunteers needed In-Reply-To: Your message <199502240046.QAA19164(\)tonto.scs.unr.edu> of Thu, 23 Feb 1995 16:34:39 -0800 Marmamers, We are looking for a few volunteer research assistants for an ecological study of bottlenose dolphins inhabiting the coastal and inland waters of South Carolina. Description follows. Please feel free to post this wherever there may be students (or others) interested. Thank you, Cara Gubbins Project: Ecology of South Carolina Bottlenose Dolphins Focus of research is determining habitat use and behavioral ecology of resident and transient dolphins with consideration of conservation implications. Emphasis at this stage is on photoidentification of individuals and recording general categories of behavior and environmental conditions. Research is conducted daily from a small open boat in Calibogue Sound and adjacent rivers and creeks. Volunteer Duties: Assist in photoidentification work take photos record data on data sheets drive 17' boat on surveys trace fin photographs onto forms compare new fin tracings with cataloged fins some data entry onto computer database Dates: 6 weeks midsummer, exact dates to be determined Commitment Required minimum 6 weeks during summer, minimum of 40 hours per week Note: Volunteers are responsible for transportations costs to the site. Additionally, room and board costs may be the responsibility of vounteers or may be partly covered by the project. Send: resume/c.v. letter of interest including why you're interested in doing this work how will volunteering benefit you skills, certifications school/career goals 3 references Contact: Cara Gubbins Hilton Head Dolphin Study Department of Biology/314 University of Nevada Reno, NV 89557 email cara(\)scs.unr.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 17:37:04 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: GREENPEACE AND WHALE RESEARCH Re Alan Macnow's response to my response to his press release (sigh...) (and ignoring the personal slurs therein as best I can): >>The Rules of >>Procedure of the Scientific Committee give it the responsibility for >>reviewing such permits, but though the recommendations of the Committee are >>usually followed they are not legally binding (eg they were disregarded by >>the Faroe Islands in 1982). > >The Japanese do not disregard them. I didn't say they did. The Faroe Islands are not part of Japan. >Issuance of the permit does not empower Greenpeace to interfere with the >research, obstruct the movement of vessels in violation of international >maritime law, or endanger the safety of vessels and crews, all of which >the organization has done. Nor does it prevent it from doing so. Actions of this type (whether Greenpeace has engaged in them or not, a point I do not care to dispute) are regulated by other legal instruments, including domestic legislation. > >Accredited cetacean scientists are welcome to participate in the research >and anyone can critique the scientific papers resulting from the research, >which are on file at the IWC. The Japanese scientists also present their >research to the IWC Scientific Committee, where scientists are free >to question or critique it. What is an "accredited cetacean scientist"? Further, critiquing the resulting papers has nothing to do with the case. The legal requirement of the treaty requires that research be the primary purpose of the take - a quite different thing from saying that the quality of any research derived (on however ancillary a basis) from harcesting must be of a certain quality. Please note - I am commenting, as a lawyer who has studied international treaties, on the wording of the ICRW - not on what Japan has done. I am simply saying that Japan must comply with the wording of the treaty, and when their actions take place outside Japanese waters other nations, groups or individuals are not precluded by anything in the ICRW from asking if Japan is indeed in compliance - or challenging them on the point. > >Also, your suggestion that Japan is employing non-nationals on boats >of Panamanian registry to operate on Japan's whale research permit >is unjustified and outrageous. Stop erecting straw men. I am not suggesting it - Greenpeace is, if I understand them correctly. Greenpeace raised a complaint about a vessel of Panamanian registry allegedly operating as a refueling station for Japanese whaling vessels within the sanctuary. If thisallegation is true, it may be arguable that the vessel is participating in the whaling operation to a degree that would require it to be covered by the permit, and if this is so then it is in violation of the ICRW by being there. Again, I am NOT saying that this is the case - merely that it is a fair and relevant question to raise under the circumstances. >By the way, Greenpeace has no "right" to investigate >anything, particularly if it violates the rights and property of a >sovereign nation. I thought the investigatory rights issue was settled >at CITES, but you seem to be of a different opinion. I am not sure what you are referring to at CITES, unless you are referring to the resolution dealing with the very different matter of sport-hunting quotas issued under CITES for Appendix I species - something that has no bearing on the scope of permits issued under the ICRW. Even that resolution dealt only with the actions of governments, not private individuals. Greenpeace has the right (as do you or I, or any journalist) to investigate anything it likes. If, in the course of such investigation, other laws are violated, then those violations can be addressed - but I cannot believe that you mean that Greenpeace has no "right" to gather information and ask questions. > >>The vote was actually 23-1, with Japan the only country voting against it. > >Other IWC members abstained because they believed the vote to be illegal >in terms of the provisions of the international Convention. Japan voted >only in order to preserve its right to file an objection, which it later did. That is not my understanding; if you have specific statements on record from all the abstaining states making this point I would be interested in seeing them. >As Mr. O points out below, the ICRW (not IWRC) requires that any change >in the regulations (Schedule) must be "based on scientific findings." The >IWC is free to accept or reject the recommendations of the Scientific >Committee but is required to make its decision "based on scientific >findings." There were no scientific findings that justified the use of >a sanctuary to "provide for the conservation, development and optimum >utilization of the whale resources." There were no "scientific findings" >that the boundaries of the sanctuary were appropriate for "the conser- >vation, development and" etc. There were no scientific findings that >demonstrated that the depleted species would recover faster in a sanctuary. Howe >ver, there were scientific findings to show that the whales in >the area could be better managed by the Revised Management Procedure. >And the French Commissioner who first proposed the sanctuary admitted >in the 1993 IWC Plenary that the sanctuary was purely political, not >scientifically based. Again, this raises an issue of International law. I was not at the IWC meeting and cannot comment on the thought processes of the various delegates. However, these delegates are the representatives of sovereign states, and if any of them claimed to be voting on the basis of scientific findings then the only way to question this vote is through the dispute resolution mechanism of the treaty. I accept that Japan does not think that there was a scientific basis for the decision. I do not accept that the parties voting in favour of it shared that view to an extent that renders the vote ultra vires the treaty, and with respect I think I would have to hear such a claim made by less partisan forces before I would be inclined to believe it. > >Par. 1 establishes what the IWC may do. Par. 2 sets forth the rules >for doing it. Note that any action taken under Par. 1 must be both >necessary and, inter alia, ". . . provide for the optimum utilization >of the whale resources." The moratorium, which banned the commercial >catch of all whales, made the sanctuary unnecessary. Then why does Japan object to it? Clearly the sanctuary, which is to be reviewed only after ten years, may well survive the end of the moratorium and therefore does serve a distinct purpose. The Revised Man- >agement Scheme, when adopted, would have prohibited the catch of all >species of stocks unable to sustain utilization, while allowing a >limited catch of only the most abundant species (at this time only the >minke whale), thereby making a sanctuary unnecessary. As for the >second part of that requirement, the sanctuary certainly does not >provide for the "optimum utilization" (or any utilization) of the >whale resources. A debatable point. If the sanctuary contributes to the robustness of whale stocks migrating to other regions of the ocean then it may well provide for "optimum utilization" in the future. I doubt whether anyone can prove this in advance one way or the other. >We are not talking here about "scientific opinion." The ICRW requires a >"scientific basis," of which there was none to show that the sanctuary >was necessary, rather than some other option that would carry out "the >objectives and purposes of this Convention and to provide for the >conservation, development, and optimum utilization of the whale resources." Mr. Macnow is interpreting Article V.2(a) to require that a decision such as the sanctuary decision must be literally the only alternative for carrying out the objectives of the Convention. This is certainly a valid reading of the word "necessary", but is hardly the only one or a practical one. If this interpretation were to be used it would mean that no action could be taken as long as a reasonable alternative were to be available - a result that would stalemate the operation of the IWC. > >>The article, further, only requires the Parties to "take into >>consideration" the opinions of whaling states. > >I believe, if you look at the text above, it says "interests," not >opinion. There is a world of difference between taking into >consideration the "interests" of the whaling industry and taking into >consideration its "opinion". True; however, I would argue that any action that contributes to the long-term survival of whale stocks without closing them to harvesting permanently on a global basis is arguably in the "interests" of the whaling industry and its customers. Thus declaring species such as the Blue Whale off limits was a valid move with respect to Article V.2(d); so is the declartion of the sanctuary. > >>I would argue that there is >>no hard-and-fast "test" in existence to determine whether the decision of >>the Parties met such general criteria. Barring this, they had the sovereign >>right to vote as they did. > >Would you be so cavalier about "arbitrary and capricious" when viewing >U.S. regulatory requirements? Your words, not mine. However, there is a world of difference between international decisions binding sovereign states and domestic regulations binding individuals. Further, I am not being cavalier; I am interpreting, as best I can, the wording of the treaty. If you consider anyone "cavalier" on this point then it would have to be the people who drafted the original language in such broad and ambiguous terms. States are bound by what the treaty says, not by one Party's view of what they would like it to have said. > >>As noted, the terms of Article VII exempt scientific whaling altogether from >>the requirements of the treaty, so the Parties could not have banned >>scientific whaling in the sanctuary if they had wanted to. Their failure to >>do so is hardly, therefore, proof that they approved of Japan's plans. > >There's that straw man again! No one said that the anti-whaling members >of the IWC "approved of Japan's plans." We all know they don't. Your original message, to my eyes, implied that the other states tacitly approved of Japan's actions. If you are now agreeing that they did not, I gladly withdraw the comment. > >>That is one interpretation. Another is that Japan's take is calculated as >>that necessary to justify keeping its whaling fleet afloat and maintain some >>demand for whale products at home, without being so large as to make it >>blatantly obvious that the take is primarily for commercial, not scientific, >>purposes (and therefore illegal). Bear in mind that any take of whales can >>provide scientific data; this does not mean that any killing of whales is >>for scientific purposes. > >Three hundred small whales can hardly "maintain some demand for whale >products" in a country with 135 million people. Prior to the moratorium, >it took 7,000 per year to do this. Certainly it can, if the price is high enough and the market within Japan small enough. You would hardly argue that all 135 million Japanese are demanding whale meat (I can certainly introduce you to some that are not!). Further, It has been maintained by many students of the issue that keeping the whaling fleet alive has a strong political component within Japan out of proportion to the size of the market. Moreover, the returns from the sale >of the whale meat do not begin to cover the cost of the research. If >you would read the scientific papers produced by the research (some 120) >you might have an informed idea of why the annual sample size was set >at 300 and how well the scientific purposes are being carried out. It is my understanding that even when Japan was whaling commercially the fleet required government subsidies to survive, so this point is not telling, in my view. >I don't understand what you mean by "by whom." As for the DNA "evidence," >even the propaganda attached to the poorly carried out study never >suggested that Japan caught the so-called "illegal" whales but theorized >that the meat came from illegal imports. And I am not the only one >who found the study faulty. The IWC Scientific Committee refused to >consider it and it was criticized by scientists attending a DNA conference >in San Diego last year. And others have supported it. I agree that the study did not, however, claim that the whales in question were taken by Japanese vessels. >>A population increasing in numbers in the absence of whaling is not the >>same thing as one that is out of danger, or one that could not be plunged >>back into peril if harvesting resumes. > >I am pleased that you did not dispute my point. >Do you really think that the anti-whaling dominated IWC would allow any >species to be "plunged back into peril if harvesting resumes?" Do >you think they would allowing harvesting levels to be set so high >as to threaten any population of whales? I do not believe, personally, that we have enough information to be sure that harvesting levels can be set so accurately that the only way they could threaten whales is by setting the quotas that way deliberately. But that is another matter, and I don't see what your point has to do with mine. >There's your straw man again, together with your usual fund-raising >hype! Please point out the portion of my message in which I attempted to appeal for funds. In fact, please do so for any other message I have posted, on any subject, to this or any other mailing list. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Feb 1995 11:42:18 EST From: Mike Sofen <74601.1500(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Hydrophones Joe Olson has been in touch with some of you about our Hydrophones on Marmam, but he's leaving for an extended trip (> 6 mo). My company is now in production of 2 models of hydrophone - the Model 1000r (10Hz-200Khz, -210 db sensitivity, $390 and up), and a newly released Model 200 (30Hz-25Khz, -195db sensitivity, $250). The Model 200 is designed as a 'consumer' item, eg, it will be available at REI and eventually other outlets, and is a complete kit - includes headphones (cheap but decent), a control box, and waterproof carry sack. The Model 200 will work fine for anyone trying to do audio frequency range work, and it uses the same sensor technology and a similar design as the Model 1000r. We're shipping the Model 1000r now, the Model 200 is shipping the end of March. We now take VISA/MC. Sorry for the commercial here, but we're just starting back up after an 8 year hiatus due to a Secrecy Order from the Feds on this technology; as a small company, we'd definitely appreciate your business. Until May 30, 1995, any bonafide researcher or associate can get a Model 200 direct from us at 20% off ($200). Mike Sofen, President Sea Systems Corporation (360) 378-3864 -FAX ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 09:35:21 PST From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Freeing Willy? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The Ken Balcomb paper "Cetacean Releases" lists 380 purported releases. However, of the 380, 272 were orcas caught in mass round-ups during the 1960s and 1970s. None were removed from their native habitat. Only four were held captive longer than they had lived in the wild. Only two were taken from their pods. None were released from marine mammal parks--and all the orca releases occurred at least 15 years ago. Of the other "released" cetaceans, 89 were dolphins, 32 of whom were kept in marine mammal parks or under comparable conditions. 16 either escaped or were released without follow-up. 12 were released successfully; four were released unsuccessfully. The inclusion of "releases" which did not involve all the essentials of captivity, i.e. removal from habitat, removal from family group, and longer duration captive than wild, tends to compromise the integrity of the list, especially in the context of the introductory remarks, which tout the list as showing that the captive marine mammal industry routinely released animals until people like Balcomb began wanting them to do it. Why Balcomb felt it necessary to include all the non-releases along with the 16 genuine releases, when 12-for-16 is an excellent batting average, is not particularly clear (and is even less clear from the fulminating response I got to that question from the Center for Whale Research.) --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 09:43:58 PST From: "Gerry Rising (by way of fertld(\)tamug2.tamu.edu Dagmar Fertl)" Subject: LARSON FAR SIDE PROJECT ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Fellow Far Side Enthusiasts, I have finally completed what turned out to be a time stealing, but most interesting project: collecting and editing your submissions as favorite Gary Larson FAR SIDE cartoons. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed at your response from around the world. Hundreds of you wrote and, since I had not seen many of Larson's cartoons, you (and of course he) entertained me no end. (My friends don't understand why I suddenly start giggling with no evident cause.) In any case, thank you all for your wonderful responses. Now my problem is how to get over 2000 lines of text to each of you. I have already had some complaints about spamming and I want to handle this responsibly. To do this I have set up a personal WWW site where you can access ten Farsidexx (xx = 01, 02,...,10) files, each of which contains about 200 lines of your messages edited down for brevity, as well as the text of my column. You can access these files through: http://ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu/~insrisg/index.html (Note that I am no expert at this. It took my several tries with much assistance to set up this site, but now I believe that it is working okay.) This should work for many of you, but I do not want those of you who do not know how to or cannot access WWW to be left out. If you wish me to mail you these files, send me an e-mail request. Please send it directly to me, not to your whole mailing list. Either address below should do it. I worry that the whole group of files may well overload some of your accounts. If that is a concern for you as well, tell me and I will try to work something out: perhaps send two files a day over a period of time. (Here I go again!) I will send hard copies of these files to Gary Larson. Thanks again for your tremendous response. I am proud to have been, even so briefly, associated with each of you -- and, of course, with this remarkably creative artist. Best regards, Gerry Gerry Rising phone: 716-689-8301 295 Robinhill Drive messages: 716-645-3175 Williamsville, NY 14221-1639 fax: 716-645-3161 ---- e-mail: insrisg(\)UBVMS.bitnet or insrisg(\)UBVMS.cc.buffalo.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 09:54:53 PST From: Alan Macnow Subject: Re: GREENPEACE AND WHALE RESEARCH ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- TO: Ronald Orenstein FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association Please let me apologize in advance for cutting short a debate with you on this subject. This is the last reply to you. I do not have the time or patience to go on endlessly debating legal sophistries, especially after seeing your voluminous postings in the CITES newsgroups and others. I only wish to make two points: First, your response that the 'sanctuary' may meet the requirement that regulations (Schedule) provide for optimum utilization by allowing stocks to grow more robust and therefore be more available for utilization in other areas, or that the interests of the whaling industry are being addressed because more whales may be made available in the future is based upon speculation and conjecture. A plain reading of the ICRW requirements calls for the requirements to be met in the present, not the speculative future. Second, the Revised Management Procedure and the catch quota decisions of the IWC do not exist in a vacuum. The RMP calls for continuous monitoring of stocks for which there is a catch quota. Any reduction in stock abundance will require a reduction in catch quota. A failure to monitor the stock numbers calls for an automatic and sharp reduction, followed by a revocation of the quota. Also, the IWC members are not likely to sit around and watch stock numbers fall, without taking remedial action. Whether or not you have any confidence in the RMP, most reasonable people would agree that its feedback mechanisms, plus the watchdog attitude of the majority of IWC members, makes it a very good mechanism for safeguarding sustainable utilization. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 09:56:51 PST From: michal strauss Subject: information on whale location ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Can anyone tell me what species of marine mammals, whales in particular, are likely to be observed around the Aleutian islands during August - November or later than that (till Feb.). I'll appreciate any information or references. Thanks very much, Michal Strauss. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 09:57:41 PST From: Orcasurv(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Friendly dolphins ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- A friendly dolphin was reported on at the recent IMATA gathering in Tacoma by Maya Zilber, of Dolphin Reef Eilat, Southern Beach, P.O. Box 104, 88100, Israel. This dolphin 'adopted' a Bedouin village near Gaza since about June, 1994. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 10:03:48 PST From: Phocid(\)aol.com Subject: Seal Slaughter ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- To all concerned, I just finished reading, with great horror, of the upcoming seal slaughter in St. Johns Newfoundland. I am a seal rehabilitator, and all the animals I struggle to save seem less than insignificant in the shadow of this hideous event. I would gladly refocus all the hours I spend to rehab. 40 or 50 seals if I thought there was something I could do to try and stop the slaughter. However, I don't know what to do, or how one person can make a difference. Perhaps if everyone on MarMam somehow acted collectively we could have some impact. If anyone has some thoughts on this I would love to hear them. Or, if there is already something happening that I could be involved in, please let me know. Jeff Lederman ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 13:18:00 EST From: Phil Clapham Subject: Humpback song Humpback song query: In a 1986 paper (Behav Ecol & Sociobiol 19: 309-312) Kevin Chu & Patti Harcourt noted that "when aberrations in the song pattern occur whales are almost invariably in the process of blowing... One piece of information which humpback songs contain, then, is when the singer is breathing... (and) not breathing." I know from experience that there is a "breathing theme", or appears to be, in all songs that I have heard over several years. But do any of you acousticians out there think that the conclusion above still holds up after several more years of research and analysis of song? Or have exceptions been discovered? This is interesting because of Kevin's suggestion that humpback song may serve to convey information about the fitness (measured in dive length and therefore breath holding ability) of the singer. For this to be true, there would have to be a) an indicator in the song of when the whale is at the surface; b) an indicator of this that couldn't be faked. Note that the attentuation of the sound that accompanies surf- acing may not be detectable at distance. If anyone would like to take this as an invitation to open up a debate on the function of humpback song, I for one would be interested in the exchange of views. Phil Clapham clapham(\)simnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 14:39:00 AST From: "Jerry Conway, DFO. Marine Mammal Coord. DFO Halifax N.S." Subject: Re: Seal Slaughter To Jeff Lederman et al: Not to belabour the issue but there is no "seal slaughter" planned for St. John's Newfoundland. What exists and has for quite a number of years is a hunt of the coast of Newfoundland/Labrador and in the Gulf of St Lawrence for Harp and Hooded seals. The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is 186,000 for Harps and 8000 for Hooded. The average take over the past ten years has been 57,000 harps and a few thousand Hooded well below the TACs. Since 1985 the taking of "white coats" and "blue backs" ie "baby" seals (why don't we call lambs baby sheep) for commercial purposes has been banned and there has been a moritorium imposed on the use of vessels greater than 65ft. What presently exists is a hunt by fishermen from small fisheries dependant communities taking advantage of an economic oppertunity that annually arrives of the coast. The financial benefit for individual fishermen from sealing is not significant which at most is a few thousand dollars (Can) but it allows fishermen the ability to "gear up" for the upcoming fishing season without havig to get loans. Full utilization is required, that is the entire carcass must be landed and not just the penis bone as some would suggest. This is rigidly enforced (no pun intended). Should anyone want more information on the "other" side of the issue I would be pleased to discuss or provide information. Just a personal note, I would be one of the first in line IF I thought or it can be proven to me that the hunt is unjustified, that the species is in danger or that the killing methods are any worse than is practiced in slaughter houses. Jerry Conway Marine Mammal Coordinator Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans P.O.Box 550, Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada (902) 426-9609 or Jerry=C=Conway%HX1FHM%DFOSF(\)sfnet.dfo.ca ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 09:25:11 GMT+1200 From: "Dr. David Helweg" Subject: Re: Humpback song > In a 1986 paper (Behav Ecol & Sociobiol 19: 309-312) Kevin Chu & > Patti Harcourt noted that "when aberrations in the song pattern occur > whales are almost invariably in the process of blowing... One piece > of information which humpback songs contain, then, is when the singer > is breathing... (and) not breathing." > > I know from experience that there is a "breathing theme", or appears > to be, in all songs that I have heard over several years. But do any > of you acousticians out there think that the conclusion above still > holds up after several more years of research and analysis of song? > Or have exceptions been discovered? "Aberration" is contingent upon the level of analysis. I'm not sure that aberration is the correct term to use, or at least to be applied to the wide range of phenomena that Frumhoff (1983) originally described. A distinction might be drawn between aberrant and atypical song, dependent on the level of analysis. The "ratchet sound" is not heard in every winter site, nor within region across years. There does not appear to be a consistent "breathing theme" in the southern hemisphere humpback songs I have been listening to, nor did one appear to exist in the small sample of songs I recorded in Okinawa. Given that theme structure can change quite dramatically within a season, attenuation seems a more likely cue to breathing, but I do agree that attenuation should be assessed from the sensory vantage point of a listening whale, rather than from the sensory vantange point of a little monkey boy with a hydrophone in a zodiac. Anecdotally, I did not hear strong attenuations in songs recorded with a bottom-mounted hydrophone (>1 km depth), but without behavioural confirmation of respiration this remains entirely anecdotal. We have the function of song sussed. It has something to do with mating ;-) Dave Helweg ------------------------- David A. Helweg Department of Psychology, University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand FAX (+64 +9) 373-7450 email da.helweg(\)auckland.ac.nz ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 15:58:53 -0800 From: Jim Moore Subject: RE Humpback songs I don't recall whether Chu & Harcourt mentioned it, but one aspect of the use of attenuation as an indicator of how long they can hold breath (and hence size/condition) is that it might provide an explanation for slowly-shifting songs (emphasis *might*): if every whale sang precisely the same thing, it would be relatively easy to time breath intervals, but shifting slightly could confuse this. Need someone with expertise on the psychology of sound perception to address whether slightly discrepant sounds are likely to seem longer... then of course when a new song that seems longer gets established, the pressure to shift again comes in... a continuous process. Something to do with mating, yep! :-) cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 19:47:30 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Seal Slaughter >Not to belabour the issue but there is no "seal slaughter" planned for St. >John's Newfoundland. What exists and has for quite a number of years is a >hunt of the coast of Newfoundland/Labrador and in the Gulf of St Lawrence for >Harp and Hooded seals. Jerry forgot grey seals. Whether one calls this a hunt or slaughter is a matter of opinion. The International Wildlife Coalition considers it a slaughter. > Since 1985 the taking of "white coats" and "blue backs" ie "baby" seals (why >>don't we call lambs baby sheep) Lambs are "baby" sheep. Sealers can take seals as soon as the neonatal fur is no longer fast; that occurs at about 10 - 14 days of age. In my opinion, those are baby seals, or if one prefers, seal pups. > What presently exists is a hunt by fishermen from small fisheries dependant >>communities taking advantage of an economic oppertunity And what an economic opportunity. I attended the seal forum in Newfoundland, (as did Jerry) and it was patently clear that there is only one commercial market for seals, their penises. Meat has to be subsidized and all other markets are "maybe" markets - currently in the R&D stage - with no short-term and questionable long-term, commercial potential. >The financial benefit for individual fishermen from sealing is not >significant which at most is a few thousand dollars (Can) but it allows >fishermen the ability to "gear up" for the upcoming fishing season without >havig to get loans. What fishing season are they gearing up for? >Full utilization is required, that is the entire carcass >must be landed and not just the penis bone as some would suggest Full utilization? There is one commercial market, penises. > Just a personal note, I would >be one of the first in line IF I thought or it can be proven to me that the >hunt is unjustified, that the species is in danger or that the killing >methods are any worse than is practiced in slaughter houses. >Jerry Conway >Marine Mammal Coordinator >Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans What would Jerry consider a justification of the hunt? If we have to subsidize the people who destroyed the east coast fishery and caused an environmental catastrophe, why couldn't we subsidize them not to kill seals, or is only killing justifiable? The Royal Commission on Seals and Sealing pointed out that the shooting of swimming seals by men in moving boats is probably the most likely to cause suffering and high wounding and loss rates. And Jerry didn't mention the sports hunt by people inexperienced in seal hunting. This hunt is supposed to be for meat. If the sportsmen need meat, why don't they get the tons of unwanted meat being subsidized by Canadian tax-payers to the tune of $0.20 per pound instead of killing more seals? Anne D ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 21:42:46 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: GREENPEACE AND WHALE RESEARCH > TO: Ronald Orenstein > > FROM: Alan Macnow > Consultant, Japan Whaling Association > > Please let me apologize in advance for cutting short a debate with you > on this subject. This is the last reply to you. I do not have the > time or patience to go on endlessly debating legal sophistries, especially > after seeing your voluminous postings in the CITES newsgroups and > others. Apology accepted. As we were discussing your claims that the ICRW had been violated by the sanctuary vote, I would have thought that legal interpretation of the language in the ICRW would have been germane to such a claim. Apparently you do not share this view. > > I only wish to make two points: > > First, your response that the 'sanctuary' may meet the requirement > that regulations (Schedule) provide for optimum utilization by > allowing stocks to grow more robust and therefore be more available > for utilization in other areas, or that the interests of the whaling > industry are being addressed because more whales may be made available > in the future is based upon speculation and conjecture. A plain > reading of the ICRW requirements calls for the requirements to be > met in the present, not the speculative future. I disagree. Any action taken with the aim of improving whale stocks can only be met in the future, as stocks of biologically reproducing species cannot rebound instantaneously. With animals as slow-growing and slow-reproducing as whales, we may be talking about some time in the future. Anyway, the question we were discussing was the legality of the sanctuary, not its efficacy, and as long as there is some chance that the sanctuary might have this effect I submit it is not illegal under the strict wording of the treaty. As to whether that chance should be a possible one, a reasonable one or a highly likely one, I am not sure - but I suspect the reasonableness test (very common in law) is appropriate, especially since the designation of sanctuaries is specifically mentioned in the treaty as one of the types of action that may be taken for such an end. > > Second, the Revised Management Procedure and the catch quota decisions > of the IWC do not exist in a vacuum. The RMP calls for continuous > monitoring of stocks for which there is a catch quota. Any reduction > in stock abundance will require a reduction in catch quota. A failure > to monitor the stock numbers calls for an automatic and sharp reduction, > followed by a revocation of the quota. Also, the IWC members are not > likely to sit around and watch stock numbers fall, without taking > remedial action. Whether or not you have any confidence in the RMP, > most reasonable people would agree that its feedback mechanisms, > plus the watchdog attitude of the majority of IWC members, makes it > a very good mechanism for safeguarding sustainable utilization. None of which has anything to do with the sanctuary decision. The sanctuary does not replace the RMP, merely restricts its operation to areas outside sanctuary boundaries should the moratorium be lifted. As to the efficacy of the RMP - well,. as for the sanctuary, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, whatever "most reasonable people" may think. In fact, I doubt that "most reasonable people" have been surveyed on the question, should it cross their minds at all. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 20:55:43 -0500 From: William Christopher Bowers Subject: Re: Seal Slaughter In-Reply-To: <95Feb27.211317nst.408419(\)garfield.cs.mun.ca> There has been much talk about the seal fishery in Newfoundland as of late. It has been rather passionate...on both sides. I'll ask a pretty basic question "What's wrong with the seal hunt?" Sure, it's ugly, but whats wrong with it. Maybe there is a small market.... but there is a market. Many of you question the ethics of such a hunt, and describe it as a "slaughter" and "killings". Is it? DFO's 91 census approximates 3.1 million, and that it is stable enough for a fishery, so whats wrong with hunting X number each year for a market. Lumpfish and capelin are primarily fished for their row and little else. Is this a justified fishery? What is your definition of justified? I'll (for the sake of aurgument) expand the question. What's wrong with a sustainable whale fishery? Minke stats suggest a stable stock, so whats wrong with hunting X number a year. I realize that some of you are now stunned... but why are you stunned? It is important to realise, policy decisions will always be based on economics... if a resource is available and can be managed "Why not utilize?" Please excuse these questions. I'm from Newfoundland... my uncles have been inshore fishermen. My grandfathers when they were young used to go out on the sealing ships in the spring. It's all gone now. Why? Sure fish have been "killed off" and its no longer fashionable to hunt seals. Well, in Newfoundland it never was fashionable... Before you make your desicions, please take into account more than the seals. Newfoundland is both geographically and sociologicly isolated. Many of you have not stared into the face of a weathered, proud fisherman... let me say that it is just as beautiful as any seal. Thank you for your time. Chris Wm. C. Bowers wbowers(\)ganymede.cs.mun.ca "the last of Barrett's Privateers" ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 20:41:34 -0500 From: Volker Deecke Subject: Re: Seal Slaughter In-Reply-To: <9502280040.AA17235(\)bcu.ubc.ca> I do agree that the present quotas on all the targeted seal species are probably not going to endanger stocks, as well as that whether to commercially exploit seal populations or not essentially is a value judgement. However, two concerns come up when hearing about the planned intensification of pinniped harvests (call it what you may) in Eastern Canada. First of all I am concerned about the desperate attempts to locate or create new markets for seal products, respecially with regard to the attempts to market the sexual organs in East Asia. The Far Eastern aphrodisiac market has been one of the most damaging to endangered wildlife worldwide, and I see the problem that, should marketing efforts of seal products there be successful, there may come a time when we're no longer able to stop what we started. The recent increase in poaching of Galapagos fur seals may serve to illustrate this point. The second concern is a psychological one and was raised by seeing and hearing angry fishermen on the media blaming the seals for the decline of the cod. I see the danger that seals will become the scapegoats for an ecological disaster caused entirely by human mismanagement. If we are to avoid such mismanagement in the future, I feel that it is vital that we be aware that it weren't seals, nor cold ocean currents but overfishing which lead to the decline of the North Atlantic cod. If not, we're bound to repeat history. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Volker Deecke Dept. of Zoology, University of British Columbia 6270 University Blvd., Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z9, CANADA Voice: (604) 822-4654 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 20:28:55 -0500 From: Howgar(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Cetacean Releases Our thanks to Merritt Clifton for his review of Cetacean Releases. To qualify for inclusion, each event had to include cetaceans restrained in human contact, then released. This is a data base, which may be manipulated in many ways. All entries are relevant, if only for epidemiological considerations. Clifton's observation that 12 for 16 is an excellent average is fair, but is not the main purpose of the document. Clifton seems to be expecting a rhetorical, slanted document, in which context it would fall short. It is simply a listing, with the data as accurate and uniformly treated as possible. Howard Garrett Center for Whale Research ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 20:03:59 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Seal Slaughter >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >To all concerned, > > I just finished reading, with great horror, of the upcoming seal >slaughter in St. Johns Newfoundland. I am a seal rehabilitator, and all the >animals I struggle to save seem less than insignificant in the shadow of this >hideous event. > If anyone has some thoughts on this I would love to hear them. Or, if >there is already something happening that I could be involved in, please let >me know. > >Jeff Lederman I share your feelings Jeff but I have found no interest in seals on MARMAM. I hope I am wrong but so far you and I are the only two to oppose the bounty-sports hunt recently approved by the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Why the name Fisheries appears in their title puzzles me as they have destroyed the east coast fishery and are well on their way to destroying the west coast fishery. Add to that that they have never taken any interest in the Oceans and the situation becomes even more absurd. Some of us are working on an anti-sealing campaign. You are welcome to contact me personally at adncstr(\)hookup.net for further information. Thanks for your concern. Anne D ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 01:26:01 -0500 Reply-To: "Geoffrey Patton(Pathology)" From: "Geoffrey Patton(Pathology)" Subject: Re: Seal Slaughter In-Reply-To: <9502280035.AA25614(\)golgi.panat.med.usf.edu> In support of Anne Doncaster's clear rebuttal of the excuses for the seal slaughter, I am reminded of a 1970's-era factoid that (approx.) went like this: The U.S. government had some 45 employees overseeing the Pribilof Islands hunt conducted by 32 islanders. The logic of simply paying the hunters not to hunt ultimately ended the slaughter. I here state that this is NOT presented as accurate in detail but IS an expression of the opinion that the economics may be as poorly considered as the political plan. Sincerely, (signed) Geoffrey W. Patton ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 07:50:57 -0800 From: Michael Torok Subject: Re: Seal Slaughter In-Reply-To: <199502281508.HAA06221(\)mail2.netcom.com> from "Anne Doncaster" at Feb 27, 95 08:03:59 pm > I share your feelings Jeff but I have found no interest in seals on MARMAM. There are many people on MARMAM concerned about seals Anne. Most of them are lurking rather than posting, particularly when controversial issues are involved. > I hope I am wrong but so far you and I are the only two to oppose the > bounty-sports hunt recently approved by the Canadian Minister of Fisheries > and Oceans. Why the name Fisheries appears in their title puzzles me as > they have destroyed the east coast fishery and are well on their way to > destroying the west coast fishery. Add to that that they have never taken > any interest in the Oceans and the situation becomes even more absurd. I agree with you that it appears the Canadian government is likely bowing to political pressure from the fishing industry in increasing the quotas. It is common practice in other countries as well to blame the results of mis-management of fish stocks on pinnipeds. -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 10:11:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: Fish While I appreciate the thoughtful and well-worded response to the seal hunt issue and the needs of Newfoundland fishemen, I'd like to throw in five cents from the other side of the coin. I was born in a small fishing village and have lived by the sea most of my life. Consequently I also know and have known innumerable fishing folk. I agree that many of them are proiud, hard working, decent guys. Many, however - and I make no claims for Newfoundland since I have never been there - are anything but. I have known a huge number of fisghermen who are far removed from the popular image of men living in harmony with Nature. Many show no respect for the environment on which their lives depend, think nothing of pumping their bilges or emptying trash into the water, shoot at anything that moves for the sheer sake of it, and overfish and overfish until there's little left, then blame anything or anyone else but themselves for the depletion. The history of fishery management is frequently characterized by overexploitation of the resource, accompanied by fervent protests from fishermen that a) it's not their fault; b) there's plenty out there; c) if there isn't, scientists weather marine mammals other fishermen etc etc are to blame; d) they shouldnt be regulated bnecause the government knows nothing about fish and they are overregulated to death as it is. Recently, the closure of a major fishery in New England came as a "surprise" to some people, and some fishermen actually had the gall to say that this was entirely the government's fault for not regulating them properly ten years ago. These are the same guys who would have screamed blue murder at the idea of more regulation last year, let alone ten years ago. I know many guys who acknowledge that denial and overexploitation are a major problem in the fishery, and many who recognize that fishermen have often been their own worst enemies in this issue. But a substantial number - perhaps the majority of the ones I have known - continue to rail and yell that the loss of the resource and the dreadful state that they are in is in some way due to anything but themselves. Given this history - and again, I can't speak about Newfoundland; perhaps they're different - why should we yet again trust a community that has historically shown no sense of responsibility or accepted any degree of blame for its actions, when it says that it wants to now explopit yet another resource and can do so without trouble? I am not opposed to working out reasonable solutions that benefit people in difficulty, and I am not necessarily opposed to ideas which put humans above animals in some issues. But look at the history here. Whether its fish or whales or (name a resource) it has frequently been marked by overexploitation to the point of commerical extinction, with repeated protestations every time that this time it will be different. It rarely is, and it would be nice to see the people concerned accept the blame before expecting us to heartily support yet another episode of "harvesting" of a natural "resource". Especially when it involves feeding the disgusting Asian market for "aphrodisiacs" etc that is currently responsible for the decline of many endangered species. Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 11:40:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: WHALE SKULLS 'SIGNIFICANT' FIN WHALE SKULLS 'SIGNIFICANT' FIND By Trevor Marshallsea of AAP HOBART, Feb 28 AAP - The discovery of the fossilised skulls of four possibly extinct species of toothed whales off southeast Tasmania has been hailed as a significant find for researching the animal's evolutionary picture. University of Tasmania PhD student Cath Samson happened upon the skulls when they were dredged from between two and four kilometres beneath the surface during a geological survey over the past four weeks. The skulls, which could be up to 15 million years old, were well preserved as the bone in all four had been replaced by silica, abundant in such depths. Ms Samson said the skulls appeared to be from four different species of beaked whales, which belong in the suborder of toothed whales, and possibly represented four different genera. She said if they were found not to be from one of the 12 species of beaked whales still surviving in Australian waters, there was a strong chance they had never been described before. "It's a very important find - especially if they turn out to be extinct," said Ms Samson, a New Zealander who studied whale fossils at the University of Otago. "The fossil record for whales in Australia is pretty limited, so this should help fill a few holes in the evolutionary picture of beaked whales. "It was a complete fluke to pull them up, but they were well preserved and easily recognisable." Ms Samson said it was not immediately possible to date the skulls as they were not embedded in datable rock, but said beaked whales had been recognised in the fossil record since 15 million years ago. The four skulls were thought to have been from whales of about six to eight metres in length. Ms Samson will study the skulls at the University of Tasmania's Antarctic Cooperative Research Centre, where she is based. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 12:43:49 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Cetacean Releases Howard Garrett's response overlooks that the generally accepted definition of wildlife captivity has three components, not just the single component of restraint. The others are removal from habitat (or longterm confinement within retricted habitat) and significant duration of confinement. Holding a whale in a seapen for a few days does not constitute captivity in the normal sense of the word, any more than holding a bird for banding makes that a captive bird, or holding a wolf for outfitting with a radio collar makes the wolf a captive wolf. It is the removal from habitat and the longterm confinement that change animal behavior so as to alter the characteristics of wildness. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 14:21:54 -0500 From: Howgar(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Cetacean Releases Such quibbling over semantics. The data in Cetacean Releases are meant to be useful for many purposes. If one wishes to tease out only those cases that satisfy one's criteria, the data are there. For other purposes, a more expansive definition may be called for. But I don't mind. Controversy sells. Cetacean Releases, along with the Bibliography on Cetacean Releases, are available from the Center for Whale Research, P.O. Box 1577, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. Howard Garrett CWR ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 13:49:00 EST From: Don White <0004671154(\)mcimail.com> Subject: INQUIRY ON HIGH-SEAS DRIFTNET ACTIVITY (re-send) High seas driftnets are a very efficient way of catching fish and other creatures; but the bycatch, and potential for overfishing to the point of stock collapse, have been found to be generally unacceptable by the global community. Between 1988 and 1992, up to 1500 Asian high seas driftnet vessels set each year in the Pacific and Indian oceans. The principle driftnet nations were Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea; a few boats were registered in Mainland China as well. Each vessel would deploy on the average 35 miles of net per night, capable of entangling everything in the topmost layer of the sea larger than their mesh size. In 1991, the United Nations unanimously passed "UNGA 46/215, a resolution which called for a moratorium on the use of high seas driftnetting. High seas driftnets, as per the U.N., are defined as gillnets that are left to drift and which are deployed beyond the EEZ of any nation. (US law has defined driftnets as gill nets over 2.5 km. ) The United Nations has no intelligence or enforcement mechanisms for environmental resolutions. Its strength lies in international pressure only. However, the principle Asian nations agreed to officially abide by the moratorium and ordered their fisheries to not violate the UN moratorium. Earthtrust anticipated that not all fishermen would abide by the moratorium, and in 1991 created a network of NGO's, fishermen and others, called the "DriftNetwork", to monitor and report on driftnet activity. As the fishing methodology is very lucrative, Earthtrust has been receiving reports of violations of the moratorium. The majority of the reports concern reflagged Taiwanese vessels. We're posting this notice on MARMAM due to the large bycatch of marine mammals which are often taken in the course of this fishing, particularly in relatively pristine areas. A UNFAO workshop in 1989 estimated that between 300,000 and one million dolphins died in the commercial high seas driftnet fishery that year. Untold numbers of large cetaceans are taken as well. One report estimated that up to 6,950 sperm whales may have been taken in the 1990 Indian Ocean Taiwanese driftnet fishery. Though now cut back in scale, driftnetting probably remains one of the leading global causes of cetacean mortality. The U.N. Driftnet Moratorium was a historic resolution, but it only works as a conservation tool and a precedent if there is monitoring input and the potential for enforcement. The DriftNetwork is an attempt to create (on a very low budget) a network of people around the world to help gather and pass on information about sightings and operation of these "rogue" driftnet vessels around the world. A DriftNetwork expose of two Taiwanese boats found in the harbor in Singapore in April of 1993 resulted in the recall and revokation of the licenses of those boats by Taiwan. Recent Earthtrust investigations in Indonesia, Malaysia and Mainland China provided anectdotal reports of boats as well as photo documentation of boats whose activities are suspected to take place beyond the 200 mile limit. However, we're far from a worldwide overview of driftnetting activity. The DriftNetwork needs the following information: 1) Reports of high seas driftnet activity 2) Contacts within nations, particularly the Dalian area of Mainland China, Singapore and other suspected ports of boats which are violating the UN drifnet moratorium. 3) National Laws and Regulations pertaining to driftnet activity per nation. 4) Reports of Bilateral agreements being made between large fishing nations and smaller nations to conduct driftnet fishing within in their EEZ's and/or to allow the traversing of high seas driftnet boats through their waters and use their ports. ******************* The DriftNetwork is a project of Earthtrust, a conservation-oriented U.S. NGO based in Hawaii. A briefing document on worldwide use of high seas driftnetsis available on disk, and soon via the internet, upon request. If you think you might like to become a part of the DriftNetwork, or want more infomation, you may send e-mail to director Sue White at e-mail address: 780-0874(\)mcimail.com. best regards to the operators and subscribers of MARMAM ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 16:07:14 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: XIth Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals XIth Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammal Preliminary Announcement and Call for Papers The Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals will be held in Orlando, Florida, USA, from 14-18 December 1995 at the Clarion Plaza Hotel and Conference Center. It will be hosted by Sea World and the Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute. Double concurrent spoken presentations will be held each day beginning on 15 December. Dedicated poster sessions will be held during the second half of each morning. Due to space limitations, individual posters will only be displayed for one day. Society business meetings will likely be held on 15 and 17 December. Double concurrent symposium sessions will be held on the evenings of 15 and 17 December. An individual may be first author on ONLY ONE oral presentation, poster or symposium presentation. The banquet and dance will be on 18 December. Additional small sessions will be arranged on a first-come, first-served basis as space is available. Requests for small meeting space should be directed to Daniel K. Odell, Conference Chair, Sea World, Inc. 7007 Sea World Drive, Orlando, FL 32821- 8097. Internet: odell(\)pegasus.cc.ucf.edu. Questions or suggestions about the program should be directed to Brent Stewart, Program Chair, Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute, 2595 Ingraham Street, San Diego, CA 92109. Internet: bstewart(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu. The final call for papers, further meeting details and registration material will be mailed to members during the spring of 1995. The deadline for receipt of abstracts will be 15 July 1995. SMM members will find additional information in the forthcoming issue of the Society for Marine Mammalogy Newsletter. Individuals interested in joining the Society for Marine Mammalogy should contact Glenn VanBlaricom, Chair of the Membership Committee at . ------ end of message ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 08:35:28 -0800 Reply-To: ui118(\)freenet.victoria.bc.ca From: Pamela Willis Subject: Vera da Silva's address I have unsuccessfully been attempting to reach Vera da Silva by fax and phone, perhaps someone knows of more up-to-date contact numbers for her. The info I have is: Laboratoro de Mamiferos Aquaticos INPA CP 478 Manuas AM 69011-790 Brazil Phone: 55 92 642 337 x124 Fax: 55 92 642 1706 An email number, if any, would also be appreciated. Many thanks. Pam Willis ui118(\)freenet.victoria.bc.ca ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 09:29:03 +0100 From: Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara Subject: Re: INQUIRY ON HIGH-SEAS DRIFTNET ACTIVITY (re-send) In-Reply-To: <9502281938.AA24702(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it>; from "Don White" at Feb 28, 95 1:49 pm S Message for Don White Sorry to send this to the whole list, but in the message there is no information on how to contact its author, Don White. Don, could you please give me your email address? (Incidentally, I couldn't get through with the mci address in your message). Thank you, Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara gnstri(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 16:24:10 -0800 From: David Bain Subject: Nine page summary of Barnes Lake, AK, killer whale rescue The following is a preliminary report on the entrapment and intervention to aid killer whales in Barnes Lake, Alaska, in 1994. A formal report to be submitted for publication is planned when data analysis has been completed. KILLER WHALES (ORCINUS ORCA) IN BARNES LAKE, ALASKA: A PRELIMINARY REPORT David E. Bain Marine World Foundation Vallejo, CA 94589 February 28, 1994 INTRODUCTION I received a report that a group of killer whales (Orcinus orca) was in Barnes Lake, Alaska, from Russ Cameron of Peregrine Productions of Beaverton, OR. His report raised two bases for concern. First, the lake contained significant amounts of fresh water, which might be harmful to killer whales after long-term exposure. Second, due to the small size of the lake, the food supply might be limiting. Mitigating these concerns were the addition to the lake of approximately one-third its volume of sea water at each high tide, and salmon migrating into Sweetwater Lake just upstream of Barnes Lake. The whales had apparently entered the lake on their own, and hence should have been able to exit the lake on their own. However, killer whales can be confined by psychological barriers, such as nets or low walls, which they are physically able to cross. These concerns raised the possibility that human intervention in the situation could promote the welfare of the whales. To help determine whether intervention would promote their welfare, and what kind of intervention might be appropriate, NMML granted my request to become a designated agent under its marine mammal permit, No. 791. Whether intervention was the appropriate action versus allowing nature to take its course is beyond the scope of this report. Prior to my departure for Barnes Lake, I made a number of phone calls to assess the situation. Descriptions of the group ranged from seven individuals including one bull, to ten individuals including 4 bulls. Reported dates of entry into the lake ranged from mid-July to mid-August. Salmon runs typically persist into the middle of September, although the runs apparently ended early this year, with only small numbers of fish entering Barnes Lake after the 23rd of August. Although U. S. Coast Pilot reports that there is sufficient depth for killer whales to exit the lake at high tide, people living in the area indicated current was a limiting factor, and that there was a short time window around high slack that they felt safe entering and leaving the lake. There were also reports that harbor seals had used the lake in significant numbers prior to the whales' arrival, but had been scarce since. There was one report of the whales actively chasing fish during the first half of September. One fishing guide indicated he had used the lake for nine years and that this was the first time he had seen killer whales there. Outside the lake, NMML has been conducting surveys and has sighted killer whales fairly regularly. Local residents also reported sightings of killer whales outside the lake, with whales feeding on fish on some occasions and marine mammals on others. Although whales had been sighted outside the lake subsequent to reported dates of entry, there were no reports of killer whales not being in the lake once it became common knowledge that whales had been sighted there. The Barnes Lake area may be used by killer whales described as members of the Northern Resident Community, Offshore Community, Transient Community, and other whales previously sighted in Alaskan waters. With these thoughts in mind, I departed for the area. OBSERVATIONS I flew over Barnes Lake on Sunday, October 2, 1994. One whale was dead-stranded on a small island. Other whales were still swimming in the lake. The altitude of the observation (>2000') did not allow assessment of the condition of the live animals. On Monday, October 3, I entered the lake in a small boat. Lighting was poor, and the whales did not allow close approaches. However, the observations reported below indicated the remaining whales were in poor to fair condition. On Tuesday, October 4, no effort was made to enter the lake due to a tsunami warning. On Wednesday, October 5, I was joined by Linda Shaw of NMFS, and Jim Antrim and Bill Winhall of Sea World to aid in assessment of the situation and to gather information important to the consideration of options for intervention. Lighting was better on this day allowing a more thorough assessment of the condition of the whales. GROUP COMPOSITION The original group appeared to consist of nine whales: one adult male, one adolescent male, four adult female sized animals, one large juvenile (est. age = 6-8 yr), one small juvenile (est. age = 2-4 yr) and one calf (est. age = 0-2 yr). By the time I arrived, one adult female had died. The subadult male was only seen alive on October 3, and was found dead on Friday, October 7. A preliminary review of photographs indicates that the whales are part of the "offshore" community. One has been tentatively identified as AP1, a female sighted in Icy Strait in 1989 by Dena Matkin. A second was tentatively identified as O55, sighted in 1992 off Langara Pt. in the Queen Charlotte Islands (G. Ellis, Pacific Biological Station, pers. comm.). BEHAVIOR The whales moved very slowly, generally singly, though occasionally in pairs, and rarely as a three-some. Saddles were not raised out of the water, except by the young juveniles. At least one whale listed slightly to the side on some surfacings. On some occasions, the dorsal fin was not completely submerged between breaths. Respiratory intervals tended to be long and relatively uniform. Breathing sounded slightly less forceful and crisp than normal. Echolocation clicks were heard, but calls were not (though the time spent monitoring acoustic behavior was short). No observations of successful or presumed prey capture were made. The orcas showed no interest in a harbor seal that inhabited the lake. These abnormalities cannot be attributed to the limited size of the lake. Killer whales in aquaria of comparable depth and smaller surface area exhibit behavior much more similar to that of free ranging killer whales than that observed in Barnes Lake. In contrast to the observed behavior, groups of three or four are common, and it would not be uncommon for all animals to travel together. Saddles are normally raised out of the water on most breaths. Dorsal fins are normally kept vertical, except during play and foraging. Partial submergence of the dorsal fin is only normal during deep rest for males, and other whales during active foraging. Respiratory intervals are normally bi-modal, with a series of short intervals followed by a long interval. PHYSICAL CONDITION The skin of some whales showed large areas of gray discoloration. The skin had a "matte" finish, rather than the normal glossy appearance. Observations of the dead male indicated the gray areas were due to sloughing of large patches of skin, in contrast to the small flakes that are normally sloughed. The matte appearance was apparently due to the failure to slough skin. Slight depressions were observed behind the blowholes of some whales (most were not approached closely enough to make this determination). The dead whale appeared thin along the back, and the outline of the rib cage was visible. Such observations would not have been possible with the live whales as they did not raise their backs or ribs out of the water, and the dark color of the water (perhaps due to dissolved organic matter) prevented underwater observation. The dorsal fins were erect, except for small bends which were well within the range of healthy animals. POTENTIAL FOR UNASSISTED DEPARTURE The orcas remained in the deep portion of the lake. They did not explore the channels leading to open water, or use the shallow fringes of the lake. Strong currents (estimated at 8 knots 2 hours prior to high tide) flowing into the lake during the rising tide lent support to the idea that current contributed to the whales unwillingness or inability to leave lake even when there was sufficient depth. Thus it seemed unlikely that they would leave the lake on their own. POPULATION DENSITY Barnes Lake has a surface area of approximately 2.5 sq. km. Thus the population density ranged from about 3.6 / sq. km to 2.8 / sq. km. For comparison, the smallest day range I have observed in over 500 days of observation wild killer whales is approximately 25 sq. km (for daylight periods up to two consecutive days). The highest population density I have observed is about 0.4 whale per sq. km of day range. These observations were in core areas at times believed to correspond to periods of peak food availability. Observations during times of limited food availability indicate day ranges may exceed 500 sq. km, with population densities of .01 whales / sq. km of day range. INTERPRETATION I interpreted the observations as follows. The whales showed subtle signs of being in poor condition. The population density was far in excess of what was sustainable. The lake was not part of normal killer whale habitat. The orcas were unlikely to leave the lake on their own, even if their physical condition deteriorated. In the absence of subsequent observations to the contrary, it likely would be in the interest of the whales to be relocated to open water. Given that one whale had died and that the condition of the others was likely to deteriorate rather than improve, intervention as soon as possible was likely to be more helpful than waiting for obvious signs of distress. With this interpretation in hand, my authority under the NMML permit was rescinded, and control of the situation was placed clearly in the hands of the Alaska Region's stranding coordinator, Linda Shaw. INTERVENTION A decision was made to intervene with the following concerns. Intervention would not promote the welfare of the animals if it resulted in: A) movement into Sweetwater Lake, B) stranding on a beach, or C) separation of the two youngest animals from the bulk of the group. Intervention was to take the form of small boats driving the orcas through Indian Creek towards open water by their occupants banging on hollow, metal pipes. To prevent outcome (A), two boats were stationed at the entrance to Sweetwater Lake. To reduce the probability of outcome (B), the drive began with boats far away from the whales, and behavior was continuously monitored for signs of panic that might lead to stranding. To mitigate outcome (B) if it occurred, personnel with experience handling killer whales and stranded marine mammals were recruited from Marine World / Africa USA, Sea World, and the California Marine Mammal Center. To prevent outcome (C), the whales were continuously monitored. We were also concerned about the safety of the human participants. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified that the drive would take place. The Forest Service was notified, and arrangements were made to use their cabin in case people were unable to leave the lake (due to tidal conditions or engine failure). Potential threat displays from the orcas were discussed, and appropriate responses determined. A goal was set of having ten boats participate, which would result in a maximum spacing of ten boats per mile. In the event, 13 boats were recruited. Ten of these boats were assigned routes, while the remaining three were positioned as necessary. One boat not banging pipes was used to try to finely adjust the movement of the whales. In addition to the three major concerns, some minor problems were anticipated. First, there was uncertainty in the time the drive would take. (Timing was critical because human access to the lake was limited to a few hours, and the time at which the exit was likely to be passable for the orcas was believed to be much shorter.) The drive was scheduled as early as possible (based on tidal limitations to access to the lake), but that might have resulted in the whales reaching the rapids while they were impassable. Thus a holding area was identified that had a relatively narrow opening back into the lake, but provided the orcas space to remain a comfortable distance from the banging pipes. This narrow opening was also designated a position for a safety line in case the whales evaded the main drive line. In the event, the holding area was used while waiting for the current to slacken, but the safety line was unnecessary. Another anticipated problem was that the orcas would enter coves on the side rather than following the main stream. A boat with just its engine running was designated to guard the coves. In one case, the whales went under a boat into a cove. A boat with a banging pipe was able to return the whales to the main stream. No other problems, either anticipated or unanticipated were encountered. Following completion of a final planning meeting, placement of the boats began at 12:30 P.M. on Thursday, October 6. Once all boats were positioned, the orcas were located about 2.5 km from open water. A boat not banging pipes was used to move the whales farther from the entrance to Sweetwater Lake. At this point, the orcas were milling in a tight "ball" in contrast to the wide spacing observed prior to the entrance of the boats into the lake. Once we felt the whales were a safe distance from Sweetwater Lake, people began banging pipes. The whales showed no additional reaction to this initially. After a few minutes, they began moving slowly towards Indian Creek, the intended exit. Two peninsulas form the boundary between Barnes Lake and Indian Creek. The orcas stopped for quite a while before entering Indian Creek. Thus these peninsulas appeared to form the first psychological barrier to leaving the lake. Once in Indian Creek, the whales proceeded until the first island. This island caused a significant narrowing in the channel. The section between the peninsulas and the island had been designated a "holding area". I checked on the condition of the rapids and concluded that it would be better to wait for the current to slacken. The whales milled against the island for a while, and then moved a short distance back towards the boats, which held positions between the peninsulas. Thus the island appeared to form a second psychological barrier. After the current slackened, the drive continued. The orcas moved past the island, and proceeded to a kelp bed. They milled in front of the kelp bed, then moved out of the mainstream into a cove. A boat with banging pipes was able to move the whales out of the cove and back to the edge of the kelp bed. The drive line reached its closest point to the whales, but the orcas continued to mill next to the kelp. The drive was paused, because prior observation indicated that increased outbound current would cause the kelp to lie down, giving the whales better access to the channel. After a few more minutes, the orcas went through the kelp bed. Thus the kelp bed appeared to be the third and most significant psychological barrier. The whales proceeded to the island which formed the narrowest portion of Indian Creek. The orcas had passed over the "rapids" (which were simply a shallow ledge at that time due to the slackness of the current) without any difficulty. The whales milled briefly at the island, and chose the narrow channel rather than the wider dead end bay. The "rapids" would have constituted a physical barrier at other tidal states, but did not appear to be even a psychological barrier at high slack. The combination of the rapids and the island would have constituted a fourth barrier if the orcas had tried to leave the lake on their own at any other tidal state. The drive was completed about 3:15 P.M. The whales were followed for an additional hour to ascertain whether they were headed for open water, or into dead-end coves or bays. After exiting the creek, the orcas headed towards a flock of birds which appeared to be feeding near shore. After traveling under the birds, they headed for mid-channel. They continued out to Whale Passage. They then headed towards Clarence Strait, rather than towards Whale Pass, which is at the end of an inlet. After leaving the flock of birds, the whales exhibited normal grouping patterns of seven abreast or subgroups of 3 and 4 individuals, normal surfacing postures, and normal respiratory intervals. They paused about 3 km outside the lake. It is unclear whether they paused to try to determine their location, or they were just resting. After this pause, they continued toward open water. OPTIONS REJECTED A number of possible interventions were considered and rejected. First, handling the orcas for medical exams prior to attempting to coax them from the lake was considered. However, observation of the surviving whales the day before the drive indicated that they were likely to be in good enough condition to take care of themselves. Providing food supplements to the whales until they figured out for themselves how to get out of the lake was considered. However, the skittish behavior of the orcas around boats suggested they would be difficult to feed directly unless their condition worsened and they stranded on a beach. Supplementing the lake population of fish was considered impractical due to the large quantity of fish needed to feed that particular group of whales. The use of nets rather than noise to herd the orcas was rejected due to difficulties anticipated from bottom topography, complications due to kelp beds, and the risk of entanglement. The use of explosives such as seal bombs was deemed unlikely to be necessary. The use of a single sound source was rejected due to the difficulty in directing movement in a particular direction, and the consequent risk of stranding. The play-back of killer whale calls was rejected because the population affiliation of the whales was unknown, and hence their response to a play-back would be totally unpredictable. TIMING OF THE INTERVENTION On October 3, the first day of close observation, it was determined that some form of intervention was likely to be appropriate, and preparation for the drive option began immediately. Personnel and equipment began moving to the area on October 4 (due to the remoteness of the area, it was not possible for all of the key people to reach the area in one day). Intervention was not attempted on October 5 because local resources were committed to an earthquake preparedness drill, and more information about the lake itself and the conditions of the whales were needed to plan for a safe intervention. Intervention took place on October 6, the day with the best tidal conditions and suitable weather. October 7 would not have been possible because bad weather would have precluded the use of the small boats. Tidal conditions progressively worsened after October 7. DISCUSSION The decision to intervene was based primarily on the situation (population density and food availability considerations) and subtle abnormalities in behavior and appearance. Thus it is possible that the decision to intervene was premature. However, the four points during the drive where the orcas stopped supported my impression that it would be unlikely for the whales to leave the lake on their own. The death of the second whale, which was not confirmed until after the drive, supported the impression that the whales would remain in the lake until death rather than leave when their condition became poor. The marked change in behavior upon leaving the lake suggested their welfare had been improved, whether or not intervention was necessary to save their lives. The lack of significant adverse reactions to the drive (changes in individual spacing, direction of movement, and an occasional fluke slap were all that was observed, and these are not uncommon responses to recreational whale watching) indicated that the intervention was humane and probably caused the least possible disturbance. Presumably, early intervention as selected here was more beneficial to the orcas than delayed intervention would have been. In the latter case the whales would have been in worse condition and less able to take care of themselves when they did leave the lake. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Russ Cameron and Peregrine Productions for organizing the logistics for this work, his assistance with data collection, and financial support. Louisiana Pacific, Ketchikan Air, The Marine World Foundation and Sea World provided financial support. I would like to give special thanks to Nani Fannemel and Geno Namaau of Whales Resort for providing logistical support to the field team. Gene Hering, Victor Ives, and Mike McKenzie also provided assistance in the field. I would like to thank many people from NMFS (both in Seattle and Juneau) and the U.S. Forest Service for helpful information and advice. I would like to give special thanks to Laurie Gage of Marine World for her advice and assistance with coordinating the intervention. I also give special thanks to Mike Demetrios of Marine World / Africa USA for encouraging me and Dr. Gage to participate, his behind the scenes work on logistics, and his usual advice to "do what's best for the whales." Mike Farley played a key role in organizing local responses from Whale Pass and Coffman Cove. I thank him and the people of those communities for their excellent work. The California Marine Mammal Center provided the poles used in the drive and staff support. Finally, I would like to thank NMFS for responding promptly to all requests for permission to take actions to benefit the welfare of the killer whales in Barnes Lake. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 20:47:33 PST From: Christine Subject: GRADUATE SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES Dear Fellow MARMAMers: I am interested in gathering information about higher educational institutions offering programs that offer M.A./M.S. and Ph.D.'s in the scientific discipline of cetology. Specifically, I am looking for available research facilities or open ocean programs that examine dolphin cognition, dolphin acoustical emissions as possible evidence for language, echolocation studies, social and behavioral dyanmics either in captivity or in the wild, humpback whale studies, and the like. I did get the list of internship opportunities, and am very appreciative. However, I am looking for graduate school opportunites wherein I will be achieving my academic goals as well as pursuing my passion for cetaceans. I did an internship at the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory and am applying to graduate school there. In addition, I am also looking at my other available options to ensure that I have covered all of the bases. The many programs I have seen on NOVA, National Geographic, IMAX theater DISCOVERIES, have referenced individuals that do particular research, and some of the universities or institutions affiliated with this research, but the information is somewhat elusive. I am looking for the department, whether it be psychology, marine biology, zoology, etc. at the specific institutions so that I may inquire. If there is a book in particular that I can get at or through the Notre Dame library referencing this information, I will be thrilled. I have simply been at a loss for how to access this information in a relatively straight-forward and pragmatic manner. Any help would be much appreciated. I am looking for a hands on institution where I can interact with the marine mammals as well as observe them and conduct reseach. I am also looking for recommendations to get my background information up to par in scientific journals, general interest, and so on. I would like to know who's who and where they are and what they are doing so that I know who my human resources will be. I am greatly appreciative in advance for your responses to my inquiry, and I look forward to hearing from you. I don't know how many MARMAMers are interested in this information, so I will leave it to your discretion whether or not you reply directly to me or to MARMAM. Sincerely yours, C.C. Christine.N.Cibula.2(\)nd.edu 3050 N. Silver Maple Ct. South Bend, Indiana 46628 (219)-273-4189 P.S. Please feel free to include me in on any mailers that you think would be useful. I am interested in programs both inside and outside the U.S.( I am well versed in Spanish). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 09:26:59 -0500 From: Alastair Watson Organization: Oklahoma State University Subject: Collagenous fins/flukes 1 March 1995 Recent postings discussing Orca dorsal fins have raised an issue concerning the histological make-up of cetacean dorsal fins and flukes. Without doubt these structure are "stiff" but this does not necessarily require that they be formed from bone or cartilage ... although it is said at Sea World and other places and in texts that cetacean dorsal fins and flukes consist of cartilage. My question is: Is there histological evidence to support this statement? In my gross examinations of a minke whale and several smaller odontocetes I have not seen anything that resembles cartilage in either the dorsal fin or flukes. The dense connective tissue collagenous core is very firm and provides a rigid support to these appendages. "The flukes and dorsal fin consist of an inner core of connective tissue fibre ... The collagenous tissue matrix is firm ..." p. 146 Elsner, R., et al. 1974. Functional circulatory anatomy of cetacean appendages. In, Harrison, R.J. ed. Functional Anatomy of Marine Mammals, vol 2:143-159. If there is cartilage in the fin/flukes, I would appeciate knowing of the evidence and reference, if not, let us support the collagen that supports us, Orcas and all. Cheers Alastair Watson College of Veterinary Medicine Stillwater, OK awatson(\)vm1.ucc.okstate.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 17:39:50 PST From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Whale communications ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I know a great deal of work has been done re whale communications, ranging from quite sophisticated sound analysis to rather bizarre psychic experiments--but I haven't heard of anyone looking into what seems to me an obvious possible interpretation of whale sounds, which otherwise don't seem to construct a specific "language" and have largely eluded understanding. To wit, we know that cetaceans "see" via sound--sonar--and in view of that, isn't it logical to suppose that they might make sounds which would simulate sonic pictures to one another, in a sort of sound-carried but semi-visually perceived communication? This would seem to be a testable hypothesis, with sophisticated sound-imaging equipment sensitive enough to pick up the whole range of whale noises and isolate them from background noise. It seems to me, purely on a theoretical level, that for decades people have been trying to understand whale communications as a form of radio, like our own sound-based communications (talking), when what's actually going on is a form of TV, probably without a voice track. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 17:41:42 PST From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re Seal Slaughter ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Jerry Conway's statement on the upcoming seal slaughter in Atlantic Canada omits the following essential points: 1) This year the Canadian and various provincial governments are paying a bounty on the seals to encourage the slaughter, since the value of the carcasses apparently isn't sufficient to do it. 2) The Canadian government has acknowledged that there is no scientific data linking the seals to the decline of cod--and has also acknowledged practically in so many words that the slaughter is proceeding anyway to give the fishermen a chance to let off steam. 3) Roughly five-sixths of the value of a slaughtered seal is in the penis bone. Without that, and even with the bounty, the carcass isn't worth the gasoline and labor to drag it in. 4) Since there is no ice this winter in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, all the seals are having to whelp on mainland beaches, right in harm's way. 5) Animals slaughtered in slaughterhouses are stunned before they know what's going on--or are supposed to be. They are not bludgeoned and hacked to pieces in front of each other. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 18:11:29 PST From: CARVANMJ(\)UCBEH.BITNET Subject: Re: Cetacean Releases ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- According to the definition of a captive cetacean as "restrained in human contact, then released", many hundreds of captive cetaceans were overlooked. The work of Randy Wells in Sarasota, FL, incorporates capture, restraint and release of bottlenose dolphins. A similar study operated off the coast of Texas a couple of summers ago. We can include these in the statistics about release of captive cetaceans, but they have no relavence to the release of animals that have spent significant time in captivity depending on humans for every facet of life. All the best, Michael. ******************************************************************************** Michael J. Carvan III, PhD FAX (513)558-0974 Department of Environmental Health or -0925 University of Cincinnati Medical Center lab (513)558-0373 P.O. Box 670056 Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0056 ################################################################################ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 18:14:41 PST From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: Seal Slaughter ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Jerry Conway presents a very interesting but empty official view of the seal slaughter (SLAUGHTER, I maintain, for this is the word for wholesale killing of mammals, not 'management' that only sounds better on government letterhead). However, the issue is not whether the slaughter there is better or wors e than a slaughterhouse. Issues behind the please-give-me-your -vite-dear-fishermen decision are (a) there is widespread suspicion of the official figures on seal numbers presented by Canadian authorities, (b) there is no scientific proof AT ALL that seal populations can be blamed in an isolated, Middle Age manner for ANY fish species decline; (c) the Canadian government again turns to the easy and demagogue solution of blaming wildlife species for the virtual collapse of resources (eg fihseries) caused by its own blatantly incompetent management schemes. Wha, this and these 'public meetings' where only pro-sealing representatives are cherished by officials paid by every citizen are so much like my own country, Brasil - and equally make my stomach ache. Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 18:15:16 PST From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: GREENPEACE AND WHALE RESEARCH ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- After several of us have fought for the maintenance of Alan MacNow's freedom of boredom, I mean, speech, in MARMAM, it is with great dismay that I watch him withdraw from debate with Zoologist/Lawyer Dr. Ronald Orenstein. I thought NOW we would have an informed debate on whaling issues. It seems Alan is definitely getting tired. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 18:16:19 PST From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: STANDING NETWORK/REHABILITATION CENTRE ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >At the moment there is no marine mammal stranding >network/rehabilitation centre in existence in Cape Town, South >Africa. However, as Cape fur seals are abundant we do get numerous >sick animals in need of medical care turning up on the beaches. Hi: There is a stranding network in Prince Edward Island that cooperates with the local veterinary college and Department of Fisheries and Oceans. There objective is to operate a professional network and they do good work. They also have a study they prepared on establishing a network. You may want to contact: Pat Grey Prince Edward Island Stranding Network 11 Marjorie Crescent Charlottetown, P.E.I. C1A 7V1 Canada Tel: (902) 569-4803 My orgnization is part of a stranding network in Massachusetts. We deal primarily with small cetaceans but the network has years of experience and may be of assistance: Dan Morast, President International Wildlife Coalition 70 East Falmouth Highway East Falmouth, Massachusetts 02536 U.S.A. Tel: (508) 548-8542 E-Mail djmorast(\)danwhale.win.net Hope this helps and good luck. Anne D ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 22:53:29 -1200 From: ewan fordyce Subject: Re: importance of fossil beaked whales from the deep ocean >WHALE SKULLS 'SIGNIFICANT' FIND > > By Trevor Marshallsea of AAP > HOBART, Feb 28 AAP - The discovery of the fossilised skulls of etc Some MARMAM readers may be interested in a brief overview of whale and dolphin fossils from the deep sea - Cetacean history is deduced mainly from studying fossils preserved in shallow water sediments which were deposited on the fringes of the oceans. These strata and their fossils are now uplifted and exposed on land. Conversely, very few fossils are known from the ocean basins, habitats that cetaceans have occupied for perhaps 50 million years, and we have little idea about cetacean evolution in the open ocean. Thus, fossil cetaceans from the deep sea are indeed a potentially important source of information about evolutionary history. Most of the oceanic fossils recovered and described so far are resistant elements, such as earbones (tympano-periotics) of diverse groups, and the densely ossified partial skulls and jaws of beaked whales, Ziphiidae. These specimens are usually worn and/or polished - perhaps by bone-munching scavengers, or dissolution, or abrasion. Published literature reveals that most of the oceanic fossils can be identified to broad group, e.g. Delphinidae or Ziphiidae, but that it is difficult to be more accurate about identity (exactly WHICH species is it?). Now Cath Samson (University of Tasmania) has recovered at least one rather complete skull which should be more diagnostic than the usual fragments. Comparable specimens are known from some "on-land" occurrences. Such fossils include polished and/or abraded ziphiid beaks, earbones and the like which are similar in style of preservation to the oceanic fossils. Terrestrial localities include southeast Australia, some places along the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and Anglia, in Britain. Despite their usually incomplete state, many of these fragments have been named as representing new species. Noteworthy early publications include those of Cuvier (France), Owen and Huxley (Britain) and Leidy (USA); more recent works include those of Chapman and Glaessner in Australia. There are only a few cases of rather complete ziphiid skulls preserved "on-land." For an useful brief review of the taxonomic problems associated with fragmentary ziphiids, both oceanic and "on-land" specimens, see Mead 1975. Mead and others who have worked on ziphiids have stressed that it is important to understand ontogenetic changes in rostra of living ziphiids before interpreting the fossils. Experience suggests that long study of isolated rostra won't necessarily give conclusive results. Skulls, however, have great promise. Recent articles on oceanic cetacean fossils include those of Whitmore et al. (includes photo of skull on the sea floor), Ross (comment on material from South Africa), and Fordyce (identifications of earbones from New Zealand). There are notable occurrences of ziphiids dredged from rather shallow situations, such as near Sado Island west of Japan (Horikawa et al.). *Fordyce, R. E. 1984. Preliminary report on cetacean bones from Chatham Rise (New Zealand). Geologisches Jahrbuch D 65: 117-120. *Horikawa, H., Tazaki, K., and Kanno, T. 1987. Fossil Ziphiidae from Koshiji-Syo off Sado Island, Central Japan. Bulletin of the Sado Museum 9: 225-230. *Mead, J. G. 1975. A fossil beaked whale (Cetacea: Ziphiidae) from the Miocene of Kenya. Journal of paleontology 49 (4): 745-751. *Ross, G. J. B. 1986. Fossil beaked whales. National Geographic Research [summer]: [page ?]. *Whitmore, F. C., Morejohn, G. V., and Mullins, H. T. 1986. Fossil beaked whales - Mesoplodon longirostris dredged from the ocean bottom. National Geographic research 2 (1): 47-56. R. Ewan Fordyce Associate Professor Department of Geology University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, NZ *fax 64-3-479-7527, phone 64-3-479-7510 *home phone 64-3-473-0463 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 14:01:57 -0500 From: Orcasurv(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Cetacean Releases It is true that Randy Wells' studies in Florida and the data from the Texas studies would be included in Cetacean Releases according to the definition of 'restrained in human contact, then released'. Perhaps they should have been, and perhaps they will be. No doubt there are good records of each of the dolphins in those studies if needed. I don't agree that those cases are of no relevance to proposals to release long term captives, however. If one is interested in possible introduction of human-acquired pathogens, for instance, it would be good to know of any cetaceans that had been restrained by humans, then released. Or someone may wish to know if behavior changes in some way after even brief restraint, in which case the data would be relevant. Any other possible inclusions in the list are welcome. Regards, Howard Garrett CWR P.O. Box 1577 Friday Harbor, WA 98250 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 10:29:39 -0800 From: "William S. Lawton" Subject: Re: Whale communications >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >I know a great deal of work has been done re whale communications, ranging >from quite sophisticated sound analysis to rather bizarre psychic >experiments--but I haven't heard of anyone looking into what seems to me an >obvious possible interpretation of whale sounds, which otherwise don't seem >to construct a specific "language" and have largely eluded understanding. To >wit, we know that cetaceans "see" via sound--sonar--and in view of that, > isn't it logical to suppose that they might make sounds which would simulate >sonic pictures to one another, in a sort of sound-carried but semi-visually >perceived communication? This would seem to be a testable hypothesis, with >sophisticated sound-imaging equipment sensitive enough to pick up the whole >range of whale noises and isolate them from background noise. It seems to >me, purely on a theoretical level, that for decades people have been trying >to understand whale communications as a form of radio, like our own >sound-based communications (talking), when what's actually going on is a >form of TV, probably without a voice track. --Merritt Clifton, editor, > ANIMAL PEOPLE. Please excuse my gross ignorance, but how would one form a testable hypothesis from the above theory? Perhaps I am missing something but I just cannot seem to envisage a way. Please do not misunderstand me, I think the idea is fascinating but testable??? I look fwd to your response. Thanks - Bill Lawton ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 17:47:34 MET-DST From: vgomer(\)olimp.irb.hr Subject: Tursiops-sex determination? Dear MARMAMers ! I would appreciate any information regarding sex determination using molecular methods in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Has anybody tried with the ZFY/ZFX or SRY system on Tursiops? I'd like to hear any suggestions or the names and addresses of the people involved in the research of that kind. Ana Gomercic Neznane junakinje 1 41000 Zagreb CROATIA fax: 385-1-214697 Email: vgomer(\)olimp.irb.hr P.S. I'd like to thank Dr. Palsboell for sending me his papers. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 14:28:02 -0800 From: Jim Moore Subject: Re: Collagenous fins/flukes Alastair Watson wrote: "it is said at Sea World and other places and in texts that cetacean dorsal fins and flukes consist of cartilage" I took in the Shamu show at Sea World San Diego again, paying more attention to the orca dorsal portion of the educational quiz. 1) the 3 choices given to the q, why are some fins bent etc: a) weather b) each is different c) mood swings and the brief video clip states that vets believe height, weight, genetics and *not* "mood or how he feels" are responsible. "Like us" who are born with different ear, nose etc shapes. 2) I'm almost positive the video said that dorsals are collagen, not cartilage (clearly wasn't paying more attention to *all* of it). (the joys of weekend 'research' with a kid ! ) cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 19:14:48 +0000 From: Stephen Wagner Subject: (Fwd) MANATEES Forwarded message: From: Self To: MARMAN(\)UVVM.BITNET Subject: MANATEES Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 08:53:23 HELP! There is a mass slaughter going on in our own Country!. I have read with interest, the heroic actions of Greenpeace interferring with Japanese whaling in an Antarctic Whale Sanctuary. I wonder how many of you out there realize to what extent Manatees are being slaughtered here in Florida. I work with rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured manatees at a center in Florida. This year we have taken in more orphan calves than ever before. Their mothers are being run over and killed by speeding power boats, The moms are in addition to the other injured manatees we treat. Are there "slow manatee zones?" Yes there are. Do boaters adhere to the speed limit? No they don't. Are Laws enforced? No, they are not. A Judge inVolusia County recently threw out a speeding ticket,stating it unconstitutional and that reduced boat speeds lacked any scientific basis to protect manatees. Does this set a precedence? You bet. This month we rescued a calf whose mother was brutally slashed by a speeding boat. Her lungs were hanging out and her spine was severed in two places. I could go on and on. I apologise for being so graphic, but these are the facts and we are in a crisis. Simply, we are killing off the speices. If slow-moving manatees were graceful dolphins, you bet we would have Laws to protect them. We would have every organization out there in an outrage. It would be nice if Greenpeace would come to Florida waters and bring this disasterous issue to the forefront. Someone has to interfere with the selfish, hedonistic attitude of some boaters. The manatee has just as much right to be on this planet as we do. If this slaughter continues, I am afraid that future generations will never see this gentle giant because there will be none to see. The largest of the Sirenians, the Stellar Sea Cow, was hunted out to extinction in just 27 years. Please, if you have any suggestions, I should very much appreciate them. Meanwhile, Greenpeace, take a little vacation in the warm coastal waters of Florida. LYNDA GREEN . ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 22:48:06 -0500 From: George Elston Subject: Re: Cetacean Releases In-Reply-To: <199503020218.VAA53577(\)tequesta.gate.net> It may be of interest to the members of MARMAM that there is an ongoing= =20 project for the release of captive dolphin. The Sugarloaf Dolphin=20 Sanctuary, 17 miles above Key West in the Fla. Keys is the first facility= =20 in the world to exist solely for the purpose of retraining and=20 rehabilitating dolphins that have lived for years in marine parks or=20 research centers. The sanctuary is the joint effort of many volunteers and came into=20 being through the efforts of Ric O=D5Barry, a distinguished dolphin trainer= =20 and animal rights activist; Joe Roberts, the founder of Dolphin Alliance=20 in Melborne Fla.; and Lloyd Good III, owner of the Sugarloaf Lodge, who=20 made the lagoon available. Currently the sanctuary is the temporary home to six dolphins. Luther,=20 Jake, and Buck are all U.S. Navy Retired, all are between 13 and 16 years= =20 old, and were recently flown in from San Diego. Molly, 30; and Boggie and= =20 Bacall, 10; are from the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo. The dolphins are=20 being weaned from human interaction. The dolphin are fed regularly but=20 the three females, who have been their longer, are chasing and eating=20 live mullet.=20 O=D5Barry feels that the two younger females are nearly ready to return= =20 to the wild. The final leg of their journey will be a helicopter ride to=20 Brevard county Fla. There in a lagoon near the indian river where they=20 were captured, they will spend an additional 30 to 60 days to acclimate=20 and be sure they are ready for release. When the team members are sure=20 the dolphin are ready the gates will come down.=20 The sanctuary will return to the wild only dolphin that are healthy,=20 catching live fish, and using their echolocation. The dolphin will then=20 be monitored to assure their continued health and well being. When the first release has been accomplished and documented the=20 sanctuary hopes to continue to rehabilitate and release dolphins on a=20 perminant basis. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 14:47:25 -0800 From: William Burke Subject: Re: INQUIRY ON HIGH-SEAS DRIFTNET ACTIVITY (re-send) In-Reply-To: <9502281938.AA09500(\)mx4.u.washington.edu> I am attempting to locate the reference to the 1989 FAO workshop referred to in the message from Don White and also the report which mentions the take of 6950 sperm whales by the Taiwanese Indian Ocean driftnet fishery. Any help on this would be appreciated. I have already consulted the custodian of what is apparently the largest bycatch database available and it does not list anything relevant for 1989 or for the Indian Ocean fishery. Bill Burke On Tue, 28 Feb 1995, Don White wrote: > High seas driftnets are a very efficient way of catching fish and other > creatures; but the bycatch, and potential for overfishing to the point of > stock collapse, have been found to be generally unacceptable by the global > community. > > Between 1988 and 1992, up to 1500 Asian high seas driftnet vessels set each > year in the Pacific and Indian oceans. The principle driftnet nations were > Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea; a few boats were registered in Mainland > China as well. Each vessel would deploy on the average 35 miles of net per > night, capable of entangling everything in the topmost layer of the sea larger > than their mesh size. > > In 1991, the United Nations unanimously passed "UNGA 46/215, a resolution > which called for a moratorium on the use of high seas driftnetting. High seas > driftnets, as per the U.N., are defined as gillnets that are left to drift > and which are deployed beyond the EEZ of any nation. (US law has defined > driftnets as gill nets over 2.5 km. ) > > The United Nations has no intelligence or enforcement mechanisms for > environmental resolutions. Its strength lies in international pressure only. > However, the principle Asian nations agreed to officially abide by the > moratorium and ordered their fisheries to not violate the UN moratorium. > Earthtrust anticipated that not all fishermen would abide by the moratorium, > and in 1991 created a network of NGO's, fishermen and others, called the > "DriftNetwork", to monitor and report on driftnet activity. As the fishing > methodology is very lucrative, Earthtrust has been receiving reports of > violations of the moratorium. The majority of the reports concern reflagged > Taiwanese vessels. > > We're posting this notice on MARMAM due to the large bycatch of marine mammals > which are often taken in the course of this fishing, particularly in > relatively pristine areas. A UNFAO workshop in 1989 estimated that between > 300,000 and one million dolphins died in the commercial high seas driftnet > fishery that year. Untold numbers of large cetaceans are taken as well. One > report estimated that up to 6,950 sperm whales may have been taken in the 1990 > Indian Ocean Taiwanese driftnet fishery. Though now cut back in scale, > driftnetting probably remains one of the leading global causes of cetacean > mortality. > > The U.N. Driftnet Moratorium was a historic resolution, but it only works as a > conservation tool and a precedent if there is monitoring input and the > potential for enforcement. The DriftNetwork is an attempt to create (on a very > low budget) a network of people around the world to help gather and pass on > information about sightings and operation of these "rogue" driftnet vessels > around the world. A DriftNetwork expose of two Taiwanese boats found in the > harbor in Singapore in April of 1993 resulted in the recall and revokation of > the licenses of those boats by Taiwan. Recent Earthtrust investigations in > Indonesia, Malaysia and Mainland China provided anectdotal reports of boats as > well as photo documentation of boats whose activities are suspected to take > place beyond the 200 mile limit. However, we're far from a worldwide overview > of driftnetting activity. > > The DriftNetwork needs the following information: > > 1) Reports of high seas driftnet activity > > 2) Contacts within nations, particularly the Dalian area of Mainland China, > Singapore and other suspected ports of boats which are violating the UN > drifnet moratorium. > > 3) National Laws and Regulations pertaining to driftnet activity per nation. > > 4) Reports of Bilateral agreements being made between large fishing nations > and smaller nations to conduct driftnet fishing within in their EEZ's and/or > to allow the traversing of high seas driftnet boats through their waters and > use their ports. > > ******************* > > The DriftNetwork is a project of Earthtrust, a conservation-oriented U.S. NGO > based in Hawaii. A briefing document on worldwide use of high seas > driftnetsis available on disk, and soon via the internet, upon request. > If you think you might like to become a part of the DriftNetwork, or want > more infomation, you may send e-mail to director Sue White at e-mail address: > 780-0874(\)mcimail.com. > > best regards to the operators and subscribers of MARMAM > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 20:41:12 -0500 From: Lance Barrett-Lennard Subject: Sperm Whale Skeleton Hello world. Craig Matkin has asked me to post this message to the list for him. If anyone has info, please send it to him directly using either his physical or virtual address below. Lance ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 02 Mar 1995 08:08:57 -0800 From: CRAIG O MATKIN To: barrett(\)BCU.UBC.CA Lance, I am not on MARMAM any more, but I wonder if you could put amessage on it for me. The Pratt Museum is reconstruction a sperm whale skeleton and hanging it from the high school commons. They need a schematic diagram that will help them reconstruct the skull. Does anyone have such a diagramm available? If so please send to Craig Matkin, P.O. Box 15244, Homer, Alaska 99603 or fax to (907) 235-6590 Cheers, CM ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 17:02:21 -0800 From: Courtney Vangenderen Subject: Marine Life Symposium In-Reply-To: <199503022237.OAA15467(\)franc.ucdavis.edu> The Student Chapter of the A.A.W.V. (American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians) at University of California, Davis, is hosting a symposium on marine life. The title of the symposium is The Marine Life Symposium. This is the first time that such an event has been held in Davis, and we hope to make it an annual event which would focus on different topics each year. This year, the morning session will cover physiology and behavior of marine mammals and sea birds. The afternoon session will cover the effects of oil spills on marine life. The date of the symposium is Saturday, April 8, 1995. There isn't a registration fee, but donations will be accepted. Lunch will be provided. The symposium will be held in room 2430 Medical Sciences Building A on the UCD campus. Here is the Schedule: 8:00 - 8:30 Registration and Coffee 8:30 - 9:30 Leslie Dierauf Diving Physiology of Marine Mammals 9:30 - 10:30 Ken Briggs What Makes A Sea Bird 10:30 - 10:45 Break 10:45 - 11:45 Ron Schusterman Cognition and Communication in Pinnipeds 11:45 - 12:45 Tom Reidarson Rehabilitation of the Common Dolphin 12:45 - 2:00 Lunch 2:00 - 3:00 Scott Newman The Effects of Oil on Sea Birds 3:00 - 3:15 Break 3:15 - 4:15 Johnna Mazet The Effects of Oil on Reproduction in Sea Otters 4:15 - 5:15 Dave Jessup The Oiled Wildlife Recovery Network Afterwards: Informal gathering at Sudwerks in Davis All are welcome! For more information contact Courtney Van Genderen (courtney(\)ucdavis.edu) (916 - 758 - 8485) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 09:09:01 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Sumamry for U.S. Congress and Staff MARMAM Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am shortening the summary to include only new items added since my last posting. However, I will post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. This posting is the longer version as this is the first Friday in March. I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: New info and changes since 2/24/95 are bracketed {...}. . Marine Mammals . {Immunity Problems from Contaminants in Fish? On Feb. 27, 1995, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Dutch scientists found that immune reactions by seals fed Baltic Sea herring were three times weaker than exhibited by seals from a control group fed herring containing only about one-tenth the contaminant load.} [Philadelphia Inquirer via Greenwire] . {Sea of Cortez Mortalities. By late February, dolphin mortalities in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, reached a total of 352 reported since Jan. 6, 1995.} [Assoc Press] . Whale Harassment. In mid-February 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard began randomly placing undercover agents aboard commercial whale watching boats in Southern California in response to reports of increased harassment of whales. [Assoc Press] . Norwegian Minke Whale Quota. On Feb. 21, 1995, Norway announced that it would allow its whalers to kill 301 minke whales during 1995 for commercial purposes. A total of 278 minke whales were killed in 1994. [Reuters] . Whaling Sanctuary Review. On Feb. 23, 1995, Japanese officials announced that they will request, at the International Whaling Commission's May annual meeting, that the IWC review the scientific justification for the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. [Dow Jones News] . Icelandic Whaling Resolution. On Feb. 15, 1995, a parliamentary resolution was introduced by the Icelandic Government proposing that commercial hunting for minke whales should resume in 1996, following delivery of a March 1996 report by the Icelandic Marine Research Institute on possible catch quotas. [Reuters] . Seal Hunts. On Feb. 10, 1995, Canada's Fisheries Minister announced that Canada will alter its Atlantic seal hunt by starting a recreational hunt an d by paying a C$0.20-per-pound bounty for seals taken by registered seal hunters. This action is anticipated to increase the seal kill from its recent average annual kill of about 50,000 animals. On Feb. 21, 1995, a Canadian Seal Management Forum discussed means to achieve a sustainable harvest of seals based on scientifically valid conservation principles. On Feb. 22, 1995, Norway remained undecided concerning whether to resume hunting of baby seals, the hunting of which had been suspended for the last 6 years. [Reuters, DFO press release] . Keiko Moving to Oregon. On Feb. 6, 1995, Reino Adventura amusement park in Mexico announced that it had signed an agreement with the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation (established by the Earth Island Institute) to donate the killer whale, Keiko, to the Foundation. After rehabilitation in the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, the Foundation plans to free the whale in Icelandic waters, from which it was originally captured in 1981. The whale will be moved to Oregon in November. [Assoc Press] . Florida Manatees. On Feb. 10, 1995, a Volusia County, FL, judge ruled that a State law requiring reduced boat speeds to protect manatees lacked any scientific basis for choosing in which waters to restrict boat speed, did not consider alternative means to protect manatees, and was too vague to enforce. {This decision may be appealed by the State, and an amendment to the regulation is being drafted. In early-March 1995, State officials adopted a 90-day emergency rule to re-impose speed restrictions along the Hontoon Dead River to protect manatees.} [Orlando Sentinel, Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 08:24:17 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Whale communications To test the "TV" hypothesis, the first thing to do is to see if the sound patterns emitted by whales can translate into any sort of recognizeable picture. This may sound off the wall, but perhaps the "song" of humpback whales forms an image of whales having sex; perhaps it's as repetitive as it is for the same reason that erotic always repeats basic themes. At any rate, if the sound patterns DO make a picture, then maybe it's not just coincidence. If they don't, if the sonar "picture" is random chaos, then obviously no such thing is going on. A problematic point is that the image values of each sound would have to be interpreted as heard by whales, not as heard by humans. And it would take someone a lot more knowledgable than I am about reading sonar to explain how the sounds could be assigned image values in the first place. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 12:30:26 -0500 From: Steve Everhart Subject: Re: Whale communications >- And it would take someone a lot more knowledgable than I am >about reading sonar to explain how the sounds could be assigned image values >in the first place. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. > > I'm not that person. However, much work has been done in mapping the "sound" images of surroundings produced in certain centers of the owl brain. I think the last person I heard speak on this was from the University of Washington??? Steven H. Everhart, Ph.D. Campbell University Chair, Department of Biological Sciences Buies Creek, NC 27506-0308 Phone: (910)893-1731 FAX: (910)893-1424 email: everhart(\)camel.campbell.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 11:43:24 U From: dprice Subject: Manatee Expedition Dear Marmamers, EARTHWATCH offers the public exciting opportunities to assist with scientific research! By helping to fund the research, volunteers can work alongside world reknowned scientists for two weeks. For a third consecutive year, EARTHWATCH is sponsoring the Manatee research project in conjunction with the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida. The study is being led by Jay Gorzelany, Randy Wells, and Jessica Kadel Koelsch. Volunteers are an essential part of this project and engage in a variety of tasks. Teams travel by boat to a designated manatee sanctuary called Pansy Bayou. When manatees are located, volunteers videotape the animals and photograph, sketch and describe individual scars and other markings to assist in identification. Sex, size, color, behavior, respiration rates and responses to other manatees and humans/boats are also recorded. When manatees are not in sight, volunteers compile environmental data(water temperature, depth, salinity) from manatee habitat and snorkel to sample and analyze vegetation(manatee's diet). Findings from this project will be shared with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection for legislative purposes. Results will also be used in a variety of publications including Marine Mammal Science, Journal of Mammalogy, and others. Team dates for '95 are as follows: I: 4/30 - 5/13 II: 6/4 - 17 III: 7/2 - 15 Share Of Cost: $1,895 IV: 7/30 - 8/12 V: 8/27 - 9/9 VI: 9/24 - 10/7 A $250 deposit holds your place. Your share of cost is also tax deductible. For further information, contact Duane Price at 800-776-0188 ext 179. Fax at 617-926-8532 or my favorite, dprice(\)earthwatch.org ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 10:19:15 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: criteria for release success (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 2 Mar 95 12:04:41 PST From: Paul E. Nachtigall ------- I am very concerned about the overall issue of returning animals to the wild after they have learned to live in captive environments. I have now seen at least four references to 12 out of 16 'successful' releases. Could someone kindly list those successful releases and indicate what the criteria for success were? Paul Nachtigall ------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 11:44:27 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: Abstract on manatees (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 2 Mar 95 16:56:10 EST From: Dr. Roger Reep ABSTRACT: Marshall, C.D. and R.L. Reep (1995) Cytoarchitecture of the Caudal Cerebral Cortex in the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). Brain, Behav. Evol 45:1-18. In several brains of the Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris, the architecture of caudal regions of cerebral cortex was examined in order to complete a map of cortical areas in the brain of this unique aquatic herbivore. Through observation of sections stained for Nissl substance, myelinated axons, acetylcholinesterase or cytochrome oxidase, we have identified eleven new cortical areas based on qualitative cytoarchitectural appearance and measurements of laminar thicknesses, for a total of twenty-four. Some areas exhibit poorly differentiated laminae while in others there are six clearly demarcated layers, often with sublaminar organization. Some previously identified areas were found to extend into the region caudal to the vertically oriented lateral fissure. As in other mammalian brains, cortical areas in manatees are organized in concentric rings of allocortex, mesocortex and isocortex. Putative functional roles have been assigned to most of the identified areas based on location, architecture, behavioral and anatomical considerations, and extrapolation from other taxa in which functional mapping has been done. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 15:27:05 EDT From: Robert Young Subject: Phylogeny of orca vocalizations I have a student who is trying to find information on the evolotion of cetacean vocalizations, specifically the phylogeny of the various dialects in orca pods. How is the development of pod dialects associated with the development of new or additional pods? Is there an "ancestral" pod with an "ancestral" dialect? I know I have seen related studies in the past, but I don't have any copies, and our library isn't up to the task. Can anyone suggest some references? You can respond to my personal address (ryoung(\)coastal.edu). Thanks much! Rob Young Marine Science Department Coastal Carolina University PO Box 1954 Conway, SC 29626 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 15:03:20 -0800 From: Tom Norris Subject: Whale communications/ dolphin pictures "To test the "TV" hypothesis, the first thing to do is to see if the sound >patterns emitted by whales can translate into any sort of recognizeable >picture. This may sound off the wall, but perhaps the "song" of humpback >whales forms an image of whales having sex." The sonar picture hypothesis is interesting but I don't quite understand what you think constitutes a "picture." Humpback song is just that, a song. Its characteristics include repetive patterns arranged in a rhythmical pattern, much like human song. Many species of birds have songs as well and while singing is related to breeding behavior in many of these birds I doubt that they could be construed as "bird porn." The complexity of humpback song probably is due to stong selective forces related to their mating system (which is not fully understood yet). Your idea of dolphins transmitting information about images they perceive from echolocation signals seems more plausible, but how to test it? Dolphin echolcation signals essentially sound like clatter or clicking - not much there that resembles a "picture". Keep in mind that these animals have very sophis- ticated acoustic processing capabilities. Much of which is not understood and far beyond anything we are yet capable of emulating (as far as I know.) I don't know much about bio-sonar systems, but I would think that the dolphin receiving these sonar "pictures" would have to know something about the echolocation signals produced by the original animal (e.g signal intensity, and time-frequency characteristics). Also, such pictures would have to be interpreted within some context. For example, would a "picture" of a prey item mean " there is food nearby" or "I'm hungry let's get some food." I think a more likely scenario is that a dolphin nearby an echolcating animal may use echoes produced by that animal to get some information about its surroundings. However, I don't think this is a direct form of communication. What do the "experts" think? --Tom Norris NORRIS(\)MLML.CALSTATE.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 09:53:43 AST From: "Jerry Conway, DFO. Marine Mammal Coord. DFO Halifax N.S." Subject: Re: Info Sumamry for U.S. Congress and Staff Re Seals (Canada) Just a point of clarification the "recreational" hunt that is mentioned is limited to hunters from Newfoundland/Labrador and Quebec. They will be allowed to take up to 6 seals during a one month period and will be for their own use. Hunters will not be allowed to sell, trade or barter the seal. This should be considered more of a subsistance hunt rather than an oppertunity for closet Rambo's to vent their frustrations, this therefore is not nor is it intended to be a "recreational" hunt. The .20 cent/lb subsidy (not a bounty) is only for the meat, there is no subsidy for the blubber, pelt or organs. As some of us know there isn't to much meat left when a seal is reduced down to pelt and blubber so the incentive is minimal. The subsidy program should also be considered in the context of other products (i.e. wheat, milk etc) that farmers recieve. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 16:39:44 -0800 From: Jaap v/d Toorn Subject: Re: Whale communications Merritt Clifton wrote: > [...] we know that cetaceans "see" via sound--sonar--and in view of that, > isn't it logical to suppose that they might make sounds which would simulate > sonic pictures to one another, in a sort of sound-carried but semi-visually > perceived communication?[...] It is an interesting thought and I have heard this hypothesis before. However, I think there are a couple of aspects of dolphin sonar, that would make this view unlikely. First of all, there is the issue of resolution: how clear could a sonar picture be? That depends on the wavelength of the sound. Resolving power (smallest difference that can be detected) is at best half of the wavelength. For a typical dolphin click of say 100 kHz the wavelength in water would approximately be 12mm, so the resolving power would be 6 mm (and lower frequencies would lead to longer wavelengths and consequently lesser resolution). This would be a very blurry picture at best. It is of course more than adequate for detecting food items (fishes) and obstacles, because they are bigger than 6 mm and an error margin of 6mm in the location of a fish or so is not a big deal when trying to catch it. If dolphins (and other sonar users) create a kind of picture based on the sonar echoes they get back (which is quite possible, but still unproven) they will have to do that based on the directionality of the echoes. And that is also the main objection to this hypothesis. One single sound source cannot produce that information. Take your own stereo system as an example. In order to get some kind of spatial information you will need at least 2 speakers. You cannot create a stereo sound with just one speaker. So it is physically impossible for one whale or dolphin to transmit a complete sonic picture to another, because the spatial aspect cannot be reproduced. The comparison with TV does not work in that respect, because what we see is produced on the screen: each dot on the screen functions as a light source that scatters the light in all 3 dimensions. In order to get an acoustic TV you will need a "screen" composed of tiny sound sources/resonators. That's not there, so we are stuck with a single sound works: the vocalizing whale/dolphin. On top of that, transmitting pictures is a very inefficient way to communicate. Such a picture contains a lot of information, most of which is not needed in man y cases. We can talk about dolphins and the word dolphin will transfer enough information to you to know what I am talking about (in computer lingo, the word dolphin constists of 7 bytes, where a dolphin picture will be several thousands of bytes). Pictures can be useful, but are certainly not suitable for everyday communication. It will cost a lot of energy to transmit that much data. And finally, to produce high resolution pictures, you would need very high frequency sounds. Most of the sounds whales and dolphins make for the purpose of communication (as far as we can tell) are much lower in frequency than sonar clicks and could for that reason alone not be used to transmit sonic pictures. In conclusion, the sonic picture theory is an interesting one, but I believe, given the physics of acoustics in this context, it cannot work. Jaap -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn jaap(\)tfs.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 16:37:57 -0800 From: Kimberly Collier Subject: Re: Collagenous fins/flukes In-Reply-To: <199503022212.OAA12354(\)franc.ucdavis.edu> I can't offer a definitive answer on this issue having never looked at a histological section for myself... however, a few years ago I worked at Sea World in San Diego. I pulled out my training manual on Killer Whales and looked up dorsal fins and flukes. It says: "flukes are flattened pads of tough, dense, fibrous connective tissue". Same for the dorsal fin. The pectoral flippers, of course, have thick cartilage between the bones. If anyone knows of a source of info on the anatomy and histology of these animals I'd be very interested! By the way, if you ask the education people at Sea World to find out the answer on this... they can contact the veterinarians or trainers at the park and get an answer for you. They are only too happy to have truly interested park guests! Kim Collier kacollier(\)ucdavis.edu On Wed, 1 Mar 1995, Jim Moore wrote: > Alastair Watson wrote: > "it is > said at Sea World and other places and in texts that cetacean dorsal fins > and flukes consist of cartilage" > > I took in the Shamu show at Sea World San Diego again, paying more > attention to the orca dorsal portion of the educational quiz. > > 1) the 3 choices given to the q, why are some fins bent etc: > a) weather b) each is different c) mood swings > and the brief video clip states that vets believe height, weight, > genetics and *not* "mood or how he feels" are responsible. "Like > us" who are born with different ear, nose etc shapes. > > 2) I'm almost positive the video said that dorsals are collagen, > not cartilage (clearly wasn't paying more attention to *all* of it). > > (the joys of weekend 'research' with a kid ! ) > cheers > Jim > Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.e ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 07:44:54 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Whale communications/ dolphin pictures One could get around the matter of the cetacean on the receiving end of a sonar signal having to know the strength of the sender's signal by hypothesizing that the first part of such a signal consists of some sort of universally recognized initialization sequence, similar to what our modems do to initiate Internet communication. Re, "Humpback song is just that, a song. Its characteristics include repetive patterns arranged in a rhythmical pattern, much like human song." Maybe. However, there are also repetitive patterns arranged in a rhythmical pattern in other forms on sonic transmission, e.g. an out-of-balance washing machine that my young son was dancing to the other morning. I watched, listened, and realized that if I hadn't known better, I wouldn't have known the very musical rhythm of the washer (on that occasion) from reggai. Thus we may be making an assumption that just because the humpback "song" sounds like a song to human ears, it is a "song" as we know it; it may in fact be just a residual effect from some other form of communication. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 00:34:31 -0500 From: Howgar(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Cetacean Releases Paul E. Nachtigall writes: ------- >I am very concerned about the overall issue of returning animals to the >wild after they have learned to live in captive environments. I have now >seen at least four references to 12 out of 16 'successful' releases. Could >someone kindly list those successful releases and indicate what the >criteria for success were? That figure of "12 for 16" was provided by Merritt Clifton, according to his criteria for defining a successful or "genuine" release. Presumably the following entries were among them, and will give a sense of how the cases were described. In Cetacean Releases, only the followup is described as successful, not the release per se. The reader may determine "success". By far the majority of releases were not followed up to determine survival, including 14 dolphins released by the Navy, and 25 released by Sea World. 20 dolphins released by Sea World were followed up. All the Sea World releases were of dolphins held less than 90 days. Space does not permit listing them all. 1993. Flipper a male bottlenose dolphin released off Laguna, Brazil after approximately ten years of captivity (Rollo, 1993). Since release, Flipper has been seen along at least 155 miles of coastline, often in the company of other dolphins. His most recent sighting was in early 1994. Native reintroduction. One dolphin; Captive 10 years; followup successful. 1992. Bahama Mama an adult female bottlenose dolphin inadvertently released after at least seventeen years of captivity (Claridge and Balcomb, 1993). No official followup occurred, however this dolphin was positively photo-identified up to eight months after release in the company of wild dolphins. Assumed native reintroduction. One dolphin; Captive 17 years; followup successful. 1992. Rajah (male), Nero (male), Frodo (male), Rani (pregnant female), Echo (juvenile daughter of Rani), Mila (female) and Luka (her calf), Nakita (juvenile daughter of Mila), Kia (juvenile) nine bottlenose dolphins in a socially perturbed group released 13 January 1992 off Perth, Australia, after eleven years of captivity (Gales and Waples, 1993). Rajah, the lone male, followed the research boat out to sea and within ten minutes had his first encounter with wild dolphins, two subadults. Rajah seemed to have no problem keeping pace with the wild dolphins... Eleven days later, he approached the research boat excitedly and followed it back into the seapen enclosure. He had lost 18 kg (10.8% of his prerelease weight), which was considered unsatisfactory, and he is now kept permanently in a large netted enclosure within a marina. Mila was recaptured 28 February, and she was reported to have lost 23 kg (14.7% of her prerelease body weight), which was considered unsatisfactory. She also is now kept permanently in the large netted enclosure. Her calf (Luka) presumably died. One of the juveniles (Echo) was recaptured one week after release, having lost 10kg (8.5%) of her prerelease body weight, which was considered unsatisfactory. She too is now maintained permanently in the large netted enclosure. Frodo appeared to be in fine condition on 16 February. Nero was seen at sea on 31 January. Several other sightings of these released dolphins (unidentified as to which ones) have been made as late as September 1992. The authors report that, The major reason for the ambiguity of the results was our inability to effectively track the dolphins whilst they were at sea. Native reintroduction. Nine dolphins; Captive 11 years; 3 recaptured, 1 presumably died, 2 followup successful, and 3 no followup. 1991. Rocky (male), Missie (female) and Silver (male) three bottlenose dolphins released off Turks and Caicos Islands, after twenty, twenty-two, and fifteen years of captivity, respectively (Klinowska and Brown, 1985). In the acclimation seapen, they learned how to capture live fish (McKenna, 1992). Released September 1991. All have been resighted numerous times since then, and Silver has been seen as recently as early 1994. In several of the recent sightings, Silver was in the company of JoJo, a friendly dolphin that swims near Club Med at Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. Rocky and Missie were captured in the North Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico (probably off Florida), and Silver was captured off Taiwan in the Pacific. Non-native reintroduction. Note: This reintroduction was recently labelled as fraud by marine parks spokespeople in the United Kingdom, but I am convinced that it was conducted responsibly and without intent to deceive. Three dolphins; Captive 20, 22 and 15 years; followup successful. 1990. Echo (male) and Misha (male) two adult bottlenose dolphins released intentionally after two years of research (Wells, 1991; Bassos, 1993), with extensive followup. The dolphins had been captured in 1988 with the intention of studying aspects of their reintroduction following captivity. Released on 6 October 1990 off Bishop Harbor, Tampa Bay, Florida in the vicinity where they had been captured. These two dolphins have been resighted numerous times (recently March, 1994), and they appear to have successfully reacclimated to the wild. Native reintroduction. Two dolphins; Captive 2 years; followup successful. 1987. Joe (male) and Rosie (female) two bottlenose dolphins released off Wassaw Island, Georgia, after seven years of captivity (Coyle and Hickman, 1988). All reports of their activity in the wild indicate that they are in good health and have associations with resident pods. Released July 13, 1987. These dolphins were captured off Mississippi and released off Georgia. Non-native reintroduction. Two dolphins; Captive 7 years; followup successful. 1978. One Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Leo Tg-558M) was captured for the US Navy on 20 January 1977 off Catalina Island, California and escaped 15 January 1978 off Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii where it "joined an indigenous herd (confirmed)." One dolphin; Captive one year; followup apparently successful. Other cetaceans 1987. Three pilot whales were rehabilitated at the New England Aquarium in Boston, MA from a stranding which occurred on Cape Cod in December, 1986. They were released at sea off Cape Cod on June 29, 1987. One whale was fitted with a Telonics-built Argos transmitter (satellite tag), and one was fitted with a conventional radio tag. The satellite- monitored whale was tracked by Argos for 95 days, as the whale swam at least 7,600 kilometers. Just three weeks after tagging, this Argos-equipped whale was spotted in a group of more than 100 pilot whales, suggesting that its movements and dive patterns were typical of normal pilot whales. (Mate, 1989). Three whales; Captive 6 months; followup successful. 1967. Pilot whale (Globicephala melaena). After almost eight years of captivity at Marineland of the Pacific, a twenty year old pilot whale named Bimbo was successfully reintroduced to the wild. Captured in January/February, 1960 at a length of 17' 6", he performed well for about three years. When his female pilot whale and dolphin companions died, Bimbo's behavior changed drastically. One day he would be as friendly as ever, the next in a wildly agitated state or apathetic and apparently depressed (Valentry, 1969). It was decided to keep him as an attraction whether or not he performed. After four years of treatment including antidepressant drugs and tranquilizers, Bimbo smashed into a window, flooding spectators. He was released in August, 1967 at a length of 20' 6", ...after much planning and weeks of isolation in a tank for physical tests to make sure he was fit for fending on his own at sea (op. cit.). He was resighted in 1969 near Santa Barbara, CA by a U.S. Navy collector, and again in 1974 near San Clemente identified from photographs by L Cornell and J. Prescott (pers. comm., John Prescott.) One whale; Captive 7.5 years; followup successful. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 07:52:46 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: successful releases The 16 "successful releases" referred to are the 16 cases on Ken Balcomb's list which 1) meet the requirements for genuine captivity at marine mammal parks or in similar conditions, i.e. removal from habitat and family group, and held captive for longer than they were in the wild, and 2) involved the return of dolphins to the wild who were reliably reported to be alive some time afterward. For details of the releases, get the Balcomb list and tally 'em up for yourself. Many of the releases, especially those of 20-30 years ago, did not involve scientific follow-up, but there were enough witnesses to give the success of release the benefit of the doubt. In two other cases, there were not enough witnesses, in my own judgement, to credit the claims of success made by the people who did the releasing. You may reasonably conclude otherwise in each case and come up with different statistics. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 07:22:22 GMT+1200 From: "Dr. David Helweg" Subject: Re: Whale communications/ dolphin pictures > Your idea of dolphins transmitting information about images they perceive > from echolocation signals seems more plausible, but how to test it? Dolphin > echolcation signals essentially sound like clatter or clicking - not much there > that resembles a "picture". Keep in mind that these animals have very sophis- > ticated acoustic processing capabilities. Much of which is not understood > and far beyond anything we are yet capable of emulating (as far as I know.) I agree with Tom's statements both about whale song _and_ dolphin echolocation. Re the casual conversation about "whale echolocation," there is no evidence of *baleen* whale echolocation. Echolocation has been demonstrated only in odontocetes. Moreover, there is absolutely no evidence that echolocating animals represent echoic information visually, ie, that echolocating animals form "sound pictures." Recent experiments have shown that echolocating dolphins can match objects experienced in different sensory modalities, and that they can match objects at different orientations. Echolocating bats have extremely acute temporal resolution abilities, and may therefore "listen to details within echoes," but again it does not follow from this that bats form spatial representations of ensonified objects. Dolphin echolocation signals sound like clicks -- to us. However, with the dolphin's better high frequency hearing, the clicks may "stretch" out in time and provide a detailed signal. Echoes from different objects, or the same object at different orientations, produce different echoes. You can easily discriminate "middle C" played on a saxophone versus a Fender Stratocaster, and when you hear it you may be able to recall what the instrument looks like. But this does not mean that the "middle C" note carried the visual information. The link between acoustic/echoic and visual representation could also be learned through association. However, all this does not preclude the ability of echolocating animals to form representations of objects that are object-centered, somehow independent of the proximate echoic stimulus. The ability to represent objects independently of the simple acoustic features of their echoes, and to integrate visual and echoic information, makes sense. Most objects produce different echoes when their orientation changes, and a multidimensional representation would be most resistant to noise, changes in orientation, and so on. The following all have excellent chapters on these topics: Herman, LM (1980) Cetacean behavior: Mechanisms and functions. Florida: Krieger. Schusterman, RJ, Thomas, JA & Wood, FG (Eds.) (1986). Dolphin cognition and behavior: A comparative approach. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Nachtigall, PE & Moore, PWB (Eds) (1988). Animal sonar: Processes and performance. New YOrk: Plenum. Thomas, JA & Kastelein, RA (Eds) (1990). Sensory abilities of cetaceans: Laboratory and field evidence. New YOrk: Plenum. Thomas, JA, Kastelein, RA & Supin, A Ya. (Eds.) (1992). Marine Mammal Sensory Systems. New York: Plenum. Au, WWL (1993). The sonar of dolphins. New York: Springer-Verlag. cheers, ------------------------- David A. Helweg Department of Psychology, University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand FAX (+64 +9) 373-7450 email da.helweg(\)auckland.ac.nz ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 12:54:46 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Info Sumamry for U.S. Congress and Staff Jeremy says >Re Seals (Canada) Just a point of clarification the "recreational" hunt that >is mentioned is limited to hunters from Newfoundland/Labrador and Quebec. >They will be allowed to take up to 6 seals during a one month period and will >be for their own use. Hunters will not be allowed to sell, trade or barter >the seal. This should be considered more of a subsistance hunt rather than an >oppertunity for closet Rambo's to vent their frustrations, this therefore is >not nor is it intended to be a "recreational" hunt. Doesn't it strike you as odd Jeremy that the Canadian tax-payer is to pay a subsidy on meat landed by sealers because there are extremely limited markets, and yet hunters will be allowed to kill more seals for meat instead of using the surplus meat generated by sealers? In my opinion, the only explanation for the participation of sports hunters, is sport! And just how will you be able to ensure there is no illegal sale of penises as laundering wildlife products into legal markets is extremely common? >The .20 cent/lb subsidy (not a bounty) is only for the meat, there is no >subsidy for the blubber, pelt or organs. As some of us know there isn't to >much meat left when a seal is reduced down to pelt and blubber so the >incentive is minimal. The subsidy program should also be considered in the >context of other products (i.e. wheat, milk etc) that farmers recieve. Why if the payment for the jaws of grey seals was called a "bounty" is is now inappropriate to call a payment for surplus meat a "bounty"? Furthermore, the Minister announced a bounty for "landed" meat, not flesh after it was rendered down into fat. What is the blubber to be used for as at the forum it was stated that the market for oil was at the R&D stage and would not be commercially marketable for at least two years. Many would argue that there should not be a subsidy for agricultural products but given that they exist, although I gather they will be reduced as a result of the new budget, there is still a basic differenc;, there are markets for wheat and milk for human consumption. To repeat myself, there is only one commercial market for seals, i.e. penises. Why do the sealers and Department of Fisheries and Oceans mislead the public by claiming the "whole animal" will be used? I also wonder, (we were both at the forum), why the Minister's News Release of February 21, stated that only the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) opposed the bounty and sports hunt. That is a clear misrepresentation of the position of the other five animal welfare organizations represented at the forum. It was well-known to all participants, including you Jeremy, that they agreed totally with the position of IFAW and that we took a list of over forty other humane organizations which also opposed the seal slaughter. Anne D ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 06:49:07 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: UKRAINE WANTS DOLPHINS TO FIND SUNKEN TREASURE 05-Mar-95 06:56 am Regular International UKRAINE WANTS DOLPHINS TO FIND SUNKEN TREASURE Kiev, March 4 Reuter - Ukraine's navy could use dolphins to retrieve weaponry and valuables aboard ships sunk in the Black Sea from as far back as the 1850s Crimean war. Officials at the military aquarium in Sevastopol, headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, said late on Friday that dolphins could reach about 100 ships lying on the seabed up to 90m below the surface. ``The aquarium could help search for (World War Two) torpedoes, which contain between 60 and 200kg of silver,'' aquarium director Valery Kulagin said in a statement issued by the navy. ``Some vessels sunk in the Crimean War have valuables aboard which are constantly being stolen.'' Russia was defeated in the 1853-56 Crimean war when England and France backed Turkey in a dispute over the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. Kalugin said the navy had no plans to use dolphins for military purposes. Both the Soviet Union and the United States were widely reported to have used dolphins and other marine wildlife to perform military missions -- tracking submarines, planting mines and even ``neutralising'' frogmen. Scientists this month appealed to President Leonid Kuchma to ban the use of sea creatures for military projects. Reuter jc ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 08:16:05 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Info Sumamry for U.S. Congress and Staff "Hunters will not be allowed to sell, trade or barter the seal. This should be considered more of a subsistance hunt rather than an oppertunity for closet Rambo's to vent their frustrations, this therefore is not nor is it intended to be a "recreational" hunt." Having spent 12 years as volunteer assistant to a local deputy game warden in Quebec, I know first-hand that you have about as much chance of enforcing the no-sell rule as you do to flap your arms and fly. You have too much territory to cover, too few people to cover it, and too little cooperation among agencies and with the courts. But the limit of six is sufficient to give the closet Rambos lots of opportunity to vent their spleen. "The subsidy program should also be considered in the context of other products (i.e. wheat, milk etc) that farmers recieve." During the same 12 years, I lived on a farm, where to qualify for a government subsidy the farmer had to seed, bale, stack bales and store sileage, shovel manure, and otherwise tend his cattle 8 hours a day, 365 days a year to qualify for one red cent. That's a far cry from heading out a morning or two to bash a few seals and getting home by afternoon to slug down a few beers. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 14:45:47 -0800 From: Carol Howard Subject: Re: Whale communications In-Reply-To: <9503020143.AA08479(\)biology.UCSC.EDU> Actually, John Lilly proposed something very mucy like that many years ago -- he called it "delphinese." I don't know how you'd test the notion, though, and I think there are reasons for believing it unlikely. Also, I don't think the idea would apply to all cetaceans -- while most if not all odontocetes echolocate, mysticetes don't appear to do so (at least haven't been clearly established to do so). On Wed, 1 Mar 1995 AnmlPeople(\)aol.com wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > I know a great deal of work has been done re whale communications, ranging > from quite sophisticated sound analysis to rather bizarre psychic > experiments--but I haven't heard of anyone looking into what seems to me an > obvious possible interpretation of whale sounds, which otherwise don't seem > to construct a specific "language" and have largely eluded understanding. To > wit, we know that cetaceans "see" via sound--sonar--and in view of that, > isn't it logical to suppose that they might make sounds which would simulate > sonic pictures to one another, in a sort of sound-carried but semi-visually > perceived communication? This would seem to be a testable hypothesis, with > sophisticated sound-imaging equipment sensitive enough to pick up the whole > range of whale noises and isolate them from background noise. It seems to > me, purely on a theoretical level, that for decades people have been trying > to understand whale communications as a form of radio, like our own > sound-based communications (talking), when what's actually going on is a > form of TV, probably without a voice track. --Merritt Clifton, editor, > ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 17:27:34 -1000 From: Adam Pack Subject: Re: Whale communications/ dolphin pictures In-Reply-To: <9503052025.AA13876(\)uhunix4.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> Recently, Lou Herman and I have found that a bottlenosed dolphin was capable of immediately (on the first test trial) recognizing complexly-shaped objects through vision alone that had been previously experienced through echolocation alone and vice versa. Recognition proceeded equally well from echolocation to vision and from vision to echolocation. Furthermore, the dolphin was able to immediately recognize through echolocation alone objects which had been first exposed to the visual sense alone on a small television screen placed behind an underwater window. Given the immediacy of recognition with a variety of complex shapes not previously tested in these cross-modal experiments, it seems clear that the senses of vision and echolocation in the dolphin are integrated at the representational level and that representations of objects derived from these two senses independently of each other are nevertheless, closly coordinated with each other. We hypothesize that the dolphin is capable of forming spatial analogs of objects it encounters echoically, and that this may provide the mechanism for immediate visual recognition (i.e., in our study recognition across the senses did not seem to proceed by the mechanism of learned associations between sights and sounds (echoes). For more information about these particular studies, I would suggest: Herman and Pack (1992). Echoic-visual cross-modal recognition by a dolphin. In J. R. Thomas, R. A. Kastelein, A. Ya. Supin, (Eds.), Sensory processes of Marine Mammals, Pps. 709-726. Plenum Press. Pack, A. A. (1994). Cross-modal recognition of complexly-shaped objects by a bottlenosed dolphin using vision and echolocation. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Hawaii, Honolulu. Finally, for information on dolphins "listening" to the echoes from another echolocating dolphin, I suggest you contact Mark Xitco and John Gory at the Living Seas Pavillion, Epcot Center, Florida. With regards, Adam A. Pack, Ph.D. Senior Research Coordinator Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory 1129 Ala Moana Blvd. Honolulu, HI 96814 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 15:07:00 -0600 From: Gottfried Mayer-Kress Subject: Re: Whale communications/ dolphin pictures "Dr. David Helweg" writes: > However, with the dolphin's better high frequency hearing, > the clicks may "stretch" out in time and provide a detailed > signal. Echoes from different objects, or the same object at > different orientations, produce different echoes. You can > easily discriminate "middle C" played on a saxophone versus a > Fender Stratocaster, and when you hear it you may be able to > recall what the instrument looks like. But this does not mean > that the "middle C" note carried the visual information. > the basic question seems to be if it is possible for the dolphins to modulate the emitted sound signal in a way that it resembles the reflected sound from a given object. Then it could be used for direct communication of properties of the scanned object. It would also be interesting to know the spatial intensity distribution of the emitted clicks, especially the aperture and divergence of the sound wave. I remember videos of surface ripples created by dolphin sounds. It seems that there should be some literature on visualization of echolocation clicks. The correspondence between sound and light waves can be actually used for acoustic imaging: John Potter's group at Scripps recently tested an "Acoustic Daylight Ocean Noise Imaging System (ADONIS)" which can produce images just from natural noise in the ocean. (Science News, Vol. 146 No. 24, p. 389, 12/10/94). It is feasible that some cetaceans have developed a method of reconstructing geometrical information from signals from distributed noisy sound sources which goes far beyond the phase/amplitude extraction of sonar. --- Gottfried Mayer-Kress Center for Complex Systems Research, Beckman Institute, Physics Dept. UIUC 405 N Mathews, Urbana, Il 61801,gmk(\)pegasos.ccsr.uiuc.edu, gmk(\)igc.apc.org, gmk(\)santafe.edu, (217)-244-5877(voice/fax1),x8371(fax2), x1994 (msg) URLs: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/, ftp://ftp.santafe.edu/pub/gmk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 11:57:08 -0500 From: Chris Furmanski Subject: Dolphin Web Sites? Howdy Marmam'ers, My name is Chris Furmanski and I am trying to build a web page that has a list of links to other dolphin/whale related pages. Up to now, however, I have been able to find only a few pages. My page is cleverly called, The DOLPHIN PAGE, and can be found at: http://wjh-www.harvard.edu/~furmansk/dolphin.html If you have any additions, ideas, or something you'd like to see, please let me know at furmansk(\)isr.harvard.edu. Thanks. Chris Furmanski furmansk(\)isr.harvard.edu Harvard University 33 Kirkland William James Hall 818 Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 495-3868 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 13:41:20 GMT Reply-To: prs(\)radstone.co.uk From: Paul Slootweg Subject: Re: Cetacean communications In-Reply-To: <199503020148.BAA15429(\)granite.radstone.co.uk> Various suggestions have been made why 'sound pictures' could or could not be processed/transmitted by whales. Interestingly, some of these have been quite wrong. When considering the signals to be processed, frequency is not the only parameter of interest. While I accept that the upper frequency limits the resolving power, this does not inherently limit its usefullness. There is a vast difference between being partially sighted and being blind! There has appears not tpo have been any consideration of the 'envelope' of the sound information, i.e. the amplitude variation with time. A previous posting (sorry - no name) suggested that the note middle C played on a Sax vs. Fender (if I remember correctly) could not in itself identify the source - quite wrong. In this case the frequency of the signal is virtually irrelevant, as the envelope carries probably enough information for an expert to differentiate 2 different saxes or guitars. Before we reject the possibility, let us allow the imagination to dwell on the idea - we might stumble ('normal' mode of scientific discovery over the ages) upon something interesting. As a cautionary note to all of you who think you know the answers - I know that dolphins are far more expert that *anybody* out there at interpreting this kind of data! -- Regards, Paul Slootweg prs(\)radstone.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 07:46:35 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Whale communications The objections to the cetacean-communications-as-TV hypothesis that have to do with the difficulty of transmitting 3-D pictures from a single sound source, with the lack of resolution in 3-D sonar transmission, and with the alleged lack of efficiency of such transmissions relative to sound-only communication, like ours, all can be set aside by considering that sound-carried visual communications need not be detailed pictures; they could be just pictographs, or hieroglyphic symbols. Does this presuppose that cetaceans must have invented language? And writing? Not necessarily. Many animals of much less intelligence than cetaceans recognize symbols of various sorts. It could work like this: whale XXX sees YYY, and makes Y sound. Whale ZZZ receives the visual image resulting from Y sound and associates Y with YYY. I don't think such pictographic transmission could be very sophisticated; if it was, whales could have developed a means of recognizing and eluding whaling vessels. But the various objections to the hypothesis that it might occur seem to be narrowing down the way that it could occur (and perhaps the work necessary to test the hypothesis), rather than throwing it out altogether. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 17:46:28 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: DEBATE ON WHALE RESEARCH FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association RE: Debate on whale research In recent days, opponents and proponents of whaling (along with some neutral observers) have engaged in lively debate over the Japanese whale research program in Antarctic waters. Un- fortunately, much of the debate has been poorly informed, par- ticularly in regard to the purposes of the research, the number of whales taken, and the effect upon the stocks. In order to shed some light on the subject, the following is of- fered: PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH: In 1982, the IWC voted to impose a moratorium on commercial whaling until uncertainties in whale population data could be resolved and an improved management procedure developed. Many IWC members felt that there were not enough data about some species and stocks to determine with any degree of precision such essential elements for management as population abundance, pregnancy rates, natural mortality rates, age at sexual maturity, and annual recruitment rates. Although substantial data had been collected from years of commercial whaling, it was felt that such data were not representative of the populations as a whole because they had been collected from only the oldest and largest whales, the primary targets of the commercial whalers. Several years later, the IWC Scientific Committee was instructed by the IWC to develop a whaling management procedure that would safeguard whale species and stocks on an area by area basis even in the absence of precise biological data. The new procedure, termed the Revised Management Procedure or RMP, uses the assump- tion of a high probability of error in all of the input data to produce very highly conservative catch quotas. The RMP in- corporates the most conservative population assessment methods consistent with the science of population dynamics. Basically, the core procedure of the RMP needs: (1) an estimate of the abundance of a whale population from sightings surveys together with an estimate of the statistical uncertainty associated with it; and (2) a conservative estimate of the productivity (annual increase percentage) of the population. This core procedure is often called the catch limit algorithm. Before the moratorium, annual catches of minke whales in Antarctic waters numbered about 7,000, based upon calculated productivity from a mature population estimated to number 110,000 animals. Since then, more accurate estimates based upon over a decade of sightings surveys revealed the population to be much greater. The current estimate is 760,000 mature animals. Japan's current research program began in the 1987/88 Antarctic summer season. It is a multipurpose program designed to resolve uncertainties in the population dynamics of the Antarctic minke whale, assess the effects of the ecology, determine migration, schooling, and age and sex segregation patterns, and develop reliable DNA sampling technology. Sightings surveys are an im- portant and integral part of the research program. The program is funded by the government of Japan and from the proceeds from the sale of whale meat. The research program is conducted by the Institute of Cetacean Research. The Japanese research program calls for the random sampling of 300 minke whales, plus or minus 10%, per year for a period of 16 years. This is only 0.04% of the mature population of 760,000 animals. During the 16 years of the research a total of 4,800 minke whales will be taken from the population, but as the popu- lation reproduces at a net rate of better than 4% per year (30,400 animals), at least 486,400 minkes will be added to the stocks during that period. The IWC Scientific Committee rea- sonably concluded that the Japanese research takings will have no adverse effects on the stock. SAMPLE SIZE: A number of Internet readers feel that an annual take of 300 minke whales is excessive. One even suggested that a single whale would suffice. On the other hand, some scientists famil- iar with statistics, sampling, and reliability factors suggested that the number is much too low. Dr. K. Radway Allen, in his book _Conservation and Management of Whales_ (Washington Univer- sity Press) stated: "(recruitment rate) estimates are relatively free from (sampling) bias if they are based on a total sample size of 1,000 animals or more, but below this size the bias in- creases rapidly, and values based on samples of only a few hun- dred animals may be underestimated by as much as 50%. (30% in the case of estimates of age at recruitment)" In the case of the Japanese research, the scientists determined that they could obtain precise estimates for the mortality rate, age at recruit- ment, etc., and ensure minimal impact upon the stocks, by taking only a small proportion of the large minke population each year for 16 years. NEED FOR SAMPLING Some critics of the Japanese research question the need to take any minke whales at all. They point out that the IWC's RMP was designed to operate without the need for such biological data as sex composition of stocks, age at sexual maturity, natural mortality rate, pregnancy rates, and other information that al- lows calculation of the productivity of the stocks. The way the RMP works, an arbitrarily low productivity rate of one half of one percent of the population is established as the initial catch limit, then periodic sightings surveys are used to see if the stocks increase, decrease or remain stable under the catch limit. If the stocks decrease, the catch quota is lowered or eliminated. If the stocks remain stable or increase, the catch limit may be raised. This is essentially a trial and error pro- cess with a feedback mechanism. However, the RMP does not preclude biological data. Biological data, in fact, will make the RMP more precise, reduce the trial and error dependency, and - - in the case of the large minke whale populations - - allow greater sustainable utilization. Some ill-informed critics contend that much of the biological data sought by the research can be obtained by DNA techniques, without the need to kill whales. Unfortunately, DNA sampling techniques have not yet been perfected for whales in the open ocean. Even if they were, they could reveal such things as sex composition, stock composition, and pregnancy rates but not age. Accurate age data is essential in calculating age at sexual maturity and the age composition of the stocks, both vital in determining the productivity of the stocks. And neither DNA techniques nor sightings can tell scientists very much about the health and pathology of the stocks. Is some virus afflicting the whales, or parasites? Are heavy metals from pollution caus- ing cancers, a reduction in reproductive ability, or other dis- orders? Are the stocks suffering from malnutrition or changes in the ecology? Only careful analysis of the blubber, muscles and organs can answer those questions. RESEARCH OR COMMERCIAL WHALING The fact that whale parts excess to the needs of the research are sold in Japan seems to bother some Internet readers. In fact, Greenpeace and other anti-whaling activists have seized on this point in an attempt to downgrade or stop the research. However, the charge is baseless. First, all IWC member coun- tries which take whales for research are required by the Inter- national Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (Article VIII, para 2) to sell the unused parts rather than waste them. The Convention states: "Any whales taken under these special (re- search) permits shall so far as practicable be processed and the proceeds dealt with in accordance with directions issued by the Government by which the permit was granted." Second, the pro- ceeds of the sale are used to help fund the research and do not profit any company. And third, it is common practice in fisheries research to sell the unused catch; the U.S. and almost every other country does it. Conversely, if the purpose of the research was really commercial whaling, the catch would certain- ly be much higher than 300 small minke whales per year. Neither the IWC nor the Convention can place any limit on the number of whales caught for research. 300 is a very small amount indeed for a country which consumed almost 7,000 per year before the moratorium. One reader posted the following points as "plenty of evidence" that the research is really commercial whaling: >* the destination of the meat. >* the lack of research before the moratorium. >* the scale of the hunt. >* the appalling record of the whaling industry (including Australia's). >* the motivation of the 'research' itself: to find evidence that commercial whaling can start again. My response: 1. The destination of the meat is Japan, naturally. Where else would it be sold? IWC members are not allowed to sell whale pro- ducts to non-IWC countries. 2. There was no lack of research before the moratorium. There was a great deal of research and much of it was by Japanese scientists. In fact, the Japanese provided much of the data that contributed to what we know today about the condition of whale stocks, their population dynamics, and their migration patterns. 3. The scale of the "hunt" is very small, as pointed out above. 4. The "appalling record" is an opinion which does not take into account the fact that the whaling industry instituted bans on the catches of right whales, blue whales, and humpbacks, brought scientists into IWC whaling management, cooperated with severe reductions in catch limits, and for the most part abided by scientific recommendations once the extent of overfishing was known. At any rate, it has nothing to do with current research, controlled by the government and implemented by the Institute of Cetacean Research. 5. As can be seen above, part of the motivation of the research is to develop data which may lead to the resumption of commer- cial whaling - - but only if it can be shown to be sustainable. There are many other aspects of the research, though. At any rate, the motivation to resume commercial whaling does not make the research commercial whaling. The same reader also faulted the research by claiming that it did not produce many published papers. The fact is that about 120 scientific papers have resulted from the research and all were published by the IWC. WHALES AND EXTINCTION One Internet reader insisted that commercial whaling caused "dozens of extinct species." The fact is that NO species of whale was hunted to extinction by commercial whaling. Further- more, sightings from all over the world indicate that most whale populations, with the possible exception of the Antarctic blue whale, have been increasing in numbers for more than a decade. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 10:07:11 PST From: "Paul E. Nachtigall" Subject: cetacean releases ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------- Mr. Garrett, I believe that whether or not animals successfully survive following release after having learned to live in a captive environment is an issue that far exceeds 'quibbling over semantics'. I have long followed and respected Ken Balcomb's work on Orcinus orca and have considered his projects as serious science. I am concerned that phrases like "But I don't mind. Controversy sells." tend to decrease the trust that people have placed in the work from Friday Harbor, Washington. Paul Nachtigall ------- "BLIND" COPY: You are probably not a listed addressee. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 10:11:19 PST From: Stacy Braslau-Schneck Subject: Latin American marine mammals? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Buenos Dias, Marmameros! This summer my husband and I will be visiting Latin America - the Yucatan Penninsula, Belize, and perhaps Guatamala or Costa Rica. I am, of course, interested in any marine mammal sights that may be found there, or any other natural history sights, or for that matter any other places that any of you think we shouldn't miss! (My husband is not as into marine mammals as I am; he's a botanist - but very sympathetic!). Please respond to my account, not Marmam; but I'll summarize the marine mammalian wonders of the area for the list if I think others will be interested. Muchos gracias, Stacy Braslau-Schneck sbraslau(\)uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 10:17:41 PST Reply-To: DDVFFVS(\)UVVM.UVic.CA From: Dr MN Bester Organization: University of Pretoria Subject: Mirtha Lewis ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Mirtha Lewis, are you out there? Please contact me re: elephant seal resightings and reprints. Regards, Marthan. (Does anyone have Mirtha's e- mail address? Thanking you in advance. MNB) +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Dr MN Bester E-Mail: SGN0002(\)SCINET2.UP.AC.ZA | | Department of Zoology & Entomology | University of Pretoria FAX: National: (012)-3423136 | | PRETORIA International: (+27)-(12)-3423136 | | 0002 | | South Africa PHONE: (+27)-(12)-4202067 | | TIME: GMT+2 | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 10:25:50 PST From: Michael Torok Subject: Harbor Seal Investigator List (March) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The March edition of the HSIL (harbor seal investigator list) has been distributed. If you did not receive your copy, please contact me at mtorok(\)netcom.com. This month's HSIL (hsil0395.txt) is also available via anonymous ftp from ftp.netcom.com in the 'pub/mt/mtorok' directory. The harbor seal investigator list is NOT a discussion group. It simply contains contact information to facilitate communication (primarily electronic) between investigators. If you would like to be included on the list, please send the following information to: mtorok(\)netcom.com Your Name Affiliation (incl. address and phone/fax) Internet address(es) Research Interests -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 12:09:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: WHALE 2 SYDNEY WHALE 2 SYDNEY Australian Associated Press SYDNEY - Marine experts would try today to return a two-metre whale to sea after the mammal became stranded at a northern Sydney beach. Mr Davies said wild ocean conditions prevented returning the whale to sea from the beach because officers were unable to stand in raging water in order to hold the mammal in a special tarpaulin cradle. Officers based at Garigal National Park loaded George onto a truck and took the whale overland in a delicate operation to more protected waters at Fisherman's Beach at Long Reef Point. They would try to launch George back to sea from there later today. Although not unusual, the overland operation had the potential to be fraught with difficulties, Mr Davies said. He cited an incident in Western Australia some years ago when a distressed whale thrashed around on the back of a truck so much it ended up on the road. Melon headed whales were commonly found in deep ocean water. "From time to time they appear on the Australian coast and become stranded," Mr Davies said. He said he was confident the whale could be released successfully later today. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 11:14:30 -0800 From: Jaap v/d Toorn Subject: Re: Whale communications In-Reply-To: from "AnmlPeople(\)aol.com" at Mar 6, 95 07:46:35 am > > [...] > all can be set aside by considering that > sound-carried visual communications need not be detailed pictures; they > could be just pictographs, or hieroglyphic symbols. If I am summarizing your description correctly, you propose that dolphins and whales use sonic representations of elements in their environment for the purpose of communication. That does very much sound like the definition of words. > Does this presuppose > that cetaceans must have invented language? And writing? Not necessarily. I can agree with that. If they do use words (symbols, hieroglyphs), that does not necessarily mean that they use language. It is the combination of words and rules (syntax, grammar) that would be needed to make it a language. Experiments done by Louis Herman and by Ron Schusterman have shown that several marine mammals can interpret symbols and can understand a certain form of syntax as well. Also, an experiment conducted in 1980 by Willem Dudok van Heel, Cees Kamminga and myself has shown that a killer whale (i.c. Gudrun, then at the Dolfinarium in Harderwijk, the Netherlands) can actually use sonic symbols and syntactic rules to convey a message. (This was on a very limited scale with a limited vocabulary and a very simple set of rules, basically to establish *if* she was able to do this) So there is evidence that some species at least have the potential of understanding and using symbols and syntax in a formalized artificial language. If they use anything like this in their everyday communication among themselves is still an open question. The way in which you presented the issue here it would be testable, although it will need a vast amount of data and a lot of statistical analysis. Put in a simplistic way, you would need to establish a correlation between certain sounds and certain aspects of the environment. A complicating factor could be if they would use a type of inflection (meaning they would modify the symbol to reflect a different context) -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn jaap(\)tfs.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 08:53:15 GMT+1200 From: "Dr. David Helweg" Subject: Re: Cetacean communications > There has appears not tpo have been any consideration of the > 'envelope' of the sound information, i.e. the amplitude variation > with time. A previous posting (sorry - no name) suggested that the > note middle C played on a Sax vs. Fender (if I remember correctly) > could not in itself identify the source - quite wrong. In this case > the frequency of the signal is virtually irrelevant, as the envelope > carries probably enough information for an expert to differentiate 2 > different saxes or guitars. You are wrong here -- I said that the source could be easily discriminated. However, we do not need to postulate that the discrimination was based on the fact that saxophones and electric guitars *look* different. The acoustic qualities of their signals is sufficient to explain the discrimination. The quibble over frequency versus envelope is irrelevant. > As a cautionary note to all of you who think you know the answers - I > know that dolphins are far more expert that *anybody* out there at > interpreting this kind of data! The possibility of discussing representation of echoic information far exceeds the time I have to write a detailed posting. That is why I have provided the reference list, as a cautionary note to many that there is an extensive experimental literature on the subject. Theories are cheap and plentiful -- data are scarce. But the data that exist (see the references) do not require postulation of pictographic representation. Yes, most of us are capable of aural discrimination of various musical instruments, one another's voice, and so on. But this does not imply that the acoustic signal contains a visual representation encoded in its bandwidth. Think about the raw acoustic waveform as a source of information and divorce this from any *associations* that may be formed as a result of experience. Just as we can recognise familiar voices under various conditions, I explicitly mentioned that the ability to form representations (as measured through the ability of an animal to match objects presented at different orientations or in different sensory modalities) are not tied to the raw acoustic sense-data -- we may think of these as a form of acoustic imagery, but this still does not require postulation of pictographic images of any kind, except by association. Speculation about television -- television broadcasts do indeed transmit information about visual images, but this is information that guides a device that paints the TV screen with a 2-D representation of 3-D space. Echolocating dolphins receive only the time-domain waveform. If TV as a metaphor for dolphin echolocation is accurate, then we should be able (by some technical tour-de-force) to present a raw TV signal to a human observer WITHOUT the intervention of a TV, and the human observer should be able to decode the visual information. Acoustic signals can be described in many ways -- I mention timbre as a source of information, others highlight envelope, others may focus on loudness or time-separation pitch. Yes, dolphins are quite expert at echolocation, but given no evidence that can only be explained using visual representation, I prefer to be parsimonious. In no way do I consider this discussion to be "closed." What I would like to see is an experiment (not an anecdotal observation, nor armchair speculation) designed to test these alternative hypotheses. From my understanding, one study is currently under way at Epcot Center in which the researchers are working at gathering experimental evidence that bears on this issue. cheers, ------------------------- David A. Helweg Department of Psychology, University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand FAX (+64 +9) 373-7450 email da.helweg(\)auckland.ac.nz ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 09:43:55 GMT+1200 From: "Dr. David Helweg" Subject: representation of echoic information revisited Adam Pack described the results of his doctoral study in which he demonstrated "immediate" cross-modal matching. I was not sure whether this was to completely novel objects (not novel exemplars of familiar objects), or to objects familiar to the dolphin but not yet used in the context of the cross-modal matching experiments. Out of curiosity, in my ignorance I wonder how a dolphin could immediately (which I assume to be trial-1 transfer) make a cross-modal match with a completely novel object. I feel comfortable with the interpretation of trial-1 transfer as evidence for the formation of a general rule, or a general object category. But to form an object category, the organism (presumably) requires prior experience with other exemplars. If this is the case, and the dolphin was generalising from prior experience (e.g., "these echoes seem to be familiar to echoes I've heard before from air-filled spherical objects -- maybe I should find a ball and swim to it"), then the dolphin did have the time in which to form associations among object representation in various sensory modalities, and again postulating an encoding of spatial information in object echoes is unecessary. Don't get me wrong -- an integrated multimodal representation or semantic network seems reasonable. Again, it's the assumption of that echoes encode visual information that doesn't jibe. I would ask how the dolphin could take into account stochastic variations in its own clicks (and the clicks of others), stochastic variations in the properties of the water between the dolphin and the object, and the ability of the echolocation signals to penetrate some materials, in its visual interpretation of an incoming echo? Is a bit of time-stretch in an echo caused by a change in the object orientation, object shape, or the fact that a temperature difference existed around or within the object, or that the object was not in the center of the dolphin's echolocation beamwidth, or the presence of scattering material? Is the presence of a particular amplitude peak within an echo (and therefore a change in frequency domain information as well) associated with an external feature or an internal feature of an object? People seriously interested in the possibility of reconstructing spatial representations from echoic information should have a look at : Neubauer, W.G. (1986). Acoustic reflection from surfaces and shapes. Washington DC: NRL. Altes, R.A. (1992). The line segment transform and sequential hypothesis testing in dolphin echolocation. In J.A. Thomas, R.A. Kastelein, & A.Ya. Supin (eds), Marine mammal sensory systems (pp 317-356). New York: Plenum. cheers, ------------------------- David A. Helweg Department of Psychology, University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand FAX (+64 +9) 373-7450 email da.helweg(\)auckland.ac.nz ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 16:03:47 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Norwegian sighting survey in the North Atlantic The following notice, dated 24 February 1995, was circulated by Dr. Ray Gambell, Secretary to the International Whaling Commission, as a "Circular Communication to Commissioners, Contracting Governments, Members of the Scientific Committee and Participants in the Lofoten Islands Working Group", as Ref. No. RG/VJH/25752, with the note: "This information was received from Norway in connection with its sightings survey of minke whales in the northeast Atlantic this summer." The International Wildlife Coalition is posting this for the information of readers of MARMAM. Please note that we are unable to include certain special characters, here replaced by asterisks(*); thus 56*N is 56 degrees North (as I hope should be obvious) and the authors' names contain not asterisks but the letter in Norwegian that looks like an "O" with a front slash through it, whose name escapes me. 1995 SIGHTING SURVEY OF MINKE WHALES IN THE NORTHEAST ATLANTIC An invitation for international participation N. *IEN and L. WALL*E Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870 Nordnes, N-5024 Bergen, Norway We shall survey the same areas as covered by Norwegian vessels in 1989, i.e. the Northeast combination area as defined by IWC, north of 56*N and east of 6*W. In addition, we shall cover the western part of the Norwegian Sea including the Jan Mayen area; these were covered by the Norwegian survey in 1988. As in previous surveys, the target species will be the minke whale, but all observations of whales will be recorded appropriately. With respect to minke whales, the area coverage in the 1988 and 1989 surveys was about 1.4%, and we expect to achieve at least the same coverage in this year's survey as well. Nine vessels will be needed in the Northeast combination area and two in the Norwegian Sea - Jan Mayen area for a period of approximately five weeks, starting on 5 July. Experience from the preceding surveys indicates that as a general rule, the stratifications used in 1988 and 1989 should also be used in the forthcoming survey, both because they seem to capture the main density patterns within the study area, and because this will facilitate direct comparisons with earlier surveys. Minor modifications have been necessary to subdivide the Small Areas into survey blocks in the southern parts of the study area because there are discrepancies between area definitions. The survey will be conducted using two independent observer teams on each vessel. In addition to the g(0) estimation this will make it easier to take into account the environmental factors that affect the sighting process. Each team will consist of 3 persons, and most vessels will have four such teams onboard, that is 12 observers, in order to give 24-hour coverage. In addition, there will be 2 scientists on each vessel. We shall need a total of 22 scientists and some 100 - 300 observers. One of the scientists on each vessel will be Norwegian, but we shall be happy to accomodate one foreign scientist per vessel. Experienced whale observers from other countries are also invited to participate. Both scientists and observers will be paid at a rate corresponding to that received by their Norowegian colleagues. The scientists must be willing to participate in a pre-cruise meeting starting on Monday 3 July. Further information: Nils *ien, IMR tel +47 5523 8500/8605 fax +47 5523 8387 e-mail nils(\)imr.no -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 16:44:24 -1000 From: Cara Gubbins Subject: Re: S.R. 191: suspension of the ESA In-Reply-To: Your message of Mon, 6 Mar 95 14:55:57 -0500 Marmamers, I am forwarding this message for the Biodiversity Center here at UNR. The Endangered Species Act is itself endangered right now and congress wants to suspend it until they vote on whether or not to renew it. All our comments will help - I hope. Cara Gubbins The Drinking Water, Fisheries, and Wildlife subcommittee of the U.S. Senate will hear testimony on 7 March regarding suspension of the U.S. Endangered Species Act pending reauthorization of the act later this year. If you are among the constituents of any members of this subcommittee, please consider contacting them and urging them to vote AGAINST S.R. 191. Members of the Drinking Water, Fisheries, and Wildlife subcommittee: John Chafee, Chair, Environment and Public Works Committee Dirk Kempthorne, Chair of the subcommittee John Warner, Virginia Lauch Faircloth, North Carolina Craig Thomas, Wyoming Christopher Bond, Missouri Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey Harry Reid, Nevada Joseph Lieberman, Connecticut Barbara Boxer, California Thanks (and apologies for cross-postings!) Erica Fleishman efleish(\)scs.unr.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 01:46:32 -0500 From: Howgar(\)aol.com Subject: Re: cetacean releases Paul Nachtigall writes: > I believe that whether or not animals successfully survive >following release after having learned to live in a captive >environment is an issue that far exceeds 'quibbling over >semantics'. I have long followed and respected Ken Balcomb's >work on Orcinus orca and have considered his projects as >serious science. I am concerned that phrases like "But I don't >mind. Controversy sells." tend to decrease the trust that people >have placed in the work from Friday Harbor, Washington. As I understood the issue, it was about which situations qualified to be called "captivity" and which did not, and therefore concerned the proper use of the term "release". We were disagreeing about the meaning of the words. Thus, we were debating a point of semantics. Nowhere were we discussing "whether or not animals successfully survive following release after having learned to live in a captive environment". That is a very complex, very interesting, and very different argument. I do agree that I let some frustration show, which you might understand if you had heard some of the previous communication. My intent was to end the gratuitous disparagement. That's not so easy. I take full responsibility for my slightly mischievious, two word comment. Howard Garrett ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 20:25:29 -0800 From: Stephen Wischniowski Subject: tagged California sea lion On Friday March 3/95 a male California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) was spotted hauled out southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada (Race Rocks Ecological Reserve 48 18'N & 123 32' W ). This sea lion had a red circular disc epoxied to its back between its shoulder blades. The disc had what seemed to be an alpha-numerical inscription on it, unfortunately it had become too faded to decipher. As well, a freeze burn tattoo was placed just below the disc. Due to the position of the animal and poor light it was difficult to read the tattoo, however, we believe with an 80% certainty that the animal was marked with the number "85". If you know of any group(s) involved in tagging California sea lions please pass this information on or direct them to me. Thank you Stephen Wischniowski University of Victoria, Canada. swischn1(\)sol.uvic.ca ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 15:04:39 +0100 From: SBU2MA(\)rulsfb.LeidenUniv.nl Subject: Re: Whale communications I need to look this up but wasn't someone called Jerison author of a chapter in "Dolphin cognition and behavior" by Schustermann et al. that speculated along lines of wheather dolphins could use their sonar images for someting in the direction of visible pictures? I do not know if Jerison is on MARMAM but it might be interesting to know his views. Marjan Addink SBU2MA(\)RULSFB.LeidenUniv.NL ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 06:58:44 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Cetacean communications "If TV as a metaphor for dolphin echolocation is accurate, then we should be able (by some technical tour-de-force) to present a raw TV signal to a human observer WITHOUT the intervention of a TV, and the human observer should be able to decode the visual information." Wrong--what we're talking about here is not literally TV, but an analogy; we are talking about it because whales and dolphins' sensory and communication systems are vastly different from ours; and there is indeed an analogy in human communication, just by the way, in the ability of deaf people to "hear" music by feeling the vibrations of the sound waves. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 06:54:54 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Whale communications "> all can be set aside by considering that > sound-carried visual communications need not be detailed pictures; they > could be just pictographs, or hieroglyphic symbols." To clarify, what I had in mind was that a cetacean could represent and recognize a sea lion from the image of a sea lion skull, a much simpler image to send and receive than the image of an entire sea lion because it's solid and could be represented in "black-and-white," rather than "color," i.e. multiple dimensions. The sonic imprint of the sea lion skull would thus become the "word" for sea lion. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 11:14:05 +0000 From: Vincent Janik Subject: Re: successful releases On Sat, 4 Mar 1995 AnmlPeople(\)aol.com wrote: > The 16 "successful releases" referred to are the 16 cases on Ken Balcomb's > list which 1) meet the requirements for genuine captivity at marine mammal > parks or in similar conditions, i.e. removal from habitat and family group, > and held captive for longer than they were in the wild, and 2) involved the > return of dolphins to the wild who were reliably reported to be alive some > time afterward. For details of the releases, get the Balcomb list and tally > 'em up for yourself. Many of the releases, especially those of 20-30 years > ago, did not involve scientific follow-up, but there were enough witnesses > to give the success of release the benefit of the doubt. In two other cases, > there were not enough witnesses, in my own judgement, to credit the claims > of success made by the people who did the releasing. You may reasonably > conclude otherwise in each case and come up with different statistics. > --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. > There seems to be some confusion here. The criterium that released animals had to be held in captivity for longer than they were in the wild to be included does not apply for all 16 cases on the list prvided by Balcomb. The two bottlenose dolphins released in 1990 were only two years in captivity but are refered to as adults. The pilot whale released in 1967 was 20 years old, but only 8 years in captivity. Could you explain what this criterium is based on ? Cheers, Vincent M. Janik ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 22:35:37 -1000 From: Adam Pack Subject: Re: representation of echoic information revisited In-Reply-To: <9503070053.AA14476(\)uhunix4.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> The study conducted by Pack and Herman used a number of different pairs of complexly-shaped objects composed of the same materials (PVC filled with dry sand). Surface area was equated within pairs as was thickness of PVC. Objects tested in echoic-visual matching and visual-echoic matching were only previously experienced separately in pure echoic matching for 24 trials and separately in pure visual matching for 24 trials. These tests were separated from each other by an average of 70 days and in no instances was an object ever exposed to both senses (echolocation and vision) simultaneously or successively. Furthermore, between tests with a pair in pure vision and pure echolocation, other tests with other pairs were conducted. Thus, there was no reasonable opportunity for the dolphin to learn the associations between echoes and sights of an object during the pure echolocation and pure vision matching pre-tests. Moreover, pairs tested in cross-modal matching were not simply different exemplars of the same category of objects, such as spheres and balls. Other species have demonstrated immediate cross-modal recognition with objects, novel to the cross-modal task which have never been experienced with both modalities simultaneously or successively previously (e.g., DavenpoKort and Rogers, 1970 found imeiatelyattelytidately haptic-visual cross-modal recognition in chimpanzees, Rose et al. have found similar results with human infants). How the dolphin is able to accomplish the cross-modal task with such immediacy is another question. A spatial analog representation derived from a returning echo or series of echoes may be different from a "picture" of the object (see Simmons discussion on "glints"). On Mon, 6 Mar 1995, Dr. David Helweg wrote: > Adam Pack described the results of his doctoral study in > which he demonstrated "immediate" cross-modal matching. > I was not sure whether this was to completely novel objects > (not novel exemplars of familiar objects), or to objects > familiar to the dolphin but not yet used in the context of > the cross-modal matching experiments. > > Out of curiosity, in my ignorance I wonder how a dolphin > could immediately (which I assume to be trial-1 transfer) > make a cross-modal match with a completely novel object. > I feel comfortable with the interpretation of trial-1 transfer as > evidence for the formation of a general rule, or a general > object category. But to form an object category, the > organism (presumably) requires prior experience with other > exemplars. If this is the case, and the dolphin was > generalising from prior experience (e.g., "these echoes > seem to be familiar to echoes I've heard before from > air-filled spherical objects -- maybe I should find a ball and > swim to it"), then the dolphin did have the time in which to > form associations among object representation in various > sensory modalities, and again postulating an encoding of > spatial information in object echoes is unecessary. > > Don't get me wrong -- an integrated multimodal > representation or semantic network seems reasonable. > Again, it's the assumption of that echoes encode > visual information that doesn't jibe. I would ask how the > dolphin could take into account stochastic variations in its > own clicks (and the clicks of others), stochastic variations in the > properties of the water between the dolphin and the object, > and the ability of the echolocation signals to penetrate > some materials, in its visual interpretation of an incoming > echo? Is a bit of time-stretch in an echo caused by a > change in the object orientation, object shape, or the fact > that a temperature difference existed around or within the > object, or that the object was not in the center of the > dolphin's echolocation beamwidth, or the presence of > scattering material? Is the presence of a particular > amplitude peak within an echo (and therefore a change in > frequency domain information as well) associated with an > external feature or an internal feature of an object? > > People seriously interested in the possibility of > reconstructing spatial representations from echoic > information should have a look at : > > Neubauer, W.G. (1986). Acoustic reflection from surfaces and > shapes. Washington DC: NRL. > > Altes, R.A. (1992). The line segment transform and > sequential hypothesis testing in dolphin echolocation. In > J.A. Thomas, R.A. Kastelein, & A.Ya. Supin (eds), Marine > mammal sensory systems (pp 317-356). New York: Plenum. > > > cheers, > ------------------------- > David A. Helweg > Department of Psychology, University of Auckland > Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand > FAX (+64 +9) 373-7450 > email da.helweg(\)auckland.ac.nz > ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 11:49:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Dead Whale Dead Whale LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A dead 25-foot humpback whale that washed onto Venice Beach was apparently struck by a ship's propeller, biologists said Monday. The carcass washed ashore Sunday, said biologist Tom Lewis, a member of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's whale team. It was the first time a humpback, an endangered species, was found on a Southern California beach in more than a decade. "We think the propeller killed it," Lewis said. The whale's tail was missing and its body badly gashed. It had probably been hit five or six days before it washed ashore, Lewis said. Biologists hauled the carcass to the museum's whale warehouse aboard a flatbed truck, spokesman Brett R. Henry said. Researchers planned to collect tissue samples for DNA studies, blubber for analysis of manmade contaminants, and the skull. Humpbacks are now in their winter breeding grounds off the tip of Baja California. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 10:40:22 EST From: Mike Sofen <74601.1500(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Cetacean communications I've been reading with interest the comments on this topic. As a technologist (rather than a researcher), these are my thoughts: Humans have created several techniques for transferring visual information. One is ultrasound, where a 50-100Khz 'carrier' signal images tissue structures within the body. Another is high resolution sonar, where by varying frequency/amplitude of the transmitter, and varying the time domain on the receiver, we can image quite clearly objects in the water. This is still pretty feable technology, but it works. I agree with Dr Helweg - this is a topic ripe for real experimentation. Analogues could be created in the human world to model this, via computer simulation. 3-D transmissions would require very high bandwidth, but dolphin and orca meet that spec. Our biggest problem is in using analysis gear that is focused on patterns that are recognizable by humans. What needs to be asked of a high level computer programmer is, 'If you were going to construct a signal (waveform) that could easily accomodate high density/high speed data that could represent a three dimensional space, what would it look like?', and then reverse engineer it. - Mike Sofen, Sea Systems ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 06:57:43 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: successful releases I neglected to explain that I waived the "in captivity longer than wild" rule-of-thumb when captivity was nonetheless long enough relative to the apparent age of the animal to suppose that remembered wild experience would be displaced to significant extent by captive experience. Thus the 20-year-old pilot whale held captive for 8 years qualified; also some animals which were captured as juveniles (because, e.g., a five-year-old human would be hard-put to act upon memory of something he saw/experienced only during his first three years of life.) --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 09:28:17 GMT+1200 From: "Dr. David Helweg" Subject: Re: representation of echoic information revisited > From: Adam Pack > haptic-visual cross-modal recognition in chimpanzees, Rose et al. have > found similar results with human infants). How the dolphin is able to > accomplish the cross-modal task with such immediacy is another question. > A spatial analog representation derived from a returning echo or series > of echoes may be different from a "picture" of the object (see Simmons > discussion on "glints"). Much of Simmons work is derived from the amazing sensitivity of Eptesicus to temporal jitters (10 nsec). These data have led Simmons (and others) to speculate that glints may carry range-extended spatial information. However, we must consider the physics of echolocation in air versus water. Bat chirps almost never penetrate the target. Dolphin clicks may penetrate targets and provide information about internal structure as well as external structure, and the physics of ensonification may result in glints from external surfaces closest to the dolphin returning _after_ glints corresponding to internal structures -- it depends on the propagation path, the internal media, etc. I would like very much to have a listen to time-stretched echoes that you have recorded from the targets. Human listener experiments can be very revealing. cheers, ------------------------- David A. Helweg Department of Psychology, University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand FAX (+64 +9) 373-7450 email da.helweg(\)auckland.ac.nz ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 18:09:50 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: FISHERIES AGENCY TO SURVEY SOUTHERN OCEAN BLUE WHALES 08-Mar-95 01:53 am Regular International FISHERIES AGENCY TO SURVEY SOUTHERN OCEAN BLUE WHALES Tokyo, March 7 Kyodo - Japan's Fisheries Agency plans to send a ship to the southern Indian Ocean for two months from July to survey blue whales which are believed threatened with extinction, agency officials said today. The officials said the survey is one of the measures approved by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). They said the ship's crew would count blue whale numbers based on sightings, define the region in which they feed and breed, check whether they compete for food with other whales, including minke whales, and attach wireless encoders to some whales so they can be tracked by satellite. The officials said that if the survey shows that blue whales compete for food with minke whales, it would be necessary to cull the minke whales. Blue whales are the world's largest animals, growing up to 30 metres in length and weighing some 150 tonnes. In 1900, there were an estimated 450,000 blue whales in the Southern Ocean alone, but numbers are believed to have fallen to a current estimate of only 700. The harvesting of blue whales was banned in 1964, but their numbers have not subsequently recovered. Agency officials said they suspect the reason is competition from minke whales for the krill which the blue whales favour. They said minke whale numbers began to increase from around 1970 to reach the current count of some 760,000. KYODO jc ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 20:35:33 EST From: Cara_L._Sands(\)mail.magic.ca Organization: Magic Subject: Hilton Head Dolphin Address I would appreciate if someone would please forward the address of the Hilton Head, S.C. dolphin volunteer project. I believe the contact's name was Cheryl.......... Thanks, Cara ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 12:21:17 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: MINKE RESEARCH SHOWS PLURAL STOCKS FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association Translation of an article in Nippon Keizai Shinbun (NIKKEI) dated 8 January 1995 (P.26) Heterogeneity of Minke Whales Confirmed: DNA Analysis by In- stitute of Cetacean Research Confirmed Presence of Plural Stocks. The Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), Chuo-ku, is making progress on its research program on the ecology of the Antarctic minke whales, the species prohibited to commercial hunts by the Southern Ocean Sanctuary adopted by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) this year. One of the research items is the DNA analysis using samples obtained by random selection method in the Antarctic since 1987. ICR announced that it has con- firmed from large-scale DNA survey data the presence of multi- stocks of minke whales, each independent and non-interbreeding. The result of this analysis will be summarized in a scientific paper by ICR and will be reported to the Scientific Committee of the IWC to be held in Dublin in May. This finding is closely connected to the management of minke whales. The ICR conducts research on the Antarctic minke whales under contract with the Government of Japan. The samples collected over the eight years are now accumulated to approximately 1,800. Dr. Luis Pastene from Chile, the chief scientists of the ICR Ecological Section, and Dr. Mutsuo Goto, a researcher at ICR, have employed a method involving differential centrifugation for extracting and examining mitochondrial DNA, a factor contribut- ing to indexation of biological evolution. The result of the analysis confirmed that "normal type" minke whales, which are the most abundant of large whales in the Southern Ocean, come from plural stocks, each with a different life history: these stocks are supposed to have separate habitats in the breeding area, but when they take south-bound migration for feeding in the summer, the schools show a tendency to disperse, and to mix with other schools of different stocks. The research also confirmed that "diminutive form" minke whales, relatively small sized animals with white belt marks on the flippers, are of different genes meaning they are genetic sub- species. The population of minke whales is estimated to be 760,000 in the Antarctic alone. End ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 11:45:14 -0800 From: Greenpeace -- DC Subject: HELP SAVE WHALES-WRITE TO GORE GREENPEACE ACTION ALERT JAPAN KILLING WHALES IN NEW SANCTUARY - U.S. GOVERNMENT MUST TAKE ACTION! In May of 1994, at its 46th annual meeting, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) voted overwhelming to enact the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary protecting nearly twelve million square miles of ocean for whales. Japan was the lone vote in opposition of the Sanctuary. For the last 3 months, Japan has been hunting minke whales for so-called scientific research in the sanctuary. Commercial whaling was banned internationally in 1986. Countries such as Norway and Japan have continued to kill whales by exploiting a loophole in the moratorium that allows whales to be killed for "scientific research". So-called scientific whaling is merely a disguised act of commercial whaling. In Japan, whale meat is considered a delicacy. It retails in Tokyo's markets for up to $160 per pound, and regularly winds up on the menus of expensive restaurants. The whaling industry and its scientists have had the opportunity to examine more than 2 million dead whales in this century alone. Research is needed on population size and migration routes but these research needs can be satisfied by studying live whales. For the last two months, the MV GREENPEACE has been in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary conducting non-lethal whale research and documenting Japan's "scientific research" whaling. Greenpeace activists have delayed the hunt for several days by trailing the whaling fleet and documenting the fleet's whaling activities. One of the three Japanese catcher vessels has left the hunt on two occasions to follow the MV GREENPEACE in hopes of discouraging our expedition. By surrendering one-third of their killing capacity to follow us, the fleet is demonstrating again they are more concerned in avoiding being seen and exposed than they are in conducting serious scientific research. During their voyage, the U.S. crew members of the MV GREENPEACE wrote a letter to Vice President Gore urging the U.S. Government to formally protest Japanese "scientific research" whaling in the newly established sanctuary. Recently the United Kingdom and France have joined New Zealand and Australia by issuing formal protests to Japan over whaling in the sanctuary. Vice President Gore has done nothing. The MV GREENPEACE needs your help. Please write, call or fax Vice President Gore and urge him to join the other countries in protesting Japan's whaling!! Vice President Albert Gore Old Executive Office Building Washington, DC 20501 Internet Address: Vice.President(\)Whitehouse.gov Phone: (202)456-2326 Fax: (202)456-7044 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 11:35:24 -0800 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: tagged California sea lion Stephen Wischniowski at the University of Victoria writes that he spotted a California sea lion with a faded red patch epoxied onto its back and what appeared to be a freeze brand of the number "85" below the patch. This sea lion was almost certainly marked, branded, and/or tagged by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in their on-going efforts to deal with the sea lion/steelhead situation at the Ballard Locks in Seattle. WDFW is using red patches. It is interesting that the red patch had faded -- they weren't put on all that long ago, I believe. Incidentally, the sea lions at Ballard Locks are being hot-branded, not freeze-branded. You can contact Bob Everitt, Regional Director of the WDFW, with all sighting info of this nature -- his fax no. is 206/338-1066 and his ph. no. is 206/775-1311. Naomi Rose The Humane Society of the U.S. Wildlife and Habitat Protection hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 12:08:06 PST From: "Arthur H. Kopelman" Organization: Fashion Inst. of Tech. 227 West 27 St, NYC NY 10001 Subject: This might be of interest ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- From: IN%"cites-l(\)wcmc.org.uk" 3-MAR-1995 13:26:05.05 To: IN%"cites-l(\)wcmc.org.uk" "Multiple recipients of list" CC: Subj: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Information Superhighway Return-path: Received: from wcmc.org.uk (PETRA.WCMC.ORG.UK) by SFITVA.CC.FITSUNY.EDU (PMDF V4.3-10 #6474) id <01HNP8OPCYQ8K6OJLJ(\)SFITVA.CC.FITSUNY.EDU>; Fri, 03 Mar 1995 13:26:00 -0400 (EDT) Received: from (localhost.wcmc.org.uk) by wcmc.org.uk (4.1/SMI-4.1(D-2.1.4b)) id AA23566; Fri, 3 Mar 95 18:18:48 GMT Date: Fri, 03 Mar 1995 18:18:48 +0000 (GMT) From: fishera(\)mail.fws.gov Subject: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Information Superhighway Sender: cites-l(\)wcmc.org.uk To: Multiple recipients of list Errors-to: helen.corrigan(\)wcmc.org.uk Reply-to: cites-l(\)wcmc.org.uk Message-id: <9502037942.AA794257745(\)mail.fws.gov> Originator: cites-l(\)wcmc.org.uk Precedence: bulk X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0b -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Comment: CITES discussion list My friend, Craig Rieben, of our Public Affairs Office, asked me to post the following news release. If you have any questions, please contact Craig. Thanks. ...al ===================================================================== Dr. Alan R. Fisher National Data Administrator U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fishera(\)mail.fws.gov ===================================================================== Fish and Wildlife Service For release February 27, 1995 Craig L. Rieben 202-208-5634 U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ON INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering computer users cruising the information highway a wealth of data on the conservation and management of this Nation's fish and wildlife resources and their habitat. The information available on the Service's Internet server is as diverse as the agency itself. The new World Wide Web server "home pages" contain summaries of virtually every aspect of the numerous activities and programs conducted by the Service. Examples include a current listing of all endangered and threatened species, information concerning recreational activities on the more than 500 national wildlife refuges, and valuable tips for travelers concerning the do's and don'ts of buying wildlife products in a foreign country. Also available is information on fisheries management and conservation, detailed descriptions of various popular wildlife species, and information on hunter/angler-supported programs to enhance fish and wildlife conservation. Service Director Mollie Beattie recently announced establishment of the newest Web server saying it is to provide a "front door" for the agency on the Internet and a link to virtually all other Internet servers maintained by the Service. "Modern wildlife conservation and management increasingly depend on the effective sharing of information among all concerned," she said. "I am confident this effort can greatly enhance our collective conservation efforts by expanding the availability of information concerning wildlife and their habitats." Accessing the World Wide Web server requires a computer program that can communicate with hypertext transfer protocol (http), such as Mosaic. "http://www.fws.gov/" is the Internet address for the new server. Information is also available to those with only Internet E-mail text transfer capabilities through a separate "dial-a- file" library server maintained by the Service. Send an E-mail message to "R9IRMLIB(\)mail.fws.gov" to access this server. On the subject line (not the body of the message), type SEND HELP and you will be sent a user's guide including an index of topics in the library. To receive a specific document, on the subject line type the command SEND followed by the document name as listed in the index. No text is necessary in the body of the message. A server established recently by the Service's National Wetlands Inventory office is just one example of how this new technology can bolster conservation activities. For the past 13 years, this office has been conducting an inventory of the Nation's wetlands and producing geospatial data on magnetic media. The material depicts the relationship of wetlands habitat to U.S. Geological Survey maps. Last July, the office began offering the capability of downloading this information from an "anonymous FTP" server (address "enterprise.nwi.fws.gov") accessible through the Internet. Since that time, more than 64,000 wetlands maps have been downloaded to users from some 25 countries around the world. The availability of this service has resulted in a significant savings to both the user and the Service. The maps normally cost a little more than $9 apiece when mailed, so the public has realized a savings of nearly $600,000 while the Service has reduced its administrative costs substantially. As another example, the Service's National Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon, has also experienced a number of successes through information sharing over the Internet. For example, a Service criminologist recently passed on information about a new forensic technique for identifying elephant ivory to a scientist in New Zealand. This tip ultimately led to solving a significant wildlife crime case in that country. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 12:11:19 PST From: Peter Corkeron Subject: An address In-Reply-To: <199503062215.IAA26606(\)extra.ucc.su.OZ.AU> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- A dumb request - does anyone out there in Marmamland know of Tim Gerodette's e-mail address? If so, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks Peter pcorkero(\)extro.ucc.su.oz.au ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 12:12:50 PST From: Jonah Rosenfield Subject: texas trip ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I'm going to be in the Corpus Christi area from 20 March to 28 March. I would like to know if there are marine mammal research places in the area that I could visit to establish some contacts for future projects. Some reading that I have done indicates that there are research facilites along the Gulf coast. Any information would be most appeciated. Thanks, Jonah Rosenfield jrosenfi(\)mbcrr.harvard.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 14:51:03 -0800 From: Jaap v/d Toorn Subject: Re: Cetacean communications In-Reply-To: from "Mike Sofen" at Mar 7, 95 10:40:22 am > > Humans have created several techniques for transferring visual information. O ne > is ultrasound, where a 50-100Khz 'carrier' signal images tissue structures > within the body. [...] > As far as I know, the equipment used for medical applications of ultrasound uses frequencies in the MHz range, way beyond the thresholds of cetaceans (ultrasound equipment is nowadays routinely used in examinations of captive cetaceans and they are not disturbed at all by the ultra high pitched sounds the equipment generates) They usually do need to get used to the vibrations, generated by the movement of the transmitter/receiver piece. There are a couple of difference between cetacean sonar and medical ultrasound equipment, that may be relevant: 1) frequency of the sound (MHz range in medical applications, kHz range in cetacean sonar 2) very narrow, focused beam in medical tools vs more conical shaped beam in cetaceans 3) cetacean sonar is not a continuous emission of a high pitched sound (as you suggest is the case for medical equipment) but rather a series of clicks (very short emissions of a high frequency signal. your typical dolphin click will contain only a few periods (1 to 5 or so); frequency and click duration vary per species). > Analogues could be created in the human world to model this, via computer > simulation. 3-D transmissions would require very high bandwidth, but dolphin a nd > orca meet that spec. [...] Actually, the bandwidth within a click is very small. Check the numerous publications by Cees Kamminga et al on this topic for more details. > What needs to be asked of > a high level computer programmer is, 'If you were going to construct a signal > (waveform) that could easily accomodate high density/high speed data that coul d > represent a three dimensional space, what would it look like?', and then rever se > engineer it. - Mike Sofen, Sea Systems And to stick to the topic of this discussion, you would next need to verify if cetaceans produce anything like it. When you come up with the properties such a signal must have you need to check if cetaceans are capable of producing it at all and if so, do they do it spontaneouly. If the answer to any of these questions is "no", they obviously do not use this mechanism for communication purposes. Jaap -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn jaap(\)tfs.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 17:16:00 EST From: Don White <0004671154(\)mcimail.com> Subject: DRIFT INQUIRY Regarding our posting to alert people wishing to aid in providing information on driftnetting vessels violatingUNGA 46/215, there have been a couple messages posted to Marmam, which I am only able to review every several weeks. Since this is not a MARMAM topic per se, it would be best to get information by direct e-mail contact with the director of our driftnets program, Sue White. However, a few MARMAM people have had problems in getting through on the e-mail address provided, so here are a few more: 780-0874(\)mcimail.com (Sue White, director; this is the e-mail address originally given); 467-1154(\) mcimail.com (this is my address, and I can forward messages if necessary; and Earthtrust(\)mcimail.com (checked every 2-3 days). an additional request was: >I am attempting to locate the reference to the 1989 FAO workshop referred >to in the message from Don White and also the report which mentions the >take of 6950 sperm whales by the Taiwanese Indian Ocean driftnet fishery. >Any help on this would be appreciated. I have already consulted the >custodian of what is apparently the largest bycatch database available >and it does not list anything relevant for 1989 or for the Indian Ocean >fishery. Bill Burke As I recall, the quoted estimates on dolphin mortality from the 1989 UNFAO workshop were forwarded to us by a conservation officer of NZ immediately following the workshop, referring to the 1988 season; they are heavily footnoted with references from FAO reports, and referenced in Appendix J. I believe we can also make available to you the reports from which these numbers were derived if you contact Sue directly. The sperm whale Indian Ocean kill data came from the report by the Environmental Investigation Agency, a conservative extrapolation based on their interviews with the crew of a working Taiwanese driftnetter in 1991. This number is an extrapolation of the lowest-reported average seasonal whale kill to the entire fleet. Thus it is rough, but useful insofar as it illustrates a presumably large impact. Sue can forward you this report, too. I can also recommend your requesting the entire driftnet briefing document on disk, which contains a number of other resources and references. To reiterate, though, I'm not posting to MARMAM to push any specific numbers, but to make subscribers aware of a coordinated effort being attempted to help gather information on violations of the U.N. Driftnetting Moratorium. Best. Don White ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 17:53:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: Oestrus Two questions regarding oestrus in cetaceans: 1) Does anyone know of any data which suggest the length of oestrus in baleen whales? 2) Has anyone observed and/or reported any indicator or predictor (visual, vocal, locomotor, behavioral, whatever) of oestrus in any cetacea n? Oestrus in mammals varies from less than an hour in some species to seven or eight days in some canids. It would be nice to know what it is in cetacean species, but I suspect data are pretty much non-existent. This is regrettable, since det ection or advertisment of oestrus is obviously an important component in any mating system. Thanks. Phil Clapham clapham(\)simnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 11:22:00 EST From: Phil Clapham Subject: Minke DNA Regarding Alan Macnow's message concerning molecular analysis of minke whale stocks: it was all very nice as a press release, but in order for us to make any sense of it scientifically we need details, please. Specifically: 1) Which part of mtDNA was investigated? 2) What method was used (RFLP, direct sequencing, what)? 3) What was the sample ize from each area, and what were the areas? 4) Which analytical method was used to determine the relationship between the different populations and "subspecies"? Since Mr Macnow has heavily criticized others (e.g. Baker & Palumbi) for using mtDNA analysis, it would be nice to think that we could see enough of the data behind the Japanese studies to judge whether or not the conclusions are valid. Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 20:41:22 -0600 From: Gottfried Mayer-Kress Subject: Re: Cetacean communications Jaap v/d Toorn writes: > 3) cetacean sonar is not a continuous emission of a high pitched sound > (as you suggest is the case for medical equipment) but rather a series > of clicks (very short emissions of a high frequency signal. your typical > dolphin click will contain only a few periods (1 to 5 or so); frequency > and click duration vary per species). > that would mean that they emit wavelets with high temporal (position) localization and low frequency localization. Bat are able to vary the length of the wave-train according to their signal-processing needs. Maybe it is coincidental that neurons in the brain show during perception a synchronization over about 100 ms at a frequency of about 40 Hz which also corresponds to about 4 cycles. > 2) very narrow, focused beam in medical tools vs more conical shaped > beam in cetaceans > is the intensity modulated within the cone, i.e. can they emit more complicated wavefronts than constant radius ones? >Cees Kamminga et al > would you (or someone) mind posting a reference? --- Gottfried Mayer-Kress Center for Complex Systems Research, Beckman Institute, Physics Dept. UIUC 405 N Mathews, Urbana, Il 61801,gmk(\)pegasos.ccsr.uiuc.edu, gmk(\)igc.apc.org, gmk(\)santafe.edu, (217)-244-5877(voice/fax1),x8371(fax2), x1994 (msg) URLs: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/, ftp://ftp.santafe.edu/pub/gmk ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 11:55:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Newborn killer whale dies Newborn killer whale dies in Vancouver aquarium VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuter) - A killer whale died Wednesday just minutes after it was born at the Vancouver Aquarium, officials said. A black-and-white orca whale named Bjossa gave birth to the calf in a pool at the aquarium after a 17-month pregnancy. The newborn struggled briefly as Bjossa sought to nudge it to the surface and then went limp, eyewitnesses said. "The baby was alive ... but she failed to have enough energy to get to the surface," said aquarium veterinarian David Huff. The calf was Bjossa's third to die. Her first, born in 1988, died because she did not produce enough milk, and the second died from a fungal infection. The death revived demands from animal-rights groups that the aquarium release its whales. A group of about 10 demonstrators protested outside the aquarium during the birth. "There should be a ban on having whales in captivity. The aquarium should implement an immediate release program so they don't suffer any more," said Peter Hamilton of the group Lifeforce. The cause of the calf's death was not immediately known and an autopsy was planned. The body was left temporarily with its mother to allow her to grieve. Killer whales often face difficult births and about half of calves born in the wild die within their first six months, the aquarium said. The survival rate of killer whales born in captivity has improved dramatically in the last three years. Six of 10 calves born in North American aquariums since 1991 have survived, the aquarium said. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 07:48:52 -0500 From: Robert Kenney Subject: Job description (fwd) ---------- Text of forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 15:52:51 -0500 (EST) From: Sarah Jordan To: Robert Kenney Subject: Job description Northeastern University is seeking an instructor for Marine Birds & Mammals, an advanced undergraduate level course taught at the Marine Science Center in Nahant, Massachusetts. The course meets Fridays, 9:00am - 4:00pm, from June 30 - Sept 8 (the last date is an optional course final date). A teaching assistant will help with the course. A 50' research vessel and 15-passenger van will be available for class field trips. Please contact Sarah Jordan for more information. Sarah Jordan Marine Science Center Northeastern University East Point, Nahant, MA 01908 Phone: (617) 595-5597 Fax: (617) 581-6076 Email: sjordan(\)lynx.neu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 10:10:37 -0500 From: Robert Kenney Subject: Re: Cetacean communications Fellow MARMAMmers: I just had to jump into the discussion of the possibility of odontocetes transmitting 'images' via vocalizations. Though it's been over 20 years since I left the Navy and the sonar business, I think we are asking these animals to perform an impossible task. Perhaps the echolocation/acoustics experts can show me the error of my ways, but here is how it seems to me: First of all, what kind of information can an echolocating individual possibly obtain from received sounds? - the simplest is range to the ensonified object (the 'target'), perceived as the time delay between the outgoing sound (the 'click') and the returning sound (the 'echo'). - size of the target. Since any object will best reflect acoustic wavelengths equal to its own size, if the click contains a range of frequencies, the frequency reflected most strongly will indicate target size. - direction of target movement relative to the sender, via Doppler shift in frequency between clicks and echos. Note that effectiveness of this aspect requires more pure-tonal clicks, so it becomes difficult to get both size and direction with the same clicks. Use of FM clicks would be one solution. - internal structure of the target, via multiple echoes from external surfaces and internal structures (bones, swim bladder, etc.), perhaps with sufficient information to identify category or even species. - density of the target, from intensity of the echo, "knowing" transmitted intensity, range, and transmission losses - perhaps something about target surface/texture from 'quality' of the echos - as for receipt of an 'image', it is not comparable to the visual modality. We see a three-dimensional image (actually two-dimensional) because we have a 2-D array of receptors which 'map' the visual field in front of our eye, and those receptors are similarly mapped to a 2D processing array in our brains. With only a single pair of acoustic receptors, the best we can do is to localize a sound source to one direction in a horizontal plane. Owls can do better, still with only two ears, by localizing direction in horizontal and vertical planes, so they can pinpoint a vector toward a sound source. It is conceivable that a dolphin could do the same with passive reception from a single point source, however it is a much more difficult problem to passively hear, simultaneously, the echoes returning from different portions of the 2D acoustic field in front of itself. A more practical solution is to physically scan the source, making multiple clicks, over the acoustic field and detect each echo individually. This is the real analogy to TV. The image produced in our eye is constructed by simultaneous information from an array of receptors; a TV image is produced in the camera by physically (electronically) scanning a single receptor along a raster pattern. Doesn't an echolocating dolphin (or bat) 'scan', sweeping its sonar beam across the target, in that way producing any 'image' that it may be perceiving? The upshot of all of my babbling, IMHO, is that reproduction of an 'image' that can be perceived by one dolphin through passive vocalization by another dolphin is not possible, or at least is exceedingly difficult and very unlikely to have evolved. The information contained within an echo, or within an array of echos, has no meaning without internal reference to the outgoing click(s). Without a click, there is no time delay, dominant echo frequency, Doppler shift, etc. The EPCOT experiments are not relevant to this particular question. The receiving animal does hear both the clicks and the echos, so the internal reference is available. Now, if you could totally isolate the two dolphins, present a sonar target to one, remove the target, put the two animals back in contact, and show that one dolphin 'told' the other what it had just perceived via echolocation clicks, that's a horse of a different color. Cheers, Bob ************************************************************************ * Robert D. Kenney, Ph.D. rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu * * University of Rhode Island Tel: (401) 792-6664 * * Graduate School of Oceanography Fax: (401) 792-6497 * * Box 41, Bay Campus * * Narragansett, RI, USA 02882-1197 * ************************************************************************ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 10:36:54 -0500 From: thompson(\)camel.campbell.edu Subject: WHALE SALT ELIMINATION I am new to this list and I am very curious to find information concerning whales. Recently, I was studying how whales should have the ability to eliminate the salts that are ingested in sea water, without difficulty. The word "should" caught my attention and as I continued, I found that there is still inadequate research about whether whales ingest any appreciable amounts of sea water. I am familiar with their kidney function that 'should' eliminate the salts but I was wondering if anyone knew of any further research completed on the topic since 1990. Please excuse anything that is improper or does not meet the standards expected in this list. This is my first time and I will learn. Thanks Nicky Thompson E-mail thompson(\)camel.campbell.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 09:51:55 PST From: Stacy Braslau-Schneck Subject: Re: HELP SAVE WHALES-WRITE TO GORE In-Reply-To: <9503081644.AA13962(\)uhunix4.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Why doesn't Greenpeace follow the pirate whalers, rather than the Japanese fleet which is doing "legal" whaling? After all, we know that the Japanese fleet is whaling, and we know how many animals they're supposed to take. Sure, they could be monitored to check that they don't take too many, or that they don't take the wrong species. But to harass them will just make any negotiation with them harder: They will be less likely to listen to pleas for them to stop if you try to force them to stop first. And we know there are pirate whalers out there; we know they are taking the larger, more endangered species. Why not track, observe and expose them? That seems to me to be more helpful, in my humble opinion. Just my thoughts, Stacy ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 09:53:34 PST From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Norwegian sighting survey - MARMAM ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Return-Path: lars.walloe(\)basalmed.uio.no >Date: Wed, 08 Mar 1995 11:03:37 >From: lars.walloe(\)basalmed.uio.no (Lars Walloee) >To: ornstn(\)hookup.net >Subject: Norwegian sighting survey - MARMAM >X-UIDL: 794713356.052 > >Dear Ronald Orenstein > >I have been informed that you have copied Nils Oien's and mine letter about >"1995 sighting survey of minke whales in the northeast Atlantic" on the >MARMAM list. That is of course OK, except that you have made a small writing >error in the copying. We wrote: "We shall need a total of 22 scientists and >some 100 - 130 observers." On MARMAM this reads:" --- some 100 - 300 >observers.", which is meaningless, given the other information given in the >letter (11 vessels, three or four teams of observers on each vessel, each >team consists of 3 persons - 11x3x3=99 - 11x4x3=132). > >Yours sincerely > >Lars Walloe > > > -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 11:49:47 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: Re: Minke DNA FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association I have not seen the study yet. It will be submitted to the IWC Scientific Committee at its annual meeting in May. Thereafter, it will be available through the IWC. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 12:48:38 -0600 From: Gottfried Mayer-Kress Subject: Re: Cetacean communications Robert Kenney writes: > - as for receipt of an 'image', it is not comparable to the visual > modality. We see a three-dimensional image (actually two-dimensional) > because we have a 2-D array of receptors which 'map' the visual field in > front of our eye, and those receptors are similarly mapped to a 2D > processing array in our brains. With only a single pair of acoustic > receptors, the best we can do is to localize a sound source to one > direction in a horizontal plane. > is it clear that dolphins have only two ears (acoustic receptors)? Don't we know that dolphin tissue is transparent to sonar at that frequency range? Is it known that they don't have an "acoustic retina" somewhere, i.e. an array of (hair?) sensors (as in the human cochlea, which is optimized for sound transmission in air at frequencies below 20kHz) that is two or maybe three dimensional that can detect in parallel the reflected wave-front and (as in holography) and thereby reconstruct the object? If you look at Frank Moss' papers on stochastic resonance phenomena in the crayfish -which allows it to detect water-movement at an incredible accuracy- this speculation might not be completely in the realm of phantasy. Actually, we have a paper in print which generalizes Frank Moss' results to a two-dimensional array of sensors which have their strongest response (in a noisy environment) for coherently moving stimuli (like wave-fronts), maybe someone who is familiar with dolphin anatomy would be interested in looking at our model. An electronic version of P. Jung, G. Mayer-Kress, Spatio-Temporal Stochastic Resonance in Excitable Media , Phys. Rev. Let. (in press) is available from: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/People/gmk/Papers/STSR/ --- Gottfried Mayer-Kress Center for Complex Systems Research, Beckman Institute, Physics Dept. UIUC 405 N Mathews, Urbana, Il 61801,gmk(\)pegasos.ccsr.uiuc.edu, gmk(\)igc.apc.org, gmk(\)santafe.edu, (217)-244-5877(voice/fax1),x8371(fax2), x1994 (msg) URLs: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/, ftp://ftp.santafe.edu/pub/gmk ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 09:28:46 -0800 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: Oestrus You wrote: > > Two questions regarding oestrus in cetaceans: > 1) Does anyone know of any data which suggest the length of oestrus >in baleen whales? > 2) Has anyone observed and/or reported any indicator or predictor >(visual, vocal, locomotor, behavioral, whatever) of oestrus in any cetacea >n? > Oestrus in mammals varies from less than an hour in some species to >seven or eight days in some canids. It would be nice to know what it >is in cetacean species, but I suspect data are pretty much non-existent. > This is regrettable, since det >ection or advertisment of oestrus is obviously an important component >in any mating system. > Thanks. > Phil Clapham > clapham(\)simnh.si.edu > > I don't know what data there may be on estrus in cetaceans, but I do know that there are species (notably humans) that have essentially a hidden estrus. Obviously estrus is still detectable (by examining hormone levels in the blood, etc.), but neither males nor females of such species can detect when the females are in estrus from outward signals such as you mention. Some women are aware on what day they ovulate, but most cannot pinpoint it with any accuracy, obviously. Most men, of course, do not know when a woman can be impregnated either. THere are a lot of theoretical speculations out there about why this evolved (especially since estrus is so blatantly advertised in other, closely related primate species), but I bring this up more to suggest that many cetaceans (dolphins in particular) may also have a hidden estrus. This would correspond with their frequently observed sexual interactions (and presumably mating) that do not seem confined to a particular season or period of time (again, think of people) and the lack of strict seasonality of births in many cetacean populations. Naomi Rose hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 16:34:08 PST From: "Paul E. Nachtigall" Subject: dolphin sensors ------- Regarding dolphin low frequency sensors: Our recent data on Risso's dolphins and False killer whales indicate that neither of those species hears low frequencies well. That combined with the Data published by Turl on Turiops, generally indicates that all odontocetes so far examined have very poor low frequency hearing. It seems unlikely then that any hypothesis of 'television' like perception of low frequency signals by odontocetes can be supported. Paul Nachtigall ------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 08:51:19 -0800 From: Susie Pike Subject: ATOC Press Release REGARDING ATOC Press Release The following is the latest press release from Scripps Institution of Oceanography regarding the ATOC Project. For additional information contact Cindy Rogers at the ATOC Project Office: cindy_rogers(\)igppqm.ucsd.edu March 8, 1995 Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California, San Diego Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate Project Ocean Science Research Program Proposes Site Outside of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary In response to comments received on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (DEIS/EIR), Scripps is changing the proposed location for the 2-year California Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate Project and its associated Marine Mammal Research Program. Scripps' action is in response to concerns raised during the DEIS/EIR comment period on conducting scientific research using a low frequency acoustic source at Sur Ridge, which is within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Following consultations with the Sanctuaries and Reserves Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Scripps will propose Pioneer Seamount (DEIS/EIR Alternative Site 3-1) located outside the Sanctuary boundaries, as the alternate site. Pioneer Seamount is 88 kilometers (48 nautical miles) west of Pillar Point, and 28 kilometers (15 nautical miles) beyond the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The acoustic source would be placed on the seaward side of Pioneer Seamount, at a depth of 980 meters (3,215 feet), 130 meters (427 feet) deeper than the proposed site at Sur Ridge. The environmental review process continues, and a Final EIS/EIR is expected for release in April 1995. # # # ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 10:12:34 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff (short) MARMAM Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on marine mammal and fisheries public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Dominican Republic Whale-Watching Accident. On Mar. 2, 1995, an overloaded whale-watching excursion boat's upper deck collapsed when the boat rolled after being hit by a wave, killing an Italian tourist in Samana Bay, Dominican Republic. Twenty-four others aboard the vessel, including former PA congressman Allen Ertel, fell into the water and received light injuries. Th e Captain of the vessel is being charged with involuntary homicide. [Assoc Press] . Icelandic Whaling Resolution. The Icelandic Parliament did not have time to vote on a resolution, proposing that commercial hunting for minke whales should resume in 1996, before dissolution of the current legislative session. [News from Iceland via personal communication] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 12:49:00 LCL From: "Anderson, Gordon" Subject: Cetacean acoustic assessments Approaches to acoustic assessment sof cetaceans Proposed workshop - in period August/early October 1995 Location - somewhere in Australia We are in the first stages of planning a limited workshop on acoustic approaches to detection and assessment of cetacean abundance and distribution, to be held in Australia as a component of our activities associated with implementation of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and development of a research and monitoring program that can be applied in inshore and high seas areas. While funding is far from certain, we would hope to bring a few key people from the northern hemisphere and elsewhere over for a 2-3 day focussed workshop. On WWW there is a short note on the Gulf Cetaceans project in the Northwest Gulf of Mexico as a cooperative NMFS/Oregon State University and Texas A&M, with the Centre for Bioacoustics (?? where, Galveston??) carrying out an acoustic survey of the area. I'd be delighted to hear from anyone involved with the acoustics side of that program, or for an eMail address from anyone that knows of it. I'd also be grateful for names and contact addresses of key people involved in: * use or development of active and passive acoustic detection arrays useful for marine mammals/cetaceans * development of analytical tools for asessment of presence, distribution and abundance of cetaceans from acoustic information; * hardware and software development and application; * current quantitative and descriptive projects. I have contacts for some of those involved in the bowhead ice edge acoustic work. I'd welcome any suggestions on topics for discussion or for information on recent activities that would avoid a reinvention of the wheel, and of course, constructive comments on any other aspects of the proposal! Gordon Anderson IWC and Marine Wildlfie Programs Office of the CEO Australian Nature Conservation Agency *********************************************** ganderso(\)ancacbr.erin.gov.au ph 61 6 2500730 fx 61 6 2500399 *********************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 00:23:01 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: DEBATE ON WHALE RESEARCH > FROM: Alan Macnow > Consultant, Japan Whaling Association > In recent days, opponents and proponents of whaling (along with > some neutral observers) have engaged in lively debate over the > Japanese whale research program in Antarctic waters. Un- > fortunately, much of the debate has been poorly informed, par- > ticularly in regard to the purposes of the research, the number > of whales taken, and the effect upon the stocks. While I appreciate Mr. Macnow's information, I am not sure that his message does not still leave the reader "poorly informed" about the real subject of our debate: the status of Japanese "scientific" whaling under the International Whaling Commission. Mr. Macnow's account gives the distinct impression that the Japanese actions are, whatever the opponents of whaling may think of them, carried out in fulfilment of the terms of the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling: > In 1982, the IWC voted to impose a moratorium on commercial > whaling until uncertainties in whale population data could be > resolved and an improved management procedure developed. Many > IWC members felt that there were not enough data about some > species and stocks to determine with any degree of precision > such essential elements for management as population abundance, > pregnancy rates, natural mortality rates, age at sexual > maturity, and annual recruitment rates. Although substantial > data had been collected from years of commercial whaling, it was > felt that such data were not representative of the populations > as a whole because they had been collected from only the oldest > and largest whales, the primary targets of the commercial > whalers. ....................................................... > > Japan's current research program began in the 1987/88 Antarctic > summer season. It is a multipurpose program designed to resolve > uncertainties in the population dynamics of the Antarctic minke > whale, assess the effects of the ecology, determine migration, > schooling, and age and sex segregation patterns, and develop > reliable DNA sampling technology........The IWC Scientific Committee rea- > sonably concluded that the Japanese research takings will have > no adverse effects on the stock. These statements might imply to the unwary that the IWC approves of Japan's program - especially since Mr. Macnow fails to mention that, in every year since 1990, the member states of the IWC have passed resolutions opposing it. In 1990, the Parties adopted a "Resolution on Redirecting Research Towards Non-Lethal Methods". This read as follows: "WHEREAS the purpose of the International Whaling Convention is to provide for the proper coservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry; WHEREAS the killing, taking and treating of whales should only be undertaken in a manner consistent with the principles and in accordance with the provisions of the Convention; WHEREAS the Commission takes cognizance of Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling [NB this Article allows the issuance of permits for scientific whaling - RO]; WHEREAS Paragraph 30 of the Schedule specifies requirements relating to the issuance of special permits; NOTING that the Commission has recommended that the duration of special permits issued by Contracting Governments should be strictly limited to the need for completion of the proposed research, and that they should take into account whether the objectives of the research are not pracically and scientifically feasible through non-lethal research techniques; NOW THEREFORE the Commission COMMENDS those Contracting Governments making valuable contributions to knowledge on whales through non-lethal research programmes; ENCOURAGES Contracting Governments to base their research programmes to the maximum extent possible on non-lethal research methods, and INVITES them to include, in reports on their research programmes, special reference to measures taken to achieve this objective." This resolution was adopted 23-0, with 6 abstentions. In the same year, the first of several resolutions calling on Japan to reconsider its proposed research in the southern hemisphere was adopted. There has been one such resolution adopted, with very similar language, at each meeting since. The most recent such resolution, IWC Resolution 1994-10, although noting that "the Government of Japan has made important contributions to the development of non-lethal whale population assessments, especially under the IWC/ICDR programme of Southern Hemisphere Minke Whale Assessment Cruises" and "has attempted to address the concerns expressed by the Scientific Committee in its earlier reports", goes on to say that "Japan has not provided any information which adequately addresses the concerns expressed in the Scientific Committee on the ability to estimate the age specific mortality of Southern Hemisphere minke whales". Its operative clauses are: "NOW THEREFORE the Commission CONSIDERS, taking into account the comments of the Scientific Committee, that the proposed kill of minke whales in the Southern Hemisphere described in SC/46/SH16 does not fully satisfy the criteria on Scientific Research Programmes in that the proposed research is not structured so as to contribute infrmaion presently required for the managment of whaling in these aeras for this species, though it addresses certain research interests; RECALLS that each of its previous resolutions on the catches under Special Permit under this research programme, which have addressed similar conclusions, has not produced the required restructuring of the scientific research programme; INVITES the Government of Japan to reconsider the proposed research take of minke whales under special permit in 1994/95 in the light of the above; RECOMMENDS the Government of Japan to restructure its research programme concerning minke wales in the Southern Hemisphere in such a manner that the research interests can be adequately addressed with non-lethal methods." Note that as Japan has a sovereign right under the treaty to issue permits for scientific whaling, the Parties can do little more than "invite" or "recommend". This resolution was proposed by the Netherlands, and supported by New Zealand, the UK, USA, Spain, India, Germany, Austria, Brazil, France and Australia, and was adopted. Japan objected on the grounds that the resolution "does not reflect the discussion of the Scientific ommittee nor the larg amount of biological knowledge accumulated" (Chairman's Report, 46th Annual Meeting of the IWC, par. 14.2). As I have pointed out in earlier messages, there is nothing under the convention that requires the Parties to follow the dictates of the Scientific Committee; indeed, such a rquirement would violate the principle of state sovereignty. > RESEARCH OR COMMERCIAL WHALING > The fact that whale parts excess to the needs of the research > are sold in Japan seems to bother some Internet readers. In > fact, Greenpeace and other anti-whaling activists have seized on > this point in an attempt to downgrade or stop the research. > However, the charge is baseless. First, all IWC member coun- > tries which take whales for research are required by the Inter- > national Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (Article VIII, > para 2) to sell the unused parts rather than waste them.... >. Conversely, if the purpose of the > research was really commercial whaling, the catch would certain- > ly be much higher than 300 small minke whales per year. Neither > the IWC nor the Convention can place any limit on the number of > whales caught for research. 300 is a very small amount indeed > for a country which consumed almost 7,000 per year before the > moratorium. Of course any whaling expedition can generate scientific data; the question under the convention is one of primary intent. But Mr. Macnow seems to imply that there are only two possibilities: either the whaling is for scientific purposes, as Japan clams, or it is a commercial operation designed to generate a profit. There is, of course, a third possibility (and to me a very likely one): that the whaling is neither scientific nor commercial, but political. First of all, the whaling industry in Japan, even before the moratorium, was, as I understand, heavily subsidized, and was maintained largely as a result of political pressure in prefectures along the Inland Sea where fishermen and whalers are concentrated (a former Prime Minister, Mr. Tanaka, was known as "Mr. Fish" because of his support from these districts). If the aim is political, the sample size and profitability are pretty much irrelevant as long as the ships are kept afloat and voting whalers can put to sea. We see a very similar sort of thing in Canada with the government's support for the unprofitable seal industry in Newfoundland. > WHALES AND EXTINCTION > One Internet reader insisted that commercial whaling caused > "dozens of extinct species." The fact is that NO species of > whale was hunted to extinction by commercial whaling. Further- > more, sightings from all over the world indicate that most whale > populations, with the possible exception of the Antarctic blue > whale, have been increasing in numbers for more than a decade. > Mr. Macnow is of course correct in stating that no full species of whale has been hunted into actual extinction (though extirpations, such as that of the Atlantic population of grey whale, have certainly occurred). I submit that this is not because of the reticence of commercial whalers in past decades, but because hunting down the last few members of a wide-ranging species becomes an increasingly difficult and unprofitable thing to do (fortunately, no great whale is as localized as Steller's Sea Cow, which was extirminated rapidly after its disovery by Europeans in the eighteenth century, perhaps because its population was initially concentrated in a small area). Hence the concept of "commercial extinction" - and, certainly, most great whale stocks were driven into commercial extinction in order of their ease of capture and size -first the right whales, then the blue, fin etc. - and though recovery is, fortunately, occurring, it is a long way from restoring their former numbers. That this happened at all was a disgrace by any criterion; to point out that a few whales managed to escape the harpoon in the heyday of commercial whaling hardly justifies the industry's past excesses - or increases my desire to see it return. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 14:43:17 +1100 From: Justin Weaver Subject: Cetacean communication G'day MARMAMers For the past few years I have been researching odontocete communication in conjunction with the 'Social intellegence' hypothesis. I believe that I have produced a novel and testable hypothesis and am keen to contribute to the current discussion. However because I have not yet published, I am curious as to the acedemic recognition afforded to works presented here on MARMAM. Does the scientific community accept this forum as a valid place for the presentation of new ideas- and as a place to validate who produced the ideas? Yours Justin K. Weaver ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 11:17:54 -0800 From: Parrot Head Subject: 1995 NSF MARINE SCIENCE SHORT COURSE (fwd) 1995 National Science Foundation Marine Science Short Course June 10-25, 1995 The following is a tentative schedule for the 1995 NSF Marine Science Short Course, June 10-25, 1995. all events are subject to change by time or day pending the confirmation of speakers and facilities. The Short Course is a fully funded program by the National Science Foundation under the Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement Program. All expenses including room and board, transportation, and scientific equipment and supplies is covered. Participants are only required to pay for travel expenses "to" and "from" San Diego, CA. Sources: GC-Grossmont College, USD-University of San Diego, SDNHM-San Diego Natural History Museum, SDSU-San Diego State University, NMF-National Marine Fisheries, SIO-Scripps Institute of Oceanography. June 10-- Check In/Registration - Arrival at USD; dormitory room assignments; NSF staff/instructor and participant introductions. Course Overview - Project Director Dr. Anne Sturz will provide an overview of the NSF Marine Science Short Course. Introduction - Geographical and geological aspects of coastal San Diego by Shannon O'Dunn (GC). June 11-- California Borderland Overview - Bus tour of coastal San Diego of geographical and geological sights by Shannon O'Dunn (GC). Beach Walks - History of sea level changes; terraces and beach deposits by Dr. Sarah Gray (USD). Dinner and lecture at San Diego Natural History Museum. Paleoecology of San Diego County by Dr. Tom Demeree (SDNHM). June 12-- Torrey Pines to Scripps Pier walk - Observation of submarine fam facies and beach cliffs by Dr. Pat Abbott (SDSU). Lecture - Stress Effects on Dolphins in Tuna Purse Seines by Dr. Al Myrick (NMF). Grunnion run - A full moon and a high tide at 9:24pm provides the pefect atmosphere for the grunnion to "run." June 13-- Coastal Environmental Engineering - Observation of faulting, landslide/cliff erosion, and wetlands remediation at various San Diego County sights. Lecture - The Influence of Circulation in the North Atlantic on Paleoclimate and Climate Change by Dr. Sarah Gray (USD). June 14-- Tide Pools - Observation of tidepool ecosystem at 5:00am with a low tide of -1.9 feet. Collection of tidepool organisms and algae speciments for laboratory observation. JOVE - JOint VEntures with NASA. Ocean Imaging - Satellite-derived sea surface temperature data available as MS Windows software format by Dr. Jan Svejkovsky. Campus buffett - USD will host a buffett for an informal get together with participants, USD staff/administration and local speakers. Introduction to R/V Sproul (SIO Research Vessel) and R/V Pelican (Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute Research Vessel) cruises by Dr. Sue Lowery (USD). June 15,16-- R/V Sproul trip - Scripps Institue of Oceanography research vessel. Water sampling at various depths, vertical and horizontal plankton tows, otter trawl, Issacs-Kidd midwater trawl, sediment sampling, and navigation. R/V Pelican trip - Temperature and salinity distribution in Mission Bay, a coastal lagoon area. Salt Wedge - Temperature and salinity distribution of San Diego River at the river channel. Beach Slope - Comparison of beach slopes between shallow and steep slopes. Workshops: Computer Workshop (Part I): a. Internet - World Wide Web (WWW), File Transfer Protocal (FTP), Anonymous FTP, GOPHER, TELNET, USENET, Library Catalogs, Archie, Veronica, Listservers, and NewsGroups. Some of the Internet jargon that will be discussed. Specific FTP and WWW sights as appeared in Oceanogram. b. CD-ROM packages - Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PODAAC) and other "free" CD-ROM packages involving satellite ocean imaging. c. Satellite imaging Water Chemistry Workshop - Testing of water samples collected onboard the R/V Sproul and R/V Pelican. Biological Organisms - Photography and classification of biological organisms collected onboard the R/V Sproul. Electron Microscopy - Prepare and generate images using USD's Biology Department new scanning electron microscope. June 17-- Computer Workshop (Part II) - Internet, CD-ROM packages, and satellite imaging. June 18-- Free Day - Opportunity for the participants to explore the sights and attractions of "America's finest City." June 19-- Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) - West Coast Repository - Examination of deep sea sediment and rock cores covered by Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). Core acquisition, maintenance, and procedures for requesting samples. Scripps Core Locker - Sampling marine microfossils and making slides for classroom use. Stephen Birch Aquarium - Behind the scenes tour, aquarium exhibits, and bookstore. Lecture - Ocean Acoustic Tomography. June 20-- Marine Biological Lecture Series day: Hydrothermal Vent Organisms California Gray Whales Kelp Forests by KELCO Wetlands Seabirds June 21-- U.S. Navy Deep Submergence - View U.S. Navy research submersibles. Included will be a lecture and video footage showing the recent DSV Turtle dives to hydrothermal vents on the Eastern Pacific Rise. Tijuana South Slough - Observation of wetlands and coastal dune ecosystems. June 22-- Marine Policy Lecture Series day: Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) project Remediation of Polluted Coastal and Bay Sediments Law of the Sea Clean Water Act Marine Mammal Protection Act June 23-- Intertidal Organisms Workshop continued. Computer Workshop continued. June 24-- Exchange of information, lesson plans, data collected during course for the participants. Beach Party June 25-- Final Evaluation - Evaluate the NSF Marine Science Short Course For further information please contact one of the following: Dr. Anne Sturz, Project Director Marine and Environmental Studies Program University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 Telephone: (619) 260-4096 E-Mail: asturz(\)teetot.acusd.edu Shannon O'Dunn, Project Co-Director Grossmont College 8800 Grossmont College Drive El Cajon, CA 92020 Telephone: (619) 465-1700 Ext. 313 Charles S. Harding Editor, Oceanogram Marine and Environmental Studies Program University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 Telephone: (619) 260-4535 E-Mail: harding(\)teetot.acusd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 14:04:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: Journal review I am interested in forming a small group of people to scan the current issues of various journals for marine mammal papers and put titles out onto MARMAM for general interest. It seems to me that having volunteers who regularly extract relevant paper titles from a variety of journals would be useful for those people who don't have access to huge scientific libraries. There are several journals that I would volunteer to cover which are all available to me here at Smithsonian. Can anyone else offer to do this for other serials? For example, we are a bit short on molecular journals here and it would be nice to be alerted to papers of interest in places like Molecular Ecology, J. Mol. Ecol. etc. Any volunteers please contact me directly and we'll divide up the work. Phil Clapham clapham(\)simnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 09:36:17 -0800 From: "William S. Lawton" Subject: Re: Cetacean communications We are involved presently in several projects attempting to replicate bio-sonars. We produce multi-beam as well as multi frequency (chirped) systems for a variety of uses. Using a multi-beam approach as well as a multi-frequency approach (in those species that possess this), the animal might be able to achieve greater resolution than from a single beam, single frequency system. I believe that there may be a basis for this in the literature. A multi-beam system could be either physiologically derived or use beam processing within the brain. In processing the beam for distance one would obtain distance, either in individual portions of the beam footprint or averaged as a whole over the footprint. The same beam data processed for signal strength would give a measure of texture over the beam footprint. In electronically multi-beamed systems, the majority of systems insonify the water column with one, single, very wide beam pulse and then listen, selectively over a separate set of individual hydrophones perpendicular to the projector. This is known as a Mills Cross system. The time difference between pulses depends on the frequency used and the distance of the object or bottom being scanned. (Usually micro-seconds at most). The beam is not conically shaped as that of most odontecetes. It is more wide and oblong. I believe though, that the analogy to odontocetes can still hold. By electronically scanning the received hydrophones, one is able to achieve the effect described above. The analysis for distance is done by either weighted mean time calculations (for the specular regions) or FFT algorithms with binning and phase differentiation for the incidental regions. Signal strength measured over these same "beams" gives the textural information. (I am not necessarily assuming any memorized version of an original image by the animal.) If used by odontocetes this assumes that it has multiple receiving areas or is able to divide it's one receiver into multiple elements (perhaps the different lipid layers in the melon or jaw?) In those species that do possess multi-frequency capability this could be an added advantage As well, if you begin to add in the information the animal would obtain from ambient sources, you may begin to approach some fairly sharp resolution. I know that we have had several different projects that have used a secondary source, not necessarily hardwired to the system, but acoustically perceptible by it and gained resolution from this. I, and I believe others, would very much like to see this discussion culminate in a number of plausible and testable hypotheses. Is this possible and how can we organize to effect such an end? William S. Lawton Director Commercial and International Marketing Sonatech, Inc. 879 Ward Drive Santa Barbara, CA 93111-2920 (805) 683-1431 ext 430 (805) 683-4862 FAX (805) 961-8384 Home ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 12:35:11 -0800 From: Jaap v/d Toorn Subject: Re: Cetacean communications In-Reply-To: from "Gottfried Mayer-Kress" at Mar 8, 95 08:41:22 pm Gottfried Mayer-Kress wrote: > > >Cees Kamminga et al > > > would you (or someone) mind posting a reference? > Cees Kamminga has published a series of papers, within varying co-authors, on the analysis of sonar signals of several cetacean species. They all appeared in the journal Aquatic Mammals, over the course of a number of years (1980s). Jaap -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn jaap(\)tfs.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 16:19:13 PST From: "Paul E. Nachtigall" Subject: Biosonar models ------- William Lawton wrote that he is currently involved in several projects attempting to replicate biosonars. We are also involved in projects that could serve that end but we have a different approach. We have been examining the echolocation performance of a number of odontocetes for a while now and believe that much can be learned from studying the actual operating echolocation system of the animals. Dolphins and small whales determine distance to targets using the time interval between the pulse sent out and its return. If an animal is asked to search for an object and its echolocation clicks are examined, one usually finds that the animal' click repetition rate matches the distance to the object. Usually the animal spaces its clicks to allow for the two way travel time of sound plus about 20 milliseconds. The animals do not use a 'single beam, single frequency system' While they may use a single beam the clicks tend to be broadband. We frequently characterize the clicks as having a 'peak frequency' that may be as high as 120 kHz, but most clicks are very broad band and very short - on the order of 50 to 100 microseconds. There is currently quite a bit of literature actually available on the echolocation of odontocetes. I highly recommend: The Sonar of Dolphins Whitlow W.L. Au Springer Verlag 1993 For those interested in both odontocete and bat sonars I recommend: Animal Sonar: Processes and Performance Paul E. Nachtigall and Patrick W. Moore (Eds) Plenum Press 1988 Much of the information in these books could also assist in clarifying the difficulties associated with the 'broadcast TV' notion for a dolphin or whale perceptual process. Paul E. Nachtigall ------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 18:32:14 EST From: CHRIS CATTON <100541.2716(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Re: Cetacean communications Robert Kenney wrote: > - direction of target movement relative to the sender, via Doppler shift >in frequency between clicks and echos. Note that effectiveness of this >aspect requires more pure-tonal clicks, so it becomes difficult to get >both size and direction with the same clicks. Use of FM clicks would be >one solution.. I am struggling to understand this field, and thought I had it clear in my mind that dolphins *cannot* extract doppler infromation from echoes. I would be very grateful if anyone can clear this up for me. As I understand it from reading Au's book, the broadband nature of the dolphin click makes it mathematically impossible for the dolphin to extract the necessary information from the echo to make use of the doppler effect. Some species of bats are able to extract doppler information from echoes because 1) they use narrow band CF sound, 2) they have an auditory and nervous system that is specifically sensitive to echoes that are shifted from the emitted frequency. So, what would be the advantage of FM clicks? Do dolphins emit a pure tonal click that might be used to obtain doppler information? Is there any evidence that dolphins can identify the direction of movement of a target that is coming towards or away from the animal? Many thanks, Chris Catton ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 08:03:38 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Seals vs. cod I'm posting this query on behalf of cfarell(\)undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca I have news clips about the studies in question, but I don't have the actual studies; I know some other regulars on Marmam have the bibliographical citations, and am hoping someone can help this fellow. Thanks. "I'm preparing an article for the University of Waterloo student newspaper on the issue of the upcoming bounty hunt in Eastern Canada. It would be good for me to know which particular studies have shown that the seals being hunted have not contributed in a significant way to the massive decline in fish population levels on the eastern coast. Do you know which studies I could quote that back up this claim? I'm expecting a fair bit of opposition to the points that I will be presenting in my article. Thanks, Cesar Farell" ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 17:22:25 JST From: 92022053(\)gakushuin.ac.jp Subject: Baby Killerwhale Dear Everyone in MARMAM, It might be a question which is not proper here but I was wondering if someone knew anything about a baby killerwhale which died in Kamogawa Sea World ( in Chiba Pref. Japan ) on March 3rd . I read a VERY small article on the newspaper, but it didn't say anything further. Is it that difficult for whales to give birth in captivity? Reina Endo Gakushuin University Faculty of Economics (92022053(\)gakushuin.ac.jp) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 11:39:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Free Lolita Free Lolita By PEGGY ANDERSEN Associated Press Writer SEATTLE (AP) -- Standing on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound, Gov. Mike Lowry announced a campaign to free the last survivor of a group of killer whales captured there two decades ago. The whale, named Lolita, is the star performer at the Seaquarium in Miami, where she lives in an 80-foot-long oval pool that ranges from 12 to 20 feet deep. Lowry said Thursday he wants her "to retire as a citizen of Washington state." But the Seaquarium has no plans to give away or sell Lolita. The park's veterinary consultant, Dr. Gregory Bossart, says Lolita may no longer have the instincts to survive in the wild and could jeopardize her wild brethren by introducing unfamiliar bacteria. "Without knowing if Lolita has the ability to maintain her existence in the wild, it would be unethical, irresponsible and inhumane to Lolita and the larger population of killer whales," Bossart said. Scientists differ on whether Lolita would survive a return to the wild or be welcomed back by her family after 25 years in captivity. She is in her early 30s, an advanced age for a captive whale, although scientists believe wild ones can live as long as 80 years. Lolita was one of about 57 killer whales captured in Puget Sound in the late 1960s and early '70s and sold to marine parks and aquariums. The state barred such captures in the mid-1970s. All the whales except Lolita have died, the last one in 1985 in San Diego. The Center for Whale Research in Washington's San Juan Islands is trying to raise $2 million for Lolita's return. It also is working with Miami supporters to ease the financial impact on the Seaquarium, which gets about 650,000 visitors a year. The Seaquarium said in a news release that "Lolita is not, and never will be, for sale at any price. Any funds collected for the purpose of purchasing Lolita would be collected under false pretenses." The research center believes it has located Lolita's whale group, known as a pod, and also identified her mother in Puget Sound. Scientists hope to transmit sounds from the pod by satellite to Lolita's tank to prepare her to be with them again. If she were to be released, communication with her pod would be established first. Then she would be taught to catch fish before gradually being reacclimated to Puget Sound waters in a holding pen. Lowry's effort is being supported by Jerry Powers, publisher of Ocean Drive magazine in Miami. Powers began running full-page ads calling for Lolita's freedom after seeing the movie "Free Willy" last year, about a boy's efforts to free a killer whale. Powers plans to lease billboards and 100 benches in the Miami area, continuing his call for the whale's release and a boycott of the Seaquarium. "My wish is to be on the plane with Lolita on its way back to Washington," Powers said. "That's all I want out of this." ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 13:23:32 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Briefing for Member Country Commissioners of International Whaling Commission (fwd) The following Commissioners' Briefing, dated February 1995, is posted for the information of MARMAM readers. >1995 NORWEGIAN COMMERCIAL WHALING and SIGHTINGS SURVEY > >Briefing For International Whaling Commission (IWC) >Commissioners > >WHALING TO START BEFORE IWC ANNUAL MEETING -- The Norwegian >Government will allow a further season of commercial whaling >this year under its objections to the IWC's moratorium and >"protected" classification of the N.E. Atlantic minke whales. >On January 25 the Government announced that the whaling >season would open on May 1, several weeks earlier than in >1994, and nearly one month before the opening of the IWC >Annual Meeting. > >1995 NORWEGIAN SIGHTINGS SURVEY -- Officials explained that >the early start was necessary so that the whaling would be >finished before the 1995 Norwegian sightings survey begins >on July 3rd. The survey organisers will employ mostly >whalers for the onboard sightings work. > >This survey is of particular importance. If the RMP was to >be applied by the IWC, the results of this survey, >together with the results of the the previous Norwegian >survey in 1989 (subject to possible recalculation - see >below), would be used for catch limit calculations for 1996 >and following seasons. > >Eleven vessels are expected to take part in the new survey. >On each boat there will be one scientist and nine >observers, mostly whalers, divided into 3 teams. Some >foreign scientists will be allowed, space permitting. > >The Norwegian survey is organized by the Institute of >Marine Research and the Norwegian Computing Centre >(Research Council of Norway), under Norway's Marine Mammal >Research Programme. Unlike the International Decade for >Cetacean Research (ICDR) sightings cruises that have taken >place annually in the Southern Ocean since 1978/79, the >Norwegian survey will not be conducted under IWC auspices. > >"g(0)" DEVELOPMENTS -- The May 1 start means that >Norwegian authorities will set their 1995 quota before the >IWC Scientific Committee can review the validity of the >existing Norwegian population estimate of N.E. Atlantic >minke whales on which that quota will presumably be based. > >Commissioners will recall the serious questions raised in >1994 about the existing Norwegian estimate of >approximately 87,000 minke whales, and the possibility that >it might be too high. Discussions centred around the value >of "g(0)", a parameter used in population estimation to >account for any whales present but not seen along a survey >trackline. The Norwegian estimate, based on surveys >conducted in 1988 and 89, included a calculation by >Norwegian scientists that roughly only one-third of the >whales along the tracklines had actually been seen during >the surveys. In consequence, the crude estimate of >abundance was nearly trebled, resulting in the 87,000 >figure. In 1992, the Scientific Committee agreed that the >Norwegian g(0) and abundance estimates were "the best >currently available for the 1988 and 1989 shipboard >surveys of the northeastern North Atlantic, and accepted >them as such." > >In 1994, an independent analysis of the Norwegian data >cast doubt on whether these estimates could any longer be >considered the "best currently available". > >The new study, which was able to use original Norwegian >data that had been unavailable to the Scientific Committee >when it discussed the question in 1992, concluded instead >that more than half of the whales along the trackline in >the 1989 Norwegian survey had been seen. This result gave >a different value for "g(0)" which, when applied, would >give a population estimate of 53,000, with evident >consequences for catch limit calculations under the RMP. > >Reasons for the difference were not clear to the >Scientific Committee in 1994, and it was agreed to >undertake further work befor the 1995 meeting. Pending the >results of the intersessional work, the Committee decided >not to replace the 87,000 with another "best" estimate. >However, the Scientific Committee Chariman confirmed >during the 1994 Commission meeting that the Scientific >Committee no longer has an agreed value for "g(0)" in the >North Atlantic, and recognised that resolution of the >problem could have consequences for the Norwegian estimate >of abundance. > >A Scientific Committee working group met in January in >Oslo to try to determine the reasons for the difference. The >report has not yet been distributed to the Scientific >Committee, though results will be known to delegations >whose scientists participated in the meeting. Interested >Commissioners could request a copy of the report through >the IWC Secretary. > >ALLOCATION OF QUOTAS -- No quota has been announced yet >for this year's whaling, which will be for commercial >purposes only. Lars Walloe, leader of Norway's Marine >Mammal Research Programme, hinted to local press that the >number would be close to last year's total of 301. > >The 1994 total included scientific and commercial limits >in a shifting ratio; some of the catches identified in >Norway's 1994 proposal to the Scientific Committee as >necessary for the scientific programme were later >transferred to the commercial hunt. [Aftenposten, 28.7.94] > >WHALING ASSOCIATION DEMANDS -- The early start of the 1995 >whaling season satisfies one of the demands made last >December by the Norwegian Small-Type Whalng Association >(NSTWA), which is anxious to increase production and >obtain higher prices for whale products. The earlier start >is preferred for commercial reasons: the meat of whales >caught earlier in the season is less fatty and therefore >of higher value than the meat of whales caught later in the >summer. > >The Whalers' Association also demanded that the >Government's current ban on exports of whale products be >lifted. Reports from Norway indicate that "it is not >possible to sell more than what is caught today in >Norway." [NTB, 3.12.94] In particular, there is interest to >resume the very profitable exports of whale meat and >blubber ("bacon") to Japan. > >The NSTWA estimates that 300 tonnes of blubber sit frozen >in storage at different processing plants along the coast, >awaiting permission from the Government for export. > >The whalers also called for the quotas to be gradually >increased, up to the 1980 average of 1800 whales per year. >Said NSTWA Chairman Steinar Bastesen: "The economic >potential is big, and we demand therefore that the quotas >are raised." [NTB, 1.12.94] The Government's response to >this demand will presumably depend on the results of this >year's survey. > >CREDIBILITY OF SURVEYS -- The debate over the validity of >the 1989 estimate underscores how crucial international >credibility will be to the acceptance and use of future >survey results by the International Whaling Commission, >particularly those not conducted under Commission >auspices. Careful scrutiny of the results of the 1995 >Norwegian survey will evidently be called for in the light >of the current experience. > > >THE IWC COMMISSIONERS BRIEFING IS PRODUCED BY A COALITION >OF CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS BASED ON REPORTS RECEIVED >FROM AROUND THE WORLD. MORE DETAILED INFORMATION IS >AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. > >IWC Commissioners Briefing >Temple House, 25/26 High St. >Lewes, E. Sussex, U.K. BN7 2LU -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 13:24:05 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: MINKE RESEARCH SHOWS PLURAL STOCKS > The result of the analysis confirmed that "normal type" minke > whales, which are the most abundant of large whales in the > Southern Ocean, come from plural stocks, each with a different > life history: these stocks are supposed to have separate > habitats in the breeding area, but when they take south-bound > migration for feeding in the summer, the schools show a tendency > to disperse, and to mix with other schools of different stocks. > The research also confirmed that "diminutive form" minke whales, > relatively small sized animals with white belt marks on the > flippers, are of different genes meaning they are genetic sub- > species. > > The population of minke whales is estimated to be 760,000 in the > Antarctic alone. > If these results prove to be valid, they raise some extremely interesting questions (leaving aside the question of whether the same informaion could have been gathered through non-lethal biopsy techniques). As the approach to management of whales under the ICRW has normally been by stock, it would appear that if the figure of 760,000 minke whales in the Antarctic is based on lumping of discrete stocks it is valueless as an argument against the maintenance of the moratorium on commercial whaling. Secondly, if there are indeed several discrete stocks in the Antarctic, clearly we are a long way from knowing the relative size and conservation status of each. Therefore we are an equally long way from knowing enough to apply the RMP to them. It's a good thing, isn't it, that these stocks are now protected by the Southern Oceans Sanctuary! Thirdly, if the Antarctic stocks of Minkes have been misrepresented as a single stock in the past when in fact several are involved, what does this say about stocks of minkes elsewhere? Could the same be true, for example, for the north Atlantic stocks that Norway intends to whale from even before this year's IWC meeting? -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Mar 1995 11:51:00 EST From: Smolen Michael Subject: behavior in cetaceans - help MHS: Source date is: 12-Mar-95 11:48:19 EDT I can use some help in locating literature or researchers for some work we are doing here at World Wildlife Fund. Recent research has drawn a strong connection between certain persistent organochlorine chemicals that accumulate in females and developmental alterations of their offspring. These transgenerational effects have been seen in a variety of wildlife species, lab animals and humans. The systems affected appear to be altered as a result of the organochlorine chemicals' ability to confuse the endogenous regulatory system through combinations of mimicing or blocking receptor sites. We have extensive literature in other vertebrate species, and have recently become intrigued with the possible affects in the marine mammals species, some of which are known to carry some of the highest concentrations of these chemicals. We are trying to locate literature or the names of researcher who are looking into the behavioral variation in cetaceans, especially at the endocrine or developmental levels. Any suggestions that you can make would be greatly appreciated. Mike Smolen World Wildlife Fund 1250 Twenty-Fourth St. NW Washington, DC 20037-1175 smolen+r%wwfus(\)mcimail.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Mar 1995 07:37:07 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Baby Killerwhale "Is it that difficult for whales to give birth in captivity?" It's my understanding that it's difficult for whales, elephants, and other very large animals to give birth under any circumstances. I'm also on a dinosaur discussion board, where the hypothesis that the sauropods gave live birth (upheld by the failure to find confirmed sauropod eggs) is attacked principally because the size of the animals suggests all sorts of problems with birthing suggestive of a high rate of neonatal respiratory failure. As a layman, I can't discuss the science of this, but I would be quite interested in what the scientists here have to say. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Mar 1995 12:56:27 -0800 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Fwd: Re: Baby Killerwhale ---- Begin Forwarded Message +OK 3103 octets Return-Path: Received: from by ix3.ix.netcom.com (8.6.9/SMI-4.1/Netcom) id MAA21598; Sun, 12 Mar 1995 12:24:44 -0800 Date: Sun, 12 Mar 1995 12:24:44 -0800 Message-Id: <199503122024.MAA21598(\)ix3.ix.netcom.com> From: hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com (HSUS Wildlife) Subject: Re: Baby Killerwhale To: Marine Mammals Research and Conservation Discussion Cc: hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com You wrote: > > Dear Everyone in MARMAM, > > It might be a question which is not proper here but I was >wondering if someone knew anything about a baby killerwhale >which died in Kamogawa Sea World ( in Chiba Pref. Japan ) on >March 3rd . I read a VERY small article on the newspaper, but >it didn't say anything further. > Is it that difficult for whales to give birth in captivity? > > Reina Endo >Gakushuin University >Faculty of Economics (92022053(\)gakushuin.ac.jp) > > My understanding of the history of captive births for killer whales is that yes, it is difficult for them to give birth successfully in captivity. There have been at least 19 spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, or deaths of calves before attaining one year of age (in addition, there have been at least two recent deaths of young, pregnant females) in the 30-year history of holding these animals in captivity -- of course, with this latest death in Japan, that makes at least 20. There have almost certainly been more -- until April 1994, facilities didn't have to report these incidents to any federal agencies. This is in contrast to approximately 12-14 successful births, in which the calf survived longer than one year. So of the known pregnancies and births, there is a greater than 50 percent failure rate in captivity. This may be in fact comparable to the infant mortality rates that appear to occur in some populations in the wild, but since captivity supposedly provides protection from "predators, pollution, and parasites" and eliminates the pressures and uncertainties of foraging for the mother (all factors contributing to infant mortality in the wild), while it also provides intensive veterinary care everyday to the pregnant female (that is, the pregnant female is given the equivalent of regular prenatal care, a major factor in successful human pregnancies), why isn't the infant mortality rate substantially improved in captivity? It suggests that something is acting on pregnant females in captivity, something inherent to the condition of captivity itself, that decreases the odds of pulling off a successful birth. Incidentally, there is a population of killer whales, in the Pacific Northwest, where the infant mortality rate is estimated to be about 40-45% (see Olesiuk et al. 1990 in IWC Rep. Int. Whal. Commn., Special Issue 12). So the captive infant mortality rate is not only no better than most wild populations' infant mortality rates, it is worse than at least one wild population's rate. Naomi Rose Wildlife and Habitat Protection Human Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ---- End Forwarded Message ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Mar 1995 15:04:11 -0800 From: Robin William Baird Subject: mortality of kw calves in captivity a couple recent messages talk about mortality of killer whale calves in captivity, implying that mortality of calves in captivity is much higher than in the wild. these figures are misleading for two reasons. one is that survival of calves in captivity has been much higher in the last ten years than it was in the first ten years when captive births were recorded. the second is that a large proportion of the calves which have not survived have been from two particular female killer whales, both at aquaria which have not had a single surviving calf. these facts imply two things: 1) husbandry techniques have improved drastically in the last twenty years, and 2) individual differences and/or facility-specific characteristics may be responsible for a high proportion of the calf deaths that have occured. if you look at one u.s. based organization which has had the largest number of births, survival of calves through the first six months of life is greater than calf survival estimated in the wild. robin =============================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR) Instituto Politecnico Nacional Apdo. Postal 592 La Paz, B.C.S., C.P. 23000 Mexico Phone 52-112-25344 Fax 52-112-25322 e-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca ================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 07:30:46 -0800 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: mortality of kw calves in captivity You wrote: > >a couple recent messages talk about mortality of killer >whale calves in captivity, implying that mortality of calves >in captivity is much higher than in the wild. these figures are >misleading for two reasons. one is that survival of calves >in captivity has been much higher in the last ten years >than it was in the first ten years when captive births were >recorded. the second is that a large proportion of >the calves which have not survived have been from two particular >female killer whales, both at aquaria which have not had a single >surviving calf. these facts imply two things: 1) husbandry >techniques have improved drastically in the last twenty >years, and 2) individual differences and/or facility-specific >characteristics may be responsible for a high proportion >of the calf deaths that have occured. if you look >at one u.s. based organization which has had the largest >number of births, survival of calves through the first >six months of life is greater than calf survival estimated >in the wild. > >robin > > >=============================================================== >Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. >Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR) >Instituto Politecnico Nacional >Apdo. Postal 592 >La Paz, B.C.S., C.P. 23000 >Mexico >Phone 52-112-25344 >Fax 52-112-25322 >e-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca >================================================================ > > Some of what Robin says is valid. There is a high degree of inter-facility and inter-individual variability in calf survivorship. However, there are a number of conditions, some mentioned in my original message, that suggest that the situation at the "U.S. based organization," Sea World, is not as optimal as it seems. On the surface and using publicly available information, it may seem that Sea World has had tremendous success (I believe the official count is 10 of 11 calves have survived past one year of age since their first recorded birth in 1985). However: 1) Information regarding pregnancies, spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, and deaths before one year of age were not required to be reported to the National Marine FIsheries Service prior to APril 1994. Of course, usually the information of a birth got out through the popular media, but these incidents were almost never officially recorded in the Marine Mammal INventory Reports; 2) Sea World itself does not consider any pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, or death of a calf before six months of age to be an "official" reproductive event. When it says all of its births have been successful (except for one post-APril 1994 death of a young calf in San Antonio), there may be unsuccessful reproductive events, especially prior to 1985, that are not included in that statement. The fact is that only Sea World knows how many times their animals have been pregnant and have either failed to bring the calf to term or had a full-term stillbirth or a calf that died soon after birth; 3) Pregnancies used to be kept quiet, rarely being reported to the public, precisely because the failure rate, especially for first time mothers, was high. These days, it's probably harder to keep a secret. Sea World is the only facility really that has had any success to speak of in breeding killer whales. Several other facilities, such as Marineland Ontario, Sealand of Victoria (now defunct), Vancouver Aquarium, and Kamogawa Sea World (and perhaps the facility in Holland as well) have not been as successful (I know offhand that Marineland had at least one successful birth -- that animal is now at Sea World). Even accepting Robin's argument, some might then say that perhaps, unless a facility has at the very least the resources available to it that Sea World has, breeding killer whales should not be attempted. SInce that means maintaining the animals in unnatural social groupings (e.g. isolating males from females; keeping only one sex, such as Marine World Africa USA does; keeping singletons), the logical conclusion for some might then be that killer whales shouldn't be held in captivity at all unless at the very least the standards of a facility are at the same level as they are at Sea World. And given the possibilty that Sea World's record might not really be what it is officially, maybe standards need to be even higher before keeping killer whales and breeding them should be accepted...or perhaps this practice should not be accepted at all. Naomi Rose The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Mar 1995 19:13:43 EST From: Brent Hall <73577.310(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Cetacean Photos Needed TO ALL WITH INCREDIBLE PHOTOS OF CETACEANS THAT NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT ... here's your chance. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society is about to publish a guide to whalewatching in Northern Europe. They have an immediate need for your best shots of minke and long finned pilot whales, whitesided, whitebeaked, common, bottlenose, and Risso's dolphins, orca, and harbor porpoise. Probably no fee, but certain credit, fame, and satisfaction from helping one of the best cetacean conservation organizations in the world. Further details from George Berry, Publications Manager, WDCS, Alexander House, James Street West, Bath, Avon, BA1 2BT, UK. Tele: 0225-334511, Fax: 0225-480097. Also query Erich Hoyt, 100327.1067(\)compuserve.com. WDCS needs the best stuff. If you've got it this is a great way to really help out. Thanks, Bill Rossiter, Cetacean Society International (Forwarded by Brent S. Hall, 73577.310(\)compuserve.com) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 03:55:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Miami whale at center of anima Miami whale at center of animal rights controversy MIAMI (Reuter) - The producer of the hit movie, "Free Willy," is planning a publicity campaign to free Lolita, a killer whale who has been the star performer at a Miami marine park for the past 25 years. Richard Donner is releasing a July sequel to the popular 1993 movie, in which an orca was captured in Puget Sound, sold to a marine park where he was befriended by a young boy, then set free. Donner said Lolita's real-life story is perfect to promote his sequel, "The Adventure Home." "Lolita is a cause celebre and this, an opportunity to free her," Donner told the Miami Herald. "If possible it will be done and we will use all the publicity we can generate around the movie." But Lolita's owner insists that the aging whale should stay in the Miami Seaquarium tank she has called home since 1970, and not be turned loose in the wild after so many years of being hand-fed salmon, herring and sardines. "Our research shows that Lolita is the highlight of a trip to Seaquarium and she's not for sale," said Arthur Hertz, chairman of Wometco Inc, which owns Seaquarium. "What concerns me is that the people involved in this movement have motives other than animals," he added. Washington state Gov. Mike Lowry, several whale experts and a raft of environmentalists have joined in the movement to try and return Lolita to her native Puget Sound. The group has even hired a Miami public relations firm to help lobby for her release. The controversy is a difficult one for Miami tourism officials, who have contended with a series of violent crimes, tropical storms and other events during the past three years that blackened Florida's reputation as a carefree vacation destination. But Seaquarium is Miami's top tourist attraction, drawing more than 650,000 visitors last year. Lolita has been a Florida resident longer than Disney World's Mickey Mouse, and her face appears on billboards, tourism magazines and brochures. A total of 23 so-called killer whales are in captivity throughout the United States. Most are owned by four Sea World marine parks. Killer whales are actually the largest member of the dolphin family, and earned their fearsome nickname by hunting and devouring whales, according to experts. The striking black-and-while whales can grow as large as 31 feet, and are highly social animals which prefer to remain in the family pod. Lolita is believed to be a member of one of the estimated 20 pods centered in Puget Sound. Lolita is 31 years old, and lived at Miami Seaquarium with a companion, Hugo, until he died in 1980. Veterinarians said she is in good health, although she appears to be lonely. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 17:23:12 -0500 From: Steve Swartz Subject: Pinnipeds and cod and other fish It is clear from the recent events surrounding the application by the State of Washington to lethally remove sea lions that prey on a depleted stock of Pacific steelhead at the Ballard Locks and from the discussions on Internet concerning Canada's seal control programs that wildlife managers in general are not prepared to deal with abundant populations of protected species (e.g., sea lions and seals) that prey on depleted fishery resources and/or conflict with human use of valuable fishery resources. Often the initial response to these perceived conflicts includes proposals to cull animals before it is established that some form of over-population or population imbalance is at the root of the problem, as compared to a focused local management action to deal with "nuisance animals." A common perception is that as more and more pinniped populations increase in size they will put increasing demands on fish populations. This triggers concern that fishing opportunities will be lost as more of the annual growth (yield) of the fish population is consumed by the pinnipeds, or the concern that the recovery of depleted fish populations that are subject to pinniped predation may have their recovery compromised even if they are not subjected to commercial harvests. This phenomenon feeds the all too common debate over priorities - human consumption, pinniped consumption, or the health and future of the fish resource. "Enlightened" mangers with a multi-species perspectives suggest that we should strive to balance all three. But this is where vested interests get in the way of scientifically based management particularly during hard economic times. The marine mammal-fishery conflict, perceived or real, is not new and there are those that have directed a substantial amount of thought to these concerns. DeMaster and Sisson (1992) note that four generally accepted ecological relationships imped the success of pinniped control programs to enhance fishery production. 1. Prey species almost always have more than one predator. 2. Pinniped species rarely are dependent on only one species of prey. 3. The recruitment rate of fish stocks is highly variable, and is one of the most likely factors determining stock abundance. 4. Fish, as a predatory group, consume more fish than do other predators (e.g., sea birds, cetaceans, and pinnipeds.) DeMaster and Sisson note that the following information should be collected prior to initiating a control program on a pinniped predator: 1. The kind, size, and amount of target species taken by pinniped species, by other predators, by commercial fisheries, by recreational fisheries. 2. The standing stock, trends in stock size, and the relationship between net production and standing stock of the target species. 3. The population size, trends in abundance, status, and net production to pinniped species. 4. The expected increase in yield of target species resulting from cull of pinniped species and the value of this increase in net production to the fishery and general public. 5. The cost of the control program. 6. The proposed number of (by age and sex) pinnipeds to be culled each year and the duration of the cull in years. 6. The long-term effect of the cull on the pinniped population. They further note that it is unlikely that information on points 1,3, and 4 will ever be known with reasonable confidence, and conclude that statistically designed removal experiments may be the most effective method of determining the merit of a specific control program. As additional pinniped/fishery issues arise it will be necessary to formulate management actions that have a sound scientific basis, and it will be desirable to avoid emotionally based arguments that do not have a scientific basis and that are sure to arise during periods of economic and social stress that accompany conditions of depressed fisheries. It would be useful, for example, to conduct a review of previous attempts by the Governments to manage large mammal populations by culling. Included in such a review should be the efficacy, cost/benefits, and public responses to culling programs. ---------------- D.P. DeMaster and J.E. Sisson. 1992. Pros and Cons of Pinniped Management Along the North American Coast to Abet Fish Stocks. In: Wildlife 2001: pp. 321-330 *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* Steven L. Swartz, Ph.D. National Marine Fisheries Service, FX3 1335 Eastwest Highway Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 301-713-2239 - office 301-713-2258 - FAX sswartz(\)shark.ssp.nmfs.gov *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* ------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 15:51:16 -0800 From: Jason Drake Organization: Mars Hill College Subject: Re: Graduate work on Killer Whales Dear MARMAMers, This is my first time to send anything to this forum and I am already looking for help. I have been a subscriber to MARMAM for a couple of months now and have seen several mentionings of Killer Whales. I am currently a senior Zoology major, and am looking into Graduate schools in the Washington State, and British Columbia regions that may have opportunities for Killer Whale research, with mainly ecological or physiological emphases. I have read a great deal of work from the late Dr. Michael Bigg on this subject and have recently come accross the continuation of the photoidentification, ecological study of individual Killer Whales in the Pugent Sound/ Vancouver Island area by Dr. John Ford, Kenneth Balcomb, and many others. I am facinated by the revolutionary techniques that these researchers have utilized, and I was wondering if anyone out there knew of any Graduate programs that are involved with this study, or have any similar studies on Killer Whales (any where in the world)? It is very difficult for me to find out this information in the Southeast where I live and go to school, but I am intensely interested and would truly appreciate ANY information that could be given to me on this subject!! Thank you one and all for your time and patience with my request!! Sincerely, JASON DRAKE----> jbd(\)mhc.edu ** or PO Box 5336 MHC Mars Hill NC 28754 TEL: 1-704-689-6464 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 03:39:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Atlantic Coastal Dolphin Confe Third Annual Atlantic Coastal Dolphin Conference Duke Marine laboratory Beaufort, North Carolina March 24-26, 1995 For more information contact Gail Cannon (919) 504-7625. List of Titles for Requested Spoken Presentations Barco, S.G., D.A. Pabst, & W.M. Swingle. Factors affecting relative abundance and distribution of bottlenose dolphins in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Bowles, N. Difficulties in dolphin photo-ID - organizing fin catalogs. Gubbins, C. Behavioral ecology of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in Calibogue Sound, South Carolina and adjacent creeks. Jones, S.C.III Where are Virginia's dolphin nurseries? Jordan, T. & J. Contillo. Photo-identification project of bottlenose dolphins in Biscayne Bay, Florida. McLellan, W.A., S.G. Barco, M. Swingle, & D.A. Pabst. analysis of bottlenose dolphin strandings in Virginia waters for the years 1984-1994. Noe, A. & R. Herman. front end software developed for dorsal fin classification fromelectronically digitized images. Rittmaster, K.A. & V.G. Thayer. Bottlenose dolphin resight patterns in Beaufort, North Carolina. Swingle, M., S.G. Barco, W.A. McLellan & D.A. Pabst. Two years and counting: Virginia's coastal bottlenose dolphiin survey. Thayer, V.G. & K.A. Rittmaster. an overview of marine mammal sightings in North Carolina, 1992-1994 Williamson, J.M. Whales and Whalenet - interactive telecommunications in research education. Young, R., S. Murphy, & S. Peace. Bottlenose dolphin surveys in South Carolina: results and reviews of a shore-based census program. Zolman, E. Preliminary observations of bottlenose dolphins (tursiops truncatus) in the Stono River estuary, Charleston County, SC. Posters Barco, S.G., N. Bowles, & K.A. Rittmaster. A universal dorsal fin cataloging system: will it work? Gray, M.S., D.T. Ostrow, E.L. Spruill, & S.C. Jones III. The relationship of stress to communication by tail-slapping in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. McAlear Baker, S.L. Preliminary survey of bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay. McFee, W. & E. Zolman. Occurrences of stingray spine in the scapula of a bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. McGurk, J.R., S.G. Barco, & W.M. Swingle. Stomach content analysis of stranded bottlenose dolphins in Virginia from 1992-1994. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 21:52:25 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Pinnipeds and cod and other fish (Rob, had to quote all) >It is clear from the recent events surrounding >the application by the State of Washington to >lethally remove sea lions that prey on >a depleted stock of Pacific steelhead at the >Ballard Locks and from the discussions on >Internet concerning Canada's seal control >programs that wildlife managers in general are >not prepared to deal with abundant populations >of protected species (e.g., sea lions and >seals) that prey on depleted fishery resources >and/or conflict with human use of valuable >fishery resources. Often the initial response >to these perceived conflicts includes proposals >to cull animals before it is established that >some form of over-population or population >imbalance is at the root of the problem, as >compared to a focused local management action >to deal with "nuisance animals." Seals are not protected in Canadian waters. Whales and fish are not protected in Canadian waters. Canada fights internationally to ensure that marine mammals will not become protected and has even lobbied the US in efforts to undermine its MMPA. One could argue that nothing is protected in Canadian waters. When species become commercially extinct, for which, Canadians can thank their "wildlife managers" we just stop extracting because there is no money to be made. Does NMFS have a management plan for the real nuisance animals? > >A common perception is that as more and more >pinniped populations increase in size they will >put increasing demands on fish populations. >This triggers concern that fishing >opportunities will be lost as more of the >annual growth (yield) of the fish population is >consumed by the pinnipeds, or the concern that >the recovery of depleted fish populations that >are subject to pinniped predation may have >their recovery compromised even if they are not >subjected to commercial harvests. This >phenomenon feeds the all too common debate over >priorities - human consumption, pinniped >consumption, or the health and future of the >fish resource. What "debate". At least in Canada, there is no debate on priorities. Greed and political expedience dictate policies. "Enlightened" mangers with a >multi-species perspectives suggest that we >should strive to balance all three. But this >is where vested interests get in the way of >scientifically based management particularly >during hard economic times. In Canada, I have never stumbled on an "enlighted" manager; experience has taught me that the expression is an oxymoron. Would it be unkind to suggest that "hard economic times" come, as night follows day, after the wildlife managers have royally goofed and fish populations have crashed? Why should we "balance all three" when humans are clearly the problem. Is this not an emotional approach? > >The marine mammal-fishery conflict, perceived >or real, is not new and there are those that >have directed a substantial amount of thought >to these concerns. DeMaster and Sisson (1992) >note that four generally accepted ecological >relationships imped the success of pinniped >control programs to enhance fishery production. > >1. Prey species almost always have more than > one predator. > >2. Pinniped species rarely are dependent on > only one species of prey. > >3. The recruitment rate of fish stocks is > highly variable, and is one of the most > likely factors determining stock > abundance. > >4. Fish, as a predatory group, consume more > fish than do other predators (e.g., sea > birds, cetaceans, and pinnipeds.) I think wildlife managers know this; politicians, bureaucrats,the fishing industry, scientists and MARMAM subscribers know this; the only people who do not know this seem to be the public because none of the above tells them. Why the public doesn't know is obviously political. NMFS does not explain how we solve non-scientific problems with science? > >DeMaster and Sisson note that the following >information should be collected prior to >initiating a control program on a pinniped >predator: > >1. The kind, size, and amount of target > species taken by pinniped species, by > other predators, by commercial fisheries, > by recreational fisheries. > >2. The standing stock, trends in stock size, > and the relationship between net > production and standing stock of the > target species. > >3. The population size, trends in abundance, > status, and net production to pinniped > species. > >4. The expected increase in yield of target > species resulting from cull of pinniped > species and the value of this increase in > net production to the fishery and general > public. > >5. The cost of the control program. > >6. The proposed number of (by age and sex) > pinnipeds to be culled each year and the > duration of the cull in years. > >6. The long-term effect of the cull on the > pinniped population. > >They further note that it is unlikely that >information on points 1,3, and 4 will ever be >known with reasonable confidence, and conclude >that statistically designed removal experiments >may be the most effective method of determining >the merit of a specific control program. If science can not answer the questions required to manage wildlife, why do wildlife managers tell the public that they can.? Even worse, why do they argue for more killing on the basis that since they are "unlikely" to be able to answer essential questions, they'll adopt another strategy. Why not just say we're in over our heads so we'll do what we do best; that is, cut the problem down to our inadequate capabilities? Sounds right up there with the intellectual level of Canadian seal management policy that is based on the "commone sense" and "perceptions" of fishermen. > >As additional pinniped/fishery issues arise it >will be necessary >to formulate management actions that have a >sound scientific >basis, I thought we just admitted that there was little possibility of finding a "sound scientific basis"? and it will be desirable to avoid >emotionally based arguments that do not have a >scientific basis Are we to believe that scientists, even under ideal circumstances, are devoid of emotions, particularly if they are employed by the fishing industry or government? and that are sure to arise >during periods of economic and social stress >that accompany conditions of depressed >fisheries. It would be useful, for example, to >conduct a review of previous attempts by the >Governments to manage large mammal populations >by culling. Included in such a review should >be the efficacy, cost/benefits, and public >responses to culling programs. Could someone give me examples, even one example, of this phenomenon? > >---------------- > >D.P. DeMaster and J.E. Sisson. 1992. Pros and >Cons of Pinniped Management Along the North >American Coast to Abet Fish Stocks. In: >Wildlife 2001: pp. 321-330 > >*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* >Steven L. Swartz, Ph.D. >National Marine Fisheries Service, FX3 >1335 Eastwest Highway >Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 > >301-713-2239 - office >301-713-2258 - FAX >sswartz(\)shark.ssp.nmfs.gov I would like to thank NFMS for initiating this debate. No Canadian has. When we look at what is happening to the oceanic environment, to a large extent due to human fishing, perhaps MARMAM and NMFS will decide to contribute to a discussion on the rape of the marine environment, which makes the destruction of rainforests look like child's play. Anne D ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 10:19:40 -0800 From: Pamela Yochem Subject: California Assembly Bill 1737 California Assemblyman Richard Katz has introduced a bill (Assembly Bill 1737) that would severely restrict or eliminate research on marine mammals in California. As I read this bill, it would require researchers to obtain a state permit in addition to a federal Marine Mammal Permit, and it would prohibit "invasive research", defined as "...any act that penetrates the skin, membrane, or orifice of a cetacean or pinniped if the purpose of that act is to conduct scientific research and is not for the purpose of treating or rehabilitating the animal." The bill would make it "...an infraction with specified fines" to display or possess any cetacean or pinniped without a permit and permits will only be issued for the following purposes: 1) To display cetaceans or pinnipeds (and their captive-bred offspring) already on display on the effective date of the legislation; 2) To temporarily (not to exceed 6 months) possess cetaceans or pinnipeds for the purpose of rescue and rehabilitation; 3) To conduct bona fide (as determined by the California Department of Fish and Game) research on: cetaceans or pinnipeds in state waters that remain in their natural habitat, cetaceans or pinnipeds in a rehabilitation facility, cetaceans or pinnipeds already in captivity at the time the law is enacted (and their captive-bred offspring). "Under no circumstances shall the permitted research include invasive research." This summary is my interpretation of the draft of the bill that was introduced by Assembly Member Katz on 24 February 1995 to the California Assembly's Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee. The members of the committee and information on how to contact them are listed below. I strongly urge you to call or write for further information and/or to register your concerns regarding this legislation. STATE OF CALIFORNIA, ASSEMBLY WATER, PARKS & WILDLIFE COMMITTEE Address: 6031 Capitol Building, Sacramento, California, 95814 Phone: (916) 445-6164 Meets: 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m., Room 444 DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS: Dominic Cortese, Chairman Bob Campbell Sal Cannella Denise Moreno Ducheny Dan Hauser Richard Katz Kevin Murray REPUBLICAN MEMBERS: Peter Frusetta, Vice Chairman Doris Allen Jim Battin Keith Olberg Chuck Poochigian Brian Setencich Bruce Thompson Pamela K. Yochem, M.S., D.V.M. pyochem(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 10:16:39 -0800 From: Michael Torok Subject: Re: Pinnipeds and cod and other fish In-Reply-To: <199503141747.JAA29533(\)mail4.netcom.com> from "Anne Doncaster" at Mar 13, 95 09:52:25 pm > If science can not answer the questions required to manage wildlife, why do > wildlife managers tell the public that they can.? Even worse, why do they > argue for more killing on the basis that since they are "unlikely" to be > able to answer essential questions, they'll adopt another strategy. Why not > just say we're in over our heads so we'll do what we do best; that is, cut > the problem down to our inadequate capabilities? Sounds right up there > with the intellectual level of Canadian seal management policy that is > based on the "commone sense" and "perceptions" of fishermen. I've been following this thread with much interest. I basically agree with Anne that the problem of crashing fish populations along the eastern seaboard of N.A. can be laid squarely at the feet of the managers. I disagree strongly with her supposition that science cannot answer the questions to manage wildlife. I believe there has been a lot of progress in answering many questions related to population management. The problem, IMHO stems from rampant politicizing of the results from investigations. We need to take wildlife management out of the hands of politicians because of their tendency to do the expedient thing. Wildlife management should be the domain of the people who understand the science behind it. The alternatives of politics as usual, and 'touchy-feely' wildlife management are equally distasteful in my view. -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 11:16:18 PST From: Terry Hardie Subject: FLIPPER EXPOSED AS VICIOUS KILLER ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 11-Mar-95 07:25 am Regular International FLIPPER EXPOSED AS VICIOUS KILLER NZPA correspondent London, March 10 - The ``Flipper'' image of dolphins being friendly creatures has been shattered by new evidence showing them killing their smaller relatives, the porpoise. A natural history programme screened on BBC television last night showed footage of two dolphins attacking a porpoise -- flipping it up in the air with their beaks and then battering its back when it landed on the water. The programme's producer Sally Wilson said the way dolphins ``play'' with porpoises was similar to killer whales playing with seals. ``The kill can take up to 45 minutes,'' she said. The Daily Telegraph reported today that 40 porpoises washed on the Moray Firth in northeast Scotland between 1991 and 1993 had been found to have been killed by ``massive multiple trauma''. No part of the porpoises had been eaten. Scientists, at first puzzled by the deaths, noticed marks on the porpoises that matched the teeth spacings on dolphins. But there were doubts until some attacks were filmed. Dolphin expert Ben Wilson, of Aberdeen University, said the dolphins may have had a problem of recognition. ``Dolphins are afraid of big sharks and this could be leading them to attack porpoises,'' he said. ``Other theories are that it is aberrant behaviour in two dolphins or that there is some sort of stress exerted in the firth, which leads to this behaviour.'' The Telegraph says there had also been reports of isolated attacks by dolphins on porpoises in the Pacific. NZPA LDN nb bs ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 11:17:59 PST From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Seal Hunting Conflict ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Seal Hunting Conflict Still Rages in Canada; Government Expanding Annual Harvest By Anne Swardson Washington Post Foreign Service IN THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE -- The white baby seal lifts his head, looks around and yowls plaintively. Quickly, he gets what he is looking for. His dark-coated mother, poking her head from the water through a hole in the thick ice, gives him a reassuring nuzzle, just as members of her species have done for millions of years. This particular maternal gesture, however, is greeted by a thoroughly modern chorus of oohs, aahs, coos and shutter-clicks from a group of orange-suited, wide-eyed city folk, brought here by a fleet of helicopters standing just a few yards away. It's not just seals who revel in the sweet joys of whelping season. The days when Canadian pelt-hunters bashed the skulls of baby harp seals such as these are more than 10 years gone, but the war over seal hunting rages on. Each year at this time, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which almost single-handedly shut down the seal hunt here more than a decade ago, flies dignitaries and journalists out to the ice floes for a firsthand look at the soft-eyed creatures saved from the hunter's club. At the same time, the government of Canada, and some very unhappy and unemployed seal hunters, are searching for ways to revive the seal trade without alienating world opinion. They see the need as particularly great this year because fish stocks have declined so drastically -- in part, locals say, because so many seals are eating them -- that former fishermen along the impoverished Atlantic Coast need another way to make a living. This year, the Canadian government is offering a 15 cents-per-pound subsidy for seal meat in the hopes of developing a market for the stuff, and in addition to the regular professional hunt will allow amateurs to kill up to six adult seals each when the annual hunt takes place later this month. IFAW officials say the moves could lead to another round of confrontations between hunters and "seal-huggers." "The government of Canada freely admits [it is] committed to expanding the seal hunt threefold. This does not have the makings of a hunt seen favorably in world opinion," said Thomas P. Moliterno, North American animal welfare coordinator for IFAW. The now-defunct hunt for the whitecoats, as harp seal cubs are known before they shed their baby fur during weaning, may have been the biggest international public-relations disaster Canada has seen. For hundreds of years, men had been killing seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off the northeast coast of Newfoundland, the two spots in North America where harp seals give birth on the ice after migrating south from Arctic waters each year. The Inuit, or Eskimo, used seals for food and leather. Explorers after them killed seals for oil used, like whale oil, in lamps. Then came the pelt hunt, in which hunters killed the whitecoats with hooked clubs. Hunters preferred the clubs because neither the seals nor neighboring hunters could get unnecessary holes in their hides. But the clubs looked even more brutal than guns, and in the 1970s animal-welfare groups, equipped with helicopters and cameras, began bringing in foreign politicians and journalists to record the annual spring hunt. Western civilization could not bear to see televised images of baby-seal corpses bleeding onto the white snow in front of their mothers. In 1983, the European Community banned the import of pup-seal pelts; imports of seal products had been prohibited by the United States since 1972. In 1987, Canada itself banned the killing of whitecoats under an IFAW threat of further action, including an international boycott of all Canadian fish products. Since then, Canadian seal hunters have been able to find a market for only 50,000 or so adult seals each year, less than one-fifth of the government quota they are allowed to kill. Many hunters are also financially suffering because of the loss of their summer occupation. Sharp declines in the numbers of cod, a staple fish for hundreds of years, have virtually ended commercial fishing off Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and other Atlantic provinces. The cod fishing grounds have been closed by the Canadian government in hopes stock will recover. Although the cod was mainly done in by overfishing, it doesn't make hunters feel any better that two components of seal diet are cod and the cod's favorite food-fish, the capelin. There is disagreement about how much cod is eaten by harp seals, but seal hunters and seal experts say harp seals are consuming at least some of the very fish that the government does not allow fishermen to catch, slowing the cod's revival. "We are to blame too. No one is clear on the fish. But seals harm the effort the government is making to build cod stocks up," said Ghislain Cyr, a seal hunter from the Madeleine Islands in the middle of the gulf. About 10 years ago, angry hunters on the Madeleines overturned and damaged an IFAW helicopter, and relations have not improved much since then. "They make a lot of money off the whitecoats" in fund-raising, Cyr said of IFAW. He also accused organization officials of hiding large increases in the seal population by not escorting guests to the most heavily populated areas. Whether harp seal numbers have risen is disputed, but the government says they have. Jean-Eudes Hache, senior adviser for fisheries management for the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans said that from 1985 to 1990 the population of harp seals climbed from 2 million to 3.1 million. More recent figures will be released later this spring. Canada hopes that its subsidy program will encourage the hunt and thus stimulate processing companies to find new uses for seal products. To IFAW, the strategy doesn't make sense. Why try to create a market just so more seals can be killed? "If you've got a subsidy, that's a sure sign there is no market," Moliterno said. IFAW will respond to the subsidy program with a "high-profile, hard-hitting campaign," he said, declining to elaborate. The search for large markets for seal products is proceeding slowly. A company in China ordered 50,000 seal carcasses last year -- a sale IFAW said was only for seal penises, which are said to be used for aphrodisiac purposes in Asia. The companies involved denied this. Meanwhile, the world beyond Newfoundland and the Madeleine Islands has shown little interest in canned seal, seal pate, seal sausage and flipper pot pie. To the uninitiated, canned seal tastes like a gamy, liverish beef stew with fishy overtones. It smells like cat food, but one randomly selected Toronto-based cat, when offered some, declined to eat it. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 11:18:46 PST From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Elephant Seals ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Elephant Seals By RICHARD COLE Associated Press Writer ANO NUEVO, Calif. (AP) -- Elephant seals, the mysterious two-ton bellowing giants of the seal family, have rebounded from near-extinction and are turning marine biology upside down. Their rule-breaking physiology could yield clues to everything from sudden infant death syndrome to immune system diseases and even sleep apnea. Data from sophisticated new instruments has revealed that elephant seals can descend a mile below the ocean surface, beating the sperm whale for the sea mammal deep-diving record. Even more surprising, they spend only two hours out of every 24 on the surface while foraging at sea, violating all known theories about oxygen use, according to Burney Le Boeuf, a University of California at Santa Cruz scientist and one of the world's leading experts on the animals. "There are a lot of paradoxes," Le Boeuf says. "Elephant seals really threw a monkey wrench into what we understood of diving biology." The portly animals almost didn't survive at all. The elephant seal, named after the male's trunk-like proboscis and a ponderous bulk that can reach 5,000 pounds, was pronounced extinct several times at the turn of the century. In the early 1800s, whalers had reported hundreds of thousands of the animals along the west coast of Mexico and California. After depleting the whales, the hunters turned on the northern elephant seals. The seals vanished from all known haunts by the early 1900s. Ironically, each time new herds were found, Smithsonian Museum scientists butchered many of them to ensure samples for posterity. The population dropped to as low as 20 to 100. Then, in 1922, the Mexican government sent troops to protect the last known herd, discovered on the Isla de Guadelupe off Baja California. With Mexican and later U.S. protection, the animals spread up the coast. Rookeries now exist on beaches as far north as Oregon, and one elephant seal reached Japan. Le Boeuf says the population, estimated at 120,000, grows by 8 percent a year. That makes the elephant seal a success story for conservation. "Maybe too successful," worries Gary Strachan, supervisor at the Ano Nuevo preserve 50 miles south of San Francisco, one of the largest rookeries. The animals have no fear of man, and unfortunately some humans have no fear of them. Ano Neuvo's popularity soared after a magazine article about the elephant seals in the mid-'70s, causing a crisis. "Hordes of people descended on the beach. They were jumping on the elephant seals and riding them," said Strachan. Ano Nuevo now allows only guided tours, but the elephant seals are spreading to other beaches. One tourist was injured by an elephant seal recently on Hearst family owned property on the central California coast, and more such encounters are likely as the seals spread, he says. The allure of elephant seals is understandable. Spectators can watch the awesome spectacle of a two-ton bull slashing the chest of a harem-raiding male rival while emitting guttural roars sounding like a rapid-fire foghorn. The pups yelp dog-like, the youngest seeking a mother's teat and its 55 percent fat milk that enables a 75-pound newborn baby to add 200 pounds in a month. The females make almost human cries as they track their young. "This is the wild -- where do you hear the wild anymore?" marvels UCSC graduate student researcher Stacia Fletcher as she stands on the beach at Ano Nuevo with a team weighing pups. The rookeries fascinate marine biologists. Elephant seal mating is dominated by a male who keeps 24-hour watch over his harem. One season a study found that five of the 180 males at Ano Neuvo were responsible for 92 percent of the inseminations. The most successful bulls are not always the biggest and boldest. Some let other bulls mate with cows at the periphery of the harem -- forcing the lower-status males to fight off other intruders. Fletcher said she once saw a wary male escort his females to the sea one by one to ensure they didn't mate with other suitors along the way. The biological mysteries begin at the beach. Baby elephant seals are born into what Fletcher describes as a crowded septic tank of animal waste in the rookeries. And males constantly battle for females, opening large bloody gashes in each other. Yet neither suffers infections from the dangerous mix of feces, blood and open wounds. Even when a great white shark tears gaping wounds in elephant seals, the injuries heal quickly and without infection. "They have a very strong immune system," says Le Boeuf. If biologists can discover how that immune system works, it could help humans facing immunodeficiency diseases such as AIDS. Another mystery is the elephant seal's use of sleep apnea. Apparently to save energy, elephant seals stop breathing for as much as 20 minutes while sleeping. Humans suffer brain damage from sleep apnea, but the seals inexplicably show no ill effects. "And if we could identify the signal that tells them to resume breathing, it might shed light on sudden infant death syndrome," Le Boeuf adds. The biggest mystery facing researchers is the elephant seals' unsurpassed diving abilities out at sea, where they feed on squid and bottom fish. Descending below 600 feet will kill any terrestrial animal, yet elephant seals plunge a mile and forage under water for as much as two hours. When they surface, they spend only a few minutes before diving again. "They don't seem to pay their oxygen debt," Le Boeuf says. The new information about elephant seals comes from miniaturized sensors that can be glued to the animals' backs to record the depth and duration of each dive. The animals can also be tracked within a few yards using satellite locating systems keyed to a signal from the package. Scientists theorize that on a deep dive, elephant seals slow down their metabolism and shunt blood only to vital organs such as the heart and brain. They appear to insulate pressure-sensitive brain synapses with nitrogen gas they extract from air and store in their body. That biology could some day allow surgery without anesthetics, Le Boeuf notes. But it leaves an even more puzzling question. With metabolism slowed, blood flow restricted and its brain on anesthetic-like nitrogen, how can an elephant seal hunt squid and fish a mile under the sea? "That's the big question," Le Boeuf says. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 11:21:02 PST From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: Seals vs. cod ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Why, I think that Cesar Farrel's study on seals vs. cod is perhaps asking the wrong questions. I suppose that anyone proposing a seal cull must prove that the seals ARE the main factor in the fisheries decline (which, with the well-known Canadian incompetence is commercial fisheries management, is nonsense at best for me); I don't feel the burden of proof can or should be reversed e.g. anyone having to prove that the seals DO NOT eat to much fish. That would be similar to someone having to PROVE he hasn't killed anyone on a daily basis to prevent being thrown into jail or executed. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 14:53:55 -0500 From: Robert Kenney Subject: Re: Pinnipeds and cod and other fish In-Reply-To: <9503141853.AA28330(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu> On Tue, 14 Mar 1995, Michael Torok wrote: > > [deleted] > > I've been following this thread with much interest. I basically agree > with Anne that the problem of crashing fish populations along the eastern > seaboard of N.A. can be laid squarely at the feet of the managers. ... I think that the "blame" for depleted fish stocks along the Atlantic coast may be somewhat different on opposite sides of the US/Canada border. I refer MARMAM readers to an interesting article on the Atlantic cod problem in the most recent issue of Discover (just arrived this week). A good argument can be made that managers do bear the responsibility in Canada, for overly optimistic projections of stock-recruitment functions. However, on our side of the line the managers bear less of the responsibility, unless one intends to include the regional Councils under the "manager" umbrella. In the US case, the councils continued to allow over-harvesting of the resource in spite of predictions of disaster from the stock assessment gurus at NMFS. At least in my view, the councils actually represent the industry, not the managers. The industry must bear the brunt of the blame in the US (and some of it in Canada, too). Keep that in mind when and if the Congress gets around to re-authorization of the Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Given the current trend to increasing privatization of public resources, we might expect attempts at changes which could very well make things worse instead of better. Cheers, Bob =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Robert D. Kenney rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu | | University of Rhode Island TEL: (401)-792-6664 | | Graduate School of Oceanography FAX: (401)-792-6497 | | Box 41, Bay Campus | | Narragansett, RI, U.S.A. 02882-1197 | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 13:56:32 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: biosonar models (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Peter Sugarman To: nachtig(\)cod.nosc.mil Date: Tue, 14 Mar 95 11:22:44 TZ Subject: RE: Biosonar models Paul, This reminds me of an intriguing experience I had with a captive dolphin in the early eighties at Marine World Africa/USA in Redwood City, CA. There was a loud speaker system above the water connected to an underwater microphone. While helping to care for the dolphin, I made an interesting discovery. If I swept my hand through the water in a horizontal arc in front of my body, the dolphin oriented toward it by sweeping it's head back and forth. I could hear the dolphin echolocating as it did so. The frequency changed relative to my hand position in the water so that as my hand swept to either side (further away from the dolphin), the frequency dropped. The frequency was highest when my hand was closest to the dolphin. It didn't take long for us to synchronize and make music together. By moving my hand forward and back (like moving the slide on a slide trombone), the dolphin changed pitch in unison. In effect, the dolphin ended up singing the instrumental version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" following my lead. It was great fun exploring the effects of biosonar with the dolphin in that manner. Peter Sugarman ---------- | From: "Paul E. Nachtigall" | Subject: Biosonar models | Date: Friday, March 10, 1995 4:19PM | | William Lawton wrote that he is currently involved in several projects | attempting to replicate biosonars. We are also involved in projects that | could serve that end but we have a different approach. We have been | examining the echolocation performance of a number of odontocetes for a | while now and believe that much can be learned from studying the actual | operating echolocation system of the animals. | Dolphins and small whales determine distance to targets using the | time interval between the pulse sent out and its return. If an | animal is asked to search for an object and its echolocation clicks | are examined, one usually finds that the animal' click repetition | rate matches the distance to the object. Usually the animal spaces | its clicks to allow for the two way travel time of sound plus about | 20 milliseconds. | The animals do not use a 'single beam, single frequency system' | While they may use a single beam the clicks tend to be broadband. We | frequently characterize the clicks as having a 'peak frequency' that may be | as high as 120 kHz, but most clicks are very broad band and very short - on | the order of 50 to 100 microseconds. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 15:37:41 -0800 From: Michael Torok Subject: Re: Pinnipeds and cod and other fish In-Reply-To: <199503142138.NAA10196(\)mail3.netcom.com> from "Robert Kenney" at Mar 14, 95 02:53:55 pm > > I've been following this thread with much interest. I basically agree > > with Anne that the problem of crashing fish populations along the eastern > > seaboard of N.A. can be laid squarely at the feet of the managers. ... > > I think that the "blame" for depleted fish stocks along the Atlantic coast > may be somewhat different on opposite sides of the US/Canada border. I > refer MARMAM readers to an interesting article on the Atlantic cod problem > in the most recent issue of Discover (just arrived this week). A good > argument can be made that managers do bear the responsibility in Canada, > for overly optimistic projections of stock-recruitment functions. > However, on our side of the line the managers bear less of the > responsibility, unless one intends to include the regional Councils under > the "manager" umbrella. In the US case, the councils continued to allow > over-harvesting of the resource in spite of predictions of disaster from > the stock assessment gurus at NMFS. At least in my view, the councils > actually represent the industry, not the managers. The industry must bear I would include the regional councils if they allowed over-harvesting in the face of stock depletion warnings. That is what I meant by political expediency. If the regional councils were rubber stamps for the fishing industry they are just as guilty as the people north of the border at DFO. -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 12:57:35 GMT+1200 From: "Dr. David Helweg" Subject: Re: biosonar models (fwd) > While helping to care for the dolphin, I made an interesting discovery. > If I swept my hand through the water in a horizontal arc in front of > my body, the dolphin oriented toward it by sweeping it's head back and > forth. I could hear the dolphin echolocating as it did so. The > frequency changed relative to my hand position in the water so that as > my hand swept to either side (further away from the dolphin), the > frequency dropped. The frequency was highest when my hand was closest > to the dolphin. There is potential for confusion between the rate of click emission (frequency of clicks per unit time), which corresponds to the buzzing or creaking sound we can hear when a dolphin echolocates, with the frequency spectra of the clicks themselves, which are for the most part beyond human hearing. cheers, ------------------------- David A. Helweg Department of Psychology, University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand FAX (+64 +9) 373-7450 email da.helweg(\)auckland.ac.nz ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 15:54:40 -0800 From: Michael Torok Subject: CA Assembly Bill AB1737 Many thanks to Pam Yochem for bringing this pending legislation to everyone's attention! I checked out the text of the bill myself and found it so infuriating I thought I'd post it here for others to see. CURRENT BILL STATUS MEASURE : A.B. No. 1737 AUTHOR(S) : Katz. TOPIC : Marine mammals. HOUSE LOCATION : ASM LAST HIST. ACT. DATE: 02/28/95 LAST HIST. ACTION : From printer. May be heard in committee March 30. 31 DAYS IN PRINT : 03/30/95 TITLE : An act to add Section 4501 to the Fish and Game Code, relating to marine mammals, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. AB 1737 Marine mammals. BILL NUMBER: AB 1737 INTRODUCED 02/24/95 BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Katz FEBRUARY 24, 1995 An act to add Section 4501 to the Fish and Game Code, relating to marine mammals, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1737, as introduced, Katz. Marine mammals. Under existing law, it is a misdemeanor for any person to take any marine mammal except in accordance with the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. This bill would make it an infraction with specified fines for any person to possess or display any cetacean or pinniped in California without a permit issued by the Department of Fish and Game. The bill would authorize the department to issue those permits for a specified fee and would limit the purposes for which a permit may be issued, as specified. Because existing law would require the fees to be deposited in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would also authorize any interested person to commence an action by mandamus, injunction, or declaratory relief for the purpose of stopping or preventing violations or threatened violations of the bill or to determine the applicability of the bill to actions or threatened future action of a person or entity relating to possession or display of a cetacean or pinniped and would authorize the recovery of costs, attorney fees, and expert witness fees in those actions. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. (3) The bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) California's coastal waters are biologically unique, and a number of endangered or threatened species live in the coastal environment and depend on coastal waters for survival. (b) The proximity to and integrity of the ocean environment is an integral part of California's heritage and current lifestyle. Citizens of California enjoy the natural scenic beauty and diversity of the coastline, including viewing cetaceans and pinnipeds in their natural environment. (c) The State of California supports the protection and preservation of cetaceans and pinnipeds and denounces any ill treatment of these creatures. (d) The State of California states its desire that cetaceans and pinnipeds be considered national treasures and removal from their natural environment be prohibited. (e) Current practices involving cetaceans and pinnipeds threaten their indigenous population in California. (f) Captive cetaceans and pinnipeds are confined to tanks that provide significantly less room to swim than they are accustomed to in the wild. (g) A significant number of cetaceans and pinnipeds held in captivity in California have prematurely died in captivity. SEC. 2. Section 4501 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read: 4501. (a) For the purposes of this section, "invasive research" means any act that penetrates the skin, membrane, or orifice of a cetacean or pinniped if the purpose of that act is to conduct scientific research and is not for the purpose of treating or rehabilitating the animal. (b) It is unlawful to possess or display any cetacean or pinniped in California without a permit issued by the department. The department shall issue those permits for a fee in an amount that it determines sufficient to reimburse it for all costs of the permit program. (c) A cetacean or pinniped possession and display permit shall be issued by the department only for one of the following purposes: (1) Display of one or more cetaceans or pinnipeds, or both, that were on display in this or any other state on the effective date of this section enacted in the 1995 portion of the 1995-96 Regular Session, and any captive-bred offspring of those animals. (2) Temporary possession for a reasonable period of time, not to exceed six months, of a cetacean or pinniped for the purpose of rescue and rehabilitation by a rescue and rehabilitation facility authorized by the federal National Marine Fisheries Service. (3) Bona fide scientific research, as determined by the department, for a purpose other than to learn about the captivity and display of cetaceans or pinnipeds. Under no circumstances shall the permitted research include invasive research. The research shall be conducted only on the following: (A) One or more cetaceans or pinnipeds in state waters that remain in their natural habitat. (B) One or more cetaceans or pinnipeds in a rehabilitation facility authorized by the National Marine Fisheries Service. (C) Captive-bred cetaceans or pinnipeds or those in captivity on the effective date of this section enacted in the 1995 portion of the 1995-96 Regular Session. (d) Except as specified in paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (c), permits shall not be issued to any person or entity that generates a profit in any manner from the display or possession of cetaceans or pinnipeds, even if there is a valid purpose for possession or display under paragraph (3) of subdivision (c). (e) A violation of this section is an infraction punishable by a fine of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for the first day the animal is in captivity, twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) for the second day, and an amount that doubles for each additional day the animal remains in captivity. (f) Subject to Section 388 of the Code of Civil Procedure, any interested person may commence an action by mandamus, injunction, or declaratory relief for the purpose of stopping or preventing violations or threatened violations of this section or to determine the applicability of this section to actions or threatened future action of a person or entity relating to possession or display of a cetacean or pinniped. It is the intent of the Legislature to acknowledge that animals are beings that have recognizable rights and to offer guardianship standing to environmental and animal welfare groups. (g) In any action or proceeding brought pursuant to subdivision (f), the prevailing plaintiff may recover costs of litigation and reasonable attorney and expert witness fees, and other expenses. The remedy under this subdivision and subdivision (f) does not limit or restrict any other relief available under other law. (h) The provisions of this section are severable. If any provision of this section or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application. SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution. Notwithstanding Section 17580 of the Government Code, unless otherwise specified, the provisions of this act shall become operative on the same date that the act takes effect pursuant to the California Constitution. SEC. 4. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are: In order to provide protection to the valuable and treasured marine mammals in the coastal waters of California before they are captured and imprisoned at the earliest possible time, it is necessary for this act to take effect immediately. Searching keywords: (statusin) (authorKatz) -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 10:12:51 SAT-2 From: Mike Meyer Subject: Aerial Photography MARMAN GROUP We would like to try to photograph Macaroni Penguins at Marion Island in colonies several 100m across, with sufficient resolution to count individual incubating birds. We have heard that others have used kites to take aerial pictures of pinnipeds. I wonder whether anybody could give us any ideas, tips etc., including camera's, focal lengths, lenses, protection, triggering method, type of kites, costs...? I apologize if anybody has received this message on other nets. Thanks in advance Mike Meyer mmeyer(\)sfri.sfri.ac.za. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 11:26:31 -0500 From: Robert Kenney Subject: Atlantic sei whale question Fellow MARMAMmers: I have a question for the collective consciousness of the net concerning takes of sei whales in the North Atlantic. The data I have so far include a commercial take of 504 by Iceland in 1980-85, 2 in Spain in 1980, and a research take of 70 in Iceland in 1986-88. Iceland took none in 1989-91, but withdrew from the IWC in 1992 and so no longer has annual reports included in the IWC report. My questions are: - has Iceland resumed taking sei whales? - if so, how many? - have there been any other takes (commercial, subsistence, or research) of sei whales in the North Atlantic since 1980? Please send any responses directly to me, and not to the net. Thanks. Cheers, Bob Kenney University of Rhode Island rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 08:08:24 PST From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: directional swimming by captive cetaceans Dear Marmam Readers: Is anyone out there familiar with a paper (thesis?) that includes information on directional swimming by captive cetaceans written by Terry (1983)? I had it recommended as a reference, but have no idea where to start looking for it. Thank you for any assistance you can provide. Please reply directly to my address. Dagmar Fertl Dagmar C. Fertl, Coordinator of University Research, Texas A&M University (\) Galveston, Galveston, TX 77551. Ph:(409) 740-4737; Fax:(409) 740-4787 fertld(\)tamug2.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 09:47:05 -0500 From: Stephen Best Subject: Re: Seals vs Cod In response to Anne Doncaster's observations about fisheries management Michael Torok wrot; >... I basically agree >with Anne that the problem of crashing fish populations along the eastern >seaboard of N.A. can be laid squarely at the feet of the managers. I >disagree strongly with her supposition that science cannot answer the >questions to manage wildlife. I believe there has been a lot of progress >in answering many questions related to population management. The >problem, IMHO stems from rampant politicizing of the results from >investigations. We need to take wildlife management out of the hands of >politicians because of their tendency to do the expedient thing. Wildlife >management should be the domain of the people who understand the science >behind it. The alternatives of politics as usual, and 'touchy-feely' >wildlife management are equally distasteful in my view. In his defense of science, I believe Michael is making some fundamental errors. They include the implied idea that it might be possible to remove the political and economic elements, and the people (both individuals and communities which control them) from playing a significant, if not primary role in determining the extent of the interaction between humans and marine life. Torok's critique also implies that "the people who understand the science" might make better decisions, meaning, I assume, insuring a sustainable population. And lastly, Torok further suggests our ablity to manage wild populations is improved enough for scientists (in the absence of political and economic considerations) to safely manage because "a lot of progress [has been made] in answering questions related to population management." I would argue that none of these implied beliefs or biases which I read (possibly erroneously) into Torok's critique are, in fact, true. And furthermore, I doubt very much whether these conditions will ever become true. First, scientists are not now, never have been, and never will be a significant political or economic presence in human society to be relied upon to alter its course towards some "better" community. Yes, scientists do play a significant role as advisors, inventors, discoverers, etc., but only to the extent that their economic and political masters decide, direct, and pay for. With a few notable exceptions, this is the lot of Science and scientists. A group of 100,000 full and part-time fishermen with an average education of grade 7 has more control over fisheries policy than all the scientists in Canada combined. The immutable fact is that the fishermen have more political and economic power than the scientists. Also this condition, it seems to me, given our present forms of government, concepts of rights, and economic systems is not going to change. What Torok is doing is something scientists often fall prey to: suggesting that if the conditions were changed or just right all the problems could be understood and solved. However, the conditions are what they are and scienctists, would be advised to consider all the variables in the problem, not just the ones they find it easier and more convenient to work with. Ignoring or decrying a variable doesn't make it go away or remove its influence; it just makes the math easier. On the second point, it is not at all clear that people who understand the science of a given area of inquiry, in this case fisheries, are able to make better decisions. First, because scientists all work for someone, except perhaps a few independently wealthy ones, they are all selected for by their employers to some extent for the belief systems they bring to the job opening. Fisheries departments tend to hire scientists who, for the most part, agree with the idea of measuring populations and determining levels of acceptable exploitation. A scientist who believes that such measurements and determinations are beyond us at this time, is less likely to be hired. So the problem arises in Torok's suggestion: Which scientists are to be trusted to decide matters? On many, if not most issues, a bona fide scientist can be found to argue almost any side of any scientific issue. And even when scientists are in general agreement about an issue, they can often be wrong. I believe little comfort can be found in relying on "the people who understand the science" to necessarily make the best decisions. And on Torok's last point, regarding making progress. As of this writing there is not one scientist on the planet who can fully describe the eco-system in a drop of sea water, let alone an ocean or even in a multi-species system. It is utterly beyond us, and may always (and in my opinion likely) remain so. As well, what may seem like progress to day, may in fact be revealed a decade from now to be a massive step backwards in understanding. Our knowledge of complex, dynamic, chaotic marine eco-systems is so poor (and so badly funded) that it is not possible to say with any certainty that we are making progress. I will admit we may believe we are making progress, but acquisition of data and subsequent analysis does not make it so. We may have more body parts, stuff, and data points to look at and discuss but we lack a reliable base from which to judge in any reliable way there value. I forget the commentator's name but the observation has been made that the passion with which we hold to an idea has no bearing on its validity. Within all the doom and gloom, is there hope? I think so. I don't believe the state of biological science is such that the management of wild systems in the modern context of commercial exploitation and economics is in fact possible. It is certainly not occurring today and that situation is likely not going to change in the near future. I do believe the state of biological sciences is such that creating sustainable population of fauna and flora, marine and terrestrial, for human consumption might be possible. I emphasize *might* because there are few examples of it, even in traditional farming practices. I would suggest, then, that scientists concerned with fisheries management turn there attention, if they can convince their employers to all them, away from managing wild species, which has so far proven to be impossible, to addressing the problems of fish farming, which despite clear difficulties, might be possible. Regards ---- Stephen Best, Vice President | Tel: 519/925-3440 International Wildlife Coalition | Fax: 519/925-2003 PO Box 988, Shelburne | e-mail: sbest(\)inforamp.net Ontario, Canada, L0N 1S0 | CIS: 76407,526 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 09:47:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: CA Bill Thanks to Mike Torok for posting the text of the California Assembly bill on marine mammals. This is not the first time that a state has attempted to pass its own marine mammal regulations: Massachusetts, urged by a convicted felon with dubious psychological stability (no names mentioned, but everyone on the East coast knows who I mean, and I'm not exaggerating!) has occasionally attemtped this sort of stuff in the past, and present. There is a legal problem, however: the MMPA specifically removes authority to regulate marine mammals from the states. Theoretically, it is possible for a state to enact its own regulations if they are STRICTER than those mandated by the MMPA (and, by extension, NMFS) although the issue has been legally very cloudy as to exactly what they can and cannot do. Also theoretically, a state is required to enter into a formally negotiated transfer of authority with the federal government if it wants to getinvolved in the busines of marine mammal regulation; as far as I know, California has no such agreement. I will check with Congress on all this, but anyone with legal expertise out there might like to comment. Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 21:13:56 -0800 From: Jaap v/d Toorn Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: Baby Killerwhale In-Reply-To: from "HSUS Wildlife" at Mar 12, 95 12:56:27 pm Naomi Rose wrote: > There have been at least 19 spontaneous abortions, > stillbirths, or deaths of calves before attaining one year of age (in > addition, there have been at least two recent deaths of young, pregnant > females) in the 30-year history of holding these animals in > captivity -- of course, with this latest death in Japan, that makes at > least 20. > > This is in contrast to approximately 12-14 successful births, in which > the calf survived longer than one year. So of the known pregnancies and > births, there is a greater than 50 percent failure rate in captivity. > This may be in fact comparable to the infant mortality rates that appear > to occur in some populations in the wild, but since captivity supposedly > provides protection from "predators, pollution, and parasites" and > eliminates the pressures and uncertainties of foraging for the > mother (all factors contributing to infant mortality in the wild), while > it also provides intensive veterinary care everyday to the pregnant > female (that is, the pregnant female is given the equivalent of regular > prenatal care, a major factor in successful human pregnancies), why > isn't the infant mortality rate substantially improved in captivity? It > suggests that something is acting on pregnant females in captivity, > something inherent to the condition of captivity itself, that decreases > the odds of pulling off a successful birth. > > Incidentally, there is a population of killer whales, in the Pacific > Northwest, where the infant mortality rate is estimated to be about > 40-45% (see Olesiuk et al. 1990 in IWC Rep. Int. Whal. Commn., Special > Issue 12). So the captive infant mortality rate is not only no better > than most wild populations' infant mortality rates, it is worse than at > least one wild population's rate. > A few correction might be in order, I guess. - Olesiuk et al used 2 methods for estimating neonate mortality and arrived at 50% and 37% respectively, which, when combined would yield a mortality estimate of 43%, with a huge error margin. They referred to another study by David Bain, which estimated this at 42%, for comparison. - The definition of neonate mortality is the mortality which occurs between birth and the age of 0.5 years, so if this is to be compared with the data available for the captive population, the spontaneous abortions and the deaths occurred between the ages of 0.5 and 1 year (if any) should be left out of the captive data set. - The suggestion that the neonate mortality in the captive population should be lower than in the wild population contains 2 implicit assumption, for which there is no evidence is supplied: 1) it is assumed that the causes of neonate are different in both populations (predation and parasites for instance will have no influence on stillbirths, for instance). 2) it is assumed that these causes are external factors that can be controlled in the captive environment. Regards, Jaap -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn jaap(\)tfs.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 11:49:41 -0500 From: "John A. Keinath" Subject: Dolphins/Info-request/fwd (fwd) please do not respond to me, thanks, jak ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 20:20:48 GMT From: Aldo-Pier Solari To: Multiple recipients of list FISH-ECOLOGY Subject: Dolphins/Info-request/fwd [Please, do not use the automatic reply to respond to this message]. ******************************************************************** At the FISH-ECOLOGY management, we have received a request from a journalist actually engaged in producing a dolphin documentary. I forward the request to the community in hope someone could inform Mr. Marius on the issues below. Please, contact him directly to . Thank you. APS/Lstownr. ******************************************************************** Forwarded message follows: Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 13:52:51 -0500 From: MrMarius(\)aol.com Subject: "Flipper" Returns Dear Mr. Solari, I am an assistant to the producer on an updated version of "Flipper" due to hit independent t.v. stations in September. We're developing the show right now and plan to start shooting in Late Spring/Early Summer. In our quest to right interesting and contemporary shows, we have to do a lot of research. I was wondering if you would forward the following queries to the SOLARIS network. There are no newsgroups or mailing lists on dolphin or marine research and from reading the description of your network, you members come closest to the areas we are researching. The following questions are as follows: 1.) If someone was to intentionally harm a dolphin, what governing body would have juristiction over them and what kinds of penalties would they incur? 2.) Does anyone know where I can find live footage of a dolphin birthing? Even if you don't know the answers to these questions, but know of a contact on the Internet or elsewhere that might be of some help, please let me know. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you, Scott Stevenson Assistant to the Producers MrMarius.aol.com .... end of message ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 09:04:52 -0800 From: Robin William Baird Subject: Looking for Monica Borovia (fwd) Forwarded message: Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 17:20:54 PST From: Jorge Urban Ramirez I will appreciate if someone can help me in how contact Monica Borovia Marine Mammals United Nations Environment Programme Nairobi, Kenia I tried with this fax with out results 2542 622788 Thank you Jorge Urban ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 12:29:58 -0800 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: California Assembly Bill 1737 Strange. Instead of opposing it, my first reaction would be to SUPPORT this Bill. Now, seriously, I think this kind of proposal is extremely positive, for it promotes debate on the ethics and limitations of intrusive and maipulatory research on wildlife, which all too often has been done either for the sake of curricular enhancement or to justify the continued commercial captivity of marine mammals (no specific mention to Hubbs-Sea World is intended, this is more of a general comment). Couldn't this Bill be perfected in order to serve as an actual safeguard for bona fide researchers? ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 14:54:15 EST From: Hal Caswell Subject: Re: Graduate work on Killer Whales Jason Drake asked for suggestions on graduate schools where he could study killer whales, after being inspired by the work of Bigg, Ford, etc. in the northeast Pacific. I don't have any particular help for that question, but I can make a suggestion that is generally applicable to students in gradschool-hunting mode: ask the people whose work interests you. Jason -- the best people to advise you are Ford, Balcomb, Olesiuk, etc. Write to them, describe what you want to do, and ask for their advice. In general, faculty are happy to advise potential grad students, and are among the best-informed sources about their particular specialty. Hal Caswell hcaswell(\)whoi.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 17:23:58 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Will A Boycott Save Canadian Seals? The International Wildlife Coalition (IWC) is undertaking a feasibility study to determine whether to call a boycott of Canadian products in an effort to protect seals in Atlantic Canada. The study will assess vulnerability of markets and geographical areas, as well as determine support for a boycott. The IWC will make a decision on whether to proceed with a boycott very shortly. Anne D ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 15:01:28 -0800 From: Michael Torok Subject: Re: California Assembly Bill 1737 In-Reply-To: <199503152145.NAA21473(\)netcom23.netcom.com> from "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr." at Mar 15, 95 12:29:58 pm > Now, seriously, I think this kind of proposal is extremely > positive, for it promotes debate on the ethics and limitations > of intrusive and maipulatory research on wildlife, which all > too often has been done either for the sake of curricular > enhancement or to justify the continued commercial captivity > of marine mammals (no specific mention to Hubbs-Sea World is > intended, this is more of a general comment). Oh please! The vast majority of marine mammal research (at least in the US) is valid and valuable. This kind of blanket write-off of 'intrusive and manipulatory research' is way off base. In my experience, most 'invasive' research with marine mammals consists of tagging and/or taking tissue samples. AB 1737 would ban such 'controversial' activities as flipper or fin tagging, blood sampling, swabbing of any orofice, and biopsies. It would most likely also ban attachment of any type of tracking device (radio/satellite tags) or TDR. Environmental organizations and rehab facilities would be exempt from these restrictions, because we all know they are the only ones who do valid research, and it doesn't hurt when they poke and prod. > Couldn't this Bill be perfected in order to serve as an actual > safeguard for bona fide researchers? I thought that was what the MMPA and NMFS were for. AB 1737 is a premier example of political correctness at its worst. Please direct all flames to mtorok(\)netcom.com -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 13:34:41 -0800 From: Pamela Yochem Subject: California Assembly Bill 1737 I am preparing a letter to the California Assembly's Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee to register my strong opposition to CA Bill 1737. I would like to be able to demonstrate the strength and breadth of opposition among marine mammal researchers by including a list of organizations opposed to this bill. If you are comfortable having your name added to such a list, please send an e-mail message directly to me (pyochem(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu). Better yet, if you send me a letter (address below) on your organization's letterhead, I will fax or mail them as a group to the Committee. Letters and faxes from California organizations carry the most weight, but letters from out-of-state biologists who study marine mammals in California also are welcome. Outlining for the Committee the types of conservation-related research (e.g., tag-resight studies for population estimation, investigations into causes of strandings, studies on effects of pollutants, disease-related research) that would be prohibited if this bill were passed would be especially helpful. Phone calls are not very effective unless followed up by a letter. Time is of the essence. I understand the Committee may be discussing this bill within the next two weeks. Thanks, Pam Yochem Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute 2595 Ingraham Street San Diego, CA 92109 FAX: 619-226-3944 Pamela K. Yochem, M.S., D.V.M. pyochem(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 17:22:40 -0500 From: Damon Job Subject: Book Wanted: Marine Mammal Sensory Systems Wanted: A used, unwanted copy of: Thomas, J.A., Kastelein, R.A., and A. Ya. Supin, Eds. 1992. Marine Mammal Sensory Systems. Plenum Press, New York, NY. Thanks ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 18:12:59 PST From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Pinnipeds and cod and other fish ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > >I've been following this thread with much interest. I basically agree >with Anne that the problem of crashing fish populations along the eastern >seaboard of N.A. can be laid squarely at the feet of the managers. I >disagree strongly with her supposition that science cannot answer the >questions to manage wildlife. Mark: I would respectfully suggest a little humility on the part of scientists as to their ability to manage wildlife. I would also raise the question of whether humans need a little more humility in adopting the stance that they need to or have the right to manage wildlife. We seem to be, with the support of scientists, managing it into extinction. We need to take wildlife management out of the hands of >politicians because of their tendency to do the expedient thing. Wildlife >management should be the domain of the people who understand the science >behind it. The alternatives of politics as usual, and 'touchy-feely' >wildlife management are equally distasteful in my view. Humility, humility. You seem to be saying that science, and inherent in that statement is scientific values, alone should decide the fate of life on earth. Do you really have such omniscience? I think science has been shafted by political expedience; however, I do think that science itself has a wide range of values;, science does not operate in a social, economic, political, or moral vaccuum, and no-one has voted, with the possible exception of some scientists, to declare science God. What are statements like "politics as usual" and "touchy-feely" wildlife management, if not value-laden, non-scientific statements? A scientific position based on excluding ethics is a moral position. Science affects all of our lives and I maintain the public's right to participate in decisions affecting life on earth. Anne D > > >-- >********************************************************************** >Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: >Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry >Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and >Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming >FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment >********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 18:13:31 PST From: John McMullan Subject: Request for Info ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am interested in studying for a degree in Zoology or Marine Biology. As I am a New Zealand citizen currently residing in the UK I would like to study via correspondence(initially). As I will be returning "down south" in the future a course run by a New Zealand or Australian university would be best but I would also be interested in any information on any "high quality" ones run anywhere else. If anyone has any information could they please reply directly to me to prevent clutter on MARMAN. Many thanks John McMullan john(\)jonkay.demon.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 18:14:35 PST From: "John A. Keinath" Subject: termination of research funding (fwd) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 21:45:47 -0500 From: Shane Paterson To: Multiple recipients of list BIOTELEM Subject: termination of research funding (fwd) Thought this terrible piece of news might be of interest to many of you (if the NURP program is cancelled it would sadly affect the state of aquatic research in this country)... Shane Paterson ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Dear Colleagues: A major program for federal funding of basic marine research has just been fully rescinded (i.e., completely and retroactively terminated) by the House, and the rescission bill containing this termination is now being considered by the Senate. This message is an appeal for you to fax your senator to save this program. The program on the chopping block is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Undersea Research Program (NURP). Through several centers scattered along the coastal United States, NURP funds basic research on global oceanic processes, coastal ecology and geology, submersible technology, and diving physiology. Grants from NURP are low-overhead, and support graduate students and usually not PI's, so most of the funds go directly to research. NURP is a fundamentally important and productive program for enhancing our knowledge of the oceans. Regardless of your political perspective, this is not the kind of rescission that is good for our nation. I urge you to fax your own senators, as well as Senator Mark Hatfield (Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee--fax: 202-224-0276), requesting that they save NURP. My contact in Washington, Bob Wicklund (one of the NURP center directors), informs me that Senator Hatfield is not particularly pleased with the rescission package, so your message will not fall on deaf ears. Please forward this message to whomever you believe may be sympathetic. If you do fax your senator, please drop me an e-mail line so I know how much support this message garnered. Thanks for your help! ***************************** Mark Hixon Department of Zoology 3029 Cordley Hall Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331-2914 USA phone: (503) 737-5364 fax: (503) 737-0501 e-mail: hixonm(\)bcc.orst.edu ***************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 18:16:11 PST From: Toni or Jim Frohoff Subject: Re: Pinnipeds and cod and other fish In-Reply-To: <199503141834.KAA03375(\)netcom2.netcom.com> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- As a member of the Ballard Locks Pinniped-Fisheries Task Force, I offer comments on the following statements provided by Michael Torak - > I've been following this thread with much interest. I basically agree > with Anne that the problem of crashing fish populations along the eastern > seaboard of N.A. can be laid squarely at the feet of the managers. Then, who is responsible? > I disagree strongly with her supposition that science cannot answer the > questions to manage wildlife. I believe there has been a lot of progress > in answering many questions related to population management. Given my graduate training in wildlfie biology, I ackwowldedge wholeheartedly that wildlife managers/biologists have answered a lot of questions. But a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing if we presume that just because we can figure out a little piece of the puzzle, that we are competent to put the whole thing together correctly when we have never even tried before. As observed in the wildlife literature, culling as a wildlife managmement tool is widely acknowledged to be innefective and often detrimental. Consequently, we are not even talking about an experiment here - we are talking about one which has failed repeatedly in the past. >Wildlife management should be the domain of the people who understand >the science > behind it. The alternatives of politics as usual, and 'touchy-feely' > wildlife management are equally distasteful in my view. It is my opinion that people who are truly knowledgable about wildlife sciences and have lots of hands-on experiences are acutely aware of the relative infancy of the science and the limited knowledge available. There is nothing "touch-feely" about being aware of our knowledge limitations as wildlife biologists or being conservative about dessimating huge numbers of animals in a far-reaching experiment. A few years in school and in the field does not give us licence to experiment with "resources" that belong to EVERYONE. I believe that what you refer to as "touchy-feely" is considered by other biologists to be "responsible science". This issue is obviously a controversial one, heated with emotion and politics from every angle (including those which are supposed to be fairly objective). There are many perspectives which need to be considered and, as I found while serving on the task force, the lack of scientific data available is shocking. Our worldwide decline of fisheries and our perceived conflict between marine mammals and fisheries will likely prove to be one of the most problematic and frustrating situations that wildlife biologists have encountered. This is a situtation in which there is much dissent, even within the scientific community. Toni Frohoff ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 10:06:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: CA Bill CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY BILL No, this bill cannot be "fixed" to protect bona fide researchers because the people behind it are clearly not interested in doing that. The language of the bill makes it clear that they want to eliminate any activity that they don't like the look of - and that includes, as Torok says, biopsy and tagging. The reality behind the activity - i.e. whether it really does have a negative impact on the animal concerned - and the value of the work to conservation, are all cheerfully ignored. I am not dealing here with the captivity issue, merely the research. This is yet another attempt by people who know nothing about the value of research or real wildlife management to impose their views irrespective of the cost to the animals concerned. One such individual said to me a while ago - and this is verbatim - that "molecular genetics has absolutely no relevance to conserv ation management". The person concerned was professionally involved with marine mammals, which made her statement all the more astonishing. If the people who are trying to ban this work think it is genuinely in the interest of the animals, perhaps they would like to inform us how they propose to reliably discrim inate subpopulations without t he aid of genetics to formulate management policy on such issues as (random example from many) harbor porpoise. This animal is currently suffering huge mortalities from entanglement in some areas, and management based upon incorrect beliefs abo ut population structure could be devastating in its impact. I am not blindly defending all research practices - there are some that I do not think are of much value - but I am very tired of individuals living in Cloud Cuckoo Land compromising the activities of those people who spend much of their live s attempting to deal with often urgent problems of management in the real world. The last thing they need is LESS information on which to base decisions about populations that may already be on the brink. Especially now that the Gingrich Mafia is trying to systematically gut every major environmental statute on the books. Fiat lux, Phillip J. Clapham, Ph.D. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 16:00:51 -0800 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: Baby Killer Whale Jaap van der Toorn wrote, in response to my comments about the neonate mortality rate in captivity: "A few corrections might be in order, I guess. - Olesiuk et al. used 2 methods for estimating neonate mortality and arrived at 50% and 37% respectively, which, when combined would yield a mortality estimate of 43%, with a huge error margin. They referred to another study by David Bain, which estimated this at 42%, for comparison." My original message said "the infant mortality rate is estimated to be about 40-45% (see Olesiuk et al....)." I said "see" the Olesiuk reference precisely because I was simply offering a paraphrased version of their estimates. I'm afraid I don't quite follow why Jaap thinks this needed to be corrected, since both 43% and 42% fall within the range I provided... "- The definition of neonate mortality is the mortality which occurs between birth and the age of 0.5 years, so if this is to be compared with the data available for the captive population, the spontaneous abortions and the deaths that occurred between the ages of 0.5 and 1 year (if any) should be left out of the captive data set." This is a valid point and one I admit I missed. I've double-checked my data sources (Erich Hoyt, The Performing Orca -- Why the Show Must Stop, Appendix 4, published in 1992 by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society; and the three recent deaths of which I am aware -- one each at Sea World, Vancouver Aquarium, and Kamogawa Sea World) and found that 16 of the neonate mortalities I mentioned strictly fit the appropriate criteria (of the other four, two were stillborn calves that appeared full-term but were conceived in the wild and therefore may have been late-term spontaneous abortions and two were known spontaneous abortions). This still gives a neonate mortality rate in captivity of greater than 50%. "- The suggestion that the neonate mortality in the captive population should be lower than in the wild population contains 2 implicit assumptions, for which there is no evidence supplied: 1) it is assumed that the causes of neonate mortality are different in both populations (predation and parasites for instance will have no influence on stillbirths). 2) it is assumed that these causes are external factors that can be controlled in the captive environment." Well, there are many things I could say to this. First, in regard to the first point, I think parasites could have some influence over stillbirths -- if the mother, rather than the calf, is parasitized while she is pregnant, her odds of producing a stillbirth may be increased. Second, I think it is intuitive to say that any physiological stress brought about through, just as one example, poor foraging opportunities for the mother during pregnancy (say, a bad year for prey production or a redistribution in prey to areas outside normal foraging routes) would affect calf viability (especially in the instance of a stillbirth). Therefore, this at least must be a differing potential source of neonate mortality between the two environments -- captivity provides a regular, reliable, and plentiful source of food (although its quality is debatable). Third, ironically enough, I agree to some extent with Jaap's second point. On the one hand, I do think there is some evidence that this assumption is true -- for instance, using a comparative approach, neonate mortality frequently decreases in zoos and aquaria for a variety of mammalian, reptilian, and avian species (of course, it also increases dramatically for others, to the point in some cases where a viable birth has never been observed despite efforts to produce one, as with pandas, if I'm not mistaken). So apparently with some species, there are external factors affecting neonate mortality that CAN be controlled in a captive setting. On the other hand, and here is where I am in some agreement with Jaap, I was actually basing my suggestion on an argument frequently used by the industry itself -- they (not I!) are always claiming that captivity protects their captive whales and dolphins from "predators, pollution, and parasites," provides regular veterinary care, and gives them plentiful food on a regular basis. The industry uses that as an argument for saying that life is BETTER for their captive cetaceans and for saying that their animals are healthier and will demonstrate, given enough time, increased life expectancies over the wild (in fact, many industry representatives claim that life expectancies have already increased, although I certainly have never seen the data to support this claim). In other words, BY THE INDUSTRY'S OWN ARGUMENTS AND ASSUMPTIONS, "why isn't the infant mortality rate substantially improved in captivity?" This question, which I posed in my original message, was NOT so much asked because I thought the neonate mortality rate SHOULD be improved in captivity as to question the internal logic of the industry. Jaap's second point is a criticism much more applicable to the industry -- either captivity can control external factors against which wild cetaceans are undefended (which they claim for their animals in general) or captivity cannot do so (which they inexplicably claim for neonates only -- they frequently point out the high neonate mortality rate in the wild to defend their neonate deaths, as Vancouver did for Bjossa's calf). So, according to the industry, somehow captivity helps cetaceans in general but doesn't improve things at all for neonates. There is obviously a fundamental inconsistency here. I don't think it is too much to ask that whatever arguments are used be evenly and consistently applied. Jaap's points notwithstanding, I think it is reasonable to expect neonate mortality for killer whales to be improved in captivity, based on what is seen with other species and ON THE INDUSTRY'S OWN ARGUMENTS. That it is not, based on the best data available (and those aren't so great, as I pointed out in my previous messages -- captive neonate mortality is, if anything, worse than it appears) is a conundrum that the industry needs to defend, not me. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 21:27:53 -0800 From: Michael Torok Subject: Status of AB 1737 I have been informed through an informal conversation with a colleague working with Earth Island Institute that their organization originally sponsored AB 1737 along with a number of other environmental organizations. Furthermore, in response to the outcry from marine mammal research organizations, the director of EII has assured my colleague they intend to remove all the language pertaining to restrictions on scientific research with marine mammals in California and re-submit the bill. It would appear their main objective is to halt capture and display of marine mammals, and they went overboard in their original draft. I would still urge anyone interested to send off their opposition letters to make sure the committee does not have a change of heart at the last minute. -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 11:22:16 +1000 From: suzanne.muloin(\)jcu.edu.au Greetings to everyone on the "Marine Mammals Research and Conservation Discussion List" from tropical Townsville in Australia! I have just joined the discussion list and found it very interesting reading the correspondence. I am a staff member from the University of Newcastle in NSW on a leave of absence for two years (I have one year left!) to begin work on my PhD. I am a graduate student at James Cook University in Townsville, Qld. I am about to begin my data collection and am, therefore, in the final stages of my instrument design. The topic of my study is "The Psychological Benefits Experienced from Human-Wildlife Interactions" with a focus on cetaceans. Part of my research will involve a comparison study of whale watching between Australia and North America. At present, I will be working with Dr. Bob Otis from Ripon Colege in the USA on the resident killer whales off SJI. I am also hoping to collect data at the Vanc. Aquarium, but given the current political situation, a decision has yet to be made. My sites in Australia include Hervey Bay (Humpbacks) and Sea World as well as the Dolphin Feeding Program on Moreton Island. I am looking at different "structures of experience" (ie. Natural vs articial settings). My background is in Psychology and NOT in the marine sciences hence it is a social science based study. Anyhow, the point of this letter is to find out if anyone has any information that would be helpful to my research (ie. articles, news clippings, references, contact persons, brochures, etc). I will be in Canada/US from 1 May to 10 July of this year so time is running out. In exchange, if there is any information I can provide anyone with, please let me know. I can be contacted directly at the following e-mail address: suzanne.muloin(\)jcu.edu.au or at the following FAX no 61+77+251116 (this includes the country and area codes). I hope to hear from someone out there!! Regards, Sue Muloin, PhD student Dept of Tourism James Cook University Townsville, Queensland 4811 Australia ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 16:55:20 -0800 From: Michael Torok Subject: Committee Member Addresses For those who would like to send a letter in opposition to California State Assembly bill AB 1737 directly to any Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee members, here are the relevant addresses: California State Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife State Capitol, Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-6164 Committee Members =========================================================== Dominic Cortese 100 Paseo de San Antonio, Suite 300 D, 23rd District San Jose, CA 95113 Chairman State Capitol, Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-8243 Robert Campbell 815 Estudillo Street D, 11th District Martinez, CA 94553 State Capitol, Room 2163 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-7890 Sal Cannella 950 10th Street, Suite 8 D, 26th District Modesto, CA 95354 State Capitol, Room 5155 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-8570 Denise Ducheny Moreno 430 Davidson Street, Suite B D, 79th District Chula Vista, CA 91910 State Capitol, Room 2170 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-7556 Dan Hauser State Building D, 1st District 50 D Street State Capitol, Room 2003 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-8360 Richard Katz 9140 Van Nuys Boulevard, Suite 109 D, 39th District Panorama City, CA 91402 State Capitol, Room 3146 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-1616 Kevin Murray 5601 W. Slauson Avenue, Suite 153 D, 47th District Culver City, CA 90230 State Capitol, Room 4067 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-8800 Peter Frusetta 321 First Street, Suite A R, 28th District Hollister, CA 95023 Vice-Chairman State Capitol, Room 5175 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-7380 Doris Allen 5252 Orange Avenue, Suite 100 R, 67th District Cypress, CA 90630 State Capitol, Room 6028 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-6233 Jim Battin 73-710 Fred Waring Drive, Suite 112 R, 80th District Palm Desert, CA 92260 State Capitol, Room 2002 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-5416 Keith Olberg 14011 Park Avenue 470 R, 34th District Victoville, CA 92392 State Capitol, Room 4102 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-8102 Charles Poochigian 2497 West Shaw R, 29th District Fresno, CA 93711 State Capitol, Room 2130 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-2931 Brian Setencich 3475 West Shaw Avenue, Suite 104 R, 30th District Fresno, CA 93711 State Capitol, Room 2158 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-7558 Bruce Thompson 27555 Ynez Road, Suite 205 R, 66th District Temecula, CA 92691 State Capitol, Room 2179 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-1676 -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 08:27:55 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Subject: Vancouver stillbirth We've just received the Vancouver Aquarium's preliminary report on the March 8 stillbirth of an orca calf, indicating the calf died of anoxia, probably caused by premature rupture of the umbilical cord. According to consulting vet Dr. David Huff, this could have occurred within the uterus, "and may be related to the size of the calf (the second largest ever birthed in captivity), twisting within the uterus, and/or the activity of the mother." Here's the big question, and as a journalist I'd appreciate on-the-record answers from the people out there with the most expertise: is it possible this occurred because the mother was unable to swim in a linear direction throughout the birthing? In other words, did she have to make turns, within labor, that might have caused the calf to shift and tear the umbilicus prematurely? We have video on hand of a number of cetacean births in the wild (though not of orcas), and as nearly as I can tell, the mother always swims in a straight unbroken line throughout the process. If this is a possible factor, it might be possible that Sea World has a markedly better record at birthing orcas (despite the recent loss of a young orca) than any other institution simply because the Sea World orcas are able to swim straight longer, reducing the risk of birthing accidents (which could also include pinching off the flow of oxygen through the umbilicus at times during the delivery, leading to brain damage.) I'd like to point out that this isn't necessarily a pro-or-anti captivity issue; it could also be a conditions-of-captivity issue, suggesting that captive breeding should only be attempted at the larger facilities. I'm not looking for an answer to beat anyone over the head with; I'm looking for clues as to what works or doesn't work, and why, so that I can more accurately explain the situation to my keenly interested but very polarized readership. Thank you, and appreciating your informed perspectives, Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. P.S.--We're within three days of final deadline for April; will need your responses promptly. [ANIMAL PEOPLE is a newspaper, providing independent professional coverage of the whole range of animal protection issues & perspectives since 1992. Subscriptions are $18/year, $30/2 years, or $40/3 years; write to POB 205, Shushan, NY 12873. We'll send a free sample on request--just provide your full U.S. postal address.] ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 12:25:35 GMT From: harland_e(\)taz.dra.hmg.gb Subject: ref: Biosonar Peter Sugerman describes how he was able to play a tune by moving his hand in front of a dolphin and this modulated the sound from his monitor loudspeaker. I wonder if Peter can tells us whether this modulation was of the repetition rate of the echolocation clicks or of the centre frequency of the clicks. Since the animal emits a wideband pulse from a single fixed aperture, the apparent centre frequency of each pulse will be proportional to the angle away from the centre line of the head. If the animal is swinging its head to follow Peter's hand, then this will have the effect of modulating both the intensity and centre frequency of the clicks picked up by a monitoring system located off the centre line of the animal. If the animal was located very close to Peter's hand then as it swang back and forth this would also change the range and the animal could well be modifying the pulse repetition rate to match the changed range. Ed Harland Harland_e(\)dra.hmg.gb ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 11:35:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Fishing Impact Fishing Impact By MALCOLM RITTER AP Science Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- Commercial fishing takes up a larger share of the ocean's algae than scientists had thought, at the expense of whales, dolphins and other marine life, a new study says. The competition should be eased by setting up some no-fishing zones along offshore areas called continental shelves, said researcher Daniel Pauly of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He and Villy Christensen analyzed the issue at the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management in Manila, Philippines. They present results in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. Algae are the ocean's ultimate source of food energy, sustaining animals through food chains. The researchers calculated that 8 percent of annual algae production sustains the food chains whose fish are caught commercially. That is nearly four times the previous estimate, they said. The percentage of algae consumption is much higher for the continental shelves, where Pauly said about 90 percent of the world's catch takes place. For shelves that are home to such popular species as cod, haddock, herring and flounder, about one-third of the algae essentially work "for us," Pauly said. The share of algae that sustains commercial fishing is therefore not available to food chains that eventually feed seabirds and large marine mammals like whales and dolphins, he said. Pauly advocated setting up no-fishing zones on continental shelves. Richard Gutting Jr., vice president for government relations of the National Fisheries Institute, an industry group, said vast ocean areas have already been set aside as no-fishing zones. "Here in the United States, the more urgent issue is whether we can continue to feed exploding populations of marine mammals, such as seals and sea lions, which are competing for seafood with human beings," he said. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 11:34:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Norway-Seal Hunting Norway-Seal Hunting By DOUG MELLGREN Associated Press Writer OSLO, Norway (AP) -- For the first time in six years, Norway is allowing hunters to kill seal pups -- only this time, they can't use spiked clubs. Trying to deflect international criticism, the government said the hunt was partly a research project to test killing methods when announcing it Wednesday. Norway had previously barred the hunt for baby seals mainly because pictures of hunters bludgeoning snowy white pups provoked intense international protests. It continued hunting adult seals. Hunters once clubbed the pups in the head to avoid damaging their pelts, which can be sold for high prices. But this season, the government says they have to shoot 2,600 slightly older, weaned pups instead. In addition, Norway announced a hunting quota of 20,625 adult seals this year. Fisheries Minister Jan Henry T. Olsen said scientists will study the dead pups to chart growth patterns and to determine why death rates among pups vary greatly from year to year. The ban on commercial hunting and the spiked clubs would remain in affect this year, he added. Norway is already facing protests, sabotage attempts and boycotts because it resumed commercial whale-hunting in 1993 after a six-year break. Olsen defended the seal pup hunt, as well as legalized whaling, as important to Norway's ecologic balance and fish resources. "We have to harvest seals and whales because they consume a great deal of fish and if they were allowed to increase without control there would be less" fish for people, he said. The government has also been under pressure from the seal-hunting industry, whose stock of valuable seal pup pelts has run out. They have a surplus of adult pelts, but those are more difficult to sell because they are not as soft or durable. The government is allowing baby seal pelts from the research hunt to be sold, however, prompting evironmentalists to call foul. "Of course we see this in light of the whale hunt, where Norway started research hunts and then went on to commercial hunts," said Geir Wang-Anderson of the environmental group Greenpeace. "It's clear there is a lot of pressure (from seal hunters)." Norway grudgingly gave up its commercial whale hunts after 1986, but continued research hunts until resuming commercial whale hunts in 1993. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 14:33:49 ADT From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) I won't disagree that seals conjure up strong images for many people. However, images are in large part due to what information we have received growing-up, and what we are subject to on a daily basis. There is also a human aspect to our fisheries, often ignored by strong anti-sealing advocates. I'd like to offer the following in a response to the strong response by Anne Doncaster. TO ENTER INTO THE FRAY..... Well, to jump into the fray..... It appears that the supermarket version of "National Enquirer" is more important than scientific facts. If Paul Watson wanted to have any credability, he would not tie-in Lorraina Bobbit to seals. The $0.20/lb "so-called bounty" is an attempt to revitalize a depressed market for seal profits, in order to "jump-start" the economics. We should not forget that Greenpeace and the I.F.A.W. stopped the market by having kids dress-up as seals in front of the British Parliament, and having graphic pictures of the hunt. Watson also states, for media sensationalism, that pups are to be hunted. This is you-know- what! The government has made it deliberately clear that ONLY adults are to be hunted. Watson is again playing his favourite game, by purposely clouding the issue. There is an estimated 3 - 25 million harp seals alone, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The paltry 186,000 quota of adults will not put a dent in this years population numbers, and will have only marginal effects on the increase in next years increase in seal numbers. Remember the quotas from the hunt from 10-15 years ago? And the numbers were rising still then. When attempting to manage a fishery (poorly or wisely), would it be correct to have both predators (in this case the seals) and prey (the fish) managed, and then remove controls on the predators ? What would you expect to happen to the predator population ? You may say but "We shouldn't touch the seals, we should let NATURE take care of it". Well, I suggest we as humans are NATURE, and the reason we screw things up so much is that we forget it by living in concrete jungles away from the ecosystems we claim to care about. Also, if clubbing was so cruel (even though various studies indicated massive brain hemmoraghing was one of the more "humane" methods of killing), is severe parasitism, herpes outbreaks, and starvation a less "cruel" way to cull herds ? Also, this goes on in slaughter houses and farms across the globe daily. I don't see Greenpeace demonstrating outside slaughterhouses. Yes, clubbing IS GRAPHIC, and possibly cruel. But then, living in these barren outposts is a "cruel" way of life, too. It would be okay to viewers if the clubber was native, or a polar bear - but why the outrage when the clubber is a poor newfoundland fisherman ? It is simply perception - the way we we brought up to "see" things. We have to think long-term, and with logic. Nobody, ESPECIALLY the newfoundland fishermen, believe the seals ARE the reason the cod stocks declined. However, the seals may be one reason the cod stocks are having such a hard time in recovering (along with overfishing from foreign trawlers on the nose and tail of the banks, and climatic changes). We should not believe that seals eat take-out pizza flown-in by Watson, the benevolent seal-lover. Known how much Watson makes a year of similar campains ? It would scare you. SEALS EAT FISH ! It's that simple ! Harp seals eat from 3-3.5 % of their body weight in fish per day, times 365.25 days in a year, times a mean weight of 60-100 kg, times 3 - 25 million seals. By the most conservative estimates, that's over 3,287,250,000 lbs of fish removed from the Atlantic coast per year by only harp seals - and could be as high as 3,195,937,500,000 lbs/yr !!! Whether it's capelin (a prey species for cod and other fish) of cod itself (most studies done on harp seals and what they eat suggest they eat less cod, but most studies have been on the whelping grounds in the Gulf of St. Lawrence away from the banks, where cod population is lower), that's a lot of fish being removed from the ecosystem !! So where does this lead us ? To a low-level resumption of the seal hunt. We have world hunger and an exploding seal population. Doesn't it make sense to utilize this food resource? What do you say to the Newfoundland fisherman, who's way of life is destroyed, a way of life since the 1600's. Who earns maybe $7,000/yr, trying to feed his kids - Where an extra $1000 would mean the difference between having or not having a single christmas present to give to his kids. Who watches his boat rust idle at the wharf, while seals (harbour, grey, hooded and harp) play in the harbour and eat fish, sometimes eat bait boxes in lobster traps, get into aquaculture facilities and thereby destroy hopes of future jobs, get entangled in nets, etc. Then a yuppie arrives from California (where the Sea Sheperd Society is located), and says "Hey, dude. You can't eat those seals, they're cute - I LOVE them. I was brought up on Jacques Cousteau, and it's my mission in life is to SAVE them". (even though other species are really in jeopardy of being extinct or expirated). Where the fisherman and generations of his family have made a life from the sea, and now are being told by Paul Watson et. al. that they are wrong, and their way of life is wrong. This is where the Newfoundlanders and other coastal peoples have suffered an incredable indignity and insult. Where all the strong, independent, and resourceful coastal people are being dictated to from outsiders - who never have SEEN this seal before up close. The fishermen doesn't even have a say in the matter, the media ignores him and tells half-truths and lies to the rest of the world. The fisherman is told to move to Toronto to work in a factory, a place where all wildness is gone, and his soul with it. What would you say to that fisherman and his children? How would you feel in his position ? ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 10:04:49 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Seal Hunts. On Mar. 15, 1995, Norwegian officials announced that hunters will be allowed to kill 2,600 weaned seal pups for research on nutrition and growth of seal pups as well as on improved killing methods. [Reuters, Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 10:17:24 GMT+1200 From: "Dr. David Helweg" Subject: biosonar references available FYI to those of you who have followed the thread regarding animal biosonar -- I would be happy to email the complete reference list from Helweg, D.A. (1993). Recognition of aspect-dependent geometric solids by an echolocating Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. PhD Thesis. University of Hawai'i at Manoa. This includes not only an extensive review of cetacean biosonar literature, but also review of pertinent material from bat echolocation, human perception, and neural network studies as well. cheers, Dave H. ------------------------- David A. Helweg Department of Psychology, University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand FAX (+64 +9) 373-7450 email da.helweg(\)auckland.ac.nz ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 13:59:56 GMT From: harland_e(\)taz.dra.hmg.gb Subject: Tuneful biosonar Peter Sugarman writes that the dolphin was approximately 2 metres in front of him and that he was swinging his arm in the horizontal plane. Assuming the 2 metres was tip of nose to tip of nose and Peter's arm was 70cm long, then the acoustic path will vary from 1.3m to 2.1m approximately. If the velocity of sound propagation is taken as 1500m/s then the acoustic travel time will vary from 1.73mS to 2.8mS. Assuming a processing time for the animal of three times the pulse length then the maximum repetition rate will vary from 530Hz to 335Hz approx. This is less than an octave, but more than adequate for simple tunes. If the animal takes longer than three pulse lengths to turn the pulse around then the frequency will be reduced and the frequency range will also be reduced. Similarly, varying the mean range will move the rep rate up and down the scales with a similar expansion and contraction of frequency range. I wonder if you can remember the frequency range the pulses were varying over, Peter? Incidentally, has anyone out there measured the velocity of sound in the water used in dolphinaria? Ed Harland harland_e(\)dra.hmg.gb ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 09:55:27 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) >TO ENTER INTO THE FRAY..... > >Well, to jump into the fray..... > >Watson also states, for media sensationalism, that pups are to be hunted. This >is you-know-what! The government has made it deliberately clear that ONLY >adults are to be hunted. Watson is again playing his favourite game, by >purposely clouding the issue. Most of the seals hunted since the DFO ban on killing whitecoats for commercial purposes have been young-of-the year, that is harp seals from the age of approximately 10 days of age (as soon as their white coats are no longer "fast") and a few months of age. DFO calls them adult seals. We call them seal pups or if you will, baby seals. Norway calls them seal pups and baby seals. Norway"s recent decision (announcement, Mar. 15 Reuters) to take 2600 seal pups for scientific purposes (the meat and pelts will be sold to avoid waste!) specifically states that unweaned pups will not be taken but the hunt will resume for baby seals older than 12-14 days. Therefore, Norway agrees with our definition of "baby seals". >There is an estimated 3 - 25 million harp seals alone, in the Gulf of >St. Lawrence. All I can say is that someone is counting by 8's plus. Where on earth did the figure of 25 million harp seals come from? The DFO's own most recent report based on its 1990 survey, and distributed at the sealing forum in St. John's estimates 3.1 million. >Well, I suggest we as humans are NATURE, and the reason we >screw things up so much is that we forget it by living in concrete >jungles away from the ecosystems we claim to care about. Excuse me, who screwed up the fishery? The residents of concrete jungles were, as always, left out of the decision-making process, and the people with the economic stake in fish wreaked the havoc. >Also, if clubbing was so cruel (even though various studies indicated >massive brain hemmoraghing was one of the more "humane" methods of >killing), is severe parasitism, herpes outbreaks, and starvation a >less "cruel" way to cull herds ? This is what a friend of mine calls the theory of "preventative euthanasia"; kill wildlife to spare it the horrors of nature. >We have to think long-term, and with logic. Where was the long-term thinking and logic during the destruction of one of the greatest fisheries in the world? > >However, the seals may be one reason the cod stocks are having such a hard >time >in recovering There is not scientific evidence to support this position. >What would you say to that fisherman and his children? How would you feel in >>his position ? I'd say firstly, there is nothing anyone can do to bring back the fish you destroyed and secondly, as a resident of this planet, I deeply resent the environmental disaster you have precipitated. The fish did not belong to you. The seals do not belong to you. They are part of the heritage of the natural world and, in my opinion, every human being has a responsibility to protect them. Anne D ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 12:16:20 -0500 From: Orcasurv(\)aol.com Subject: Lolita coalition Coalition to Free Lolita not supporting protest at Miami Seaquarium MIAMI BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 16, 1995--The Coalition to Free Lolita -- the Miami-based organization working to free the orca ``Lolita'' and send her home to her native state of Washington -- will not participate in the March 18 demonstration at the Miami Seaquarium being organized by the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida. Coalition leader Jerry Powers, publisher of Ocean Drive Magazine, said: ``While we and the Foundation share a strong concern for Lolita and both wish to see her freed in her home waters, the Coalition does not support the protest because we believe there are other, more effective ways to work out a solution with the Seaquarium,'' said Powers. The Coalition,'' Powers continued, ``plans to go forward with our efforts to negotiate with the owners of the Seaquarium to provide a better environment for Lolita and develop a winning alternative for the Seaquarium.'' The Coalition to Free Lolita is working to: Build public awareness of Lolita's condition and the health risks associated with continued solitary life in her concrete tank. Educate the community regarding the process by which an orca may be safely rehabilitated and gradually returned to a more natural living environment. Convince the Miami Seaquarium to participate in the freeing of Lolita, and -- Convert the Seaquarium into a new, high-tech marine mammal educational attraction featuring a major film documentary on the process by which Lolita is released. Marine biologist and whale specialist Ken Balcomb, scientific lead of the Coalition, has urged the Seaquarium to allow Lolita to be transported to a large fenced-in natural seawater cove in her native Washington state waters. There, she would be closely monitored and gradually rehabilitated, learning to catch her own food. If she does not meet the criteria for release into open waters, she would live out her life in a natural environment, where she could potentially reach 80 years old. In captivity, an orca's life expectancy is considerably less than one-half that age. If Lolita does acclimate successfully, she would be given the option to swim freely and rejoin her family in the waters where she was captured nearly 25 years ago. She would be closely monitored. If she does not thrive, she would be recaptured and returned to the fenced cove. Supporting the efforts of the Coalition to Free Lolita, top Hollywood director/producer Richard Donner (known for such films as ``Free Willy,'' ``Lethal Weapon 1, 2, 3'' and ``Superman,'' among others), has offered to produce a major documentary about the release process. The film would be donated to the Seaquarium as compensation for the loss of Lolita. Other marine life attractions, such as the seaquarium in Monterey, Calif., continue to successfully draw large crowds without the use of live marine mammals. CONTACT: Gordon Sloan Diaz-Balart, Coral Gables, Fla. Transmitted: 95-03-16 15:01:12 EST ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 09:34:00 TZ From: Peter Sugarman Subject: Re: ref: Biosonar Ed Harland asks | Peter Sugarman describes how he was able to play a tune by moving | his hand in front of a dolphin and this modulated the sound from his | monitor loudspeaker. I wonder if Peter can tell us whether this modulation | was of the repetition rate of the echolocation clicks or of the centre | frequency of the clicks. Given Paul Nachtigall's comment about dolphin echolocation clicks, | If an animal is asked to search for an object and its echolocation clicks | are examined, one usually finds that the animal' click repetition | rate matches the distance to the object. I assume that was I was hearing changes in the click repetition rate. I do not know whether this was actually changes in click repetition rate or changes to the center frequency or a combination of both. However, the dolphin was about 2m away when it was echolocating on my hand. Can anyone help out there? Peter Sugarman ---------- | From: Ed Harland | To: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM | Subject: ref: Biosonar | Date: Thursday, March 16, 1995 12:25PM | | Peter Sugarman describes how he was able to play a tune by moving | his hand in front of a dolphin and this modulated the sound from his | monitor loudspeaker. I wonder if Peter can tell us whether this modulation | was of the repetition rate of the echolocation clicks or of the centre | frequency of the clicks. | | Since the animal emits a wideband pulse from a single fixed aperture, the | apparent centre frequency of each pulse will be proportional to the angle | away from the centre line of the head. If the | animal is swinging its head | to follow Peter's hand, then this will have the effect of modulating both | the intensity and centre frequency of the clicks picked up by a monitoring | system located off the centre line of the animal. | | If the animal was located very close to Peter's hand then as it swang back | and forth this would also change the range and the animal could well be | modifying the pulse repetition rate to match the changed range. | | Ed Harland | Harland_e(\)dra.hmg.gb ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 13:46:15 -0500 From: Stephen Best Subject: Fishing May Hurt Ocean Balance (fwd) In regards to the following news item, can anybody tell me where -- and the size of -- the "vast ocean areas [that] have already been set aside as no-fishing zones" are located as stated by Richard Gutting Jr., vice president for government relations of the National Fisheries Institute in response to the suggestion of the establishment of no-fishing zones on the continental shelf to help conserve fisheries? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Fishing May Hurt Ocean Balance Copyright: 1995 by The Associated Press, R Date: Wed, 15 Mar 95 15:50:23 PST NEW YORK (AP) -- Commercial fishing takes up a larger share of the ocean's algae than scientists had thought, at the expense of whales, dolphins and other marine life, a new study says. The competition should be eased by setting up some no-fishing zones along offshore areas called continental shelves, said researcher Daniel Pauly of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He and Villy Christensen analyzed the issue at the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management in Manila, Philippines. They present results in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. Algae are the ocean's ultimate source of food energy, sustaining animals through food chains. The researchers calculated that 8 percent of annual algae production sustains the food chains whose fish are caught commercially. That is nearly four times the previous estimate, they said. The percentage of algae consumption is much higher for the continental shelves, where Pauly said about 90 percent of the world's catch takes place. For shelves that are home to such popular species as cod, haddock, herring and flounder, about one-third of the algae essentially work ``for us,'' Pauly said. The share of algae that sustains commercial fishing is therefore not available to food chains that eventually feed seabirds and large marine mammals like whales and dolphins, he said. Pauly advocated setting up no-fishing zones on continental shelves. Richard Gutting Jr., vice president for government relations of the National Fisheries Institute, an industry group, said vast ocean areas have already been set aside as no-fishing zones. ``Here in the United States, the more urgent issue is whether we can continue to feed exploding populations of marine mammals, such as seals and sea lions, which are competing for seafood with human beings,'' he said. ---- Stephen Best, Vice President | Tel: 519/925-3440 International Wildlife Coalition | Fax: 519/925-2003 PO Box 988, Shelburne | e-mail: sbest(\)inforamp.net Ontario, Canada, L0N 1S0 | CIS: 76407,526 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 16:56:04 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: workshop on cetacean diving behaviour? Greetings, In the last few years a fair number of studies of diving behaviour of cetaceans have been undertaken, but still relatively little is known about cetacean diving in comparison to pinnipeds (this thought comes to mind as I sit here trying to revise a manuscript on killer whale diving behaviour). To my knowledge, there are at least some data available for 12 species of cetaceans (from free-ranging wild animals), and projects on several additional species are planned by various investigators. Little or nothing has been published (yet) for at least 5 of these species, and data for a couple are only from a single animal or a very small number of animals, but I think there may have been enough studies undertaken to date to warrant getting the various investigators together to talk about interpretation of cetacean diving data, biases in data collection etc. I know that some of these aspects have been discussed in several small workshops over the last few years, but these have focused primarily on pinniped studies, and have had limited attendance. The field seems to be developing quickly, and I think studies of cetacean diving behaviour pose some different biases/conditions/opportunities not found with pinnipeds. For those who have worked on, are currently working on, or who are planning cetacean diving studies in the near future, I would like to propose an evening workshop to be held during the 11th Biennial Conference in Orlando, during December 1995, if time and space are available. I would be interested in hearing from investigators who fall into the above categories whether they feel such a workshop would be worthwhile and whether they'd be interested in participating. TTFN, Robin ====================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Research Group Current address: P.O. Box 6244 Centro Interdisciplinario de Victoria, B.C. Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR) V8P 5L5 Canada APDO. Postal 476 y 592, La Paz Phone 604-380-1925 B.C.S., C.P. 23000, Mexico Fax 604-380-1206 Phone 52-112-25344 or -25366 E-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca Fax 52-112-25322 ====================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Mar 1995 12:14:01 MET Reply-To: KZBINDEN(\)phil.unibe.ch From: Zbinden Karl Subject: Re: Biosonar Hi, it's nice to have found you! Peter Sugarman wrote: | I do not know whether this was actually changes in the click repetition rate | or changes to the center frequency or both .. I do not know what type of equipmnet you were using at that time but I would think that the 'tunes' which you have heard were almost certainly due to changing repetition rate. The center frequency of the clicks must have been in the ultrasound range and you would not be able to hear the bulk of the signal energy anyway. Even massive changes in the dominant frequency (which are unlikely in the situation described) would not change your hearing sensation. It is hoever clear that a part of the signal energy must spread into our hearing range in order to be heard without an ultrasound detector. Thus you must be able to hear some of the energy contained in each single click in order to be able to perceive a changing tune when the repetition rate changes. There is one other possibility: you could even hear clicks whose energy is restricted to the ultrasound range if the equipment used had some nonlinearity (eg amplifiers were overloaded). this would the produce artifacts in our hearing range which could readily be detected. > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 20:18:45 -0500 From: Orcasurv(\)aol.com Subject: Lolita priject On March 9th in Seattle, the Center for Whale Research of Friday Harbor, Washington announced an ambitious campaign to have a killer whale named "Lolita" returned to its homewaters in Washington State where she was captured during a tragic roundup in August 1970. Lolita has been maintained in isolation from others of her species for the past fifteen years in an undersized concrete tank at a marine park in Miami. After two decades observing and documenting the resident orca population of Puget Sound from which she was taken, it is evident that these whales are intensely social and family-bound throughout life, and that Lolita's isolation is a valid issue. Her situation is virtually the same, if not worse, than that of "Keiko", the killer whale star of the immensely popular movie "Free Willy" which was released last year. The whale's owners in Miami have refused to set a price for her or allow her to be retired to a natural setting in her homewaters where she can communicate with and see her living family members in the wild. For the benefit of MARMAMers, we summarize our proposal: the Center for Whale Research hereby tenders a standing offer to accept full responsibility for Lolita and provide her the very best veterinary care available, the finest quality food, a dedicated support staff, and a behaviorally stimulating natural habitat in Washington State in which to live. We will negotiate relocating and bringing with her any or all of her existing support and training staff who wish to come along to care for and allow Lolita to reacquire her natural behaviors and extinguish undesirable show behaviors. If Lolita is competently evaluated as being of no significant threat to the wild population, nor they to her, and if Lolita so chooses in a careful government regulated reintroduction program, we will allow her the opportunity to return to her family in the wild. Furthermore, we will undertake efforts to ensure that the Miami Seaquarium will continue with their profitable business as usual. Specifically, we will find investment to replace antiquated circus exhibits with an array of modern state of the art presentations using animatronics, wrap-around, computer- enhanced films, remote video and audio interactional "live feeds", and virtual reality technology to maintain if not increase the Miami Seaquarium's attendance. We will also find support for their existing manatee and stranded marine mammal rehabilitation efforts. We at the Center for Whale Research, with the moral support of the Governor and the Secretary of State of Washington, make the above offer in good faith. We see nothing inhumane, unethical or fraudulent about this proposal, and we respectfully request fellow MARMAM readers to inquire or comment. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Mar 1995 01:33:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Shedd dolphin death blamed on Shedd dolphin death blamed on bad fish CHICAGO, March 17 (UPI) -- A Pacific white-sided dolphin that died at the Shedd Aquarium last month was stricken with a blood-borne bacterial infection that probably came from fish the dolphin ate, Shedd officials said Friday. The dolphin died on Feb. 24, less than 24 hours after the first subtle changes in behavior were noted. The death sparked protest from some animal-rights groups but Shedd officials Friday were quick to point out that the infection is naturally found in healthy fish and kills dolphins in the wild as well. The dolphin that died was named Quitz -- which means "little male" in the dialect of a Pacific Northwest Indian tribe -- and was captured off the California coast in November 1993. Shedd officials judged his age to be about five or six years. An analysis by the University of Illinois School of Veterinary Medicine Zoological Pathology Program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Shedd's own laboratory found that Quitz was killed by an acute septicemic infection. The disease, erysipelas, occurs in fish, mammals and birds. The symptoms of the disease are not visible until the animal is near death, making it difficult to detect in time to treat. "This is especially difficult for our staff because there was nothing we could do to help the dolphin," said aquarium director Ted Beattie. Erysipelas has been found in stranded whales and dolphins and blood tests indicate wild populations are regularly exposed to the bacteria, according to the Shedd. Fish fed to the dolphins at the aquarium are inspected at least three times for damage or physical defects. But the bacteria does not affect the fish themselves and there are no visible signs of it. The Shedd has six remaining dolphins and two Beluga whales, all of whom appear healthy, said assistant curator of marine mammals Ken Ramirez. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Mar 1995 09:58:43 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: Re: cetacean releases / Free Lolita (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 17 Mar 95 21:43:47 -0600 From: Gottfried Mayer-Kress ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Several issues have been discussed recently in relation to the release of the killer whales Keiko and Lolita: - "untraining" the animals and separating them from humans in order to prepare them for a natural environment in their old pod - keeping them in a fenced-off area in the ocean under their old pod observation and recapturing them in case there are problems. Both options assume that neither Keiko nor Lolita have any way to make their own decision or express their own will and that their human handlers have the right to coerce them into a situation that the humans have decided to be best for them. Since everybody on this list probably agrees that orcas are among the most intelligent sea-mammals such an attitude might seem bizarre. The question then is how the orcas can express their own preferences. In discussions with trainers of Sea World San Diego in early 1994, I suggested a communication channel that is based on video tracking, an off-the-shelf technology from virtual environment applications such as the "Mandala" system. Details about how this can be implemented are described in: G. Mayer-Kress, Messy Futures and Global Brains, Limits of Predictability II, J. Kadtke (Ed.), Springer Verlag (to app.), Tech.Rep. CCSR-94-26 It is also electronically available at: http://www.santafe.edu/~gmk/MFGB/MFGB.html The applications for cetacean release operations are natural and could follow a simple procedure: - the animal is trained to use the interface to express basic requests such as food, play, attention by specific contact person, medical or other typical problems, etc. (a vocabulary of such expressions can be represented by visual icons on a video screen) - once the animal has learned to use this interface, it is released from a station which has access to the ocean. This will typically be some "open aquarium" i.e. with underwater windows from which visitors can observe the marine life and especially the released orcas. - in the first stage one might want to keep the area fenced-in until the animal has memorized the location and workings of the video interface - this interface represents a round-the-clock communication channel between the orca and the human contact persons (one of the icons could activate a beeper for the contact person on duty another could trigger the release of food if the animal has problems to catch enough fish). - the transition to a re-integration in the natural pod could thereby be gradual and under complete self-control of the orca. - once the orca is used to the interface, the same interface could be used from a ship or from floating solar-powered platforms with satellite communication. Each interface could have an acoustic identity, e.g. it could respond with a certain (station-specific) sound if a nearby orca sends out a communication-request sound (which it could learn during the early training period). The ship-based interface could also be used to help the orca find the old pod and be in touch with the humans until it is clear that the orca has decided to give up any human contacts. If these ships have large underwater windows they can also be used as alternatives to current aquariums. - the interface could be linked to the World Wide Web of the Internet and the whales could eventually participate in the global information environment. --- Gottfried Mayer-Kress Center for Complex Systems Research, Beckman Institute, Physics Dept. UIUC 405 N Mathews, Urbana, Il 61801,gmk(\)pegasos.ccsr.uiuc.edu, gmk(\)igc.apc.org, gmk(\)santafe.edu, (217)-244-5877(voice/fax1),x8371(fax2), x1994 (msg) URLs: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/, ftp://ftp.santafe.edu/pub/gmk ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Mar 1995 15:48:00 -0800 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: AB 1737 California Assemblyman Richard Katz has asked me to post the following message: ******************************** The primary purpose of California Assembly Bill 1737 is to prohibit the public display of newly-caught wild marine mammals in California. I strongly believe it is no longer necessary to allow such captures (there are enough captive-bred animals available now in this country's marine parks) and to do so just for novelty or entertainment is wrong. I has come to my attention, however, that a provision in the submitted version of the bill has been much discussed on MARMAM. This provision would prohibit invasive research on marine mammals in California. It has become apparent that the research provision does not advance the primary purpose of the bill. Therefore, I will amend the bill to eliminate the research provision. We would welcome the support of any members of the research community who agree with the true purpose of this bill, to keep California's marine mammals swimming free, and I welcome the input of all California marine mammal researchers during the process of moving this bill through the Assembly. Thank you for your patience and do not hesitate to contact me with your concerns. Assemblyman Richard Katz State Capitol P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0001 916/445-1616 phone 916/324-6860 fax ****************************** Naomi Rose The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Mar 1995 09:37:39 PST From: Dagmar Fertl Subject: directional swimming Dear Marmam-Readers: Since I posted my question about directional swimming, I have been flooded by requests to my mailbox, asking that I let people know what the deal with the Terry reference is. I received a message from Dr. Ridgway recently saying that this reference was used in the Sotalia chapter of Hand-book of Marine Mammals Volume 4. I hope this information will be useful to someone. Thanks to Dr. Ridgway for clearing up the big mystery. Sincerely, Dagmar Fertl fertld(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Mar 1995 19:59:40 EST From: Tim Stevens <100236.2066(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Subsistence Whaling Refs Attn: MARMAM Messages Marine Parks (Brisbane) MEMO Subject: Time: 8:46 AM Subsistence Whaling Refs Date: 20/3/95 G'day Marmamers I have a student looking for some good references on the subject of subsistence whaling; especially the cultural aspects - i.e. which cultures practise subsistence whaling, its importance to these cultures, any recent changes to the practises and status of subsistence whaling. Any references or other info would be appreciated - you can send replies to the list if you think they would be of general interest, or to me on 100236.2066(\)compuserve.com. Thanks ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tim Stevens E-mail: 100236.2066(\)compuserve.com Principal Conservation Officer, Marine Parks Phone 61 7 227 7783 Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Fax 61 7 225 1909 PO Box 155, Brisbane Albert Street, Queensland 4002, Australia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Mar 1995 14:29:05 -0800 From: Alan Macnow Subject: MINKE RESEARCH SHOWS PLURAL STOCKS FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association On Mar 11, 1995, Ronald Orenstein of the International Wildlife Coalition wrote: >Reply-To: Marine Mammals Research and Conservation Discussion >From: Ronald Orenstein >Subject: Re: MINKE RESEARCH SHOWS PLURAL STOCKS >> The result of the analysis confirmed that "normal type" minke >> whales, which are the most abundant of large whales in the >> Southern Ocean, come from plural stocks, each with a different >> life history: these stocks are supposed to have separate >> habitats in the breeding area, but when they take south-bound >> migration for feeding in the summer, the schools show a tendency >> to disperse, and to mix with other schools of different stocks. >> The research also confirmed that "diminutive form" minke whales, >> relatively small sized animals with white belt marks on the >> flippers, are of different genes meaning they are genetic sub- >> species. >> >> The population of minke whales is estimated to be 760,000 in the >> Antarctic alone. >If these results prove to be valid, they raise some extremely >interesting questions (leaving aside the question of whether the same >information could have been gathered through non-lethal biopsy >techniques). Yes, the results do raise some interesting questions. And no, the same information could not have been gathered through non-lethal biopsy techni- ques. There is so little difference in the DNA sequences for this species that differentiation had to be obtained by other techniques as well, such as electropharesis, parasitic analysis, etc. These latter techniques re- quire the taking of whales. >As the approach to management of whales under the ICRW has normally been >by stock, it would appear that if the figure of 760,000 minke whales in >the Antarctic is based on lumping of discrete stocks it is valueless as >an argument against the maintenance of the moratorium on commercial >whaling. Any way you cut it, 760,000 is a large number of whales, certainly large enough to sustain some take. Moreover, the stocks are robust, capable of reproduction, and there is no evidence that there is not inter-breeding be- tween stocks (DNA similarities far outweigh differences). >Secondly, if there are indeed several discrete stocks in the Antarctic, >clearly we are a long way from knowing the relative size and >conservation status of each. Therefore we are an equally long way from >knowing enough to apply the RMP to them. It's a good thing, isn't it, >that these stocks are now protected by the Southern Oceans Sanctuary! The RMP takes into account the likelihood that a number of different stocks of minke whales may feed in the Antarctic. Therefore, catch quotas are calculated and assigned by means of small area divisions of 10 degrees each rather than on the total number of minke whales in the Antarctic. The IWC scientists feel that these small area calculations ensure that there will be no adverse impact upon any one stock. >Thirdly, if the Antarctic stocks of Minkes have been misrepresented as a >single stock in the past when in fact several are involved, what does >this say about stocks of minkes elsewhere? Could the same be true, for >example, for the north Atlantic stocks that Norway intends to whale from >even before this year's IWC meeting? >-- It is a misrepresentation of the facts to say that "Antarctic stocks of Minkes have been misrepresented as a single stock in the past." No one has ever considered the Antarctic minke population to be a single stock. As for stocks of minkes elsewhere, research is currently being conducted in the north Pacific to determine stock composition and segregation. In the north Atlantic, minkes are currently classified as separate stocks, such as Greenland, eastern, central and western. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Mar 1995 10:51:29 +0000 Reply-To: jscarff(\)igc.apc.org From: Jim Scarff Subject: How to Track Calif. AB 1737 For you masochists who want to see the California legislature in action, you can do so quite easily from the comfort of your computer. The state is moving quickly to get on the Internet and the Legislature is leading the charge. There is a good WWW home page at http://www/sen.ca.gov. Of particular interest to the activists is the feature that lets you "subscribe" to particular bills. If you do so, and it is free, you will be e-mailed as much info on the bill as you want as soon as action occurs. A more detailed description of this functionality follows. In my experience, navigating the WWW homepage was obvious and you can skip the detailed explanation below which describes a slightly more difficult process. I was suprised to see that I was the first person who subscribed to AB 1737. You can also get the same service from a Gopher server which I believe is something like gopher/sen.ca.gov. Note that although you are talking to the senate's server, you also get access to Assembly bills. Go be democratic! > From: HTTPD(\)INET.SEN.CA.GOV > Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 21:12:54 -0800 (PST) > Subject: Your subscription to Senate News bill ab_1737 > To: jscarff(\)igc.apc.org > Welcome to the bill status updating > service of the California State Senate! > > The goal of this service is to keep you informed as bills you > care about move through the legislature. > > Please keep this file, as it has information you may want to > refer to in the future. > > --------------------- > Information available: > --------------------- > As bills move through the legislature many things may happen to > them. A separate record is maintained for each bill which > itemizes those happenings. That record is called the "bill > history". Following is a list of the most common events re- > corded in the bill history: > > 1. a bill is introduced > 2. it is assigned to a committee > 3. it is "set for hearing" before a committee > 4. acted on (voted on) by a committee > 5. amended by the author, or by the committee > 6. acted on (voted on) by the entire Senate > 7. defeated, or sent to the Assembly > > In the Assembly it goes through a similar process > > 8. defeated in the Assembly, or, passed in the Assembly > and sent to the governor, or amended in the Assembly > and returned to the Senate for concurrance in the > amendments > 9. defeated in the Senate, or, passed to the governor, or > re-referred to committee. > 10. vetoed by the governor, or signed into law > 11. chaptered by the Secretary of State > > In addition to the "bill history" the full text of the original > (introduced) version of the bill and each amended version is > available to you. Also, corresponding to each committee hear- > ing and to each floor vote, there is an analysis of the bill > prepared by legislative analysts. Also there is a bill-status > document which summarizes the latest status of the bill. > > > ------------- > Daily Process: > ------------- > Each day, we look through all of the changes to the bills and > send you electronic-mail copies of any documents added or > changed which relate to the bills you are interested in. This > means that if a new bill version is created, a new analysis, or > anything else, then you will get this file sent to you. You > will probably also get new copies of the bill history file and > the bill status file because those change fairly often. > > (Note: if you signed up for notification service, rather than > subscription service, we will just tell you which files have > changed, rather than actually sending the files to you. This > can be less costly if you pay to receive electronic mail. It's > up to you to use MAIL, FTP, Gopher, or WWW to get the files.) > > Some actions which get reported in the paper do not always > become a matter of record until some time later. > > In particular, when the Governor signs or vetoes a bill, it may > be a week or longer before official documents are transmitted > between the Governor's office, the Legislature, and the Secre- > tary of State. Only after that transmittal is complete will you > see the veto message, or the chaptered version of the bill ap- > pear in these archives. > > Also, bills are sometimes "amended in committee". When that > occurs, it may be days before the amended version is available > on-line. This is so, because most amendments in committee are > with reference to intent, not specific language. Thus, follow- > ing the committee meeting, the committee staff, the author and > the lawyers have to get their heads together, agree on the in- > tent of the committee, and figure out the legal language neces- > sary to implement that intent. > > -------------------------- > Terminating a Subscription: > -------------------------- > If you decide that you wish to discontinue this service, send > mail to SENATE-NEWS(\)SEN.CA.GOV and include (in the body of the > message) a command in the following form: > > UNSUBSCRIBE BILL bill-no > > where "bill-no" is the number of the bill you subscribed to. > Typical bill numbers include SB_117 and AB_1024. Example: > > TO: Senate-News(\)sen.ca.gov > SUBJECT: doesn't matter > TEXT: > UNSUBSCRIBE BILL SB_117 > > Every two years, the legislature ends a session and we will > reset all subscriptions to bills. > > ----------------- > More Information: > ----------------- > If you need more help using the Senate News service, send mail > to SENATE-NEWS(\)SEN.CA.GOV with a text line of "HELP." > > If you have a problem with this service, please contact > "News.Editor(\)SEN.CA.GOV." If you have questions about the > legislative process or a particular bill, please contact your > legislator. You can find out your Senator's name and phone > number by using the FINGER command and FINGERing your zipcode > (\)SEN.CA.GOV. For example, if your ZIP code is 90210, you can > finger: > > finger 90210(\)sen.ca.gov > > Note that this command may vary, depending on your client > software on your Internet access system. > > You can also do this using electronic mail as follows: > > TO: finger(\)sen.ca.gov > SUBJECT: 90210 > TEXT: > doesn't matter > > ---------------------- > Subscribing to a Bill: > ---------------------- > To obtain information on a particular bill, send electronic > mail to Senate-News(\)sen.ca.gov including the following command: > > SUBSCRIBE BILL bill-no > > where "bill-no" is the number of the bill you subscribed to. > Typical bill numbers include SB_117 and AB_1024. Example: > > TO: Senate-News(\)sen.ca.gov > SUBJECT: doesn't matter > TEXT: > SUBSCRIBE BILL SB_117 > > "SUBSCRIBE" will result in the full text of any added or > changed documents that relate to the bill being sent to you by > electronic mail. > > An alternative to "SUBSCRIBE" is "NOTIFY" which will result in > a message to you identifying new or changed documents. > Example: > > TO: Senate-News(\)sen.ca.gov > SUBJECT: doesn't matter > TEXT: > NOTIFY BILL SB_117 Jim Scarff 1807 M.L. King Way #A Berkeley, CA 94709 (415) 703-1440 (w) jscarff(\)igc.apc.org ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 08:53:53 PST From: Michael Torok Subject: Re: Pinnipeds and cod and other fish In-Reply-To: <199503160237.SAA12142(\)netcom22.netcom.com> from "Toni or Jim Frohoff" at Mar 15, 95 06:16:11 pm ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > > Given my graduate training in wildlfie biology, I ackwowldedge > wholeheartedly > that wildlife managers/biologists have answered a lot of questions. > But a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing if we presume that just > because we can figure out a little piece of the puzzle, that we are > competent to put the whole thing together correctly when we have never > even tried before. As observed in the wildlife literature, culling as a > wildlife managmement tool is widely acknowledged to be innefective and > often detrimental. Consequently, we are not even talking about an > experiment here - we are talking about one which has failed repeatedly in > the past. You have made an incorrect inference from my earlier post. I was not advocating culling seal populations. I was echoing the original author's (I'm sorry I've forgotten who that was) frustration that the 'powers that be' are reticent to consider any ideas of population management. Since you referred to the Ballard Locks situation, I'll use California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) as an example. California sea lions are not even close to being endangered and some have argued (behind closed doors) they are not in need of full protection under the MMPA because their populations are so large. The chances of removing California sea lions from protection under the MMPA in the forseeable future are nil. IMHO, this is a result of largely political, rather than scientific, considerations. > > >Wildlife management should be the domain of the people who understand > >the science > > behind it. The alternatives of politics as usual, and 'touchy-feely' > > wildlife management are equally distasteful in my view. > > It is my opinion that people who are truly knowledgable about wildlife > sciences and have lots of hands-on experiences are acutely aware of the > relative infancy of the science and the limited knowledge available. > There is nothing "touch-feely" about being aware of > our knowledge limitations as wildlife biologists or being conservative > about dessimating huge numbers of animals in a far-reaching experiment. A > few years in school and in the field does not give us licence to > experiment with "resources" that belong to EVERYONE. > I believe that what you refer to as "touchy-feely" is considered by > other biologists to be "responsible science". You misunderstood my comment regarding 'touchy-feely' management. The label was meant to be applied to those who would formulate policy based primarily on emotional rather than objective criteria. I was just as quick to condemn those who would formulate policy which catered to those interested in over-exploitation. I do not view 'touchy-feely' as 'responsible science'. Rather, it is the antithesis of responsible science. > > This issue is obviously a controversial one, heated with emotion and > politics from every angle (including those which are supposed to be > fairly objective). There are many perspectives which need to be > considered and, as I found while serving on the task force, the lack of > scientific data available is shocking. Our worldwide decline of I will be the first to admit wildlife biologists don't know everything. Any intellectually honest scientist would admit that. Despite this, could you name any other group who could better answer population management questions? Should we turn to the press? the politicians? -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 08:54:36 PST From: Michael Torok Subject: Re: Pinnipeds and cod and other fish In-Reply-To: <199503160221.SAA23115(\)mail4.netcom.com> from "Anne Doncaster" at Mar 15, 95 06:12:59 pm ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > I would respectfully suggest a little humility on the part of > scientists as to their ability to manage wildlife. I would > also raise the question of whether humans need a little more > humility in adopting the stance that they need to or have the > right to manage wildlife. We seem to be, with the support of > scientists, managing it into extinction. Don't various environmental groups practice their own form of wildlife management? Under what mandate do they do they do so? I thing good doses of humility for both camps would improve the situation. I would also argue that humans not only have the right, but the obligation, to manage wildlife populations with a balance of science, economics, and aesthetics. > > We need to take wildlife management out of the hands of > >politicians because of their tendency to do the expedient thing. Wildlife > >management should be the domain of the people who understand the science > >behind it. The alternatives of politics as usual, and 'touchy-feely' > >wildlife management are equally distasteful in my view. > > Humility, humility. You seem to be saying that science, and > inherent in that statement is scientific values, alone should > decide the fate of life on earth. Do you really have such > omniscience? I am not suggesting this at all. Scientific values alone should not dictate the fate of life on earth any more than emotionalism alone. Most scientists (including this one) will readily admit the depths of their ignorance, but that does not mean we have nothing constructive to offer. > > I think science has been shafted by political expedience; > however, I do think that science itself has a wide range of values;, > science does not operate in a social, economic, political, or > moral vaccuum, and no-one has voted, with the possible exception > of some scientists, to declare science God. What are statements > like "politics as usual" and "touchy-feely" wildlife management, > if not value-laden, non-scientific statements? A scientific > position based on excluding ethics is a moral position. Science > affects all of our lives and I maintain the public's right to > participate in decisions affecting life on earth. I think we have more common ground than you may be willing to admit. I agree with much of the above except that a scientific position which excludes ethics is an amoral, not a moral, position. You are quite correct that science does not operate in a vaccuum. My statements regarding 'politics as usual' and 'touchy-feely' wildlife management refer to just that. All too often, IMHO, the science gets sucked away and all we are left with is knee-jerk reactions or the last best payoff to political cronies. No one group should have the right to affect public policy to the exclusion of others. -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 09:11:48 PST From: Rob Ruggenberg Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >What do you say to the Newfoundland fisherman, who's way of life is >destroyed, a way of life since the 1600's. I would say: sorry, you are out of a job. The same that has been said, these last decades, about a manyfold of jobs, that all grew out of date. The world has changed since that seventeenth century, you know. Some jobs don't fit in modern times. It pity them, but they have to face reality. - Rob ___________________________________________________________ Rob Ruggenberg -- The Netherlands -- Email: robr(\)iaehv.nl "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, but the unreasonable man tries to adapt the world to him - therefore, all progress depends upon the unreasonable man" (Samuel Butler) ___________________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 09:15:16 PST From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Watson evacuated ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ILES-DE-LA-MADELEINE, Quebec, 3/17/95--In the Magdalen Islands to offer out-of-work fishermen hard cash for combing the molting wool from baby harp seals instead of killing them, Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was nearly lynched instead of thanked. "We were waiting for Tobias Kirchoff, who has already offered to buy all the seal wool they can humanely harvest, to arrive from Germany to make his presentation," Watson told ANIMAL PEOPLE from Monckton, New Brunswick, where he was flown by the Quebec Provincial Police following the mob attack on the Auberge Madeli hotel last night. "The Sealers' Association meanwhile held a meeting and rejected seal-brushing as 'an insult to their masculinity.' That's exactly the way they put it. The local radio station, CMFI, kept telling the sealers to come down to the hotel and tell us what they think of us and our offer, so all afternoon there were more and more of them here, and a lot of them were drinking while they waited for something to happen. "It was easily the most life-threatening situation I've ever been in," Watson continued. The Quebec Provincial Police assigned three officers to guard his hotel suite, while three more guarded another room occupied by actor Martin Sheen and Sea Shepherd crew members Lisa DiStefano and Chuck Swift. At approximately 6:00 p.m. EST, when as many as 300 sealers were in the hotel and the crowd outside had grown to 1,500, the mob finally pushed the police aside, after beating several news photographers and smashing their camera equipment, and attacked Watson in earnest, who had retreated into a bedroom with a heavy bed shoved against the door. "I was able to hold them off for about 10 minutes," Watson recounted. Using first an electronic stun-gun and then bare knuckles, Watson said, "I decked the first three guys to crash in. The first guy through took a swing at me, but he didn't connect hard, and I connected back. They didn't seem to be expecting that." Eventually as many as 50 sealers surged into the room, but QPF reinforcements were on the scene by then. "The police insisted that I had to leave the building immediately, or I'd be killed," Watson said. Sheen, DiStefano, and Swift were left behind. Watson was escorted to a patrol car through a gauntlet of kicks and punches. The mob next smashed the windows of the patrol car, then followed it to the airfield and broke windows there. Watson said he had received a number of cuts from flying glass and some cuts and bruises, but no serious injuries. At least two reporters were believed to have been hospitalized from among a group including representatives of RTL-TV (Germany), City TV (Toronto), Der Stern (Germany), the London Daily Mirror, and the Los Angeles Times. Watson was unsure which ones were involved. Photojournalist Marc Gaede indicated the Germans were beaten, according to Carla Robinson at the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society headquarters in Santa Monica, California. Earlier, Sheen told media, "I believe we have found a way to provide full employment for traditional sealers without having to kill a single seal." --by Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE, from information available as of midnight 3/16. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 09:24:19 PST From: Stephen Best Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- To MARMAMers ... I'd like to take some space to address in some detail the 16 Mar message posted by the anonymous correspondent at Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA regarding "Seals, fish and men (Generic term)." To facilitate matters, in the absence of a name, I'll refer to the writer as simply "Y6IM." I apologize for the length of this post, but Y6IM very succinctly and cogently makes the entire case usually put forward for the seal hunt in one compact place. And, s/he provides an excellent opportunity to deal with each argument or claim. Y6IM makes the following point "... images are in large part due to what information we have received growing-up, and what we are subject to on a daily basis." This is true, but Y6IM makes the error, common enough in most cultures and groups based largely on beliefs, that his/her Newfoundland grounded beliefs and images about sealing are true representations of reality and those of other observers (the outsiders, those from away) are not. This is not necessarily the case. The fact is beliefs, no matter how strongly held, can be at complete odds with reality. Individuals and cultures often sustain views that are not only in direct conflict with the truth of a matter (Japanese people all support whaling) but also internally (immigrants are all on welfare and taking all of our jobs); massive political movements and extensive marketing programs are often based on this fact. The works of Machiavelli, Ellul, and Lippman, to name just a few, extensively discuss this phenomenon. Y6IM complains about Paul Watson "[tying in] Lorraina (sic) Bobbit to seals." I assume this refers to Watson's denigrating of the Newfoundland sealing industry for pursuing markets for seal penises in the oriental medicine trade. This sort of criticism is specious. The fur industry, and I suppose the seal penis industry, makes claims about the allure and beauty or medical efficacy of products from dead seals. These claims are often hyperbolic, often false, and always designed to diminish the fact that an animal has been killed. That individuals or groups opposed to the Canadian harp seal hunt would use similar tactics to diminish the attractiveness of these products is understandable and to be expected. Y6IM's criticism implies that the purveyors of products from the killing of seals should be allowed a much greater scope of expression, including the falsifying of the alleged benefits, than those who find such products devoid of all appeal and even morally and ecologically repugnant. Y6IM argues that, "The $0.20/lb 'so-called bounty' is an attempt to revitalize a depressed market for seal profits, in order to 'jump-start' the economics." This is the government's public rationale for the payment. And it is also arguable. I suspect that the $.20/lb payment is to placate, at minimal cost, the political outcry of the sealing community, a component of the out-of-work fishing community. It is, I would suggest, a payoff. And it is in accordance with past fisheries management practices of subsidizing collapsed fisheries. Recent market reports (to which Anne Doncaster can speak with much greater authority than I) suggest that there are, at present, no financially viable markets for any seal products, except some small local consumption of meat and the seal penis market in the orient, which might be quite lucrative. As far as the term "bounty" is concerned, given the sealers' and fishermen's perception of a conflict between themselves and marine mammals, this is quite appropriate in my opinion. Y6IM is critical of Paul Watson for arguing that "pups" are to be hunted when, according to Y6IM, "The government has made it deliberately clear that ONLY adults are to be hunted." S/he accuses Watson of "playing his favourite game, by purposely clouding the issue." The Canadian government and the sealing industry hold the opinion, which may be correct, that the public is only concerned about the plight of "baby" seals. In most people's understanding a baby harp seal is a whitecoat. A whitecoat begins to molt its white coat at about 10 to 14 days of age and becomes a "raggedy-jacket" and then a "beater" at the completion of the molt. By this time, the seal is not only fully molted, but also weaned. At one time, whitecoats, raggedy-jackets, beaters, and, in fact, all young of the year were considered "babies." To get around this unfortunate nomenclature, for propaganda purposes, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans removed the name "baby" from all young of the year except the whitecoats and even then only whitecoats whose hair was fast. So a "baby" seal officially and effectively was a seal 9 days old or less. The fact is it was the government who began the "clouding of the issue" some years ago, not Paul Watson or any other environmental or animal welfare group. Ironically, it is far more damaging ecologically to kill the older animals, who have survived the high mortality of the earlier years and are breeding than the young of the year. And unfortunately the new penis trade pays better for large penises from older breeding animals than for smaller penises from younger animals. In some cases penis size does matter. :) Y6IM argues that there are "an estimated 3 - 25 million harp seals alone, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence." I know of no researcher who suggests these figures for the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Furthermore, the figure that is put forward of 3 million or more for the Gulf and the Front combined are extrapolations of very old data and cannot be relied upon. As well, much of the data being used in biological models was acquired prior to the current precipitous decline in fish stocks, so cannot be relied upon to give any indication of population trends of harp seals, no matter what the unknown absolute number of seals might be today. Clearly, the ecosystem in which harp seals and all other marine species are attempting to survive has been drastically altered for the worse by the Canadian and international fishing fleets and fishermen and there is at present no knowledge as to what these effects may be. Y6IM makes the following highly irresponsible statement: "The paltry 186,000 quota of adults will not put a dent in this years population numbers, and will have only marginal effects on the increase in next years increase in seal numbers. Remember the quotas from the hunt from 10-15 years ago? And the numbers were rising still then." It is not known what effect the 186,000 quota, if taken, would have on population numbers, because the absolute population is unknown and neither is the population trend given the changes in the ecosystem wrought by fisheries management and the fishing industries. And it is utterly wooden-headed and a profoundly revealing example of what is wrong with present fisheries management to suggest that quotas and assumed numbers and trends of 10-15 years ago, which were even suspect then, can be applied to present circumstances. More than anything else this statement from Y6IM reveals an appalling and dangerous lack of understanding of what is occurring in the Atlantic marine ecosystem. Y6IM further reveals a lack of appreciation regarding the complexity of ecological systems when s/he argues "would it be correct to have both predators (in this case the seals) and prey (the fish) managed, and then remove controls on the predators? What would you expect to happen to the predator population?" Ecosystems, are not so simple that they can be neatly divided into one order of predators and one order of prey. In some cases, coral and Crown of Thorns starfish for example, the roles reverse during the life cycle of one of the participants. The greatest predator of commercially caught fish is other commercially caught fish. And, harp seals, in particular, are not a predator of cod. According to all researchers on the subject, including those at Memorial University in Newfoundland, the effects of reducing the harp seal population on commercially caught fish stocks is unknown and according to some could even have a detrimental effect. This is even admitted now, albeit reluctantly, by the Minister and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. In fact the Minister has stated that despite the scientific evidence to the contrary, "common sense" suggests that the seals are eating too much fish and that's one of the reasons why the seal hunt must be resumed. Such statements remind me of the former fisheries minister John Crosbie, a Newfoundlander, who, when confronted with the collapsing cod populations and the suggestion of a moratorium, called the scientists raising the alarm "demented." And once again political considerations -- in this case a wicked brew of the sealers' ignorance of ecology, their hatred of seals, and their political power -- is driving management considerations. We now leave the realm of faux-science and move into the arena of ethics, morality, and culture. Y6IM suggests in his statement that those who live in urban areas are less aware of nature than those who live in more rural locations: "we as humans are NATURE, and the reason we screw things up so much is that we forget it by living in concrete jungles away from the ecosystems we claim to care about." There is nothing to suggest that living in an urban community necessarily makes one less able to appreciate nature; nor does living in a wilderness or rural society provide an individual with a special appreciation for "NATURE." There are examples of rural Newfoundlanders, coastal peoples, extirpating species. Pilot whales no longer frequent the waters of Newfoundland, being wiped out by the local, rural people in the mid-1970's. And there are, of course, numerous examples of urban development destroying habitat. Again, Y6IM's argument is not only specious, but patently false. One of Y6IM's problems, which s/he confuses as logic, is juxtaposing two utterly unrelated observations to prove a point. Y6IM states, "if clubbing was so cruel is severe parasitism, herpes outbreaks, and starvation a less 'cruel' way to cull herds? Also, this goes on in slaughter houses and farms across the globe daily. I don't see Greenpeace demonstrating outside slaughterhouses. Yes, clubbing IS GRAPHIC, and possibly cruel. But then, living in these barren outposts is a "cruel" way of life, too." In one statement, Y6IM has mixed natural processes, concepts of humane slaughter, an implied similarity between populations of wild and domestic species, a cultural lament, and Greenpeace propaganda techniques, all to justify the clubbing of seals. Which, it can be added, no longer occurs, the sealers having moved on to using rifles to kill the older seals. There are only two concepts in this motley, sloppy mix that I'd like to address here. The first is justifying the killing of any animal because it is going to die anyway from some allegedly far more cruel experience. The fact is all individuals of all species die of some disease, accident, predation, or deprivation of nutrients (starvation, thirst). Even humans succumb to these, in all societies at all economic levels, it is only a matter of when. To argue that killing an animal sooner using a more humane technique than is guessed the animal will die of later is simply self-serving. To extend Y6IM's absurdity even a little would suggest that truly humane people should kill all animals when they are newborn just to make sure none of them suffer a more cruel death than we might administer ourselves. Some logic. Sealers do not hunt seals, nor is there a market for seal products, because there is the desire to make sure seals die peacefully at an early age rather than, it is assumed, cruelly at a later one. The term in popular culture that describes this argument is "Dumb & Dumber." The second concept is one that is raised, even by better informed individuals than Y6IM, is the comparison between wild species and domesticated ones. Often the take of wild species is justified morally because of the exploitation of domesticated ones. Usually this argument is confined to domesticated wild animals, not plants. Without making any comment about the morality of consuming animals, it is truly wrong-headed to compare the two situations to justify anything. The fact is domestic populations of both plants and animals are artifacts of human culture. In many cases, corn and Jersey cows, the species would not even survive without human intervention. To raise these creatures, humans control all aspects of their existence and distort and select for various characters as the economy might demand. In wild systems, for the most part, human intervention is limited to the aspect of taking, rarely are there any inputs provided to either the species or the ecosystem to promote the future viability of either. Rather, for the most part, not only do humans remove the species from the system but go on to actively degrade the system with pollutants and other forms of exploitation. Also, the managers of domesticated populations of animals and plants (farmers, cattle breeders, etc.) have a far greater knowledge of the systems under their control than the managers of wild systems. The fact is that the treatment of wild populations and domesticated populations of animals cannot be usefully compared to justify anything. One of Y6IM's myopic areas is her/his Newfoundland chauvinism: "It would be okay to viewers if the clubber was native, or a polar bear - but why the outrage when the clubber is a poor newfoundland fisherman?" There is a vast difference between a polar bear taking a seal and a Newfoundland fisherman, most of whom are not poor. The bear may die if it is unable to take a seal; an unlikely consequence of a Newfoundlander not shooting a seal and selling its penis. And as to the native hunt, in some circles this raises as much criticism as the Newfoundland hunt, unfortunately questioning some native hunting practices is not something that the government, the media, or much of the public is open to reviewing despite the best efforts of many organizations. The closing arguments, which have been addressed if not specifically at least generally above, in Y6IM's post are an angry, heady, confused mix of bad biology, poor math, innuendo, flat earth science, and twisted sociology: "the seals may be one reason the cod stocks are having such a hard time in recovering ... Known how much Watson makes a year of similar campains? It would scare you ... By the most conservative estimates, that's over 3,287,250,000 lbs of fish removed from the Atlantic coast per year by only harp seals - and could be as high as 3,195,937,500,000 lbs/yr ..." and so on and so on and so on ... But Y6IM does ask, "So where does this lead us? To a low-level resumption of the seal hunt. We have world hunger and an exploding seal population. Doesn't it make sense to utilize this food resource?" This statement is a fraud. The only market for seal products is for the seal penis; reducing Y6IM's imagined 3-25 million harp seals by 186,000 is not going to have any measurable impact on the amount of fish Y6IM thinks the harp seals are taking away from commercial fisheries, the remaining seals will simply be able to eat a little more. And, anyway, how is it possible for harp seals to be experiencing an exploding population in the face of a complete collapse of the fish populations they are supposed be living off of? And lastly, even if the meat from 186,000 seals was dispersed at great expense in freight costs (an expense which would likely exceed the value of the meat) to the starving masses (which it never will be) it would not have much, if any, impact on world hunger. Y6IM concludes her/his diatribe with a plea for the plight of the Newfoundland fishermen whose life has been destroyed by those from away. The modern Newfoundland sealer is a far different person than the man who went to the ice in the 1600's and to equate him with the modern sealer is a shameful affront to that tradition and memory of truly brave men. The modern Canadian fishing industry including the seal hunt is a social program, which, without government subsidy, would not survive at all. In most years, the budget of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans alone has always exceeded the value of all the commercial fish landed in Canada, not to mention direct payments and support from the provinces; low-cost, guaranteed loans; and Unemployment Insurance concessions. The sealer of the 1600's was a man of remarkable courage, who went to sea in wooden ships, lived under appalling conditions, and was horribly brutalized by the Water Street barons of the sealing industry. For the most part, the modern sealer is supported by the government, sells seal penises to the oriental medicine trade, and attaches all the blame for his economic situation to everyone but himself. Y6IM then goes on to call this situation "an incredable indignity and insult. Where all the strong, independent, and resourceful coastal people are being dictated to from outsiders" The fact is if it wasn't for "outsiders" providing economic support for Newfoundland there would not be any coastal people at all in Newfoundland. They would have had to move to "Toronto to work in a factory, a place where all wildness is gone, and his soul with it" just to earn a living like many people in Canada. Y6IM is best reminded that much of the tax money her/his province and the coastal people rely upon and enjoy comes from the people in Toronto working in those very factories s/he condemns. And lastly, Y6IM argues that the, "The fishermen doesn't even have a say in the matter." Nothing could be further from the truth. A greater lie was never spoke. It is the Newfoundland fishermen who put much, if not most, of the political pressure on the government of the day to pursue fisheries management policies that caused the horrific collapse we are now suffering under. In closing, on one matter I completely agree with Y6IM: "It is simply perception - the way we brought up to 'see' things. We have to think long-term, and with logic." ---- Stephen Best, Vice President | Tel: 519/925-3440 International Wildlife Coalition | Fax: 519/925-2003 PO Box 988, Shelburne | e-mail: sbest(\)inforamp.net Ontario, Canada, L0N 1S0 | CIS: 76407,526 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 09:43:56 PST Reply-To: DDVFFVS(\)UVVM.UVic.CA From: Jim Scarff Subject: The Secret of Roan Inish - Irish Seals Celebrated ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- John Sayles' new film "The Secret of Roan Inish" was just released out here in California. My understanding is that "Roan Inish" is Gaelic for Seal Island, and seals play a very prominent role in the film which deals with the Irish myth of the Selkie, a creature that is half-human and half seal. Venturing where I probably shouldn't (movie reviews), I thought it was a terrific film. It was shot on the remote and beautiful coast of County Donegal,Ireland. The plot centers around the actions of Fiona, an adorable 10 year old girl played by Jeni Courtney and her empathy for the seals. Mick Lally and Eileen Cogan are wonderful as Fiona's grandparents. I thought it a very gentle and kind film with a strong Irish flavor and a lot to offer for both adults and kids. I don't know anything particular about how the film was made, but "seal trainers" were listed on the credits. Most of the seals are what the Irish call common seals (Phoca vitulina). However, and this is where I call upon the more trained eyes of the pinniped experts, it appeared to me that some of the footage was of gray seals (Halichoerus grypus). The distinction is unimportant to the plot and seals are just referred to generically in the film. I feel a bit embarassed about not knowing for sure, but we don't see a lot of gray seals out here and the scenes with the putative gray seals were very short (2-4 seconds). I look forward to any comments on this. Jim Scarff 1807 M.L. King Way #A Berkeley, CA 94709 (415) 703-1440 (w) jscarff(\)igc.apc.org ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 11:48:14 +0200 From: LEGAKIS ANASTASIOS Subject: Newborn Globicephala stranded in Greece Last November (24/11/94) a cetacean was found stranded (dead) near Rhodos town ( Rhodos island, southeast Aegean Sea, Mediterranean). The animal was very fresh, with marks of nets on its skin near the head and with some injuries on its body (entangled in nets and killed by fishermen?). Local people that identified it, i nformed Dr. A. Frantzis that it was probably a Grampus griseus. Yesterday (21.3. 95), some really good photos of that cetacean came to his hands. It was a female Globicephala melas, probably newborn (1.73 m), the first (as far as he knows) o fficially announced pilot whale stranding in greek seas and one of the very rare in the whole Eastern Mediterranean basin. Fortunately, this baby pilot whale is still available, kept in a freezer. In about two weeks from now it will be diss ected. If someone is specially interested, can contact Dr. Alexandros Frantzis, Terpsichoris 21, 166 71 Vouliagmeni, Greece, fax 301-8941391 or 301-9331435 or s end a message to this email a! ddress. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Mar 1995 19:50:41 -0800 From: Charles Greene Subject: Re: Subsistence Whaling Refs In-Reply-To: <199503202042.MAA29141(\)coyote.rain.org> Two possible references to subsistence whaling are the newspapers reporting on affairs in northern Alaska where the natives conduct subsistence hunting of the bowhead whale. Subscriptions to either paper are $45/year. One paper is called The North Slope Sentinel. It is published weekly by North Pole Independent Publishing, 400 South Santa Claus Lane, North Pole, Alaska 99705, TEL 907-488-0669, FAX 907-488-1313 The other paper is called The Arctic Sounder, published by Alaska Newspapers Inc., 503 E. Sixth Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501-2639, TEL 907-272-9830, FAX 907-272-9512 Charles Greene, ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 09:15:40 -0500 From: "STEVEN GREEN, DEPT.BIOLOGY, (305)284-4272" Subject: Conservation biologist still under attack; press release & articles: Press Release February 9, 1995; Coral Gables, FL Environmentalist Under Renewed Government Attack The Supreme Court of Venezuela has cleared the way for the Venezuelan Government to request extradition from the United States of Dr. Aldemaro Romero, a noted marine biologist and environmentalist, to face charges of conspiracy and treason. Romero, who tried to end his country's long practice of killing dolphins for shark bait, is paying a heavy price for his environmental sensitivity and involvement. The Court voted Thursday to allow the extradition to proceed despite protests from environmental groups. The protests were based on charges that the government of Venezuela had doctored evidence, including electronically altering a videotape taken by Romero. The original videotape documented the intentional killing of dolphin by Venezuelan fishermen in violation of international environmental agreements. The videotape, shot in February, 1993, was aired on CNN in November, 1993, and led to over 20,000 letters of protest sent to the Venezuelan Embassy and Consulates in the United States, including threats of boycotts of Venezuelan products. According to the protests, the Venezuelan government, under economic pressure from two U.S. embargoes imposed in 1988 and 1992 for allowing use of purse-seine nets by its tuna fleet, obtained a copy of the original videotape and subsequently doctored it to implicate Romero in the killing of the dolphin. The extradition hearing in Venezuela is based on the charge that videotaping fishermen killing dolphin is conspiring to kill them; statements by government officials have labelled the public embarrassment of Venezuela as a treasonable act. Dr. Romero is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Miami who received his Ph.D. from that university in 1984. Dr. Romero conducted a biodiversity study of Venezuela in 1989. During that research he and Professor Ignacio Agudo, the head of a Venezuelan environmental group, found that Venezuelan fishermen were hunting dolphins and selling the meat for shark bait. This fact had been reported for many years in professional journals by other scientists, government officials, and environmental groups. At that time, Dr. Romero was head of Bioma, a Venezuelan scientific and environmental group. He and Prof. Agudo presented documentation, including videos, photographs, and dolphin carcasses, to the office of Venezuela's Attorney General in early 1993. The report to the Attorney General's office made it clear that they were not interested in the prosecution of individual fishermen shown in the tape; rather that they were interested in the overall protection of the dolphins. They wrote in this report that such protection must include help for the fishermen who are merely economic pawns of the international trade in shark fins. The Venezuelan government never responded to offers by Romero and by other environmental groups to assist in these matters. In October 1993, Bioma and Fundacetacea collected over 45,000 signatures which were delivered to the Venezuelan National Congress in a petition that requested a) the creation of a dolphin sanctuary on the Eastern coast of Venezuela (where most killing occurs), b) the establishment of a Marine Mammal Protection Act, and c) the official recognition of October 23 as "The Day of the Dolphin" for educational purposes. Later, in November 1993, the videotape taken by Romero and Agudo depicting the brutal slaying of a dolphin in Venezuela was shown at the University of Miami and then on television news broadcasts in several U.S. cities. As a consequence, both the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Venezuelan Consulate General's office in Miami, Florida, received over 20,000 letters of protest from the American public. Although this video was based on hunting dolphins for shark bait, Venezuelan vessels are also responsible for dolphin killings elsewhere. The use of purse-seine nets by tuna boats, both Venezuelan and from other countries, in the Eastern Pacific, has resulted in massive dolphin kills. The population of spotted dolphins in 1975 had decreased by at least 72% from its original size. It has not recovered since that time despite some reduction in the mortality caused by tuna fleets. Venezuela currently operates 40% of the tuna fleet in the area and is thus largely responsible for this situation. As an indication of the official position on dolphins, Francisco Herrera-Teran, a long-time employee of the fishing industry in Venezuela publicly declared, when he was Fisheries Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, "The dolphin is not in danger of extinction. We are talking about 25,000 dolphins out of a population of 12 to 14 million. Should we let half a million people die of hunger to save the lives of 25,000 dolphins because of [the television program] Flipper? If this is the attitude, within ten years we will have embargoes against people who eat rabbit because of Bugs Bunny." As a consequence of the practices that embody those attitudes, such as a refusal by Venezuala to agree to an attempt to reduce dolphin mortality, the embargo in the U.S. against tuna caught by Venezuela's fleet in the Eastern Pacific still stands. The first embargo began in 1988 and the second was imposed in 1992, well before Romero and Agudo began this campaign to save the Venezuelan dolphins. Tuna exports are an important source of revenue for the tuna industry and an important source of foreign exchange for Venezuela. According to documents from the U.S. State Department, Venezuela has spent over $ 2,000,000 lobbying to have the embargo lifted. Thus, the government is extremely sensitive to any publicity that implies its inaction or insensitivity towards the slaughter of dolphins. Dr. Romero and his family left Venezuela in February 1994 in response to telephoned death threats. The callers, who identified themselves as being in "high places" described his wife, daughters, and the daughters' school schedules in some detail, making the threats very credible. Says Dr. Romero, "They were truly frightening in light of the US State Department, Amnesty International, and Americas' Watch reports on human rights abuses in Venezuela. University of Miami professors from more than twenty departments have signed a letter of support of Dr. Romero and a group known as the Environmental Guardians Defense Fund was recently founded in order to help Dr. Romero and others who have been persecuted for their environmental concerns and actions. At the end of 1994, Dr. Agudo's father committed suicide as a consequence of Venezuelan security forces harassing his home and family. Law enforcement agents attended the funeral in the expectation that Professor Agudo would attend, but he failed to do so and remains in hiding somewhere in Venezuela. In the United States, both Dr. Romero and his supporters continue to receive threats to him. It is believed that both Dr. Romero's and Professor Agudo's lives remain in danger at this time. End of Press Release ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two recent reports on Aldemaro Romero have appeared in the most reputable publications of their kind. Both document the Venezuelan government's unprecedented persecution of Romero. The first is on page 1426 of the 10 March 1995 issue of SCIENCE, the journal published by the most respected and largest organization of professional scientists, the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The article is simply a brief historical review, but it also includes the telling statement that "The Venezuelan embassy failed to return calls from SCIENCE." The second is a story featured on the front page of the 15 March 1995 edition of the Wall Street Journal. It reports the economic conpiracy theory advanced by Francisco Herrera Teran, the former Venezuelan fisheries director. The article states that Herrera Teran accuses Romero "of being in league with an odd cabal of environmental groups and U.S. multinationals as well as charitable organizations in a nefarious plot to block Venezuela's gasoline and tuna exports." It is important to note that the even the Journal, the leading American business newspaper, a publication not noted for its pro-environmental stance, indicates extreme scepticism at this view. In fact, its story goes so far as to state that the furor over "the Romero affair" may simply be an attempt to divert public attention away from the "magnitude of Venezuala's current woes." +===============================+ # Steven Green, Professor # # Dept. Biology, Univ. Miami # # P.O. Box 249118 # # Coral Gables, FL 33124 # # SGREEN(\)UMIAMI.IR.MIAMI.EDU # # (305) 284-4272 # # FAX: (305) 284-3039 # +===============================+ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 10:15:02 SAST-2 From: John Cooper Subject: message for posting on listserv please EFFECTS OF UNDERWATER BLASTING ON MARINE ANIMALS I am looking into the effects of underwater blasting/explosions on marine vertebrates, especially seals and seabirds, but also whales and fish, and any useful deterrents that can be used to scare such animals away from blast localities in advance. Any pointers to the literature (scientific and popular), contacts or first-hand experiences would be most welcomed. Thank you! John Cooper +-------------------------------------------------------+ | John Cooper | | | | UCT Senior Research/SANAP Antarctic Officer | Room 2.06, John Day Zoology Building, University Avenue, Upper Campus | | Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology | | University of Cape Town | | Rondebosch 7700 | | South Africa | | | | Lalisa | | 9 Weltevreden Avenue | | Rondebosch 7700 | | South Africa | | | | Electronic mail: jcooper(\)botzoo.uct.ac.za | | | | Fax: +27-21-650-3295 | | Office phone (direct): +27-21-650-3294 | | Office phone (answering machine): +27-21-650-3296 | | Home phone: +27-21-685-1357 | +-------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 13:48:58 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Peer Review of ATOC draft report Marmam Group: I am seeking peer reviewers for a 10- to 12-page descriptive report on ATOC and related marine mammal concerns, prepared by one of my interns, Troy Sparks. This report provides background for Members of Congress and their staff on what ATOC is and how marine mammal concerns have been handled. I would appreciate peer review from anyone knowledgeable of this program and associated marine mammal concerns, to make sure that we have not missed anything important nor misrepresented aspects of this controversial issue. I can provide the document as e-mail message text, as a WordPerfect 5.1 file appended to an e-mail message, or by fax. Anyone interested in taking a look at this? It would be helpful to have any comments back in about a week's time, but we will accept comments through the next three weeks. This document should be available later this week. Thanks for your assistance on this project. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 10:12:00 CST6CDT From: * Bradley Fenwick Organization: KSU - Veterinary Medicine Subject: IAAAM POSITION STATEMENT THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR AQUATIC ANIMAL MEDICINE "Position Statement - March 1995" The International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine (IAAAM) was founded in 1968 as an organization to advance the art and science of aquatic animal medicine and health. The organization strives to promote the free exchange of knowledge towards the goal of improving the health care and husbandry of aquatic animals, both wild and domestic. Through its membership of over 600 veterinarians, health care professionals, biologists, zoologists, and researchers from around the world, the IAAAM encourages the use of scientifically reliable and medically sound data over emotionally charged rhetoric and inflammatory assertions in determining what is best for individual as well as populations of aquatic animals. In this regard, the IAAAM supports current laws, regulations, and procedures pertaining to the case, use, and conservation of aquatic animals. It is not the place of the IAAAM to question the motives of individuals or organizations as to what actions should be taken to protect the well-being of aquatic animals. Proclaiming perceptions of truth as documented fact however, is irresponsible. Regardless of the motive, misrepresentations of fact by self- proclaimed experts and biased organizations overshadow a genuine concern for the animal. Many of the issues concerning the care, use, and management of aquatic animals (especially marine mammals) are emotionally charged, nevertheless the IAAAM hopes all discussions as well as any resulting actions will be based on scientifically sound medical data rather than anecdotal evidence, hearsay, and anthropomorphic assumptions. The IAAAM, through its membership and committees, stands ready to facilitate the unbiased discussion of medically related issues concerning aquatic animals. Contact: Brad Fenwick DVM, PhD. IAAAM President Department of Diagnostic Medicine & Pathobiology College of Veterinary Medicine Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506 Phone: 913 532-4412 FAX: 913 532-4039 E-mail: Fenwick(\)vet.ksu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 12:35:58 PST From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Rob Ruggenberg wrote: > >What do you say to the Newfoundland fisherman, who's way of life is > >destroyed, a way of life since the 1600's. > > I would say: sorry, you are out of a job. > The same that has been said, these last decades, about a manyfold of jobs, > that all grew out of date. The world has changed since that seventeenth > century, you know. Some jobs don't fit in modern times. It pity them, but > they have to face reality. > > > > - Rob Even if that perception of what is right and wrong had no biological basis - only what we (currently) perceive as "moral" ? What about learning to agree to disagree - to give the other peson who knows more about the resource the benefit of a doubt - and not impose your perceptions of your "morals" on another ? That's almost similar to what the church did during the times of the inquisition. "Reality" is obviously a term used to describe what you consider to be a moral high-ground for yourself, as compared to "the ignorant masses". Rob, to put it into perspective: In most outports THERE ARE NO OTHER JOBS BESIDES THE FISHERIES!!! People still have families to feed and a culture they cosider worth preserving, as you consider your culture worth preserving. To put it into perspective: It would be similar if an out of work Newfoundlander came to you, said he didn't believe you had the right to work since your work was morally repugnant to him (maybe you are an embalmer, for example), and utilized the media in Europe to destroy your job market, and didn't allow you any say in the matter. Now add the real concerns and responsibilities of raising a large family, in a place without any other job prospects, very little education and financial resources to do anything about it. Can you say "desperate", "bitter" and "arrogance". Thing really are not as black- and-white as you would like to believe. NOBODY can fault you the fact that you care about animals, Rob. In fact, it's very noble. However, to make point-blank de-facto fisheries management decisions based on cuteness and sensationalistic media content (for the purposes of raising money for Greenpeace and the IFAW) is worse than poor management - it's ecological suicide. Why wasn't there as big as an uproar for the collapse of the cod fishery. Could it be that seals are cuter? Where was Greenpeace, the IFAW, and Bridgette Bardot during this ecological disaster ?? How about safe at home, far away from the resource, maybe not even understanding the biology of the same ecosystem that supports many millions of the same seals they so cared about 10-15 years earlier. Maybe safe and away from the people (not "sealers" , as Watson would have us believe) that they wronged so many years ago. Dave R. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 12:00:36 -0800 From: Parrot Head Subject: 1995 NSF MARINE SCIENCE SHORT COURSE (fwd) 1995 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION MARINE SCIENCE SHORT COURSE FOR Instructors of Undergraduate Courses in the Marine Sciences PLEASE POST DEADLINE MAY 1, 1995 SPRING, 1995 The NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION has once again awarded the University of San Diego and Grossmont College an Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement grant to conduct a Marine Science Short Course for INSTRUCTORS OF UNDERGRADUATE COURSES with marine science content. The Short Course will be held June 10 - 25, 1995 at the University of San Diego. The grant pays for room and board, tuition, course materials, and other expenses associated with the project activities for 40 participants selected from 2- and 4- year colleges across the nation. The project will feature: - At sea investigations on a Scripps Institution of Oceanography research vessel. - U.S. Navy marine research operations. - Modern and ancient marine environments. - Commercial marine facilities. - Visits to research collections and laboratories - Internet, CD-ROM packages, and satellite imaging. - Networking with other instructors and researchers. Targeted participants are INSTRUCTORS OF UNDERGRADUATE COURSES with physical or biological oceanography content who have seasoned degrees, or lack substantial formal course work in the ocean sciences. Other potential candidates are instructors with limited access to the marine environment, oceanographic institutions, and related resources for teaching. For further information or application form, contact: Dr. Anne Sturz, Project Director Marine and Environmental Studies Program University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 Tel; (619) 260-4096 E-Mail: asturz(\)teetot.acusd.edu Shannon O'Dunn, Project Co-Director Grossmont College 8800 Grossmont College Drive El Cajon, CA 92020 Tel: (619) 465-1700 Ext. 313 Charles S. Harding, Editor, Oceanogram Marine and Environmental Studies Program University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 E-Mail: harding(\)teetot.acusd.edu For computer users, you may download the Course Description, Application Form, and a Daily Schedule from University of San Diego's GOPHER system. To access the GOPHER system at your INTERNET prompt type: GOPHER GOPHER.ACUSD.EDU Move the cursor using arrow keys and highlight the following directories by using the RETURN key: /USD Campus-Wide Information System /Resources grouped by discipline /Marine and Environmental Studies For further information to acces the USD Gopher, contact Charles S. Harding at the above email address and I will forward the information to you. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 12:38:27 PST From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Stephen Best writes: > I'd like to take some space to address in some detail the 16 Mar message > posted by the anonymous correspondent at Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA regarding > "Seals, fish and men (Generic term)."... > > Y6IM makes the following point "... images are in large part due to what > information we have received growing-up, and what we are subject to on a > daily basis." This is true, but Y6IM makes the error, common enough in most > cultures and groups based largely on beliefs, that his/her Newfoundland > grounded beliefs and images about sealing are true representations of > reality and those of other observers (the outsiders, those from away) are > not. This is not necessarily the case. Also the reverse is also not necessarily the case. That is what I meant by perceptions. The fact is beliefs, no matter how > strongly held, can be at complete odds with reality. "Reality" is a term often used by one person to degrade the point of view of a person with an opposing view (i.E. MY view is "reality", yous is NOT!!!) > Y6IM complains about Paul Watson "[tying in] Lorraina (sic) Bobbit to > seals." I assume this refers to Watson's denigrating of the Newfoundland > sealing industry for pursuing markets for seal penises in the oriental > medicine trade. I can re-send his original news release if you want - The headline states :"Canada to Become the Lorraina Bobbit of the World" That individuals or groups opposed to the Canadian > harp seal hunt would use similar tactics to diminish the attractiveness of > these products is understandable and to be expected. My point exactly. > Y6IM argues that, "The $0.20/lb 'so-called bounty' is an attempt to > revitalize a depressed market for seal profits, in order to 'jump-start' the > economics." Recent market reports (to which Anne Doncaster can > speak with much greater authority than I) suggest that there are, at > present, no financially viable markets for any seal products, except some > small local consumption of meat and the seal penis market in the orient, > which might be quite lucrative. Yes, of course, maybe you weren't told of the original market that existed. Consequently, many native hunters and trappers were also adversely affected - so much that many gave-up trapping. Lack of work and self-esteem helps to promote alcoholism and family violence. > Y6IM is critical of Paul Watson for arguing that "pups" are to be hunted > when, according to Y6IM, "The government has made it deliberately clear that > ONLY adults are to be hunted." Ironically, it is far more damaging > ecologically to kill the older animals, who have survived the high mortality > of the earlier years and are breeding than the young of the year. Yes, it is ironic that Watson has targeted the termination of the seal pup harvest in the past - media sensationalism ? > Y6IM argues that there are "an estimated 3 - 25 million harp seals alone, in > the Gulf of St. Lawrence." Furthermore, the figure that is put > forward of 3 million or more for the Gulf and the Front combined are > extrapolations of very old data and cannot be relied upon. That is why the large confidence limits 3 - 25 million... Do you know of more up-to-date data? I'd be glad to hear it. Clearly, the ecosystem in which > harp seals and all other marine species are attempting to survive has been > drastically altered for the worse by the Canadian and international fishing > fleets and fishermen and there is at present no knowledge as to what these > effects may be. Again, my point exactly - the species are intertwined. And it is utterly wooden-headed and a profoundly revealing > example of what is wrong with present fisheries management to suggest that > quotas and assumed numbers and trends of 10-15 years ago, which were even > suspect then, can be applied to present circumstances. More than anything > else this statement from Y6IM reveals an appalling and dangerous lack of > understanding of what is occurring in the Atlantic marine ecosystem. I won't resort to reciprocal "flaming" - you don't even know my background. I'm hoping this network will be utilized by mature individuals who are generally concerned about the environment, and because of which, are will to listen to all points of view, and all available info. Fisheries management, by it's nature and the species distribution under study is somewhat more of an "art" versus a science. However, do we just guess, and leave it at that - or do we work with the tools we have ? By-the-way, if we compare time spent in the Atlantic marine ecosystem, who would you expect to have a better grasp of the ecosystem ? > Y6IM further reveals a lack of appreciation regarding the complexity of > ecological systems when s/he argues "would it be correct to have both > predators (in this case the seals) and prey (the fish) managed, and then > remove controls on the predators? What would you expect to happen to the > predator population?" Ecosystems, are not so simple that they can be neatly > divided into one order of predators and one order of prey. No, but small fish do not eat large seals. And, harp > seals, in particular, are not a predator of cod. According to all > researchers on the subject, including those at Memorial University in > Newfoundland, the effects of reducing the harp seal population on > commercially caught fish stocks is unknown and according to some could even > have a detrimental effect. Funny, on on breath you state Harp seals do not eat cod, and in the next you state you don't know. Did you not read my original satement concerning cod/seals ? I stated that cod do not make-up a large portion of the Harp seals diet, ALTHOUGH most studies have been done where the seals are most accessible - on the front ice - AWAY from the banks (and the largest remaining stocks of cod). Also I stated that capelin IS a major component of their diet, a food fish for cod and other species. There is nothing to suggest that living > in an urban community necessarily makes one less able to appreciate nature; No but IT DOES make it harder to UNDERSTAND the ecosystem, by it's lack of nearness. There are examples of rural > Newfoundlanders, coastal peoples, extirpating species. Yes, and there are also examples of natives (North American, South American, and Australian) similarly wiping-out species. It is a HUMAN, not WHITE phenomenon. To argue that killing an animal sooner using a more humane > technique than is guessed the animal will die of later is simply > self-serving. My point exactly - So is the usage of the clubbing pictures for media sensationalism. Often the take of wild species is justified morally > because of the exploitation of domesticated ones. Usually this argument is > confined to domesticated wild animals, not plants. Without making any > comment about the morality of consuming animals, it is truly wrong-headed to > compare the two situations to justify anything. The fact is domestic > populations of both plants and animals are artifacts of human culture. Perfect - my point exactly. Domestic animals are artifacts - genetically, hormonally, and chemically altered by humans. Chose for their docility and (it could be argued) stupidity. Which is more "humane" ?? In wild systems, for the most part, human intervention is > limited to the aspect of taking, rarely are there any inputs provided to > either the species or the ecosystem to promote the future viability of > either. A truthful comment. Rather, for the most part, not only do humans remove the species > from the system but go on to actively degrade the system with pollutants and > other forms of exploitation. The same Rural vs Urban argument. > One of Y6IM's myopic areas is her/his Newfoundland chauvinism: The same could be reciprocated, however I won't get into "flaming". By-the-way, I'm not a Newf. "It would be > okay to viewers if the clubber was native, or a polar bear - but why the > outrage when the clubber is a poor newfoundland fisherman?" There is a vast > difference between a polar bear taking a seal and a Newfoundland fisherman, > most of whom are not poor. EXCUSE ME ???? Want to compare annual incomes and poverty levels ? > The bear may die if it is unable to take a seal; Bears DO take seals, mostly hooded and ringed. > an unlikely consequence of a Newfoundlander not shooting a seal and selling > its penis. As well as all other body parts. You propose to waste as many as possible ? > The closing arguments, which have been addressed if not specifically at > least generally above, in Y6IM's post are an angry, heady, confused mix of > bad biology, poor math, innuendo, flat earth science, and twisted sociology: Sorry, I DO believe the earth is round. Sorry. And, anyway, how is it possible for harp seals > to be experiencing an exploding population in the face of a complete > collapse of the fish populations they are supposed be living off of? Ever hear of bust-and-boom ? Doesn't this fact SUPPORT the hypothessis that seals have an effect on the cod rebounding ?? - Otherwise cod would be increasing.... And > lastly, even if the meat from 186,000 seals was dispersed at great expense > in freight costs (an expense which would likely exceed the value of the > meat) to the starving masses (which it never will be) it would not have > much, if any, impact on world hunger. Yes, as the wheat shipped to Somalia. > The modern Newfoundland sealer is a far different person than the man who > went to the ice in the 1600's and to equate him with the modern sealer is a > shameful affront to that tradition and memory of truly brave men. I guess there are no brave men left in your world, I'm sorry for you. Ever been in a storm in a small boat ? Ever been in ice in a wooden boat ? Ever worked HARD for your living ? Ever supported a family ? Ever jumped between ice flows ? Ever been cold for weeks at a stretch. Ever had to sleep in a wet wooden bunk for weeks? Ever watched the beauty of sunrise at sea ? etc, etc.... The > modern Canadian fishing industry including the seal hunt is a social > program, which, without government subsidy, would not survive at all. It would, but it is geared for over-production and is currently in the throws of down-sizing. The fact is if it wasn't for > "outsiders" providing economic support for Newfoundland there would not be > any coastal people at all in Newfoundland. They would have had to move to > "Toronto to work in a factory, a place where all wildness is gone, and his > soul with it" This IS a part of the desperation. People in Newfoundland WANT to work. Watson says they can't. It is the Newfoundland fishermen who put much, if not most, of > the political pressure on the government of the day to pursue fisheries > management policies that caused the horrific collapse we are now suffering > under. Actually, no it was the politicians, big business, and poor data from the fisheries department. Local fishermen had been saying this was going to happen for years. Guess what - NOBODY listened again. Hope this clears things up for you Rob. I'm purposely not responding to the "flaming", and I would hope the IWC would want a more reasonable and mature spokesman - for credability. Dave R. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 13:42:24 -0600 From: "William C. Burns" Subject: Cetacean Mortality In Captivity I am seeking information about the mortality and disease rates of cetacean species kept in captivity in settings such as aquariums and theme parks. There is some evidence indicating that such species often die prematurely in such settings, and suffer profound physiological diminution. I would like to accumulate more information pursuant to a law review article on small cetaceans that I am currently drafting. Thanks to all in advance for your assistance. William C. Burns, Pacific Center For International Studies, 33 University Square, Ste. 184, Madison, WI 53715-1012. Phone: (608) 257-6309, Fax: (608) 257-0417. E-mail: pcis(\)binc.net, alternate e-mail: ecoguy2336(\)aol.com. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 13:15:07 -0500 From: DUNNL(\)aol.com Subject: IAAAM MEETING J. LAWRENCE DUNN VMD DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND VETERINARY SERVICES MYSTIC MARINELIFE AQUARIUM 55 COOGAN BOULEVARD MYSTIC, CT 06355 TEL. 203-572-5955 EXT 103, FAX 203-572-5969, E-MAIL DUNNL(\)AOL.COM Twentysixth Annual International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine Meeting 1995 IAAAM Meeting Schedule as of 03/95 Mystic Hilton Hotel, Coogan Blvd, Mystic, CT 06355 Saturday 6 May 1994 Board and Committee mtgs at times TBA by Pres,. and Committee chairs Registration 3:00 -7:00 PM at registration area inside north side door of Hilton Ice Breaker 6:30-9:00 PM hors doeuvres Hilton courtyard or pool area, cash bar 6:30- 9:00 PM (two drink tickets per guest) 9:00 till ? On your own Sunday 7 May 1994 7:00AM-5:00 PM Conference registration at registration area 8:00 AM Call meeting to order Brad Fenwick, meeting announcements, etc Introduce Hugh Connell ,Pres., MMA for a few welcoming remarks 8:15 Begin morning scientific session ~10:20 Break 10:35 Next morning session ~12:00 Business mtg Lunch on your own 1:30 Afternoon scientific sessions begin 3:30 Break 3:45 Continue scientific sessions till close of day's session at ~ 5:00 PM SUNDAY EVENING ON YOUR OWN OPTIONAL WORKSHOP SESSIONS :(Locations TBA depending on number of attendees) 6:00 - 7:30 PM PATHOLOGY OF LOWER VERTEBRATES 7:00 - 8:30 PM MARINE MAMMALS: Stranding/Pathology 7:00 - 8:30 PM EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN AQUATIC ANIMAL MEDICINE Monday 8 May 1994 Registration/Information 10:00-2:00 8:00 Begin morning scientific session ~10:20 Break 10:35 Next morning session ~12:00 End Morning spoken session 12:00-1:00 POSTER SESSION held in room immiediately to the rear of the main meeting room. Authors of poster presentations should be available for questions, etc. Monday 8 May 1994 cont. Lunch on your own ~1:45 PM Walk or drive to Mystic Seaport Maritime Museum (Show your conference badge for reduced rate admission); other options include golf, half day deep sea fishing trip etc. Mystic Marinelife Aquarium is open throughout the conference period at no charge to conference attendees (Show your conference badge for admission and 20% discount in the gift shop.) ~6:00 PM MMA behind the scenes tours ~7:30-11:00 PM Clambake, music, dancing Tuesday 9 May 1994 8:30 Begin morning scientific session , 10:20 Break 10:35 continue morning session ~12:15 end morning session Lunch on your own ~1:15 Begin afternoon session 2:20 Break 2:35 continue PM session ~5:00 finish PM session 6:00 PM Pre banquet cocktail hour ,Cash bar 7:00 Banquet in main meeting room ~8:00 PM Introduce Guest speaker, Dr. Bob Ballard ~8:40 PM Awards ,President's remarks etc ~9:30 Close of annual banquet Wednesday 10 May 1994 8:00 Begin AM session 10:00 Break 12:15 Close of conference IAAAM 1995 Conference Mystic Hilton LOCATION: Mystic, Connecticut ACCOMMODATIONS: 70 rooms and 3 suites reserved for conference. Reserve early and you won't have to worry about being forced to stay elsewhere. DINING/ENTERTAINMENT: There are numerous restaurants within walking distance of the hotel as well as a number of cocktail lounges. The hotel has restaurants and a cocktail lounge as well. Menus of rea restaurants will be available at the conference registration area. SERVICES/SHOPS: Newsstand, gift shop, ice and vending machines, free parking, pool and exercise room. RECREATIONAL FACILITIES: We have arranged for admission to the famed Mystic Seaport Museum at the group student rate of $5.50 Vs the normal rate of $15.00 any time during the period 5/5/94- 5/14/94. Just show your conference badge to obtain this special rate. During the same period admission is free at Mystic Marinelife Aquarium. Show your conference badge. There are regular shuttles to the Foxwoods Casino, the largest casino in the western hemisphere. Rhode Island's long sandy barrier beaches are just a fifteen minute ride and the area has a large number of golf courses within a fifteen mile radius. For the shoppers in the group Mystic Factory Outlets, a collection of 27 shops is just across the street as is Old Mystic Village another collection of shoppes, restaurants and a motion picture theater. POST CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES: If interest warrants, we can arrange for transportation to New England Aquarium in Boston, The Laboratory of Marine Animal Health at Woods Hole, Pfizer Pharmaceutical's World Medical Research Center in Groton or the University of Rhode Island Bay Campus, site of the Graduate School of Oceanography and a number of marine oriented federal research facilities ( EPA, NMFS ). DISTANCE FROM AIRPORT: 10 minutes from Groton airport, 45 minutes from Providence airport and one hour twenty minutes from Hartford airport RESERVATIONS: Room rates are $105.00 single or double occupancy. Rates are plus 12% occupancy tax. Reservations must be made by either mail or phone by April 17, 1995. Group rates extend pre/post conference. This hotel nearly always has 100% occupancy. Early reservations are strongly suggested. ROOM RESERVATION REQUEST Group Name IAAAM ANNUAL CONFERENCE Arrival Date Departure Date Single / Double Rate $105.00 Individual Name Address City State Zip Office Phone Residence Phone Person Sharing With Please Guarantee my reservation by the following: Check enclosed in amount of first nights room rate Credit card type # Exp date Or call the Hilton at (203)-572-0731 Mystic Hilton Coogan Blvd Mystic, CT 06355 Registration Form IAAAM 26th Annual Conference May 6-10, 1995 Mystic, Connecticut PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE: NAME: TITLE: INSTITUTION CITY/STATE/ZIP: COUNTRY: TELEPHONE: FAX: CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FEES (IN US. DOLLARS) Member 150.00 Member's Spouse /guest 65.00 Non-Member 185.00 Non-Member's Spouse/guest 70.00 Student 35.00 (does not include banquet) Student Banquet 25.00 Late Fee (Post marked after 4/1/95) 25.00 One day fee (Conference only) 35.00 Total: Full registration includes a copy of conference proceedings (except for spouse/guest), and admittance to all scientific sessions and coffee breaks, icebreaker reception, clam bake, and awards banquet. Student registration does not include admittance to awards banquet; a separate banquet ticket is required. Payment: Please send your completed registration form with remittance (check made payable to Mystic Marinelife Aquarium) to: Dr. Larry Dunn/IAAAM Mystic Marinelife Aquarium 55 Coogan Blvd Mystic, CT 06355 USA Registration fees paid in advance are not refundable after April 30, 1995. Your receipt may be picked up at the registration desk with your registration package. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 12:54:10 PST From: SCAMMP Subject: American Oceans Campaign ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- DONNER / SHULER-DONNER PRODUCTIONS MARCH 20, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Richard Donner & Lauren Shuler Donner 818-954-3961 Ben White 206-379-5181 Mark Berman 415-788-3666 SEA WORLD TOSSED OUT AS SPONSOR FOR AMERICAN OCEANS EVENT Los Angeles, CA Faced with growing protest over Sea World's sponsorship of their upcoming gala Hollywood fundraiser, the American Oceans Campaign today rejected Sea World's Sponsorship when the marine park failed to reach an agreement to stop all captures of dolphins and whales from the wild. The proposed agreement between Sea World and American Oceans Campaign was attacked by a broad coalition of environmental organizations, movie producers, actors, musicians, and elected officials. The American Oceans Campaign, led by actor Ted Danson, has contributed greatly to the public awareness of the plight of the world's oceans. Richard Donner and Lauren Shuler Donner, director and producers of hit movies Lethal Weapon, Free Willy, Dave, and Maverick, called Danson's decision to break with Sea World, "a courageous step that is great news for dolphins and whales." Donner continues, "Sea World's attempt to sponsor Ted's ocean protection event is sheer hypocrisy in view of their capture of whales and dolphins from the wild." Lauren Shuler Donner added, "Now, instead of a massive protest, the event can truly be about protecting the oceans and the marine mammals that live in them." California Assemblyman Richard Katz, sponsor of a new bill to prohibit all capture of dolphins and whales in California waters, had urged people not to participate in the American Oceans/Sea World fundraiser next week. He stated, "American Oceans Campaign has taken a courageous stand against Sea World and their terrorist attacks on marine mammals. I commend AOC, and in particular, Ted Danson, for recognizing and protecting the right of marine mammals to remain free in the ocean, rather than be sentenced to life imprisonment in small, shallow, concrete fish tanks." Organizations including the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Marine Mammal Fund, Friends of Animals, Earth Island Institute, Whale Rescue Team, and a group of 70 additional organizations petitioned Ted Danson to break the proposed alliance with Sea World. Ben White, Pacific Director of Friends of Animals, stated: "The grisly history of Sea World caught up with them this time. We're gratified that American Oceans Campaign did the right thing." Earth Island Institute associate Mark Berman said: "The sad truth is that no self-respecting environmentalist can support Sea World and all they've done." In light of the decision by the American Oceans Campaign to reject Sea World's involvement, the coalition has canceled the demonstrations it had planned and commends American Oceans Campaign for its courageous decision. Donner concluded, "We should not participate in or condone in any way the violent capture of these wonderful creatures and the life shortening separation of them from their families and natural habitat. Removal of these majestic mammals from the wild for commercial purposes is unnecessary. Thankfully, modern technology now allows our children and anyone interested in learning about marine mammals to swim with them peacefully in virtual reality. These horrendous captures absolutely must become a thing of the past." ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 12:54:54 PST From: Don Hockaday Subject: Re: underwater blasting effects on vertebates ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- On Wed, 22 Mar 1995 10:15:02, John Cooper said: >I am looking into the effects of underwater blasting/explosions on >marine vertebrates, ... John, I understand that the U.S.A. National Marine Fisheries Service conducted a study on the effects of underwater blasting related to oil-well removal and oil exploration on sea turtles. If you have trouble locating this study, you might ask about it on the C-TURTLE discussion. If you still can not find it, let me know and I will ask around. Don Hockaday hockaday(\)panam.edu ======================================== Don Hockaday, Acting Director The University of Texas - Pan American Coastal Studies Laboratory 105 East Marine Lab Drive South Padre Island, Texas 78597 hockaday(\)panam,edu ======================================= ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 12:56:40 PST From: Alana Murray Subject: Re: Blue whales looking for love... In-Reply-To: <199503221732.KAA69770(\)gpu3.srv.ualberta.ca> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I found the following snippet in the Science section of a recent Edmonton Journal (daily newspaper) and I was wondering if any Marmamers out there could let me know how much truth there is in it. I'd never heard of blues and fins hybridizing before.... >ECOLINE by Catherine Farley > > >BLUE WHALES LOOKING FOR LOVE > >The world's largest living creatures are so scarce that it can be >difficult for them to find a mate. Instead, some are breeding with fin >whales, the next largest whale in the world, and producing fertile >offspring. This hybbridization means the blue whale may lose its >genetic identity and disappear as a distinct species. > >The blue whale is 25 metres long and weighs about 100 tonnes. About >11,000 remain - only 5% of their 1920's population. > >Source: Alternatives Magazine Yours in curiosity, Alana Murray Dept of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton, Canada ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 15:03:19 -0800 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) You wrote: > >Why wasn't there as big as an uproar for the collapse of the cod >fishery. Could it be that seals are cuter? Where was Greenpeace, >the IFAW, and Bridgette Bardot during this ecological disaster ?? You seem to use the term "ecological disaster" as a simile for "natural disaster." The cod fishery collapse was in no way a natural disaster, unless one defines the havoc human industry wreaks on the environment as natural. The cod fishery collapsed because fishermen overfished and fisheries managers didn't manage properly. It's true there should be as big an uproar for the fishery collapse as there is for the seal hunt -- and depending on the organization you're looking at, there is (some groups are environmental or ecosystem oriented, others individual animal or humane oriented and it isn't fair or logical to expect all environmental or animal groups to cover all issues). There are groups such as the Center for Marine Conservation that work just as hard to prevent anthropogenic disasters such as the cod fishery collapse as animal protection groups like IFAW (and The HSUS) work to prevent rampant, ill-managed, and inhumane hunting of seals. > >maybe not even >understanding the biology of the same ecosystem that supports many >millions of the same seals... If the ecosystem supports millions of seals (which it apparently does at the moment), then clearly the cod are NOT a primary food source for these same seals, or else (speaking of understanding the biology of this ecosystem) there wouldn't be millions of seals. It wasn't clear to me from what you wrote -- you weren't blaming the seals for the cod fishery collapse, were you? I hope not. Naomi Rose The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 14:12:33 -0800 From: "Phillip J. Clapham" Subject: Blue whale/fin whale The report of blue and fin whales hybridizing is basically correct. For those who'd like details, see the following papers: 1) Arnason et al. 1991. Hereitas 115: 183-189. 2) Spillaert et al. 1991. J. Heredity 82: 269-274. Such hydrids were occasionally reported by whalers and apparently have some basis in biological reality. What made the Icelandic hybrid interesting was that it was pregnant. As for the assertion that blue whales will lose their genetic identity: given the probable extreme rarity of such interspecies matings, I don't think need to worry too much about that. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phillip J. Clapham, Ph.D. SW Fisheries Science Center phone: 619-546-7173 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive fax: 619-546-5653 La Jolla, CA 92037 internet: pclapham(\)caliban.ucsd.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 13:31:49 EST From: Ben Blaylock Subject: Research Assistants Needed I am posting the following message for Marthajane Caldwell who does not currently have Internet access. Please do not address replies to me or to marmam. Graduate student needs research assistants for a bottlenose dolphin research project. Photographic, behavioral, and acoustic data will be collected in Jacksonville, Florida, for at least one year. Gain experience and have fun at the same time. If interested, please contact Marthajane directly. Marthajane Caldwell 6100 Arlington Expressway, K305 Jacksonville, FL 32211 Phone: 904-723-3906 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 10:36:37 +1000 From: Peter Corkeron Subject: Re: Blue whale/fin whale In-Reply-To: <199503232330.JAA05973(\)extra.ucc.su.OZ.AU> Further to Phil's comments on the blueXfin: Perhaps the real interest in a viable blueXfin is that its another example of how poorly we understand the genus Balaenoptera - what with two or three minke species, possibly two Bryde's species (dredged form my memory of stuff in the IWC genetic ecology special issue - perhaps a geneticist might like to enlighten Marmamland further?). Its kind of a shame that the media latch onto some dopey comments about lonely blues bonking whatever they can find - a story, which, as I recall, stemmed from some politician's posturings before the last IWC meeting - and they miss the interesting story. But perhaps my perspective's all wrong. It could be all the sun down here. Peter pcorkero(\)extro.ucc.su.oz.au ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 17:17:52 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: Re: cetacean mortality in captivity (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 16:30:17 -0800 From: ridgway(\)nosc.mil (Sam H. Ridgway) Subject: Re: Cetacean Mortality In Captivity William C. Burns. There papers out that show similar rates of mortality between cetaceans in captivity in the United States during the past two decades and those in the wild. To put things in perspective for you, a total of three individual cetaceans, three Pacific whitesided dolphins, were captured from U.S. waters in this decade of the 90s. We already have the Marine Mammal Protection Act which is working. The overwhelming majority of cetaceans added to U.S. collections in this decade have been born at U.S. facilities. The Pacific whitesided dolphins in Chicago have been or will be seen and appreciated by millions of people. Captures for public display or research are in no way threatening wild populations and to the contrary, these few cetaceans that are taken serve as good representatives of their kind to a large spectrum of the human population. Sam Ridgway Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 13:42:24 -0600 From: "William C. Burns" Subject: Cetacean Mortality In Captivity I am seeking information about the mortality and disease rates of cetacean species kept in captivity in settings such as aquariums and theme parks. There is some evidence indicating that such species often die prematurely in such settings, and suffer profound physiological diminution. I would like to accumulate more information pursuant to a law review article on small cetaceans that I am currently drafting. Thanks to all in advance for your assistance. William C. Burns, Pacific Center For International Studies, 33 University Square, Ste. 184, Madison, WI 53715-1012. Phone: (608) 257-6309, Fax: (608) 257-0417. E-mail: pcis(\)binc.net, alternate e-mail: ecoguy2336(\)aol.com. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 09:07:21 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff (short) MARMAM Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Please note that next week's posting will be delayed from Friday until Monday, Apr. 3, since I will be in Seattle, WA next week attending and delivering a paper at a workshop on marine ecosystem management. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Walrus Subsistence Hunt. On Mar. 21, 1995, the Alaska Board of Game voted 5-0 (with two abstentions) to develop a cooperative agreement that would allow Bristol Bay subsistence hunters to take 10 walrus from Round Island in the Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary each October; this will be the first hunting within the refuge since it was established in 1960. [Assoc Press] . Florida Manatees. In mid-March 1995, results of a State study were released indicating that about 25% of all Brevard County, FL, boaters were not complying with slow speed zones to protect manatees. Lack of enforcement personnel was cited as contributing to this problem. On Mar. 22, 1995, the 60th manatee death in 1995 occurred; the 1995 death rate is more than double the 1994 rate. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 10:35:02 +0100 From: Per Palsboll Subject: Fin whale / Blue whale hybrids Just to join in concerning the 'lonely' blue whales: Of the three reported cases, the most interesting one is (as Phil mentioned) the female hybrid which carried a fetus. This implied that such a hybrid could indeed be fertile, and thus a potential for a 'merging' of the two species. However, there are a few points to keep in mind; i) The fetus was quite small - and it may never have developed fully. ii) The fetus was a result of the hybrid mother mating with a male blue whale. Hence the 'lonely' hybrid choosed to mate with the rarest of the two species, and thus lend little support to the 'lonely outbreed' hypothesis. The remaining two hybrids were sterile males 7 and 24 years old, repspectively. In the three cases crosses happen both ways (male blues with female fins and vice versa). As Peter Corkeron correctly pointed out, then there are a number of Balaenopterid species, which in fact consists of several 'subspecies'. The most controversial finding is probably the fact that the sperm whales seem more closely related to the baleen whales than the remainder odontocetes. This has sparked numerous studies on the phylogeny of cetaceans as a whole, but many of these studies will produce data which will provide additional insight into the Balaenopterid relations. However, the Baleanopterids are closely related genetically -- that is the number of 'mutations' separating the genomes of these species are few -- and thus the statistical support for one branching pattern over the other is often quite meager. So it will probably be a while before enough data have been produced to provide a solid basis for elucidating the branching pattern WITHIN a group of closely related species as the Balaenopterids. The age of these species are similar to those of higher primates (human, chimpanzee and gorilla) which still causes a lot of debate due to lack of a sufficient amount of data. Best regards Per Palsboll ---------------------------------- Per Palsboll, Ph.D. Dept. of Population Biology Zoological Institute, University of Copenhagen Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark Phone: (+45) 35 32 13 11, Fax: (+45) 35 32 13 00, NB!! NB!! CHANGED E-Mail : pppop(\)biobase.dk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 13:12:34 AST From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Re: Seals/cod/fishing communities... Naomi (speaking for the USA Humane Society) writes: > >Why wasn't there as big as an uproar for the collapse of the cod > >fishery. Could it be that seals are cuter? Where was Greenpeace, > >the IFAW, and Bridgette Bardot during this ecological disaster ?? > > > You seem to use the term "ecological disaster" as a simile for "natural > disaster." The cod fishery collapse was in no way a natural disaster, > unless one defines the havoc human industry wreaks on the environment as > natural. The cod fishery collapsed because fishermen overfished and > fisheries managers didn't manage properly. No, I SPECIFICALLY used the term "ecological" since it refers to the BROADEST context of interactions, not "NATURAL" - since many people have an aversion to admitting the human race is part of the "natural" world (for better or worse) - as you have demonstrated above. If you wish to confuse the issue by arguing semantics - go ahead. Also, re-read my original post concerning the seal/cod issue. I stated that overfishing was the main reason for the collapse - seals MAY BE one of the reasons for the slow (i.e. mostly non-existant) rebuilding of the cod stocks... > If the ecosystem supports millions of seals (which it apparently does at > the moment), then clearly the cod are NOT a primary food source for > these same seals, or else (speaking of understanding the biology of this > ecosystem) there wouldn't be millions of seals. Possibly not primary, but definitely a component of their food source - as well as capelin and other food fish for cod. Seals can and do eat other species, as well, whish would explain their population levels, and the reason the cod stocks are staying so low. Dave R. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 17:06:52 +0000 From: Gisli Vikingsson Subject: Re: Blue whale/fin whale In-Reply-To: <199503240112.BAA12603(\)hafro.is> from "Peter Corkeron" at Mar 24, 95 10:36:37 am The relatively recent interest for the discovery of hybridization between fin and blue whales off Iceland is interesting in the light of the reasons given by the magazine Nature for not publishing the findings, i.e. that the subject was not of interest to (and too specialized for) the general reader of Nature. Similar response was received from the periodical Science. Many years later this first documentation of hybridization between the two largest animal species, and the first example of any cetacean hybridization giving rise to a fertile offspring, is of sufficient general interest to make it to the pages of large newspapers in UK and USA. Could there be some politics involved here? Regarding the lonley blue whales, I agree with Peter Corkeron that the incidence cannot be interpreted simply as a shortage of blue whales. Apart from the examples of minke and brydes whales the following finding from the finXblue incidents support this: Descriptions of strange whales dating as far back as 1887 (before the collapse of blue whale stocks), that were called bastard and fit the descriptions of the newly proven hybrids. Of the three hybrids known from Iceland, two had a blue whale mother while in the third case the father was a blue whale and the mother a fin whale. The only known female hybrid was pregnant, and the father was a blue whale. If mating is density dependent, as assumed in the "lonley blue theory" one would have expected the hybrid to have mated with a fin whale. > -- Gisli A. Vikingsson Internet: gisli(\)hafro.is Hafrannsoknastofnunin Telephone: +354 1 20240 (Marine Research Institute Fax: +354 1 623790 Skulagotu 4, Reykjavik, Iceland ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 13:52:06 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Stephen Best writes: >> Y6IM argues that there are "an estimated 3 - 25 million harp seals alone, in >> the Gulf of St. Lawrence." Furthermore, the figure that is put >> forward of 3 million or more for the Gulf and the Front combined are >> extrapolations of very old data and cannot be relied upon. > >That is why the large confidence limits 3 - 25 million... >Do you know of more up-to-date data? I'd be glad to hear it. Dave: I have never seen data that gives confidence limits up to 25 million. Where did that figure come from. The most recent survey of harp seal populations was done by DFO in 1990 and estimates 3.1 million harps, with a possible range of 2.7 to 3.5 (Atlantic Seal Forum: Background Information, p 3, distributed by DFO at the Sealing Forum held in St. John's, Newfoundland, Feb. 21, 1995). There is a new DFO population assessment due to be made public in April. However, for the time being, the 1990 figures are the most recent. >As well as all other body parts. You propose to waste as many as >possible ? According to a report undertaken by RT & Associates on behalf of the government of the North West Territories, ("NWT Seal Marketing Strategy", Nov. 1994) markets for seal products look dismal. The section on Market Opportunites estimates the potential of various products: Seal skins - not very encouraging; Meat for animal feed - poor; Meat for human consumption - extremely poor; Seal oil - hopes for Omega-3; Seal organs (penis with testicles attached) - excellent in China and the far East. In the section Market Constraints, the following are listed: resistance from buyers; price; animal rights groups; poor quality; transportation costs; unreliable delivery; trade restrictions; low price for seal skins; products don't match market demand. Since 1985, the government has spent $8 - $10 million on various sealing initiatives (product development and marketing) in Newfoundland. >And >> lastly, even if the meat from 186,000 seals was dispersed at great expense >> in freight costs (an expense which would likely exceed the value of the >> meat) to the starving masses (which it never will be) it would not have >> much, if any, impact on world hunger. > >Yes, as the wheat shipped to Somalia. In its search for markets for meat, according to the RT & Associates report, Canada found that it couldn't find industrialized countries with a tradition of eating seal meat. Countries willing to eat seal are poor, protein-starved countries that cannot afford to pay for it. CIDA was approached but was not interested in seal meat because 1)of anti-sealing sentiment, and 2)CIDA discourages any form of aid that encourages dependency. As poor countries could never find similar products of their own, the project was seen as a means of subsidizing the Newfoundland industry with no long- range benefit for the recipient. Anne Doncaster ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 12:52:44 PST From: Tim Stevens <100236.2066(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Re- Underwater Blasting Eff ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Attn: MARMAM Messages Marine Parks (Brisbane) MEMO Subject: Time: 7:20 AM Re: Underwater Blasting Effects Date: 24/3/95 John: Try McCauley R.D. (1994) Seismic Surveys. In Swan J.M., Neff J.M. and Young P.C. (eds) Environmental implications of Offshore Oil and Gas Development in Australia - The findings of an independent Scientific Review. Australian Petroleum Exploration Association (APEA), Sydney, Australia 695 pages. 12 -122. Good luck! Tim Stevens Principal Conservation Officer, Marine Parks Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage 100236.2066(\)compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 13:06:43 PST From: GARYROBBINS(\)delphi.com Subject: Re: Cetacean Mortality In Captivity ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- William: You can get the information you want from the National Marine Fisheries Service, which is part of the US Dept. of Interior. Ask for public affairs officer Scott Smullen. I reviewed the reports on cetacean mortality for a story I wrote for my newspaper. The earlier reports -- those covering the 60s and 70s -- are very skimpy. Theme parks were not required to keep extensive records at the time. The later stuff is better. But it is still incomplete. In fact, you could use the material to argue any point of view you want. Things are that ambiguous. I found that the information had been distorted both by the aquarium industry and by animal rights activists. Truth is the first casualty on emotional issues like this. Gary Robbins, science writer, the Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 13:07:45 PST From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Why wasn't there as big as an uproar for the collapse of the cod >fishery. Could it be that seals are cuter? Where was Greenpeace, >the IFAW, and Bridgette Bardot during this ecological disaster ?? > >How about safe at home, far away from the resource, maybe not even >understanding the biology of the same ecosystem that supports many >millions of the same seals they so cared about 10-15 years earlier. >Dave R. > This absolutely baffles me (as my sole personal involvement in this matter, on behalf of the International Wildlife Coalition, involved attempts to get the federal DFO to protect cod). Yes, many of the people who were upset about the seal hunt reacted to the "cuteness", as you put it, of baby harp seals. So what? Does that PROVE that all the objections raised to the hunt - including many scientific ones - were wrong? Are we to assume that once an animal is determined to be "cute" anyone who objects to the manner or rate at which it is harvested is responding to nothing but sentiment, no matter what the reasons they give? But what baffles me more is the rest of this quote. Who destroyed the cod stocks? Greenpeace? Or the combined mismanagement of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the fishing industry? Who did more to destroy the livelihood of the fishermen? Greenpeace and IFAW, who fought the seal hunt, or the DFO, who refused to listen to its own scientists and set quotas far too high for years for political reasons? What was more important to Newfoundland fishermen - cod or seals? Ask them whch they'd rather have, and I'm sure the answer won't be based on "cuteness". So why, then, are the chief villains in this matter perceived to be the environmental groups, and not a government ministry that has sold the fishermen down the river to protect its own turf? If Paul Watson can be beaten up in the Magdalens, I would think that there ought to be a move somewhere down east to hang, draw and quarter every fisheries minister for the last few decades. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 13:10:22 PST From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dave's lament about nobody who campaigned against the seal hunt doing anything to save the cod stocks is a lot of hot air. During the 1970s and 1980s, as an environmental beat reporter with various mainstream media and Canadian correspondent to several U.S. environmental publications, I personally wrote many more articles warning about the damage to cod and other Atlantic Canada fish stocks from acid rain and soil erosion destroying spawning areas than I did items pertaining to sealing. For many years the elected officials from Atlantic Canada were conspicuous by their silence and even their denial (e.g. John Crosby). I also recall that Paul Watson during the summer of 1983 made an energetic effort to chase the foreign draggers out of the Grand Banks before the last of the cod were wiped out--for which effort the Canadian government dragged him off to jail, before starting similar efforts of their own a couple of years too late. As to losing jobs through change, move on, man! I'm old enough to remember the hot lead era of newspapering. That changed, and tens of thousands of Linotype operators had to change careers, usually after relocating a couple of times trying to stay with union wages in hot lead. In the long run, most benefitted by eventually changing occupations (many turned to computer work, much cleaner and safer, even though it required re-education.) --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 13:35:45 PST From: Phocid(\)aol.com Subject: Fwd: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- --------------------- Forwarded message: Subj: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) Date: 95-03-17 15:31:37 EST From: Phocid To: MARMAM(\)uvvm.bitnet In your posting Seals, fish and men you seem to point to Greenpeace and Paul Watson as the source of your opposition. It is only that a small handful of organizations have the ear of the media. If these organizations did not represent the feelings and philosophies of millions of people they would not recieve this attention. You can not trivialize the opposision by saying it is some yuppie from California. There is a whole world of us out here that care deeply for the environment and its wild inhabitants. We are sick to death of watching the destruction of the planet and unending atrocities perpetrated against its innocent wildlife. Fish and seals have been maintaining an equilibrium for millions of years. They don't need your help to maintain healthful numbers. If living in these barren outposts is a cruel way of life, as you say, then use your ability to reason and think, and find a new way of life. Unlike the seals, you have the ability to choose. If fishing in your area is a thing of the past, as it appears to be, then it is time to teach your children a new way of life. Why saddle them with this cruel way of life? Jeff Lederman ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 17:03:09 EST From: Kathy Hough Organization: College of the Atlantic Subject: Conversion of LORAN-C into lat/longs Dear MARMAMers, First, thank you again to everyone who responded to my MARMAM request and assisted in the search for a LORAN-C to latitude/longitude conversion program. When I posted my request, I received several replies which asked me to summarize my search's findings. Three main programs/ideas follow: 1) There is a commercial software program available for $60.00 (U.S.) which is capable of batch processing. Versions of the "The LORAN\GPS Program" are available for DOS, WINDOWS and MACINTOSH and can be obtained from: Andren Software Company P.O. Box 33117 Indialantic, FL 32903-0117 (407) 725-4115 (evening customer service [it's a residence]) I used the WINDOWS version for my College of the Atlantic senior project. The program was fast, easy to use and it automatically compensates for Additional Secondary Factor (ASF) corrections. Note: the user has to enter the ASFs into the program before conversion to lat/longs. When the ASFs are applied, the conversions appear to be accurate. I checked a few lat/long conversions and their corresponding lorans against NOAA nautical charts which are corrected for ASFs; the locations matched. ASF correction tables for LORAN-C can be obtained for $11 from: NOAA Distribution Branch N/CG33 National Ocean Service Riverdale, MD 20737-1199 (301) 436-6990 2) There is a free conversion program written by the Defense Mapping Agency. It is not capable of batch processing, but the source person for this suggestion says "it works and is accurate". It also does not account for ASFs; these have to be applied to the LORAN locations before the readings are converted in the program. The program can be obtained from an National Ocean Service Bulletin Board at (301) 713-4573 ("8 Bits - Stop Bits 1 - Parity - None"). Because there is no 'read me file' for this program, the source person, Mr. Jeffrey Stuart of the National Ocean Service, is willing to assist people. He can be contacted at (301) 713-2729. Mr. Stuart can also provide LORAN-C mylar overlay plots for NOAA bathymetric maps or nautical charts or other maps upon request. The overlay plots will be corrected for ASFs and will cost approximately $67. 3) The last method is a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) method which was suggested by someone who wishes to remain anonymous. Any specific commands are based on UNIX Arc/Info. The original description follows: " First, create a data layer from your Loran coordinates. This will be self-consistent, but of an unknown relationship to your Lat/Long data layers and base maps. You could create this in Arc/Info using the generate command, for example. Second, using a nautical chart of the area, plot 10 or so of your Loran points and read the latitude and longitude off the map. For these points, you now have both Loran and Lat/long coordinates. These are your reference points, which in Arc/Info are known as tics. Be sure to spread these around your study area evenly so that none of your thousands of points are too far outside the spread of the reference tics. [these can be any study area points where both Loran and Lat/long are known. You don't have to use actual whale sightings. However, the points must appear in both covers.] Third, create a second cover with the 10 or so tics, using the lat/long rather than the Loran coordinates. Fourth, and finally, use the Transform command in Arc; the Loran cover is your in-data-layer, while the lat/long cover is your out-data-layer. Both layers must contain the 5-10 tics that you translated by hand. The Transform command will translate all the points you put in the in-data-layer into the coordinate system of the out-data-layer. Voila! You have your thousands of points in lat/long. When this command executes, it will give you an 'error' output. This indicates how consistent the transformation was in regenerating the location of the tics themselves. If it is not pretty low (0.05), you may want to re-check the lat/long coordinates that you read off the map. This will introduce a transformation error into your data, but it will likely be less than the Loran measurement error itself. You will have to fuss around a bit with both covers so that they have the same set of tic points. Check the manuals and such on how to do this." I hope these suggestions are helpful to people who need to convert LORAN-C coordinates into latitudes/longitudes. Good Luck. Sincerely, Kathryn Hough hough(\)ecology.coa.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 15:32:59 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Summer Unpaid Internships I will be in a position to consider two graduate student interns this coming summer -- two months minimum -- probably to work on Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act reauthorization, APHIS care and maintenance standards for marine mammals in captivity, the Federal role in recreational fisheries, adequacy of disaster assistance programs for the fishing industry, and related fishery and/or marine mammal public policy issues. Interested persons should be pursuing graduate work in some field related to aquatic or marine science, fisheries, and/or marine mammals. This is an *unpaid* internship, but provides an extensive exposure to how public policy is developed and involves close work with Congress and Executive Agency staff. Anyone interested might call me directly or send me a letter of interest with your current resume and short (6-10 page) writing sample. Interested persons can also contact our winter intern (from Texas A&M Univ.) -- Troy Sparks at (202) 707-7246 -- to hear directly from an intern about the nature of our work and its relevance to education and career goals. In addition, two summer 1994 interns (from New York University and Bucknell University) and two fall 1994 interns (both from the University of Washington) are also willing to discuss their experience with the program. The Congressional Research Service is one of four support agencies of the U.S. Congress. Our sole duty is to provide confidential, non-partisan, objective public policy analysis to support the legislative work of Members of Congress, congressional committees, and their staff. I coordinate work for CRS on all aquatic living resources -- fisheries and marine mammals, predominantly. Interested persons should make initial contact with me no later than April 14, 1995. Gene Buck, Senior Policy Analyst Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division Congressional Research Service Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 Phone: (202) 707-7262 Fax: (202) 707-3342 Internet Address: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 16:02:47 -0700 From: "MARMAM Conference (\) estreet.com" Organization: E Street Mail Denver Subject: Re(2): Blue whale/fin whale Can/would someone tell me what traits the hybrids have that distinguish them from the blue and fin whales? It sounds like the information posted so far may be based on autopsy data. Where is this data documented? Have live hybrids been observed in recent times? Are there distinguishing traits that can be observed in living animals? regarding parentage? Is Iceland the only place they have been found? What about the southern hemisphere? Does anyone know of publications I can research? My apologies if I missed the answers to some of these in previous postings and am being repetitious. Thank you for your help! Cherie Olson 6213 W. 92nd Pl. Westminster, CO 80030 (303) 426-5135 whales(\)estreet.com (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 07:44:52 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Cetacean Mortality In Captivity "The later stuff is better. But it is still incomplete. In fact, you could use the material to argue any point of view you want. Things are that ambiguous. I found that the information had been distorted both by the aquarium industry and by animal rights activists. Truth is the first casualty on emotional issues like this. Gary Robbins, science writer, the Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA." As a fellow journalist, I've drawn much the same conclusion, having looked at captive cetacean mortality date quite extensively in connection with our fall/winter series "Dirty Pool," which exploded the propaganda on both sides of the captivity issue. However, I must add that it's also pointless to look at "cetaceans in captivity" as an amorphous mass. Some facilities have much better records than others; some species do markedly better than others; and in general, those facilities with the most experience do the best, but often they have had trouble in their early years of keeping cetaceans, or cetaceans of particular species. I think the situation really needs to be looked at case-by-case, as the blanket approach is inapplicable to evaluation of humane concerns. (I now expect to be flamed by just about everyone, but you'll have to wait your turn, as I'm still getting flames from previous postings.) --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 13:04:40 +0100 From: Per Palsboll Subject: References conc. Cetacean phylogeny & Hybrids To: Marmam Newgroup CONCERNING PHYLOGENY: I have recieved some requests, concerning litterature on the molecular phylogeny of cetaceans. I've listed some below which contains some phylogenetic information. ..AND CONCERNING HYBRIDS: Secondly there was a question from Cherie Olson concerning the basis of the identification of blue/fin whale hybrids. They seem to have an intermediate morphology - the shape and position of the dorsal fin, the baleens, coloration of the skin etc.. However the three Icelandic incidents discussed the past days have been verified by molecular techniques as well. Phil Clapham provided the two references, which details the methods and findings. Molecular verification of a hybrid requires a little pice of tissue, which can be collected as sloughed skin or skin biopsies. Considering the number of biospies being collected by various institutions world-wide ther's little doubt that additional hybrids will surface - but the phenomena is rare, as evident from the review by Sylvestre & Tasaka (1985). Apart from the recent blue/fin hybrids a possible narwhal/beluga hybrid has been reported by Heide-Jorgensen & Reeves (1993). Adachi, J. and Hasegawa, M. (1995). Phylogeny of whales: dependence of the inference on species sampling. Mol. Biol. Evol. 12:177-179 Adegoke, J. A., Arnason, U. and Widegren, B. (1993). Sequence organization and evolution, in all extant whalebone whales, of a DNA satellite with terminal chromosome localization. Chromosoma 102:382-388 Arnason, U. (1990). Phylogeny of marine mammals - evidence from chromosomes and DNA. In: K. Fredga et al. (ed.), Chromosomes today. p. 267-278 Arnason, U. and Best, P. B. (1991). Phylogenetic relationships within the Mysticeti (whalebone whales) based upon studies of highly repetitive DNA in all extant species. Hereditas 114:263-269 Arnason, U., Gretarsdottir, S. and Gullberg, A. (1993a). Comparisons between the 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, NADH1 and COI genes of sperm and fin whale mitochondrial DNA. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 21:115-122 Arnason, U., Gretarsdottir, S. and Widegren, B. (1992). Mysticete (Baleen whale) relationships based upon the sequence of the Common Cetacean DNA Satellite. Mol. Biol. Evol. 9:1018-1028 Arnason, U. and Gullberg, A. (1994). Relationship of baleen whales established by cytochrome b gene sequence comparison. Nature 367:726-728 Arnason, U., Gullberg, A. and Widegren, B. (1993b). Cetacean mitochondrial DNA control region: Sequences of all extant baleen whales and two sperm whale species. Mol. Biol. Evol. 10:960-970 Baker, C. S., Perry, A., Bannister, J. L., Weinrich, M. T., Abernethy, R. B., Calambodikis, J., Lien, J., Lambertsen, R. H., Urban Ramirez, J., Vasquez, O., Clapham, P. J., Alling, A., O'Brien, S. J. and Palumbi, S. R. (1993). Abundant mitochondrial DNA variation and world-wide population structure in humpback whales. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 90:8239-8243 Gr=E9tarsd=F3ttir, S. and Arnason, U. (1992). Evolution of the common cetace= an highly repetitive DNA component and the systematic position of Orcaella brevirostris. J. Mol. Evol. 34:201-208 Gr=E9tarsd=F3ttir, S. and Arnason, U. (1993). Molecular studies on two varia= nt repeat types of the Common Cetacean DNA Satellite of the Sperm whale, and the relationship between Physeteridae (sperm whales) and Ziphiidae (beaked whales). Mol. Biol. Evol. 10:306-318 Heide-Jorgensen, M. P. and Reeves, R. R. (1993). Description of an anomalous monodontid skull from West Greenland: A possible hybrid? Mar. Mam. Sci. 9:258-268 Milinkovitch, M. C. (1992). DNA-DNA hybridizations support ungulate ancestry of Cetacea. J. evol. Biol. 5:149-160 Milinkovitch, M. C., Meyer, A. and Powell, J. R. (1994). Phylogeny of all major groups of cetaceans based on DNA sequences from three mitochondrial genes. Mol. Biol. Evol. 11:939-948 Milinkovitch, M. C., Orti, G. and Meyer, A. (1993). Revised phylogeny of whales suggested by mitochondrial ribosomal DNA sequences. Nature 361:346-348 Milinkovitch, M. C., Orti, G. and Meyer, A. (1995). Novel phylogeny of whales revisited but not revised. Mol. Biol. Evol. 12:in press Sylvestre, J.-P. and Tasaka, S. (1985). On the intergenic hybrids in cetaceans. Aquatic Mammals 11:101-108 ---------------------------------- Per Palsboll, Ph.D. Dept. of Population Biology Zoological Institute, University of Copenhagen Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark Phone: (+45) 35 32 13 11, Fax: (+45) 35 32 13 00, NB!! NB!! CHANGED E-Mail : pppop(\)biobase.dk ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 21:04:52 -0500 From: Stephen Best Subject: Re: Seals/cod/fishing communities... Dave R. made the following statements in one of his recent posts: >... seals >MAY BE one of the reasons for the slow (i.e. mostly non-existant) >rebuilding of the cod stocks... >Seals can and do >eat other species, as well, whish would explain their population >levels, and the reason the cod stocks are staying so low. > >Dave R. Until recently, Brian Tobin, the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has maintained that a seal cull was not necessary, because there was no scientific evidence to support the premise that seal populations were adversely affecting fish stocks. A few months ago his position changed under pressure from fishermen and sealers claiming that "common sense" and their "perception" was that there were too many seals and the populations needed to be controlled. To the best of my knowledge, there is still, as of yet, no scientific evidence, despite studies and research being conducted by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Memorial University and the International Marine Mammal Association to name just three groups, to suggest that seal populations are having either an adverse effect on fish populations or impeding the recovery of cod or any other species of fish. In fact, it may be worth taking a closer look at a study done of Cape fur seals that suggested that seal culling might actually have a negative impact on the South African fishery. If there is some scientific work that has been done to suggest that harp or other seals are adversely impacting fish stocks, I would appreciate being made aware of it. It is unfortunate but it appears that, as his predecessors did with the fishing industry, Brian Tobin has chosen to abandon science in the management of seals in favor of responding to local political pressure. It is generally acknowledged that it was this kind of political decision making which lead to the demise of the Atlantic fishing industry. One would have hoped that not only the Minister, but also the fishermen would have learned a lesson about management policies being developed in this manner, but tragically that does not appear to be the case. ---- Stephen Best, Vice President | Tel: 519/925-3440 International Wildlife Coalition | Fax: 519/925-2003 PO Box 988, Shelburne | e-mail: sbest(\)inforamp.net Ontario, Canada, L0N 1S0 | CIS: 76407,526 ---- Stephen Best, Vice President | Tel: 1.519.925.3440 International Wildlife Coalition | Fax: 1.519.925.2003 PO Box 988, Shelburne | e-mail: sbest(\)inforamp.net Ontario, Canada, L0N 1S0 | CIS: 76407,526 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 17:11:38 -0800 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: cetacean mortality in captivity (fwd) Dr. Sam Ridgway wrote: > >There are papers out that show similar rates >of mortality between cetaceans in captivity in the United States >during the past two decades and those in the wild. There are also papers out that show significantly different rates of mortality between cetaceans in captivity in the United States during the past two decades and those in the wild, favoring the wild (I refer specifically to Woodley et al. 1994 and DeMaster and Small 1993 -- please contact me for the full references). There are also papers out that determine that the data were basically insufficient to note any differences, statistically significant or otherwise, in mortality rates from the two environments (I refer specifically to DeMaster and Drevenak 1988, which was of course published 7 years ago now and was analyzing data that are now out-of-date). It would be helpful if Dr. Ridgway would list the specific papers to which he refers that show similar rates of mortality between the two environments. The only one I know of is Duffield and Wells 1991 and as I understand it, no statistical analyses were performed in this paper. I would welcome being corrected if I am wrong in this assertion (I have never been able to find a complete copy of this paper and would welcome receiving one by fax from anyone who has it, at 301/258-3080). To put things >in perspective for you, a total of three individual cetaceans, >three Pacific whitesided dolphins, were captured from U.S. waters >in this decade of the 90s. This is correct. One of these animals, captured by the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, has already died (15 months after capture, at the approximate age of five years). This voluntary moratorium on captures has been maintained, as far as I can tell, through public pressure and concern for public relations and image, not because of any programmatic strategy on the part of public display facilities. In fact, until the end of 1993, several facilities, including the Shedd, Marine World Africa USA, and a number of smaller facilities in the southern U.S., insisted on renewing permits they had held since the late 80s to capture cetaceans from the wild (the permits were for a total of about 30 animals -- I can't recall the exact number -- some of whom were in fact captured in the late 80s). All of these permits have now expired, most without filling their allotted quota. We already have the Marine Mammal >Protection Act which is working. Due to amendments supported by the public display industry that were passed in April 1994, the Marine Mammal Protection Act no longer has any substantive jurisdiction over captive marine mammals (only the Animal Welfare Act -- a notoriously weak piece of legislation -- which is administered by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA, now protects these animals). The MMPA (and the National Marine Fisheries Service) continues to have jurisdiction only over the capture of wild marine mammals, not over their maintenance in captivity. So in the case of captive marine mammals, I fail to see how the MMPA "is working." The overwhelming majority of >cetaceans added to U.S. collections in this decade have been born >at U.S. facilities. The key phrase here is "added...in this decade," which is after all only 4 years and three months old. The majority of cetaceans currently in captivity in the U.S. were taken from the wild. The Pacific whitesided dolphins in Chicago >have been or will be seen and appreciated by millions of people. I feel compelled to point out that one of the seven animals referred to here will of course not be seen or appreciated by anyone anymore (in fact, an eighth dolphin -- the Shedd permit was originally for 8 dolphins -- captured by the Shedd in the late 80s, died only weeks after capture). >Captures for public display or research are in no way threatening >wild populations This may be true at the population level, but there has been little effort on the part of the public display industry to determine the effect that their capture operations have on the individuals that they harass -- for instance, in the capture of the three Pacific white-sided dolphins mentioned above, two other dolphins were in fact captured and brought aboard the capture vessel (and an unknown number were chased), but they were released after other animals were captured that better fit the age/sex/size criteria. No effort was made to track these released animals, to determine if they were able to relocate their pod, whether they were disoriented, etc. The same is true of belugas that are captured in Canada (and the harassment these animals are subjected to in the notorious "rodeos" there can only be seen as considerable). and to the contrary, these few cetaceans that >are taken serve as good representatives of their kind to a large >spectrum of the human population. This argument is standard for those who hold cetaceans in captivity for public display, but I would like to point out that there has never been a rigorous, independent study undertaken to determine exactly what sort of "representatives of their kind" captive cetaceans are to the general public that visits marine parks and aquaria. For instance, I know that at this time, visitors to Sea World are led to believe that the best scientific evidence available says killer whales live a MAXIMUM of 25-35 years (Sea World has published two recent documents making this claim). As anyone who keeps up with the scientific literature on killer whales well knows, the best scientific evidence available (Olesiuk et al. 1990) indicates that the MAXIMUM life span of killer whales is more in the range of 60-80 years (depending on sex). So it seems to me that Sea World's whales are good representatives of killer whales, since seeing them misleads people into regarding killer whales as relatively short-lived rather than relatively long-lived (25-35 years is an even shorter life span than is generally accepted for bottlenose dolphins!). In fact, the only effort to determine the truth of this argument was a Roper public opinion poll (in 1989, I believe), that asked the general question "Do you feel that marine parks and aquaria serve to help educate young people?" or something of that nature. Most people, without giving it much thought, of course answered "yes." I would very much like to see the public display industry undertake a more in-depth analysis of the "lessons" their visitors come away with after a day at a marine park -- simply so that when they use this argument, it is substantiated with some independent evidence. > Naomi Rose The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 15:00:30 EST From: TONY PREEN Organization: Tropical Env Studies and Geography Subject: Whale skin from Red Sea As far as I know there are precious few records of large whales from the Red Sea. I have some sighting and carcass data from southern Saudi Arabia and Yemen, but have been unable to confirm any identities. I think that most are Bryde's whales. I have some dried skin (5 cm x 5 cm) from one carcass, for which I also have skull photos. Is there anyone out there who can extract and identify cetacean DNA and also has an interest in the identity of these whales? Tony Preen Department of Tropical Environment Studies and Geography James Cook University Townsville, Australia e-mail: tpreen(\)cathar.jcu.edu.au fax: xx61 77 814020 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 26 Mar 1995 12:22:38 AST From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) Ronald Oreinstein writes (responding to my original post): > >Why wasn't there as big as an uproar for the collapse of the cod > >fishery. Could it be that seals are cuter? Where was Greenpeace, > >the IFAW, and Bridgette Bardot during this ecological disaster ?? > Yes, many of the people who were upset > about the seal hunt reacted to the "cuteness", as you put it, of baby harp > seals. So what? Does that PROVE that all the objections raised to the hunt > - including many scientific ones - were wrong? Are we to assume that once an > animal is determined to be "cute" anyone who objects to the manner or rate > at which it is harvested is responding to nothing but sentiment, no matter > what the reasons they give? I agree with you totally, Ron - however what scientific objections are you talking about with respect to the seal hunt ? I doubt if its the harvest quota ? > > But what baffles me more is the rest of this quote. Who destroyed the cod > stocks? Greenpeace? Or the combined mismanagement of the Department of > Fisheries and Oceans and the fishing industry? Obviously over-fishing (both by local and foreign fleets) and mismanagement by DFO led to the collapse. This, of course, brings into question how the fisheries are managed world-wide and how the system is set-up to maximinize profit over conservation. Also, the use of that same fishery knowledge by politicians who end-up setting limits, is usually done without ANY knowledge of how that data was collected, without consideration of confidence limits, and without any consideration of the assumptions utilized in the construction of fishery models of fish populations. The obvious political influence of ridings where fish are processed (i.e. the maintenance of fish- processing jobs) has an influence. This is done on a world-wide scale, not just Canada. I would have to defend the utilization of the inshore fishery by traditional methods, though. Long-lining, jigging and other methods are VERY selective and non-damaging to the ocean bottom, as compared to otter trawls and other non-selective, high volume offshore methods of fishing. > Who did more to destroy the > livelihood of the fishermen? Greenpeace and IFAW, who fought the seal hunt, > or the DFO, who refused to listen to its own scientists and set quotas far > too high for years for political reasons? Both have to assume a level of responsibility, DFO the lions-share. > So why, then, are the chief villains in this matter perceived to be the > environmental groups, and not a government ministry that has sold the > fishermen down the river to protect its own turf? If Paul Watson can be > beaten up in the Magdalens, I would think that there ought to be a move > somewhere down east to hang, draw and quarter every fisheries minister for > the last few decades. Ron-buddy, I couldn't agree with you more. The obvious problem with respect to Paul Watson and the Magdelin Islanders is that Watson has honed his adversarial, media-grabbing skills while riding roughshod over the very real concerns and voices of anyone that gets in his way. These traits do not lend themselves to trust and co-operation when the battle is over and you come down off your soapbox, and when you are trying to use real solutions to solve real problems. An extremely good response Ron (or so I feel). Good insights. I hope everyone else on this list is enjoying the in-depth coverage of this issue. Dave R. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 09:27:21 -0800 From: Pinniped Strandings Subject: Re: cetacean in captivity I think it should be pointed out that the white-sided doolphin that died at Shedd was a fluke ( no pun intended) accident. A bacteria in the fish, found in fish both in the wild and those fed to mammals in captivity, found its way into the blood stream, possibly by a fish spine punction to the intestinal wall. This happens in the wild too but we're just not aware of it, so in this instance I can't see how this dolphin's death can be blamed on the fact that it was in captivity. Wendy ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 09:12:23 PST From: "Sam H. Ridgway" Subject: Re: : Blue whale/fin whale My condolances to Vikingsson. I suspect that Nature should have published the paper with some revision. He is not quite right about the fin whale/blue whale cross being the "first example of cetacean hybridization giving rise to fertile off- spring." A Pseudorca/Tursiops hybrid born at Sea Life Park in Hawaii is fertile and I think that she (called the Wolphin) is now nursing her second or third offspring. The fact that this also happens in the wild is very interesting and significant. Sam Ridgway ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 11:58:32 PST From: "Sam H. Ridgway" Subject: Re: : Cetacean Mortality in Captivity vs Wild I think that the two newspaper folks (Gary Robbins and Merritt Clifton) have stated a balanced view on the issue. My basic point is (and Naomi Rose concurred on this number 3) that only three individual cetaceans have been captured from United States waters during this decade of the 90s (5.25 years -- 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and the first quarter of 1995). I do not know of any impending plan to capture more this year, or in this decade for that matter. Since 1970, the number of cetaceans captured for U.S. research or display facilities has markedly declined and the number bred at these facilities has markedly increased. In 1972, the Marine Mammal Protection Act pronounced a goal of reducing dolphin mortality incidental to fishing opera- tions to levels approaching zero. Certainly, with annual average takes in fractional animals per year, the display and research communities have met that MMPA goal. It hardly seems in the best interest of society to spend important legislative time in draft- ing new additional laws to crack down on the groups that have been successful in carrying out the goals of the MMPA. Sam Ridgway ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 12:45:22 -0600 From: Colleen Duke Subject: Re: cetacean mortality in captivity (fwd) >To put things >>in perspective for you, a total of three individual cetaceans, >>three Pacific whitesided dolphins, were captured from U.S. waters >>in this decade of the 90s. > >This is correct. One of these animals, captured by the Shedd Aquarium >in Chicago, has already died (15 months after capture, at the >approximate age of five years). In defense of the animal care quality at the Shedd Aquarium, I would just like to point out that the recent death of the Pacific white-sided dolphin was caused by an blood-borne bacterial infection called erysipelas. The animal was most likely infected by consuming fish that carried the disease. The infection is naturally found in healthy fish and kills dolphins in the wild as well. The symptoms of erysipelas are not visible in the infected animal until it is near death, making it very difficult to detect in time to treat. I have been a Shedd volunteer for four years, since the opening of their Oceanarium, in the Marine Mammal department for the past year and a half. While the death of this dolphin is tragic, I must remind everyone that animals do not always live to their life expectancy in captivity or the wild for a variety of reasons. The recent death of our dolphin is a good example. Humans have a life expectancy of 72 or so years as well but not everyone lives that long. A surprising number of humans never see their first birthday. In many cases, there is nothing that can be done about it (such as with the death of Quitz). Shedd Aquarium has a policy of complete openness when it comes to their animals. They feel that they have nothing to hide. It is one of the reasons why I give my time to the institution. As for the question of the value of a visitor's experience at such a facility, I invite you to come and see the reactions of inner city children who see a whale or dolphin close up for the first (and possibly last) time. That is what keeps me going back to contribute my time and energy. Thanks for letting me speak my peace. I have been lurking on MARMAM for a while but this time, I just could not fight the urge to speak. Colleen Duke Four year volunteer at The Shedd Aquarium Colleen Duke The Adler Planetarium 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL 60605 (312) 322-0553 cduke(\)midway.uchicago.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 14:58:33 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) Dave R writes: >I agree with you totally, Ron - however what scientific objections >are you talking about with respect to the seal hunt ? I doubt if >its the harvest quota ? This is not really my area of expertise; Steve Best or Ann Doncaster of our organization are more up to date on this stuff. But certainly during the heyday of the whitecoat hunt, scientific objections were raised, by Dr. David Levigne of Guelph University among others, to the manner in which the hunt was conducted, including the quotas. As with most other fisheries, DFO quotas (to my recollection) tended to the uppermost level of the suggested limit recommendations they received, so there were certainly scientific estimates calling for lower quotas from DFO scientists - though, as these people presumably like their jobs, not a lot of objection to this was heard. >Obviously over-fishing (both by local and foreign fleets) and >mismanagement by DFO led to the collapse. This, of course, brings >into question how the fisheries are managed world-wide and how the >system is set-up to maximinize profit over conservation. Also, the >use of that same fishery knowledge by politicians who end-up setting >limits, is usually done without ANY knowledge of how that data was >collected, without consideration of confidence limits, and without >any consideration of the assumptions utilized in the construction of >fishery models of fish populations. The obvious political influence >of ridings where fish are processed (i.e. the maintenance of fish- >processing jobs) has an influence. This is done on a world-wide >scale, not just Canada. I would have to defend the utilization of >the inshore fishery by traditional methods, though. Long-lining, >jigging and other methods are VERY selective and non-damaging to the >ocean bottom, as compared to otter trawls and other non-selective, >high volume offshore methods of fishing. I agree with this, though I am not knowledgeable enough to state categorically that longline methods never cause damage to populations. > >> So why, then, are the chief villains in this matter perceived to be the >> environmental groups, and not a government ministry that has sold the >> fishermen down the river to protect its own turf? If Paul Watson can be >> beaten up in the Magdalens, I would think that there ought to be a move >> somewhere down east to hang, draw and quarter every fisheries minister for >> the last few decades. > >Ron-buddy, I couldn't agree with you more. The obvious problem with >respect to Paul Watson and the Magdelin Islanders is that Watson has >honed his adversarial, media-grabbing skills while riding roughshod >over the very real concerns and voices of anyone that gets in his >way. These traits do not lend themselves to trust and co-operation >when the battle is over and you come down off your soapbox, and >when you are trying to use real solutions to solve real problems. Well, though I am not always an admirer of Watson's style or methods, I hardly think the Magdalen Islanders come out smelling like a rose here. In fact, leaving aside what they did to Watson, I resent like hell seeing my tax dollars being spent to uphold the "manhood" of the Magdalen sealers, especially when they have rejected an offer that would have put them on the ice earning money for a real customer. Brushing seals is too sissy for them? Tough. Which brings us to what is (for me) the nub of this whole issue. The revival of the seal hunt has nothing to do with science. It won't bring back the cod (even the DFO doesn't claim that it will). It will not "jump-start" the maritime economy, because (as the government's own study shows), the aphrodisiac market and possibly Watson's proposal aside, there are no viable commercial markets out there for seal products, and none are likely to develop in the foreseeable future (certainly the government has been trying hard enough to develop them, with no success). What will it do? It will get the fishermen off the government's back. I see the revived hunt as serving two main purposes: to make it look like the DFO is genuinely attempting to restore the east coast economy (the huffing and puffing about turbot coming at the same time strikes me as yet more see-we're-on-your-side propaganda from the DFO), and to redirect the anger that maritime fishermen clearly feel about what has been done to them (with their complicity, be it said) towards seals on the one hand and environmentalists on the other. In other words, the hunt is a sham and a scam. Unfortunately, the maritimers are the ideal suckers here: desperate, narrow-minded, furious, politically ignorant, and out for a quick fix to a problem that they themselves, through constant political pressure on a government all too willing to get out the snake oil, have precipitated. The con artists are at the DFO, and they are using my taxes to fund their smoke-and-mirrors act. And I don't have to be an animal lover to be pissed off about that. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 18:30:09 -0500 From: Mike Mascia Subject: seals & the cod fishery In-Reply-To: <199503261728.MAA18928(\)mercury.acpub.duke.edu> I would be interested in comments on the following, PURELY SPECULATIVE, hypothesis concerning the relationship between the seal population and the recovery of the cod fishery. In terrestrial ecosystems, it has been demonstrated that the presence of a healthy population of top predators is essential to maintain balanced populations of others species lower in the food chain. When non-preferential top predators, (which eat whatever they find, find whatever is most common, and therefore eat the most common species most often) are removed from an ecosystem, middle level predators explode in abundance (a process termed "mesopredator release") and drive species low on the food chain to local extinction or extreme rarity. Extropolating this scenario to the ocean, doesn't this suggest that a healthy seal population is essential to the recovery of the cod fishery? If seals are in fact non-preferential top predators, and juvenile cod are at the low end of the food chain, seals may serve a vital role in enhancing cod recruitment by limiting the populations of mesopredators. Without seals, mesopredator release would occur, dramatically increasing the pressures on juvenile cod and further delaying or eliminating the rebound of the cod fishery. I apologize for my ignorance of the specific predator/prey relationship between seals and cod, which may invalidate this hypothesis. I recognize that I am making assumptions for which I have no scientific basis. However, my intent is simply to ask those more knowledgeable than I if current scientific data support or discredit the scenario that I have articulated. Michael Mascia student Duke School of the Environment On Sat, 25 Mar 1995, Stephen Best wrote: > Dave R. made the following statements in one of his recent posts: > > >... seals > >MAY BE one of the reasons for the slow (i.e. mostly non-existant) > >rebuilding of the cod stocks... > > >Seals can and do > >eat other species, as well, whish would explain their population > >levels, and the reason the cod stocks are staying so low. > > > >Dave R. > > Until recently, Brian Tobin, the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans > has maintained that a seal cull was not necessary, because there was no > scientific evidence to support the premise that seal populations were > adversely affecting fish stocks. A few months ago his position changed > under pressure from fishermen and sealers claiming that "common sense" and > their "perception" was that there were too many seals and the populations > needed to be controlled. > > To the best of my knowledge, there is still, as of yet, no scientific > evidence, despite studies and research being conducted by the Canadian > Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Memorial University and the > International Marine Mammal Association to name just three groups, to > suggest that seal populations are having either an adverse effect on fish > populations or impeding the recovery of cod or any other species of fish. > In fact, it may be worth taking a closer look at a study done of Cape fur > seals that suggested that seal culling might actually have a negative impact > on the South African fishery. If there is some scientific work that has > been done to suggest that harp or other seals are adversely impacting fish > stocks, I would appreciate being made aware of it. > > ---- > Stephen Best, Vice President | Tel: 1.519.925.3440 > International Wildlife Coalition | Fax: 1.519.925.2003 > PO Box 988, Shelburne | e-mail: sbest(\)inforamp.net > Ontario, Canada, L0N 1S0 | CIS: 76407,526 > ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 20:35:27 AST From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Harp seal population dynamics In reply to Anne Doncaster's query on my quotes (from newspaper reports) on harp seal population - I stand corrected. Maybe the newspaper misplaced the decimal (most probably). The numbers ARE NOT from 3 to 27 million, but from 2.7 - 3.5 million animals (p=95%). The annual production of seal pups is: 580,000 (+/- 39,000). All this data is from a 1990 census. Adding on 5 years times 580,000 (I have no data on pup mortality rates), the current population may be from 5.6 to 6.4 million animals (minus pup mortality). The current harvest quota is for 186,00 adult seals/year. The following is three other references to check out, and then a forwarded response from the seal research side of Department of Fisheries (Canada). Dave R. ----------------------------------------------------------------- CURRENT CONTENTS / Search: Find WORD HARP SEAL POPULATION AArticle 1 Author: ESTEP, K W; MACINTYRE, F; NOJI, T T; STENSHOLT, B; ORITSLAND, T. Affiliation: INST MARINE RES,POB 1870/N-5024 BERGEN//NORWAY/ Affiliation: INST MARINE RES,POB 1870/N-5024 BERGEN//NORWAY/ Affiliation: UNIV AMSTERDAM,INST TAXONOM ZOOL,EXPERTISE CTR TAXONOM IDENTIFICAT/1090 GT AMSTERDAM//NETHERLANDS/ Title: SEAL SIZES AND HABITAT CONDITIONS ASSESSED FROM AERIAL- PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO ANALYSIS Source: ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE V 51 N 3 1994 pp. 253-261 Abstract: Image analysis was used to assess ice conditions and size seals in still-camera and video images automatically, collected during an exploratory survey conducted in the West Ice (Greenland Sea) in spring 1990, to determine the feasibility of using these techniquem, to examine the distribution of breeding harp and hooded seals and the environmental conditions under which seals are found. Images from a Sony CCD video camera and a still-photo aerial camera provided excellent resolution, while a Dage- MTI camera proved to be totally inadequate, due to excessive lag and auto-iris failure. Use of image analysis in future surveys will allow large amounts of data, including environmental conditions, seal sizes, and automatically prepared seal distribution maps, to be collected quickly from video and still-camera surveys. It is expected that the application of these techniques to future surveys will increase the understanding of seal populations and their relationship to their environment. AArticle 3 Author: STENSON, G B; MYERS, R A; HAMMILL, M O; NI, I H; WARREN, W G; KINGSLEY, M C S. Affiliation: FISHERIES & OCEANS CANADA,SCI BRANCH,POB 5667/ST JOHNS A1C 5X1/NF/CANADA/ Affiliation: FISHERIES & OCEANS CANADA,SCI BRANCH/MONT JOLI G5H 3Z4/PQ/CANADA/ Affiliation: HONG KONG UNIV SCI & TECHNOL,DEPT BIOL/KOWLOON//HONG KONG/ Title: PUP PRODUCTION OF HARP SEALS, PHOCA-GROENLANDICA, IN THE NORTHWEST ATLANTIC Source: CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES V 50 N 11 1993 pp. 2429-2439 Abstract: Northwest Atlantic harp seal, Phoca groenlandica, pup production was estimated from aerial surveys flown off eastern Newfoundland (''Front'') and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (''Gulf'') during March 1990. One visual and two independent photographic estimates were obtained at the Front; a single photographic estimate was obtained in the Gulf. Photographic estimates were corrected form is identified pups by comparing black-and-white photographs with ultraviolet imagery. Estimates were also corrected for pups absent from the ice at the time of the survey using distinct age-related developmental stages. Stage durations in the Gulf appeared consistent with previous studies but were increased by 30% to improve the fit to staging data collected at the Front. The best estimate of pup production at the Front was obtained from the visual surveys. A total of 467 000 (SE = 31 000) pups were born in three whelping concentrations. The photographic estimates were comparable. Pup production estimates for the southern (Magdalen Island) and northern (Mecatina) Gulf whelping patches were 106 000 (SE = 23 000) and 4 400 (SE = 1300), respectively. Thus, total pup production was estimated to be 578 000 (SE = 39 000). AArticle 5 Author: BJORNDAL, T; CONRAD, J M; SALVANES, K G. Affiliation: NORWEGIAN SCH ECON & BUSINESS ADM,CTR FISHERIESECON/BERGEN//NORWAY/ Affiliation: CORNELL UNIV,DEPT AGR ECON/ITHACA//NY/14853 Title: STOCK SIZE, HARVESTING COSTS, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR EXTINCTION - THE CASE OF SEALING Source: LAND ECONOMICS V 69 N 2 1993 pp. 156-167 Abstract: Starting in the 1960s, considerable opposition to the Canadian and Norwegian harp seal hunt off Newfoundland developed. It was alleged that the seal hunt was unethical and that the seal population had been seriously depleted. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the production function for the seal hunt based on data for the Norwegian seal hunt. Particular attention is paid to the question whether free entry to the fishery will cause overexploitation. This depends critically on the characteristics of the production function, in particular the extent to which harvesting costs depend on stock size. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Date sent: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 13:20:10 -0330 (NST) From: STENSON(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca To: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Subject: Re: Research on Harp seals Dear Dave: We are doing a lot of research on harp seal- fisheries interactions. We have projects on abundance, diet and distribution on both harp and hooded seals. The most recent estimate of harp seals numbers was based on a 1990 pup production survey. Pup production was estimated to be 580,000 (Newfoundland and Gulf of St. Lawrence). The reference is: Stenson. G. B., R. A. Myers, M. O. Hammill, I-H. Ni, W.G. Warren and M.C.S.Kingsley. 1993. Pup production of harp seals, Phoca groenlandica, in the northwest Atlantic. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 50:1993. Based on this, Peter Shelton constructed a population model which estimated total population at 3.1 million (95%C.I. 2.7-3.5 million). This can be found in the 'grey literature': Shelton, P.A., N.G. Caddigan and G.B. Stenson. 1992. Model estimates of harp seal population trajectories in the Northwest Atlantic. CAFSAC Res. Doc. 92/89. A brief description of the status of harp and other seals in the NFLD area can be found in: Stenson,G.B. 194. The status o fpinnipeds in the Newfoundland Region. NAFO Sci. Coun. Studies 21:115-119. The same issue has a paper on diets of harp seals off NFLD: Lawson, J.W., G.B. stenson and D.G. McKinnon. 1994. Diet of harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) in Divisons 2J and 3KL during 1991-93. NAFO Sci. Coun. Studies 21:143-154. The upshot is that harp seals ON AVERAGE eat a small amount of Atlantic cod (~3% of their diet) but there are a lot of harp seals and they spend a fair bit of time in our waters. Therefore, they proably eat a reasonable amount of cod (given the lot stock levels). However, the IMPACT this consumption has on the prey is a much more complex issue (requiring a lot of information on the mortality of the prey, other predators, etc.) and we are NOT in a position to say ONE WAY OR ANOTHER what the impact is. I hope this informaiton is what you were looking for. Garry Stenson ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 11:33:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Mexico salt plan threatens wha Mexico salt plan threatens whales, ecologists say MEXICO CITY, March 27 (Reuter) - Government plans to develop a salt production facility in northern Mexico threaten a key breeding ground used by migrating grey whales, a prominent Mexican environmental group said on Monday. Mexico's Commerce Ministry is battling federal ecology officials over the planned state-owned facility at a bay used by migrating whales in Baja California Sur state's Vizcaino Desert Biosphere Reserve. While ecology officials have blocked the plan for now, ecologists say they fear economic interests will eventually win the day. ``The plan is very much alive and interests within the Mexican government want to see it through,'' Homero Aridjis, the head of Mexico's Group of 100, an ecology organisation made up of intellectuals and authors, told a news conference. Mexican Commerce Minister Herminio Blanco, Baja California governor Guillermo Mercado Romero and local officials say the project's $120 million investment would provide badly-needed relief for the state from Mexico's economic crisis. But ecologists say the project threatens one of North America's most important breeding grounds for whales which travel every winter from Alaska's frigid waters to four breeding grounds in Mexico. At a nearby bay in the state where the government already operates a salt-production factory, no grey whales had been spotted in two years, Aridjis said. ``This battle pits major economic interests against Mexico's environmental policies including protection of the grey whale's winter habitat,'' Aridjis said. Mexican ecology officials say they may have to fight it out with commerce officials in court but concede they can only block the project as long as it does not meet Mexican environmental law. ``We will have to abide by what the law says,'' Gabriel Quadri, a top ecology official, told reporters. Aridjis said he fears the law is not strict enough to prevent the project. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 07:54:18 -0800 From: Erika Birk Subject: Re: Harp seal population dynamics The numbers ARE NOT >from 3 to 27 million, but from 2.7 - 3.5 million animals (p=95%). >The annual production of seal pups is: 580,000 (+/- 39,000). All >this data is from a 1990 census. Adding on 5 years times 580,000 (I >have no data on pup mortality rates), the current population may be >from 5.6 to 6.4 million animals (minus pup mortality). The >current harvest quota is for 186,00 adult seals/year. > >Dave R. If the population was around 3 million, and was in equilibrium, why would we have any reason to believe that it would now suddenly increase at it's maximum potential? One would assume that pups have the highest mortality rate of the population, but wouldn't one also have to assume adult mortality? Through intervention be it overfishing, polution, etc, we have upset the balance in this ecosystem. We weren't smart enough to avoid the problem, how now are we suddenly smart enough to fix it? Just couldn't stay quiet any longer, Erika Birk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 08:41:39 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Allegations vs. the Shedd The following allegations against the Shedd aquarium are cross-posted from AR-talk for the interest of MARMAM people. ANIMAL PEOPLE has already investigated each and every accusation made in the posting, and has found each charge to be without substance and/or a substantial distortion of actual circumstances. We have so informed the source of this message. We have also tried to put the rumors it mongers to rest with our own reportage. While we have considerable reluctance to further circulate material we know to be misleading, we are cross-posting this message nonetheless, in the belief that people who work with captive marine mammals do have the right to know what's inspiring their hate mail. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. The cross-posting begins: Subj: Shedd Dolphin Death Update Date: Mon, Mar 27, 1995 10:55 AM EDT From: DLEAHY(\)delphi.com X-From: DLEAHY(\)delphi.com (Debbie Leahy) Sender: owner-ar-news(\)cygnus.com To: ar-news(\)cygnus.com SHEDD DOLPHIN DEATH UPDATE On March 17th, three weeks following the dolphin's death, Shedd representatives claimed he died as a result of eating fish contaminated with a bacteria. However, Illinois Animal Action was informed by a source within the industry that Freedom (aka Quitz) suffered from chronic pneumonia which began to develop shortly after capture, indicating he never should have been transported to Chicago. Captive marine mammals commonly develop ulcers and die of pneumonia, septicemia, pancreatitis, hepatitis and other stress- related illnesses. With an immune system already compromised by the stress of captivity and pneumonia, it's understandable that a tainted fish supply would kill Freedom without harming the other whales and dolphins. Consistent with the Shedd's typical style of concealing information from the public, officials are denying his pre-existing ailment. OTHER SHEDD COVER-UPS - The original four dolphins transported to the Oceanarium were actually the result of eight traumatic captures, which included one death and the two-week confinement of a female in advanced stages of pregnancy. - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ordered the Shedd to pay $2510 in a settlement agreement for violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act pertaining to the two beluga whale deaths. - The Shedd veterinarian responsible for the beluga deaths was issued a reprimand by the Department of Professional Regulations for practicing veterinary medicine without a valid Illinois license. - Shedd officials adamantly denied ever administering anti-ulcer medication to any of the Shedd's cetaceans. Yet government documents clearly report frequent dosages of Tagamet given to the belugas shortly after capture. This same document describes "intensive forced feedings," "poor nutrition," "anorexia," "weight loss" and "anemia." - The Shedd has a history of investing large sums of money in companies that pollute the environment, including Monsanto which is considered one of the worst polluters of Canada's St. Lawrence River where pollution has threatened the beluga population. WHAT YOU CAN DO Demand that the Shedd Aquarium release all the medical charts and documents kept on this dolphin from the day of his capture until his death and that his remains be examined by independent medical experts. Dr. Morley Cook, Acting Director USDA-APHIS Federal Building Hyattsville, MD 20782 + + + + + + + Illinois Animal Action, P.O. Box 507, Warrenville, IL 60555 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 13:11:52 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: Allegations vs. the Shedd >The following allegations against the Shedd aquarium are cross-posted from >AR-talk for the interest of MARMAM people. ANIMAL PEOPLE has already >investigated each and every accusation made in the posting, and has found >each charge to be without substance and/or a substantial distortion of actual >circumstances. We have so informed the source of this message. We have also >tried to put the rumors it mongers to rest with our own reportage. While we >have considerable reluctance to further circulate material we know to be >misleading, we are cross-posting this message nonetheless, in the belief >that people who work with captive marine mammals do have the right to know >what's inspiring their hate mail. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL >PEOPLE. Having claimed that you can refute the statements in the posting, I submit that you ought to post these refutations for the scrutiny of MARMAM readers, rather than simply asking us to take your word for it that they are without substance. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 12:49:31 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: summary of report on gray whale conservation in Mexico The executive summary of a report on gray whale conservation in Mexico follows. S. Dedina and E.H. Young. 1995. Conservation and development in the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) lagoons of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Final report to the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, Contract T10155592. 81pp. Executive summary In this report we identify ongoing and possible future development and related activities that could have a negative impact on two of the three main calving/breeding habitats for the eastern North Pacific gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) population in Baja California Sur, namely Laguna San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena. We also identify steps that are being or could be taken to assess and to prevent or minimize activities that may have adverse effects. We provide: (1) a brief summary of natural history, exploitation, protection, and current status of the gray whale population in Mexico; (2) a description of the physical and human geography of the study area; (3) a history of environmental conservation efforts in the study area; (4) an overview of the environmental management structure in the study area and the environmental impact review process in Mexico; (5) descriptions of past, existing, and planned development and commercial activities in the study area; and (6) descriptions of impediments to effective assessment and control of activities with potentially adverse impacts and possible means to strengthen current gray whale conservation. This study is based on field research conducted in Laguna San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena in Baja California Sur. Background research and interviews were conducted in San Diego, California, La Paz, Baja California Sur, and Mexico City. The research included: (1) conducting open-ended and semi-structured interviews; (2) participant observation of local residents' activities; (3) reviewing primary and archival data; and (4) reviewing newspaper coverage. This enabled us to compare actual use and management of gray whale habitats with: (a) how government officials think these areas are and should be used and; (b) how different user groups in the study area view regulations of their activities for gray whale habitat management. Laguna San Ignacio is the only primary gray whale breeding/calving area in Mexico that remains superficially unaltered. In contrast, portions of Bahia Magdalena have been changed by industrial and mining activities, as well as the recent construction of a thermoelectric plant. The majority of local residents at both sites are employed in fisheries, which suffer from chronic over-harvesting and poaching. While Laguna San Ignacio is formally protected as part of the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve and Bahia Magdalena remains unprotected, they face similar problems in terms of management structure, insufficient funding, and a shortage of on-site personnel, facilities, and equipment. In both areas, problems related to gray whale tourism have emerged as a result of: (1) overlapping government agency jurisdictions; (2) permitting irregularities; (3) non-uniform interpretation and enforcement of rules and regulations; and (4) poor communication among user groups and regulatory agencies. One issue of particular concern is that of how to better redistribute the economic benefits from gray whale tourism and elicit more active involvement of local communities in gray whale conservation programs. Mexico has played an important role in protecting the gray whale population and the population's main wintering areas. The gray whale has become a powerful political symbol of Mexico's commitment to environmental protection. Three federal agencies are primarily responsible for on-site protection of gray whales and regulation of human activities in Laguna San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena. These are the National Institute of Ecology (INE), Federal Attorney General's Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa), and the Secretariat of Fisheries (Pesca). In terms of restricting development activities, INE and Profepa are both legally obligated to work within the legislative framework provided by the 1988 General Ecology Law to review and prevent development projects that could cause adverse impacts to critical gray whale habitats in both areas. Under the 1992 Fisheries Law, Pesca is required to develop conservation programs for marine mammals. Article 254 bis of the Federal Penal Code prescribes up to six years in prison for individuals convicted of harassing or killing marine mammals. In Laguna San Ignacio, federal agencies have taken the lead role in habitat conservation. In Bahia Magdalena, the municipal government of Comondu has convened local residents, state, and federal agencies to discuss issues related to tourism development and conservation in the bay. The greatest threats to the whales and their habitats are from: 1) the development of a 52,150 ha salt production facility on the shore of Laguna San Ignacio; 2) a proposed 2,000 ha tourist resort development at Bahia Magdalena; and 3) uncontrolled gray whale tourism in the North Zone of Bahia Magdalena. Strict review and monitoring of development and whale-tourism by INE, Profepa, and Pesca under existing environmental impact assessment regulations, and the review of project plans and tourism activities by non-governmental organizations, research institutions and scientists familiar with gray whale habitats, should help to minimize potentially adverse impacts. Possible ways to improve conservation of gray whales and their habitats in Laguna San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena are to: (1) decentralize INE management structure, shifting administrative responsibilities to La Paz and establish on-site administrative facilities for the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve; (2) create a gray whale conservation advisory committee, based in Baja California Sur and made up of representatives from related government agencies, research institutions, and the local communities to review and provide advice on development and other activities that could affect gray whales and their habitat; (3) increase user fees for whale-tourism permits to help support on-site gray whale habitat protection; (4) increase efforts to emphasize local involvement, participation, and education during implementation of management programs by government agencies; (5) establish simple and inexpensive interpretive centers at the lagoons; (6) establish permanent operation bases for INE, Profepa, and Pesca staff at both sites; (7) hold regular meetings between gray whale advisory committee representatives and all users of the lagoons and their resources; (8) conduct annual, on-site training seminars through INE and other relevant federal agencies and research institutions for operators of whale-watching boats; (9) encourage voluntary, self-imposed restrictions by whale-tourism operators and government agencies on the promotion of friendly-whale encounters; (10) issue permits to operate and/or guide whale-watching boats only to locally-based, whale-tour operators that employ lagoon and bay residents; (11) foster greater involvement by whale-tour operators that employ around the lagoons, through sponsorship of education programs and community development projects; (12) implement a twenty-year mitigation monitoring program of the proposed salt production facility in Laguna San Ignacio and a tax on salt production to fund biosphere reserve research and conservation programs; (13) establish a five-year research program in Bahia Magdalena to assess impacts of tourism on gray whale behavior and distribution; (14) establish a gray whale refuge in the North Zone of Bahia Magdalena; (15) promote an international symposium on marine mammal tourism by government agencies, research institutions, non-governmental agencies, and tourism operators; and (16) map North American gray whale habitat through remote sensing and use of geographic information system (GIS) to provide detailed, comprehensive assessment of human impacts and habitat alteration. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 12:47:15 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: Die-off in the upper Gulf of California - update? An article in the Monday, March 27, 1995 edition of "The News", an english-language daily newspaper published in Mexico city, stated: "High concentrations of cyanide were likely the cause of death of hundreds of sea mammals and birds in the upper Gulf of California at the beginning of the year, according to a report released Sunday by the Attorney General for Environmental Protection (Profepa). Following the deaths of some 307 dolphins, 51 sea lions, eight whales and 215 marine birds, Profepa initiated a scientific analysis of water and tissue from dead animals, and concluded that the highly poisonous chemical cyanide, which is used in boating, was relesed in the waters and killed the animals." No other details were given. I'm wondering whether any MARMAM subscribers have access to the Profepa report or have any other current information on the die-off that could be sent to the list? Robin ====================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Research Group Centro Interdisciplinario de P.O. Box 6244 Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR) Victoria, B.C. APDO. Postal 592 V8P 5L5 Canada La Paz, B.C.S., C.P. 23000 Phone 604-380-1925 Mexico Fax 604-380-1206 Phone 52-112-25344 or -25366 E-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca Fax 52-112-25322 ====================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 11:49:04 -0500 From: DaPenick(\)aol.com Subject: Smithsonian Telenet Access (FWD) *** Resending note of 03/24/95 14:01 PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED. We have enabled TELNET access to our database! Our address is SIRIS.SI.EDU - both VT100 and TN3270 are available, but TN3270 is better. Our numeric address is scheduled to change, so I'm not giving it here. The Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS) is a computerized collection of research catalogs maintained by the Smithsonian Institution's Libraries, Archives, and Research Units. Presently there are four catalogs available on SIRIS: LIB: The Smithsonian Library Catalog The collections are particularly strong in Natural History, Tropical Biology, African American Ethnology and Culture, Astrophysics, Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, American History, the History of Science and Technology, Aviation and Space Flight, Postal History, Fine Arts and Design, African Art, Horticulture, Conservation Science, Chesapeake Bay Area Ecology, and Museum Administration. In addition, the Library holds a large collection of manufacturers' trade literature and catalogs and historically important rare books and manuscripts. This database contains approximately 500,000 records. ARI: The Art Inventories Catalog Data for the Art Inventories Catalog is designed to assist researchers in locating American paintings and sculpture. Data has been compiled from reports supplied by private collectors, museums, corporate collectors, and public art programs. The database is divided into two subcatalogs for paintings and sculpture which can be searched together or separately. The Inventory of American Paintings Executed before 1914 is a national census of paintings created by American artists working prior to 1914. There are approximately 300,000 paintings represented. The Inventory of American Sculpture is a national census of works created by artists born or active in the United States up through the 20th century. There are approximately 50,000 sculptures represented. ARC: The Archives and Manuscripts Catalog This database consists of approximately 90,000 records contributed by five archival units of the Smithsonian. The subcatalogs listed below can be searched together or separately. The Archives of American Art (AAA) catalog descibes papers of artists, art dealers, art historians, collectors, and others; records of art galleries, museums, and art organizations; videos; and interviews from AAA's oral history project. The Achives Center of the National Museum of American History (ACAH) catalog descibes hundreds of collections of manuscripts and visual, magnetic and electronic documents related to the mission of the National Museum of American History, especially the history of advertising, history of technology, and social and cultural history, as well as selected individual items. The Human Studies Film Archives (HSFA) catalog describes film and video collections of historical, archeological, and ethnographic significance, including edited ethnographic films, unique research footage produced as part of anthropological research, and travelogues by amateur and professional filmakers. The National Anthropological Archives (NAA) catalog describes collections of historical manuscripts relating to North American natives; administrative records of the Dept. of Anthropology; prefessional papers of anthropologists; records of anthropological organizations; art work; and photographs. The Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) catalog descibes records documenting the history of the Smithsonian Institution since its fouding in 1846; research in the fields of science, art and history; papers of staff; records of scientific, historical, and museum organizations; and audio-visual material from research, exhibits, and its oral history and video-history programs. BIB: The Research/Bibliographies Catalog This database descibes specialized research bibliographies. Currently references are limited to two subject areas: The Center for Museum Studies' Museum Studies Database which includes theses and dissertations in the area of Museum Studies, articals indexed from the ALI-ABA proceedings and course of Study in Museum Administration, and from the Journal of Museum Education. COMING SOON: The Cephalopod Bibliographic Catalog describes publications about cephalopods (squid, octopus, cuttlefish, etc.) and cephalopod related subjects (predators, prey, etc.). The bibliography comprises publications located at the Division of Mollusks of the National Museum of Natural History. This bibliography is an ongoing effort which actively solicits input from users. We are still adding functionality as well as data. In the near future we will have our Z39.50 gateway running, and hopefully at some point after that we will turn our attention to presenting multimedia via the MARC 856 tag and possibly Web access to the catalog. More archival units will probably be added, and additional focused Reasearch/Bibliographies will be added. That's SIRIS.SI.EDU. --- The Smithsonian Institution Research Information System --- George Bowman Arts & Industries 2310 irmge010 (\) sivm.bitnet v:(202)357-4238 900 Jefferson Dr, S.W. irmge010 (\) sivm.si.edu f:(202)786-2687 Washington, D.C. 20560 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 11:45:24 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Sealing question Marmam Group: I have been asked by a congressional office for a list of nations which conduct or permit regular seal harvests or which have scheduled seal harvests anytime within the past five years or so. Of course, this would include subsistence harvests such as the United States permits for Native subsistence in the Pribilof Islands. Other than the obvious -- Canada, Norway, South Africa, and the U.S. -- what other nations might be included in this group and for what species of seals? Any data on harvest levels? Thanks for your assistance with this? Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 17:52:00 EST From: Debbie Calderwood Subject: Trichinosis in Polar Bears Dear Marmam Members: By way of introduction, my name is Debbie Calderwood and I am a non-traditional student enrolled in a class entitled Biology of Marine Mammals. I have been some research on polar bears for a paper and have a few questions which I hope some of your members may be able to help me find answers to. These questions include the following: 1) In several sources I have read that a polar bear liver contains a high level of Vitamin A and is therefore, poisonous if eaten. The source stated that several Eskimos who ate the liver not only became very ill, but lost a portion ofthe color pigmentation in their skin. Could this have really happened, or do you feel it was more an "old wives tale"? If it could be true, could someone explain why it may happen? 2) Trichinosis is a disease/condition(?) one can get from eating raw polar bear meat. I have read in one source that a polar bear was believed to have been suffering from trichinosis and that this caused the bear to become violent in behavior. Could someone please explain (in layman terms) exactly what trichinosis is and how it would a bear (and a person, if differently). Isn't it a parasite of some sort? 3) I realize the polar bear is protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Polar Bear Treaty, and a few others. There is currently a quota which the five circumpolar countries (Russia excluded since they, I have been told do not hunt polar bears) each set down for their own country to allow natives to hunt polar bears. My question is are polar bear skins still allowed to be sold, and if so, does anyone have any idea what a skin might go for these days? I know back inthe 80's it was reported they sold for approximately $3,000!! Is there still a desire by people to one one? 4) While watching a video of polar bears tranquilized by Dr. Ian Stirling (whom I attempted to contact, but was told he was out of the office until mid-April), I was wondering just why type of tranquilizer is used and why does it take so long (approximately 3 hours) to wear off? Does someone always remain with the animal to ensure they have recovered fully from the drug and are not in any danger (from predators, etc.) while under the influence of the drug? And finally, why does a polar bear convulse when coming out from under the influence of the drug. This was not explained in the video. I thank you all in adavance for allowing me the opportunity to ask they questions and thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide me. I may be reached via e-mail at IAPROD62(\)VAX003.Stockton.edu(\)WINS Thank you!! ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 14:30:27 AST From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Re: Harp seal population dynamics Erika Birk writes: > If the population was around 3 million, and was in equilibrium, why > would we have any reason to believe that it would now suddenly > increase at it's maximum potential? That's just it Erick - The population wasn't and isn't in "equilibrium" (however you define it). I can think of few populations that are in "equilibrium". This population, over a period of a number of years, has been expanding from some 2 million during the years of the seal hunt, to it's present population numbers (definitely exceeding 3 million). > One would assume that pups have the highest mortality rate of the > population, but wouldn't one also have to assume adult mortality? Of course, I forgot to type that in, as well. As far as I know, in the north-west Atlantic, the adults have few predators besides man (generic term). Undoubtably sharks may take the odd smaller seal, but these are near-arctic waters, and there are few sharks as compared to near-tropic waters. The closest polar bears are in Hudson's bay, and strait - quite a distance from the harp seal herds. There are few killer whales in the north-west Atlantic (to my knowledge). So, I cannot envision a large adult mortality, due to predation - as compared to fur seals, for example. I would think that pup mortality would be much more significant. Maybe someone who has done more research on this question, would respond. > Through intervention be it overfishing, polution, etc, we have > upset the balance in this ecosystem. We weren't smart enough to > avoid the problem, how now are we suddenly smart enough to fix it? Now we bring up the "man is not a natural part of his environment" argument. You are entirely correct in stating that on a global scale, humans are definitely NOT the most intelligent creatures when utilizing world resources over long time periods. However, do we "condemn" ourselves as always stupid, and not try to learn from our past mistakes - continually repeating them ? Or do we acknowledge that we have a ballooning world population, and try to take appropiate measures, using past "mistakes" as signposts to decision-making ? Whether we like it or not - there are few "natural" ecosystems in this world that have not/are not affected by man's influence. In this case, we definitely have an increasing harp seal population. we had fishery controls over most, if not all, species within this ecosystem. Then we removed controls on just the harp seal population. This was a "moral" decision, not a biological one. I would like to know what biological reasons you have for not wanting the resumption of the seal hunt. Do you think harp seals are "endangered" ? Dave R. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 08:35:44 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: program for SOMEMMA (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Jorge Urban (jurban(\)calafia.ubacs.mx) SOMEMMA 18-22 de abril de 1995 PROGRAMA DE ACTIVIDADES Martes 18 Hotel Palmira. 16:00-19:00 Registro de participantes. 20:00-22:00 Coctel de bienvenida. Miercoles 19 Auditorio del Area de Ciencias Sociales, 08:00-14:00 Registro de Participantes. 09:00-10:00 INAGURACION OFICIAL DE LA REUNION. 10:00-10:20 RECESO 10:20 Primera Mesa de Trabajo. Moderador: Mario Salinas Zacarias 10:20-10:40 1 COOPERATIVE FEEDING IN DELPHINIDS: POSSIBLE COSTS, BENEFITS, AND CAUSES. Dagmar Fertl, Alejandro Acevedo Gutierrez, Bernd Wursig, Robin W. Baird, Tom Kieckhefer. 10:40-11:00 2 ESTIMACIONES ANUALES DE MORTALIDAD POR ESPECIES DE LOS DELFINES ASOCIADOS A LA PESCA DEL ATuN EN EL PERIODO 1992-1994. Ignacio MEndez Gomez-Humaran y Guillermo Compea-Jimenez 11:00-11:20 3 ECOLOGIA Y ORGANIZACION SOCIAL DE LOS DELFINES (Inia geoffrensis Y Sotalia fluviatilis) DEL ALTO RIO AMAZONAS. Omar Vidal, Zully Ojeda, Luis A. Hurtado, Patricia Cendon. 11:20-11:40 4 SEASONAL AND POD-SPECIFIC VARIABILITY IN OCCURRENCE AND BEHAVIOUR OF TRANSIENT KILLER WHALES AROUND SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND: IMPLICATIONS FOR STUDIES OF THIS SPECIES ELSEWHERE. Robin W. Baird. 11:40-12:00 5 OBSERVACIONES DE MOVIMIENTO Y ACTIVIDAD DE LAS TONINAS, Tursiops truncatus EN LA LAGUNA DE TERMINOS, CAMPECHE, MEXICO. Alberto Delgado Estrella, Joel G. Ortega Ortiz. 12:00-12:20 RECESO 12:20 Segunda Mesa de Trabajo. Moderador: Bernardo Villa-Ramirez 12:20-12:40 6 ANALISIS MORFOFUNCIONAL DE LA MUSCULATURA LINGUAL HIOIDEA Y MANDIBULAR DE LA VAQUITA, Phocoena sinus. Rosa Elena Escatel Luna, Bernardo Villa R. 12:40-13:00 7 ALIMENTACION Y HABITOS ALIMENTARIOS DE LA VAQUITA, Phocoena sinus. Hector Perez Cortes, Gregory K. Silber y Bernardo Villa Ramirez. 13:00-13-20 8 ANALISIS PRELIMINAR DE LA MORTALIDAD DE LA VAQUITA (Phocoena sinus) EN REDES AGALLERAS DURANTE 1993-1994. Caterina D'agrosa, Omar Vidal, William C. Graham. 13:20-13:40 9 INTOXICACION POR PLOMO EN 6 DELFINES NARIZ DE BOTELLA (Tursiops truncatus) CAPTURADOS EN EL GOLFO DE MEXICO EN LA COSTA DE TABASCO. Jose Luis Solorzano Velasco, Yuriria Fernandez Artola, Juan Jose Enriquez Ocana. 13:40-14:00 10 COMPARACION DE DOS METODOS DE ESTUDIO SOBRE MAMIFEROS MARINO EN LA COSTA DEL ESTADO DE VERACRUZ, MEXICO. H. Alafita Vazquez, C. E. Perez Sanchez. 14:00-17:00 COMIDA 17:00 Tercera Mesa de Trabajo. Moderador: Juan Pablo Gallo Reynoso 17:00-17:20 11 COMPOSICION DE LA LECHE DEL LOBO FINO DE GUADALUPE, Arctocephalus townsendi. Ana Luisa Figueroa, Charles Leo Ortiz, Juan Pablo Gallo. 17:20-17:40 12 COMPORTAMIENTO DE ATENCION A LAS CRIAS Y ESTATEGIA DE LACTANCIA EN LAS HEMBRAS DE LOBO FINO DE GUADALUPE (Arctocephalus townsendi). Ana Luisa Figueroa, Juan Pablo Gallo, Burney J. Le Boeuf, Charles Leo Ortiz. 17:40-18:00 13 COMPORTAMIENTO DE CRIOS DE LOBO FINO ANTARTICO Arctocephlaus gazella EN EL CASO SHIRREFF, ISLA LIVINGSTON, CHILE. Mari Carmen Garcia Rivas, Anelio Aguayo Lobo, D. Torres N. 18:00-18:20 14 COMPORTAMIENTO REPRODUCTIVO EN LOBO FINO DE GUADALUPE. Juan Pablo Gallo, Ana Luisa Figueroa, Burney J. Le Boeuf. 18:20-18:40 RECESO 18:40 Cuarta Mesa de Trabajo. Moderador: David Aurioles Gamboa 18:40-19:00 15 ASPECTOS DEL CICLO REPRODUCTIVO DEL LOBO FINO ANTARTICO Arctocephlaus gazella EN EL CABO SHIRREFF, ISLA LIVINGSTON. Mari Carmen Garcia Rivas, Anelio Aguayo Lobo, D. Torres N. 19:00-19:20 16 CONTEOS DE LOBOS MARINOS (Zalophus californianus) DE ISLA SAN NICOLAS, CALIFORNIA: COMPARACIONES DE CONTEOS HECHOS POR TIERRA Y CON FOTOGRAFIAS AEREAS. Mark S. Lowry. 19:20-19:40 17 ECOLOGIA ALIMENTARIA DEL LOBO MARINO DE CALIFORNIA, Zalophus californianus californianus, EN LOS ISLOTES, B.C.S., MEXICO. Francisco Javier Garcia Rodriguez, David Aurioles Gamboa. 19:40-20:00 18 CARACTERIZACION Y DINAMICA DE GRUPOS DE FLOTACION DE Z. californianus DURANTE LA TEMPORADA REPRODUCTIVA. Garcia A, Aurioles G. D., Garcia R. Jueves 20 Auditorio del Area de Ciencias del Mar, UABCS. 09:00 Quinta Mesa de Trabajo. Moderador: Ma. Carmen Garcia Rivas 09:00-09:20 19 CAMBIOS EN LA SOBREVIVENCIA DE CINCO GENERACIONES DE LOBO MARINO DE CALIFORNIA, EN LOS ISLOTES B.C.S., MEXICO. Aurioles G., D., Hernandez C. C., Croll D. 09:20-09:40 20 MORTALIDAD DIFERNCIAL POR SEXO Y CATEGORIAS DE EDAD EN EL LOBO MARINO DE CALIFORNIA, EN LOS ISLOTES, GOLFO DE CALIFORNIA, MEXICO. Claudia J. Hernandez Camacho, David Aurioles Gamboa. 09:40-10:00 21 SELECCION DEL MACHO O DEL TERRITORIO? RECURSOS CRITICOS TERRITORIALES PARA HERMBRAS DE LOBOS MARINOS DE CALIFORNIA EN LA ISLA ANGEL DE LA GUARDA. Mari Carmen Garcia Rivas. 10:00-10:20 22 ESTUDIO COMPARATIVO DE LA ACUMULACION DE METALES DE 1980 A 1994 EN TEJIDO DE HEMBRAS Y MACHOS DEL LOBO MARINO COMUN Zalophus californianus californianus DEL GOLFO DE CALIFORNIA. Ma. Elena Cuspinera Mercadillo, R. Rosiles 10:20-10:40 23 ESTUDIO COMPARADO DE LA CONCENTRACION DE METALES EN TEJIDO OSEO Y DIENTE DE EJEMPLARES JOVENES Y ADULTOS DE LOBO MARINO COMUN Zalophus californianus californianus DEL GOLFO DE CALIFORNIA. Farias, V., Cuspinera, M. E., Rosiles, R., Bautista, J., Perez, R. 10:40-12:20 CARTELES (50-67) 50 VUELOS DE RECONOCIMIENTO DE MAMIFEROS MARINOS EN LA ZONA COSTERA DE BAJA CALIFORNIA, SUR, DURANTE 1994. Diane Gendron y Samuel Chavez-Rosales 51 ESTUDIO COMPARATIVO DE LOS POSIBLES PARAMETROS PARA EL CALCULO DE LA EDAD EN EL LOBO MARINO COM=DAN Zalophus californianus californianus DE LAS COSTAS DEL PACIFICO SUR DE CALIFORNIA Y GOLFO DE CALIFORNIA. Julia Alejandra Maldonado O., M. E. Cuspinera M., D. Aurioles G. y A. Zavala 52 CONCENTRACION DE METALES EN LAS BULAS TIMPANICAS DE Zalophus californianus californianus EN LAS COSTAS DEL PACIFICO DE BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, POR CATEGORIAS DE EDAD Y POR SEXO. Ricardo Perez- Flores, M. E. Cuspinera M., D. Aurioles G., R. Rosiles M. y V. Farias G. 53 ESTUDIO HISTOQUIMICO Y ESPECTROFOTOMETRICO PARA LA IDENTIFICACIEN DE METALES PESADOS EN TEJIDO OSEO DEL LOBO MARINO COMUN Zalophus californianus californianus DEL GOLFO DE CALIFORNIA. Elizabeth Gomez.Becerril y M. E. Cuspinera-Mercadillo 54 PREY-INDUCED MORTALITY IN COASTAL BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. Nelio B. Barros y Daniel K. Odell 55 ESPECIES DE AVES ASOCIADAS A GRUPOS DE DELFINES NARIZ DE BOTELLA (Tursiops truncatus) EN LA COSTA DEL ESTADO DE VERACRUZ, MEXICO. H. Alfita-Vazquez y C. E. Perez-Sanchez 56 ANALISIS DE LA COMPOSICION DE LOS GRUPOS DE DELFINES NARIZ DE BOTELLA (Tursiops truncatus) EN LA COSTA DE VERACRUZ, MEXICO. C. E. Perez-Sanchez y H. Alfita-Vazquez 57 ESTIMACION DE EDAD EN LAS TONINAS Tursiops truncatus, DEL PARQUE XCARET, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO. Joel G. Ortega-Ortiz y Alberto Delgado Estrella 58 ANALISIS PRELIMINAR DEL USO DE LA DELFINOTERAPIA EN DOS CASOS DE S=CDNDROME DE DOWN. Ma. Teresa Caldron Sanchez y Ma. del Carmen Garcia Rivas 59 A RISSO'S DOLPHIN (Grampus griseus) CARRYNG A DEAD CALF. David Day y Daniel M. Palacios 60 A SPECIMEN OF Mesoplodon ginkgodens FROM THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS. Daniel M. Palacios 61 RESCATE DE BALLENA GRIS JUVENIL EN BAHIA DE TODOS SANTOS, BAJA CALIFORNIA Y RELACION CON VARAMIENTO POSTERIOR. G. A. Gascon- Romero, H. G. Barradas-Rosas y N. A. Hernandez-Ramirez 62 FORAGING CHARACTERISTICS AND POPULATION ESTIMATES OF CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS (Zalophus californianus) IN THE BAY OF LA PAZ, B.C.S., MEXICO DURING 1994. Tony Orr 63 COMPARACION DE LAS CONCENTRACIONES DE COBRE, HIERRO, CADMIO Y PLOMO ENTRE MUESTRAS DE PELO Y DE OTROS DIVERSOS TEJIDOS, EN EL LOBO MARINO DE CALIFORNIA (Zalophus californianus californianus), EN LA LOBERA DE LA ISLA GRANITO. Luis A. Tovar Schoener, Carlos Godinez Reyes y Rene Rosiles Martinez 64 HALLAZGOS PATOLOGICOS MACROSCOPICOS Y MICROSCOPICOS OBSERVADOS A LA NECROPSIA EN UNA CRIA DE LOBO MARINO DE CALIFORNIA (Zalophus californianus californianus). M. Pilar Eguia A., Carlos Godinez R. y Fernando Constantino C. 65 DETERMINACION EIDENTIFICACION DE NEMATODOS GASTROENTERICOS EN EL LOBO MARINO DE CALIFORNIA (Zalophus californianus californianus), EN LA ISLA GRANITO DEL GOLFO DE CALIFORNIA. Judith Abundes G., Carlos Godinez R. y Evangelina Romero C. 66 ASPECTOS PALEOECOLOGICOS DE LA FORMACION ALMEJAS INFERIOR (MIOCENO TARDIO) EN BASE A LOS VERTEBRADOS MARINOS FOSILES DE ISLA CEDROS, B.C., MEXICO. Alejandro Hernandez R. y Francisco J. Aranda M. 67 ESTUDIO HISTOPATOLOGICO PARA DETERMINAR LAS CAUSAS DE LA MORTALIDAD DE UNA MANADA DE DELFIN "TORNILLO PANZA BLANCA" Stenella longirostris (GRAY 1828). Selene M. Abad R., Ricardo Fuentes P. y Guillermo Compean-J. 12:20 Sexta Mesa de Trabajo. Moderador: Benjamin Morales Vela 12:20-12:40 24 EVOLUCION DE LOS SIRENIOS EN EL PACIFICO NORTE. Francisco Javier Aranda Manteca. 12:40-13:00 25 AETIOCETIDAE, BALLENAS PRIMITIVAS MISTICETOS DENTADOS DEL OLIGOCENO EN EL PACIFICO NORTE. Lawrence G. Barnes, Masaichi Kimura, Hitoshi Furusawa, Hiroshi Sawamura. 13:00-13:20 26 LOS MAMIFEROS MARINOS DE EDAD MIOCENO TARDIO EN LA FORMACION ALMEJAS EN ISLA DE CEDROS, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO. Francisco Javier Aranda Manteca, Lawrence G. Barnes. 13:20-13:40 27 CAPTURA Y RADIO MARCADO DE MANATIES EN LA BAHIA DE CHETUMAL, MEXICO. Benjamin Morales Vela, Leon David Olivera Gomez. 13:40-14:00 28 DISTRIBUCION Y ABUNDANCIA DEL MANATI Trichechus m, manatus EN LAS COSTAS DE BELICE Y BAHIA DE CHETUMAL, MEXICO. Benjamin Morales Vela, Leon David Olivera Gomez. 14:00-17:00 COMIDA 17:00 Septima Mesa de Trabajo. Moderador: Anelio Aguayo Lobo 17:00-17:20 29 FOTOIDENTIFICACION DE BALLENA AZUL DE LAS COSTAS DE LA PENINSULA DE BAJA CALIFORNIA: UN REPORTE PRELIMINAR (1988-1994). Diane Gendron, Veronica Zavala Hernandez. 17:20-17:40 30 REPORTE PRELIMINAR SOBRE LA PROPORCION DE SEXOS EN EL RORCUAL COMUN (Balaenoptera physalus) EN EL GOLFO DE CALIFORNIA, MEXICO. Luis Enriquez Paredes , Martine Berube y Jorge Urban Ramirez. 17:40-18:00 31 DISTRIBUTION OF NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES (Eubalaena glacialis) IN RELATION TO OCEANOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF THE SCOTIAN SHELF. Elizabeth Moses, John T. Finn. 18:00-18:20 32 DISTRIBUCION ESPACIO-TEMPORAL, DE LOS RORCUALES JOROBADOS, Megaptera novaeangliae, EN LA BAHIA DE BANDERAS, MEXICO Y SU RELACION CON OTRAS ZONAS DE REPRODUCCION EN EL PACIFICO MEXICANO 1982-1990. Paloma Ladron De Guevara Porras, Anelio Aguayo Lobo. 18:20-18:40 RECESO 18:40 Octava Mesa de Trabajo. Moderador: Luis Medrano 18:40-19:00 33 ESTIMATES OF HUMPBACK WHALE (Megaptera novaeangliae) ABUNDANCE OFF KAUAI, HAWAII, 1989 TO 1993, USING MARK-RECAPTURE TECHNIQUES. Salvatore Cerchio. 19:00-19:20 34 GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION AND CULTURAL EVOLUTION IN SONGS OF HUMPBACK WHALES (Megaptera novaeangliae) IN THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC. Salvatore Cerchio. 19:20-19:40 35 ESTRUCTURA POBLACIONAL DE LAS BALLENAS JOROBADAS EN EL PACIFICO NORORIENTAL A CORTO Y LARGO PLAZO: UN REENCUENTRO CON LA DEFINICION DE UNIDADES DE MANEJO Y UNIDADES DE SIGNIFICANCIA EVOLUTIVA. Luis Mendrano, Jorge Urban, Scott Baker. 19:40-20:00 36 FOTOIDENTIFICACION DE BALLENAS JOROBADAS, Megaptera novaeangliae EN ELESTRECHO DE GERLANCHE, ANTARTICA, DICIEMBRE 1994 ENERO 1995. Anelio Aguayo Lobo, Rolando Bernal Deramond, Carlos Olavarria Barrera, Paola Acu=F1a Gomez. Viernes 21 Auditorio del Area de Ciencias del Mar, UABCS. 09:00 Novena Mesa de Trabajo. Moderador: Omar Vidal 09:00-09:20 37 DOS CASOS DE INTERES EN LA DISCUSION SOBRE EL CONCEPTO DE STOCK Y SU IMPORTANCIA EN PROGRAMAS DE CONSERVACION DE CETACEOS A NIVEL DE ESPECIES. Carlos Alvarez F., Luis Medrano G., Mario Sanchez Z., Jorge Urban Ramirez. 09:20-09:40 38 MAMIFEROS MARINOS DE GOLFO DULCE E ISLA DEL COCO, COSTA RICA. Alejandro Acevedo Gutierrez. 09:40-10:00 39 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF CETACEANS IN THE OFFSHORE GULF OF MEXICO. Thomas A. Jefferson, Andrew J. Schiro. 10:00-10:20 40 RESUMEN DE AVISTAMIENTOS DE CETACEOS EN UN CRUCERO DURANTE EL VERANO Y OTONO DE 1993. Tim Gerrodette, Jay Barlow. 10:20-10:40 41 MORTALIDAD DE CETACEOS Y AVES MARINAS EN EL NORTE DEL GOLFO DE CALIFORNIA, ENERO-FEBRERO DE 1995. Omar Vidal, Juan Pablo Gallo. 10:40-11:00 42 UN NUEVO ENFOQUE PARA LA ATENCION A LOS RECURSOS NATURALES Antonio Fuentes Montalvo 11:00-12:00 FORO DE DISCUSION Y RECOMENDACIONES Moderadores: Jesus Druk G. y Benjamin Morales V. 12:00-12:20 RECESO 12:20-14:20 MESA REDONDA : CONSERVACION E INVESTIGACION DE LA BALLENA GRIS Participantes: 43 BRUCE R. MATE : IF WE KNEW THEN WHAT WE KNOW, WOULD THINGS BE DIFFERENT? (THE ROLE OF RESEARCH IN CONSERVATION). 44 STEVEN L. SWARTZ : A 5-YEAR PLAN FOR RESEARCH AND MONITORING OF THE EAST NORTH PACIFIC POPULATION OF GRAY WHALES. 45 ANNA BASS : RESEARCH OF THE GRAY WHALE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. 46 MARILYN E. DAHLHEIM : RESPONSES OF THE GRAY WHALES TO THE PLAYBACK OF ACOUSTIC DISTURBANCE IN LAGUNA SAN IGNACIO (1983 AND 1984) AND 1985 FOLLOW.UP INVESTIGATIONS. 47 SERGE DEDINA : NACIONALISMO Y NATURALEZA: LA CONSERVACION DE LA BALLENA GRIS (ESCHRICHTIUS ROBUSTUS) EN BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO. 48 LUIS A. FLEISCHER (POR CONFIRMAR) 49 SECRETARIA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE, RECURSOS NATURALES Y PESCA (POR CONFIRMAR) MODERADOR: JORGE URBAN R. 14:30-15:00 CLAUSURA OFICIAL 17:30-20:00 ASAMBLEA GENERAL DE LA SOMEMMA Sabado 22 de abril. 8:30 hrs. PASEO POR LA BAHIA DE LA PAZ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 19:52:49 PST From: Peter Watts Subject: Whales Without Memory? Is anyone aware of any published work on memory persistence in cetaceans? A face on the television has just told me that a killer whale would be unable to remember losing a calf after three years; further, that scientists in general don't believe that whales have a "cognitive historical memory". I'm wondering what this could be based on; I didn't think that modern-day neuroanatomy was up to measuring such things even in humans. Is there behavioural work out there on extinction thresholds of trained responses, maybe? Peter ***************************************************************** Peter Watts "What separates us from the animals is that we don't use our tongues to clean our genitals." watts(\)bcu.ubc.ca -- Arnold J. Rimmer ***************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 16:19:57 -0600 From: "R.H. Defran" Subject: Senior Questions I am teaching a week-long class on cetaceans to seniors and I have had a question come my way that some Marmam folks might be able to help with. A woman in my class showed me a 1985 clipping about a bottlenose dolphin named Soda who for years was kept at a Natatorium in Milwaukee. The paper said the dolphin was sold to a veterinarian along with a sea lion. Another newspaper clipping about the sale suggested that the dolphin would be performing at an aquarium in Santa Cruz? Does anybody know what became of Soda? Apparently, this dolphin had a status in Milwaukee much like Orky and Corky did in LA. Any leads would be appreciated. R.H. Defran Cetacean Behavior Laboratory Department of Psychology San Diego State University San Diego, CA 92182 Phone:(619) 594-5649 Fax: (619) 594-1332 internet: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 08:39:17 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: e-mail for Marine Mammal Commission? Greetings, I'm wondering if the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission can be reached via e-mail? Any leads would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Robin ====================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Research Group Centro Interdisciplinario de P.O. Box 6244 Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR) Victoria, B.C. APDO. Postal 592 V8P 5L5 Canada La Paz, B.C.S., C.P. 23000 Phone 1-604-380-1925 Mexico Fax 1-604-380-1206 Phone 52-112-25344 or -25366 E-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca Fax 52-112-25322 ====================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 09:59:52 +0200 From: Michel Goujon Subject: Fwd: timbres Hello Marmammers, A friend of mine asked me to forward this message. I am not sure that Marmam might be the best recepient but I believe many of you wouldn't throw a stamp with a cetacean on it! Thank you on his behalf. I know he is also interested in stamps with tunas or billfishes for the same purpose. > >-------------------------------------------------------------------- >Je suis a la recherche de timbres | I am looking for stamps dealing >portant sur les cetaces dans le | with cetaceans for a research >cadre d'un travail sur l'image | on the image of cetaceans all >des cetaces dans le monde. Si | over the world. If you have some >vous disposez de doubles, je vous | spare ones, I'll be very grate- >serais tres reconnaissant si vous | full to you if you would accept >acceptiez de me les envoyer a | to send these to me at the fol- >l'adresse suivante: | lowing address: > > Dr D. Surzic > 6, cours J.F. Kennedy > 35000 Rennes > FRANCE > >Merci d'avance a tous. | Thank you very much already. >-------------------------------------------------------------------- > ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ <>< ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ <>< ~ ~ <>< ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ><> Michel Goujon <>< ( Laboratoire Halieutique - ENSA de RENNES o ) ><> Tel: 99 28 75 32 Fax: 99 28 75 35 o ( ( mgoujon(\)ifremer.fr o ( ) ) http://rennes.inra.fr/halieute/michel/michel.html o )( ( <>< o o <>< ><> (_))_____________\!|/____________><>_><>________________\!|/_________ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 23:58:30 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: Harp seal population dynamics So, I cannot envision a large adult mortality, >due to predation - as compared to fur seals, for example. I would >think that pup mortality would be much more significant. Maybe >someone who has done more research on this question, would respond. Predation is not the only source of seal mortality: you have to include, for example, disease (which may be exacerbated by pollution). And it's not just mortality in the strict sense: how does the age class distribution compare with that,say, a century ago? I doubt that such a question can be answered. >However, do we "condemn" ourselves as always stupid, and not try to >learn from our past mistakes - continually repeating them ? Or do we >acknowledge that we have a ballooning world population, and try to >take appropiate measures, using past "mistakes" as signposts to >decision-making ? Exactly the argument to use AGAINST blithely assuming that marine living resources are able to withstand whatever we can throw at them in the way of harvesting pressure. > >Whether we like it or not - there are few "natural" ecosystems in >this world that have not/are not affected by man's influence. In >this case, we definitely have an increasing harp seal population. we >had fishery controls over most, if not all, species within this >ecosystem. Then we removed controls on just the harp seal >population. This was a "moral" decision, not a biological one. BUT this may only mean that the seals are returning to healthy levels. It depends on your benchmark: mine, by choice, is the nature of the ecosystem when Cartier sailed through it - a lot more seals and a lot more fish. > >I would like to know what biological reasons you have for not wanting >the resumption of the seal hunt. Do you think harp seals are >"endangered" ? Must we always assume that the only biological reason for NOT exploiting a species is actual endangerment? Why must the onus be in favour of the harvester? I would say a good reason is our general ignorance of the way the marine environment works and the seals' role in it (as is being discovered in South Africa, according to a recently posted message). So what biological reasons can YOU produce to show that the seal hunt SHOULD be resumed (not merely that it could be)? And I won't accept "there are too many seals" or "it will help restore the cod" as these are, to put it mildly, unproven statements. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 21:14:36 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Sealing question >Marmam Group: > > I have been asked by a congressional office for a list of nations which >conduct or permit regular seal harvests or which have scheduled seal harvests >anytime within the past five years or so. Of course, this would include >subsistence harvests such as the United States permits for Native >subsistence in the Pribilof Islands. Other than the obvious -- Canada, Norway, >South Africa, and the U.S. -- what other nations might be included in this >group and for what species of seals? Any data on harvest levels? > > Thanks for your assistance with this? > > Gene Buck, Senior Analyst > Congressional Research Service > >e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov I have just received some information on Cape fur seals from Patti Wickens, Marine Biology Research Institute, Ecology Department, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Patti informed me that S. Africa instituted a moratorium on sealing in 1990 as a result of pressure from animal rights groups. Namibia has taken between 20,000 and 30,000 pups, 2 000 to 5 000 bulls, and a few (40 - 189) cows in the last few years. Greenland has a subsidized hunt and takes between 120,000 and 160,000 seals a year, according to "NWT Seal Marketing Strategy", November 1994, by RT & Associates. The marketing study was commissioned by the government of the North West Territories. Anne Doncaster ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 07:32:23 -0500 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Allegations vs. the Shedd "Having claimed that you can refute the statements in the posting, I submit that you ought to post these refutations for the scrutiny of MARMAM readers, rather than simply asking us to take your word for it that they are without substance." It's pretty simple: there isn't the faintest evidence that Quitz ever had pneumonia. There isn't any evidence we've been able to turn up that dolphins (or any species) could incubate pneumonia for 13 months without showing symptoms. There isn't any evidence that any of the other dolphins with whom Quitz shared his tank have had pneumonia, even though they obviously shared the same water. There isn't any evidence that Quitz had bleeding ulcers. There isn't any reason whatever to believe the Shedd hasn't told the truth about this episode; in fact, they brought in an outside vet to do the autopsy. And the person who posted the allegations against the Shedd was playing fast and loose with the facts in suggesting that DVM Jeffrey Boehm and the Shedd were fined for animal care violations in connection with the deaths of the two belugas in 1992. In fact, they were fined because Boehm had neglected to get certified to practice in Illinois, after several years as a practicing vet in Illinois--which is pretty much on the same order of offense as a truckdriver failing to switch his licensing from one state to another after a change of address, and has zip to do with animal care. In short, there was never anything in these anonymous allegations that was worth a fraction of the time and telephone bill I ran up to check them out, (or even the time and telephone bill to post this synopsis of findings.) --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 10:26:21 AST From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Re: Research on Harp seals Here is the "final" question answered with regard to harp seal population. Dave R. ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date sent: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 16:34:27 -0330 (NST) From: STENSON(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca To: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Subject: Re: Research on Harp seals I have had a lot of problem with the system here - after I sent those first 1/2 notes, we had a power failure which killed my final instalment. As for diets... Capelin seems to be the main prey of harp seals in the Gulf an don the Grand Banks in the winter. During the summer, sand lance become more important. Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) is the primary prey of harp seals in nearshore areas of NFLD. This has been the case since ~ 1986. Capelin is taken but is less important (see Lawson et al 1994). Finally, I saw your note to the fisheries list about numbers of seals. Given the mortality rates, catches and reproductive rates, the population probalby increased to 4-4.5 milllion by 1994. That is a rough guess and the results of the 1994 survey and popualtion model should be available at the end of April. Garry Stenson ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 09:41:46 PST From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Anne Doncaster writes: > >> Y6IM argues that there are "an estimated 3 - 25 million harp seals alone, i n > >> the Gulf of St. Lawrence." Furthermore, the figure that is put > >> forward of 3 million or more for the Gulf and the Front combined are > >> extrapolations of very old data and cannot be relied upon. > > > >That is why the large confidence limits 3 - 25 million... > >Do you know of more up-to-date data? I'd be glad to hear it. > > Dave: I have never seen data that gives confidence limits up to 25 million. > Where did that figure come from. The most recent survey of harp > seal populations was done by DFO in 1990 and estimates 3.1 million > harps, with a possible range of 2.7 to 3.5 (Atlantic Seal Forum: > Background Information, p 3, distributed by DFO at the Sealing > Forum held in St. John's, Newfoundland, Feb. 21, 1995). There > is a new DFO population assessment due to be made public in April. > However, for the time being, the 1990 figures are the most recent. Anne, thats what was proposed from the local papers, as being DFO figures. I'll see if I can get the most up-to-date numbers from somebody at DFO. Still, over 3 million animals is a large population. > > According to a report undertaken by RT & Associates on behalf of > the government of the North West Territories, ("NWT Seal Marketing > Strategy", Nov. 1994) markets for seal products look dismal. The > section on Market Opportunites estimates the potential of various > products: Seal skins - not very encouraging; Meat for animal feed - > poor; Meat for human consumption - extremely poor; Seal oil - hopes > for Omega-3; Seal organs (penis with testicles attached) - excellent > in China and the far East. > > In the section Market Constraints, the following are listed: > resistance from buyers; price; animal rights groups; poor quality; > transportation costs; unreliable delivery; trade restrictions; > low price for seal skins; products don't match market demand. Since > 1985, the government has spent $8 - $10 million on various > sealing initiatives (product development and marketing) > in Newfoundland. > I'll agree current marketing strategy for meat (not skin) looks dismal. But then again, who would ever of thought that there would be a high demand for the lowly (an ulgy - sorry) sea cucumber. I think what the media in Europe does may help or hinder the new market. It is likely 3rd world countries and the orient wouldn't find the meat as unattractive. Anne, I would like to take the time to thank you personally (for what it's worth) for a rational and non-personal argument. Actually, I had been expecting a rather "forceful" and personal attack (as Stephen Best) knowing what strong views you have on the subject (previous mailings). This is, I hope, what this network should be all about - an exchange of information between mature, concerned individuals about marine mammals. I salute your maturity. I hope other readers will also. Dave R. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 09:51:14 PST From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Jeff Lederman writes (in response to my original posting): > In your posting Seals, fish and men you seem to point to Greenpeace and > Paul Watson as the source of your opposition. It is only that a small handful > of organizations have the ear of the media. Well, Jeff, with respect to the termination of the seal-hunt 10-15 years ago - these were the main players. > If these organizations did not > represent the feelings and philosophies of millions of people they would not > recieve this attention. Yes, Jeff, and if the seals weren't so cute - do you think they would have had the same media attention ? For example, the Missuauga rattler is endangered in the Bruce Penisula and Southern Ontario. I doubt if Bridgette Bardot is planning to rush over to give them a hug.. > You can not trivialize the opposision by saying it is > some yuppie from California. No, but perceptions play an important tool in what significance and effort we apply to an issue. Lifestyles are extremely different between California and the Magdelin Islands. it would be no more correct to correct to impose Californian lifestyles and ideals on the Magdelin Islands, then it was to subject natives to European religion and put them on reserves, in the last century or so. > There is a whole world of us out here that care > deeply for the environment and its wild inhabitants. We are sick to death of > watching the destruction of the planet and unending atrocities perpetrated > against its innocent wildlife. THANK GOD !! That's why people (like us) are on this network. Why don't we apply our efforts to what is biologically and ecologically the most imperil, FIRST ? > Fish and seals have been maintaining an equilibrium for millions of > years. They don't need your help to maintain healthful numbers. Yes Jeff, but I doubt if they had stern-trawlers millions of years ago. If living in > these barren outposts is a cruel way of life, as you say, then use your > ability to reason and think, and find a new way of life. Unlike the seals, > you have the ability to choose. Yes, Jeff - to choose to start-up a new market, no matter how repulsive you may deem it. Also, to move, one has to have money to begin with. Secondly, a location to move to. Third, a job to provide support to your family. Fourth, the education to compete for these jobs. Fith, the right to be happy in what you do, and where you live. Many, if not all, of these coastal families/communities DO NOT have these options you can take for granted. > If fishing in your area is a thing of the past, as it appears to be, > then it is time to teach your children a new way of life. Why saddle them > with this cruel way of life? Maybe, because there is nothing else ? Some younger people in the fishing communities are trying to get education to pull out of that spiraling job-market and way of life. Dave R. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 09:52:40 PST From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Merritt Clifton writes (in response to my original posting): > During the 1970s and > 1980s, as an environmental beat reporter with various mainstream media and > Canadian correspondent to several U.S. environmental publications, I > personally wrote many more articles warning about the damage to cod and other > Atlantic Canada fish stocks from acid rain and soil erosion destroying > spawning areas than I did items pertaining to sealing. I applaud this effort, but what effect did it have ? Did you end-up dressing your kids up in little cod-costumes and demonstrate outside the British Parliment buildings, like was done for seals ??? > For many years the > elected officials from Atlantic Canada were conspicuous by their silence and > even their denial (e.g. John Crosby). I also recall that Paul Watson during > the summer of 1983 made an energetic effort to chase the foreign draggers out > of the Grand Banks before the last of the cod were wiped out--for which > effort the Canadian government dragged him off to jail, before starting > similar efforts of their own a couple of years too late. Yes, this is true. > As to losing jobs through change, move on, man! I'm old enough to remember > the hot lead era of newspapering. That changed, and tens of thousands of > Linotype operators had to change careers, usually after relocating a couple > of times trying to stay with union wages in hot lead. In the long run, most > benefitted by eventually changing occupations (many turned to computer work, > much cleaner and safer, even though it required re-education.) Yes, but how can you re-educate a fisherman with possibly grade eight education into a computer programmer ? Where are the jobs going to come from, especially during these recessionary times ? What company would want to re-locate to an outport ? Dave R. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 09:53:21 PST From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Cod, seals and the world fishery ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- In response to many of the questions that have been raised concerning the cod/seal interactions, and the resumption of the seal hunt - Here is an extremely well-written report from an individual in NAFO (the North-West Atlantic Fisheries Organization) from another network. The scope is more fisheries-related - but that has serious implications for management of the marines resources, including seals. It is both historical and current, talking about the nearly-extinct cod-stocks, and the current turbot dispute. Most readers who were critical of past fishery management decisions should find this particularly interesting... Dave R. ---------------------forwarded message------------------------------ From: Bruce Atkinson Subject: Turbot Issue To: Multiple recipients of list FISH-ECOLOGY Manuel Gomes responded to the request of Aldo-Pier concerning the current controversy surrounding Greenland halibut. I feel it is necessary to clarify some of the issues, and correct some of the factual errors contained in his comments. 1. The collapse of northern cod (moratorium declared on northern cod on July 2, 1992) did not have a significant impact on the cod fishery of Spain and Portugual. Instead it was the decline and eventual closure of the southern Grand Bank cod (in NAFO divisions 3NO) that impacted these fleets the most, along with the decline of American plaice and yellowtail flounder in divisions 3LNO. These fisheries were closed by agreement within the NAFO Fisheries Commission beginning in 1994 (and carried over for 1995 based on the recommendation of the Scientific Council of NAFO). It was also the displacement of the Spanish fleet from Namibian waters which resulted in a substantial increase in fishing effort in the Northwest Atlantic beginning around 1986. 2. From 1985 to 1990, total NAFO allocations and catches (000 t) of groundfish outside 200 miles by the EU and reported to NAFO were as follows (these include transboundary stocks of northern cod, southern Grand Bank cod, American plaice, yellowtail flounder, witch flounder and redfish as well as stocks completely outside 200 miles on Flemish Cap (redfish, cod and American plaice): 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 Allocation 26 23 19 13 15 20 19 16 Catch 172 141 85 93 46 57 30 15 It must be pointed out that the EU used the 'Objection Procedure' during these years, not accepting the allocations decided by the Fisheries Commission, but setting their own quotas instead. They have the legal right to do this under the NAFO Convention. There is ample evidence in the Reports of the Scientific Council of significant unreported catches during most of this period. 3. What is obscured in the above is the fact that the 'tail' area of the Grand Bank outside the Canadian 200 mile limit is a known nursery area for cod, American plaice and yellowtail flounder (it is the only known nursery area for yellowtails). The following are interesting figures indicating the sizes of fish caught (taken from NAFO Sci. Counc. Rept. 1990, page 34): Yellowtail flounder (3LNO) 1988 1989 Catch wt Catch # Catch wt Catch # Canada 10,614 t 19.6 million 5,007 9.8 million EU 3,205 t 24.0 million 1,126 12.4 million American plaice (3LNO) 1988 1989 Catch wt Catch # Catch wt Catch # Canada 26,900 t 37.9 million 27,900 39.9 million EU 8,900 t 15.9 million 10,600 38.2 million One does not get a complete picture when examining catch weights alone as there are obviously significant differences in the sizes of fish being captured which exacerbates the problem of exceeding allocations. 4. Perhaps it is simply the wording, but Gomes implies a cause/effect relationship between the decline of northern cod and the increase in turbot catches. Northern cod "collapsed" in 1992, *after* the beginnings of the increased turbot fishery. All of the increase in this later fishery took place outside Canada's 200 mile limit. Simultaneously, the catches of turbot by Canada continued to decline. The catches (000 t) have been reported to NAFO as follows: 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 Canada 28 25 18 16 29 15 16 12 11 7 5 EU 0 2 2 2 3 4 3 17 24 45 48 There are indications from Canadian surveillance that the 1993 catch by the EU may have been as high as 60,000 t. Indications are that the 1994 catch by the EU was approximately the same as that of 1993. Clearly recent increases were non-Canadian and did not result from displacement of the Canadian fleet from the cod fishery. 5. Prior to 1994, the Fisheries Commission of NAFO did not discuss Greenland halibut in NAFO subareas 2+3, nor did it set quotas. Assessments were carried out on an annual basis by the Scientific Council of NAFO but only at the request of Canada as the coastal state. This information was then passed back to Canada from the Scientific Council. Canada established the annual quotas, but they applied only to the Canadian Zone for all years prior to 1995. In September of 1994, the Fisheries Commission of NAFO, for the first time, imposed a quota of 27,000 t on the resource for 1995. This quota was for the entire stock area both inside and outside Canada's 200 mile limit. Until 1995, the fishery for Greenland halibut outside Canada's 200 mile limit was **TOTALLY** unregulated. No fishery was prosecuted by Canada in this area. 6. Canada did not request an 'increase' in its quota for 1995. Indeed, given that the quota for Greenland halibut inside the Canadian Zone was 25,000 t in 1994, and the 1995 quota of 27,000 t applies both inside and outside the zone, Canada was faced with a reduction. The major difficulty for the EU, regardless of their allocation, is the significant reduction in catches simply because of the imposition of a quota outside Canada's 200 mile limit for the first time. This difficulty exists regardless of whether the NAFO Fishery Commission allocations, or the alternate EU allocation associated with the EU's use of the "Objection Procedure' are enforced. 7. Both the Canadian and EU positions during the recent meeting of the Fisheries Commission held in Brussels (January, 1995) were based on 'historical' rights. Whereas the EU advocated that catches over a 4 year period (1990-1993) represented historical rights, Canada's position was that rights should be determined based on average catches over a longer period. The EU's shorter period would give them a larger share, whereas Canada's 'longer' position would result in their receiving a larger share. 8. It is incorrect to say that very little is known about the stock structure of Greenland halibut. A considerable amount of literature has been published on this, primarily by Bowering for the Northwest Atlantic. Briefly, it is believed that Greenland halibut in the Northwest Atlantic represent a single stock extending from Davis Strait in the north to the southern limit of its distribution of Scotian Shelf (with the exception of those in the Gulf of St. Lawrence which have been shown to be a separate spawning group. Spawning is believed to occur mainly in the deep waters of Davis Strait, and distribution southward occurs because of egg and larval drift. As the fish grow and approach maturity, they begin to migrate back north. The NAFO Scientific Council has warned fisheries managers of the perils of concentrating fishing effort in only a small area for a number of years. 9. The Canadian surveys Gomes refers to do not include extensive coverage of the area outside 200 miles where the fishery is now being prosecuted. Canada has conducted 2 surveys to this area (covering depths of 750- 1500m). These suggested an approximately 60% reduction in biomass between 1991 and 1994. Results from these surveys also indicate a marked reduction in the numbers of older fish during that time period, with fish aged 9+ declining from about 30-45% of the catch (depending on NAFO division) in 1991 to 11% or less in 1994. 10. While debate may continue concerning the causes of the decline of northern cod, it is not difficult to determine the causes for declines of the other Grand Bank stocks. Information presented in the catch tables above tends to refute Gomes' suggestion that a simple answer is contained in consideration of geographic area and that the party fishing over the widest area is most responsible for the present situation. 11. All of the catches shown above are from 'official' statistics. There is ample information in the NAFO Scientific Reports going back to about 1988 or 1989 suggesting significant unreported catches from outside Canada's 200 mile limit as well. Much of the information above is contained in the NAFO Scientific Council Reports, NAFO Statistical Bulletins and in the NAFO Scientific Council Research Document Series, as well as the primary literature of NAFO and others. Interested parties can contact NAFO directly: Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization P.O. Box 638, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Canada B2Y 3Y9 phone: (902) 469-9105 FAX: (902) 469-5729) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 21:13:47 EST From: ROB(\)robshome.mhs.compuserve.com Subject: Chinese Pink Dolphins Being new to this list, I am not sure whether you have discussed this topic before; please forgive me if so. There is a little known type of dolphin that may be a sub-species of Sousa chinensis living in the Pearl River Delta, specifically off Lantau island in Hong Kong. There are perhaps up to 80 individuals. New born calves are dark grey, changing to dramatic pink as they grow older. Each dolphin has distinctive freckles and patches of purpley-grey. Due to the effects of : -Pollution -Habitat degradation -Depletion of fish stocks the future of these beautiful mammals is far from assured. The WorldWide Fund for Nature Hong Kong is attempting to save these dolphins, so any offers of help would be appreciated. Rob Rushton Hong Kong ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 09:14:52 -0800 From: HSUS Executive Subject: Mediterranean Whale Watching We are seeking information regarding good places to whale watch in Europe. In particular we would like to know if any Humane Society of the United States member can recommend personally a good place to go whale watching in or near the Mediterranean or has information on places or expeditions that are supposed to be good. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 08:52:17 -0800 From: Erika Birk Subject: Re: Harp seal population dynamics >That's just it Erick - The population wasn't and isn't in >"equilibrium" (however you define it). I can think of few >populations that are in "equilibrium". This population, over a >period of a number of years, has been expanding from some 2 million >during the years of the seal hunt, to it's present population >numbers (definitely exceeding 3 million). If the population was reduced to 2 million by the seal hunt, it must be trying to reestablish it's equilibrium. What was the predator that was exploiting the food source, have we eliminated it as well? The seal did not evolve with man as it's main predator did it? Most organisms are at some kind of equilibrium within their system as I understand it. When an outside stress is introduced, the reaction is to regain equilibrium. Under the more extreme cases through evolving to fit a new niche. >As far as I know, in >the north-west Atlantic, the adults have few predators besides man >(generic term). Undoubtably sharks may take the odd smaller seal, >but these are near-arctic waters, and there are few sharks as >compared to near-tropic waters. The closest polar bears are in >Hudson's bay, and strait - quite a distance from the harp >seal herds. There are few killer whales in the north-west Atlantic >(to my knowledge). So, I cannot envision a large adult mortality, >due to predation - as compared to fur seals, for example. I find it difficult to believe there is all that protein swimming around and nothing to eat it save the bacteria to decompose the carcass. Do seals have similar death expectancies as humans, ie disease, old age, drive by shootings? *Were* polar bears the main predator? If man is now the only control, this would indicate a long term problem, and we had better put some of the subsidy monies into developing a market for seal meat! >Now we bring up the "man is not a natural part of his environment" >argument. You are entirely correct in stating that on a global >scale, humans are definitely NOT the most intelligent creatures when >utilizing world resources over long time periods. > >However, do we "condemn" ourselves as always stupid, and not try to >learn from our past mistakes - continually repeating them ? Or do we >acknowledge that we have a ballooning world population, and try to >take appropiate measures, using past "mistakes" as signposts to >decision-making ? Let me see, the seal population is balooning so we determine how many to cull in a year..... If we could manage the human population on the planet, it seems many of the other problems would go away as well. >Whether we like it or not - there are few "natural" ecosystems in >this world that have not/are not affected by man's influence. In >this case, we definitely have an increasing harp seal population. we >had fishery controls over most, if not all, species within this >ecosystem. Then we removed controls on just the harp seal >population. This was a "moral" decision, not a biological one. Couldn't agree with you more on the lost "natural" ecosystems. By "having fishery controls over most, if not all, species within this ecosystem" and then overexploiting one resource, cod, and underexploiting another as you indicate, seals, we sure made a mess of things. We also do not have a complete understanding of *all* the factors influencing this system. If the seals are feeding on the cod, and the cod have virtually disappeared, then why are the seal numbers increasing so dramatically? Unfortunately we seem to be in quite a predicament here. If something is not done soon, the cod population will disappear. The seal population will continue to explode. Yet if we don't do the right thing, we may upset another balance and compound rather than alleviate the problem. With all the seals we have harvested over the years, has any research been done on stomach contents to see what they really are eating? If the seal hunt is being subsidized to vent fishermen's anger, as some have put it, lets take the opportunity to do some science so we can make educated decisions in the future. >I would like to know what biological reasons you have for not wanting >the resumption of the seal hunt. Do you think harp seals are >"endangered" ? > No Dave, I do not feel the population is endangered, especially if as you say the population is increasing. My concern, as a fellow inhabitant of this planet, is restoring the balance of the ecosystem. I think we all have the same goal here. Then we need to determine how, as prey animals, we fit into that system. This issue has vast implications both scientifically and politically. Science was overriden by politics which led to overfishing, reduction in seal take. However those actions have brought about the current problem, lets hope we learned by our mistakes and politics aren't allowed to dominate again. P.S. My name is not Erick. Not only did you change my identity, but my gender as well! Mistakes happen, otherwise we wouldn't be engaged in this exchange. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 12:38:04 -0400 From: Erika Mireille Pfeiffer Subject: Re: Trichinosis in Polar Bears I'll give Debbie's questions a try: > 1) In several sources I have read that a polar bear liver contains a high > level of Vitamin A and is therefore, poisonous if eaten. Yes, both polar bears and seals have high vit A due to the fish and seal (for the bear's) diet. I doubt that Inuit would make the mistake of eating it but some members of the Franklin expedition did die of hypervitaminosis A. > > 2) Trichinosis is a disease/condition(?) one can get from eating raw polar > bear meat. Isn't it a parasite of some sort? Trichinosis is a parasite. We mostly think of pork having it but bears do get it as well. In humans, the lesions are primarily cutaneous and very irritating. I should think that a bear with a heavy load of parasitic granulomas could be irritable. I don't THINK it gets into the brain. > 3)My question is are polar bear skins still allowed to be sold, and if so, does anyone have any idea what a skin might go for these days? My Winnipeg Fur Exchange catalogue has polar bear full head rugs for sale for aobut $3000-5000. I imagine that there are a lot of people who would LOVE one on the den floor. > 4) I was wondering just why type of tranquilizer is used and why > does it take so long (approximately 3 hours) to wear off? Does someone > always remain with the animal to ensure they have recovered fully from the > drug and are not in any danger (from predators, etc.) while under the > influence of the drug? And finally, why does a polar bear convulse when > coming out from under the influence of the drug. This was not explained in > the video. Recommendations I have for wild animal tranquilization are carbamyl or entorphine. These are super-strong and are reversed with ..... (i forget, shoot.) I don't know what they used in the video, these are reversed in minutes, just enough time to get to the car. They're prefered because the bear goes down and up quick. The going nuts in and out is common in anaesthetic depending on the agent and sedatives can be used to smooth out that stage. I don't know what the video used. epfeiffer(\)stu1.cs.upei.ca O O O O (___) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 10:32:34 PST From: Peter Watts Subject: Re: harp seal pop'n dynamics. And mesopredators. The enigmatic Dave R. remarked on an increase in harp seal numbers the other day, citing an increase from (if memory serves) 2 million to around 3 million. I don't know if I buy this; the last I heard, the 1990 estimate of 2.6 - 3.4 million harps was not significantly different from the estimates for 1983. I also hear stories about how DFO keeps changing their survey techniques, which casts some doubt on whether or not *any* of the estimates can really be compared. I'm aware of at least two different government estimates for the 1983 harp population --- 1.5 - 2.8 million, vs. 1.8 - 4.3 million -- *neither* of which suggests any real increase throughout the last decade. (This isn't all that surprising, given that a hunt for adults continued even after the whitecoat hunt was banned.) So I'd have to echo Erika Birk's original question; since the best evidence available is consistent with an equilibrium state during the 80's, why assume that the population has suddenly taken off over the past five years? And just to play the other side of the fence for a bit: Mike Mascia raises a very cool point re "mesopredator release"; there are a number of studies which suggest that top predators maintain species diversity by keeping any one subordinate species from getting too successful. (Personally, Mike, I don't think you should have been nearly so humble in bringing up the subject; it's the closest thing to a new idea I've seen in this thread.) But once the point's been raised, doesn't the logic cut both ways? Couldn't we now claim it's our ecological duty as top predators to keep those pesky mesopredatory harp seals under control in the name of global biodiversity? Isn't that, in fact, what the government is already *doing* in its own endearingly clumsy way? $0.02 Peter **************************************************************** Needless to say, Frank's family was upset when he didn't come home that night, but everybody understood that the human pop- Peter Watts ulation had doubled in just two generations to almost six billion, so some thinning of watts(\)bcu.ubc.ca the herds was necessary to prevent starvation. --Calvin (sans Hobbes) **************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 13:54:20 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Seals, fish and men (Generic term) >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > >Anne, thats what was proposed from the local papers, as being DFO >figures. I'll see if I can get the most up-to-date numbers from >somebody at DFO. Still, over 3 million animals is a large population. I think whether 3 million is a large number depends on one's perspective. It does not seem large to me in terms of either historical estimates of harp seal populations, or current estimates of human populations. > >I'll agree current marketing strategy for meat (not skin) looks >dismal. It is likely 3rd world countries and the orient wouldn't >find the meat as unattractive. According to the RT & Associates report, Asia is only willing to pay $0.50 lb. for seal meat on delivery, and poor, protein- starved countries can not pay for seal meat at all. We all have moments when we are calm and moments when we are not. Very human. But thanks for the message. > > >Anne, ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 13:37:59 -0600 From: "Eric J. Bright" Subject: Re: Trichinosis in Polar Bears In-Reply-To: <9503291851.AB25503(\)mail.auburn.edu> On Wed, 29 Mar 1995, Erika Mireille Pfeiffer wrote: > Recommendations I have for wild animal tranquilization are carbamyl > or entorphine. These are super-strong and are reversed with ..... (i > forget, shoot.) Out of everything discussed, I do know that diphrenorphine is commonly used to reverse both etorphine (a.k.a "M99") and carfentanil. Thanks for allowing my $.02. Eric J. Bright Auburn University vet student brighej(\)mallard.duc.auburn.edu ots(\)vetmed.auburn.edu http://www.auburn.edu/~brighej "Never play leapfrog with a unicorn." ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 12:57:33 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: cetacean mortality in captivity (fwd) >>To put things >>>in perspective for you, a total of three individual cetaceans, >>>three Pacific whitesided dolphins, were captured from U.S. waters >>>in this decade of the 90s. However, don't forget that the Shedd took 4 belugas from Canada in 1992, of which 2 died in little over a month. If we can go back just one more year, the Shedd took 2 belugas from Canada in 1989. In the past decade (1985-1995) American aquaria have taken a total of 21 belugas from Canada. >As for the question of the >value of a visitor's experience at such a facility, I invite you to come >and see the reactions of inner city children who see a whale or dolphin >close up for the first (and possibly last) time. That is what keeps me >going back to contribute my time and energy. > > >Colleen Duke >Four year volunteer at The Shedd Aquarium There are many experiences that can bring smiles to the faces of inner city children. In my opinion, it is a pity to choose one based on the capture and exploitation of beluga children. The Montreal Biodome, which was considering the capture and display of 5 beluga whales, just announced yesterday that it was postponing its decision indefinitely. It could be that Canada is now a capture-free zone vis-a-vis the aquarium industry. > > Anne Doncaster ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 13:42:16 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Research on Harp seals >Here is the "final" question answered with regard to harp seal >population. > >Dave R. > ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- > >Date sent: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 16:34:27 -0330 (NST) >From: STENSON(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca >To: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA >Subject: Re: Research on Harp seals > >I have had a lot of problem with the system here - after I sent those first 1/2 >notes, we had a power failure which killed my final instalment. > >As for diets... Capelin seems to be the main prey of harp seals in the Gulf an >don the Grand Banks in the winter. During the summer, sand lance become more >important. Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) is the primary prey of harp seals in >nearshore areas of NFLD. This has been the case since ~ 1986. Capelin is taken >but is less important (see Lawson et al 1994). > >Finally, I saw your note to the fisheries list about numbers of seals. Given >the mortality rates, catches and reproductive rates, the population probalby >increased to 4-4.5 milllion by 1994. That is a rough guess and the results of >the 1994 survey and popualtion model should be available at the end of April. > > >Garry Stenson When I was at the forum in St. John's I understood you to say that the 1994 survey of harp seal populations would undergo peer review at a meeting in April. I did not catch the name of who is to be involved. Could you let MARMAM readers know which scientists will be reviewing the material in April and what other scientific review will take place? I am surprised that a DFO scientist would offer a "rough guess" on current harp seal populations. Could you advise us as to what criteria are used when you as a scientist make a "rough guess" and whether the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans decision to control harp seal populations was influenced by this guess? Anne Doncaster ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 17:53:39 -0600 From: "William C. Burns" Subject: Center Occasional Papers The Pacific Center For International Studies, a policy research and advocacy group focused on international wildlife law and conservation issues, announces the publication of two occasional papers of interest to marine mammal and international wildlife law researchers: 1. "The International Whaling Commission And The Regulation Of Consumptive And Non-Consumptive Uses Of Small Cetaceans: The Critical Agenda For The 1990s, " PCIS International Wildlife Law Occasional Paper Series, No. 5 (1995), 55 pages. The paper assesses the imperiled status of many species of small cetaceans and analyzes the IWC's legal competence to regulate the taking of small cetaceans, including non-consumptive uses, such as whale-watching and capture for display in aquariums and theme parks; 2. "The International Whaling Commission In The 1990s: Problems And Prospects," PCIS International Wildlife Law Occasional Paper Series, No. 6 (1995), 65 pages. The paper assesses the status of large cetacean species, the history of the IWC in regulating the taking of such species, the judiciousness of implementing the proposed Revised Management Procedure, and the prospects for the IWC's future viability. Each occasional paper is $10.00, shipping and handling included. Orders can be processes through the mail, by phone, or e-mail. William C. Burns, Pacific Center For International Studies, 33 University Square, Ste. 184, Madison, WI 53715-1012. Phone: (608) 257-6309, Fax: (608) 257-0417. E-mail: pcis(\)binc.net, alternate e-mail: ecoguy2336(\)aol.com. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 11:35:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Gulf Animal Deaths Gulf Animal Deaths TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Hundreds of porpoises and other sea animals found dead in the Gulf of California may have been poisoned by illegally dumped chemicals, The Arizona Daily Star reported. The batch of chemicals is believed to have contained cyanide, according to PROFEPA, the Mexican agency responsible for enforcing environmental law, the newspaper reported Monday. The bodies of 307 porpoises, 51 sea lions, eight whales and about 200 birds were found floating in the Gulf in January. Evidence of cyanide was found in water and tissue samples, the paper said. Also found were traces of lead, mercury and arsenic. Investigators also found elevated concentrations of heavy metals in the livers, kidneys and muscle tissues of dead porpoises, Gulf shellfish and water samples. The porpoises were found in the northern end of the Gulf, within about 100 miles of the United States border near the Colorado River Delta. A fisherman first reported the mass deaths on Jan. 26 and subsequent aerial surveys found more than 300 bodies of longbeak and bottlenose dolphins. Also found were the bodies of finback, piked and Bryle's whales. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 14:21:37 +0800 From: Chris Parsons Subject: Re: Chinese Pink Dolphins In-Reply-To: <199503291833.AA10376(\)hk.super.net> On Tue, 28 Mar 1995 ROB(\)robshome.mhs.compuserve.com wrote: > Being new to this list, I am not sure whether you have discussed this > topic before; please forgive me if so. > There is a little known type of dolphin that may be a sub-species of > Sousa chinensis living in the Pearl River Delta, specifically off Lantau > island in Hong Kong. There are perhaps up to 80 individuals. New born > calves are dark grey, changing to dramatic pink as they grow older. Each > dolphin has distinctive freckles and patches of purpley-grey. Due to the > effects of : > -Pollution > -Habitat degradation > -Depletion of fish stocks > the future of these beautiful mammals is far from assured. The WorldWide > Fund for Nature Hong Kong is attempting to save these dolphins, so any > offers of help would be appreciated. > > Rob Rushton > Hong Kong > The latest information on this dolphin population: The Provisional Airport Authority has been given permission by the government to build an aviation fuel recieving teminal off the island of Sha Chau, which is one of the areas of highest distribution. After lobbying from Hong Kong's Environmental groups the Airport Authority agreed to fund a 1000ha dolphin Sanctuary in this area, although the construction of the 600m long tanker terminal will still go ahead. One local conservationist is quoted as saying "to build a sanctuary around an oil tanker terminal is like turning a car park into a nature reserve". Bernd Wuersig acted as an advisor to the Airport Authority and stated that he didn't think the terminal and associated works (ie. pipeline, cables, dredging) would have any impact on the dolphins. The present count for HK Sousa chinensis population is 84 (Lindsay Porter pers. comm.). In 1993 6 Sousa carcasses were found and last year 7 carcasses were reported (Parsons, Felley & Porter in prep). The actual number of mortalities is likely to be considerably larger. It doesn't take much maths to work out that this, together with the dramatic increase in development and pollution in Hong Kong, could spell the end of this local population before long. For further information you can contact: The Dolphin Research Group, Swire Institute of Marine Science, Cape D' Aguilar, Shek O, Hong Kong. or E-mail me at Delphis(\)hk.super.net ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 12:39:00 AST From: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Organization: UNB Saint John Subject: Harp Seal mortality and diet - conclusion I received this clarification on harp seal mortality and diets. It answers some specific questions, posed back to myself from other list members. It should interest those readers, especially. Regards, Dave R. ------------ From: STENSON(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca To: Y6IM(\)acad1.UnbSJ.CA Message-Id: <950328164313.746(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca> Subject: Re: Research on Harp seals X-PMFLAGS: 33554560 Dave: Mortality rates are estimated by the population model. Estimates from various models range from ~0.9 - 1.3. Some models assume the mortality in the first year is 3X adult mortality. Commercial catches in the last 10 years have averaged just under 60,000. In addition there has been a by-catch of seals in fishing gear (primarly groundfish and lumpfish gillnets). Estimates vary, as high as 40,000 or so off NFLD in 1991. This wll have been reduced in recent years although there is still by-catch in lumpfish nets. DFO estimates that bycatch may have been in the order of 13,000 last year. Actually polar bears are a predator of harp seals on the whelping patch. In 1994 we helped Ian Stirling (CWS) catch 7 bears and deploy satellite transmitters. 6 of the bears were adult males. Ian was doing this work in conjunction with his studies on Labrador polar bears. I beleive that these animals moved to Baffin Island. Garry S. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: STENSON(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca Subject: harp seal diets Sender: owner-fisheries(\)biome.bio.dfo.ca To: fisheries(\)biome.bio.dfo.ca * Replies will probably go to STENSON(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca * unless they are explicitly readdressed to fisheries(\)hed.bio.ns.ca In a recent posting, Dave R. included a statement from me in which I said that harp seals eat primarly 1-2 year old cod. This was the second part of a reply I made to him concerning some questions he raised about harp seals. Unfortunately, the reply was broken in 3 parts due to system problems and power failures here in Newfoundland (a common problem here these days). The first part of the message clearly stated that Atlantic cod are NOT a major component of the harp seal diet. TO CLARIFY: We have done extensive sampling around Newfoundland and Labrador and found that, on average, approximately 3% of the diet is Atlantic cod (although it does vary with seasonal and location). Between 1986 and 1994, ARCTIC COD (Boreogadus saida) has been the primary prey of harp seals in nearshore waters of Newfoundland. CAPELIN seems to be important to harp seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and on the Grand Banks in winter. OF THE ATLANTIC COD EATEN, most is 1-2 years old (rather than older fish). I appologize for my poor sentance structure and the broken nature of my original relpy to Dave. Garry Stenson Marine Mammal Section DFO, St. John's, NFLD ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 11:26:28 -0500 Reply-To: drosen(\)kean.ucs.mun.ca From: drosen(\)kean.ucs.mun.ca Subject: Re: Cod, seals and the world fishery For those following this discussion I would just like to point out that the Dave R. writing from the east coast is not, in fact, myself. I have received a number of personal flames (didn't you notice the e-mail address was different?) and even a few personal phone calls. Dave Rosen Memorial University ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 16:17:46 -0600 From: "Joel G. Ortega-Ortiz" Subject: Die-off in the upper Gulf of California At the beginning of the year marine mammals and birds died in the upper Gulf of California. There is variation in the numbers reported, the official count is: 282 common dolphins, Delphinus capensis; 25 bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus; 51 Sea lions, Zalophus californianus; eight whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata, B. edeni, B. physalus and Eschrichtus robustus; and 215 marine birds from the species: Sula leucogaster, Pelecanus occidentalis, Uria aalge. The General Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) directed the investigations in cooperation with academic institutions. The most probable explanation is that the die-off was caused by cyanide. A paper is been prepared for publication, some of the results follow: -There were reports from fishermen in the area about the presence of strange "red patches" in the sea surface during the day, and a high blue luminescence in the nigth. -Chemical analysis of seawater from the "red patches" detected high cyanide concentrations (up to 280 ppm) and the presence of a compound called NK-19 (29 ppm). The pH in this water sample was 6.9. -Cyanide was detected, using a cualitative technique, in dolphin tissue samples (liver) from the beached animals. In other samples analized cyanide was not detected. However, in the first case, the sample was taken from a recent died animal while in the second case, samples were taken from decomposed animals. -In beached dolphin dissections it was observed many food in the stomach. In some cases the fish was not yet digested. This could indicate that the death was a sudden action. -There were groups of animals with diferent decomposition stage, for this reason it is suspected that it was not a unique event. The conclusion is that a substance was released to the sea surface. This substance was used as a marker and contained the chemical NK-19 as a colorant. The desintegration of NK-19 in the seawater released cyanide. Since the marker was in surface all the time, cyanide did not difuse downward. In seawater cyanide disociate and formed Hydrocianic that evaporated. Those animals who crossed at these moment the sea surface in the area died. It is suspected that the substance was released to the sea in several ocasions. The precense of markers containing NK-19 in the area has been asociated to ilegal activities (drugs traffic). In the last three weeks more than a ton of cocaine was caugth in the area by mexican autority, even an airplane was confiscated. This could be a serious problem of pollution due to drugs traffic. Joel G. Ortega-Ortiz Phone: (5) 6225706 ext 300 Instituto de Biologia, UNAM Fax: (5) 5500164 Laboratorio de Mastozoologia Apartado Postal 70-153 Mexico, DF 04510 MEXICO ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Apr 1995 10:47:11 -0500 From: "ddb admin (by way of sbest(\)inforamp.net Stephen Best)" Subject: "Flipper" alert *** ACTION ALERT- REQUEST FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION *** Universal Studios has expressed an interest in temporarily transferring bottlenose dolphins from Dolphins Plus in Florida to the Bahamas for the filming of the movie "Flipper". This is a dangerous action which must be opposed immediately. Please write a letter to the Prime Minister of the Bahamas which highlights the following points: (FAX letters to Honorable Hubert Ingraham, Prime Minister of the Bahamas, FAX: 809-327-5806 - Please forward letters to the Minister of Tourism in the Bahamas: Honorable Frank Watson: FAX: 809-328-0945.) (a) Universal Studios could use dolphins from Bahamian dolphin facilities for their film (for example UNEXSO in the Bahamas has dolphins already trained for open-ocean work). (b) This action will threaten a pending a regulation which would prohibit the importation of dolphins into the Bahamas from other countries. This is important because this regulation would be the only thing prohibiting Bahamian dolphin facilities from capturing and importing dolphins from other countries which they have already expressed an interest in doing (since they cannot capture dolphins in Bahamian waters). (c) Importing dolphins to the Bahamas would be unnecessarily traumatic and risky to the dolphins being transferred. (d) It would be better to use dolphins from Bahamian facilities in terms of international public policy because the money from Universal Studios would stay in the Bahamas. This would also be the most prudent course of action given current sentiment in the U.S. influenced by recent and heavily publicized deaths of captive dolphins at Shedd Aquarium, Vancouver Aquarium, and Anthony's Cay Resort in Honduras. (e) There is a potential for disease transmission to/from Dolphins Plus dolphins to free-ranging Bahamian dolphins because of open-ocean pens and open-ocean work. Further, it is irresponsible to risk using Florida dolphins for open-ocean work in the Bahamas in the case of inter-breeding with Bahamian dolphin individuals. (f) Currently, there are no standards for captive dolphin care in the Bahamas, no one to enforce them on the Bahamian side, and no penalties to enforce if the dolphins are not cared for properly. The government has already demonstrated a need to improve their ability to enforce regulations for captive dolphin facilities which currently exist in the Bahamas. (g) Dolphins Plus has demonstrated that they do not maintain their dolphins according to the same standards as other captive facilities, having been reprimanded for unprofessional practices by the Alliance for Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA). Apparently, they are not even members of the AMMPA. Further, according to a study conducted by NMFS on captive swim programs, the dolphins and human swimmers at Dolphins Plus were at significantly higher risk than dolphin and human participants in swim programs at other U.S. facilities. Also, please also write a letter to Universal Studios which highlights the following: (FAX letters to: Allen Shapiro and Conrad Hool at Universal Studios - FAX: 310-458-9372.) a) Universal should seek alternatives to shipping dolphins from the U.S. to the Bahamas. Universal should follow in the spirit of Free Willy II and use no captive dolphins. Animatronics (robotic dolphins) are available and should be used along with footage of free-ranging dolphins. b) The movie Flipper and Universal Studios will be the target of massive, nationwide protests if this movie involves the use of dolphins exported from the U.S. since such action would cause these dolphins to suffer unnecessarily. c) Items B, C, E, F and G above. Thank you! For more information, contact: Mark Berman at Earth Island Institute: 415-788-3666 Ext 146 Rick Spill at Animal Welfare Institute: 202-337-2332 Dan Morast at International Wildlife Coalition: 508-428-7852 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 21:56:01 -0500 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Die-off in the upper Gulf... In response to the posting regarding the recent die-offs in the Gulf of CA being possibly related to dyes, I am curious as to the chemical composition of dyes that are sometimes used by marine mammal researchers during aerial observations. Can someone please comment on this, and why can't these dyes be used as a substitute? Dagmar Fertl Minerals Management Service 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd New Orleans, LA 70123 fertld(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Apr 1995 19:08:05 -0500 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: Gulf of CA die-off Re: my posting regarding the chemical composition of dyes (relative to the Gulf of CA die-off), I apologize for not throughly reading the original posting. Not being familiar with the art of drug trafficking, I didn't understand who was using the dye. Oops. Dagmar Fertl ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Apr 1995 19:18:49 -0700 From: Cherie Olson Organization: E Street Mail Denver Subject: Re: Cetacean Mortality In Captivity Ithought there might be some interest in a thread on the Scuba-l newsgroup. Does anyone know about dolphins being kept in a steal cage in Isreal for scuba divers? Or the health of those dolphins? I can't claim to be an expert on dolphins nor the internet, but I boldly posted the following message in that thread, anyway. Any comments? "Dear scuba enthusiasts: I was lurking in this thread and couldn't resist commenting. Dynand is correct. Captive dolphins have a much shorter life span than those found in the wild. Those wanting more info could look into the "Cetacean Mortality In Captivity" thread in the MARMAN news group where others are discussing this same topic. As Dynand suggests, it would be better to find your scuba thrills with wild dolphins who are curious about you, rather than those who are imprisoned.:-) Dolphins are very social and live in family communities. Those in the cage in Isreal must have had their families wrenched apart. I would hate to think scuba divers would support this kind of diving business. Or that other countries would start such practices. Thanks for watching out for the dolphins, Dynand!" Cherie Olson whales(\)estreet.com These are the messages in the Scuba-l thread: (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) Olaf Cammerzell (100260.1243(\)COMPUSERVE.COM) wrote: > I red an article in the magazin "Focus" about a project in Eilat, Isrel. > Tourists can dive or snorcheling in a basin with dolphins. A stealcage in > the red sea does offer the dolphins an aerea about 10000 sqaremeters. > The project is called "Dolpin Reef". Has anybody been there, or any > informations about it? Don't hesitate to contct me. No I haven't been there I did read sth about it. I don't think it is a good idea to make this a commercial success. I wouldn't want dolphins locked up because people want to see them. For us divers there are enough chances to see (and swim with!) dolfins. I have been told that dolphins are very social intelligent animals and I would say that ocking them behind bars does not do them a lot of good, anyone who knows more about this? > 100260.1243(\)compuserve.com > Olaf Cammerzell Dynand Heiner -- bye, o o o Dynand o o o Dynand(\)stack.urc.tue.nl o Dynand(\)il.ft.hse.nl (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) >I red an article in the magazin "Focus" about a project in Eilat, Isrel. >Tourists can dive or snorcheling in a basin with dolphins. A stealcage i >the red sea does offer the dolphins an aerea about 10000 sqaremeters. >The project is called "Dolpin Reef". Has anybody been there, or any >informations about it? Don't hesitate to contct me. >100260.1243(\)compuserve.com >Olaf Cammerzell Olaf, I did this last year, it's really good. I was on hols with my girlie & we did this as a checkout dive, which turned out really good as the pair of us were with one instructer, rather than a larger crowd. I can't remember exactly how much it cost, it was about UK$25 for the dive & we had the video for about UK$18. If you are going to Eilat to dive, I would not advise you to stay there too long, go to Sharm El Sheik or Hurgada in the Sinai; Eilat is OK for diving if you want to be molly-coddled and be led rather rapidly over corals crowded with other divers, but the better diving is down south in Egypt! If you are committed to Eilat the the best dive (IMHO) is Coral Island just past the Egyptian border, excellent dive or snorkel, BBQ on the boat, a few miles away from the main port and oil tankers, it's around a small island with a castle that dates back to the crusades and best of all it is the only dive site we went to that isn't overcrowded! I used Aquasport dive shop as it is actually on the beach and the guy in the photo shop is incredibly helpful (Paul from Peckham - tell him Andy & TracyAnn say hello), a night dive is a must - finish it off with your torches off, it's really spooky! There's enough light from the shop to just be able to make things out. There's also an 'Airodium' in Eilat - a kind of vertical wind tunnel that you 'free fall' in, looked great fun but didn't get a chance to have a go 'cos a couple from the TV show 'Blind Date' had taken over the entire place; I would have gone diving again instead but it was the last day, so I had a drink (or twenty)! By the way hotel drink prices are stupidly expensive, stick to the bars. Cheers..... JOHNSA2 (\) BASVM1 / GBIBMKVC (\) IBMMAIL ******* andy_johnson(\)uk.ibm.com ******* SENIOR SUPPORT SPECIALIST UK HSC 44 (0)256-341200 T/L 311200 -BASINGSTOKE (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) I was in Israel last year. I didn`t came to swim with the dolphins because I stayed in Eilat only one day. And the dolphins pool was crowded. But I think the idea fantastic and if you have the chance, go. Paulo Jacobovicz paulo(\)lac.copel.br (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) -- Cherie Olson Whales Inc. whales(\)estreet.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 11:42:07 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Mexican Salt Facility Threatening to Whales? On Mar. 27, 1995, a Mexican environmental group expressed concern that a proposed salt production facility in Baja California Sur's Vizcaino Desert Biosphere Reserve may be harmful to gray whales using the adjacent bay as a breeding area. [Reuters] . Shock Test Hearing. On Mar. 29, 1995, the Navy will hold a public hearing on plans for shock tests for the Seawolf submarine 100 miles offshore of either Jacksonville, FL, or Norfolk, VA, during 1997. These tests will include five detonations of 10,000-pound charges. A draft environmental impact statement on the tests is to be available in January 1996. [Assoc Press] . Gulf of California Mortalities. On Mar. 27, 1995, the Arizona Daily Star reported that the January 1995 marine mammal deaths (307 porpoises, 51 sea lions, and 8 whales) in the Sea of Cortez, Gulf of California, had been attributed, by Mexican authorities, to illegal dumping of chemicals, including cyanide and heavy metals. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 09:21:55 -0700 From: Michael Torok Subject: HSIL update Dear fellow P. vitulina enthusiasts, Distribution of the next edition of the harbor seal investigator list (HSIL) will be delayed at least several weeks (possibly until next month) while remodeling is underway. I apologize for the delay, especially to those investigators added this last month. As always, I welcome list member comments on any of the changes. The following changes to the HSIL are being implemented: 1) creation of a graphical user interface (GUI) to search and display the list -- the GUI will run under either DOS or OS/2. If there is sufficient interest, I will develop a Windows version when the dust settles 2) conversion to a new format (still ASCII) suitable for reading by the GUI 3) inclusion of an "area(s) of interest" field with 29 categories -- the categories were derived from descriptions of research interests provided by investigators The new system has the advantages of ease of maintenance (something I would appreciate), smaller list size, and display of only the information of interest. The primary disadvantage of the new system will be the requirement of each list member to obtain a copy of the new GUI (via ftp, uuencode, or snail mail) to display the list. In addition to general changes to the list itself, I am contemplating a change in the distribution method. Heretofore, I have mailed a copy of the HSIL each month to each member individually. Several alternative distribution methods (i.e. mailing list, majordomo) are immediately available. The mailing list option would simply allow me to send out one message each month which would be distributed to everyone on the list. The majordomo option is a full-blown listserver (like MARMAM). As with the mailing list option, I would simply send out a single message each month. In addition, the majordomo option would: 1) allow individuals to subscribe/unsubscribe to the list, 2) "get" a current copy of the HSIL at any time, and 3) allow list members to distribute a limited number of messages to other list members (like MARMAM). Please send me your comments concerning the proposed changes. Regards, -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 15:05:40 BSC From: Andre Barreto Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: Re: Whales Without Memory? In-Reply-To: Message of Tue, 28 Mar 1995 19:52:49 PST from On Tue, 28 Mar 1995 19:52:49 PST Peter Watts said: > >Is anyone aware of any published work on memory persistence >in cetaceans? >(deleted) Is there behavioural work out there on extinction >thresholds of trained responses, maybe? > >Peter > I read a work from Louis M. Herman that mentioned some experiments related to memory in bottlenosed dolphins. If I'm not mistaken, the results showed that they DO have memories, and the specimen that was used in the experiment could remember up to 20(?) items put in its tank. The accuracy of responses diminished with time, that is after longer times it gave more wrong answers about the items in the tank. I don't remember the reference, but if anyone is interested e-mail me that I will send. Andre S. Barreto | Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinhos | Depto. de Oceanografia - FURG (posasb(\)brfurg.bitnet) | C.P. 474 Rio Grande RS (posasb(\)super.furg.br) | 96201-900 | Brasil __________________________|_____________________________________ | "Problems worthy of attack, show their value hitting back" | |________________________________________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 17:55:33 CDT encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Doug Wartzok Subject: Marine Mammal Science Contents April 1995 Volume 11(2) MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE Volume 11, NO. 2 APRIL 1995 Blood chemistry of wild harbor porpoises, Phocoena phocoena (L.) H. N. KOOPMAN, A. J. WESTGATE, A. J. READ, AND D. E. GASKIN 123-135 Blood chemistry values were measured from 31 harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) released from herring weirs in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Sodium, phosphorus, calcium, chloride, magnesium, total protein, albumin, globulin, urea, cholesterol, serum osmolality, and alanine aminotransferase levels fell within ranges reported for captive harbor porpoises and other odontocetes. Glucose, potassium, creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, hemoglobin, thyroxine, bilirubin, and alkaline phosphatase levels were generally higher than those reported for captive odontocetes. Cortisol and creatinine levels were significantly higher (P = 0.0356 and 0.0174, respectively) in porpoises that were handled for longer periods and fitted with electronic tags (mean cortisol value = 314 q 107 nmol/L, mean creatinine value = 94 + 14 , mol/L) than those receiving roto-tags (mean cortisol value = 222 q 82 nmol/L, mean creatinine value = 75 q 15 mol/L). A more controlled study of duration of handling, time spent out of water, degree of manipulation, and method of tag attachment is required to identify which factors are responsible for the stress response. Key words: harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, blood chemistry, handling stress, corrisol, tags, herring weirs, Bay of Fundy. Retinal ganglion cell size and distribution predict visual capabilities of Dall's porpoise TSUKASA MURAYAMA, HIROAKI SOMIYA, ICHIRO AOKI, AND TAKEO ISHII 136-149 The structure of the retina, the distribution of ganglion cells, and the extent of the tapetum lucidum were studied in Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) with the aim of understanding the role vision plays in this species of cetacean. The basic organization of the retina was similar to that of other vertebrates. Average ganglion cell size was 21.5 m. The distribution of the ganglion cells in the retina was not even and there were two high-density areas, one in the temporal and one in the rostral part of the retina. Retinal resolving power was estimated using a terrestrial animal model incorporating the density of ganglion cells and other morphological data. The resolving power in the right eyes of two individuals was 2.60 and 2.64 cycles per degree. These values were close to those of other oceanic cetaceans, but inferior to those of terrestrial mammals. On the basis of amino acid analyses, it was shown that the choroid tapetum lucidum in Dall's porpoise contained collagen. The tapetum lucidum was thick at the fundal but thin at the peripheral part of the choroid. Key words: Dall's porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli, retina, ganglion cell, resolving power, tapetum lucidum, collagen. Morbillivirus infection in two species of pilot whales (Globicephala sp.) From the western Atlantic. P DRAIG J. DUIGNAN, CAROL HOUSE, JOSEPH R. GERACI, GREG EARLY, HEATHER G. COPLAND, MICHAEL T. WALSH, GREGORY D. BOSSART, CAROLYN CRAY, SAMUEL SADOVE, DAVID J. ST. AUBIN, AND MICHAEL MOORE 150-162 We report evidence of enzootic morbillivirus infection among long-finned, Globicephala melas, and short-finned, G. macrorhynchus, pilot whales in the western Atlantic. A retrospective serologic survey, using five morbilliviruses, was carried out on 99 G. melas from 14 stranding events between 1982 and 1993 and from 25 G. macrorhynchus stranded in 5 events between 1986 and 1994. A blood sample was also obtained from an adult G. melas by-caught in the western North Atlantic. Tissues were collected from 24 G. melas and 15 G. macrorhynchus for histology and immunoperoxidase staining. Neutralizing antibody titers were found in 91 (92%) of 99 G. melas and 16 (64%) of 25 G. macrorhynchus, and titers were highest against cetacean morbilliviruses. Seroprevalence was similar between age classes and sexes. The earliest evidence of infection was in a G. melas that stranded in 1982. Stable antibody titers were observed in pilot whales under rehabilitation for up to eight months. Clinical disease consistent with morbillivirus pneumonia was detected in a G. melas calf. Immunoperoxidase staining confirmed that viral antigen was present in the lesions. We propose that enzootic infection in pilot whales is facilitated by population size, social structure, and migration patterns. Furthermore, through mixing with other odontocetes, pilot whales could act as vectors through the Atlantic. Clinical morbillivirus infection may precipitate mass strandings of highly social odontocetes. Key words: pilot whales, Globicephala melas, G. Macrorhynchus, morbillivirus, antibody titers, enzootic disease, pneumonia, serology, histopathology, immunoperoxidase staining. Skin biopsy sampling of beluga whale carcasses: assessment of biopsy darting factors for minimal wounding and effective sample retrieval. N. J. PATENAUDE AND B. N. WHITE 163-171 Different combinations of biopsy tip lengths (20, 25 mm) and diameters (5, 6, 7 mm), crossbow draw weights (23, 45, 68 kg) and distances (1.5-15 m) were tested on fresh beluga carcasses to determine factors affecting the success of biopsy retrieval and the extent of wounding. Tips with small diameters and longer lengths were found to be more likely to retrieve a skin sample, while the draw weight of the crossbow had a significant effect on the severity of the wound. The samples obtained from all biopsy darts tested yielded sufficient amounts of DNA for genetic analysis (20-109 g) with t spinosum layer. For beluga whales we recommend using a tip of 5 mm in diameter, 25 mm in length, and a draw weight of 23 kg at close range. Key words: biopsy darting, wounding, beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, DNA yield. Orphan-induced lactation in Tursiops and analysis of collected milk. SAM RIDGWAY, TRICIA KAMOLNICK, MICHELLE REDDY, CHRISTINE CURRY AND RAYMOND J. TARPLEY 172 Two non-lactating, non-gravid female bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus,(SLA, age 32 yr and TOD, age 34 yr) began lactating within one week after being housed with a 6.5- and 6.75-month-old orphaned calf, respectively. Cooperative swimming and nursing behaviors were quickly evident in both cow/calf pairs. During the first 2.5 mo a milk substitute, eventually in combination with some whole fish, was used to supplement nursing in both calves. After this initial period, supplemental feeding was discontinued. SLA then became her adopted calf's sole source of nutrition for the next 5 mo, followed by another 6 mo during which the calf shifted to a predominantly fish diet with occasional nursing. TOD's orphan also continued to nurse beyond the 2.5-mo supplementation period and began voluntarily accepting small quantities of fish; suckling continued over the next year while fish consumption increased. Using a modified human breast pump, trainers collected milk at intervals from the adult dolphins throughout the lactation period. The first milk collected from TOD (day 8 after housing with calf) and SLA (day 12 with her calf) contained 6.0% and 10.3% fat, respectively. On day 68 TOD's milk fat had increased to 23.5%, and on day 37 that of SLA measured 22.5%. These later values are similar to those reported for normally lactating bottlenose dolphins. Key words: bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, milk, lactation, relactation, induced lactation, nursing, orphan. Mitochondrial DNA variability of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) in the Spanish Mediterranean waters. J. GARCIA-MARTINEZ, E. BARRIO, J. A. RAGA, AND A. LATORRE 183-199 Frozen muscle samples from 44 striped dolphins stranded on the Spanish Mediterranean coasts from 1990 to 1993 have been studied by means of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) restriction site analysis. Thirty-five of these dolphins were affected by a die-off occurring during this time in the western Mediterranean Sea. The mrDNA from each dolphin was digested with 15 restriction endonucleases that recognized 61 different restriction sites. The specific location of these sites on the mitochondrial gene map allowed us to determine the distribution of variability along this molecule. From the restriction analysis, a total of 15 different composite patterns or haplotypes was obtained and their phylogenetic relationships established both by cladistic and phenetic methods. Estimates of sequence divergence among the 15 haplotypes ranged from 0.148% to 0.919%. Haplotype diversity (average heterozygosity) obtained was 0.789, a high value compared to other available data on cetaceans, especially considering that only a small area of the distribution of the species has been sampled. Neither population subdivision nor any evidence of correlation between haplotype frequencies and temporal or geographic distribution of dolphins has been detected. Key words: striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba, Mediterranean, die-off, mitochondrial DNA, restriction site polymorphism. Ventilatory rate differences between surface-feeding and non-surface-feeding fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in the waters off eastern Long Island, New York, U.S.A., 1981-1987. ARTHUR H. KOPELMAN AND SAMUEL S. SADOVE 200-208 Observations of feeding and ventilatory behavior of individual fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) were made from various vessels during the months of May-September, 1981-1987, in the waters off eastern Long Island, N.Y. U.S.A. Intervals between blows were measured and recorded to the nearest second. Information about behavior was recorded, as were location, depth, and surface temperature at sounding dives. Animals observed feeding at the surface were noted as such, all others were considered non-surface-feeding animals. Data were compiled by individual, month, year, and analyzed for mean interblow interval during surface activity bouts; mean dive duration; and overall mean blow interval. Overall mean blow intervals (qSE) of 47.89 q 0.81 sec for surface-feeding (n = 10,411), and 57.92 q 0.97 sec for non-surface-feeding animals (n = 11,024), differed significantly (Mann-Whitney U.P < 0.00l). Interblow intervals for surface activity bouts (qSE) of 12.29 q 0.05 sec for surface-feeding (n = 7,894), and 13.58 q 0.06 sec, for non-surface-feeding animals (n = 8,187), also differed significantly (Mann-Whitney U. P < 0.001), as did mean dive duration (159.53 q 2.16 sec, n = 2,517, for surface-feeding animals; 185.86 q 2.53 sec, n = 2,837, for non-surface-feeding animals). Yearly comparisons of blow intervals between surface-feeding and non-surface-feeding animals during surface activity bouts yielded significant differences for each year except 1981, while comparisons of dive durations yielded significant differences for all years except 1981, 1982, and 1985. Key words: Balaenoptera physalus, fin whales, Long Island, feeding and ventilatory behavior, intervals between blows. Survival of five species of captive marine mammals. ROBERT J. SMALL AND DOUGLAS P. DEMASTER 209-226 Survival in captivity was calculated for 1,707 bottlenose dolphins (BD), 72 killer whales (KW), 73 white whales (WW), 3,090 California sea lions (CSL), and 47 Steller sea lions (SSL) based on data in the Marine Mammal Inventory Report (MMLR) of the NMFS. Mean annual survival rates (ASRs) between 1988 and 1992 were 0.951, 0.937, and 0.954 for BD, KW, and WW respectively, and 0.952 and 0.969 for CSL and SSL, respectively. These estimates represent significant increases in survival for both BD and CSL over the last 5 yr. Using all of the MMIR data (1940-1992), the ASR of BD calves (< 1 yr of age) was significantly less than the ASR of non-calves (0.666 vs. 0.948, P < 0.005). Similarly, the ASR of CSL pups (< 1 yr of age) was significantly less than survival of non-pups (0.858 vs. 0.962, P < 0.005). Survival of captive-born CSL was significantly higher than those born in the wild (0.962 vs. 0.945, P = 0.003), but the difference was not significantly different for BD (0.948 vs. 0.944, P = 0.60). For non-calf BD and KW, captive animals survived at a slightly lower rare (BD 0.944 vs. 0.961, P = 0.07; KW 0.938 vs. 0.976, P = 0.06) than animals in the wild (BD: Wells and Scott 1988, KW: Olesiuk et al. 1990). Survival of captive non-pup SSL was slightly higher (0.968 vs. 0.930) than animals in the wild (York 1994, life-table analyses). Survival rates were significantly different among institutions for BD calves and non-calves, CSL pups and non-pups, and SSL non-pups. Key words: survival, marine mammals, captivity, husbandry. NOTES Sex ratio of the Gulf of Maine humpback whale population. PHILLIP J. CLAPHAM, MARTINE B RUB , AND DAVID K. MATTILA 227-231 Observations of Risso's dolphins, Grampus griseus with gray whales, Eschrichtius robustus. KIM E. W. SHELDEN, ALAN BALDRIDGE, AND DAVID E. WITHROW 231-240 An anomalously pigmented form of the short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) from the south- western Pacific, eastern Pacific, and eastern Atlantic. WILLIAM F. PERRIN, WESLEY A. ARMSTRONG, ALAN N. BAKER, JAY BARLOW, SCOTT R. BENSON, ANNE S. COLLET, JAMES M.COTTON, DARLENE M. EVERHART, TERRY D. FARLEY, ROBYN M. MELLON, SCOTT K. MILLER, VALERIE PHILBRICK, JENNIFER L. QUAN AND HECTOR RAUL LIRA RODRIGUEZ 240-247 Multiple sightings of Arnoux's beaked whales along the Victoria Land coast. PAUL J. PONGANIS, GERALD L. KOOYMAN, AND MICHAEL A. CASTELLINI 247-250 Humpback whale competitive groups observed on a high-latitude feeding ground. MASON WEINRICH 251-254 BOOKS Reviews MARINE MAMMALS ASHORE - A FIELD GUIDE FOR STRANDINGS. Reviewed by David E. Gaskin 255-257 STUDIES OF WHITE WHALES (DELPHINAPTERUS LEUCAS) AND NARWHALS (MONODON MONOCEROS) IN GREENLAND AND ADJACENT WATERS. Reviewed by Susan. J. Chivers 257-259 SCIENTIFIC CORRESPONDENCE MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, THE U.S. NAVY AND ACADEMIC FREEDOM Hal Whitehead and Linda Weilgart 260-263 THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF MARINE MAMMAL COGNITION Ronald J. Schusterman 263-267 EXCLUDING RELEVANT DATA PRECLUDES ANY ANALYSIS Louis M. Herman and Adam A. Pack 267-270 NEWS 271 Voice: 314-516-5898 SDWARTZ(\)UMSLVMA.BITNET (Bitnet) FAX: 314-516-6759 SDWARTZ(\)UMSLVMA.UMSL.EDU (Internet) Mailing address: Dr. Douglas Wartzok Dean of the Graduate School Associate Vice Chancellor for Research University of Missouri - St. Louis 8001 Natural Bridge Road St. Louis, MO 63121-4499 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 00:10:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: NT: DETAINED TAIWANESE VESSEL NT: DETAINED TAIWANESE VESSEL ALLEGEDLY CAUGHT DOLPHIN DARWIN, April 3 AAP - A Taiwanese fishing vessel apprehended off the Northern Territory coast allegedly had dolphins in its catch, the Australian Nature Conservation Agency (ANCA) said today. The 30-metre steel-hulled vessel was escorted into Darwin harbour early today with four smaller Indonesian fishing vessels. All boats were being investigated by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) for alleged breaches of Australian fisheries laws, an AFMA spokesman said. ANCA spokesman Graeme Marshall said the agency had been asked to investigate the presence of what were believed to be dolphins in the Taiwanese vessel's bait tank. He said one dolphin had already been found in the frozen tank, and others were expected to be found as the contents of the tank thawed. The dolphins would be formally identified by an expert. Mr Marshall said Indonesian fishermen aboard the Taiwanese-Indonesian crewed vessel were apparently very disturbed at the dolphins being caught. "I gather that the Indonesians are quite upset at the amount of dophins that are involved. "Killing or taking dolphins is also an offence in Indonesia, and one which is prosecuted with some degree of severity, I understand," Mr Marshall said. He said the vessel's crew had claimed the dolphins were caught outside Australian waters. But they still could be prosecuted under provisions of the Whale Protection Act which included an offence of importing whales and dolphins into Australia, he said. The Taiwanese vessel had about 20 crew, and the Indonesian boats had a total crew of about 25. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 12:00:19 -0500 From: "G. C. Ray" Subject: Info on body temperatures Marmams Iam using stable isotopes to study the diets of marine mammals for my Master's thesis. Can anyone direct me to the literature or know of the normal body temperatures for the following marine m ammals: bearded seals, pygmy sperm whale, killer whales, and common dolphins? I would appreciate this information. Thank you for this assistance. Jane Walker Reply to CR(\)VIRGINIA.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 10:09:25 -0500 From: Sue Barco Subject: California Tursiops I am looking for recent pubs on CA coastal Tursips, particularly near Monterey Bay. Any sugestions? Sue Barco James MMadison University, VA ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 13:41:38 SAST-2 From: John Cooper Subject: Seabird-l Marine mammal specialists may be interested to know of another listserver on the Internet dealing with a group of marine vertebrates: seabirds. The help message is given below for those that would like to join Seabird-l. Thnaks to all who replied about underwater explosions and their effects: I am learning a lot! John Cooper, Co-manager, Seabird-l ************************************************** SEABIRD-L MEMBERSHIP of Seabird-l, a listserver about seabirds and for marine ornithologists, is not restricted in any way. The listserver was initiated in August 1993 to help marine ornithologists exchange information and to keep in contact on a worldwide basis. In April 1995 membership stood at about 200 and was growing by one or two people a week. Examples of its use are requests for and offers of information, ideas, data and collected material (such as skeletal and soft-tissue samples), advertising employment, bursary, fellowship and volunteer opportunities, notices of meetings, availability of written materials (e.g. expedition reports, books, proceedings, reprints), etc. All e-mail messages posted on Seabird-l will automatically be sent to all subscribers. Seabird-l is co-managed by John Cooper (jcooper(\)botzoo.uct.ac.za) and Andrea Ploes (aplos(\)botzoo.uct.ac.za), Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa. Receipt of this message does not mean that you have automatically been made a subscriber of the listserver. Your privacy is being fully respected and your e-mail and postal addresses will only be added to Seabird-l's address list (and therefore be available to all its members) if you join the listserver as detailed below. To join Seabird-l send to LISTSERVER(\)UCT.UCT.AC.ZA the following in the FIRST LINE of the MESSAGE FIELD of an e-mail message: SUBSCRIBE SEABIRD This MUST be followed on a new line by a double dash <-->, after which you should give your full name and postal, telephonic and fax addresses as you would like them listed in the listserver's address list (see below). Leaving these out will mean that you will only appear in the address list under your e-mail address. You are also encouraged to list your research interests for inclusion with the address list. An acknowldgement will automatically be sent to new members, confirming they have been added to the membership. To post messages send them to SEABIRD(\)UCT.AC.ZA. You will receive your message back as confirmation it has been sent out to all subscribers, but only if you have previously subscribed. To receive help, send the following in the FIRST LINE of the MESSAGE FIELD of an email letter to LISTSERVER(\)UCT.AC.ZA HELP SEABIRD this will automatically send you the help facility (which is this message). Also available are archival files which contain e-mail messages sent to the listserver in the current calendar year and in previous years. These are available by sending in the MESSAGE FIELD of an e-mail letter to LISTSERVER(\)UCT.AC.ZA INDEX SEABIRD This will automatically send you the list of archive files, along with instructions how to retrieve them. Also available is an alphabetical e-mail and postal address list which contains all the current subscribers to the listserver, along with their research interests if given. It is automatically accessible by sending in the FIRST LINE of the MESSAGE FIELD of an e- mail to LISTSERVER(\)UCT.AC.ZA SEABIRD ADDRESSES Features of Seabird-l: WORLDWIDE MEMBERSHIP AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTION OF E-MAIL TO ALL SUBSCRIBERS ARCHIVING OF ALL MESSAGES +-------------------------------------------------------+ | John Cooper | | | | UCT Senior Research/SANAP Antarctic Officer | Room 2.06, John Day Zoology Building, University Avenue, Upper Campus | | Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology | | University of Cape Town | | Rondebosch 7700 | | South Africa | | | | Lalisa | | 9 Weltevreden Avenue | | Rondebosch 7700 | | South Africa | | | | Electronic mail: jcooper(\)botzoo.uct.ac.za | | | | Fax: +27-21-650-3295 | | Office phone (direct): +27-21-650-3294 | | Office phone (answering machine): +27-21-650-3296 | | Home phone: +27-21-685-1357 | +-------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 10:53:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: WA: GOVT BANS HAND-FEEDING OF WA: GOVT BANS HAND-FEEDING OF MONKEY MIA DOLPHINS FROM PERTH, April 4 AAP - Hand-feeding of dolphins from boats in Western Australia's Shark Bay Marine Park has been banned under a new feeding routine imposed by WA's Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM). The state's environment minister Peter Foss said the action was taken to ensure that new feeding regimes for dolphins at Monkey Mia, 856km north of Perth, were not disrupted by indiscriminate feeding elsewhere. Visitors to the tourist attraction will still be able to hand-feed dolphins under the supervision of rangers. The new feeding regime was introduced as a result of a study initiated by CALM into the abnormal number of deaths among unweaned dolphins and some behavioural problems among adult animals. CALM, with agreement from the Shire of Shark Bay, immediately implemented key recommendations from the report so that no male calves were hand-fed and females were not fed while they were suckling. The department also banned hand-feeding from boats at Monkey Mia. "There is concern that some people using boats elsewhere in the Shark Bay Marine Park are still hand-feeding dolphins and this could compromise the efforts being made at Monkey Mia," Mr Foss said. "Human interaction with dolphins is something that can make a significant contribution to increasing the community's awareness of conservation, particularly in the World Heritage-listed Shark Bay area," he said. "However, it needs to be managed so that it can continue on a sustainable basis. This means the welfare of the animals must come first." The West Australian government today also announced a new plan to restore the biological diversity of the Shark Bay area. The plan, "Project Eden", aims to create a haven for rare and endangered native animals by effectively controlling foxes and feral cats on the Peron Peninsular. Under the plan, CALM is to begin laying baits treated with the naturally-occurring poison known as 1080. The baits will be dropped from the air over some 100,000 hectares of the peninsular. Mr Foss said about 10 baits would be laid for every square kilometre, and signs would be posted warning people which areas had been treated. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 07:44:19 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: MINKE RESEARCH SHOWS PLURAL STOCKS I have put off responding to Mr. Macnow's reply on this issue, as his posting raised some interesting questions on which I needed further information. I have received some useful communications on these questions, and therefore it is time to re-enter the fray: > > FROM: Alan Macnow > Consultant, Japan Whaling Association > Yes, the results do raise some interesting questions. And no, the same > information could not have been gathered through non-lethal biopsy techni- > ques. There is so little difference in the DNA sequences for this species > that differentiation had to be obtained by other techniques as well, such > as electropharesis, parasitic analysis, etc. These latter techniques re- > quire the taking of whales. According to my sources, and my own recollections of systematic biology, Mr. Macnow is not correct concerning having to kill whales to do most of what he mentioned. Protein electrophoresis is (relative to DNA analysis) a very crude technique that in most (not all, but most) cases won't add anything to DNA work. In fact, if you conduct nuclear DNA analysis, such as microsatellites, as well as mitochondrial, then I suspect there is no value in protein electrophoretic studies. You don't see too many population assessments or phylogenetic analyses these days based on this sort of work - and for good reason: DNA is heaps better. Perhaps Mr. Macnow could answer the following questions, suggested to me by an expert familiar with the techniques involved: 1) What genetic marker was used? (This is mitochondrial DNA, but which part of it - e.g. DLoop, cytochrome B, what?) 2) What technique was used? (RFLP, direct sequencing, what?) What were the haplotype/genotype frequencies? 3) How much variability was seen between samples? Between putative subpopulations? 4) Which analytical method was used to analyse the results? Parsimony? Maximum likelihood? Neighbor joining? 5) Why are the Japanese conducting analysis using largely outdated electrophoretic techniques when they could be using nuclear DNA markers such as microsatellties which - particularly combined with the maternally inherited mtDNA - would give them orders of magnitude more resolution? 6) How were parasites used to separate stocks? I suppose it's possible that there are different frequencies of occurrence between areas, but unless you thoroughly understand mode of transmission and have a large data set on occurrence (not to mention movements of the whales themselves) this sounds like an extremely shaky way to do business. The peculiar thing about Mr. Macnow's statement quoted above, of course, is that it appears to be completely the opposite of his original message. Either the stocks are separate or they not, and either the data has been correctly gathered and analysed to show this or it has not. Is Mr. Macnow seeking to downplay the results (which, as originally posted, call the management plans for the return of whaling into serious question)? > Any way you cut it, 760,000 is a large number of whales, certainly large > enough to sustain some take. Moreover, the stocks are robust, capable of > reproduction, and there is no evidence that there is not inter-breeding be- > tween stocks (DNA similarities far outweigh differences). How can we know how robust the stocks are if we have only just discovered that separate stocks exist? Surely it willtake study over time to determine whether the different stocks are stable, decreasing or increasing, even if the size or trend of the entire composite population is known. > The RMP takes into account the likelihood that a number of different stocks > of minke whales may feed in the Antarctic. Therefore, catch quotas are > calculated and assigned by means of small area divisions of 10 degrees each > rather than on the total number of minke whales in the Antarctic. The IWC > scientists feel that these small area calculations ensure that there will > be no adverse impact upon any one stock. It's still a guesstimate. Perhaps 10 degree blocks are small enough to discriminate between stocks; perhaps not (especially if the stocks migrate through restricted areas, for example). > It is a misrepresentation of the facts to say that "Antarctic stocks of > Minkes have been misrepresented as a single stock in the past." No one has > ever considered the Antarctic minke population to be a single stock. Are you saying that the Japanese discovery is not new? According, however, to Klinowska, "Dolphins, Whales and Porpoises of the World: the IUCN Red Data Book (p. 376) (1991), "The IWC manages the Southern Hemisphere minke stocks on the basis of the traditional six baleen whale Areas in the absence of information on the real structure the populations, which has yet to be elucidated". Plainly it was not known what the stock boundaries were. > As for stocks of minkes elsewhere, research is currently being conducted in > the north Pacific to determine stock composition and segregation. In the > north Atlantic, minkes are currently classified as separate stocks, such as > Greenland, eastern, central and western. I am well aware of this; however, the DNA results suggest to me that these classifications may not be accurate. If there can be more stock differentiation in the Antarctic than was previously suspected, surely it is at least possible that the same is true in the north Atlantic. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 11:55:34 +0200 From: Frode Skarstein Subject: NE atlantic Harp seal population's effect on Cod pop. Hi all! This might be a FAQ, but here goes: Recently on the USENET news group talk.environment it has been claimed that the NE Atlantic harp seal has no effect on the Cod population in the area. Could anyone point me to relevant references regarding this issue? Is there any work being done on this issue? Anything would be helpful. I noticed that G.B. Stenson et al. presented a paper with bearing on this subject at the International Symposium on the Biology of Marine Mammals in the Northeast Atlantic in Tromsoe last year. Does anyone know if this work has been published? It would probably answear my questions. I have tried contacting Stenson without success, so I try here now. Sincerely, =46rode Skarstein ____________________________________________________________________________= _ =46rode Skarstein Telephone: 776 44384/Fax 776 45= 600 Department of Ecology/Zoology ftp or http://tirpitz.ibg.uit.n= o University of Troms=F8 email: frodes(\)ibg.uit= .no Norway talk: frodes(\)darwin.ibg.uit.n= o ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 10:02:46 -0400 Reply-To: drosen(\)kean.ucs.mun.ca From: drosen(\)kean.ucs.mun.ca Subject: Fat/mass conversions I hope those of you 'energetically-incline' might be able to answer a nagging question for me. I've been trying to convert mass changes in my harbour seals into energy equivalents (for composition of an energy budget). I have some figures for composition of core and blubber layers (from Reilly & Fedak 1990, and Gales et al 1994) as far as percent protein and fat. However, I'm not sure what to do with them. I'm tempted to assume that the conversion from mass loss to energy gain is 9.4Kcal/g (39.3 KJ/g) for fat and 4.3 Kcal/g (18.0KJ/g) for protein, as this is what Schmidt-Nielsen suggests is return for food stuffs (ignoring energetic efficiency I assume). Even assuming these figures are correct, I'm still unsure what to do as far as converting weight gain to required energy - surely there is a cost to fat and protein formation (that is, you can't simply store energy in these forms and then release it later without some loss of return), but I am unable to find a decent reference for my calculations. Hope there's somewhere out there listening ... Dave Rosen Ocean Sciences Centre Memorial University St. John's, NF. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 11:37:01 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENT WAS RECENTLY RECEIVED AT OUR OFFICE: BRIEFING For IWC Commissioners March 1995 JAPANESE SCIENTIFIC WHALING IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN 1994/95 Japan's eighth season of scientific whaling in the Southern Ocean since the moratorium came into force will end this month. As in previous years, the Government issued permits to allow up to 330 minke whales to be taken, this season from the Antarctic waters south of Australia and New Zealand. The fleet will return to Japan in April, with "open boat" days planned for the factory ship Nisshin Maru and one of the catcher boats April 22 and 23 at the port of Sendai. This season was marked by protest, the whaling activities taking place against a strong recommendation to the contrary by the Commission and in the IWC's newly created Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, which came into force 7 December 1994. Japan filed a formal objection to the sanctuary last August, exempting itself from the provision. The Governments of Netherlands and Australia conveyed their disappointment to the Government when the objection was filed. Official protests against the scientific whaling. Japan's formal notification to the IWC that it had issued scientific permits for the 1994/95 season provoked an immediate response from the Government of Australia in December. On 23 December 1994, Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Bob McMullan and Environment Minister John Faulkner issued a joint statement, which said in part: "We have said on many occasions that we strongly disagree with the continuation of this program of lethal research. We acknowledge that the decision of the government of Japan is within the letter of the 1946 Convention, but it is our firmly held view that the continued killing of whales in the Southern Ocean is of a scale and nature that subverts the intent of the IWC's moratorium on commercial whaling. In addition, the whales are to be taken from Antarctic waters that are now within the Southern Ocean sanctuary. We have repeatedly put the strong view that, with modern techniques, the information essential for management and conservation could be gained without killing whales. We are greatly disappointed that Japan continues to ignore international opinion as expressed in the IWC. We call on Japan to follow the great majority of international opinion and cease this unnecessary exploitation of whales." More official protests were issued in February and March. New Zealand foreign Minister Don McKinnon on February 15 reiterated New Zealand's strong opposition to scientific whaling. "New Zealand," he said, "considers that with modern techniques, the information essential for management and conservation of whales can be obtained from non-lethal methods." His statement continued: "While communicating these points to the Japanese Government, we have expressed particular concern that this year's programme is being conducted not only in the agreed Southern Ocean sanctuary but more specifically in the Ross Sea." In Chile, senior Foreign Affairs official Ambassador Pablo Cabrera, Chile's 1994 IWC Commissioner, released a statement on February 17: "The Government of Chile is concerned by Japanese scientific whaling in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. The killing of any whale is a reason for concern. We are making the necessary contacts with the other countries that concurred in favor of the creation of the Sanctuary, in order to define a joint position ....Japan's reservation to the creation of the Sanctuary notwithstanding, there is in place a moratorium on whaling and Japan is bound by it. There are other methods to conduct scientific research on whales that do not require capturing and killing these animals, as Japan is doing ..." Australia again communicated its opposition to the Government of Japan on 20 February to a visiting Foreign Ministry delegation from Japan. The Australian statement, from Foreign Affairs and Environment, supported New Zealand's concerns and stated: "There is strong opinion in many countries, including Australia, against all forms of commercial whaling and we very much hope that Japan will cease its practice of lethal and large-scale whaling, particularly in the Sanctuary." Official expression of the British Government's concern was conveyed to Tokyo by the Foreign Office through the British Embassy in Japan. France's Minister of Environment, Michel Barnier, issued a strongly worded statement on March 1, calling the scientific hunt "extremely regrettable," being "contrary to the objective sought by the creation of the sanctuary, which is to protect all species of whales in the Southern Hemisphere on their feeding grounds." He said that the Japanese scientific hunts "would appear to be a back-handed way to conduct commercial whaling, currently prohibited by the moratorium of 1982. These hunts," the statement continued, "are all the more shocking less than a year after the creation of the sanctuary, set up on a French initiative." The communique concluded: "within the framework of the IWC, France will take care that the provisions of the convention with regards to takes for scientific purposes be clarified in order to prevent their use as alibis for practices mainly motivated by commercial objectives." 1994 IWC resolution. Since their start in 1987/88, Japan's Antarctic scientific whaling activities have been criticised in eight consecutive IWC resolutions. The most recent, adopted by consensus - with Japan's reservations - at the 1994 meeting, took an especially strong line: "The Commission CONSIDERS, taking into account the comments of the Scientific Committee, that the proposed kill of minke whales in the Southern Hemisphere described in SC/46/SH16 [the Japanese proposal] does not fully satisfy the criteria specified in both the 1986 Resolution on Special Permits for Scientific Research and the 1987 Resolution on Scientific Research Programmes in that the proposed research is not structured so as to contribute information presently required for the management of whaling in these areas for this species, though it addresses certain research interests; RECALLS that each of its previous resolutions on the catches under Special Permit under this research programme, which have expressed similar conclusions, has not produced the required restructuring of the scientific research programme; ... RECOMMENDS the Government of Japan to restructure its research programme concerning minke whales in the Southern Hemisphere in such a manner that the research interests can be adequately addressed with non-lethal methods." The 1994 resolution also recalled the IWC's 1990 resolution on non-lethal research, in which "The Commission COMMENDS those Contracting Governments making valuable contributions to knowledge on whales through non-lethal research programmes; ENCOURAGES Contracting Governments to base their research programmes, to the maximum extent possible, on non-lethal research methods; and INVITES them to include, in reports on their research programmes, special reference to measures taken to achieve this objective." Alternatives to lethal research in the Sanctuary. In the spirit of the 1990 resolution and of the new Sanctuary, attention is increasingly being drawn to opportunities for non-lethal cetacean and related environmental research in the Southern Ocean. The Government of New Zealand hosted the First International Conference on the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in October 1994, attended by scientists and officials from Australia, Britain, U.S., the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme and New Zealand. The conference identified a number of on-going and possible new research activities of value to a sound, non-lethal research programme in the Sanctuary. In May 1995 the Government of Ireland will host an NGO-sponsored scientific workshop to prepare a comprehensive programme of non-lethal research in the Sanctuary. The results of both meetings will be transmitted to the IWC. IWC Commissioners Briefing Temple House, 25/26 High Street Lewes East Sussex, U.K. BN7 2LU The IWC Commissioners Briefing is produced by a coalition of conservation organizations based on reports received from around the world. More detailed information is available on request. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 16:49:54 -0400 From: Dolphintlf(\)aol.com Subject: Plea for assistance Dear MARMAMers: I received the following message yesterday (both in Spanish and in the English provided below), and if it is a real plea for assistance, I have serious concerns about the dolphins involved. I have no idea who this person is, nor am I qualified to respond. Can someone on this list follow through? Thanks, Trisha Lamb Feuerstein dolphintlf(\)aol.com ***Begin forwarded message Subject: friend Date: 95-04-04 17:06:32 EDT From: al371566(\)rs970.mor.itesm.mx (SALCEDO A. ARTURO . /ISC90) To: Dolphintlf(\)aol.com hi!!!! My name is arturo,, I'm a mexican coach and I work in a dolphin show with 3 dolphins .. I have 3 dolphins pregnate and I need some recomendation from a expert to dolphins and baby dolphins. did you can help me??? my e-mail address is: al371566(\)campus.mor.itesm.mx THANK YOU I hope your answer. ***End included message ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 21:30:54 -0700 From: Michael Torok Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) Subject: (fwd) Fishing for truth/Review/Debate Xref: netcom.com sci.bio.ecology:11317 Path: netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!paladin.american.edu!auvm! cicei.ulpgc.es!SOLARIS Comments: Gated by NETNEWS(\)AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU Newsgroups: sci.bio.ecology X-: Full-Name: X-: Organization: Universidad de Las Palmas de G.C. X-: X-Confirm-Reading-To: "Aldo-Pier Solari" X-: X-Pmrqc: 1 X-: Priority: normal X-: X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail v3.22 Approved-By: di5 Message-ID: <806CEB01970(\)cicei.ulpgc.es> Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 00:05:00 EDT Sender: "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news" From: Aldo-Pier Solari Subject: Fishing for truth/Review/Debate Lines: 73 Circulate among colleagues, please. ******************************************************************** On April the 10th (Monday) a review by Senior scientist Dr. Larry Hutchins [Sea Fisheries Res. Inst., Cape Town, RSA] on the book "Fishing for Truth" [1] written by our colleague Dr. Chris Finlayson will be published in FISH-ECOLOGY. The management would like to invite fishery managers and academics from the FISH-ECOLOGY community and elsewhere to take part in the coming on-line debate. Those of you who are not subscribed to FISH-ECOLOGY, please, see instructions below [2]. We find high merits in both Dr. Finlayson's original proposal to openly debate his work and forward ideas in FISH-ECOLOGY and Dr. Hutchins, internationally known for his high quality research in the South African SFRI, for complying a special request from the FISH-ECOLOGY management to write down the review. Thanks to both for sharing time and expertise. A general remark on the book [1] and on the FISH-ECOLOGY network [2] follows. In hope of a rewarding debate to all concerned parties, APS/Lstownr. ******************************************************************** [1] "Fishing for Truth" is the complex story of the role of science in the decline of the Northern Cod stocks. At issue are conflicting interpretations of recent events, institutional and scientific texts, and scientific data. The central claim of this sociologically-informed analysis of DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) is that all knowledge, including scientific knowledge, is influenced by social processes. "Truth" is elusive. Full title: "Fishing for Truth: A Sociological Analysis of Northern Cod Stock Assessments from 1977-1990." by Alan Christopher Finlayson, 1994 Published by the Institute of Social and Economic Research Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada ISBN 0-919666-79-5 (Social and economic studies, ISSN 0847-0898: no. 52) 1. Fish stock assessment -- Social asspects -- Newfoundland. 2. Cod-fisheries -- Social aspects -- Newfoundland. 3. Science and state -- Canada. ******************************************************************** [2] FISH-ECOLOGY is the largest worldwide academic conference on Fisheries ecology and related topics. Nearly 1200 academics from 40 countries joined FISH-ECOLOGY during it's first year. The conference is supported by the Swedish Government through the Swedish University Network [SUNET] and all services are free of cost to individuals. The conference's Aims & Rules are strictly academic. There are Research Software repositories for PC and Macinstosh (TM) based systems and an e-library with books and papers. Queries, requests and comments may be addressed to FISH-ECOLOGY-REQUEST(\)SEARN.SUNET.SE Those of you who are not subscribed to FISH-ECOLOGY and would like to take part in the coming debate: You may either contact us at FISH-ECOLOGY-REQUEST(\)SEARN.SUNET.SE to be added to the conference [in case you would like to be able to post] or follow the debate via GOPHER SEARN.SUNET.SE [go to FISH-ECOLOGY archives]. Thank you. ******************************************************************** .... end of message. ------------ End Forwarded Message ------------- -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Apr 1995 13:58:01 EST From: TOM FERNALD Organization: College of the Atlantic Subject: ICELANDIC CRUISES ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- From: Tom Fernald To: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM Date sent: Thu, 6 Apr 1995 13:48:02 EST Subject: ICELANDIC CRUISES Bob Bowman asked that I post this message on the network. All inquires should go to him. Thank you Icelandic Cruises: Marine mammal and seabird researchers have a new opportunity to visit and study in Iceland. Bob Bowman, a research associate at College of the Atlantic, has accepted a position as expedition leader for an Icelandic tour company running six-day cruises off the west coast and out to the shelf break. The cruises are being promoted in Europe and North America as a way to bring ecotourism to Iceland as an alternative to whaling. As part of his research and education program Bob has been given the opportunity to offer one berth per week to visiting scientists. Because of the nature of the trips, directed research will be limited. At this point, Bob plans to do opportunistic multi-species photo-identification with detailed environmental and cruise-track logs. He is interested in hearing from researchers who may have interest in other data that he might be able to collect or who may want to spend a week at sea in Iceland themselves. Invited scientists will have to fund their own transportation (less than $500 RT from JFK), but will be supported completely in Iceland and on the ship. Obligations will be to deliver one lecture about their work to the passengers and to assist Bob in spotting, data collection and answering passenger questions. Bob works at home most of the time these days and does not often read his e-mail. Call him at 207-244-7429 for more information about the visting scientist program or about the cruises in general. A short press release with more information about the tours follows: ICELANDIC COMPANY PROMOTES ALTERNATIVE TO WHALING Iceland, whose highly publicized whale hunt ended in 1989, is exploring new, ecologically sound uses of its marine wildlife resources. The rapid growth of ecotourism and adventure travel industries around the world has caught the eye of Icelandic entrepreneurs. Whale watching has become a multi-million dollar industry at coastal tourist centers around North America since the 1970's, and many Icelanders are interested in seeing if whale-based tourism can develop there as well. The concept is receiving wide-spread support from environmental groups including Greenpeace. A new tour company, Icelandic Ocean Odyssey, is offering week-long marine wildlife cruises for the public to offshore sites frequented by finback, humpback, minke, sei, orca, northern bottle-nosed and sperm whales. Part of each week will be spent exploring the rugged western coastline of Iceland with frequent stops at landfalls rich in cultural and natural history. The abundance of Iceland's marine mammal and birdlife is profound. Its great seabird colonies are world famous, though few foreigners have had the opportunity to experience them. Ten million puffins are conservatively estimated to nest on Iceland's coast along with dozens of other coastal and pelagic species. Among the guides and lecturers who accompany every cruise will be Bob Bowman, who has joined the project as expedition leader. Since the late 1970's, Mr. Bowman has conducted research on marine mammals and seabirds in many parts of the North Atlantic. In addition, he brings to the cruise many years of experience giving public lectures and leading his own well-known pelagic tours off the coast of Maine. Throughout the season, visiting scientists will join Bowman to participate in his on- going field research on marine mammals and seabirds. "Iceland's greatest natural resource is its marine wildlife," says Bowman. "But, like all countries that are so dependent on the sea, the late twentieth century has brought ecological, cultural and economic challenges. Icelandic Ocean Odyssey is offering a very unique opportunity for travelers to explore with sensitivity a place rich in history and natural beauty. Our passengers and scientists are appreciated participants in the changes occurring here. They are helping to bring new value to Iceland's wildlife resources." The planned cruises are aboard the 107' Icelandic vessel, Leifur Eiriksson. With berths for only twenty passengers per week, the ship's crew of eight promises that service is their top priority from the science and cultural programs to all concerns of safety and comfort. All meals, services and transportation, including round-trip airfare from New York or London, are provided in the cost of the tour. Because of its short tourist season and the fact that nearly everything is imported, Iceland has become known as one of the world's most expensive tourist destinations. By those standards this cruise is bargain priced at $2,697 US per person in a four berth cabin to $3,487 US per person in a double with bath. Doubles without baths are also available and private cabins at additional cost are easily arranged. Tours depart weekly from May 28 through July 30. Discounts are being offered for early reservations. Icelandic Ocean Odyssey has a full color brochure available by calling 1-800-423- 0455 in the U.S. and Canada. In the U.K. call 181-667-9158. --end-- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Apr 1995 08:42:34 -0700 From: Alan Macnow Subject: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION FROM: Alan Macnow Tele-Press Associates,Inc. 321 E. 53 Street New York, N.Y., 10022 Tel: (212) 688-5580 Fax: (212) 688-5857 FOR: Japan Whaling Association JAPAN TO SEEK TREATY ADHERENCE AT UPCOMING WHALING MEETING Japan will call upon the International Whaling Com- mission (IWC) to comply with its treaty obligations and im- plement scientific advances when the group holds its 47th annual meeting in Dublin during the week of May 29. In a position paper distributed to IWC member na- tions this week, the Japanese government took the group to task for legal irregularities and "scientific negligence". The IWC was formed to carry out the provisions of the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). But, according to Japan, the IWC contravened impor- tant provisions in the Convention when it improperly desig- nated 13 million square miles of the Southern Ocean as a whale sanctuary last year. And in doing so, it also un- dermined the scientific basis of marine resource management developed by its own Scientific Committee. The Japanese also admonished the IWC for failing to review the decade-old moratorium on commercial whaling. The amendment establishing the moratorium contained a proviso requiring a review of the action by 1990 at the latest. Now, five years later, the IWC still has not carried out a review, which should result in the lifting of the moratorium for some abundant species. Another instance of the IWC ignoring its legal obli- gations occurred last year. In 1993, the IWC resolved to alleviate in 1994 the distress caused by the commercial whaling moratorium on four small traditional whaling com- munities in Japan. Again, the IWC failed to do it. In the area of science, which is supposed to be the basis of all conservation and management programs, the Japa- nese faulted the IWC for failing to implement a newly devel- oped Revised Management Procedure created by its Scientific Committee after seven years of work. The failure to imple- ment the Procedure, which would allow catches of abundant whale species at levels well below annual reproduction rates while fully protecting depleted species, caused the 1993 resignation of the chairman of the IWC Scientific Committee. In addition, the Japanese paper pointed out that "new scientific findings, such as the population estimates of 760,000 Southern Hemisphere minke whales, have not yet contributed (to) any decision of the IWC." The paper also criticized some members of the IWC for reacting negatively to research programs that provide valuable data to the Scientific Committee. The full text of Japan's position paper follows: Japan and the 47th IWC Annual Meeting I. OUR BASIC POSITIONS THE PRINCIPLE OF SUSTAINABLE USE based on the best available scientific evidence has no exceptions from its ap- plication. Whaling is not an extraordinary activity but is one applicable area in the conservation and rational utilization of wildlife and fishery resources. SCIENTIFIC FACTS, rather than political and emo- tional factors, are the basis of any conservation and man- agement measures of natural resources. THE LEGAL INTEGRITY of the IWC must be maintained through the judicious efforts of the responsible contracting nations. In the past, the IWC has adopted several decisions which contravene the objectives of the ICRW (the Interna- tional Convention for the Regulation of Whaling), notably its stated purpose as "a convention to provide proper con- servation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry." DIVERSIFYING FOOD SOURCES is necessary to cope with impending human population growth. Regional dietary cul- tures should be duly respected and maintained as an integral part of the cultural identity of the people concerned. II. SPECIFIC INITIATIVES AT THE IWC, DUBLIN 1995 Japan's initiatives at the next IWC meeting include (1) CORRECTING LEGALLY QUESTIONABLE PROCEEDINGS OF THE IWC which are identified as follows: a. THE DECADE OLD MORATORIUM on commercial whaling, adopted in 1982, required review by 1990 at the latest, but this review was not implemented. b. THE SOUTHERN OCEAN SANCTUARY was illegally created in disregard of Article V.2(a), (b), and (d) of the Con- vention, which require various specific conditions for the promulgation of new IWC regulations. c. RESOLUTION ON JAPANESE COMMUNITY-BASED MINKE WHALING in 1993, which resolved to alleviate the distress to Japa- nese historic coastal whaling communities in the fol- lowing year's IWC meeting (in 1994), was ignored. (2) CORRECTING SCIENTIFIC NEGLIGENCE OF THE IWC which are represented as follows: a. NEW SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS, such as the population estimates of 760,000 Southern Hemisphere minke whales, have not yet contributed to any decision of the IWC. Consequently, these scientific efforts have not been fully utilized. b. NEWLY DEVELOPED REVISED MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE for whale resources have yet to be implemented by the IWC, dis- regarding the effort of its Scientific Committee to finalize the scientific aspects of the procedure. c. RESEARCH PLANS of contracting governments, as represented by the research take of minke whales, con- tinuously faced negative reactions from the non- scientific members of the Commission despite the fact that these research programs have provided valuable data for its Scientific Committee. (3) AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE IWC through various actions, in- cluding to: a. PROVIDE SCIENTIFIC DATA by continuing research programs on cetaceans. These include the IDCR sighting survey in the Antarctic, blue whale research aimed at the restoration of its stocks, and special permit research programs involving the research take of minke whales. b. FACILITATE INFORMATION EXCHANGE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE in whale meat by reporting Japan's effort to control the trade. c. INITIATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FIRM RELATIONSHIP WITH CITES by proposing a flexible procedure for the IWC Scientific Committee to make scientific advice to the CITES. d. REPORT RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF OTHER FORUMS related to fisheries and the environment (FAO and United Nations meetings), as Japanese officials volunteered to attend such international forums as observers from the IWC. e. SUPPORT THE IWC FINANCIALLY by providing the largest share of annual contributions among all of the con- tracting nations. -end- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 17:59:20 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: NORWAY DENIES IT OVERESTIMATED WHALE POPULATION 07-Apr-95 12:59 am Regular International NORWAY DENIES IT OVERESTIMATED WHALE POPULATION Oslo, April 6 Reuter - Norway, trying to persuade the world to accept its resumption of commercial whaling, denied on Thursday that it had overestimated how many minke whales live in the north-east Atlantic. Norway says there are enough whales -- approximately 86,700 -- to justify killing 301 under the commercial whaling quota it has set for 1995. The environmental group Greenpeace says there are only 60,000 whales in the north-east Atlantic. Fishing Ministry spokesman Bjarne Myrstad said there had been computer programme errors in the original Norwegian calculation. But he told Reuters the new calculation, corrected and checked by foreign scientists, still gave the same result. ``The new calculations give the same stock estimate,'' he said. The new figures would be presented at the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) scientific committee meeting in Dublin on May 8, he added. ``This figure of 60,000 is totally wrong,'' Myrstad said. On Wednesday, Greenpeace claimed Norwegian scientists had admitted to overestimating the population of minke whales. Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993 in violation of a worldwide moratorium imposed in 1985 by the IWC. Reuter sje ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 09:35:43 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff MARMAM Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am shortening the summary to include only new items added since my last posting. However, I will post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. This is the longer posting for the first Friday in April. I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Mexican Salt Facility Threatening to Whales? On Mar. 27, 1995, a Mexican environmental group expressed concern that a proposed salt production facility in Baja California Sur's Vizcaino Desert Biosphere Reserve may be harmful to gray whales using the adjacent bay as a breeding area. [Reuters] . Shock Test Hearing. On Mar. 29, 1995, the Navy will hold a public hearing on plans for shock tests for the Seawolf submarine 100 miles offshore of either Jacksonville, FL, or Norfolk, VA, during 1997. These tests will include five detonations of 10,000-pound charges. A draft environmental impact statement on the tests is to be available in January 1996. [Assoc Press] . Gulf of California Mortalities. On Mar. 27, 1995, the Arizona Daily Star reported that the January 1995 marine mammal deaths (307 porpoises, 51 sea lions, and 8 whales) in the Sea of Cortez, Gulf of California, had been attributed, by Mexican authorities, to illegal dumping of chemicals, including cyanide and heavy metals. [Assoc Press] . Walrus Subsistence Hunt. On Mar. 21, 1995, the Alaska Board of Game voted 5-0 (with two abstentions) to develop a cooperative agreement that would allow Bristol Bay subsistence hunters to take 10 walrus from Round Island in the Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary each October; this will be the first hunting within the refuge since it was established in 1960. [Assoc Press] . Seal Hunts. On Mar. 15, 1995, Norwegian officials announced that hunters will be allowed to kill 2,600 weaned seal pups for research on nutrition and growth of seal pups as well as on improved killing methods. [Reuters, DFO press release, Assoc Press] . Florida Manatees. In early-March 1995, State officials adopted a 90-day emergency rule to re-impose speed restrictions along the Hontoon Dead River to protect manatees after a county judge ruled that a State law requiring reduced boat speeds to protect manatees lacked any scientific basis for choosing in which waters to restrict boat speed, did not consider alternativ e means to protect manatees, and was too vague to enforce. In mid-March 1995, results of a State study were released indicating that about 25% of all Brevard County, FL, boaters were not complying with slow speed zones to protect manatees. Lack of enforcement personnel was cited as contributing to this problem. On Mar. 22, 1995, the 60th manatee death in 1995 occurred; the 1995 death rate is more than double the 1994 rate. [Orlando Sentinel, Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 15:31:06 -0400 From: Jonah Rosenfield Subject: hot topics New to the field, I have been spending quite a bit of time lately speaking to scientists and reading articles dealing with marine mammal research, though more specifically, I have been looking at the research being done on the great whales. I am amazed by the amount of information available, in almost every discipline of the science. My question, though, is how organized has all the research been and are there still major gaps in the knowledge that is most vital for the regulation and conservation of the most endangered species? I am also interested in what people think as being the future of marine mammal research. Will funding increase or decrease? Will new techniques emerge and change the scope of the science? What area of research will be expanding/ what will be phased out? I would like to hear what the informed experts on this net have to say regarding the questions I have raised. Thank you. Sincerely, Jonah Rosenfield jrosenfi(\)mbcrr.harvard.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Apr 1995 08:26:26 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: trying to find... (fwd) Forwarded message: From: ui118(\)freenet.victoria.bc.ca (Pamela Willis) I'd be most grateful if someone could pass on the current email addresses (if such things exist) for Omar Vidal and/or Fernando Trujillo Gonzalez. (OVIDAL(\)ITESMVF1.RZS.ITESM.MX does not appear to be working.) Pam Willis ui118(\)freenet.victoria.bc.ca ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Apr 1995 09:36:51 -0400 From: Keith Ronald Subject: Re: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION In-Reply-To: <9504072152.AA04651(\)solar.nova.edu> This is not in line with the attached and very interesting message, but after having read most reports and witnessed high sea whaling would the correspondent please advise me as to what improvements have been made in the killing technique for such large and active mammals. The last report suggested that it took form 2 40 minutes to reach an inactive stage after the whale was struck, this does not mean the animal has been rendered sensless only motionless. I would appreciate your or any other summary on time to clinical death in whaling. Thanks you. KR Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor in Environmental Studies and Marine Biology Fellow of the University of Guelph, Fellow of the Institute of Biology,Fellow of Royal Geographical Society. On Thu, 6 Apr 1995, Alan Macnow wrote: > > > FROM: Alan Macnow > Tele-Press Associates,Inc. > 321 E. 53 Street > New York, N.Y., 10022 > Tel: (212) 688-5580 > Fax: (212) 688-5857 > > FOR: Japan Whaling Association > > > JAPAN TO SEEK TREATY ADHERENCE AT UPCOMING WHALING MEETING > > Japan will call upon the International Whaling Com- > mission (IWC) to comply with its treaty obligations and im- > plement scientific advances when the group holds its 47th > annual meeting in Dublin during the week of May 29. > In a position paper distributed to IWC member na- > tions this week, the Japanese government took the group to > task for legal irregularities and "scientific negligence". > The IWC was formed to carry out the provisions of > the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling > (ICRW). But, according to Japan, the IWC contravened impor- > tant provisions in the Convention when it improperly desig- > nated 13 million square miles of the Southern Ocean as a > whale sanctuary last year. And in doing so, it also un- > dermined the scientific basis of marine resource management > developed by its own Scientific Committee. > The Japanese also admonished the IWC for failing to > review the decade-old moratorium on commercial whaling. The > amendment establishing the moratorium contained a proviso > requiring a review of the action by 1990 at the latest. > Now, five years later, the IWC still has not carried out a > review, which should result in the lifting of the moratorium > for some abundant species. > Another instance of the IWC ignoring its legal obli- > gations occurred last year. In 1993, the IWC resolved to > alleviate in 1994 the distress caused by the commercial > whaling moratorium on four small traditional whaling com- > munities in Japan. Again, the IWC failed to do it. > In the area of science, which is supposed to be the > basis of all conservation and management programs, the Japa- > nese faulted the IWC for failing to implement a newly devel- > oped Revised Management Procedure created by its Scientific > Committee after seven years of work. The failure to imple- > ment the Procedure, which would allow catches of abundant > whale species at levels well below annual reproduction rates > while fully protecting depleted species, caused the 1993 > resignation of the chairman of the IWC Scientific Committee. > In addition, the Japanese paper pointed out that > "new scientific findings, such as the population estimates > of 760,000 Southern Hemisphere minke whales, have not yet > contributed (to) any decision of the IWC." The paper also > criticized some members of the IWC for reacting negatively > to research programs that provide valuable data to the > Scientific Committee. > The full text of Japan's position paper follows: > > Japan and the 47th IWC Annual Meeting > > I. OUR BASIC POSITIONS > > THE PRINCIPLE OF SUSTAINABLE USE based on the best > available scientific evidence has no exceptions from its ap- > plication. Whaling is not an extraordinary activity but is > one applicable area in the conservation and rational > utilization of wildlife and fishery resources. > > SCIENTIFIC FACTS, rather than political and emo- > tional factors, are the basis of any conservation and man- > agement measures of natural resources. > > THE LEGAL INTEGRITY of the IWC must be maintained > through the judicious efforts of the responsible contracting > nations. In the past, the IWC has adopted several decisions > which contravene the objectives of the ICRW (the Interna- > tional Convention for the Regulation of Whaling), notably > its stated purpose as "a convention to provide proper con- > servation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly > development of the whaling industry." > > DIVERSIFYING FOOD SOURCES is necessary to cope with > impending human population growth. Regional dietary cul- > tures should be duly respected and maintained as an integral > part of the cultural identity of the people concerned. > > II. SPECIFIC INITIATIVES AT THE IWC, DUBLIN 1995 > > Japan's initiatives at the next IWC meeting include > > (1) CORRECTING LEGALLY QUESTIONABLE PROCEEDINGS OF > THE IWC which are identified as follows: > > a. THE DECADE OLD MORATORIUM on commercial whaling, > adopted in 1982, required review by 1990 at the latest, > but this review was not implemented. > > b. THE SOUTHERN OCEAN SANCTUARY was illegally created in > disregard of Article V.2(a), (b), and (d) of the Con- > vention, which require various specific conditions for > the promulgation of new IWC regulations. > > c. RESOLUTION ON JAPANESE COMMUNITY-BASED MINKE WHALING in > 1993, which resolved to alleviate the distress to Japa- > nese historic coastal whaling communities in the fol- > lowing year's IWC meeting (in 1994), was ignored. > > (2) CORRECTING SCIENTIFIC NEGLIGENCE OF THE IWC which are > represented as follows: > > a. NEW SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS, such as the population > estimates of 760,000 Southern Hemisphere minke whales, > have not yet contributed to any decision of the IWC. > Consequently, these scientific efforts have not been > fully utilized. > > b. NEWLY DEVELOPED REVISED MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE for whale > resources have yet to be implemented by the IWC, dis- > regarding the effort of its Scientific Committee to > finalize the scientific aspects of the procedure. > > c. RESEARCH PLANS of contracting governments, as > represented by the research take of minke whales, con- > tinuously faced negative reactions from the non- > scientific members of the Commission despite the fact > that these research programs have provided valuable > data for its Scientific Committee. > > (3) AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE IWC through various actions, in- > cluding to: > > a. PROVIDE SCIENTIFIC DATA by continuing research programs > on cetaceans. These include the IDCR sighting survey > in the Antarctic, blue whale research aimed at the > restoration of its stocks, and special permit research > programs involving the research take of minke whales. > > b. FACILITATE INFORMATION EXCHANGE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE > in whale meat by reporting Japan's effort to control > the trade. > > c. INITIATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FIRM RELATIONSHIP WITH > CITES by proposing a flexible procedure for the IWC > Scientific Committee to make scientific advice to the > CITES. > > d. REPORT RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF OTHER FORUMS related to > fisheries and the environment (FAO and United Nations > meetings), as Japanese officials volunteered to attend > such international forums as observers from the IWC. > > e. SUPPORT THE IWC FINANCIALLY by providing the largest > share of annual contributions among all of the con- > tracting nations. > > -end- > ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Apr 1995 18:16:57 +0900 From: Chris Stroud Subject: North Atlantic minke whale stock identy Does anyone know how the North Atlantic minke whale popualtions are divided for biological and management purposes. I remember reading somewhere, though I can not yet recall the reference I am afraid, that the subdivisions were based on the old fin whale management areas. Any help would be appreciated. Chris Stroud E-mail: CStroud(\)WDCS.cityscape.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Apr 1995 15:26:48 -0400 From: RobbinsB(\)aol.com Subject: New Explorers TV Program TO: MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS OF LIST M From: Robbins Barstow, Wethersfield, CT, USA Kudos to Bruce Mate, Chris Clark, and all those involved in producing the outstanding United States public television program broadcast at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 5 April 1995! Its title was "The Sounds of Discovery," and it was part of a new series called "The New Explorers," hosted by Bill Kurtis. It featured Chris Clark working with the U.S.Navy to track great whales from submarine listening devices, and also Bruce Mate working with the crew of the research vessel Odyssey (Whale Conservation Instditute) in the Galapagos trying to tag sperm whales for satellite tracking. The latter segment contained absolutely fantastic underwater footage of a pod of sperm whales -- the best filmed sperm whale footage I have ever seen. I understand that information on purchasing a high-priced video ($99?) and Teachers' Kit for this whales program can be secured by phoning a New Explorers number in Chicago -- 1-800-621-0660. Meanwhile, if my friends Bruce Mate and Chris Clark are reading this, I hope you'll send me your e-mail addresses, because I'd like to commend each of you privately as well as publicly for this new television presentation. It should greatly enhance interest by the general public, as well as being of significant interest to whale researchers. Robbins Barstow, Wethersfield, CT ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Apr 1995 18:58:51 -0400 From: Mlnews(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Job in California Looking for field assistant for a bottlenose dolhin research project in Monterey Bay, California. I would prefer a person that already lives in the Monterey Bay area, since I cannot provide housing. Car required. Position starts May 29 until the end of November. Approximately $600 a month available as a stipend. Boating experience, data handling and analysis, photo-identification and dark-room skills required. Must be good managing volunteers, and have an excellent driving record. Please send resume Monterey Bay Coastal Dolphin Project, P.O. Box 136, Moss Landing, CA 95039 or E-Mail MLNEWS(\)AOL.COM. Closing date April 15. Thanks for your interest Daniela M. Feinholz ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Apr 1995 16:14:57 -0400 From: NAMMACETA(\)aol.com Subject: sei whale skin samples From: S. Mercer, North Atlantic Marine Mammal Assoc. nammaceta(\)aol.com A 55' sei whale has stranded in Nova Scotia at Mavillette Beach near Digby. Scientists interested in viewing the deceased or obtaining skin samples for analysis should contact Carl Haycock, Brier Island Ocean Study (BIOS) at 902-839-2960. He has some skin samples in DMSO sol. presently. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Apr 1995 09:53:23 PDT From: Alan Macnow Subject: Re: No Subject Line ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association The statements made by ministers of New Zealand, Aus- tralia, Chile, and France were part and parcel of those countries's anti-whaling agenda, driven by strong animal rights pressure groups. The statements reveal ignorance on the part of those ministers of both Japan's research program and Article VIII of the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling, which establishes whale research as an obligation and unrestricted right of signatory nations. Following is some information about the reasons, scope, and need for the research: PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH: In 1982, the IWC voted to impose a moratorium on commercial whaling until uncertainties in whale population data could be resolved and an improved management procedure developed. Many IWC members felt that there were not enough data about some species and stocks to determine with any de- gree of precision such essential elements for management as population abundance, pregnancy rates, natural mortality rates, age at sexual maturity, and annual recruitment rates. Although substantial data had been collected from years of commercial whaling, it was felt that such data were not rep- resentative of the populations as a whole because they had been collected from only the oldest and largest whales, the primary targets of the commercial whalers. Several years later, the IWC Scientific Committee was instructed by the IWC to develop a whaling management procedure that would safeguard whale species and stocks on an area by area basis even in the absence of precise biological data. The new procedure, termed the Revised Man- agement Procedure or RMP, uses the assumption of a high probability of error in all of the input data to produce very highly conservative catch quotas. The RMP incorporates the most conservative popula- tion assessment methods consistent with the science of popu- lation dynamics. Basically, the core procedure of the RMP needs: (1) an estimate of the abundance of a whale popula- tion from sightings surveys, together with an estimate of the statistical uncertainty associated with it; and (2) a conservative estimate of the productivity (annual increase percentage) of the population. This core procedure is often called the catch limit algorithm. Before the moratorium, annual catches of minke whales in Antarctic waters numbered about 7,000, based upon calculated productivity from a mature population estimated to number 110,000 animals. Since then, more accurate estimates based upon over a decade of sightings surveys revealed the population to be much greater. The current estimate is 760,000 mature animals. Japan's current research program began in the 1987/88 Antarctic summer season. It is a multipurpose pro- gram designed to resolve uncertainties in the population dynamics of the Antarctic minke whale, assess the effects of the ecology, determine migration, schooling, and age and sex segregation patterns, and develop reliable DNA sampling technology. Sightings surveys are an important and integral part of the research program. The program is funded by the government of Japan and from the proceeds from the sale of whale meat. The research program is conducted by the Institute of Cetacean Research. The Japanese research program calls for the random sampling of 300 minke whales, plus or minus 10%, per year for a period of 16 years. This is only 0.04% of the mature population of 760,000 animals. During the 16 years of the research a total of 4,800 minke whales will be taken from the population, but as the population reproduces at a net rate of better than 4% per year (30,400 animals), at least 486,400 minkes will be added to the stocks during that period. The IWC Scientific Com- mittee reasonably concluded that the Japanese research tak- ings will have no adverse effects on the stock. SAMPLE SIZE: A number of critics of the research feel that an an- nual take of 300 minke whales is excessive. One even sug- gested that a single whale would suffice. On the other hand, some scientists familiar with statistics, sampling, and reliability factors suggested that the number is too low. Dr. K. Radway Allen, in his book _Conservation and Management of Whales_ (Washington University Press) stated: "(recruitment rate) estimates are relatively free from (sampling) bias if they are based on a total sample size of 1,000 animals or more, but below this size the bias in- creases rapidly, and values based on samples of only a few hundred animals may be underestimated by as much as 50% (30% in the case of estimates of age at recruitment)". In the case of the Japanese research, the scientists determined that they could obtain precise estimates for the mortality rate, age at recruitment, etc., and ensure minimal impact upon the stocks, by taking only a small proportion of the large minke population each year for 16 years. NEED FOR SAMPLING Some critics of the Japanese research question the need to take any minke whales at all. They point out that the IWC's RMP was designed to operate without the need for such biological data as sex composition of stocks, age at sexual maturity, natural mortality rate, pregnancy rates, and other information that allows calculation of the produc- tivity of the stocks. The way the RMP works, an arbitrarily low produc- tivity rate of one half of one percent of the population is established as the initial catch limit, then periodic sight- ings surveys are used to see if the stocks increase, decrease or remain stable under the catch limit. If the stocks decrease, the catch quota is lowered or eliminated. If the stocks remain stable or increase, the catch limit may be raised. This is essentially a trial and error process with a feedback mechanism. However, the RMP does not preclude biological data. Biological data, in fact, will make the RMP more precise, reduce the trial and error dependency, and - - in the case of the large minke whale populations - - allow greater sustainable utilization. Some ill-informed critics contend that much of the biological data sought by the research can be obtained by DNA techniques, without the need to kill whales. Un- fortunately, DNA sampling techniques have not yet been per- fected for whales in the open ocean. Even if they were, they could reveal such things as sex composition, stock com- position, and pregnancy rates but not age. Accurate age data is essential in calculating age at sexual maturity and the age composition of the stocks, both vital in determining the productivity of the stocks. And neither DNA techniques nor sightings can tell scientists very much about the health and pathology of the stocks. Is some virus afflicting the whales, or parasites? Are heavy metals from pollution causing cancers, a reduction in reproductive ability, or other disorders? Are the stocks suffering from malnutrition or changes in the ecology? Only careful analysis of the blubber, muscles and organs can ans- wer those questions. This year researchers confirmed the presence of more than one minke whale stock in Antarctic waters. This determination would have been almost impossible if they had relied on DNA evidence alone. The conclusive evidence was based upon measuring the proportions of the whales, some- thing that cannot be done without removing the whales from the water. RESEARCH OR COMMERCIAL WHALING? The fact that whale parts excess to the needs of the research are sold in Japan seems to bother some critics. In fact, Greenpeace and other anti-whaling activists have seized on this point in an attempt to disparage or stop the research. However, the charge is baseless. First, all IWC member countries which take whales for research are required by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (Article VIII, para 2) to sell the unused parts rather than waste them. The Convention states: "Any whales taken under these special (research) permits shall so far as practicable be processed and the proceeds dealt with in accordance with directions issued by the Government by which the permit was granted." Second, the proceeds of the sale are used to help fund the research and do not profit any company. And third, it is common practice in fisheries research to sell the un- used catch; the U.S. and almost every other country does it. Conversely, if the purpose of the research was really com- mercial whaling, the catch would certainly be much higher than 300 small minke whales per year. Neither the IWC nor the Convention can place any limit on the number of whales caught for research. 300 is a very small amount indeed for a country which consumed almost 7,000 per year before the moratorium. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Apr 1995 09:13:50 +0100 Reply-To: prs(\)radstone.co.uk From: Paul Slootweg Subject: Re: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION In-Reply-To: <199504072133.WAA07718(\)granite.radstone.co.uk> As if this position has not been clear for ever! It seems to be impossible to get across the idea that by a democratic process the IWC has acted in the interests of the *majority* of its members. It is interesting to see once again the desire to press everyone to adopt a purely scientific viewpoint on the issues. Why is it that some of the 'emotional' (moral?) or political points of view are deemed less worthy? I claim the right to be morally outraged by the injustices that humans commit against our marine co-habitants. If Japan, Norway et al won't listen to that voice, then they should not expect to be heard either! -- Regards, Paul Slootweg prs(\)radstone.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Apr 1995 09:55:46 PDT From: Earth Island Institute Subject: ATOC Ed note: This posting is very long, but is passed on due to the high interest in the ATOC project. Comments on Draft Environmental Impact Statement - Jan 31, 94 Environmental Impact Report for the California Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate Project To Whom it May Concern: On behalf of our clients, Natural Resources Defense Council, Earth Island Institute, Marine Mammal Fund, and Coastal Advocates, we submit the following comments regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report for the California Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate Project: GENERAL COMMENTS A. Inadequate Time for Public Review and Comments. On December 2, 1994, the Advanced Research Projects Agency ("ARPA"), the National Marine Fisheries Service ("NMFS"), and the University of California, San Diego ("UCSD") submitted for public review and comment a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report ("DEIS/EIR") for the California component of the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate Project ("ATOC"). This document, including well-over 300 pages of text and tables, was produced after over eight months of intense effort by Scripps Institute of Oceanography ("Scripps"), ARPA, NMFS, and the other cooperating agencies. Despite repeated requests for an extension of the public comment period up to and including March 2, 1995, these requests were refused in clear violation of the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. S 4371 et seq. ("NEPA") and the California Environmental Quality Act, Cal. Pub. Resources Code S 21000 et seq. ("CEQA"). "Public participation is an essential part of the CEQA process." CEQA Guidelines ("Guidelines") S 15201. "Comments are an integral part of the EIR." Sutter Sensible Planning Inc. v. Board of Supervisors,122 Cal. App.3d 813, 820, 176 Cal. Rptr. 342 (3d Dist. 1981); see also 40 C.F.R. S 1506.6 (regarding EIS). In accordance with the mandate of NEPA and CEQA, such an extension would have contributed to a greater level of public understanding of the ATOC project -- a project that has generated an almost unprecedented level of public concern. Instead, the January 31, 1995 deadline offered just sixty-one days in which to review this highly technical and complex document which purports to cover federal NEPA requirements, state CEQA requirements, federal Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act permit requirements and various additional state and local permitting requirements. It is clearly unreasonable to expect the public to review, digest, evaluate and comment on such a multi-facetted scientific document in such a short period of time, especially where a significant portion of that period included the year-end holiday season. Given the extraordinary public interest in the ATOC project and the significant scientific controversy that surrounds it, the small extension of the public comment period to January 31, 1995, was simply insufficient. Therefore, we submit these comments without having had sufficient time to thoroughly and comprehensively review and comment on the DEIS/EIR. B. Inadequate Project Description. The project description is confusing and misleading. As such, the alternatives analysis is skewed to favor the proposed project. If correctly evaluated, most of the alternatives clearly demonstrate reduced adverse impacts as well as the ability to achieve the project goals as they should be indicated. C. Disorganization. The DEIS/EIR is disorganized and intentionally confusing. The admitted and expressly stated negative impacts of the proposed project are scattered throughout the DEIS/EIR rather than clearly stated and cumulatively evaluated. D. Inadequate Evaluation of Cumulative Impacts. The treatment of cumulative impacts is inadequate. E. Inadequate Alternatives Analysis. The alternatives analysis is subjective and unsupported by data or evidence in he record. F. Inadequate Impacts Analysis. The document fails to identify and adequately address the very real concerns regarding the effectiveness and prudence of conducting such a complex and highly speculative scientific research project, especially given its potential impact on the most protected and sacred marine resources in the world -- the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. G. Permitting. ATOC is not "scientific research on marine mammals" as defined in the Marine Mammal Protection Act, 16 U.S.C. S 1361 et seq. ("MMPA"), and the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. S 1531 et seq. ("ESA"), but rather a proposed study on global climate changes. DEIS/EIR at 1-3. Therefore, under the MMPA, this project should be permitted, if at all, under the incidental take permit requirements. H. The DEIS/EIR Is Not An Objective and Neutral Evaluation of the Proposed Project. The DEIS/EIR must be a neutral explanation of the project and its potential impacts. 40 C.F.R. S 1502.1. Furthermore, NEPA procedures must ensure that environmental information is available to public officials and citizens before decisions are made and before actions are taken." 40 C.F.R. S 1500.1(b)(emphasis added). In contrast, the DEIS/EIR is skewed in favor of the proposed project. For example, under the guise of offering "clarification and explanation," a substantial portion of the Executive Summary is devoted to summarily discounting the very real concerns regarding the potential harm to the marine environment -- as a true adversarial piece. This argumentative section is entirely inappropriate for this document and therefore should be taken out. See DEIS/EIR at ES-5. Moreover, in violation of the NEPA process, it appears that the certain phases of the project have already begun. See 40 C.F.R. S 1602.2(f),(g) (Agencies shall not commit resources prejudicing selection of alternatives before making a final decision.; EIS's shall serve as the means of assessing the environmental impact proposed agency actions, rather than justify actions already made). For example, a section of the sea cable has already been laid, a permit was issued for the vertical line array installation, and Phase I of the MMRP Pilot Study has begun. I. Ill-Defined and Inadequate Mitigation Measures. Each proposed mitigation measure must be shown to be feasible and effective. The reason for adopting mitigation measures is to "substantially lessen or avoid" significant adverse environmental impacts. Cal. Pub. Res. Code S 21002. The agency must also adopt a "reporting or monitoring program" designed to "ensure [mitigation] compliance during project implementation." Cal. Pub. Res. Code S 21081.6(a)(1). Measures derived from the current project description (as submitted in the revised permit application) are not properly determined "mitigation" measures. In the alternatives section, the agencies shall "[i]nclude mitigation measures not already included in the proposed action or alternatives. 40 C.F.R. S 1502.14(f). Therefore, nearly every "mitigation measure" proposed in the DEIS/EIR is not properly labelled such. For example, Mitigation Measures A-1 through A-5 are already included in the proposed action. See DEIS/EIR at ES-15-18. Similarly, other so-called "mitigation measures" cited throughout the DEIS/EIR are nothing more than elements of the project description itself. See, e.g., DEIS/EIR at 2-41. When properly evaluated, the DEIS/EIR proposes only five mitigation measures and not a single mitigation monitoring plan, as required under the law. The failure to include mitigation measure monitoring plans leaves unanswered questions regarding the implementation of such measures. For example, with regard to Mitigation Measure 2-2, how will the MMRP be coordinated with other oceanographic and acoustic research efforts? What other activities, including U.S. Navy activities, will be conducted? Are other activities currently permitted? Specifically how will scheduling and operational conflicts be avoided? There is a long list of ongoing research and education projects set forth at pages 3-72 and 73, how will the potential interference or conflicts with these ongoing activities be avoided? SPECIFIC COMMENTS Executive Summary The executive summary must include each significant effect with proposed mitigation measures and alternatives that would reduce or avoid that effect. Guidelines S 15123. This section fails to fulfill CEQA's clear requirement by only stating that there are "twenty potential impacts." Even assuming this number is correct, these 20 impacts must be listed and each proposed mitigation measure must include an explanation of how it will mitigate the potential impact. The Executive Summary fails to adequately fulfill this requirement. No comments regarding information in the text, summarized in the executive summary, will be raised here. All such comments will be addressed under each individual section, unless already fully discussed under general comments. ES-4: The Areas of Concern must be more clearly and thoroughly addressed. This section lists only three concerns generated by this proposed project, and fails to adequately address them. First, the impact of the ATOC sound on marine animals, including mammals and sea turtles, is not addressed by reducing the transmission time if, as admitted, there is "insufficient" knowledge as to the impact of the ATOC sound on these animals. This concern is not alleviated by adding the MMRP, as that program is unlikely to generate statistically useful data. In any event, there is no indication that the results of the MMRP will be used to determine whether ATOC should go forward. Similarly, concerns regarding the use of alternative technologies and preservation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary ("the Sanctuary") are inadequately evaluated here and throughout the DEIS/EIR. See, infra at 10-13, 18-20. This section should be more fully developed to adequately address these concerns. ES-6-10: Why is such a large part of this "summary" devoted to the ATOC sound impact comparisons when, in fact, the ultimate conclusion of this DEIS/EIR is that the impacts are "unknown"? What is the basis for comparing sounds produced under water with sounds produced in air? ES-8: How was the estimate one whale will be exposed to ATOC "less than once every hundred years" statistically derived? What purpose will be served by conducting the blue whale tagging experiment and passive acoustic data collection efforts as part of the MMRP? 1 - Introduction, Purpose and Need for Action The project description must be accurate and consistent throughout an EIR. "An accurate, stable and finite project description is the sine qua non of an informative and legally sufficient EIR." County of Inyo v. City of Los Angeles, 71 Cal. App. 3d 185, 193, 139 Cal. Rptr. 396 (3d Dist. 1977); see also Guidelines S 15124 (Discussion). "Only through an accurate view of the project may affected outsiders and public decision-makers balance the proposal's benefits against its environmental costs, consider mitigation measures, assess the advantage of terminating the proposal (i.e. the "no project" alternative) and weigh other alternatives in the balance." County of Inyo, supra, 71 Cal. App. 3d at 192-93. As discussed below, the inaccurate and unstable project description in the DEIS/EIR is legally inadequate. 1.1 The ATOC Project Scope of Project. NMFS and ARPA have already received numerous letters emphasizing the need to prepare a comprehensive programmatic environmental impact statement evaluating the cumulative environmental impacts of the ATOC Program as a whole. In particular, these letters have emphasized that the ATOC project lawfully cannot be parcelled into separate projects for purposes of evaluating the environmental impacts of each of these related projects in isolation. (See e.g. June 15, 1994 letter from Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe; April 14, April 29, May, 6, May 14, November 4, and November 7, 1994 letters from Sierra Club Legal Defense Club, Inc.; March 17 and March 21, 1994 letters from Natural Resources Defense Council). Under the law, NMFS and ARPA must prepare a comprehensive programmatic EIS that evaluates the cumulative impacts of the ATOC Program before any significant aspect of the program is implemented, and before resources are irrevocably committed. The DEIS/EIR, as currently drafted, does not satisfy this requirement. In their efforts to avoid evaluating the environmental impacts of the ATOC Program as a whole, the entire DEIS/EIR is limited to only a six-month Marine Mammal Research Program ("MMRP"), designed to test the impact of the ATOC Low Frequency Sound ("LFS") on marine animals, and a two-year, California-based "proof-of-concept" study of the ATOC program. The numerous other locations which have been proposed for ATOC-related projects, including Hawaii and New Zealand, cannot lawfully be excluded from the DEIS/EIR. Moreover, the full extent of the proposed ATOC project cannot be ignored. The DEIS/EIR itself states, "If successful, a ten-year follow-on global ATOC program would be proposed. . ." DEIS/EIR at Abstract. The goal of ATOC is "proving the acoustic thermometry concept for future global ocean climate monitoring programs." DEIS/EIR at ES-3. Three new hydrophone receiver arrays will be installed -- near New Zealand, near Pt. Sur and south of Adak, Alaska, combined with 10 drifting receivers that will be deployed along selected transmission paths. DEIS/EIR at ES-2. "This initial phase should demonstrate that it is possible to construct and operate an international network capable of detecting and characterizing ocean climate change." DEIS/EIR at 1-20. Therefore, this ten year project, the possible international/global system, as well as the ATOC-related projects proposed in other locations, are clearly part of the ATOC program as a whole and, as such, are foreseeable, potential environmental impacts of the "proof-of-concept" study. Accordingly, the potential environmental impacts of the entire ATOC project must be evaluated in a single programmatic EIS/EIR. For example, no consideration of the New Zealand and Alaska hydrophone arrays exists in this document, let alone the cumulative impacts of these projects. Moreover, what criteria will be used to determine the location of the 10 drifting receivers? Are there any possible environmental impacts of choosing such a location, and any mitigating factors that should be applied? Until and unless the project is properly defined and a proper environmental impacts evaluation is drafted, the implementation of any aspect of the ATOC project will be in violation of both NEPA and CEQA. This obligation cannot be avoided by alleging that a programmatic EIS may be "too speculative" or subject to "several key uncertainties." DEIS/EIR at 1-20, 1-21, ES-3. If speculative and baseless, why was the full 10-year ATOC experiment part of Scripps' initial permit application submitted to NMFS? See Research Permit P557A at 25. Only when faced with drafting an EIS/EIR did Scripps reduced this project to a two-year California-only phase. The agencies' attempt to avoid its statutory and regulatory duties by misrepresenting the full scope of the proposed project is unseemly and patently unlawful. Moreover, each of the smaller ATOC-related projects, including the recent Acoustic Engineering Test, which have improperly been proposed and conducted outside of the NEPA/CEQA process is a component of the proposed ATOC project. As such, each of these projects will have cumulative impacts when viewed with the other parts of the ATOC Program. See 40 C.F.R. S 1508.25(a)(2). Cumulative impacts, as closely related, "connected" actions, must be evaluated in a single EIS. Id. Therefore, the impacts of the entire ATOC Program must be fully considered, and alternatives to that program fully explored, in a complete EIS before any components of the ATOC Program are conducted. Such a requirement ensures that before the ATOC program or any of its related projects can be implemented, a determination will be made whether measuring ocean temperature is the most prudent, practicable and feasible method to evaluate global warming and, if so, whether there are less intrusive means than the ATOC project to obtain those measurements. It is just this determination that ARPA, NMFS, UCSD and Scripps apparently seek to avoid. As currently drafted, the DEIS/EIR fails to analyze the proper scope of the ATOC project, and therefore, does not meet the legal requirements for such a document. Military Purpose. The DEIS/EIR fails to disclose the military purpose allegedly associated with the ATOC project. What are the military uses associated with the ATOC project? All potential environmental impacts of these military uses must be evaluated as well as any alternatives to this project which will fulfill such military purposes. Is this funding provided by Department of Defense ("DoD") a dual use or non-military use of DoD's funds? Global Warming. The DEIS/EIR alleges that ATOC "is necessary to validate global climate computer models being used and developed to answer the question whether our earth is warming as a result of the 'greenhouse' effect." DIES/EIR at ES-1, 1-3. The document fails to explain how or why the ATOC data is "necessary," and how such measurements would "validate" other climate models. Without the supporting evidence and explanations, these bare representations fail to inform the public and assist agencies in decision making. Therefore, a full explanation of the "global climate models" should be included in the EIS/EIR, as well as an appendix which includes the models themselves. See 40 C.F.R. S 1502.24 ("Agencies shall insure that professional integrity, including scientific integrity, of the discussions and analyses in EISs. They shall identify any methodologies used and shall make explicit reference by footnote to the scientific and other sources relied upon for conclusions in the statement.") As currently written, the DEIS/EIR does not explain how the information generated by the ATOC experiment on the deep sea temperature will validate those models. Moreover, the DEIS/EIR proposes that certain computer models of global climate change "have been criticized as inaccurate and oversimplified. Therefore, they have had very little impact on governmental decisions to take action to curb emissions of greenhouse gases." DEIS/EIR at 1-4. It is further proposed that ATOC will fulfill the need for large-scale observations of ocean temperatures so that the models may serve as a persuasive basis for policy formulation. DEIS/EIR at 1-4, 2-46, 2-47. Such baseless statements fail to explain how the results of the ATOC project, even if considered accurate and precise, will result in governmental policy actions to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, if global warming policy changes is a purpose of the ATOC project, then alternatives which will effect such a policy changing result must be included in the EIS/EIR. For example, a very effective means to attain that goal is to direct the millions of dollars devoted to the ATOC design and implementation towards demonstrating that it is economically feasible and scientifically prudent to take action now to abate the global warming problems -- without any further proof of the problems existence. 1.1.2 The Marine Mammal Research Program Determining deep sea ocean temperature, providing information for future global ocean climate monitoring programs, confirming computer models of global climate change, and allegedly affecting government policy determinations regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are wholly unrelated to marine animals or the effects of noise on marine animals. Yet, "the ATOC program recognizes a need to evaluate the potential effects of the proposed source transmissions on marine animals, in particular marine mammals and sea turtles." DEIS/EIR at 1-4. Accordingly, the MMRP was designed for a single purpose -- to evaluate the effects of the ATOC source sound on marine animals. Inexplicably, however, the DEIS/EIR alleges that the MMRP itself will govern the location of the ATOC project -- going so far as to claim that the presence of marine animals is a necessary element of the ATOC project. DEIS/EIR at 1-21. Clearly, to achieve its stated goal of global warming evaluation and governmental policy impact, the ATOC project need not involve the presence of marine animals. Obviously, if located in an area nearly free of marine animals, particularly marine mammals and sea turtles, the possible impacts of the source noise emissions on marine animals would be greatly reduced, if not eliminated. It is the location of the ATOC source which should dictate the parameters (and location) of the MMRP, not visa versa. However, the DEIS/EIR continues to misstate the purpose and goals of the ATOC project. "A goal of these experiments is to evaluate the potential impacts of low frequency sound on marine animals." DEIS/EIR at ES-12. The MMRP was neither a goal nor even a part of the ATOC project prior to the significant public outcry and pressure mandating that ARPA, NMFS and Scripps obey the law and comply with NEPA and CEQA requirements. As admitted in the DEIS/EIR, the MMRP is a last-minute addition to the proposed project, added "in response to the question of potential effects" of low frequency sound on marine animals. DEIS/EIR at 1-4. It is entirely disingenuous to now claim that marine animal research is a part of ATOC. The MMRP is properly labelled a mitigation measure, intended to determine and monitor any adverse impacts of the ATOC source sound on marine animals. See DEIS/EIR at ES-15. The unclear and confusing stated goals of the ATOC project as presented in the DEIS/EIR render the document inadequate and unlawfully insufficient. As presently drafted, the entire alternatives evaluation is fundamentally flawed as it evaluates, as a necessary element of this project, the presence of an abundance of marine animals. Properly analyzed, the alternative site analysis would likely result in very different conclusions. Specifically, siting the ATOC project in the center of the Sanctuary would clearly be unnecessary. 1.1.3 The Acoustic Thermometry Program ES-3, 1-5: In what way will the results of ATOC "support" all facets of future global climate change research planning, and "provide important information for studying global climate questions"? 1-4: How will the ATOC project obtain any data on temporal variation in "large scale observations of ocean temperatures" useful for "comparing with and verifying the predictions of existing climate models"? The ATOC data is limited to the deep sound channel axis only where there is a several year delay in responding to changes in surface temperature. How will this data apply to existing climate models? Can statistically significant data be obtain over a two-year program? If not, then this document must evaluate the ten year program necessary to obtain this information, including all the environmental impacts and alternatives available for such a project. Table 1.1.3-1: This table is misleading and inaccurate; it fails to explain the basis for the sound comparisons, thereby leaving the reader with no understanding of its validity or accuracy. 2.0 Alternatives "This section is the heart of the EIS." 40 C.F.R. S 1502.14.; see also Grazing Fields Farm v. Goldshmidt, 626 F.2d 1068, 1072 (1st Cir. 1980)(NEPA's "primary procedural mechanism" is the requirement to discuss alternatives in the EIS). An EIS must "[d]evote substantial treatment to each alternative considered in detail including the proposed action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits." 40 C.F.R. S 1502.14(d). Under CEQA, alternatives must be discussed in "meaningful detail." Laurel Heights Imp. Ass'n v. Un. of Cal., 47 Cal. 3d 376, 406, 253 Cal. Rptr. 426 (1988). Based on Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences sections, this section should present impacts of the proposal and the alternatives in comparative form. Alternatives analysis is crucial to CEQA's mandate that avoidable significant environmental damage be substantially lessened or avoided where feasible. Pub. Res. Code SS 21100(b)(4), 21002; Guidelines SS 15002(a)(3); 15021(a)(2), 15126(d). When a project and its objectives are defined too narrowly, an EIR's treatment of alternatives may also be inadequate. In City of Santee v. County of San Diego, 214 Cal. App. 3d 1438, 1455, 263 Cal. Rptr. 340 (4th Dist. 1989), the Court of Appeal determined that based on the administrative record, the proposed project would remain in existence substantially longer than the "temporary" period alleged on the record. The Court determined that construction and operation of the "interim" facility was really the first component of a larger plan to expand the project, and that the agency, therefore, had impermissibly "peicemealed" that larger project. The inadequacy of the project description resulted in inadequate, unduly narrow project alternatives. Similarly here, the California ATOC proposed project is actually the first component of the world-wide ATOC project plan. As such, the project description and the alternatives analysis, among other sections of the DEIS/EIR, are unduly narrow and inadequate. See supra at pp. 6-7 (discussing scope of project). Additionally, the DEIS/EIR incorrectly determines that the MMRP criteria, rather than the ATOC project criteria, will govern the site selection. As a result, every alternative site -- using both stationary source and the moored autonomous source -- is dismissed based on a lack of criteria required for the MMRP. As already discussed, such criteria are unnecessarily imposed and therefore artificially skew the entire DEIS/EIR Alternatives analysis. Proposed Project: 2-3: Where is the discussion of the impacts of these activities? 2-4: What affect will the results of the MMRP have on whether the ATOC project will proceed? 2-14: Why are two sources (and presumably more pathways) necessary? Why are those two sources necessary for the initial two-year, "proof of concept" experiment? 2-15: The MMRP Site Survey Criteria, as discussed above, are wholly irrelevant to the goals of the ATOC project. These criteria are included as a post-hoc justification for a previously chosen site -- the Sanctuary. 2-16: It is inappropriate to allege that aspects of the project are mitigation measures. In any event, the explanation of the variable source numbers and pathways is ill-defined and confusing, especially with regard to how these variables will mitigation impacts. Dismissed Alternatives. "If the agency finds certain alternatives to be infeasible, its analysis must explain in meaningful detail the reasons and facts supporting that conclusion." Marin Municipal Water District v. KG Land Corporation California, 235 Cal. App. 3d 1652, 1664, 1 Cal. Rptr.2d 767 (1st Dist. 1991). A project delay and a lack of development funding is not a valid basis for dismissing an alternative as infeasible or inadequate. Rather, the alternatives discussion must focus on alternatives capable of either eliminating any significant adverse environmental effects or reducing them to a level of insignificance, even if such alternatives would be more costly or would impede to some degree the project's objectives. Guidelines S 15126(d)(3). ATOC is fully funded by the Department of Defense. To allege that delays and "uncertain" funding sources may arise is plainly disingenuous and invalid as permitting decisions and environmental impact determinations are not limited by or based on the funding sources. ES-13-14; 2-17; Table 2.4-1: While we do not currently support location of the ATOC project at the Sur Slope site, that alternative was improperly deemed infeasible because it requires different technology and technology which has not been applied to this type of project. If further testing must be done to properly design a moored autonomous source, then the agency must conduct this further research. Table 2.4-1 and Related Text: The entire alternatives analysis biased toward the preferred alternative. Conveniently, the text and table artificially separate each component, avoiding a cumulative picture to properly analyze each proposed alternative as a whole. Moreover, the ranking system in the DEIS/DEIR uses a mathematical formula that is not explained and skews the outcome of the ranking. How were the percentages of "relative response criteria" determined? 2-41: The evaluation of restricted source transmission times is inadequate. There is no evaluation of the possible advantages of terminating all sound emissions upon detection (visually or acoustically) of suspected sensitive animals (grey whales, blue whales). 2-43: Every "alternative" deemed to be part of the project, it is not an alternative at all. As such, each of these "alternatives" should be fully evaluated as part of the "Project Description" as well as all of the potential impacts and alternatives thereto. See DEIS/EIR at 2-46 to 2-50 (including computer models, satellite sensors, other sensors). 2-43: How and what studies indicate that the frequency proposed is "anticipated to have minimal adverse impacts"? What evidence is there, if any, that such an overlap of frequencies used by whales will not have impact, or that higher or lower frequencies would be better or worse? Additional Alternatives Not Considered. The alternative of conducting the MMRP and ATOC at different sites was not considered. Failure to consider this alternative evidences the project proponents' attempt to ensure that the ATOC experiment is located in the Sanctuary. The full ATOC experiment could be designed and conducted at a suitable location, away from the presence of marine animals. The MMRP could be conducted using low-level portable sources in the present of marine animals, to the extent necessary. The project proponents blatantly avoid this obvious alternative to avoid the indication that the ATOC source need not be located in the Sanctuary. 3 Affected Environment The DEIR must discuss any inconsistencies between the proposed project and existing general plans and regional plans. Guidelines S15125(b). Therefore, this section must discuss inconsistencies of this project and the Sanctuary, as governed by the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, 40 U.S.C. S 1531 et seq., the state refuges and reserves, including the Pt. Lobos and Carmel Bay Ecological Reserves, the California Sea Otter Game Refuge, state parks and reserves including Pulia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Creek Ecological Reserve, and the entire Big Sur coastline. Any and all inconsistencies with the purpose and design of the above must be disclosed. 4 Environmental Consequences/Impacts 4.1 Introduction - General Comments This section fails to adequately consider cumulative impacts, as required under NEPA and CEQA. "The requirement for a cumulative impact analysis must be interpreted so as to afford the fullest possible protection of the environment within the reasonable scope of the statutory and regulatory language." Citizens to Preserve Ojai v. Board of Supervisors, 176 Cal. App. 3d 421, 431-32, 222 Cal. Rptr. 247 (2d Dist. 1985). The DEIS/EIR fails to list present, past, and anticipated future projects, including those inside and outside the agencies control, or to summarize the expected environmental effects of those projects. See Guidelines S 15130(b). Examples of cumulative impacts which have not properly been considered here include: the potential to further reduce the severely depleted population of the endangered species proposed to be harassed; the effects of other present or future projects planned for the Marine Sanctuary combined with the ATOC project; the potential impact on marine environment over the tens of thousands of miles that this sound is supposed to travel. These and other cumulative impacts must be fully disclosed and analyzed in this section. 4-131: The cursory consideration of the California and Hawaii ATOC projects cumulative impacts is insufficient. What is the basis for each and every statement of fact on page 4-131? For example, how will the MMRP determine the cumulative impact on the species as a whole? How will the currently proposed mitigation measures reduce that potential impact? Table 4.1-1: Even where one alternative is clearly and expressly stated to have less impact, the table fails to reflect that fact. For example, the moored autonomous source (Alternative 4) has a very low potential impact on the physical environment as it does not involve cable installation and would have a small sea floor "footprint." DEIS/EIR at 4-9. Nevertheless, the preferred alternative, which includes both cable installation and maintenance and a much larger "footprint" is given the same impact level as Alternative 4. These inconsistencies reflected in Table 4.1-1 render the comparison skewed and inaccurate. This table should be remodelled to reflect the impacts, in comparative format, of each alternative. 4.2 Potential Effects on the Physical Environment 4-9: The potential significant impact from construction of the facilities on the physical environment is not fully explained. For example, how will trenching and pipe installation, especially within the surf zone, avoid a threat to the physical environment? Summary statements allegedly dismissing threat of impacts are not sufficient. 4-9, 4-10: How will "proper design of the ATOC facilities . . . minimize the potential for impacts from bluff erosion"? What is the design as currently proposed? How will the design minimize impacts? 4-10: How will removal of ATOC facilities mitigate the impacts of installation? What is the current plan for removal? When is removal anticipated? What will define "economically and practicably feasible"? 4-10: Why is a long term average of ATOC used to determine significance of the noise? Why is that "considered the most appropriate"? DEIS/EIR at ES-8, 4-10. High ambient noise levels expected in the study area are not expected to occur during all hours of the day and night. Therefore, any evaluation of the noise significance must consider that the ambient noise levels will vary. Accordingly, the potential disturbance of marine environment will vary. 4-11: Average ambient noise levels are not an indication of potential impact on marine environment at any given time. If the ATOC source is "turned on" during a period of very low ambient noise, what will the potential impact be and what mitigation measures will be applied to reduce that impact? A single sentence is devoted to the MMRP vessels and aircraft impact on ambient noise levels. This is inadequate. What vessels and aircraft will be used during the ATOC and MMRP programs? What amount of noise will these vessels add to the ocean environment? What impacts will these vessels have? 4.3 Potential Effects on the Biological Environment The bulk of the comments on this section will be submitted by scientists familiar with the studies and research purportedly relied upon in this section. The following general comments are presented below: What is the support for the alleged CEQA Standard of Significance, defined at ES-11 and 4-14? The text indicates that the standard is "commonly accepted." What is the support for that allegation? The cumulative effects analysis in this section is inadequate and understated. By breaking the analysis of the cumulative effects by species, the DEIS/EIR fails to properly evaluate the cumulative effects on the entire biological environment, including all species potentially effected and all effects cumulatively impacting those species. What are the full cumulative effects on the entire biological environment? 4-12: The lack of information regarding the effects of noise on marine animals requires the agency to investigate this unknown, as it is both practicable and economically feasible to do so. NEPA requires agencies to satisfy certain detailed requirements when they confront incomplete or unavailable information. First, the agencies must acknowledge that relevant scientific information is lacking. Second, they must obtain such information, with original research if necessary. 40 C.F.R. S 1502.22. Each acknowledged "unknown" impact is improperly translated into "no impact." See e.g. CEQA Impacts at 4-10. Despite a long list of studies which strongly indicate a potential for significant impacts, the DEIS/EIR concludes that the impact is "less than significant." What is the basis for those assumptions? If the impact is truly unknown, the assumption should be that it is a significant impact. How will each of the unknown impacts be mitigated or eliminated? Mysticetes: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill-defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. 4-24: Mitigation Measure 3-11: This measure merely proposes to determine the "likely exposure" of mysticetes to the ATOC sound source. Assuming they are exposed (because they are present), what relevance is their population distribution to the impacts of the ATOC sound? 4-28: Mitigation Measure 4-12: How will reduction in duty cycle and power levels necessarily mitigate potential impacts? How can all the "unknowns" for all the species considered lead to the conclusion that this "mitigation measure" will be effective? This statement is obviously conclusory and invalid. Odontocetes: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill-defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Pinnipeds and Fissipeds: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill-defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Sea Turtles: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill-defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Fish: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill-defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Invertebrates: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill-defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Plankton: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill-defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Seabirds: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill-defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. Threatened, Endangered and Special Status Species: The impacts are inadequately stated, confusing, and ill-defined. The proposed mitigation measures fail to address the potential impacts. The evaluation of these impacts are artificially separated out from the general consideration of impacts on these species, thereby artificially reducing the actual anticipated impacts on these very depleted species. Marine Sanctuaries and Special Resource Areas: The DEIR must discuss any inconsistencies between the proposed project and existing general plans and regional plans. Guidelines S 15125(b). Therefore, this section must discuss the inconsistencies between this project and the MBNMS, as governed by the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, 40 U.S.C. S 1531 et seq., the state refuges and reserves, including the Pt. Lobos and Carmel Bay Ecological Reserves, the California Sea Otter Game Refuge, state parks and reserves including Pulia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Creek Ecological Reserve, and the entire Big Sur coastline. Any and all inconsistencies with the purpose and design of the above must be disclosed. 4-111: The DEIS/EIR, by limiting this evaluation to biological resources, fails to consider the impact of the project construction and other physical impacts of the ATOC project (including the proposed MMPA). The statement that the potential for direct, indirect, or cumulative effects on marine sanctuary resources is anticipated to be minimal is unsupported. 4-31: The Sanctuary is a sensitive habitat for many species of marine animals. To state otherwise, without any support, is clearly incorrect. Therefore, all evaluations of potential impact on habitat in the area must be considered significant. 5.0 Consistency with Federal, State, and Local Requirements, Plans and Policies The relevant permitting agencies must consider ATOC's numerous permit applications after completion of the ongoing NEPA and CEQA process. During the official application periods which will occur, if at all, after approval of the EIS/EIR, we will address in greater detail our comments on each of the permits for the ATOC project. Therefore, only our preliminary comments are set forth below. 5.1 Federal Regulatory Programs ESA and MMPA: The proposed ATOC project is not "scientific research on marine mammals" as defined in the MMPA and the ESA, but rather a proposed study on global climate changes. Therefore, under the MMPA, this project should be permitted, if at all, under the incidental take permit requirements. The Sanctuary: Monterey Bay was designated a marine sanctuary based on, among other things, the area's natural resources and ecological qualities, including its contribution to productivity and maintenance of threatened and endangered species and their habitat. See 16 U.S.C. S 1433(b). Creation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary ("the Sanctuary") secured federal protection and management of the conservation, ecological, recreational, research, educational, historical and aesthetic resources and qualities of the area. See 15 C.F.R. S 944.1. In order to preserve such an area of national significance, all activities proposed to be conducted within the boundaries of a Marine Sanctuary are severely restricted and highly regulated. See 16 U.S.C. S 1431 et seq. In stark contrast to the goals and objectives of the Sanctuary, ARPA and Scripps propose to conduct their ATOC project in the Sanctuary's pristine marine environment. The ATOC program, wholly unrelated to marine resource protection, is a study proposed to measure long-term ocean climate changes using acoustic sound paths in the deep sea by constructing a sound source within the Sanctuary which would transmit sounds across the entire North Pacific ocean basin. If successful, ARPA and Scripps intend to conduct a ten-year follow-on global ATOC program that would allegedly help determine the potential for global climate changes. See DEIS/EIR at Abstract and ES-1-3. Contrary to the allegations of ARPA and Scripps, the ATOC program clearly is not consistent with the goals and objectives of the Sanctuary Management Plan, and will not actively contribute to the research and education goals contained therein. In fact, the proposed ATOC project fails to fulfill any of the programs in the Sanctuary Management Plan. According to the DEIS/EIR, the research goals of the Sanctuary include baseline studies, monitoring, and predictive studies of the marine area, including the marine animals living within and migrating through the Sanctuary. The ATOC program, an experiment intended contribute to a predictive model of global climate changes, is entirely unrelated to research on the marine resources within the Sanctuary and, therefore, is unrelated to the goals of the Sanctuary. Admittedly, the MMRP -- a short-term marine mammal research program designed only to determine the potential impact of the ATOC low-frequency sound on marine mammals -- may comport with the research and education goals of the Sanctuary. However, the MMRP is neither necessary nor even related to the purpose and needs of the ATOC program. Most importantly, this last-minute addition to the ATOC program, representing only a small fraction of the entire project, cannot possibly justify allowing the full ATOC experiment to be conducted within the Sanctuary. In fact, the ATOC program potentially involves a number of expressly prohibited activities within the Sanctuary, including: constructing or placing any structure on the seabed of the Sanctuary; taking of marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds in or above the Sanctuary; flying motorized aircraft at less than 1000 feet above the Sanctuary; and operating motorized personal water craft within the Sanctuary. See 15 C.F.R. S 944.5(a). It is these very activities that subject the ATOC program to the National Marine Sanctuary permit requirements. The DEIS/EIR fails to alleviate the very real concern about protecting our scarce marine resources and offers absolutely no justification for conducting the ATOC program within the Sanctuary. Therefore, the ATOC project cannot be conducted within the boundaries of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Marine Mammal Research Program - Appendix C. General Comments: The Marine Mammal Research Program, as currently proposed, will fail to achieve statistically significant data. As such, the MMRP results will be unable to show any statistically significant difference in marine animal behavior when ATOC source is on or off. The ATOC project and its associated MMRP has far-reaching potential to harm a large number of marine species and their habitats. The impacts of this project have not been adequately discussed or mitigated and the MMRP, as currently designed, will not adequately serve this purpose. Therefore, the MMRP should not be implemented, nor accepted by the agencies as an effective proposal for monitoring the impact of ATOC generated noise on marine animals. See 40 C.F.R. S 1502.24 ("Agencies shall insure that professional integrity, including scientific integrity, of the discussions and analyses in EISs.") Moreover, under the stringent standards set forth by NMFS for considering and issuing scientific research permits under the ESA and MMPA, the MMRP cannot be permitted. NMFS has established and enforced very strict monitoring programs for projects involving the production of ocean noise. NMFS must subject the ATOC project to the same strict protocols. If the ATOC project is subject to a "lesser standard" of marine animal impact monitoring, the DEIS/EIR must fully set forth the basis for the reduced efforts to protect marine animals as well as include, in its entirety, the two standards applied to monitoring projects -- one for ATOC and the other for all other projects. Specifically, NMFS has imposed very strict scientific protocols to protect marine animals from the potential impact of oil drilling in the Arctic. Some of these very studies are cited in the DEIS/EIR at 4-24. The ATOC project should be subject to the same strict scrutiny as the oil drilling projects because the ATOC project will emit similar sounds into the ocean, at a similar frequency and noise levels. Instead, NMFS has apparently abandoned its strict scientific standards and accepted, for purposes of the ATOC project, a low standard of scientific protocol. As a cooperating/responsible agency with special expertise, NMFS is required to review the DEIS/EIR and offer comments with respect to its expertise. Marine mammal research and its concomitant permit requirements fall squarely within the purview and expertise of NMFS. When a lead agency completes an EIR that identifies one or more significant effects, a responsible agency must make findings concerning the avoidance or mitigation of these effects. Guidelines S 15096(d). Therefore, it is NMFS duty to stringently review the MMRP and comment on its adequacy. As part of this mandatory duty, we request that NMFS call on its qualified scientific statisticians located in Seattle, Washington to review the MMRP and confirm, as we suspect they will, that the MMRP cannot produce statistically significant data and falls well below the stringent standards required by NMFS in other projects affecting marine animals. Specific Comments: C-1: Outside of the permitting office, are any NMFS employees receiving research funds or equipment from any of the project proponents including, but not limited to, ARPA and/or Scripps? C-1: What role did Robert De Long and Sharon Melin play as "co-investigators" regarding the MMRP? C-4: How is a six-month project characterized as a "broad-based" research program? C-6: The "workshop" designed to present and discuss the results of the proposed Pilot Study should be scheduled at least 30 days after publication of the "results" in order to ensure meaningful public participation. C-6: How will the six-month Pilot Study detect "major changes" in behaviors specifically caused by the ATOC sound transmission? What behaviors will be considered "acute or chronic responses"? What about subtle changes? How will subtle changes be detected? What number of observations of what type of each data is proposed for the MMRP? What is the statistical basis for that number? C-7: Even assuming that the data produced by the MMRP Pilot Study is statistically valid, how will the results be used? How will the data be statistically extrapolated? What statistical significance will be required before a determination of "long-term" changes or "unacceptable long-term effects" be made? How will subtle behavior changes be detected? C-8: How will the MMRP differentiate the effects of introduced noise from the ATOC source from noise produced by ships and seismic exploration? C-8: What projects are proposed to assess the effects of ATOC signals on harbor seals and California sea lions? These experiments should be fully evaluated in this DEIS/EIR as related projects, producing potentially cumulative impacts. C-10: The null hypothesis should assume that the ATOC sound emissions will produce an adverse effect. The project should be designed to determine whether behavioral change is caused by ATOC or another factor. C-11: How will the effect of the observer, specifically the survey aircraft, be statistically eliminated? C-11-13: How will the effect of the observer, specifically the observation boat, be statistically eliminated? C-13-14: What will be accomplished using acoustic surveys? How are these objectives different from other projects, such as oil drilling, for which NMFS expressly denied any use of acoustical data because of its unreliability and lack of statistical significance? How will acoustic detection of marine mammal vocalizing statistically function as any indication of perceived danger? Is there any baseline data to be used for comparison? Is the acoustic testing planned to be conducted at different times of the day and night in order to ensure that data is taken at different levels of ambient noise. C-16: The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is not sensitive enough to detect "slight changes." How, specifically, will this test show slight changes? What number of each type of data sample will be used? C-23: How will the effects of the El Nino, tanker traffic, seismic exploration, weather, and earthquakes be statistically eliminated? C-25: If the blue whale research is "under development" and the results are unknown, why is this aspect included in the MMRP? These are endangered species whose populations need not be unduly harassed to conduct an experiment which, in any event, will likely have no influence on the ATOC project. C-26-27: The proposed capture and tagging of the leatherback sea turtles is an unnecessary and statistically insignificant proposal. These ancient marine animals, which have existed on earth long before the presence of human beings, are now critically endangered and federally protected. A single page is devoted to describing the proposal to harass and monitor these marine reptiles. This is a patently deficient and ill-defined plan. What possible justification is there for such a proposal? What findings will cause any effect on the ATOC project? C-34: Does each of the "authorizing" permits expressly indicate that the activity/research to be conducted is to further the ATOC project? Does each of the "authorizing" permits expressly permit an ATOC-sponsored individual to conduct the activity permitted? If not, on what basis may the "authorizing" permits be interpreted to allow ATOC-related activities? 1-5: Without explanation, the DEIS/EIR states that the "ATOC climate-related transmissions will begin only if the system is determined to be safe for marine animals, particularly marine mammals and sea turtles." What will define "safe"? What extent of harm, if any, will be acceptable to continue with the project? Who will review and analyze the results? ES-3-4 : "This Pilot Study will determine how best to continue the project." This paragraph should explain how the study will determine that. For example, may the project be cancelled or moved as a result of the Pilot Study. If so, under what circumstances? How will this threshold be determined? ES-8 and 3-5: Why is a long term average of ATOC used to determine significance of the noise? Why is that "considered the most appropriate"? High ambient noise levels expected in the study area are not expected to occur during all hours of the day and night. Therefore, any evaluation of the noise significance should take into consideration the fact that the ambient noise levels will vary and, accordingly, so will the potential disturbance of the marine environment. Given the ambient noise description at 3-5, how does the MMRP proposed to eliminate statistically the ambient noise influence on the behavior of the studied animals? ES-10: The seal, whale and turtle will be focus of MMRP "to the extent that they are amendable to available research techniques." Is this qualifying phrase meant to infer that, if not amenable, the research with respect to one or more of these animals will be "skipped" and the ATOC project will go forward as planned? What does that statement mean? CONCLUSION The foregoing comments are submitted in a sincere effort to identify the many deficiencies in the Draft EIS/EIR for the California ATOC Project. We hope that each comment will be given serious review and consideration, resulting in a final document which fully comports with the strict requirements of both NEPA and CEQA. Respectfully submitted, HELLER, EHRMAN, WHITE & McAULIFFE Joshua R. Floum Nicole J. Walthall Attorneys for Natural Resources Defense Council, Earth Island Institute, Marine Mammal Fund and Coastal Advocates cc: Joel Reynolds, NRDC David Phillips, EII Mark Berman, EII Stan Minasian, MMF Kathleen Van Velsor, Coastal Advocates 1This comment equally applies to Mitigation Measures A-1, 4-2, and 5-2 as they are the same. 2This comment equally applies to Mitigation Measures A-3, A-5, 2-1, 4-1, and 5-1 as they are the same. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Apr 1995 13:27:56 -0700 From: Alan Macnow Subject: U.S. WHALING POLICY QUESTIONED FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association The following statement appeared April 9 on the Op-Ed page of the New York Times. The sponsor is a wise-use non-profit organization based in Japan. ONE MAN'S SACRED COW IS ANOTHER'S BIG MAC Does America's Policy Depend on Whose Whale Is Gored? We really don't mean to be flippant. We just want to catch your attention. And focus it on the inequities in U.S. whaling policies. On the one hand, the United States fights tooth and nail at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) for an increase in its Alaskan Eskimo whale catch quota. Last year, it had the quota raised from 42 to 52 bowhead whales per year from a popu- lation of only 8,000 animals. On the other hand, your government elevates other whales - - even those known to be non-endangered and very abundant - - to a gilded altar and places them within a sacred sanctuary. And it stands ready to cast down anyone who suggests that whales are not sacrosanct. We would argue that our culture and tradition deserve as much respect and consideration as the American Eskimos'. But we must point out that we would not harvest any whales as depleted as the bowheads. We do not want to take any threatened, depleted or endangered species. What we do want is to utilize a small fraction of the more than 760,000 minke whales in the Southern Ocean and some of the 25,000 minkes off our coasts. These small, fast-reproducing whales are among the most abundant on earth and have never been considered endangered. As signatories of UNCED's Agenda 21, the International Con- vention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and many other international conservation agreements, we support the sustainable use of all living resources. No more should be taken from a resource than can be replaced each year through reproduction. This rule was violated in the past through lack of scientific knowledge. But we learned from the past. Today, ex- cept for aboriginal needs, the IWC will not allow the taking of any whales from a depleted stock. The IWC's Revised Management Procedures seek to rebuild stocks to 72% of their original populations. An assessment of population size is required, and possible catch quotas are held well below annual reproduction rates. The IWC catch quota calculations also factor in such un- certainties as errors in population estimates and the possible effects of global warming, ozone layer depletion, and pollution. Still, with all these built-in safeguards, developed over more than 7 years by the world's foremost cetacean scientists in the IWC Scientific Committee, the U.S. adamantly refuses to ac- cept the resumption of whaling under IWC control. And last year, it joined with other nations ideologically opposed to whaling to frustrate implementation of the IWC's Revised Management Procedure. They arbitrarily designated 13 million square miles of the Southern Ocean as a whale sanctuary, in violation of the provisions of the international whaling Con- vention. We find it puzzling that the U. S. labels the sustainable use of abundant whale stocks by other countries as "morally wrong," even though whales are a traditional part of their food culture. But the U.S. has no moral imperatives about the annual killing for sport in its own country of over 7 million deer, along with a million elk, antelope and moose, and thousands of bears. We know, of course, that the same animal rights pressure groups that have succeeded in transforming whales into sacred cows are also targeting hunting, cattle raising and other con- sumptive uses of animals. But we cannot understand why a responsible government would turn its back on the principle of sustainable use in order to appease them. In the face of growing population pressures, the world depends upon implementation of sustainable use practices. They should not be used when convenient, then rejected when dis- comfiting to the political or economic interests of a powerful country. The United States should promote the principle of sustainable use equitably. And uphold the provisions of the IWC Convention on whaling, which requires the U.S. and other sig- natories to "provide for the conservation, development, and op- timum utilization of the whale resources." It's about time the U.S. honored this treaty obligation. GLOBAL GUARDIAN TRUST Toranomon 3-7-5 Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105, JAPAN ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Apr 1995 18:17:50 -0400 From: Wende Evans Subject: Re: Orcinus orca dorsal fin research In-Reply-To: <9504091850.AA09372(\)sol.UVic.CA> I am writing to request information on Orcinus orca research with respect to the dorsal fin growth and breakdown of the cartilage producing flacid fin syndrome. Anyone with current research in this area please contact me directly. Thank you. Wende Evans evansw(\)ocean.nova.edu NSU Oceanographic Center Ft. Lauderdale, FL ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 09:13:29 PDT From: Ecoguy2336(\)aol.com Subject: Re: No Subject Line Response To Macnow Mr. Macnow: What you fail to include in your little missive here is the fact that the IWC has rejected EVERY scientific whaling proposal your client has proffered on the basis of scientific invalidity. The bottom line is that objective scientists see no merit in your client's approach and have exposed it for what it is: an effort to maintain the viability of the whaling industry until the moratorium is lifted. You also severely underestimate the validity of DNA research. If your client was really sincere about the long term viability of whale stocks, it would fund this research so that DNA techniques improve yet more. That, however, is clearly not Japan's objective. Incidentally, the fact that there are two separate stocks of minkes gravitates strongly against immediate resumption of whaling. Your client's scientists denied the existence of separate stocks for years; doesn't this reaffirm the need for more research? Wil Burns, Director, Pacific Center For International Studies, Madison, WI, USA. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 09:55:19 -0400 From: KFourn8461(\)aol.com Subject: Dolphins Plus info Does anyone have any information about Dolphin's Plus located in Key Largo? Experiences, policies, etc. Also, I would like some info and opinions on The Center for Marine Conservation. Is it a worthwhile organization? Does it really help in marine issues, etc. Thanks for your time. You can e-mail me directly or start a discussion on the list. Kathy Fournier KFourn8461(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Apr 1995 23:05:37 -0400 From: George Elston Subject: address ECS-ALL? In-Reply-To: <199504060132.VAA57742(\)tequesta.gate.net> Could anyone possibly provide me with the email address of the European Cetacean Society? Thanks? George Elston gelston(\)gate.net ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Apr 1995 19:51:34 -0500 From: mattyjv(\)merle.acns.nwu.edu Subject: whale prose Like Jonah Rosenfeld (message received on 7 April 1995), I am new to the field. Like all of you, I respect the grace and grandeur, as well as the scientific potential, of the great whales. But I am in no way a scientist, nor do I aspire to be one. I am a journalist, a writer, and I am interested in fulfilling a lifelong desire to write about marine mammals. I subscribed to the net one week ago, and in that time I have been reading your messages with great delight. I am a junior at Northwestern University in Chicago, and it isn't often that I get the opportunity to sit back and read intelligent comments about the only things in the world I love more than I love words. For that, I thank you all. I am looking for an opportunity to work side by side with cetologists like you, to observe the whales and dolphins you study, and to write about it all. In the past, I have published extensive articles about the history of Long Island (N.Y.) whaling, and Indian whaling along the east coast. Currently, I am working on a short piece about the beluga and pacific whiteside populations at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. I am a little uneasy about observing captive animals, but unfortunately, they are the only ones available for observation out here. Until I can get out to the Pacific Northwest, they will do. My ultimate dream is to observe and write about whales in the open ocean, and with the help of scientists like you, someday I will. Few non-fiction works of literature exist about cetaceans. Almost all extant material is scienfific, focusing on the practice and logistics of cetology, not the whales and dolphins themselves. I believe I can become the first successful author of whale prose. If any of you are working on projects and would not mind a quiet observer tagging along, please let me know. Also, if anyone knows of other scientists who might be interested in helping me out, please forward to them this message and the address below. --Matt Villano mattyjv(\)merle.acns.nwu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 10 Apr 1995 12:19:09 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION > JAPAN TO SEEK TREATY ADHERENCE AT UPCOMING WHALING MEETING OK, here we go again. The Japanese position outlined by Mr. Macnow is simply not tenable in international law. Please remember, as you consider it, a few important points: 1. Treaties bind sovereign states; however, sovereignty is an extremely important international legal principle. Sovereign states can only be bound by treaty language to the extent that it denies them discretion to make choices. In other words, if a treaty says, "You must be bound by the recommendation of such-and-so's committee", then the Parties, in signing, have yielded their sovereignty on the points involved to that committee and must abide by its recommendations. If, however, the treaty only says "You must consider the recommendations", then the Parties need only show that they have not ignored the recommendations; they are free to reject them, even if to do so seems to make little sense. The decision resulting may be, in some eyes, foolish or even wrong, but it is NOT in violation of the treaty. 2. Resolutions express the sense of the Parties but are NOT binding in the sense that treaty language is; therefore violating a resolution does not violate the treaty itself. With that in mind, let's look at some of the so-called "violations" Mr. Macnow is talking about: > The IWC was formed to carry out the provisions of > the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling > (ICRW). But, according to Japan, the IWC contravened impor- > tant provisions in the Convention when it improperly desig- > nated 13 million square miles of the Southern Ocean as a > whale sanctuary last year. And in doing so, it also un- > dermined the scientific basis of marine resource management > developed by its own Scientific Committee. As I have pointed out in earlier messages, there was nothing improper about the designation. Article V., par. 1. (c) specifically allows the designation of "open and closed seasons, including the designation of sanctuary areas". Par. 2 requires such a designation to fulfil certain conditions, as follows: "(a) shall be such as are necessary to carry out the objectives and purposes of this Convention and to provide for the conservation, development and optimum utilization of the whale resources;" [comment: these objectives are stated in the preamble, and include "the safeguarding for future generations of the great natural resources represented by whale stocks". I submit that the only way to violate condition (a) would be to take an action forever removing all whale stocks from "development and optimum utilization" - ie a global permanent ban on whaling. Clearly any sanctuary will prevent whaling in its waters, but not elsewhere.] "(b) shall be based on scientific findings;" [comment: note that this does not say whose findings! And it only says "based on"; to prove this is violated you would have to show that the majority of voting parties did not base their decision IN ANY WAY on ANY scientific findings - a nearly-impossible thing to do for those of us who are not telepaths. And if that seems like sloppy drafting - well, maybe it is, but that's what the treaty says, and its what the treaty says that determines what it means - not what the Japanese might wish it said.] "(c) shall not involve restrictions on the number of factory ships...." [not fully quoted as no such restrictions are involved] "(d) shall take into consideration the interests of the consumers of whale products and the whaling industry." [comment: note that this says "take into consideration"; not "be bound by"; anyway, if the sanctuary helps keep stocks from disappearing surely it is in the interests of those who might wish to exploit them in future outside sanctuary waters.] > The Japanese also admonished the IWC for failing to > review the decade-old moratorium on commercial whaling. The > amendment establishing the moratorium contained a proviso > requiring a review of the action by 1990 at the latest. > Now, five years later, the IWC still has not carried out a > review, which should result in the lifting of the moratorium > for some abundant species. Well, so say the Japanese - who, by the way, registered an objection to the original amendment to the schedule that established the moratorium... > Another instance of the IWC ignoring its legal obli- > gations occurred last year. In 1993, the IWC resolved to > alleviate in 1994 the distress caused by the commercial > whaling moratorium on four small traditional whaling com- > munities in Japan. Again, the IWC failed to do it. Once again, this is a resolution, not an amendment to the treaty. It is therefore not legally binding, though it does carry some force. > In the area of science, which is supposed to be the > basis of all conservation and management programs, the Japa- > nese faulted the IWC for failing to implement a newly devel- > oped Revised Management Procedure created by its Scientific > Committee after seven years of work. The failure to imple- > ment the Procedure, which would allow catches of abundant > whale species at levels well below annual reproduction rates > while fully protecting depleted species, caused the 1993 > resignation of the chairman of the IWC Scientific Committee. Again, there is nothing that requires the Parties to adopt the RMP; they have the sovereign discretion to reject or accept it. > In addition, the Japanese paper pointed out that > "new scientific findings, such as the population estimates > of 760,000 Southern Hemisphere minke whales, have not yet > contributed (to) any decision of the IWC." The paper also > criticized some members of the IWC for reacting negatively > to research programs that provide valuable data to the > Scientific Committee. Objections codified in resolutions passed by a majority of IWC members, year after year. > THE PRINCIPLE OF SUSTAINABLE USE based on the best > available scientific evidence has no exceptions from its ap- > plication. Whaling is not an extraordinary activity but is > one applicable area in the conservation and rational > utilization of wildlife and fishery resources. This is nonsense. The principle of sustainable use merely condemns (one would hope) unsustainable use; it does not require that any species be subjected to any particular use, even if that use be sustainable. Whale watching, by the way, is a form of use, and more likely to be sustainable than whaling. > > SCIENTIFIC FACTS, rather than political and emo- > tional factors, are the basis of any conservation and man- > agement measures of natural resources. Gosh, really! Does that mean that the Japanese will no longer use threats of economic consequences against small IWC members to force them to vote their way? This would indeed be a highly refreshing change from years of past practice. > > THE LEGAL INTEGRITY of the IWC must be maintained > through the judicious efforts of the responsible contracting > nations. In the past, the IWC has adopted several decisions > which contravene the objectives of the ICRW (the Interna- > tional Convention for the Regulation of Whaling), notably > its stated purpose as "a convention to provide proper con- > servation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly > development of the whaling industry." No contravention is involved. See above. The treaty does not define "the orderly development of the whaling industry"; an orderly development that would allow for a resumption of whaling in (say) a thousand years might be within the treaty's terms, even if that is not what its drafters intended (an irrelevant concern, by and large, in legal interpretation). > > DIVERSIFYING FOOD SOURCES is necessary to cope with > impending human population growth. Regional dietary cul- > tures should be duly respected and maintained as an integral > part of the cultural identity of the people concerned. All those who think that whaling will solve the world's hunger crisis, please raise their hands. In the meantime, I know of no legal principle respecting regional dietary cultures. Does that mean, say, that a culture that practices cannibalism as a tradition should be duly respected if they maintain their cultural identity by devouring their neighbours? > b. THE SOUTHERN OCEAN SANCTUARY was illegally created in > disregard of Article V.2(a), (b), and (d) of the Con- > vention, which require various specific conditions for > the promulgation of new IWC regulations. See above. No violation is involved. > (2) CORRECTING SCIENTIFIC NEGLIGENCE OF THE IWC which are > represented as follows: There is no principle of "scientific negligence" anywhere in the convention. > > a. NEW SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS, such as the population > estimates of 760,000 Southern Hemisphere minke whales, > have not yet contributed to any decision of the IWC. > Consequently, these scientific efforts have not been > fully utilized. According to whom? Presumably Japan would not regard any decision as having "fully utilized" these data (assuming they are correct) if it did not permit the Japanese whalers to have at the animals in question. Requiring this would force the Parties to cede their sovereignty to a set of data points. > > b. NEWLY DEVELOPED REVISED MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE for whale > resources have yet to be implemented by the IWC, dis- > regarding the effort of its Scientific Committee to > finalize the scientific aspects of the procedure. This may be tardy, but it is hardly "negligent". Changes in international law regularly make the mills of the gods seem like racing wheels, so what else is new? > > c. RESEARCH PLANS of contracting governments, as > represented by the research take of minke whales, con- > tinuously faced negative reactions from the non- > scientific members of the Commission despite the fact > that these research programs have provided valuable > data for its Scientific Committee. Who are the "non-scientific members of the Commission?" The members of the commission represent sovereign states. Could Japan inform us which countries are, in general, "scientific" and which are "non-scientific", and explain how they arrived at this conclusion? > > c. INITIATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FIRM RELATIONSHIP WITH > CITES by proposing a flexible procedure for the IWC > Scientific Committee to make scientific advice to the > CITES. This already exists; in fact the IWC was represented at the last CITES meeting, and spoke on the issue of Norway's unsuccessful attempt to downlist minke whales. The new listing criteria adopted at that conference require CITES to take the views of bodies such as the IWC into account, but do not require that the Parties abide by such views. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 01:38:56 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: No Subject Line > FROM: Alan Macnow > Consultant, Japan Whaling Association > > The statements made by ministers of New Zealand, Aus- > tralia, Chile, and France were part and parcel of those > countries's anti-whaling agenda, driven by strong animal > rights pressure groups. The statements reveal ignorance on > the part of those ministers of both Japan's research program > and Article VIII of the International Convention on the > Regulation of Whaling, which establishes whale research as > an obligation and unrestricted right of signatory nations. The bulk of this posting has been uploaded (and answered) before. In response to the above: The statements were made by these countries as sovereign members of the treaty. If this is not sufficient, then it is equally fair to say that Japanese statements are part and parcel of that country's pro-whaling agenda, driven by strong whaling industry pressure groups. Article VIII clearly permits countries to issue scientific whaling permits to its nationals, but does not require them to do so. Par. 3 requires the transmission to the Commission "insofar as is practicable, and at intervals of not more than one year, scientific information available to that government with respect to whales and whaling, including the results of research conducted pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article [on scientific permits] and to Article IV" [which refers to research that the Commission may request]. This falls well short of an obligation to conduct research of any kind, lethal or otherwise. Par. 4 requires the Parties to obtain data "in connection with the operations of factory ships and land stations"; in the context of the moratorium this paragraph means nothing. Further, as I have posted earlier, at the past several meetings of the IWC the Parties have overwhelmingly passed resolutions opposing the Japanese lethal research programmes. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 01:39:02 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: U.S. WHALING POLICY QUESTIONED > FROM: Alan Macnow > Consultant, Japan Whaling Association > > The following statement appeared April 9 on the Op-Ed page > of the New York Times. The sponsor is a wise-use non-profit > organization based in Japan. Which ought to say all that needs to be said about the following, but.... > We would argue that our culture and tradition deserve as > much respect and consideration as the American Eskimos'. But we > must point out that we would not harvest any whales as depleted > as the bowheads. And I would argue (though I don't like the bowhead harvest one bit) that there is a hell of a lot of difference between a very old, traditional harvest of a local species as part of a ritual procedure and the operation of high-tech whaling vessels at the other end of the world. > We do not want to take any threatened, depleted or > endangered species. Japan has been repeatedly identified as the world's largest customer for wildlife and wildlife products, including many species that are harvested completely unsustainably (including, for example, bears). Its actions in connection with the depletion of the world's rainforests, actions that put many species at risk, are well known. As for whales, though Mr Macnow disputes this, DNA analysis has provided evidence that meat from endangered whale species has, indeed, reached Japanese markets. > The IWC's Revised Management Procedures seek to rebuild > stocks to 72% of their original populations. An assessment of > population size is required, and possible catch quotas are held > well below annual reproduction rates. > The IWC catch quota calculations also factor in such un- > certainties as errors in population estimates and the possible > effects of global warming, ozone layer depletion, and pollution. Given that there is a great deal of argument as to the scope of these effects I fail to see how such factoring can be anything other than guesswork. > And last year, it joined with other nations ideologically > opposed to whaling to frustrate implementation of the IWC's > Revised Management Procedure. They arbitrarily designated 13 > million square miles of the Southern Ocean as a whale sanctuary, > in violation of the provisions of the international whaling Con- > vention. See my other messages on this point; no violation of the ICRW is involved. > We find it puzzling that the U. S. labels the sustainable > use of abundant whale stocks by other countries as "morally > wrong," even though whales are a traditional part of their food > culture. But the U.S. has no moral imperatives about the annual > killing for sport in its own country of over 7 million deer, > along with a million elk, antelope and moose, and thousands of > bears. Has any official US document made the claim alleged here? Anyway, this reminds me of an article I once read pointing out that those in Japan arguing in this fashion are, indeed, consistent in their attitudes towards wild species. They'll kill anything. > We know, of course, that the same animal rights pressure > groups that have succeeded in transforming whales into sacred > cows are also targeting hunting, cattle raising and other con- > sumptive uses of animals. But we cannot understand why a > responsible government would turn its back on the principle of > sustainable use in order to appease them. Then maybe they ought to listen to the arguments put forward supporting this position by responsible scientists. > In the face of growing population pressures, the world > depends upon implementation of sustainable use practices. They > should not be used when convenient, then rejected when dis- > comfiting to the political or economic interests of a powerful > country. Whaling will not feed the growing world population. And the principle of sustainable use, as I have said elsewhere, does not require that all species that could be used, should be used, or that if they are that all possible uses should be permitted. All it does is decry UNsustainable use. > The United States should promote the principle of > sustainable use equitably. And uphold the provisions of the IWC > Convention on whaling, which requires the U.S. and other sig- > natories to "provide for the conservation, development, and op- > timum utilization of the whale resources." > It's about time the U.S. honored this treaty obligation. By supporting the moratorium and the sanctuary, I believe it has clearly done so. > > > GLOBAL GUARDIAN TRUST > Toranomon 3-7-5 > Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105, JAPAN > A great name for a "wise-use" organization, dontcha think? -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 10:23:53 -0700 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION There's something else in the "scientific"side of this discussion that is being purposefully overlooked by either scientists involved in the "population assessments" of the Whaling Comission and the environmental activists that honestly bellieve that locking numbers on a table will restrict whaling in the future to small quantities of individuals taken sparsely. Now, this something else is the pure fact most population estimates currently available, and used by the Whaling Comission, are computer-aided guesses. We know precious little of the ethology and general natural history of most baleen whales, save from what can be learnt from tissue samples and other whaling by-products. The work done by the Whaling Comission's Scientific Committee, no matter how well accepted by traditional researchers who rely on statistical models, to me barely reflects any real-life situation. It is probably the "best scientific advice available", yes, but I hardly see how could it be used to justify real-life species management. Previous guesswork in whales, cod, South American land mammals, etc.etc. has done real-life harm to species and ecosystems, and I see no reason why society as a whole, as Japan insists, must be compelled to endorse its repetition once again only because it comes out of fancy computerware. Would anyone else like to comment on this specific matter? I posted this challenge before, but everyone around seems too embarassed either to agree or to burn me alive... Cheers, Jose ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 10:00:20 EST From: Thomas McIntyre Subject: Biologist vacancy announcement MARINE MAMMAL BIOLOGIST SOUGHT FOR 2 YEAR APPOINTMENT IN SILVER SPRING, MD WITH NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE: APPLICATION ADDRESS AND CONTACT: HUMAN RSRC SRVCS DIV, HQS/NMFS SRVCS BR, ROOM STATION 13704, 1315 EAST-WEST HWY, OA211, SIL VER SPRING, MD 20910, CONTACT: MARY BERKLUND, 301-713-0515 TDD: 301-713-0973 FAX 301-713-0553 ( TERM: NTE 2 YEARS) (NS) (S) (SSU) (SF-50) (1170/17) (TRANSCRIPTS) (PP:11 (DUAL) (DISAB) (EVAL) NMFS, OFFICE OF PROTECTED RESOURCES, PERMITS & DOCUMENTATION DIVISION. SALARY RANGE: GS-7 ($24,441-$31,770), GS-9 ($29,898-$38,869), GS-11 ($ 36,174-$47,025). AOC: LOCAL COMMUTING AREA. DUTIES: DUTIES ARE AT THE FULL PERFO RMANCE LEVEL. PROCESS MARINE MAMMAL AND ENDANGERED SPECIES PERMIT APPLICATIONS/ MODIFICATIONS AND AMENDMENTS, AGREEMENTS AND AUTHORIZATIONS FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND PUBLIC DISPLAY REQUESTS TO ENSURE A TIMELY AND EFFECTIVE PRODUCT. PROCESS FISH AND WIL DLIFE SERVICE/MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT APPLICATIONS, MODIFICATIONS AND RENEW ALS. CONDUCT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS OF PERMIT ACTIONS AND RESEARCH AND PREPARE OTH ER REPORTS. CONDUCT SECTION 7 CONSULATIONS UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT ON P ERMIT ACTIONS. ASSIST IN IDENTIYING PROBLEMS AND ISSUES AND MAKE RECOMMANDATIONS RELATING TO PERMIT PROGRAM POLICY. QUALIFICATIONS: GS-7 ONE FULL YEAR OF GRADUATE LEVEL EDUC ATION OR SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OR ONE YEAR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE EQUIVA LENT TO GS-5 LEVEL; GS-9 TWO FULL YEARS OF PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER LEVEL GRADUATE E DUCATION OR MASTER'S OR EQUIVALENT GRADUATE DEGREE OR ONE YEAR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE EQU IVALENT TO GS-7 LEVEL; GS-11 THREE FULL YEARS OF PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER LEVEL GRAD UATE EDUCATION OR PH.D. OR EQUIVALENT DOCTORAL DEGREE OR ONE YEAR SPECIALIZED EX PERIENCE EQUIVALENT TO GS-7 LEVEL; GS-11 THREE FULL YEARS OF PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER LEVEL G RADUATE EDUCATION OR PH.D. OR EQUIVALENT DOCTORAL DEGREE OR ONE YEAR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE EQUIVALENTTO GS-9 LEVEL. BBQRF:$EB 1) KNOWLEDGE OF SCIENTIFIC THEORY PRINCIPLES OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY; 2) EXERIENCE IN THE DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION & MANG EMENT OF COMPLEX PROGRAMS IN WILDLIFE RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT, PARTICIULARLY REGAR DING MARINE MAMMALS. 3) KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIOLOGY & ECOLOGY OF MARINE SPECIES, ES PECIALLY MARINE MAMMALS; 3) KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIOLOGY & ECOLOGY OF MARINE SPECIES, ESPECIALLY MAR INE MAMMALS; 4) SKILL IN ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION; AND 5) EXPERIENCE WORKI NG WITH DIVERSE INTEREST GROUPS CONCERNING CONSERVATION ISSUES & LEGISLATION. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 18:07:30 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: Re: address ECS-ALL? To join ECS mail list: To: Mailbase(\)Mailbase.Ac.UK Subj: Text: join ecs-all firstname (first name...) last name stop FYI, The European Cetacean Society will then send you information on the computer support group, that includes a statement saying that ECS retains the right to exclude you from ecs-all and associated lists if you are not an official member of ECS. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 19:46:17 -0700 From: Alan Macnow Subject: Re: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association On April 11, 1995, Ronald Orenstein of the International Wild- life Coalition wrote in response to my posting of Japan's IWC position: >1. Treaties bind sovereign states; however, sovereignty is an extremely >important international legal principle. Sovereign states can only be bound >by treaty language to the extent that it denies them discretion to make >choices. In other words, if a treaty says, "You must be bound by the >recommendation of such-and-so's committee", then the Parties, in signing, >have yielded their sovereignty on the points involved to that committee and >must abide by its recommendations. If, however, the treaty only says "You >must consider the recommendations", then the Parties need only show that >they have not ignored the recommendations; they are free to reject them, >even if to do so seems to make little sense. The decision resulting may be, >in some eyes, foolish or even wrong, but it is NOT in violation of the >treaty. Mr. Orenstein is correct on the point that treaty signatories are bound by treaty language that requires adherence, except in the case of lan- guage to which, as sovereign nations, they file objections or reserva- tions. Please note that the word "shall" denotes a mandatory require- ment. Article V(2) establishes a number of mandatory requirements that must be met in order to amend the Convention, including changes in the Schedule. None of the signatory nations filed objections or reserva- tions to Article V(2), therefore they are bound to comply with them. >2. Resolutions express the sense of the Parties but are NOT binding in the >sense that treaty language is; therefore violating a resolution does not >violate the treaty itself. > >With that in mind, let's look at some of the so-called "violations" Mr. >Macnow is talking about: > >> The IWC was formed to carry out the provisions of >> the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling >> (ICRW). But, according to Japan, the IWC contravened impor- >> tant provisions in the Convention when it improperly desig- >> nated 13 million square miles of the Southern Ocean as a >> whale sanctuary last year. And in doing so, it also un- >> dermined the scientific basis of marine resource management >> developed by its own Scientific Committee. > >As I have pointed out in earlier messages, there was nothing improper about >the designation. Article V., par. 1. (c) specifically allows the >designation of "open and closed seasons, including the designation of >sanctuary areas". Par. 2 requires such a designation to fulfil certain >conditions, as follows: > >"(a) shall be such as are necessary to carry out the objectives and purposes >of this Convention and to provide for the conservation, development and >optimum utilization of the whale resources;" The designation was illegal because it did not meet the mandatory re- quirements of Article V., par. 2. >[comment: these objectives are stated in the preamble, and include "the >safeguarding for future generations of the great natural resources >represented by whale stocks". I submit that the only way to violate >condition (a) would be to take an action forever removing all whale stocks >from "development and optimum utilization" - ie a global permanent ban on >whaling. Clearly any sanctuary will prevent whaling in its waters, but not >elsewhere.] Lawyer-like Mr. Orenstein is highly selective in quoting just one "ob- jective". The objectives, which are to be taken in their entirety and not out of context, do not contemplate the non-use of whale stocks but have as their goal the regulated harvesting of the resources. The ob- jectives contend that "the whale stocks are susceptible of natural in- creases if whaling is properly regulated, and that increases in the size of whale stocks will permit increases in the number of whales which may be captured without endangering these natural resources;" "it is in the common interest to achieve the optimum level of whale stocks as rapidly as possible without causing widespread economic and nutritional dis- tress;" "whaling operations should be confined to those species best able to sustain exploitation in order to give an interval for recovery to certain species of whales now depleted in numbers". Finally, the ex- plicit purpose of the Convention, to which all signatories are bound, is "to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry". Clearly, the Southern Ocean Sanctuary is not necessary to carry out all the objectives of the Convention and in fact will frustrate them. Moveover, it is in direct conflict with the purpose of the Convention: "to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry". The IWC has the means for proper conservation of the whale stocks: the Revised Man- agement Procedure (RMP). The Sanctuary would block application of the RMP to the Southern Ocean and prevent any development of the whaling in- dustry. >"(b) shall be based on scientific findings;" > >[comment: note that this does not say whose findings! And it only says >"based on"; to prove this is violated you would have to show that the >majority of voting parties did not base their decision IN ANY WAY on ANY >scientific findings - a nearly-impossible thing to do for those of us who >are not telepaths. And if that seems like sloppy drafting - well, maybe it >is, but that's what the treaty says, and its what the treaty says that >determines what it means - not what the Japanese might wish it said.] The point is not whose scientific findings but the fact that there are not any on which to base the Sanctuary. Even the proposer, the French Commissioner, admitted that the Sanctuary is purely political. >"(c) shall not involve restrictions on the number of factory ships...." [not >fully quoted as no such restrictions are involved] > >"(d) shall take into consideration the interests of the consumers of whale >products and the whaling industry." > >[comment: note that this says "take into consideration"; not "be bound by"; >anyway, if the sanctuary helps keep stocks from disappearing surely it is in >the interests of those who might wish to exploit them in future outside >sanctuary waters.] Mr. Orenstein is correct in his interpretation of the phrase "take into consideration." However, anyone who followed the statements of the pro- sanctuary IWC commissioners would know that their sole intention was to prevent any exploitation of whales whatsoever. >> The Japanese also admonished the IWC for failing to >> review the decade-old moratorium on commercial whaling. The >> amendment establishing the moratorium contained a proviso >> requiring a review of the action by 1990 at the latest. >> Now, five years later, the IWC still has not carried out a >> review, which should result in the lifting of the moratorium >> for some abundant species. > >Well, so say the Japanese - who, by the way, registered an objection to the >original amendment to the schedule that established the moratorium... Japan's objection is irrelevant. The failure of the IWC to carry out the required review is the pertinent fact. >> Another instance of the IWC ignoring its legal obli- >> gations occurred last year. In 1993, the IWC resolved to >> alleviate in 1994 the distress caused by the commercial >> whaling moratorium on four small traditional whaling com- >> munities in Japan. Again, the IWC failed to do it. > >Once again, this is a resolution, not an amendment to the treaty. It is >therefore not legally binding, though it does carry some force. It also demonstrates the insincerity and lack of integrity of the anti- whaling member nations. >> In the area of science, which is supposed to be the >> basis of all conservation and management programs, the Japa- >> nese faulted the IWC for failing to implement a newly devel- >> oped Revised Management Procedure created by its Scientific >> Committee after seven years of work. The failure to imple- >> ment the Procedure, which would allow catches of abundant >> whale species at levels well below annual reproduction rates >> while fully protecting depleted species, caused the 1993 >> resignation of the chairman of the IWC Scientific Committee. >Again, there is nothing that requires the Parties to adopt the RMP; they >have the sovereign discretion to reject or accept it. The RMP was developed at the direction of the IWC and to its require- ments. The IWC accepted it but has failed to adopt it. The Japanese are quite correct. >> In addition, the Japanese paper pointed out that >> "new scientific findings, such as the population estimates >> of 760,000 Southern Hemisphere minke whales, have not yet >> contributed (to) any decision of the IWC." The paper also >> criticized some members of the IWC for reacting negatively >> to research programs that provide valuable data to the >> Scientific Committee. > >Objections codified in resolutions passed by a majority of IWC members, year >after year. And we all know how objective the majority of the IWC is. >> THE PRINCIPLE OF SUSTAINABLE USE based on the best >> available scientific evidence has no exceptions from its ap- >> plication. Whaling is not an extraordinary activity but is >> one applicable area in the conservation and rational >> utilization of wildlife and fishery resources. > >This is nonsense. The principle of sustainable use merely condemns (one >would hope) unsustainable use; it does not require that any species be >subjected to any particular use, even if that use be sustainable. Whale >watching, by the way, is a form of use, and more likely to be sustainable >than whaling. Mr. Orenstein has a remarkable capacity for creating his own defini- tions. Sustainable use does not "merely condemn" unsustainable use but underlies the hopes and aspirations of the scores of under-developed na- tions at the UN Conference on the Environment and Development, who equate the term with development. It doesn't mean non-use either. >> >> SCIENTIFIC FACTS, rather than political and emo- >> tional factors, are the basis of any conservation and man- >> agement measures of natural resources. > >Gosh, really! Does that mean that the Japanese will no longer use threats of >economic consequences against small IWC members to force them to vote their >way? This would indeed be a highly refreshing change from years of past >practice. Japan has never used threats, of economic consequences or other, against small IWC members. On the other hand, Mr. Orenstein's organization, the International Wildlife Coalition (oh so cleverly named to allow them to put IWC on their adopt-a-whale fund-raising appeals) has. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 17:39:54 -0400 From: Damon Job Subject: Request for databases of NRM/forestry employers REQUEST FOR CONTACT DATABASES FOR ORGANIZATIONS EMPLOYING PROFESSIONALS IN NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT & FORESTRY IN THE USA FOR USE IN A GUIDE TO EMPLOYMENT. Hello; I am in the process of writing a Job Seekers Guide to Opportunities for professionals in Natural Resources Management and Forestry for the developing World. I would be most grateful for any lists of agencies, organizations, institutions, NGOs, and companies, etc. in the US (or US companies overseas) which hire professionals with skills in: 1. Natural resources management 2. Forestry If you have any databases, or know of their existence, I would be very grateful for diskettes, ASCII files, or contacts. The more information in the database, the better - this would include the following: Organization name Full Address Chief Officer Chief of Personnel Primary contact for employment Primary contact for scientific information Phone, FAX, E-mail for contacts Nature of business (General, and specific) Size of company (number of employees) A summary statement for the company A summary of the activities of the organization Types of people employed (normally) Number of employees (non-professional and professional) Turn-over rate? Years of operation Budget NOTE (copyright, credit, etc.): Credit will be provide to individuals/organizations, etc. donating contact databases. All information, when published, will be in the 'public domain' (i.e., not protected by copyright). No database will be used verbatim (plagiarized). Thank you to all who have or will taken time out of their schedules to dig out contact databases or just send in information about this or that organization. It is appreciated very much. PLEASE SEND FILES, INQUIRIES TO ME, NOT THE GROUP ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Damon A. Job djob(\)clark.net Consultant Biodiversity conservation, natural resources management, marine mammalogy, and internet use. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 13:45:23 -0700 From: Carol Howard Subject: Re: whale prose In-Reply-To: <9504111755.AA09821(\)biology.UCSC.EDU> I emphathize completely with your desire to write about cetaceans, and I hope you get the chance to live out your dream. I would suggest, however, that you look harder at the existing literature before you declare yourself the "first successful writer of whale prose." There are a whole lot of books (of varying quality) about cetaceans out there, many of which are not scientific in nature. You might try, for example, Ken Norris's books, especially "The Porpoise Watcher" and ""Dolphin Days," or Victor Scheffer's "The Year of the Whale" or Sam Ridgway's "The Dolphin Doctor" or Karen Pryor's "Lads Before the Wind." For something by a journalist, try Robin Brown's "The Lure of the Dolphin," among others. If your tastes are more literary, there's Joan McIntyre's "Mind in the Waters" and "The Delicate ARt of Whale Watching" or Elizabeth Gawain's "The Dolphin's Gift." (There's "Moby Dick," for that matter, and you can go back to the ancient Greeks as well.) I humbly add to the list my own "Dolphin Chronicles" (Bantam, in press), due out in December. Anyway, I believe there is quite a bit of whale prose (and dolphin prose) out there, if you keep looking. Which is not to say we can't use more of it, so keep writing, too. And good luck. Carol Howard (science writer and doctoral student in biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz) On Mon, 10 Apr 1995 mattyjv(\)merle.acns.nwu.edu wrote: > > Like Jonah Rosenfeld (message received on 7 April 1995), I am new to > the field. Like all of you, I respect the grace and grandeur, as well as the > scientific potential, of the great whales. But I am in no way a scientist, > nor do I aspire to be one. I am a journalist, a writer, and I am interested > in fulfilling a lifelong desire to write about marine mammals. > I subscribed to the net one week ago, and in that time I have been > reading your messages with great delight. I am a junior at Northwestern > University in Chicago, and it isn't often that I get the opportunity to sit > back and read intelligent comments about the only things in the world I love > more than I love words. For that, I thank you all. > I am looking for an opportunity to work side by side with cetologists > like you, to observe the whales and dolphins you study, and to write about it > all. In the past, I have published extensive articles about the history of > Long Island (N.Y.) whaling, and Indian whaling along the east coast. > Currently, I am working on a short piece about the beluga and pacific > whiteside populations at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. I am a little uneasy > about observing captive animals, but unfortunately, they are the only ones > available for observation out here. Until I can get out to the Pacific > Northwest, they will do. My ultimate dream is to observe and write about > whales in the open ocean, and with the help of scientists like you, someday I > will. > Few non-fiction works of literature exist about cetaceans. Almost > all extant material is scienfific, focusing on the practice and logistics of > cetology, not the whales and dolphins themselves. I believe I can become the > first successful author of whale prose. > If any of you are working on projects and would not mind a quiet > observer tagging along, please let me know. Also, if anyone knows of other > scientists who might be interested in helping me out, please forward to them > this message and the address below. > > --Matt Villano > mattyjv(\)merle.acns.nwu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 20:36:37 +0000 From: gomercic(\)olimp.irb.hr Subject: question about wild dolphin Prof. Dr. Hrvoje Gomercic Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia Phone: 385 1 418 749 E-mail: gomercic(\)olimp.irb.hr Dear Marmamers, we need some information from anybody who have experience with the wild dolphin behavior. Some ten days ago here, on the northern Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, in the bay of little town Bakar appeared a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), female, about 200-250 kg and since then she has not left the bay. As far as we could see she feeds only on dead fish that are thrown to her by people and she doesn't catch any fish swimming around her, by her own and it seems that she is very used to the company of the people. The questions are: 1. Do you think that it is normal for the wild animal to act in such a way, or is there a probability that she has escape from some dolphinarium? 2. Does anybody have any knowledge of the release of any female bottlenose dolphin in the Mediterranean Sea, namely Adriatic Sea? 3. How often and what quantity of fish should the animal of that size eat every day? 4. Do you have any suggestions on how to behave in order not to scare her away and keep her voluntarily in that area? Thanks for any answers and suggestions, Hrvoje Gomercic ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 16:53:33 U From: ahudson Subject: Request for Proposals EARTHWATCH announces a Call for Proposals on MARINE MAMMALOGY Earthwatch is a non-profit institution that sponsors scholarly field research in the biological, physical, social and cultural sciences. To date, Earthwatch has supported 1,850 research projects in 104 countries with $28 million in research grants and over 35,000 volunteer field assistants. The volunteers are well-educated and highly motivated individuals who are recruited, screened and trained to meet scientists' needs. The Center for Field Research is the affiliate organization of Earthwatch that develops and recommends program for Earthwatch support. The Center is now accepting proposals for field work on cetacean and pinniped biology, ecology and conservation. ELIGIBILITY Scientists, resource managers and others involved in marine mammal research and conservation are eligible to apply as individuals or as teams. Project Managers or Principal Investigators must oversee all field work through the production of project reports and policy recommendations. Professionals from any nationality, for work in any regional area, are eligible to apply. THE PROJECTS Field-based projects which address a broad range of questions and issues related to marine mammal research and conservation are encouraged, e.g.: o Photoidentification studies of marine mammal populations o Studies of the impact of human activities on cetaceans and pinnipeds o Research on marine mammal reproduction, behavior, and movement patterns o Investigations of marine mammal intelligence, communication and cognition o Studies that assess the impact of coastal pollution and development on marine mammals o Basic research on marine mammal ecology and biology GRANTS Grants range from $10,000 to $100,000 depending on project length and number of volunteer participants involved. Typical projects might employ 4 to 8 volunteers, from different professions on 3 to 6 sequential teams over several months. Project teams normally spend 7 to 15 days in the field as most participants are on leave from their professional organizations. Preliminary proposals should be submitted at least one year in advance of anticipated field dates and will be responded to within 30 days. Full proposals, if invited, will be peer reviewed. All correspondence should be directed to: Dr. Andrew Hudson o Acting Executive Director o The Center for Field Research 680 Mt. Auburn Street o Watertown MA 02272 o Phone 617-926-8200 o Fax 617-926-8532 o Internet: ahudson(\)earthwatch.org _______________________________________________________ The Center for Field Research An Affiliate of Earthwatch 680 Mount Auburn Street o Box 403 o Watertown, Massachusetts 02272 o USA Phone: 617 926 8200 o FAX: 617 926 8532 o Telex: 510 600 6452 o TCN ID: TCN1294 Internet: cfr(\)earthwatch.org PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL Please use this form or a convenient word processing application. Attach additional sheets as necessary. Principal Investigator(s): Position(s)/Institutional Affiliation(s): Address: Office phone: Fax: Home phone: E-Mail: Project Title: Discipline(s): Field Dates: Research Site: Research Objectives: Describe goals and include background and progress to date, both by others and by yourself. Methods and Techniques: Briefly describe your research design. Significance of Research: Please indicate the professional and popular significance of the research, its educational applications, and policy implications. Need for Volunteer Field Assistants: All investigations must include tasks for non-specialist field assistants. What tasks and responsibilities will be required of the volunteers in the field? A typical project consists of several 1-3 week teams. Please estimate the minimum and maximum number of volunteers per team, length and dates of teams. Staff Composition: Include name, age, highest degree or other credential, institutional affiliation, research specialties, and responsibilities in the field for PI(s) and professional staff. Budget Summary: Please indicate anticipated field expenses (food, accomodations, transportation, equipment) in support of volunteer field assistants, host country students, and staff. Earthwatch does not provide PI salaries or institutional overhead. Signature:________________________________________________ Date: _______________ Name (please print): __________________________________________ How did you first learn about CFR/Earthwatch?: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 10:28:46 -0400 From: Keith Ronald Subject: Re: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION In-Reply-To: <9504111856.AA29583(\)solar.nova.edu> re Jose's enquiry and the very interesting discussion taking place between the Japanese whaling supporters and Orenstein. I don't think Jose should be surprised at not receiving an immediate answer as his question leads to all sorts of discussion on range of accuracy of numbers of any wildlife species, it has been my experience that most pop. are estimate at plus or minus 25% or greater, hence management by humans is an imprecise "science", but although at times it approaches mythology it is the best we have, especially with marine species, and particurlaly with offshore species. The one thing that has clearly been stated by responsible scientists(that is before the politicians readjust the data to sensitize it for human home consumption-see turbot in a teacup war now taking place) is that an allowance be made for statistical inaccuracies, and the imprecise catch data, so that we tend to have conservative scientific TAC's bent by political will. Jose in closing don't feel bad , I asked earlier in this conference how long it took(on the average) for a large whale to be rendered unconscious after being stuck with a harpoon-the answers ???? We both hold our breath for an answer by a scientific observer who has witnessed the hunt over the last two years. Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor in Environmental Studies and Marine Biology Fellow of the University of Guelph, Fellow of the Institute of Biology,Fellow of Royal Geographical Society. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 09:19:05 PDT From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: U.S. WHALING POLICY QUESTIONED ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I tend to agree with good old Alan in one specific point: US policy regarding Bowhead Whaling for presumed "aboriginals" must be reviewed. In recent years, there has been increasing skepticism in the International Whaling Comission about the actual "need" of eskimos who send large delegations to international meetings and hire expensive lobbyists to present their case. Considering the estimated population size of the bowhead, there seems to be a real need for the US to re-evaluate its support for this "aboriginal" hunt. Oh, by the way, Alan, I also disagree wwith the " aboriginal" hunt of humpback whales and their calves by Bequian villagers supported by your friends in the Government of St. Vincent, but that would do for another story... ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 09:22:17 PDT From: Dolphintlf(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Whale prose ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Matt, As part of the research I'm doing for a book on the psychological/spiritual significance of cetaceans, I've compiled a list of circa 75 nonfiction, primarily nonscientific, titles on dolphins and whales. The list is far from exhaustive, and contains few great literary works, but you may find some titles of interest. Also, with the help of readers of alt.animals.dolphins, I've compiled a partially annotated list of circa 80 science-fiction and other-fiction titles with cetacean characters/themes. If you, or any other MARMAM subscriber, would like to receive either or both of these lists, I would be happy to send them to you. If interested, please contact me at the e-mail address below. I look forward to reading your future writings about cetaceans. Best regards, Trisha Lamb Feuerstein Integral Publishing, Lower Lake, California dolphintlf(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 09:31:05 PDT From: "David A. Brown" Subject: Re: Dolphins Plus info ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Does anyone have any information about Dolphin's Plus located in Key Largo? >Experiences, policies, etc. . . . >Kathy Fournier >KFourn8461(\)aol.com I have a book called _Dolphins and Their Power to Heal_ which contains a section devoted to reviewing some swim programs. Dolphins Plus is given one of the better reviews because the dolphins there are not forced to interact with people if they don't want to. Last year, I also visited Dolphins Plus and swam with the dolphins. My experience was not exactly what was described by the authors of the above book, but it was close. When I swam, there were three adult dolphins and one young one in the pen in addition to me, another woman and her daughter. The dolphins were not coerced in any way into playing with the swimmers (at times, I couldn't even tell there were actually dolphins in the water with me). I was also there the day before I swam. On that day three of the dolphins were out of their pens and swimming in a canal which led to open ocean. Theoretically, the dolphins could have left, but realistically it's very unlikely that they would (but that's another discussion). I don't have much to compare with, but I think the Dolphins Plus swim program is probably less stressful on the dolphins than most. The pens did seem pretty small to me but, like I said, I don't have much to compare to. Certainly compared to the wide open ocean the pens were very small. Recently someone posted something here that mentioned something about Dolphins Plus having a history of poor treatment of their dolphins or something to that effect (I don't remember exactly what was posted). I would be very interested to learn more about that. If that is true, I feel bad about giving them my money :( Hope I've been helpful or at least interesting :) David Brown Brownda(\)mscd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 09:56:18 -0700 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION I intend not to interfere with the joyful wrestling of Mr. Macnow and Dr. Orenstein but to express that, as a citizen of a sovereign member State of the Whaling Comission which no longer supports whaling (namely, Brasil) I feel strongly disgusted by his expression " lack of integrity" directed towards mine and other Nations. Lack of integrity is what his employers stamp on Japan's face by making its politicians run around the world offering bribelike " funding aid" in exchange for votes at the Whaling Comission. I am NOT in this case referring to the well-known cases of the Caribbean but to a past visit of a Japanese Prime Minister to Brazil, in the mid-80's when such a link between aid and votes for whaling was explicitly mentioned by him with no shame at all. Brasil, as many other Nations, freed itslef from the Japanese- driven whaling industry and its briberies. It is all too outrageous that an industry lobbyist has the dubious courage to write about " lack of integrity" in this forum after all that is known about it. Jose, Brazilian AND member of the Inteernational Wildlife Coalition - of which I have nothing but pride! ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 21:14:15 -0400 From: Artie Kopelman Subject: List of Presentation: 1995 NE Stranding Network Conference Below is a list of accepted presentations for the 1995 NE Regional Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Network Conference, taking place April 28-30, at the Ramanda Inn, Riverhead, NY. For information and registration, contact Sally Kiss at the Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation (1-516-728-4522) Daniel M. Palacios Whale Conservation Institute, 191 Weston Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 Cetacean remains and strandings in the Galapagos Islands P. Stevick Allied Whale, College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 Length comparison of individually identified humpback whales (Megaptera novaeagliae) stranded in the western Atlantic B. R. Whitaker1, J. R. Geraci2, A. Stamper1, D. Schofield1, and C. Steinert1 1National Aquarium in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD; and 2Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Ontario The near-fatal ingestion of plastic by a pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps Joy S. Reidenberg and Jeffrey T. Laitman Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029-6574 After the strandings: the use of postmortem specimens in studying nasolaryngeal function, including the biology of sound generating mechanisms. T. David Schofield National Aquarium in Baltimore, 501 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 The behavioral observations and rehabilitation techniques of an individual Kogia breviceps T. David Schofield and Gene J. Taylor National Aquarium in Baltimore, 501 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 There's a what in the bay? .... Safety issues with respect to the rescue and relocation of a wayward Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus) Damon Gannon1,3,4, James P. Craddock1, Andrew J. Read1, and James Mead2 1Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 2Mammal Division, U. S. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560 3Department of Biology, Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA 02325 4Plymouth Marine Mammal Research Center, P. O. Box 1131, Plymouth, MA 02362 Food habits of stranded long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) from the U. S. Mid- Atlantic coast Andrew J. Read & Kimberly T. Murray Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 Entanglement in small cetaceans: documenting evidence from observer programs and strandings Rosemarie Borkowski1, and Sentiel Rommel2 1Department of Environmental Studies, Wildlife Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536 and NMFS, Woods Hole, MA 2Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560 and NMFS, Woods Hole, MA Preliminary observations regarding morphologic characteristics of the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) thymus Frances Cresswell Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Stranding Coordinator, Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, 904 S. Morris Street, Oxford, MD 21654 Maryland marine mammal stranding events of 1994 W. Mark Swingle1, S. G. Barco1,2, W. A. McLellan2, D. A. Pabst2 1Virginia Marine Science Museum, 717 General Booth Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA 23451 2James Madison University Strandings of bottlenose dolphins and harbor porpoises in Virginia (1990-1994) Kieth Matassa, G.Early, B. Wyman, S. Rommel, and H. Krum New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02114 The stranding of a juvenile male pilot whale (Globicephala melaena); a case study P. P. Calle1, M. D. Stetter1, B. L. Raphael1, R. A. Cook1, C. A. McClave2, S. Massucci2, K. M. Walsh2, and S. Sadove3 1Wildlife Health Sciences, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 10460 2 Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation 3Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation Rescue, treatment and release of a long finned pilot whale (Globicephala melaena) Eileen Gerle and S. Sadove Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation, Inc. An evaluation of natural versus human induced mortality in sea turtles in the New York Bight. Robert P. Pisciotta1, K. Durham2, R. DiGiovanni2, S. Sadove2, and E. Gerle2 1North Fork Animal Hospital, 58605 Route 25, Southhold, NY 11971 2Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation, Inc. A case of invasive medical techniques employed in the treatment of a severely hypothermic Kemp's Ridley sea turtle. Deb Spangler Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation: Bear's journey home Dianne Taggart Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation: The "Seal Team" experiment Kim Durham Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation Carol House USDA, APHIS, NVSL, FADDL, P.O. Box 848, Greenport, NY 11944 A practical (very) short course in virology and serology and Emerging viruses Dennis M. Conlon Chief Oceanographer, Integrated Undersea Surveillance Program, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Arlington, VA 22245 Using the navy's undersea surveillance system to monitor whale activities Padraig J. Duignan Department of Pathology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario NIG 2W1, Canada Epizootiology of morbillivirus infection in North American harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) Cindy Driscoll National Marine Fisheries Service Bob Schoelkopf Marine Mammal Stranding Center, P. O. Box 773, Brigantine, NJ 08203 Right Whale in Philadelphia Dean Wilkinson National Marine Fisheries Service Kim Thunhurst National Marine Fisheries Service Samuel Sadove Okeanos Pilot whale capture and release (logistics and preparation) Mary Bess Phillips Commercial Fisher Commercial fisheries and marine mammals; fact and fiction -- Arthur H. Kopelman ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 22:42:16 -0800 From: Railroad Joe Subject: whales Hi! I have two research questions for my friend. Can you help in finding some answers? They are: 1 Info on how dolphins are being used in the Black Sea to assist with human childbirthing. The local healers are using them somehow, as "mid-wifes" of a sort, and the babies are being born under water. This is serious. I was in Oddessa and picked up on a bit of it, but need more input. Send replies to: IFJAD(\)ORION.ALASKA.EDU 2 How is whale song being used in bio-feedback for helping calm humans (does echo location mean something?). The student that is needing these resources in not on the nets, so I search. An clues are grateful. Send replies to: IFJAD(\)ORION.ALASKA.EDU Thanks bunches, Good Wishes, Joe Davis ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 11:15:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Japan's annual "research" whal Japan's annual "research" whale harvest arrives TOKYO, April 13 (Reuter) - A Japanese whaling ship returned to Tokyo on Thursday with 330 minke whales killed in the Antarctic during this year's "research mission," the Fisheries Agency said. Factory ship Nisshin Maru will unload its cargo, already cut and packaged, at Tokyo, the ministry said. Japan has killed about 300 minke whales annually since 1987 as part of what it calls research whaling. Environmental activists say this is thinly disguised commercial whaling as most of the meat, an expensive delicacy in Japan, ends up in restaurants. Commercial whaling has been banned worldwide by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) since 1985, but Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research can carry out "research" whaling on behalf of the government. "If we find that whale populations are getting older, then whaling should not be permitted, but if populations are getting younger, then whales can be safely culled," a fisheries official said. Japan, the world's biggest consumer of whalemeat, says successive research missions to the Antarctic have shown that stocks in some areas have recovered enough to justify the resumption of commercial whaling. As in previous years, researchers from Thursday's returning mission reported that the average age of the captured minke whales is lower than usual, indicating the population is growing. Japan intends to continue killing 300 minke whales annually for population studies for the next 16 years, modifying an original plan to take 825 per year over eight years to avoid political friction, the official said. The government will seek approval of the plan at the annual IWC conference, to be held next month in Dublin. Tokyo was isolated at last year's IWC conference in Mexico when the commission passed a proposal to create a whale sanctuary around Antartica by a vote of 23-1, with the only "no" vote cast by Japan. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 11:14:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Hong Kong's rare pink dolphins Hong Kong's rare pink dolphins win sanctuary HONG KONG, April 13 (Reuter) - Rare pink dolphins threatened by construction of Hong Kong's new airport will get a marine sanctuary, but a fuel depot in the middle of their feeding area will go ahead, the government said on Thursday. Construction of the air fuel depot was approved on condition it was built as quickly as possible and the environmental impact minimised, it said in a statement. But environmentalists remained worried that the sanctuary would not be set up quickly enough to save the bubblegum pink, grey and white dolphins from extinction. A spokesman for the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Hong Kong said other steps had to be taken to lessen the impact of construction on dolphins, like holding off work on the depot unless they were well out of the way. The dolphins, which swim and feed in some of the world's busiest and most polluted shipping lanes, are thought to be a sub-species of the Chinese white dolphin, although some experts have suggested they are a different species. They once thrived in the waters around Chek Lap Kok island, site of the new airport, but the whole island was blasted apart and tipped into the sea to make land for the airport. The dolphins have dwindled to less than 100 from four times that number a few years ago. The aviation fuel depot is to be built on Sha Chau island near Chek Lap Kok. The government commissioned a study into the dolphins, which have been found only in Hong Kong, when it realised the vast reclamation works for the airport threatened their existence. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 16:10:13 -0700 From: Pacific Whale Foundation Subject: Alaska Oil Lease Sale 149 (Cook Inlet) Received the following from: Olga von Ziegasar North Gulf Oceanic Society PO Box 15244 Homer, AK 99603 (907) 235-6590 e-mail: ISCOM(\)ALASKA.EDU This was in the form of a letter mailed to members of the North Pacific Humpback Whale Group, dated April 4, 1995. "I am very concerned about an oil lease sale that the Minerals Management Service (MMS) proposes for lower Cook Inlet in Alaska. Many baleen whales feed in and migrate through these and adjacent waters during summer months, including at least a quarter of the North Pacific humpback whale population. Lease Sale 149 includes two million acres from the lower Kenai Peninsula to the north end of Kodiak Island. The Barren Islands and Shuyak Islands, where about 150-200 humpbacks feed, border on the proposed sale area. The Environmental Impact Statement put out by the MMS predicts a 64% cumulative probability of two or more MAJOR oil spills and a 100% probability of minor spills. We were lucky that the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS) happened in March and there were very few baleen whales present when the oil was thick. Can you imagine what would have happened if the spill had occured in June or July? The currents are such that oil spilled in the lease area will go down Shelikoff Straits toward the Aleutians. This area is still suffering fromn extensive damage from EVOS. If you would like to speak out or to know more about Lease Sale 149, here is some information: Information regarding Lease Sale 149 can be obtained by calling Ray Emerson, Project Chief - Sale 149 EIS, Minerals Management Service, (907) 271-6652. Letters of opinion can be sent to: Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbit, US Department of the Interior, 1849 C St. NW, Washington, DC 20240. Please respond quickly. Hope to see you all at the conference in December." (signed) Olga von Ziegasar This is forwarded for your information. Aloha. Paul Forestell ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 11:47:09 -0800 From: Barbara Lagerquist Subject: pinniped tagging Hi, Does anyone out there have a current list of pinniped flipper tag colors and locations of tagging studies for the west coast of the U.S.? I'm part of the central Oregon coast stranding network, and in response to a call April 10, found a molting elephant seal on one of our beaches. It's a 2nd year animal (I think) with a yellow tag (# 4277) on its right hind flipper. I'd like to be able to provide this information to the people who tagged it, and would like to find out for myself where it came from. Please mail responses directly to me at the address below. Any help is greatly appreciated. Barb Lagerquist lagerqub(\)ucs.orst.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 14:58:08 -0400 From: Robert Kenney Subject: Re: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION On Thu, 13 Apr 1995, Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional) wrote: > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lack > of integrity is what his employers stamp on Japan's face by making > its politicians run around the world offering bribelike " funding > aid" in exchange for votes at the Whaling Comission. . . . Correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to recall during the initial efforts to pass the whaling moratorium in the IWC that the dues of some states were paid by environmental organizations or others so that their voting status would be maintained. Is that different? I take the Japanese Whaling Association's position to be that if a state becomes a signatory to a treaty which expressly states its purpose to be the development and continuation of the whaling industry, but that state's sole intent in signing the Convention is to vote for an end to whaling with no intention of ever changing that vote regardless of evidence, then one might reasonably interpret that action as making a promise with no intention of keeping it. I can't speak for anyone else, but if another person did that to me, I would certainly take it as evidence for at least some deficiency in integrity. I think it is clear that the International Wildlife Coalition (couldn't you have come up with another name? two IWC's is too confusing ;-) ) position is that killing whales for any purpose is wrong and that the moratorium on commercial whaling should be made permanent. Fine, I can respect that position. However, a state which takes that position simply should not have signed the Convention. Cheers, Bob Kenney ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 12:00:49 -0700 From: Jim Moore Subject: Aging whales I noted with interest that approximate age seems to be the one factor that Japanese researchers can't get from biopsy dart material (assuming blubber plugs can be used for pollutant analysis etc as well as DNA). I know *nothing* about the field, but there are plenty of people studying cellular aging in humans at least. Is there any way that age can be estimated from cells that might be present in a biopsy plug? Note that for purposes of population assessment (is the population getting older or younger) absolute ages would NOT be needed. For secular trends in sexual maturity, wouldn't length estimates of females accompanied by calves work approximately as well as dissection data? Thing about the cellular aging is that I can well imagine nobody ever trying it, since 'traditional' aging methods work and the combination of ethical/demographic arguments against sampling PLUS the ability to biopsy dart just hasn't come up in other taxa. cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 09:03:12 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff (4/14/95) Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Japanese Whaling. On Apr. 13, 1995, the whale processing vessel, Nisshin Maru, returned to Japan after having killed 330 minke whales in Japan's Antarctic research program. Japanese researchers reported seeing 27 blue whales and that the average age of harvested minke whales had declined indicating their population was growing. [Assoc Press, Dow Jones News] . Dolphin Feeding. On Apr. 4, 1995, Western Australia's Department of Conservation and Land Management prohibited hand-feeding of dolphins from boats in Shark Bay Marine Park after studies indicated an abnormal number of deaths among unweaned dolphins and some adult dolphin behavioral problems. Limited hand-feeding of dolphins will still be permitted at the Monkey Mia tourist area within the Shark Bay Marine Park under the supervision of rangers. [Australian Assoc Press] . Japan and the IWC. In early April 1995, Japan released a position paper outlining concerns that the International Whaling Commission acted improperly in creating the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, compromised marine resource science by not implementing the adopted Revised Management Procedure for commercial whaling, failed to review the moratorium on commercial whaling by 1990 as was required, and failed to act in 1994 on a 1993 resolution to address the distress the commercial whaling moratorium on four small traditional whaling communities in Japan. These concerns will be the basis for Japanese initiatives at the 1995 annual meeting of the IWC in Dublin in May. [Japan Whaling Assoc. press release] . Alaska Beluga Whale Workshop. On Apr. 7, 1995, the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee held a workshop in Anchorage to facilitate the exchange of scientific and subsistence information. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 02:42:27 -0700 From: Frederick Sharpe Subject: UNCONSCIOUS WHALES In-Reply-To: <199504122245.PAA13535(\)whistler.sfu.ca> from "Keith Ronald" at Apr 12, 95 10:28:46 am Concerning Kieth Ronald's request for information on the time it takes a whale to be rendered unconscious from a harpoon strike. This is not currently a hot topic in behavioral ecology journals, however, back isssues of the Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute (Tokyo) offer some insight into this question. An article on the occurence of minke whales off the coat of Brazil (1984, 34:17-38) states that the harpooned animals are first brought along side the ship, then the electric shock is applied. It reads: "Initially intermittent shocks are applied to which the whales respond violently. After these, a continuous current is applied for three minutes during which even the strongest whale becomes restrained, apart from some lashing of the flukes. This is soon followed by a drooping of the lower jaw". Another study found that sei, fin, and sperm whales vomited their stomach contents during "the long restless chasing of the catcher boats". (1971, 23:27-36) It was also found that depth to which a grenade tiped harpoon penentrated the blubber of a whale was a function of its diameter, mass, and velocity (1951, 6:199-207) The Japenese whaling industry was also interested in studies on the intelligence of cetaceans in the waters off of the Ryukyuan Islands. They ask: "It is still unknown if whether the humpback whales will be intelligent enough to change their migration routes because of the increase of catch intensity" (1960, 15:1-16) Some illumination on the social biology of killer whales was also provided from the more than 500 orca that were harpooned in the waters around Japan in the late 1940's and early 1950's. Nishiwaki & Handa (1958,13:85-96) write: "In spite of their fierceness, killer whale has an ardent passion for their children and comrades, and they strongly co-operate against any enimies or foods. So that they do not readily disperse. When a member of their group is killed, it is possible to catch others without moving the catcher boat far away." Other research findings include whale recipies where it was noted that meat sliced and seasoned with bitter orange juice, ginger soy, or grated radish "tastes very nice" (1952 7:51-67). It also mentioned that whale meat brought back from the Antarctic Ocean is nice, even if eaten raw. In 1961, the Japanese Whaling industry also reports on the impacts of their activities on western north pacific stock of the humpback whale (which is nearly extinct) by stating: "Judging from the results of the biological survey the stock of the humpback whales did not suffer heavy damages through whaling. The stock of whales is considered in fairly stable condition. It is suitable to give the highest limit of the number of catch as the quota". The Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute was published from 1947 to 1988. Fred Sharpe Simon Fraser University fsharpe(\)sfu.ca ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 21:51:23 -0400 From: Artie Kopelman Subject: Revised listing for NE Regional Stranding Network Conference Here is a revised version of the conference material. Note that this is the most recent listing and is subject to further modifications. ORAL PRESENTATIONS : (not in any particular order) Daniel M. Palacios Whale Conservation Institute, 191 Weston Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 Cetacean remains and strandings in the Galapagos Islands P. Stevick Allied Whale, College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 Length comparison of individually identified humpback whales (Megaptera novaeagliae) stranded in the western Atlantic B. R. Whitaker1, J. R. Geraci2, A. Stamper1, D. Schofield1, and C. Steinert1 1National Aquarium in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD; and 2Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Ontario The near-fatal ingestion of plastic by a pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps Joy S. Reidenberg and Jeffrey T. Laitman Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029-6574 After the strandings: the use of postmortem specimens in studying nasolaryngeal function, including the biology of sound generating mechanisms. T. David Schofield National Aquarium in Baltimore, 501 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 The behavioral observations and rehabilitation techniques of an individual Kogia breviceps T. David Schofield and Gene J. Taylor National Aquarium in Baltimore, 501 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 There's a what in the bay? .... Safety issues with respect to the rescue and relocation of a wayward Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus) Damon Gannon1,3,4, James P. Craddock1, Andrew J. Read1, and James Mead2 1Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 2Mammal Division, U. S. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560 3Department of Biology, Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA 02325 4Plymouth Marine Mammal Research Center, P. O. Box 1131, Plymouth, MA 02362 Food habits of stranded long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) from the U. S. Mid- Atlantic coast Rosemarie Borkowski1, and Sentiel Rommel2 1Department of Environmental Studies, Wildlife Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536 and NMFS, Woods Hole, MA 2Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560 and NMFS, Woods Hole, MA Preliminary observations regarding morphologic characteristics of the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) thymus Frances Cresswell Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Stranding Coordinator, Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, 904 S. Morris Street, Oxford, MD 21654 Maryland marine mammal stranding events of 1994 W. Mark Swingle1, S. G. Barco1,2, W. A. McLellan2, D. A. Pabst2 1Virginia Marine Science Museum, 717 General Booth Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA 23451 2James Madison University Strandings of bottlenose dolphins and harbor porpoises in Virginia (1990-1994) P. P. Calle1, M. D. Stetter1, B. L. Raphael1, R. A. Cook1, C. A. McClave2, S. Massucci2, K. M. Walsh2, and S. Sadove3 1Wildlife Health Sciences, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 10460 2 Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation 3Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation Rescue, treatment and release of a long finned pilot whale (Globicephala melaena) Carol House USDA, APHIS, NVSL, FADDL, P.O. Box 848, Greenport, NY 11944 A practical (very) short course in virology and serology and Emerging viruses Dennis M. Conlon Chief Oceanographer, Integrated Undersea Surveillance Program, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Arlington, VA 22245 Using the navy's undersea surveillance system to monitor whale activities Padraig J. Duignan Department of Pathology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario NIG 2W1, Canada Epizootiology of morbillivirus infection in North American harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) Greg Early New England Aquarium Bob Schoelkopf Marine Mammal Stranding Center, P. O. Box 773, Brigantine, NJ 08203 Right Whale in Philadelphia Samuel Sadove Okeanos Pilot whale capture and release (logistics and preparation) Mary Bess Phillips Commercial Fisher Commercial fisheries and marine mammals; fact and fiction Deb Spangler Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation: Bear's journey home Dianne Taggart Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation: The "Seal Team" experiment Kim Durham Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation Cindy Driscoll National Marine Fisheries Service Dean Wilkinson National Marine Fisheries Service Kim Thunhurst National Marine Fisheries Service POSTERS: Eileen Gerle and S. Sadove Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation, Inc. An evaluation of natural versus human induced mortality in sea turtles in the New York Bight. Robert P. Pisciotta1, K. Durham2, R. DiGiovanni2, S. Sadove2, and E. Gerle2 1North Fork Animal Hospital, 58605 Route 25, Southhold, NY 11971 2Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation, Inc. A case of invasive medical techniques employed in the treatment of a severely hypothermic Kemp's Ridley sea turtle. Kieth Matassa, G.Early, B. Wyman, S. Rommel, and H. Krum New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02114 The stranding of a juvenile male pilot whale (Globicephala melaena); a case study Andrew J. Read & Kimberly T. Murray Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 Entanglement in small cetaceans: documenting evidence from observer programs and strandings -- Arthur H. Kopelman ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Apr 1995 16:24:05 +0800 From: Chris Parsons Subject: Re: Hong Kong's rare pink dolphins In-Reply-To: <199504131757.AA04641(\)hk.super.net> On Thu, 13 Apr 1995 r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com wrote: > Hong Kong's rare pink dolphins win sanctuary > > HONG KONG, April 13 (Reuter) - Rare pink dolphins threatened > by construction of Hong Kong's new airport will get a marine > sanctuary, but a fuel depot in the middle of their feeding area > will go ahead, the government said on Thursday. > Construction of the air fuel depot was approved on condition > it was built as quickly as possible and the environmental impact > minimised, it said in a statement. etc.... The dolphins, which swim and feed in some of the world's > busiest and most polluted shipping lanes, are thought to be a > sub-species of the Chinese white dolphin, although some experts > have suggested they are a different species. Actually they're Indo-pacific humpbacked dolphins, Sousa chinensis. Chinese white dolphin was the name given to them by Per Osbeck back in the 18th Century, and now popularily coined by the local green groups. > They once thrived in the waters around Chek Lap Kok island, > site of the new airport, but the whole island was blasted apart > and tipped into the sea to make land for the airport. This is not Chek Lap Kok, but rather a pair of islands called the brothers, which were levelled from 60m above sea level to less than 8m. It was once, one of the best places to see the dolphins, in particular calves. This area is also the proposed locations for one of the sewage outfalls for the new airport. > The dolphins have dwindled to less than 100 from four times > that number a few years ago. 84 at the moment(Lindsay Porter pers. comm.), with a reported mortality rate of 6 dolphins in 1993, 7 in 1994. The actual figure is likely to be much higher (Parsons in prep) > The aviation fuel depot is to be built on Sha Chau island > near Chek Lap Kok. > The government commissioned a study into the dolphins, which > have been found only in Hong Kong, when it realised the vast > reclamation works for the airport threatened their existence. > Chris Parsons, Dolphin Research Group, Swire Institute of Marine Science, Cape D'Aguilar, Shek O, Hong Kong. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 21:55:32 -0700 From: Pacific Whale Foundation Subject: Conference Announcement The following notice was received from the Department of Environment and Heritage, Queensland, Australia. Please direct all enquiries to them. Aloha, Paul Forestell Conference/Workshop Announcement Encounters with Whales 95 will be held at Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia 26th - 30th July, 1995. The confernece/Workshop will address the development of whale watching in Australia; best practice and codes of conduct for the industry; regulation of whale watching in Commonwealth waters; priorities for research on whales and whale watching; development of education and information material. If you are: involved in whale watching; involved in research on whales and other cetaceans; a natural resource manager; or otherwise have an interest in the long-term conservation and mangement of Australia's whales and dolphins; Then make your views count. The conference/workshop is funded by the Australian Nature Conservation Agency with sponsorship from the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage. The Organising Committee is ANCA, QDEH, Australian Whale Conservation Society, WA CALM, Representatives from the Whale Watching Industry. Brochures and registration details will be avcailable mid-April. For further information contact: Kathy Colgan, ANCA: 06-2500273 (phone) 06-2500314 (fax) Tim Stevens, Queensland DEH: 07-2277783 (phone) 07-2251909 (fax) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 20:05:48 -0700 From: bruehler Subject: Potential research topics I am interested in finding a potential research topic for my thesis in toxicology. I currently work at a marine mammal rehabilitation facility on the west coast and have access to tissues from various pinnipeds and cetaceans that die or are euthanized. I have been swimming in journal articles for month and have yet to find a topic that is worthwhile or feasible. My current researc hideas have focussed on PCB's, TCDD's and their related compounds. I am particulary interested in their metabolites and their possible effects on male reproductive function, hormone levels or possibly thyroid function. My main concern is that these contaminants may not be of particular concern in my area o r possibly their is something more recent to pursue. If anyone has any contacts , references or ideas please contact me. Sincerely, Greg email:bruehler(\)ucssun1.sdsu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 16:16:41 -0400 Reply-To: Robert Kenney From: Robert Kenney Subject: SCOPEX special issue available A while back I announced that we would be making available copies of the SCOPEX special issue of Continental Shelf Research (vol. 15, no. 4/5, 1995). Just to refresh your memories, the ten papers in the issue are listed below. I have finally managed to work out the mechanism for putting money INTO a research grant, so the issues are now available for sale at our cost plus postage. Copies may be ordered for $34.00 plus $1.24 (U.S. addresses) or $3.12 (Canadian addresses) from: Robert D. Kenney University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography Box 41 Bay Campus Narragansett, RI 02882-1197 U.S.A. We can accept checks (U.S. funds only - made out to "University of Rhode Island") or institutional purchase orders (sorry, no cash or credit card orders). If you are outside the U.S. or Canada and would like a copy, let me know and I'll figure out the correct postage charge, or send your purchase order and we'll just include the correct postage amount on the invoice. If you have additional questions, contact me at: Tel: (401) 792-6664 Fax: (401) 792-6497 (working hours only) (401) 792-6160 (24 hr/day) Email: rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu PAPER TITLES: (reprints of individual papers are available from the authors) Kenney & Wishner, The South Channel Ocean Productivity EXperiment Kenney, Winn, & Macaulay, Cetaceans in the Great South Channel, 1979-1989: right whale (_Eubalaena glacialis_) Chen, Beardsley, & Limeburner, Variability of water properties in late spring in the northern Great South Channel Durbin, Durbin, & Beardsley, Springtime nutrient and chlorophyll _a_ concentrations in the southwestern Gulf of Maine Chen, Beardsley, & Limeburner, Variability of currents in late spring in the northern Great South Channel Wishner, Schoenherr, Beardsley, & Chen, Abundance, distribution and population structure of the copepod _Calanus finmarchicus_ in a springtime right whale feeding area in the southwestern Gulf of Maine Macaulay, Wishner, & Daly, Acoustic scattering from zooplankton and micronekton in relation to a whale feeding site near Georges Bank and Cape Cod Durbin, Campbell, Gilman, & Durbin, Diel feeding behavior and ingestion rate in the copepod _Calanus finmarchicus_ in the southern Gulf of Maine during late spring Durbin, Gilman, Campbell, & Durbin, Abundance, biomass, vertical migration and estimated development rate of the copepod _Calanus finmarchicus_ in the southern Gulf of Maine during late spring Winn, Goodyear, Kenney, & Petricig, Dive patterns of tagged right whales in the Great South Channel ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Apr 1995 16:08:02 -0700 From: Jim Moore Subject: Alternative to ATOC? The NY Times today (Saturday, 15 April) on p. 10 has an article about the use of microwave signals sent out by NAVSTAR satellites to measure air temperature by difraction in the atmosphere at elevations from ground level to 80 miles. Basically, the NAVSTAR satellites are the ones used for GPS; a just-launched "GPS/MET" satellite will pick up signals of NAVSTARs near occlusion & since locations are precisely known, difraction can be worked out (atmospheric water is a problem the proponents believe is solvable--ie, the system's not proven yet). If it works, a fleet of 50 - 100 GPS/MET satellites is envisioned. Sounds like it uses a technique conceptually very similar to ATOC and would collect spatially-averaged atmospheric temps that should permit trend analysis etc. As I understand it, ocean temperatures via ATOC would still be uniquely valuable for developing/calibrating global climate models, but GPS/MET might take some of the urgency away, justifying a go-slow-and-careful approach to the ATOC project ... ??? Opinions from climatologists out there? cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Apr 1995 16:11:34 -0400 From: Keith Ronald Subject: Re: UNCONSCIOUS WHALES In-Reply-To: <9504141813.AA09345(\)solar.nova.edu> Briefly, thanks for input, someone somewhere (unless scientists aren't what they used to be)must have done an eeg on a harpooned whale, but from your helpful list there is still no indication of time of death, it may be a bit like the old nicotine tranquilizers that rendered the animal motionless but probably traumatized it into extreme shock even before we did various experiments, but it was the universal immobiliser for years. KR. Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor in Environmental Studies and Marine Biology Fellow of the University of Guelph, Fellow of the Institute of Biology,Fellow of Royal Geographical Society. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 16 Apr 1995 12:30:35 +0700 From: "Michael K. Kliks" Organization: Institute of Zoology Subject: Re: Potential research on toxicological profiles in Caspian seals ********************************************************************* MEMORANDUM EkoSys Fond "Environmental Research and Education for Central Asia" TO: Mr Greg Bruehler San Diego State University FROM: Prof. Michael M. Kliks, PhD Executive Director Guest Professor (USA, Hawaii) Institute of Zoology National Academy of Sciences Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan Greetings from the Tien Shan foothills of Central Asia! In response to your request for potential research topics in the general area of toxicology of pinnipeds let me suggest that you might look into the relationship of pollution to the rapid and severe decline in the population of the endemic Caspian seal Phoca (Pusa) caspica. My group here has been doing what little we can to gather and assess info on this population and have been preparing a series of grant proposals to study infectious diseases, trauma, general rates of morbidity and mortality, reproductive biology, etc. We have and will be applying both to private companies and international agencies (UNDP-GEF, ISAR, IUCN,etc) for financing. I have attached recent documents related to our developmental efforts which may be of interest to you. I look forward to hearing from you. Aloha! MMK ********************************************************************* TEL: (011 7 3272) 480030; FAX: 673000 E-MAIL: michael(\)zool1.alma-ata.su END OF MESSAGE ************************************************************************ 1 March 95, Almaty I just got back from the Caspian Sea seal expedition: conditions there were extremely difficult: very cold, very windy, with salts and pesticides and sand scouring your face, but we did find material to collect samples from. .. all financed out of my own pocket as the local oil and gas patch folks didn't pony up any cash. The actual slaughter of the "byelniks", the fluffy white 2-6 week-old pubs is conducted far out to sea on the ice pack and is very difficult first to even locate (helicopter observations at $1000/hr) and then to get to by ship. . . typically the hunting crews stay out for 4-6 weeks searching the flows and the pack ice for small groups of females giving birth. . .we were not able to get out there. What we did find was a pile of 5000 or so 2 week old skinned caracasses near a processing shed in one of the most remote, bleak and bizarre settings I have ever seen south of the Arctic Circle! Because of the sub zero and windy conditions the bodies were rather well preserved and we got samples of liver, kidney, heart and diaphragm that will probably be OK for toxicological studies on residues of pesticides and herbicides and perhaps for heavy metal anaylyses. You'll love the videos I made. . .autovideography! It turns out that the Greenpeace folks were somewhere in the area but the local Russians and Kazakhs who dominate the seal trade we not friendly. . . so say the very least. We never saw them. There is strong evidence now that seals and dolphins and other marine mammals are particularly susceptible to the synergistic effects of organohalides from pesticides and herbicides and a nasty variant of the canine dystemper virus now recognized as "phocine distemper virus" and believed to have been responsible (together) for the massive fatalities of seals in several heavily polluted water bodies. . .up to 75% of some populations perished in the 1970-80 period. There is an excellent laboratory in the DC area which has studies such compounds in various seals worldwide, but not from the Caspian seal (Phoca [Pusa] caspica). . .I believe that we are the first to be able to get such samples as the area has been essentially closed for 50+ years. ****************************************************************************** MEMORANDUM EkoSys Fond "Environmental Research and Education for Central Asia" TO: Dr. Peter Reijnders, Chair IUCN SSC Seal Specialist Group Instituut voor Bosen Natuuronderzoek Zuikerhaaks 17, 't Horntje Postbus 167, 1790 AD Den Burg FROM: Prof. Michael M. Kliks, PhD (\) TEL: (+ 7 3272) 480030; FAX ++673000 Executive Director, ESF Senior Fulbright Research Fellow Institute of Zoology National Academy of Sciences Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan I have received your response to our messages sent via Mariano Dixon at IUCN HQ and thank you for your interest in our work and your valuable comments. I must however, reiterate my informed opinion that the matter was urgent (in the temporal sense) and remains urgent from both the scientific and social points of view. My own specialty area is wildlife diseases, particularly parasitic and infectious diseases; I have worked for more than a decade at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine and at the Cancer Research Institute on the parasite fauna of the Eastern and Central Pacifc Ocean areas, especially on Cetaceans and Pinnededs of Hawaiian and Californian waters. In this work I have collaborated with Drs. Murray Dailey, Bill Gilmartin and John Naughton. . . with the later on our very endangered Hawaiian Monk seal. I have also worked on materials from, and reviewed the literature on, the now extinct, or very rare Caribbean and Mediteranean Monk seals, and of all other species of the related gerera Phoca and Pusa. I was a guest scientist last winter at the Limnologiocal Institute's laboratories at Listvianka on Lake Baikal where we reviewed the status of P. siberica and formulated plans for a comparative, long-term study of that seal and P. caspica of the Caspian. Unfortunately, due to the policital chaos and economic crisis(es) here in Central Asia it has proven extraordinarily difficult to simply keep our scientists interested in the scientific enterprise and to keep out heads above the rising tide of anarchy and/or despotism. . .there is no science without politics! Just now we are fighting a desperate battle with the old guard Soviet era bosses of our Academy of Sciences which is essentially a repeat to the Reds versus the Whites! This is merely for background before I address the issues of "urgency" and the preparation of a "detailed proposal". In January, as stated in my Internet message, there was an urgent need for additional funding to observe the seal population, the harvest operations and to collect biological specimens from both newborn and adult seals out on the ice. The need was urgent because we had information suggesting that 1) the period of harvest would be very short, 2) that pregnant female population this year was much reduced and 3) that more abortions were being observed and that 4) the commercial harvest operations were so unprofitable that they might cease altogether. This information all originated from the persons who carry out the pre-harvest scouting 50-150 miles out in the sea from the port of Bautino (with whom we have developed very close relationships). Our concern was that if we missed this opportunity to have relatively easy access to observe the seals themselves and to collect tissue samples and make enternal and internal examinations for disease and traum and collect parasites, that there would not be another such opportunity. Therefore, we would not have the "ammunition" (i.e. recent, hard data) needed to support our claims that this population needs to be immediately studied and our opinion that this population is now "crashing" or will soon do so, until either a major expedition could be funded (2-3 years) or until the next pup harvest season (February 1996), if there is to be one! As it turned out our assessment of the situation was quite accurate. . .the Mangesclakskii Ribhodflot harvest teams managed only to find and take a very small fraction of the quota set for this year. . .the numbers have not yet become available to us. Does this scenario seem to be "urgent" to you, or at least are urgent as the deaths of a few thousand P. vitullina from phocavirus for which huge financial and manpower resources were mobilized in Western Europe during the past few years? I suppose that a good part of the lack of intertest in this matter by my international colleagues is that the Caspian is not exactly in their back yard and that any funding diverted from the limited international sources of funds must, necessarily, potentially divert money from their projects. And then there are the related probems of access and of failure to communicate needed imformation. The urgency of our mission to the Caspian this February was in part due to the fact that just getting to the Caspian Sea and maintaining a base of operations in the Fort Shevchenko or Bautino or Aktau towns is not an easy matter: there are few flights, it is a 10 day road trip from Almaty or 6 days on the train. There are few ammenities on the ground there outside of the major towns and the seals, when they do come close to shore do not do so in those areas. The land- scape is bleak, harsh winds blow constantly and carry cyrstals of salts and grains of sand and heavy metals, roads are terrible, vehicles are in poor condition, pertol is unobtainable during the summer season, the drinking water is badly polluted with everything immaginable, there are no laboratory facilities nor even simple shelters with electicity and water where field work can be carried out on shore. To get to the offshore seal populations is even more difficult and costly: to rent ones own vessel is $500/day, which is the equivelent of 3 years salary for a mid level scientist at our Institute! In one could get a vessel there is still the fuel problem, and then the question of the dozens of permits, documents, travel plans, requisitions and other Soviet era "paper chase" problems which one must deal with when confronted with armed police and goverment officials seeking large bribes to let you do what you already have permission to do from the central governmental authorities 1400 miles to the East! Even if one had a vessel and the diesel fuel for it and a crew one would still have to have the use of a helicopter (at $1000/hour) to find the general location of the seals out in the Caspian. . .or have the time to spend 3-6 weeks searching for them from the surface. In the Winter during the pupping season it may seem that this would be an easy matter. . .it is not. I have flown over hundred of square kilometers of pack ice for hours in the central breeding grounds and never even seen one animal! Thus, by accompanying the harvest crews during the February slaughter we would have been able to have direct and immediate access to the seals and a small laboratory in the mother ship at the edge of the ice: without this there could be no access to the seals during the Winter. Hence the matter was urgent from the standpoint of time. We were not able to go out with the havesting teams because we did not have funds to do so. However, using $1000 of my own funds, I took a 3 person team out to Aktau and to Bautino to establish essential contact, assess the logistical problems for future work and to determine if biological materials of some sort may be available. None of the scientists, institutes, agencies or businesses I contacted was able to provide funds for this work, but several US oil companies working in the area did give us excellent ground and air support and provided quarters and food for our team in both Atyrau and Aktau. We interviewed most of the leaders in the community and in the small business enterprises that depend on the seal harvest (and other marine resource exploit- ation). Apporoximately 500 people are employed in these seal-related businesses and/or derive direct or indirect income from them. Last year about 12,000 partially processed pelts were sold to a Russian fur processing plant for approximately $400,000. The value of the chicken feed and the poultry products derived therefrom has not yet been eistimated. We would want to write into any scientific and technical proposal a complete socio-economic study to determine the costs and benefits and sustainability of these seal- based enterprises. The leadership has expressed an interest in capturing more of the added value of the seal pelt business by establishing a processing plant in their own community insead of sending the pelts to Russia. . .at least double the income could be achieved by this. They are also interested in diversifying their marine and terretrial resource exploitation base to include other fishes and camels, goats and sheep carcasses and hides. . . they, at least, have seen the writing on the wall, and it said "Urgent!". The nearby Mangaschlak Pennunsula is home to more camels and goats than any other area in Central Asia and most of the hides and carcasses are not being processed into leather and feed due to a lack of infrastructure and investment capital. In the opinion of our group diversification and a phased (if not immediate) abandonement of the seal harvest is to be highly recommeded. Through our contacts we had access to a pile of more than 3000 newborn seal carcasses which had been skinned and were to be processed into chicken feed. >From this population we collected samples of heart, diaphragm, liver and kidney from 18 animals. Parallel specimens of these samples were fixed in both formol and hexane. The seal carcases had been exposed to ambient temperatures for between 5 and 10 days at, or below 0oC. The organs appeared to be grossly normal. If you could help us to make contact with a laboratory which could assay these samples for organohalides and heavy metals we would be most grate- full. During this field trip we attempted to find a boat which could take us out to' the harvest area 130 miles away; but this was impossible. The manager of the harvest fleet did contact his captains by radio and asked them to provide us with current data on the estimted population of pregnant seals, non-pregnant females, adult males, yearlings, and of abortions, as well as of the number of newborns slaughtered. Those data will soon be avalaible, and will be very useful, even though they are not strictly speaking, "scientifically rigorous". There are virtually no reliable data from the last 10 years on this population and even those data collected during the "best of times" (Soviet era) are probably not relaible by Western standards. We also arranged for several whole pups and adults to be killed, frozen and brought back to Bautino to be stored frozen until we can return and study them and collect more specimens. Our current plans call for us to return at the end of this month or in early May (again, at my expense) to collect a few adults and immature animals and to set up a "Moribund and dead seal watch" program which may also provide additional material for study. . .however, just to get from Almaty to Atyrau by air to study such materials costs $450 per person for air fare alone. Again in August-September we will collect samples from moribund and dead animals which tend to congregate in the shallow waters of the deltas of the Ural and Volga Rivers where an annual "Sanitary Shoot" is conducted by 2 (formerly) State Collective Farms, now privitized, virtually ucontrolled and almost certain to be overzealous in their sanitization activities. The seals taken in this Fall harvest are processed into blubber oil used in various medicines and industrial processes and into animal feeds. The quota has in the past been 1500-4000 animals, which almost certainly exceeds the number which are actually moribund and/or aged and appropriate targets for culling. This enterprise provides jobs and/or direct and indirect income for approximately 375 persons: the total economic value is not known to us at this time. We do agree with your assessment that "a detailed study plan should be developed and reviewed" and that such studies "involve the proper people (both local and from other places)" and we (urgently) invite you and your colleagues to do so. As for the need to prioritize the importance of this work "in relation to a broad array of consevation issues": there are so many critical issues to choose from that one can simply become overwhlemed by it all. I will leave this to IUCN SSC Seal Specialist Group to sort out. . .one could argue, for instance that saving the 600,000 Homo sapiens sapiens post-sovieticus who are slowly but inexorably dying from diseases direclty related to the horrible (inhumane?) environmental conditions in the Aral Sea Disaster Zone ought to take priority over any and all other conservations issues. I would not so argue, mainly because the humans can think and shout and protest and get up and leave and abuse the habitat elsewhere, but Phoca (Pusa) caspica cannot. **************************************************************************** MEMORANDUM EkoSys Fond "Environmental Research and Education for Central Asia" TO: All Pinnipedia:Phocidae Researchers FROM: Prof. Michael M. Kliks, PhD (\) FAX/TEL: (011 7 3272) 480030 Executive Director, and Senior Fulbright Research Fellow Institute of Zoology National Academy of Sciences Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan SUBJECT: Population Dynamics, Morbidity and Mortality Studies on the Caspian Seal, Pusa (Phoca) caspica. Our group of zoologists at the Institute of Zoology and Zooveterinary Institute here in Almaty is concerned about an increasing number of anecdotal reports suggesting that the population of the Caspian seal is under severe stress due to high levels of industrial and agricultural pollution originating in the Volga and Ural River Basins. Due to recent changes in political structures funding has not been available to the institutions and agencies usually responsible for monitoring the population dynamics and overall condition of this economically and culturally important resource. The annual harvest of about 16,000 adults and pups on the ice pack each February is determined by a quota set by those agencies based on their most recent field work. No accurate field estimates have been made by those agencies in the past 5 years or more; hence, quotas may not have been set at appropriate sustainable levels. We have prepared (or are preparing) a series of field and laboratory research proposals to study and monitor over time the Caspian seal population, including: a helminth faunal and morbidity survey, a survey of protozoan, bacterial and viral disease morbidity, and a basic population dynamics study to evaluate community structure, stability and reproductive parameters with particular attention to perturbations in food webs and general nutritional status. Colleagues from the Limnological Institute at Lake Baikal (Siberia) and at the Astrakhan Research Institute have also expressed interest in participating in this long-term, multidisciplinary project. Unfortunately, governmental and private sector funding for such important and timely studies is totally lacking at this time in the Central Asia Republics. We are, therefore,making an international appeal for assistance in the form of collaborative partnerships between ourselves and US, North American, European, and Japanese (or other) research institutions, both governmental or private. We anticipate that programmatic funding would be sought from sources such as the WWF-USAID Biodiversity Conservation Network Grants Program, the United Nations Environmental Program (Global Environmental Facility), the IUCN-World Conservation Union, ISAR, IREX and similar programs. In addition to the long-term project outlined above we believe that for political and scientific reasons it is imperative that basic field collection work begin during the current "harvest" season: this request is URGENT! The slaughter of seals on the pack ice has already begun and will continue until the end of the month; hence, the "window" for scientific work during this season is rapidly closing. We have sufficient funding from private donors to send only a 2 person team for 10 days to conduct a limited number of post- mortem exams on board the "mother ship" during the harvest this month. We have solicited additional funds from several foreign-owned petrochemical companies operating in the Caspian Basin (Chevron, Mobil, Shell, British Petroleum, Agip, etc) but the outlook is not promising. Therefore, your immediate attention is requested to assist us in locating $5000-8000 to increase the size of the field team and sample population. Participation by guest scientists can be readily arranged for those who may wish to directly participate in the field or laboratory work with our colleagues here. MMK ***************************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 16 Apr 1995 21:37:59 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: JAPAN SAYS WHALING SANCTUARY VIOLATES TREATY 15-Apr-95 07:21 pm Regular International JAPAN SAYS WHALING SANCTUARY VIOLATES TREATY Tokyo, April 15 Kyodo - Japan has criticised the International Whaling Commission's decision to establish a whaling sanctuary in the Antarctic Ocean as a violation of an international treaty, according to a position paper made available yesterday. Japan submitted its position paper ahead of the IWC's annual general meeting, scheduled to start on May 29 in Ireland, Government officials said. The IWC decided at a general meeting in May last year to bar all commercial whalers from an area of the Antarctic Ocean south of 40 degrees south latitude and in some areas below the 60th parallel. The sanctuary was approved by 23 member states of the commission, with only Japan voting against the measure -- it lodged an official objection in August last year. In the position paper, the Japanese government said the introduction of the sanctuary could not be recognised because it ran counter to the international whaling treaty, which deemed that any amendment to the treaty had to be based on scientific grounds and be necessary for conservation, development and the best use of whale stock. The Government also reiterated its policy of continuing Japan's whaling for scientific research in the sanctuary despite criticism from anti-whaling nations, adding that Japan had always provided the IWC's science committee with valuable data. On the issue of whale meat allegedly smuggled into Japan, the paper said Tokyo was prepared to supply its data for the exchange of information on international meat trading. Whale meat is a traditional delicacy in Japan. But the Japanese chapter of environmental group Greenpeace blasted the Japanese move, with one member saying Tokyo could not obtain international confidence if it cited only that ``scientific'' data that supported its allegations. ``The best way to prevent smuggling of whale meat is to stop research whaling and terminate domestic meat distribution,'' said Junko Sakurai of Greenpeace Japan. KYODO krm KYODO krm ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 16:59:22 BST From: Margaret Klinowska Subject: Re: UNCONSCIOUS WHALES In-Reply-To: <"ppsw1.cam..298:16.03.95.16.37.23"(\)ppsw.cam.ac.uk> Unless it has happened in the last year or so, nobody has done eeg on a harpooned whale (or even on a dying stranded animal). S.C. Kestin (1995) Welfare aspects of the commercial slaughter of whales. Animal Welfare 4: 11-27 contains a summary of death times in modern hunts and of modern equipment. The death time data are from a variety of sources and hunts, and thus may not be strictly comparable. Margaret Klinowska MK10(\)uk.ac.cam.phx Animal Welfare and Human-Animal Interactions Group, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 11:25:00 LCL From: "Anderson, Gordon" Subject: Whale Watching Conference/WS FIRST NOTICE OF A CONFERENCE/WORKSHOP ON WHALE WATCHING JULY 26-30 1995 HERVEY BAY, QUEENSLAND "ENCOUNTERS WITH WHALES 95" A preliminary notice on the Conference/Workshop was forwarded on MARMAM by Paul Forestell/PWF, fo which I am grateful. What follows is slightly more detail, with brochures to come out "soon" to a general circulation list and to any that ask for them. If you want to be put onto the Mailing list for the Conference/Workshop, send your contatc details, including eMail addresses to : Kcolgan.ancacbr(\)anca.erin.gov.au. Any sent by return to me ganderso.ancacbr(\)anca.erin.gov.au will be forwarded. "Encounters with Whales '95" is intended, in Conference and focussed workshop sessions, to provide an opportunity for those involved in cetacean conservation and whale watching - managers, the industry, eductation and research - to participate in looking ahead at whale and dolphin watching in Australia. It has an unashamedly national focus, with the intention of drawing on a wide range of international experience in that process. At present the timetable provides for registration and the formal opening pm Wednesday 26/7/95, followed by two and a half days of Conference /Worshop sessions that will cover: * A national perspective on whale watching in Australia * An international overview - what we can learn from the International experience; * Whale Watching, tourism and the national and regional development process; * Best Practice for whale watching operators; * Education and whale watching * Research priorities for whale watching; * Development of legislation for management of whale watching. * Panel discussions, including the role of public education; research priorities, issues in management; * General Workshop sessions on legisaltive development and education. That will be followed by afternoon 29 July to afternoon of 30 July of : * Workshop sessions of invited participants , and parallel working field trip opportunities, which will examine: - proposed federal whale watching measures; - research priorites; - a Code of Practice for Operators - major components of an education and information program Conference/Workshop close at 15:30 30/7/95. Opportunites for pre-and post-conference whale watching at Hervey Bay and other sites in Australia active in late July. if you are interested, or want more information, contact Kathy Colgan, me by return email, or the facsimile and telephone numbers below: Kathy Colgan, IWC and Marine Wildlife Unit Australian nature Conservation Agency (ANCA) PO Box 636 CANBERRA CITY ACT 2601 Australia +61-6-2500273 (phone) +61-6-2500314 (fax) Tim Stevens, Department of Environmetn and Heritage (QDEH) +61-7-2277783 (phone) +61-7-2251909 (fax) Gordon Anderson ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 11:43:49 +0200 From: Frode Skarstein Subject: Papers to the IWC scientific commitee Hi all! Lately I have run into several references such as "Paper SC/##/#### to the IWC Scientific Comittee". Could people let me know what they think of the credibility of this "journal", how papers are "accepted" and so on. Please reply to me personally at frodes(\)ibg.uit.no Thanks in advance! Sincerely, =46rode Skarstein ____________________________________________________________________________= _ =46rode Skarstein Telephone: 776 44384/Fax 776 45= 600 Department of Ecology/Zoology ftp or http://tirpitz.ibg.uit.n= o University of Troms=F8 email: frodes(\)ibg.uit= .no Norway talk: frodes(\)darwin.ibg.uit.n= o ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 16 Apr 1995 19:19:03 -0400 From: Jonah Rosenfield Subject: cetacean questions Dear Fellow Marmamers: First of all, I would like to thank those scientists who wrote to me regarding the questions I asked about present and future research in cetacean biology. I am in the process of writing them back. I would also like to say that I was a bit dissapointed by the few number of responses I received. I wish there would have been more. I hope someone will start a discussion about where research is going and where the funding will come from in the future. Thanks. I also have two questions, if anyone has amswers. 1.) Why have evolution selected concious breathing as the respiration mechanism of the cetaceans. . Does anyone know of a theory that would explain this? or have suggestions of their own. 2.) Does anyone know if it is possible to insert genetic variety into a gene pool that has been severely depleted over the years. I do not know if this technology is possible or how it could be done. It was just a question that popped into my mind the other day. Thanks to anyone who can provide some insight. Sincerely, Jonah Rosenfield jrosenfi(\)mbcrr.harvard.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 16 Apr 1995 23:02:44 +0000 From: Chris Stroud Dear All, The following posting is meant to stimulate discussion on the role of marine mammal scientists, conservation and the politics of marine mammal 'management'. There has been considerable debate on the role of the IWC and the nations that make up its membership. This briefing takes up the challenge of the legality of the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) and its role in marine mammal management. All comments are very welcome. International Conference on Marine Mammals and the Marine Environment: Lerwick, Shetland 20 & 21 April 1995 This briefing is designed to alert you to the nature and agenda of the conference sponsor, 'The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission', (NAMMCO) NAMMCO is a controversial organisation, with its roots in efforts by the Governments of Iceland and Norway to challenge the global authority of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to regulate whaling. NAMMCO was established in 1992 by agreement between the fisheries ministries of Iceland and Norway and the Home Rule Governments of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Its creation was the culmination of several years of negotiations and preliminary accords among the four parties, spawned in the late 1980s by their dissatisfaction with the IWC's global moratorium on commercial whaling. The whalers have made it clear that they see NAMMCO as the "responsible" alternative to the IWC, i.e. an organization which will allow catches of marine mammals at levels seen fit by the whalers. This it cannot do. NAMMCO, for the reasons explained below, has no authority to manage whales and cannot take over the functions of the IWC. Any quotas that it sets would be without authority and nations exercising such quotas would be pirate whalers. Some points to note: (1) Threats that any such organisation could have any legitimacy in international law as an alternative to the IWC are hollow. The conservation and management of whales is, according to Article 65 of UNCLOS, to be accorded special status, noting cetaceans as "highly migratory species". The IWC is the only international organisation that can fulfil this role. (2) Faroes and Greenland are semi-autonomous territories within the Danish Kingdom. If either enters an international agreement which, through its statutes or through decisions taken under its auspices, violates the Danish Kingdom's international commitments under another international agreement (e.g. the IWC), the agreement signed by Faroes and/or Greenland would have no legal standing in Denmark, Greenland OR the Faroes. As long as Denmark remains a member of the IWC it is bound by the IWC's moratorium and other decisions; The Faroe Islands and Greenland could not be part of another organisation which took decisions contrary to Denmark's IWC commitments. (3) UNCED agreed, in Agenda 21, that the IWC is the responsible organisation for the conservation of whales and the management of whaling. While Agenda 21 refers to "sustainable utilisation of living resources" throughout, it makes a specific exemption for cetaceans by reaffirming that their exploitation may be regulated more strictly than that of other "living resources", including by a total prohibition on catching. (4) NAMMCO fails to qualify as a legitimate regional management organisation under international law. Under NAMMCO's founding statute, coastal states to the North Atlantic do not have an automatic right to join the organisation if they were to decide to do so. The Articles of Association of NAMMCO state that membership is open to other parties "with the consent of existing signatories". This immediately puts NAMMCO at odds with the intention of the United Nations Law of the Sea, and contrasts with the open membership policy of the IWC. NAMMCO's bid to replace the functions of the IWC in the North Atlantic has had no success so far. All other North Atlantic states that are IWC members are fully committed to the IWC's work. The two other North Atlantic states invited by the four founders to become full members of NAMMCO, Canada and Russia have not done so. The IWC maintains its moratorium on commercial whaling with the support of a clear majority of its members, including Britain - where public backing for the moratorium is overwhelming. The UK - a founding member of the IWC - has been among the majority of IWC states clearly opposed to the notion that NAMMCO has any legitimate role in the management of cetaceans in the North Atlantic. In a letter dated the 17th March 1995 the UK's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food stated, "...it is the UK's firm view that the International Whaling Commission is the appropriate international body to manage and conserve cetacean stocks in the North Atlantic, and indeed world-wide." At the U.N.'s 1992 Earth Summit, the NAMMCO parties failed to win support for their position that regional organisations in general could be entrusted with responsibility for the management of whaling; by consensus agreement the governments of the world gave that responsibility to the one valid international organisation - the IWC. In a 10 April 1992 press release from the Royal Department of Fisheries (Norway) it was stated "....As a field of operation in the beginning for NAMMCO will be the management of small toothed whales and the regional stocks of seals". However, some observers saw the organisation as a clear threat to the IWC: "Officially NAMMCO is to be a supplement to the IWC, but the way NAMMCO has organised itself makes it clear that it aims to take over management of the North Atlantic whale stocks", reported the Norwegian news agency NTB from Torshavn. In June 1992 Iceland quit the IWC and Norway announced that it would resume commercial hunting in 1993 in defiance of the commission's six year ban on the hunt. Norway and the Faroe Islands have since also threatened to withdraw from the IWC. Norway hunted around 2,300 minke whales a year prior to 1980 before reluctantly stopping the hunt after the 1987 season. Since then, Norway's whalers have carried out a prolonged "scientific hunt" in order to supply a limited domestic market and more lucrative, but illegal, foreign export market. In 1995 the Norwegian government has dropped the pretence of 'science' and has indicated that its minke whale hunt will be for purely commercial gain. NAMMCO's only way forward, in trying to establish itself, is to put its direct confrontation with the IWC in the background, and try instead to win international acceptability initially on less openly controversial aspects of the whaling issue. Recently NAMMCO has started taking steps to build a credible presence for itself in the field of scientific study. The April meeting is one such example. Through this process the organisation has been able to flash out its version of a "shadow IWC"; increasingly its committees and its activities mirror the IWC's own agenda. Indeed the IWC just hosted a very similar meeting on contaminants and marine mammals in Bergen, Norway during March 1995. The report of the third NAMMCO Scientific Committee meeting (Copenhagen 31 January - 3 February 1995) indicates how the NAMMCO Parties regard the effect of habitat degradation for marine mammals. The report attempts to address the issue of the "Impacts of Marine Mammals on the Marine Ecosystem". This is a strange way of viewing the marine environment and human impacts. Indeed, it totally fails to comprehend that marine mammals do not, in fact, have 'impacts' on the marine environment but are integral parts of, and defining elements of, the marine ecosystem. The NAMMCO position is more fully understandable when one goes onto read that any future management programmes must be defined with respect to "how much importance is given to biological and economic factors". In defining its future work programme the NAMMCO Scientific Committee stated that the "Committee felt that priorities need to be identified for future work, but felt that impacts of marine mammals on the marine ecosystem should be considered in some depth. Mention was also made of environmental aspects as an area relevant for the Committee's future consideration. It was further noted that the forthcoming NAMMCO Conference on Marine Mammals and the Marine Environment in Shetland (20-21 April 1995) would provide an important source of information for future discussions in this area". NAMMCO remains committed to the exploitation of marine mammals. By attending, or supporting this meeting, the participants are directly helping NAMMCO to succeed in fulfilling its political agenda and the continued exploitation of marine mammals Chris Stroud Campaigns Director Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) Alexander House, James St. West, Bath, Avon, BA1 2BT, UK Tel: (44)1225 334511 Fax: (44)1225 480097 E-mail: CStroud(\)WDCS.cityscape.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 16:34:36 -0400 Reply-To: "Mark B. Wise" From: "Mark B. Wise" Subject: Assistance with Tursiops info Greetings all! I'm working on a project and need some important information ASAP regarding Tursiops life history. First: Can anybody give me some information regarding neonates? How long should a dolphin be considered a neonate? several weeks? a few months? I've heard some people refer to them up till about age one. To me, 10-12 months is a yearling. Secondly: What is the average length of a Tursiops at birth? I realize the difficulties in making length/age comparisons; however, I would assume newborns to be in a relatively narrow range. Finally: Although dolphins show obvious signs of sexual activity throughout the year, do females go through any type of typical estrous cycles? Or, what is the likelihood of giving birth throughout the year? AND Does the likelihood differ geographically? For instance, do dolphins found in warmer waters off Florida have a greater likelihood of producing calves throughout the year than do dolphins in Virginia? I would appreciate ANY information! Literature citings would be EXTREMELY beneficial. Thank you in advance for your assistance!!! Mark Wise ps. I lied! I have one more question: Is there any information in the literature regarding the growth rate (lengths) of Tursiops from newborns to age 1??? Thanks again!! -- Two roads diverged in a yellow wood... One's own self conquer is better than all other people conquered; not even a god could change into defeat the victory of a man who has vanquished himself. from the Dhammapada Mark Wise-mbw(\)po.cwru.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 20:09:17 EDT From: northlin(\)cris.com Subject: Dolphins Plus I saw the following message on newsgroup alt.animals.dolphins. I thought I would post it here in response to the recent request for info on Dolphins Plus. * FORWARDED MESSAGE * ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hi, I received a phone call Saturday from the owner of Dolphins Plus and he faxed me a letter this morning. Below is the letter from Dolphins Plus to me in its entirety. >From Dolphins Plus, Inc., Research and Education Center To Angie and Jimmy Paul 4/15/95 Hello, The thread you read on the internet was full or errors, some of them invented, some totally untrue, some old rumors that have been proven untrue long ago but are nice to mention if one wants to cause trouble for someone. I would not ordinarily respond to a letter like this because the writers of letters like this automatically assume that everything they hear and read must be gospel. I will take your letter paragraph by paragraph. 1. Yes we were contacted by Universal to use several of our dolphins in an updated remake of FLIPPER. We were very interested because they promised that we would have input to the script to make sure that dolphins were not portrayed in a negative manner or mis-used in the filming. We were to have it in the contract that WE would be the judge of what went on concerning the welfare of the animals. We insisted that we would not move the animals to the Bahamas for a month or two, that six months would be the least time of stay in the bahamas. This would give them time to adjust. 2. Dolphins Plus was not started to protect dolphins from being moved and I can assure you that this was never said. When Dolphins Plus started in 1980, it was to go into the show end for dolphins at a theme park. This was the only thing going at that time. Due to the way my son, Richard, acclimated our first dolphins into captivity, by getting them to trust humans, we attracted the attention of Dr. Betsy Smith who had long been animal assisted therapy with autistic children. When she cam to us with these children she noted that visitors to our facility had many questions about dolphins. She suggested making a presentation from these questions and inviting the general public in for an environmentally focused program about dolphins and the environment they live in both in the wild and in captivity. This led to allowing qualified persons go into the water with the dolphins as a part of this program. This became successful and we felt relieved that we would not have to go into the show route with the logistics of transporting our dolphins for two or three month shows. Further we never did work in aquariums overseas where we moved the dolphins to warmer water. All of the aquariums were year round facilities. I don't believe you were told that transport was EXTREMELY HARMFUL for the dolphins. Of course there can be a certain amount of stress to a creature that is totally out of its element, but this applies to humans also, not all humans LOVE to fly and some are very stressed out when they have to. Some dolphins take transport in their stride other do not like it. One must know ones animals and select which would be the best candidate for travel, this we did. (My son has made over thirty successful transports with dolphins and other marine mammals. Dr. Robert Stevens, our veterinarian, has made many more successful transports during his full time duty with Sea World. Between them, they have transported small dolphins and whales and between them they have not had even an injury to an animal during transport. It boils down to, "It's not that difficult for the transporter or the animals, if one knows what one is doing.") 3. We did not only pick the Keys because of year round warm water. Dolphins live comfortable in waters much colder than our water (which may get down to low sixties in winter) and they don't have to be moved. We mainly picked the Keys for the water quality. Our present location is on the only flow through canal on Key Largo, meaning that we have full tidal action, as our canal is open on both ends to the Atlantic. BUT, our water clairty is not always the best, not for filming. We looked throughout the Keys for constant clear water, in a setting for filming, to no avail. 4. Why did Dolphins Plus consider this idea? This is a rather naive question. Of course money was one of the key factors. This money we could improve our facility. We could expand our therapy programs with local handicapped persons. We would have more money to pay for the costs of rehabilitating sick, stranded, beached marine mammals. (one of which we have a present in our adjacent quarantine basin.) Promotion of Dolphins Plus? No thank you, we have a lot of nut-cases out there protesting and they (without our paying them) keep up the promotional work. [I'm scared this might get too long for one post so I'll stop here and finish posting this letter in a second post]. Angie ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 20:21:40 EDT From: northlin(\)cris.com Subject: Dolphins Plus cont. This is the second part of the posting from Dolphins Plus. I am not agreeing or disagreeing with anything stated here; I am simply posting it as an item of interest. P.S. The address in the header is not my e-mail address. I am using someone else's e-mail to post this. David Brown Brownda(\)mscd.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------- * FORWARDED MESSAGE * Okay, here is the rest of the letter..... Angie 5. Universal could use dolphins already in the Bahamas....I understand that they did contact UNEXSO. UNEXSO has on going programs and did not have any dolphins free for the length of time needed for filming. UNEXSO could not be that willing to give up their present business, just for the film. There was not that much to be made for the time involved. Universal is now attempting to use some dolphins from the swim programs on Nassau. If they get these animals, they will probably have to pay top dollar (and these animals will have to be transported to the filming site also) because at present these animals are in a highly profitable swim program that caters to the cruise ship business. One of the main reasons that Universal came to us is because of our keeping record, we have never lost an animal during transport. Also you said that the UNEXSO dolphins are already trained for open ocean work. What is open ocean WORK? Trained for filming work? Trained for open ocean swim program? That's why it is not so easy to use dolphins already there. 6. Who is stupid enough to knowingly state that there are no standards in the Bahams for captive dolphin care. There are currently more than enough standards in the Bahamas to insure care for the animals. (in some cases their standards are stricter that here in the US). This is not a backwoods country. But why would this concern us, if our dolphins did go to the Bahamas? We have our own standards of animal care and I can assure you they are more severe than at most other facilities. This is backed up by our keeping record. If you now feel that we are not in this business for the protection and love of dolphins then you did not get much out of your visit to our facility. We will match our record to that of ANY repeat A N Y other facility in the WORLD. 7. Reprimanded by the AMMPA? Ask the AMMPA what their individual or combined keeping record is for marine mammals. If it were true, don't you feel that either USDA or National Marine Fisheries Service would have acted or have you been led to believe that no government agency is capable of making even one right decision? Yes, we did receive a letter from one individual connected with the AMMPA, which was so ridiculous, we threw it away without any response. AMMPA has no reprimanding authority nor a good enough record of keeping animals to be in a position to reprimand anyone else. 8. Nothing has happened to the dream of being a research center helping handicapped persons. Last year we allowed the Florida Back Institute to use our facility for studies on chronic-pain syndrome. The DATA foundation still works here with local service for special needs children in our school system and with the childrens shelter and with pre-school handicapped children. This year we have turned half of our facility (the north side) to Dolphin Human Therapy, Inc. for full time work with handicapped children from all over the world. We still have our orientation program like the one I assume you went through. We still work with schools and universities. We still save stranded animals and release them back into the open ocean. And as you stated, "and last what happened to the Dolphins Plus I knew that were against moving and transporting dolphins?" Dolphins Plus was never AGAINST moving and transporting dolphins. UN-NECESSARILY, yes. INCORRECTLY, yes. We have moved and transported dolphins for others who came to us because of our expertise in this area. 9. What about filming wild dolphins and using mechanical versions? A mechanical version is to be used in this film but it is very limited in what it can do. As to filming bits and pieces and then fitting them together with film of the mechanical one would wind up being rather crude. Todays movie-go'er is to sophisticated to accept out of context film clips patche together with shots of a mechanical dolphin. Again, I think you are being naive on this point. You have been alluding to many of the phony sayings spouted by the so-called caring groups and coalitions. 10. If you have told many friends about your experience here at Dolphins Plus, I thank you. But if you truly feel that we are not what you thought we were, I am sorry. If you feel so strongly about this internet information that you must take back all the good things you have said about us, I am also sorry. But, I can do nothing about that and we will have to learn to live without your support. 11. I have responded to you, even though I feel that we have no obligation to respond to any National Inquirer type of crap that was put out to the internet and other areas by the self-serving groups and coalitions that do nothing but complain about the condition of the world and how negative everything is BUT do nothing positive themselves. Where are all these complainers when we have a mass stranding and need 24 hour volunteers to care for sick and injured animals? Where is the US humane society going with their complaints about dolphins care when they are killing dogs and cats by the thousands? Is the information on the internet FALSE? I know it is, but it is for you to decide. You say, "so we can send our protests to the appropriate place." First of all I still don't know what there is to protest against. So far, no one has made a valid claim that can be legitimately protested against. 12. Why would I want to post something on the internet? Those that ARE interested and concerned will contact us and I will just sent them a copy of your letter and my answer. Finally, with all this hub-bub, no one has bothered to ask us if we are going to participate. As of this writing, we are not. NOT because the protestors frightened us away. Mainly because Universal has still not met all of the conditions under which we would participate. Should they do so, I am sure that we will participate AND if we do I hope you will enjoy the film. Sincerely, Lloyd A. Borguss I have added a copy of a memo we sent to Universal early in our talks. For Universal Studios 20 Feb 1995 To Whom It May Concern: It has long been a goal of Dolphins Plus to set up an open water retirement complex for marine mammals. A facility located in a temperate climate, with unrestricted access to open ocean water. Marine Mammals that were no longer needed or wanted by show facilities, aquariums, etc., that could have a home with open ocean access but could still be cared for if they so desired. Injured or stranded animals that were nursed back to health but were deemed to be unreleasable for any reason could spend the rest of their life here knowing that they would be fed if they could not catch their own food, but would have the benefits of open water access. Only in recent years has the general public of the world shown a real concern for the plight of marine mammals throughout the world. Educational programs like the one here at Dolphins Plus facility in Key Largo and the positive results achieved with the use of dolphins in Animal Assited Therapy, has the public come to know that these animals deserve better treatment than we have shown them in the past. Along with programs like ours, it has taken motion pictures such as Free Willie and the original Flipper film and later the Flipper series that has brought these animals closer to us in our general lives. A film, such as the one you are now producing, could go a long way toward furthering understanding and concern for our marine mammal population. Perhaps as a result of the success of this film, a small portion of any profits and a small portion of any profits from sales of marketable items resulting from this film could be channeled into developing such a safe-haven facility for marine mammals. I feel that the tremendous good-will from such a gesture could be very beneficial as a promotional tool for this film. I feel that at least this idea is worth more detailed discussion. Richard Borguss ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 11:28:00 LCL From: "Anderson, Gordon" Subject: Dolphin programs in Israel Request for information I have had an enquiry from a presenter wishing to do a review program on a couple of swim-with-the-dolphins establishments in Israel, to whom I would like to provide some background information. One is a group running programs for tourists and possibly handicapped children at ? Dolphin Reef ? near Eilat, the other, which may have been closed down now, was running something in a dolphinarium in ?Tel Aviv?. I'd appreciate any information, including contact details if possible for those or any other operations in that area. Would be of interest to know the dolphin species involved at Eilat. many thanks Gordon Anderson ganderso.ancacbr(\)anca.erin.gov.au ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 22:37:07 EST From: CHRISTINE HIEBELER Organization: Long Island University/Southampton Subject: dolphin therapy programs Since the subject seems to be coming up now and then in the mail, I was wondering if anyone had alist of all the dolphin therapy programs in the world? I am very familiar with the Dolphin Research Center because I did a co-op program there and had the opportunity to observe Dr. Nathanson. I know of some others in the states, but new places seem to be popping up everyday. Thank- you Christine Hiebeler LIU/Southampton chiebel(\)sunburn.liunet.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Apr 1995 00:16:17 -0400 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Navy seal forward ANIMAL PEOPLE has just received the following inquiry, which the MARMAM people may be able to answer more thoroughly than we can: Date: Mon, Apr 17, 1995 1:44 PM EDT From: Otaraiid Subj: navy seals To: AnmlPeople Hello Merritt, At TMMC, we have what we belive to be an illegally released navy seal....we havent been able to determine if he was castrated ( as we dont have the "key" to get him to rollover), and he wont open his mouth to see if he has a tattoo....but he stages, and is WAY WAY too old to have ever lived on his own and be in the state he is in....he is healthy, about 5 yrs old ( estimate), and wont eat live fish....we tried everything to get him to eat them....he was released two times, having restranded twice , having lost about 80 lbs each time....having eaten nothing based on our formulas..... Do you have any information on the possible release of navy seals recently? ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Apr 1995 10:32:19 PDT From: Alan Macnow Subject: Re: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association I believe that failure to keep one's word demonstrates a lack of integrity. I also believe that Jose Truda Pallazo Jr. demonstrates a lack of integrity by trying to smear Japan with unsubstantiated allegations. Jose, document your charges or keep your peace. I notice that Brasil is getting millions of dollars in grant aid from Japan even though Brasil continually votes against Japan. Japan, as many Marman readers know, is now the world's largest donor of economic assistance and probably the largest donor of environmental assistance. It's very low to bash Japan for helping needy countries, Jose. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Apr 1995 10:35:37 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: FIRST WHALE OF THE SEASON SPOT ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- QLD: FIRST WHALE OF THE SEASON SPOTTED OFF FRASER ISLAND BRISBANE, April 13 AAP - The first humpback whale of the season has been sighted off Fraser Island in south-east Queensland. A ranger with the Kingfisher Bay whale-watching resort, Rod Hillman, said whales had begun moving from the Antarctic to the warmer shallow Queensland waters to coincide with the birth of their calves. The humpbacks would become a familar sight off Fraser Island from now until the end of October, he said. Mr Hillman said the most exciting part of the whale-watching season was in August when the whales began to head south and stopped over to rest and play in Platypus Bay, on the western side of the island. Usually two or three pods could be seen every day, and each pod spent three to five days at the bay, although some stayed up to two weeks. The single whale spotted this week was moving along the eastern beach of Fraser Island close to the shore, just north of the Maheno shipwreck. "Imagine coming face to face with a creature weighing the same as 11 elephants and then watching as it propels its 15 metre body out of the water with just a few flicks of its powerful tail," Mr Hillman said. He said it was estimated whales were increasing in number by 10 to 12 per cent each year, and there was now a total of 2,000. "This is still a critical level to save them from extinction but it now seems that if they continue to increase at this rate they have a secure future," Mr Hillman said. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Apr 1995 10:38:52 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: From California Assemblyman ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Newsgroups: alt.animals.dolphins >From California Assemblyman, 39th District, Richard Katz: Last year, intense, misleading lobbying by Anhauser Busch (owner of Sea World) defeated AB 3006, which would have prohibited the landing of wild dolphins and whales on California state land. As a result, Anhauser Busch and other entertainment parks can still violently capture marine mammals and display them in small, shallow fish tanks. However, I'm determined to win our fight to protect wild marine mammals. I've introduced AB 1737, which would prohibit the possesion or display of newly-caught wild dolphins, whales, porpoises, seals and sea lions in California. This bill will not, however, impact important research on these magnificent species. AB 1737 will be heard in the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee in early May. To beat the beer companies and keep wildlife free, I need your help! Your letters of support to committee members by *April 14* will have a tremendous impact. I've enclosed a list of committee members. Please inform the committee members of your support for the bill and encourage your friends and colleagues to do the same. If special interests like Anhauser Busch win in Sacramento, an initiative campaign may be organized for the 1996 ballot. I am confident that, with your active support for AB 1737, we will succeed in keeping marine mammals where they belong - in the ocean. ------------------------------------ WATER, PARKS, AND WILDLIFE COMMITTEE State Capitol, Sacramento CA 95814 Members: Dominic Cortese (Chair), Room 6031 Peter Frusetta (Vice-Chair), Room 5175 Doris Allen, Room 6028 Jim Battin, Room 2002 Robert Campbell, Room 2163 Sal Cannella, Room 5155 Denise Moreno Ducheny, Room 2170 Dan Hauser, Room 2003 Kevin Murray, Room 4167 Keith Olberg, Room 4102 Charles Poochigian, Room 2130 Brian Setencich, Room 2158 Bruce Thompson, Room 2179 ----------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Apr 1995 10:39:54 PDT From: Jeffrey Lindsey Subject: Re: Pinniped Tagging ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Hi, >Does anyone out there have a current list of pinniped flipper tag >colors and locations of tagging studies for the west coast of the >U.S.? >I'm part of the central Oregon coast stradning network, and in response >to a call April 10, found a molting elephant seal on on of our >beaches. It's a 2nd year animal (I think) with a yellow tag >(# 4277) on its right hind flipper. >I'd like to be able to provide this information to the people >who tagged it, and would like to find out for myself where it came >from. >Any help is greatly appreciated. >Barb Lagerquist >lagerqub(\)ucs.orst.edu Barb, I work at the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro (Los Angeles), California. We are a pinniped rehabilitation center serving the Los Angeles County coastal area. According to our records, obtained from the Southwest Regional National Marine Fisheries Service office in Long Beach, the Santa Barbara Marine Mammal Center was issued tag numbers 4201-4600 by NMFS. There is no indication of the color of the SBMMC tags. You can try contacting SBMMC directly for information (sorry I don't have their number) or the Southwest Regional NMFS office in Long Beach at 310-980-4000. NMFS's address is 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Floor B, Long Beach, CA. P.S. Our tags are orange and start with the number "3". Jeff Lindsey ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Apr 1995 09:19:32 PDT From: SCAMMP Subject: Flipper Action Alert Withdrawal ******** ACTION ALERT WITHDRAWAL ******** April 18, 1995 We recently posted an action alert concerning several potentially problematic aspects of the upcoming movie "Flipper". During the past two weeks, intensive discussions have taken place between members of the Gadfly Coalition of dolphin/whale advocates and representatives of Universal Studios and Flipper Productions Ltd. Universal Studios and Flipper Productions Ltd. have shown a commendable willingness to pursue viable alternatives and were most responsive to our requests. They significantly modified previous production plans. The movie's script (dated 3/24/95) vigorously promotes leaving dolphins in the wild. It's message is one of dolphin freedom, as well as the need to save our precious oceans and their inhabitants. As a result of these negotiations, Universal Studios and Flipper Productions Ltd. have agreed to: (1) Use Bahamanian dolphins in the making of this film, instead of importing dolphins from the United States. (2) Ensure that proposed Bahamanian regulations shall not be undermined. (These provisions prohibit the import, export and capture of dolphins and govern the care and treatment of captive dolphins and the operation of swim programs.) (3) See that the new facility being built for "Flipper" satisfies U.S. APHIS standards for the handling, care and treatment of captive dolphins. (A qualified individual acceptable to the Gadfly Coalition will conduct an inspection to determine that these standards are met.) We are satisfied with the agreements reached, and commend Universal Studios and Flipper Productions Ltd. for their diligence and pragmatism. Therefore, we withdraw our previously posted action alert. Thank You! For more information, contact: Mark Berman at Earth Island Institute: 415-788-3666 Rick Spill at Animal Welfare Institute: 202-337-2332 Dan Morast at International Wildlife Coalition: 508-548-8328 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Apr 1995 11:36:13 EDT From: "Dr. Roger Reep" Subject: Facial musculature Greetings - My group at the University of Florida has been investigating facial muscle anatomy in the Florida manatee, in relation to use of the perioral bristles in feeding behavior. Now we are seeking a comprehensive list of references concerning such anatomy in other mammalian taxa. Many sources are older or in obscure journals, therefore we are soliciting your aid in our search. Many thanks for any help you can give! Roger L. Reep ************** Roger L. Reep Dept. of Physiological Sciences University of Florida ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 19:30:05 EDT Reply-To: JOHN_EASTON.parti(\)ecunet.org From: JOHN_EASTON.parti(\)ecunet.org THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A "HUMANE" SEAL HUNT The slaughter of seals off Canada's East Coast is being significantly increased, with both the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland each providing subsidies to entice more fishermen and sport hunters to go out and shoot seals. This year the quota for harp seals remains at 186,000 plus sport hunters will be allowed to take an additional six seals each. Shooting seals is a very difficult task and is quite different from game hunting. The animals are mostly in the water, they flee into the water as soon as they are aware of people, in this case hunters, approaching them, and are shot at as they pop their heads out of the water to take a quick breath. Farley Mowat, a well known writer and expert on the fishery and seal issue, claims that up to seven seals may be shot at and wounded, often escaping only to die a slow and painful death, before one seal can be harvested. The cruelty of this extensive killing operation, which starts during the seals' birthing season, has for years been denounced as `Canada's Shame'. Because of an international outcry, after the world became aware of how the seal pups were clubbed to death in front of their protesting mothers, the killing of "whitecoat" harp seals and "blueback" hooded seal pups for commercial purpose is not allowed any more. However, the "landsmen", those who kill seals for their own pleasure and use, can take as many seal pups as they want, including those who are just born and their protecting mothers. Tens of thousands continue to be clubbed to death in this barbaric way, even though the world, including those who should know such as politicians and government officials, believe that there has been a total elimination of this cruel way of slaughtering seal pups. How wonderful that through ecotourism tourists from all over the world come to the whelping grounds in early spring and can witness this incredibly beautiful scenery of the ice nurseries in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are generated through this tourism, and the income for the local economy is far greater than the income from dead seals. For commercial purposes, seals are no longer legally "white coats" when they have their first grey hair appear. At that point they are called "ragged-jackets" and they can be hunted commercially. They are at that point barely 12 days old and may still be with their mothers. However they now can be shot at and "harvested". Meanwhile, the recreational hunters may have "harvested" the mother seals, even though their pups are still around, because hunters cannot see the difference between male and female harp seals until they roll them over, and most would have fled into the water upon spotting the approaching hunters. In Canada we have game laws prohibiting hunting of deer and moose when their newborn young are around. There is no law to prevent the killing of mother seals with their pups around however, or killing the pups when the mother seals are strongly defending them. This is the time when mother and pup are most vulnerable. Seals are mammals, warm blooded like the rest of us. There is nothing to protect these marine mammals. Under Canadian law, these mammals are legally considered to be fish! In the United States The Marine Mammal Protection Act was created in 1972. Its counterpart is long overdue in Canada. Although claims are made by sealers and the government that it is the intent to utilize the whole animal, seal meat is in fact scarcely edible by most humans. Even heavily subsidized efforts to help find new markets for seal meat have met with complete failure, not only in Canada, but also in the Middle East and Asia. In studies conducted about contaminants in seal meat, reported concentrations of mercury exceeded the AL (Canada Health and Welfare `Action Levels' for food safety) for fish and fish products in 100% of liver and muscle samples that were available for comparison. As a result, the meat is mostly sold at near give-away prices, to feed captive foxes and mink in "fur farms". The pelts are marketable, but not at prices which are economic in the absence of government subsidies. The most lucrative part of the seal in the market place is the male sex organ, the penis, being sold to Asians for use in aphrodesiac potions. This trade in seal penises was brought to public attention by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) newsservice, a year and a half ago. Canada's wildlife population, whether they are seals or black bears, slaughtered for their gall bladders and their paws, to supply the oriental "traditional medicine" market, as well as out-of-season deer for the velvet on their antlers, simply cannot sustain this onslaught over time. In mid-March 1995 it was confirmed by the fish processing plants, that over 10,000 seal penises were sold in 1994, to the Asian market, out of a harvest of some 59,000 seals. We have both the moral duty and the environmental responsibility to ensure that we do not witness and preside over the extermination of species. This has already happened with so many forms of wildlife, from passenger pigeons (at one time there were many many millions of them, to the Atlantic walrus, which once seemed abundantly plentiful, but have been killed into extinction. On recent radio shows in Newfoundland there have been many calls from sealers who vow to wipe out all the seals. The same has happened in letters to Newfoundland newspapers. With so much anger and hatred against the seals by the sealers, how can the hunt ever be conducted humanely? The sealers are proud of their 500 year old tradition of killing seals, however times have changed and more and more people around the world resent the inhumane treatment of animals. There are several different types of seals in Atlantic Canada: hooded seals, grey seals, harbour seals and harp seals, of which there are between 2.6 and 3.4 million. Harp seals travel south from the Arctic to give birth in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off Newfoundland on the icefloes, in late winter. While they are nursing, the mother seals do not eat and lose more than six and a half pounds per day. They start their way back to the Arctic in the early spring and feed mainly on Arctic cod, a small, non-commercial species. They also eat predators of cod, such as squid. Seals are accused of contributing to the depletion of the cod stock, but considering all the available data from stomach content analysis, Atlantic cod has been found in fewer than two and a half percent of the harp seals stomachs sampled. With the collapse of the Canadian cod stocks, it would be natural to expect the seal population to also plummet, if in fact they were devouring so much cod as is claimed. Seals became a scapegoat, rather than the overfishing by humans. Since the cod have disappeared, however, the seal population has remained stable in number. It seems the seals have been easier to blame than humans who overfished. The Reverend Professor Andrew Linzey of Oxford University, a leading theologian addressing the moral and ethical dimension of human behaviour in relation to animals, recently condemned the revived seal hunt in Canada. "The idea that animals are here for our use has a long history," he states. "The new idea that there are moral limits to what we do to animals has been a long time coming and its practical implications will appear radical and uncompromising." Unless there is a clarification of this issue on moral grounds, and unless our churches, organizations and individuals can be heard to speak out against the cruelty and wasteful practices, I fear that the silence will be taken as tacit approval of what is transpiring. I'll be happy to supply scientific data and further information on the above. Corinne Boyer - Toronto, Canada Please contact me at: MCI Mailbox: CBoyer/493-2459 or FAX: 416-252-8291 Corinne Boyer has been a regular visitor to the whelping grounds of the Magdalen Islands during the early part of March. She has made extensive studies on the sealing issue and is writing a book on the subject. -0- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Apr 1995 11:42:13 -0700 From: Pacific Whale Foundation Subject: Orca death in Texas The following fax was received by the Pacific Whale Foundation. Presumably, it is being circulated to a wide variety of sources. I thought Marmam might be a good place to post it, to find out if there is anyone out there in the Sea World organization who can speak to any incident which may have happened to the orca "Kotar". Have "50% of the adult Sea World orcas" died since 1987? Have there been two deaths in San Antonio since December? Does Sea World only have two breeding males available? The received fax reads: "From: The Corky Project; Kelly Keagy-Bullock 601 Lido Ct., San Diego, CA PH/FX 619-488-5783 Investigation into Orca's Death at Sea World Demanded. The Free Corky Project calls for an immediate investigation into the sudden death of yet another Sea World orca. Kotar, an adult male held at Sea World in San Antonio, Texas, died on April 1, 1995. Since 1987 over 50% of the adult Sea World orcas have died. Kelly Keagy-Bullock, spokesperson for the Free Corky Project, comments, "This is a deplorable record. Both Sea World and Annheuser-Busch, owners of Sea World, must be held accountable. The public needs to know why so many animals have died. Sea World is clearly lacking in their care and handling of these maginifcent animals. It is such a waste!" Kotar's death is the second tragedy at the San Antoio park in less than 4 months. Last December 28th and orca died after just one month of life. Less than one year ago, Nootka, a young adult female, died in Orlando Forida, two weeks after delivering a baby that also did not survive. Kotar's death leaves Sea World's ocra breeding program in disarray. Sea World now has just two adult males to service the many reproductive females in their four parks. Again, Ms. Bullock states, "Surely it is obvious that orcas are not suited for the stresses of captivity. Despite what Sea World will try to claim, these orcas are not old animals when they die. Most were less than 20 years of age. Captivity kills. For years we have called for the release of Corky. We are very anxious. Before she becomes another casualty of captivity and suffers the same fate as Kotar, we want Corky out from her concrete jail and back into the real sea world." That ends the received fax. This press release is notable for its langauge, which seems to be selected more in the interests of inflaming emotions than provoking rational discussion, but I believe it raises a number of timely questions. Although Pacific Whale Foundation has publicly voiced its support for the development of programs to fully explore re-introduction of captive orca (including Corky, an orca captured off Vancouver Island in 1969, and currently on display in San Diego), we have generally been of the impression that Sea World probably has the best husbandry program in the world. It seems to me the issue is not so much how well the orca are cared for, but more a question as to the appropriateness of keeping orca in un-natural settings for their entire life-time, for the stated purpose of educating the public about the "natural" history of these "unnaturally" maintained subjects. While one has to acknowledge the many problems attendant upon release of animals that have been maintained in captivity for long periods of time, there also seems to be a need to address the "quality of life" issue of keeping an orca in what amounts to a bucket of water, when compared with the area a free-ranging orca would cover in its life-time. Of course there are no simple answers, and this should not lead to a solely emotional polarization of those in favor of display facilities versus those opposed to display facilities. This matter has taken on greater prominence in the wake of "Free Willy", Ken Balcomb's "Free Lolita" campaign, the proposd move of Keiko from one tank in Mexico to another tank in Oregon, the media attention that will likely emerge with the release of "Free Willy II", the recent posting that indicated Richard Donner has bashed Sea World for its captive orca programs; and the more recent posting about new legislation being proposed in California to keep marine mammals from being captured for display. A few points for consideration: 1. "Display" and "captivity" need not be synonomous concepts - but they currently seem to be for most facilites dealing with cetaceans. 2. There are many more whales and dolphins "abused" by humans in the ocean (by our destructive fishing practises, rampant poisoning of the oceans through pollution, infringement of natural habitat and social needs through certain forms of human/cetacean interaction) than are impacted by captivity in display facilities. I don't believe that a life at Sea World is the worst thing that can happen to an orca. I just think we can do a hell of a lot better if we put our collective minds to it. 3. There is value in searching for a more creative set of alternatives than current captive display facilities in bringing humans and cetaceans together . It is not simply a matter of banning the capture of cetaceans from the wild. It seems no better a situation to compel a captive-born orca to spend its entire life bereft of much of its complex social and behavioral opportunities than it is to subject a wild-captured orca to such a fate. Why is there such a profound reluctance on Sea World's part to even consider the exploration of display capabilities that might break down the barriers between "wild" and "captivity"? I am not necessarily advocating the end of "display" opportunities, but rather wish to promote working toward the development of the next generation of interactive opportunities - ones that are based more and more on the provision of choice for both participants in any human/cetacean interaction, and that allow "display" cetaceans exposure to a far richer array of their naturally occuring patterns. 4. Ms. Bullock makes the claim that "Captivity kills". Freedom does too, eventually; I understood that "nobody gets out alive"! There has been discussion on Marmam about differences in longevity between wild and captive populations, and we've seen there may not yet be any clear answer (unless you are one of the authors of the described papers). I would prefer that we deal with the question of whether we are acting ethically in our treatment of whales and dolphins in captivity, given what we are learning about their social, cognitive, and behaviorial complexity. This isn't simply a question of whether they are fed properly and given the best health care possible. We know they've got minds, folks, by whatever criteria we can establiush that humans have minds. What is the evidence that we are working to expand the nature of captivity and display to meet our expanding understanding of who these creatures are? 5. One cannot generalise across the many different species of marine mammals in considering their reactions to captivity. At the same time, it seems inappropriate to stray far from the realization that they are complex, thinking mammals (as we are), and in the absence of "solid data", our own perceptions may not provide such a bad best guess as to how they respond to the elements of captivity. I'm not advocating anthropomorphising; I just think we need to use the best data we have when we make decisions about the treatment of other animals. 6. I hesitated posting this to Marmam , and am uncertain this is the best venue for an exploration of how to deal with "displaying" cetaceans for public education/amusement. The reason I decided to do so is that many participants in Marmam are also members of the Society for Marine Mammalogy, which may be developing a kind of schizophrenic undercurrent of attitudes about present-day captivity programs. It may be of interest for many of you to know that the formation of the Society was first conceived as a mechanism to lobby for and protect the interests of scientists working with captive marine mammals. In December of 1977, during the Second Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals held in San Diego, I sat in Forrest Wood's hotel room and listened as he, Ken Norris, Bill Evans, George Harry, Ron Schusterman, John Lilly, and Lou Herman discussed the formation of a professional organization for marine mammal scientists. I was Lou Herman's graduate student at the time. Earlier that year Lou's two dolphins had been stolen by disgruntled lab assistants after they had been fired by Lou. The dolphins, which had been caught many years before in the Gulf of Mexico (in separate incidents) were taken from their tanks at the lab, put in a VW van on makeshift stretchers, driven 40 miles up the Oahu shoreline, and released in waters that were totally foreign to them. There can be little doubt the dolphins did not survive the ordeal. The thieves claimed they were protecting the interests of the dolphins, and then lied about the nature of the research we were doing and the condition of Lou's lab, in order to win sympathy from a number of environmental groups. The two men were charged with grand larceny, and there was a big trial. Eventually, both were found guilty. During the first trial, Ken Norris and Bill Evans came to Honolulu to testify in support of the work that Lou had been doing. The purpose of the meeting in Forrest Wood's room was to discuss how to deal with the rising threat of "animal liberation" groups attacking scientists working with whales and dolphins in captivity. It was pointed out there was, at that time, no way for marine mammal scientists to represent their interests, and it was time to create a professional organization for marine mammal scientists. That organization eventually became the Society for Marine Mammalogy. The idea was made public at the '79 conference in Seattle, and became a fact at the '81 conference in San Francisco. While the society's constitution does not quite capture the spirit of that meeting in Forrest Wood's hotel room in San Diego in December of 1977, I have never forgotten the importance that was placed on the idea of developing a group to protect marine mammal scientists from anti-captivity sentiment. I do not suggest that was the sole purpose envisioned, but it was a major one at the time. Throughout the history of the Society for Marine Mammalogy, our biennial meetings have frequently been hosted or sponsored in one fashion or another by oceanaria, including the New England Aquarium, Vancouver Aquarium, Sea World of Florida, Miami Seaquarium, and the Shedd Aquarium. I believe the sole exceptions were the Pacific Grove meeting in 1989, and the Galveston meeting in 1993. In 1995 we will be hosted by Sea World in Orlando. Maybe Marmam is the place where the concept of display can be developed to its next stage, with the encouragement and particpation of those inside the industry, as well as those from outside. I will end this with apologies for such a long posting, and the following quote from the recent book "The Hawaiian Spinner Dolphin" by Ken Norris, Bernd Wursig, Randy Wells, and Melanie Wursig (I don't think this quote is out of context, or misrepresents the spirit of the chapter in which it appears, and I do not intend to represent the authors' feelings about display facilities, because I don't know what those feelings are. I'm just trying to open a little window on the minds of whales and dolphins): "Alone they are bereft of defense, and when alone they exhibit their own form of "co-operation" with those who might destroy them. In the case of the dolphin, it surrenders to us, a thing we mistake for gentleness. But it seems to be better described as the reaction of a mammal without its protective superorganism, with nothing left to react to in its own defense. Having surrendered vital aspects of its survival equation when taken from the group, it is much less than a complete animal." Aloha, Paul Forestell ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Apr 1995 10:54:14 PDT From: Bruce Howe Subject: ATOC and GPS/MET GPS/MET and ATOC In a msg (15 Apr 95) Jim Moore mentioned the GPS/MET project. It proposes to measure atmospheric index of refraction changes along long paths between GPS satellites and low earth orbiting satellites (LEOs), just as the latter are occultating - as the path is just tangent to the earth/atmosphere. The index of refraction is a function of temperature and water vapor. The long paths of GPS/MET are similar to the long ATOC paths through the ocean - both give integral measures of the index of refraction. My primary work is on the ATOC project, but I am also dabbling in ionospheric and atmospheric tomography and expect to use GPS/MET data. To separate temperature and humidity will require the use of existing numerical weather models and, implicitly, the data that has been assimilated into them. It is actually thought that "global warming" will increase the index of refraction more because of the increase of water vapor (a slightly warmer atmosphere can hold a lot more water vapor), than because of an increase in temperature. But the measurement does mix the two effects and will rely on other measurements (as manifesting themselves in weather models using data assimilation) to separate effects. As Jim points out, this will be a powerful way of measuring the large scale atmosphere. I think it will work, and while the measurements don't give "temperature" or water vapor directly, they will be very useful in contributing to the determination of the present state of the atmosphere. It is my personal opinion that they will play a more significant role in simply improving short term weather forecasts (for instance, by providing data over the oceans where there is so little now). As far saying GPS/MET idea might be an alternative to ATOC or as using it as a reason to "go slow" on the ATOC project, I respectfully disagree. I see GPS/MET as complementary to ATOC; both are needed. To make predictions, one must measure the parts of the system that have heat content time scales that match those that are of interest. The time scale of the atmosphere is very short. That is why for El NIno/ENSO predictions for months to a year, the upper ocean measurements are essential. For longer term predictions, one must sample deeper in the ocean (ATOC). The ocean is the largest heat reservoir (with ice next, I think) and simply can not be left out of the equation. If all one wants to show is the existing trend, GPS/MET may be one possible method. If one also wants to make predictions, the oceans (and ATOC in my opinion) is essential. The longer we wait (for either project), the longer it is before useful data starts to come in. Also, any project of the magnitude of GPS/MET or ATOC takes an incredibly long time to spin up. The first ideas for GPS/MET were in 1988 or earlier, and it is only now that the first demonstration satellite is up - getting more up will still take many, many years. Almost the same time scales applies to ATOC. Let's not drag it out even longer. Lets get some data so we can start to answer not only climate questions, but also questions about marine mammals. Bruce Howe -------------------------------------------------- Bruce M. Howe Internet: howe(\)apl.washington.edu Tel: 206/543-9141 Applied Physics Laboratory Lab -1300 University of Washington FAX -6785 1013 NE 40th Street HN-10 Seattle, WA 98105-6698 -------------------------------------------------- ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 15 Apr 1995 16:08:02 -0700 From: Jim Moore To: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM Subject: Alternative to ATOC? The NY Times today (Saturday, 15 April) on p. 10 has an article about the use of microwave signals sent out by NAVSTAR satellites to measure air temperature by difraction in the atmosphere at elevations from ground level to 80 miles. Basically, the NAVSTAR satellites are the ones used for GPS; a just-launched "GPS/MET" satellite will pick up signals of NAVSTARs near occlusion & since locations are precisely known, difraction can be worked out (atmospheric water is a problem the proponents believe is solvable--ie, the system's not proven yet). If it works, a fleet of 50 - 100 GPS/MET satellites is envisioned. Sounds like it uses a technique conceptually very similar to ATOC and would collect spatially-averaged atmospheric temps that should permit trend analysis etc. As I understand it, ocean temperatures via ATOC would still be uniquely valuable for developing/calibrating global climate models, but GPS/MET might take some of the urgency away, justifying a go-slow-and-careful approach to the ATOC project ... ??? Opinions from climatologists out there? cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Apr 1995 21:03:04 -0400 From: TMMC(\)aol.com Subject: Re: navy seal forward Marmamers, On Monday, April 17, 1995, a request from Otaraiid for information, concerning a California sea lion being rehabilitated at our hospital, was forwarded to MARMAM. This inquiry did not originate from The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC). We apologize to the members of the United States Navy for the unauthorized and inaccurate information in this inquiry. Official postings from TMMC staff should be accompanied by complete address, contact #, and name. Krista Hanni Director of Science The Marine Mammal Center Marin Headlands, GGNRA Sausalito, CA 94965 p: (415) 289 7344 e: TMMC(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Apr 1995 15:14:51 -0400 From: Stephen Best Subject: Re: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION Alan Macnow's most recent post and rebuttal, chastising Jose Palazzo for revealing Japan's strong-arm lobbying tactics in various fora, rests on the hope that the subscribers to MARMAM are hopelessly, politically naive. To respond to Mr. Macnow's feigned, touching outrage, allow me to present the obvious. "Jose, document your charges or keep your peace," disingenuously demands Mr. Macnow, while all the time knowing full well that most of his work and the extreme pressure his clients and their government inflict on smaller governments is never "documented." How inconvenient and potentially embarrassing it would be if it was. As Mr. Macnow knows, his work often takes place through private conversations in private offices, in corridors, around restaurant tables and at other quiet, discrete, and secure venues. Indeed, if Mr. Macnow's and other Japanese lobbyists and representatives have fully "documented" their numerous meetings and contacts possibly Mr. Macnow could make this wealth of paper work and complete transcripts available to MARMAM subscribers. Mr. Macnow also knows that if his and his employer's activities were required to be fully documented or required to have observers present, he couldn't do his work effectively. And by documentation, I don't refer to the thin list of official contacts he produces for the US government as a registered lobbyist. The fact is Palazzo's charges are well-founded. Those who have endured Japanese pressure and threats have explained the problem to us many times, also in quiet venues and under the understanding that we would remain discreet about the source of such information. Mr. Macnow offers to prove that Japanese agents do not link whaling policies with aid by stating, "I notice that Brasil is getting millions of dollars in grant aid from Japan even though Brasil continually votes against Japan." As Mr. Macnow knows, foreign aid is a complex area and Japan has other interests other than whaling that, when aid decisions are made, are given great consideration. Brasil's trading relations with Japan encompass far more than whales. Again, Mr. Macnow's proof of Japan's innocence in this matter presupposes an extraordinary level of political naivete on the part of MARMAM subscribers. However, by way of proof of Palazzo's observations, let me offer the following. Many discoveries are made by indirect observation. A phenomenon is often discovered by how observable bodies around it behave. Much is the same in politics. Consequently, when we adjust our marine mammal protection campaigns around the deduced and reported fact of Japan's pressure on smaller governments, the effectiveness of our campaigns improves. When we accept Macnow's interpretation of events, effectiveness of these campaigns not just diminishes, it ceases. For those interested in nomenclature, in Mr. Macnow's profession as lobbyist and propagandist, the technique he is using is called "plausible denial." And, as a pre-emptive comment, "plausible denial" is routinely used by not only propagandists like Mr. Macnow, but also representatives of all public and special interests groups, including environmental organizations. ---- Stephen Best, Vice President | Tel: 1.519.925.3440 International Wildlife Coalition | Fax: 1.519.925.2003 PO Box 988, Shelburne | e-mail: sbest(\)inforamp.net Ontario, Canada, L0N 1S0 | http://www.webcom.com:80/~iwcwww/ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Apr 1995 15:34:01 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: Orca death in Texas I would like to thank Paul Forestell for writing such a reasoned, calm, and open-minded posting about orcas in captivity. A few comments: >Have "50% of the adult Sea World orcas" died since >1987? Obviously I am not from Sea World, but I can answer Paul's questions. Eleven orcas (all but one an adult) have been recorded as having died at Sea World parks since 1987 (12 since 1986). This information is available to the public in the Marine Mammal Inventory Report maintained by NMFS. There are currently 10 living adult orcas at Sea World parks (including one 10-year-old captive-born female). Some of these animals have been acquired (through transfers) within the last eight years (for instance, four were transferred from a defunct Canadian marine park in 1992). Therefore it may not be strictly accurate to say that 50% of the adult Sea World orcas have died since 1987, since some of the 20 animals in question were not at Sea World and at least one (the captive-born female) was not an adult for this entire time period. But nevertheless, 10 adult Sea World orcas have died since 1987 (11 since 1986). >Have there been two deaths in San Antonio since December? A one-month-old orca calf (mother Haida) died in San Antonio on December 28, 1994 and Kotar, a 19-year-old Icelandic male, died on April 1, 1995. >Does Sea World only have two breeding males available? Ulises is an adult male in his mid to late teens held in San Diego (who has yet to mate, I believe -- he was held in isolation in Barcelona, Spain until early 1994 and is being socialized in stages by the facility). Tillicum is an adult male of unknown age (transferred from a Canadian facility in 1992) held in Orlando. Kotar was the breeding male in San Antonio (held by Sea World since 1978). There are no other adult males (although there are four immature males, the oldest of whom is 5.6 years of age). > > >>Although Pacific Whale Foundation has publicly voiced its support >for the development of programs to fully explore re-introduction >of captive orca (including Corky, an orca captured off Vancouver >Island in 1969, and currently on display in San Diego), we have >generally been of the impression that Sea World probably has the >best husbandry program in the world. It seems to me the issue >is not so much how well the orca are cared for, but more a >question as to the appropriateness of keeping orca in un-natural >settings for their entire life-time, for the stated purpose of >educating the public about the "natural" history of these >"unnaturally" maintained subjects. I couldn't agree with you more. > >While one has to acknowledge the many problems attendant upon >release of animals that have been maintained in captivity for >long periods of time, there also seems to be a need to address >the "quality of life" issue of keeping an orca in what amounts to >a bucket of water, when compared with the area a free-ranging >orca would cover in its life-time. Of course there are no simple >answers, and this should not lead to a solely emotional >polarization of those in favor of display facilities versus those >opposed to display facilities. Again, I couldn't agree with you more. > >2. There are many more whales and dolphins "abused" by humans in >the ocean (by our destructive fishing practises, rampant >poisoning of the oceans through pollution, infringement of >natural habitat and social needs through certain forms of >human/cetacean interaction) than are impacted by captivity in >display facilities. I don't believe that a life at Sea World is >the worst thing that can happen to an orca. I just think we can >do a hell of a lot better if we put our collective minds to it. My only problem with this statement is that it gives the impression that life for cetaceans in the wild is just a never-ending battle against anthropogenic hazards and environmental degradations (the public display industry does this all the time -- compares a nice safe tank to the wild, which they say is harsh, dangerous, and hostile -- hardly a characterization that is likely to encourage the lay public to protect the natural environment). Certainly life in the wild can be a battle, but this description leaves out the rich social relationships, the open horizons, the "fitting in the niche" that evolution fashioned these animals for, the sheer glory of living free and wild, which any porpoising dolphin or breaching orca demonstrates. Obviously pollution, fishing interactions, and the like are serious problems and obviously there are a greater absolute number of wild cetaceans who are "abused" by humans than there are cetaceans "abused" by being confined in captivity (thousands if not millions compared to hundreds)-- but I would suggest that the PROPORTION of wild cetaceans who suffer, at least on a daily basis, from anthropogenic hazards is less than the proportion of captive cetaceans who suffer everyday, if one accepts that all captive cetaceans suffer all the time at some level because of their sterile confinement. > >3. There is value in searching for a more creative set of >alternatives than current captive display facilities in bringing >humans and cetaceans together. Why is there such a profound reluctance on Sea World's >part to even consider the exploration of display capabilities >that might break down the barriers between "wild" and >"captivity"? I am not necessarily advocating the end of >"display" opportunities, but rather wish to promote working >toward the development of the next generation of interactive >opportunities - ones that are based more and more on the >provision of choice for both participants in any human/cetacean >interaction, and that allow "display" cetaceans exposure to a far >richer array of their naturally occuring patterns. This is certainly a reasonable suggestion that bears exploring. > >4. Ms. Bullock makes the claim that "Captivity kills". Freedom >does too, eventually; I understood that "nobody gets out alive"! Well, of course, EVENTUALLY being the operative word. Twelve Sea World orcas dying in 9.5 years before their 30th birthday (most well before), while no surviving captive orcas anywhere have yet to reach their 35th birthday, while best estimates from photo-ID studies in the Pacific Northwest indicate that the MEAN LIFE EXPECTANCY of those orcas that survive infancy (which all the orcas we're talking about at Sea World have done, except for the one-month-old calf in San Antonio) is approximately 30 years for males and 50 years for females...I'd say that sounds like captivity kills...I mean, many of the whales who have died at Sea World should still be alive, statistically speaking at least. > >There has been discussion on Marmam about differences in >longevity between wild and captive populations, and we've seen >there may not yet be any clear answer (unless you are one of the >authors of the described papers). I would prefer that we deal >with the question of whether we are acting ethically in our >treatment of whales and dolphins in captivity, given what we are >learning about their social, cognitive, and behaviorial >complexity. This isn't simply a question of whether they are fed >properly and given the best health care possible. We know >they've got minds, folks, by whatever criteria we can establiush >that humans have minds. Again, I couldn't agree more. I recommend reading the recent papers of Marc Bekoff on ethics and animal experimentation and study, which say some of the same things in more detail. it seems inappropriate to stray far from the >realization that they are complex, thinking mammals (as we are), >and in the absence of "solid data", our own perceptions may not >provide such a bad best guess as to how they respond to the >elements of captivity. I'm not advocating anthropomorphising; I >just think we need to use the best data we have when we make >decisions about the treatment of other animals. Again, I recommend the recent papers of Marc Bekoff, which explore these themes in detail. I was fascinated by all the background history about the Society for Marine Mammalogy, about which I knew nothing, even though I have been a member since 1986 and have attended the last four conferences. Thank you for that information. > >"Alone they are bereft of defense, and when alone they exhibit >their own form of "co-operation" with those who might destroy >them. In the case of the dolphin, it surrenders to us, a thing >we mistake for gentleness. But it seems to be better described >as the reaction of a mammal without its protective superorganism, >with nothing left to react to in its own defense. Having >surrendered vital aspects of its survival equation when taken >from the group, it is much less than a complete animal." And I thank you for providing this thought as well. I strongly concur, that an animal removed from the wild, separated from its natural element, its natural social environment -- its niche -- is MUCH less than a complete animal and that people who are exposed to these less than complete animals in marine parks and aquaria learn little and in some cases nothing about an orca or a dolphin as an integral part of the natural world -- all they come to know is the isolated shadow and they come to accept the shadow as real. Naomi Rose The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Apr 1995 23:54:26 -0700 From: "Gregory S. Paschall" Subject: Re: Pinniped Tagging In-Reply-To: <199504191757.AA23471(\)mail.crl.com> On Wed, 19 Apr 1995, Jeffrey Lindsey wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > >Hi, > > >Does anyone out there have a current list of pinniped flipper tag > >colors and locations of tagging studies for the west coast of the > >U.S.? > > >I'm part of the central Oregon coast stradning network, and in response > >to a call April 10, found a molting elephant seal on on of our > >beaches. It's a 2nd year animal (I think) with a yellow tag > >(# 4277) on its right hind flipper. > > >I'd like to be able to provide this information to the people > >who tagged it, and would like to find out for myself where it came > >from. > > >Any help is greatly appreciated. > > >Barb Lagerquist > >lagerqub(\)ucs.orst.edu > > Barb, > > I work at the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro (Los > Angeles), California. We are a pinniped rehabilitation center serving the Los > Angeles County coastal area. > > According to our records, obtained from the Southwest Regional National Marine > Fisheries Service office in Long Beach, the Santa Barbara Marine Mammal Center > was issued tag numbers 4201-4600 by NMFS. There is no indication of the color > of the SBMMC tags. > > You can try contacting SBMMC directly for information (sorry I don't have their > number) or the Southwest Regional NMFS office in Long Beach at 310-980-4000. > NMFS's address is 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Floor B, Long Beach, CA. > > P.S. Our tags are orange and start with the number "3". > > Jeff Lindsey > > All California marine mammal rehabilitation facilities use orange tags. The elephant seal listed above is probably a study animal from San Miguel Island. According to my records, NMFS MML in Seattle, Washington, is in charge of marine mammal studies using yellow tags on this island. Greg Paschall Stranding Coordinator The Marine Mammal Center -- Sausalito, California -- (415)289-SEAL ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Apr 1995 13:22:08 +0000 From: Sara Heimlich-Boran Subject: RE; Dolphins Plus RE; Dolphins Plus Has any one seen the original (and seemingly misleading) message forwarded from newsgroup.alt.animlas.dolphins about Dolphins Plus, which caused them to send out the replies posted on MARMAM (see below)? I'm very curious and would find it informative. SHB >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I saw the following message on newsgroup alt.animals.dolphins. I thought I would post it here in response to the recent request for info on Dolphins Plus. * FORWARDED MESSAGE * ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hi, I received a phone call Saturday from the owner of Dolphins Plus and he faxed me a letter this morning. Below is the letter from Dolphins Plus to me in its entirety. >From Dolphins Plus, Inc., Research and Education Center To Angie and Jimmy Paul 4/15/95 Hello, The thread you read on the internet was full or errors, some of them invented, some totally untrue, some old rumors that have been proven untrue long ago but are nice to mention if one wants to cause trouble for someone. I would not ordinarily respond to a letter like this because the writers of letters like this automatically assume that everything they hear and read must be gospel. I will take your letter paragraph by paragraph. 1. Yes we were contacted by Universal to use several of our dolphins in an updated remake of FLIPPER. We were very interested because they promised that we would have input to the script to make sure that dolphins were not portrayed in a negative manner or mis-used in the filming. We were to have it in the contract that WE would be the judge of what went on concerning the welfare of the animals. We insisted that we would not move the animals to the Bahamas for a month or two, that six months would be the least time of stay in the bahamas. This would give them time to adjust. 2. Dolphins Plus was not started to protect dolphins from being moved and I can assure you that this was never said. When Dolphins Plus started in 1980, it was to go into the show end for dolphins at a theme park. This was the only thing going at that time. Due to the way my son, Richard, acclimated our first dolphins into captivity, by getting them to trust humans, we attracted the attention of Dr. Betsy Smith who had long been animal assisted therapy with autistic children. When she cam to us with these children she noted that visitors to our facility had many questions about dolphins. She suggested making a presentation from these questions and inviting the general public in for an environmentally focused program about dolphins and the environment they live in both in the wild and in captivity. This led to allowing qualified persons go into the water with the dolphins as a part of this program. This became successful and we felt relieved that we would not have to go into the show route with the logistics of transporting our dolphins for two or three month shows. Further we never did work in aquariums overseas where we moved the dolphins to warmer water. All of the aquariums were year round facilities. I don't believe you were told that transport was EXTREMELY HARMFUL for the dolphins. Of course there can be a certain amount of stress to a creature that is totally out of its element, but this applies to humans also, not all humans LOVE to fly and some are very stressed out when they have to. Some dolphins take transport in their stride other do not like it. One must know ones animals and select which would be the best candidate for travel, this we did. (My son has made over thirty successful transports with dolphins and other marine mammals. Dr. Robert Stevens, our veterinarian, has made many more successful transports during his full time duty with Sea World. Between them, they have transported small dolphins and whales and between them they have not had even an injury to an animal during transport. It boils down to, "It's not that difficult for the transporter or the animals, if one knows what one is doing.") 3. We did not only pick the Keys because of year round warm water. Dolphins live comfortable in waters much colder than our water (which may get down to low sixties in winter) and they don't have to be moved. We mainly picked the Keys for the water quality. Our present location is on the only flow through canal on Key Largo, meaning that we have full tidal action, as our canal is open on both ends to the Atlantic. BUT, our water clairty is not always the best, not for filming. We looked throughout the Keys for constant clear water, in a setting for filming, to no avail. 4. Why did Dolphins Plus consider this idea? This is a rather naive question. Of course money was one of the key factors. This money we could improve our facility. We could expand our therapy programs with local handicapped persons. We would have more money to pay for the costs of rehabilitating sick, stranded, beached marine mammals. (one of which we have a present in our adjacent quarantine basin.) Promotion of Dolphins Plus? No thank you, we have a lot of nut-cases out there protesting and they (without our paying them) keep up the promotional work. [I'm scared this might get too long for one post so I'll stop here and finish posting this letter in a second post]. Angie <<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Apr 1995 12:37:19 PDT From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear old Alan seems to read my notes on a somersault. i have definitely stated that a Japanese Prime mInister who visited Brasil, I can't remember the name, but it was during the rule of President-Dictator Joao Figueiredo here, linked aid with whaling votes. That was publicized without any later remarks, in one of the major Brazilian weekly magazines, either VEJA or ISTO E. More than that, sorry Alan, my memory for such pitiful international pressures misses some of it. But I may search my files to send you the actual clippings. Yes, Brasil receives :aid" from a Japanese government greedy on our fisheries, minerals and timber from the Amazon; but we the people were able to at least turn our country's shameful adherence to Japan at the Whaling Comission, not coincidentally, when the military rule ended. Now, anyone following the Comission and its Caribbean members in the last few years knows all about Japanese support for these "poor needy countries"... Thanks for trying, Alan, your persistence may earn you a drink in Dublin. Hope to see you there. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Apr 1995 12:37:55 PDT From: vertzoo Subject: Re: underwater blasting effects on vertebates ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Don Hocaday > >in going through marmam messages today, i saw your request for info on underwater explosions and their effects on vertebrates. i presented a paper on this subject at a conference here in santa barbara last year. the meeting was directed at the removal of platforms off the california coast. one reference (if you haven't already tracked it down) is Klima, E.F. et al. 1988. Impacts of the explosive removal of offshore petroleum platforms on sea turtles and dolphins. Mar. Fish. Rev. 50(3):33-42. the literature cited section will get you on a good track toward what has been done. also, don't overlook Fitch, J.E. and P. H. Young. 1948. use and effect of explosives in california coastal waters. calif. fish and game 34:53-70. hope this helps. Charles D. Woodhouse Curator, Vertebrate Zoology Department Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History > > X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History - Vertebrate Zoology Department 2559 Puesta Del Sol Road E-mail:vertzoo(\)sbmnh.rain.org Santa Barbara, CA 93105 voice: 805-682-4711 fax: 805-569-3170 X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Apr 1995 19:07:40 +0059 From: Jane Reed Subject: Abstract listings.... Dear MARMAMers, This is a follow-up to Phil Clapham's idea about posting recent papers on MARMAM. What follows is a list of the papers I found in various molecular ecology / genetics journals that I searched through, with relevance to marine mammal biology. Since he only made this suggestion recently, I did a BIDS search, to make sure I didn't miss anything, and therefore the list below goes back to 1994. Happy reading!! Jane Z Reed Department of Genetics University of Cambridge, Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK. email: jzr(\)mole.bio.cam.ac.uk Copyright 1995, Institute for Scientific Information Inc. Database : Science Citation Index (1) TI: GENETIC-VARIATION IN THE HOODED SEAL, CYSTOPHORA-CRISTATA, BASED ON ENZYME POLYMORPHISM AND MULTILOCUS DNA-FINGERPRINTING AU: SUNDT_RC, DAHLE_G, NAEVDAL_G JN: HEREDITAS 1994 Vol.121 No.2 pp.147-155 (2) TI: USE OF SPECTRAL-ANALYSIS TO TEST HYPOTHESES ON THE ORIGIN OF PINNIPEDS AU: LENTO_GM, HICKSON_RE, CHAMBERS_GK, PENNY_D JN: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 1995 Vol.12 No.1 pp.28-52 (3) TI: PHYLOGENY OF WHALES - DEPENDENCE OF THE INFERENCE ON SPECIES SAMPLING AU: ADACHI_J, HASEGAWA_M JN: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 1995 Vol.12 No.1 pp.177-179 (4) TI: SEQUENCE CONSERVATION OF MICROSATELLITES BETWEEN BOS-TAURUS (CATTLE), CAPRA-HIRCUS (GOAT) AND RELATED SPECIES - EXAMPLES OF USE IN PARENTAGE TESTING AND PHYLOGENY ANALYSIS AU: PEPIN_L, AMIGUES_Y, LEPINGLE_A, BERTHIER_JL, BENSAID_A, VAIMAN_D JN: HEREDITY 1995 Vol.74 No.Pt1 pp.53-61 (5) TI: PHYLOGENY OF ALL MAJOR GROUPS OF CETACEANS BASED ON DNA-SEQUENCES FROM 3 MITOCHONDRIAL GENES AU: MILINKOVITCH_MC, MEYER_A, POWELL_JR JN: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 1994 Vol.11 No.6 pp.939-948 (6) TI: HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE OF MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA GENE FLOW AMONG HUMPBACK WHALES MEGAPTERA-NOVAEANGLIAE, WORLDWIDE AU: BAKER_CS, SLADE_RW, BANNISTER_JL, ABERNETHY_RB, WEINRICH_MT, LIEN_J, URBAN_J, CORKERON_P, CALMABOKIDIS_J, VASQUEZ_O, PALUMBI_SR JN: MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 1994 Vol.3 No.4 pp.313-327 (7) TI: GENETIC-VARIATION OF THE ST-LAWRENCE BELUGA WHALE POPULATION ASSESSED BY DNA-FINGERPRINTING AU: PATENAUDE_NJ, QUINN_JS, BELAND_P, KINGSLEY_M, WHITE_BN JN: MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 1994 Vol.3 No.4 pp.375-381 (8) TI: CHROMOSOME CONSERVATION AMONG THE ADVANCED PECORANS AND DETERMINATION OF THE PRIMITIVE BOVID KARYOTYPE AU: GALLAGHER_DS, DERR_JN, WOMACK_JE JN: JOURNAL OF HEREDITY 1994 Vol.85 No.3 pp.204-210 (9) TI: MULTIPLE NUCLEAR-GENE PHYLOGENIES - APPLICATION TO PINNIPEDS AND COMPARISON WITH A MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA GENE PHYLOGENY AU: SLADE_RW, MORITZ_C, HEIDEMAN_A JN: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 1994 Vol.11 No.3 pp.341-356 (10) TI: MOLECULAR EVIDENCE FOR THE INCLUSION OF CETACEANS WITHIN THE ORDER ARTIODACTYLA AU: GRAUR_D, HIGGINS_DG JN: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 1994 Vol.11 No.3 pp.357-364 (11) TI: CONTRASTING POPULATION-STRUCTURE FROM NUCLEAR INTRON SEQUENCES AND MTDNA OF HUMPBACK WHALES AU: PALUMBI_SR, BAKER_CS JN: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 1994 Vol.11 No.3 pp.426-435 (12) TI: PATERNITY EXCLUSION BY DNA-FINGERPRINTING, AND MATE GUARDING IN THE HOODED SEAL CYSTOPHORA-CRISTATA AU: MCRAE_SB, KOVACS_KM JN: MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 1994 Vol.3 No.2 pp.101-107 (13) TI: INTERDEPENDENT MHC-DRB EXON-PLUS-INTRON EVOLUTION IN ARTIODACTYLS AU: SCHWAIGER_FW, WEYERS_E, BUITKAMP_J, EDE_AJ, CRAWFORD_A, EPPLEN_JT JN: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 1994 Vol.11 No.2 pp.239-249 (14) TI: GENETIC IMPACT OF AN UNUSUAL GROUP MORTALITY AMONG HUMPBACK WHALES AU: BAKER_CS, WEINRICH_MT, EARLY_G, PALUMBI_SR JN: JOURNAL OF HEREDITY 1994 Vol.85 No.1 pp.52-54 (15) TI: DNA MISMATCH REPAIR AND SYNONYMOUS CODON EVOLUTION IN MAMMALS AU: EYREWALKER_A JN: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 1994 Vol.11 No.1 pp.88-98 (16) TI: ELEPHANT SEAL GENETIC-VARIATION AND THE USE OF SIMULATION-MODELS TO INVESTIGATE HISTORICAL POPULATION BOTTLENECKS AU: HOELZEL_AR, HALLEY_J, OBRIEN_SJ, CAMPAGNA_C, ARNBOM_T, LEBOEUF_B, RALLS_K, DOVER_GA JN: JOURNAL OF HEREDITY 1993 Vol.84 No.6 pp.443-449 *** End of data *** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Apr 1995 23:34:23 -0400 From: Artie Kopelman Subject: (Fwd) NE Regional Stranding Conference - schedule for open sessions In Outbox: Your outgoing mail kopelman said: To: marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca Subject: NE Regional Stranding Conference - schedule for open sessions From: kopelman Cc: CTURTLE(\)NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU 1995 Northeast Regional Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Network Conference Saturday, April 29 09:00 Welcome and Introduction Samuel Sadove 09:15 National Marine Fisheries Service Procedures and Trends. Dean Wilkinson 09:30 Northeast Regional Stranding Network. Kim Thunhurst 09:45 A practical (very) short course in virology and serology. Carol House 10:00 Epizootiology of morbillivirus infection in North American harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and gray seals (Halichoerus grypus). Padraig J. Duignan 10:15 Emerging viruses. Carol House 10:30 COFFEE BREAK 10:45 Length comparison of individually identified humpback whales (Megaptera novaeagliae) stranded in the Western Atlantic. Peter Stevick 11:00 An unusual stranding of whitesided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus). Greg Early, A. J. Read, D. Gannon, K. Matassa, C. Merigo 11:15 Cetacean remains and strandings in the Galapagos Islands. Daniel M. Palacios 11:30 The near-fatal ingestion of plastic by a pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps. Brent R. Whitaker, J. R. Geraci, A. Stamper, D. Schofield, and C. Steinert 11:45 Right Whale in Philadelphia. Bob Schoelkopf 12:00 LUNCH BREAK 13:30 Maryland marine mammal stranding events of 1994. Frances Cresswell 13:45 Preliminary observations regarding morphologic characteristics of the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) thymus. Rosemarie Borkowski and Sentiel Rommel 14:00 Commercial fisheries and marine mammals; fact and fiction. Mary Bess Phillips 14:15 Food habits of stranded long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) from the U. S. Mid-Atlantic coast. Damon Gannon, J. P. Craddock, A. J. Read, and J. Mead 14:30 Regional Stranding Reports: Part I 15:00 COFFEE BREAK 15:15 Regional Stranding Reports: Part II 15:45 Rescue, treatment and release of a long finned pilot whale (Globicephala melaena). Paul P. Calle, M. D. Stetter, B. L. Raphael, R. A. Cook, C. A. McClave, S. Massucci, K. M. Walsh, and S. Sadove 16:00 Logistics and preparation for the capture and release of a long finned pilot whale (Globicephala melaena). Samuel Sadove Sunday, April 30 09:00 After the strandings: the use of postmortem specimens in studying nasolaryngeal function, including the biology of sound generating mechanisms. Joy S. Reidenberg and Jeffrey T. Laitman 09:15 The satellite tracking of a juvenile male hooded seal (Cystophora cristata). Deb Spangler 09:30 The "Seal Team" experiment. Dianne Taggart 09:45 The behavioral observations and rehabilitation techniques of an individual Kogia breviceps. T. David Schofield 10:00 There's a what in the bay? .... Safety issues with respect to the rescue and relocation of a wayward Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus). T. David Schofield and Gene J. Taylor 10:15 Strandings of bottlenose dolphins and harbor porpoises in Virginia (1990-1994). W. Mark Swingle, S. G. Barco, W. A. McLellan, D. A. Pabst 10:30 COFFEE BREAK 10:45 What's going on? Anomolous occurences in pinniped strandings on Long Island. Kim Durham and Rob DiGiovanni 11:00 to be announced Cindy Driscoll 11:15 Closing Remarks Samuel Sadove POSTER PRESENTATIONS (presenters will be available in the poster exhibit area for questions on Saturday from 12:45 - 13:30) An evaluation of natural versus human induced mortality in sea turtles in the New York Bight. Eileen Gerle and S. Sadove The stranding of a juvenile male pilot whale (Globicephala melaena); a case study. Kieth Matassa, G.Early, B. Wyman, S. Rommel, and H. Krum A case of invasive medical techniques employed in the treatment of a severely hypothermic Kemp's Ridley sea turtle. Robert P. Pisciotta, K. Durham, R. DiGiovanni, S. Sadove, and E. Gerle Entanglement in small cetaceans: documenting evidence from observer programs and strandings. Andrew J. Read and Kimberly T. Murray Note on a new prey species for Northwest Atlantic humpback whale (Megaptera novaengliae). Fred Wenzel, G. Early, J. Craddock -- Arthur H. Kopelman -- Arthur H. Kopelman ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 22 Apr 1995 15:50:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: FEA--Popular-Dolphins FEA--Popular-Dolphins By POPULAR MECHANICS A Hearst Magazine For AP Special Features The Pentagon budget ax even extends to the Navy's fleet of 100 bottlenose dolphins -- and civilian researchers will be among the beneficiaries. Two surplus dolphins, science-technology editor Gregory T. Pope wrote in an article in the current issue of Popular Mechanics, are now on loan to the University of California at Santa Cruz. Sixteen other dolphins have been sent from the Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center's RDT&E Division to marine aquariums such as Sea World. The dolphins sent to Santa Cruz's Long Marine Laboratory are providing marine biologists with a rare opportunity to investigate dolphin physiology. Little is known about the mechanics of being a dolphin. A particular mystery is metabolism, or how dolphin bodies burn food to fuel swimming, diving and frolicking. "We understand their social structure and behavior," said Terrie Williams, assistant professor of biology at Long, "but we don't know what makes them tick." This stands in contrast to the well-documented physiology of the other main branch of marine mammals -- the pinnipeds, which include seals and sea lions. "The reason we know about seals is that there is technology to glue small recorders and instruments to their fur," Williams said. "We haven't had that with dolphins because there's nothing to stick to. They constantly slough their outer layer of skin." The Navy dolphins will change that. Last October, two male dolphins -- Primo, 14, and Puka, 9 -- were airlifted to the laboratory. These animals had learned in Hawaii to spot, mark and retrieve objects in the ocean to prepare for duty as mine-hunters, a role they never assumed. Williams said their Navy discipline makes these dolphins especially suited for research because they are responsive, accustomed to handling and game for anything. "To give these animals something novel to do is not that big a deal," Williams said. "They received a lot of different types of stimuli with the Navy." Primo and Puka, accustomed to open-water exercises, are acclimating to life in the lab's interconnected pools. They must learn research procedures. In one experiment, Williams will feed the dolphins fish at different temperatures and gauge how they react by measuring oxygen consumption, heart rate and other metabolic yardsticks. "We're looking at parameters you'd monitor in any athlete," William said. Other investigations will target dolphins' remarkably efficient swimming. During open-ocean studies in Hawaii, Williams noticed that the animals' expenditure of energy did not jibe with their speed. "They were moving a lot faster than they should have been," she said. "We sent a diver down there, and it turned out that instead of constant propulsion there were long periods without a lot of tail movement. They're so hydrodynamic, and they're smart -- they know how to glide through life." At Long Marine Lab, researchers will monitor the strength of the dolphins' tail flicks by having them push against load sensors. Biologists will watch two other Navy dolphins off the coast of San Diego, trying to quantify the time they spend swimming vs. coasting. This reveals how dolphins budget their energy, and also possibly help Marine engineers seeking alternative propulsion systems for submersible machines. Some engineers have become hooked on the mechanical fishtail. To drive such a device with only intermittent propulsion could stretch the battery life of an underwater vehicle. Civilian researchers will reap insight into the conservation of these animals, and the answers will enable wildlife managers to judge the effects of climate change and human activity on dolphin well-being. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 23 Apr 1995 18:33:25 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: change of e-mail address Greetings, I have been using an e-mail account in Mexico for a lot of MARMAM business. As of Monday April 24, that account will no longer be active, so any questions regarding the list should be sent to my University of Victoria account (rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca), or to Dave Duffus (ddvffvs(\)uvvm.uvic.ca). My mailing address is also changing, the new address is below. Robin MARMAM co-editor ====================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Research Group Department of Biology P.O. Box 6244 University of Victoria Victoria, B.C. Box 1700, MS 7094 V8P 5L5 Canada Victoria, B.C. Phone 1-604-380-1925 V8W 2Y2 Fax 1-604-380-1206 Canada E-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca ====================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 23 Apr 1995 14:12:17 -0800 From: Coalition for No Whales in Captivity Subject: Re: Orca death in Texas Naomi Rose responds to Paul Forestell's question: >>Does Sea World only have two breeding males available? > >Ulises is an adult male in his mid to late teens held in San Diego (who >has yet to mate, I believe -- he was held in isolation in Barcelona, >Spain until early 1994 and is being socialized in stages by the >facility). Tillicum is an adult male of unknown age (transferred from a >Canadian facility in 1992) held in Orlando. Kotar was the breeding male >in San Antonio (held by Sea World since 1978). There are no other adult >males (although there are four immature males, the oldest of whom is 5.6 >years of age). The fact that Sea World has only one viable breeding male still alive, very much concerns us here in Canada. The Vancouver Public Aquarium displays two killer whales: a male called Finna and a female named Bjossa. Bjossa has had three live births and all of her calves have died. Her first calf (a female) survived only one month before dying of starvation. K'yosha, her second calf, was separated from the mother after three weeks and was force-fed for 56 days through a tube inserted into her stomach. K'yosha died alone, bumping against the tank walls, succumbing to a massive brain infection. On March 8 of this year, Bjossa gave birth to her third calf. During labor, with only the flukes visible to visitors and media crowding this event, the calf turned 90 degrees inside the mother's body. This action apparently ruptured the umbilical cord. Due to the loss of blood, the calf was born lethargic and never really got a good breath of air. She died 8 minutes after being born. The baby's body was left on the bottom of the display tank for 5 days, while people lined up at the gates to see Bjossa mourning another dead calf. Public outcry against the keeping and breeding of these killer whales has been the strongest ever after this latest death. Amongst an increadible amount of media coverage, a local newspaper asked readers for letters advising what the aquarium should do next. On April 23, the Province newspaper published a sample of the 750 letters received, under the following headline: "Free the whales - that's the message from our readers to aquarium." The Vancouver Aquarium has announced a decision will be made before June. Since no contraception for captive cetacea exists, the aquarium's options are obviously limited. We are concerned that the aquarium will decide to separate the whales, disregarding their strong familial bonds. The aquarium could keep the female (who due to her tragedies, is the most loved whale in Vancouver) and swap the male for a female from either Sea World or from Marine World Africa USA. This way, the Vancouver Aquarium could continue displaying two killer whales without any possibility of more pregnancies occuring. Finna and Bjossa were captured together as juveniles off the coast of Iceland almost 15 years ago and have lived in the same tank ever since. Separating these two whales would be cruel. They are probably close relatives (perhaps siblings) and have remained strongly bonded during their 15 years in captivity. These bonds were quite evident when the two were recently reunited after 2 months of being kept in separate tanks. The separation was conducted in the hopes that Bjossa wouldn't be distracted by Finna and increase the likelyhood that her third calf would survive. We believe the Vancouver Aquarium should end the unethical practice of keeping whales in captivity and place Finna and Bjossa in a rehabilitation program to study the possibilities of reintroducing them back into the wild. However, aquarium director Dr.John Nightingale has been quoted many times in the media as saying that Bjossa cannot be released because she has eleven "open tooth sockets" (cavities?) that are cleaned daily by her trainers. Dr. Nightingale claims Bjossa would die of a jaw infection after only two months of living in freedom. We are asking Marmamers for comments and suggestions. Thank you. Annelise Sorg, Director Coalition For No Whales in Captivity 8636 Granville Street Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6P 5A1 Tel: (604) 266-3900 Fax: (604) 266-1120 e-mail: annelise(\)direct.ca ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 13:09:56 -0400 From: Damon Job Subject: Book Wanted: Marine Mammal Sensory Systems Wanted: A used, unwanted copy of: Thomas, J.A., Kastelein, R.A., and A. Ya. Supin, Eds. 1992. Marine Mammal Sensory Systems. Plenum Press, New York, NY. As a secondary author, I did not recieve a copy and cannot afford to pay ~$200 for it! Thanks **************************************************************** Damon A. Job - djob(\)clark.net -or- nzpzr010(\)sivm.si.edu Marine Mammalogist, Biodiversity conservation and NRM consulting. **************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 09:33:51 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Tokyo meeting on illegal trade in whale products MARMAM group: Could anyone provide information on last week's meeting in Tokyo on illegal trade in whale products? I'd be interested in background on the meeting and its agenda, who participated, and any summary of what was considered/concluded. Thanks. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 07:41:14 EDT From: "Otto C. Fad" <73534.540(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Cousteau Park? Regarding recent discussion here about alternatives to the live, up-close display of marine mammals at public oceanaria, has anyone heard how the Cousteau Park in Paris is doing? It opened amidst fanfare with the much-ballyhooed idea that people would support a marine park with no live animals, and planned to feature all sorts of clever graphics, innovative exhibitry, and satellite technology to link visitors with wild whales, etc. Anyway, that was just a couple of years ago, and I haven't heard anything recently--surely someone here has. Thanks, Otto Fad ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 07:37:37 -0400 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Manatees The following is reprinted from the May 1995 edition of ANIMAL PEOPLE. (See info note at end.) "Full speed ahead and damn the manatees!" ORLANDO, Florida--Killing manatees at a record rate of almost two a week, boaters could extinguish the Floridan subspecies in the wild--if they keep it up--before the end of the 20th century, now less than five years away. More than 60 Florida manatees died during the first quarter of 1995, twice the rate of 1994, when 192 manatees were found dead, second only to the 206 deaths reported in 1990 among the 25 years that statistics have been kept. As in 24 of those 25 years, the leading cause of death, claiming exactly 60, was being sliced or stabbed by power boat propellers, prows, and keels. That broke the 1989 record of 58 human-caused deaths, 53 of them caused by boats. Severe cold is the manatees' only other significant killer. The already ominous plight of manatees got rapidly worse after February 17, when Volusia County Judge John Roger Smith trashed the power boat speed limits imposed in 1991 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to safeguard manatees. The DEP and the Save the Manatee Club asserted at the time that they could win on appeal, and could meanwhile go on enforcing the speed limits--but it's been open season ever since. By mid-March a study of Brevard County boaters found that 25% were speeding right by the limit signs. "The court finds the language defining slow speed so vague that a person of common intelligence must guess at its meaning and may differ as to its application," Smith wrote. He also argued that the DEP is obliged to prove that manatees actually inhabit areas where boat speed limits are posted, and should show cause why designated high-speed corridors shouldn't be routed through the manatee protection zones, as if the slow-moving sirenians could be taught to avoid such corridors any more than oppossums can be taught to stay out of busy streets. Smith's ruling aquitted DeLand Fish Camp owner Rick Rawlins, charged twice in 13 months for allegedly breaking the speed limit on the Hontoon Dead River. It had no formal precedential value, but wise-use wiseguys across the nation ballyhooed it on talk shows, online forums, and in print as a signal victory over allegedly excessive regulation. The finer points of law got lost in the uproar. About one million power boats compete with manatees for aquatic rights-of-way in Florida. Even before Smith struck down the speed limits, just 11 of Florida's 67 counties had any limits in effect, enforced haphazardly by 283 Florida Marine Patrol officers plus 215 Florida Game and Fresh Water officers--about one officer per 2,000 vessels. As unpopular as speed limits are with the boaters, the alternatives are less popular still. One would be closing waters inhabited by manatees to all boating. That would cover the entire coast of the Florida peninsula plus the Everglades corridor, and would have no chance of acceptance even if someone were to seriously propose it. Another, raised from time to time for 60 years, would be mandatory installation of propeller guards. Since only about half of the manatees killed by boats are actually hit by the propellers, guards would reduce but not prevent deaths. However, the Miami Herald reported on March 24, "Boat manufacturers resist the idea, claiming that the guards hamper engine performance and speed. Owners who do install the protective devices often have ended up suing major manufacturers after losing their engine warranty." History, biology Officially, manatees have been protected since the eighteenth century, when England declared Florida to be a manatee sanctuary in an apparent strike at Spanish smugglers and slave-traders, who killed manatees by the shipload for food. The state of Florida adopted a manatee protection law for the animals' own sake in 1893, strengthened in 1907 with the imposition of a $500 fine for killing or molesting one. In 1907 money, that fine was as substantial as the $20,000 penalties imposed by the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act and the 1973 Endangered Species Act. And it was just about as ineffective, because then as well as now, virtually all human killings of manatees have been judged accidental. Found in dwindling numbers across the West Indies, and once distributed throughout the tropics, manatees are slow breeders. They reach sexual maturity at age nine as a rule, though some females may be capable of reproduction at age five. Bearing females produce just one calf every two to five years, after a 13-month gestation. Cold snaps, dangerous to all manatees, are particularly deadly to the young, says Loren Fish, who as supervisor of animal care at Sea World of Florida in Orlando is responsible for the largest group of manatees likely to survive--15 rescued from distress situations and two born at the facility. "When the water gets below 68 degrees, the young can't tolerate it," Fish says. "They develop pneumonia and stop eating." Unusually cold weather killed 53 manatee calves in 1990, the same as the number of manatees killed by boats that year--the only year that boat-related deaths didn't head the list. Fortunately the warm-water discharge areas around coastal power plants provide temporary manatee refuges during routine cold snaps. "These areas are heavily monitored," Fish confirms. Such monitoring revealed both bad news and good news earlier this year. The bad news, in January, was that only 1,443 manatees were discovered, one of the lowest counts on record. The good news was that 1,822 turned up in a February recount, one of the highest counts ever. But the variance also told biologists that their margin of counting error is so high that records showing the population is up from about 800 over the past 20 years may only reflect improved if still imperfect counting methods--not an actual increase in manatee numbers. Instead, manatees could be holding even or further declining. Captive breeding Manatees breed so readily in captivity that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service forbade mingling of the sexes at captive facilities in 1991, to prevent overcrowding. Yet restoring the wild population through captive breeding is not yet a viable option, despite a decade of attempts. Miami Seaquarium vet Jesse White in 1984 placed two captive-born manatees in holding pens in the Homosassa River, then released them in 1986, after they appeared to be capable of feeding themselves. As of July 1990, he told People magazine, "I believe they're still out there." But because of a lack of confirmed follow-up sightings, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manatee recovery coordinator Robert Turner has pronounced them dead. Another experimental release, in Puerto Rico, failed when the manatee starved to death. "It's like taking a pet and releasing it into the forest," Turner told Craig Quintana of the Orlando Sentinel. "They have no experience at all on anything but romaine lettuce in a concrete tank. When he ran out of lettuce, he didn't eat. We just thought they'd start eating other vegetation." A related problem, Fish adds, is that "We don't yet know how they learn their migration patterns." If seasonal migration isn't instinctive, captive-born manatees might be caught too far north to survive when winter weather hits. Formerly wild manatees are believed to do better. Of about 135 ill, injured, or orphaned manatees received at Sea World since 1973, 47 have been returned to the wild, including three who were released earlier this year, wearing tags and radio transponders monitored by USFWS via satelite. Hoping to improve the odds, Sea World and USFWS last summer set up a $40,000, 4.5-acre "halfway station" for manatees in the Banana River, between the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral. The idea is to acclimate manatees to their natural diet of sea grass before turning them loose. "Their weights are checked after one month," explains Fish. "If they've lost weight, we keep them and try the release again later." About 50 manatees, currently distributed among five Florida stranding rescue centers, are considered potential release candidates. Recovery plan The USFWS on April 6 proposed a second revision of the Florida manatee recovery plan, and extended the public comment period to June 5. Persons wishing to comment may obtain copies of the proposed revised plan from David J. Wesley, Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office, USFWS, 6620 Southpoint Drive S., Suite 310, Jacksonville, FL 32216; 904-232-2580. --by Merritt Clifton and Donna Robb (ANIMAL PEOPLE is a nonprofit newspaper, providing independent professional coverage of the whole range of animal protection issues & perspectives since 1992. Subscriptions are $18/year, $30/2 years, or $40/3 years; write to POB 205, Shushan, NY 12873. We'll send a free sample on request--just provide your full U.S. postal address.) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 12:43:06 -1000 From: Stacy Braslau-Schneck Subject: Whaleparts for Ed; MMs of Lat.Am.; Aloha Greetings, Marmamers, This message has three parts to it... WHALE PARTS FOR EDUCATION Several months ago I asked about obtaining samples of whales - baleen or bones - for educational purposes. Thank you to all who responded. The results are that all whale remains in the United States are controled by the National Marine Fisheries Service and that non-profit, educational facilities can obtain samples from them for educational purposes (though I have not yet recieved a reply to my request from them, and whale-watching season for me in Hawaii is now over). Following another suggestion, I was able to find dried krill - at the local pet store, among the fish food. Amy Martin from the Burke Museum at the University of Washington told me that she is designing a science kit for teachers to rent. She can be contacted at . Joel Rubin, Teacher Resource Specialist at the New England Aquarium also told me about a teacher's kit available for rent. He's at . There are many educators apparantly lurking on this list; I recommend that you get in contact with each other to share ideas and whatever! MARINE MAMMALS OF LATIN AMERICA Thanks again to those of you who recommended sites and sights of the Yucatan, Belize, and Costa Rica. I'm looking forward to visiting many of these places and hopefully I'll get to meet some of you as well! ALOHA, MARMAM! With great sadness I announce that I will soon be leaving Hawaii. I'm glad to say I've seen a lot of growth in marine mammal research, and in the relationships between the marine mammal researchers here, and I hope they continue. I've learned so much from many of you and I am indebted to you. Please note that I am no longer the intern coordinator at KBMML. For those of you interested in the dolphin internship program, please contact Krista Berkland, Intern Coordinator, Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Lab, 1129 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 95814. Phone: (808) 581-2121; E-mail: . For information on other internships, please contact Dan Odell. Since I may lose this e-mail account soon, I'll be canceling my subscription to Marmam as well. Thanks to all of you who have made it one of my favorite resources and addictions. Keep up the good communication and exchange of ideas and opinions (it's still one of the most flame-free discussion groups I've encountered [she says through singed fingers...]). (By the way, Robin, my home computer's broken and I never printed out my own FAQ... what's the listserve address so I can unsubscribe?) I hope to resubscribe when I get back on-line! Thanks again, and good luck to you all! Aloha, Stacy Braslau-Schneck sbraslau(\)uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 04:44:21 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: JAPAN'S IWC POSITION This is a belated reply to Alan Macnow's posting of 11 April. Readers (should there be any) who have been on tenterhooks for the next instalment will have to accept my apologies; I'm trying to get organized for a live (as opposed to electronic) debate in South Africa on elephants (which, for the benefit of MARMAM readers, are terrestrial relatives of sirenians). I'll be away from my computer May 1-15, so I'd better get this off now. In addition, I have received some useful comments from Dr. Sidney Holt of IFAW which I am including herein: >Mr. Orenstein is correct on the point that treaty signatories are bound >by treaty language that requires adherence, except in the case of lan- >guage to which, as sovereign nations, they file objections or reserva- >tions. Please note that the word "shall" denotes a mandatory require- >ment. Article V(2) establishes a number of mandatory requirements that >must be met in order to amend the Convention, including changes in the >Schedule. None of the signatory nations filed objections or reserva- >tions to Article V(2), therefore they are bound to comply with them. But, as I have stated before, that compliance is determined by the meaning of the words in the paragraph, and given the sovereignty of states these words will normally be given the interpretation that gives member countries the most leeway. Thus "shall" is mandatory, but "shall take into consideration" imposes a mandatory requirement to do, in practical terms, very little. What does "take into consideration" mean? If it means "do exactly what so-and-so wants" that imposes a much stricter requirement than if it means "think about what so-and-so says before deciding what to do." In international law, where the observers of the laware sovereign states rather than individuals, interpretation will tend towards the latter rather than the former. Thus I think proving that Article V par. 2 has been violated will be an extremely difficult (if not impossible) thing to do - the language is just too broadly written, and allows member states a great deal of scope. After all, states don't sign treaties in order to be pinned to the wall by them, and if it ends up that way it is usually because those states find themselves (as Japan usually does at the Whaling Commission) in the minority. >The designation [of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary] was illegal because it did not meet the mandatory re- >quirements of Article V., par. 2. It wasn't, for the reasons I have just set out and those given in detail in my last message. >Lawyer-like Mr. Orenstein is highly selective in quoting just one "ob- >jective". The objectives, which are to be taken in their entirety and >not out of context, do not contemplate the non-use of whale stocks but >have as their goal the regulated harvesting of the resources. Well, I am a lawyer, among other things. Of course, in 1946 when the ICRW was drafted commercial harvesting of whales was the "use" everyone had in mind. However, today other uses exist and earn revenue (eg whalewatching). Though the treaty language, with its references to capture and fisheries, certainly was not written with whalewatching in mind, there is nothing in the treaty that says that the conservation of whales must not be directed towards this purpose. Despite Mr. Macnow's phrasing, whalewatching is not "non-use". It is merely non-consumptive use. In fact the IWC has declared by resolutions in 1993 and 1994 that whalewatching is a legally admissable sustainable use of whales under the ICRW. I have never said that the ICRW contemplates permanent non-use of all whale stocks (in fact I have said the reverse); but it clearly contemplates the non-use of certain stocks in certain areas, or at certain times, for conservation purposes - a very different thing. > The ob- >jectives contend that "the whale stocks are susceptible of natural in- >creases if whaling is properly regulated, and that increases in the size >of whale stocks will permit increases in the number of whales which may >be captured without endangering these natural resources;" "it is in the >common interest to achieve the optimum level of whale stocks as rapidly >as possible without causing widespread economic and nutritional dis- >tress;" "whaling operations should be confined to those species best >able to sustain exploitation in order to give an interval for recovery >to certain species of whales now depleted in numbers". Finally, the ex- >plicit purpose of the Convention, to which all signatories are bound, is >"to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make >possible the orderly development of the whaling industry". > >Clearly, the Southern Ocean Sanctuary is not necessary to carry out all >the objectives of the Convention and in fact will frustrate them. Not at all. As I have said over and over again, Article V (1) permits the setting up of sanctuaries, and clearly contemplates that such actions can be in furtherance of the aims Mr. Macnow sets out. As I have also said before, the word "necessary need not, and should not, be interpreted to mean that n action can be taken until it is literally the only alternative available. As for the language Mr, Macnow quotes, the Sanctuary may well result in an increase in the size of the stocks; these will permit increases in the number of whales which may be [BUT need not be!] captured, as whales from the sanctuary may well migrate outside of its boundaries. Mr. Macnow will have a hard time proving that the sanctuary will cause "widespread economic and nutritional distress". Nobody is starving to death for lack of whale meat (and the cost of distributing large amounts of the stuff to, say, Africa makes this a prohibitively inefficient cure for world hunger). Given the limited scope of the current whaling industry one can hardly say that the "economic distress" caused by the sanctuary will be widespread - especially as, under the moratorium, there was no commercial whaling going on in Sanctuary waters in any case. As to "the orderly development of the whaling industry" - this phrase is nowhere defined. Orderly does not mean fast-track - a progression towards resumption of full commercial whaling in, say, 10,000 years may still be orderly, even if that is hardly what the drafters had in mind in 1946! >Moveover, it is in direct conflict with the purpose of the Convention: >"to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make >possible the orderly development of the whaling industry". The IWC has >the means for proper conservation of the whale stocks: the Revised Man- >agement Procedure (RMP). The Sanctuary would block application of the >RMP to the Southern Ocean and prevent any development of the whaling in- >dustry. Nonsense. This implies that once a management scheme is in place no further steps, such as the creation of localized sanctuaries, may be taken - such a conclusion would effectively nullify Article V of the Convention. Further, the RMP has yet to be implemented. The Commission wished to embed in the RMP a revised Management System (RMS), including inspection and enforcement provisions, which is now being negotiated (though Japan and Norway object to this). > >>"(b) shall be based on scientific findings;" >The point is not whose scientific findings but the fact that there are >not any on which to base the Sanctuary. Even the proposer, the French >Commissioner, admitted that the Sanctuary is purely political. Dr. Holt points out that the IWC did refer the matter to its Scientific Committee for two sucessive years. The advice received was ambiguous and unhelpful, due according to Dr. Holt to the politicized position of, especially, Japanese government scientists on the Committee. When Framce submitted the proposal in 1993, it submitted a lengthy scientific "base" for it. The Commisssion made one change on adopting this in 1994: a change to the boundary, based on a paper co-authoured by Dr. Holt. Thus there were certainly scientific findings on which a decision could be based, whether or not Mr. Macnow agrees with them. Dr. Holt notes that, along with the findings on minke stocks, the data put forward indicated that blue and fin populations were lower than even the most pessimistic scientists had thought. The Commission legitimately feared that without the Sanctuary these species would be caught if seen [even inadvertently], and did not wish to see the minke reduced to the same state. >Mr. Orenstein is correct in his interpretation of the phrase "take into >consideration." However, anyone who followed the statements of the pro- >sanctuary IWC commissioners would know that their sole intention was to >prevent any exploitation of whales whatsoever. You might conclude from their statements (which I have not read) that that was their preference. That is not the same thing as saying that the decision taken could only, within the terms of the convention, be interpreted as a move to secure that end. In other words, as long as the decision can be justified under the terms of the convention, it is legal whatever the "real" motives of its proponents. That may be a legal hairsplit, but as this is a Japanese challenge to the LEGALITY of the decision, not its wisdom, such interpretations are necessary to determine if the challenge is justified. >Japan's objection is irrelevant. The failure of the IWC to carry out >the required review is the pertinent fact. As to the review, Dr. Holt says: "The review which should have been made by 1990 at the latest had a condition, specified in the Schedule: on the basis of a comprehensive assesment of the effect of the moratorium on whale stocks. By the insistence of the Japanese government the assessments of the states of the stocks were made on a species by species, region by region schedule, resulting in the fact that the assessments were not completed by 1990. With respect to the relevant stock assessments that had been completed by then (including of minke whales everywhere, and fin whales in the North Atlantic), the Scientific Committee reported that it had been unable to determine the effects of the moratorium on the stocks, nor would be able to do so for many years at best; the Committee gave detailed technical reasons for its failure. Thus the Committee was unable formally to meet the Schedule requirement despite its effort to do so." >The RMP was developed at the direction of the IWC and to its require- >ments. The IWC accepted it but has failed to adopt it. The Japanese >are quite correct. See the comment on the RMS above. >>Objections codified in resolutions passed by a majority of IWC members, year >>after year. > >And we all know how objective the majority of the IWC is. And we all know how objective Japan is. Okay? >Mr. Orenstein has a remarkable capacity for creating his own defini- >tions. Sustainable use does not "merely condemn" unsustainable use but >underlies the hopes and aspirations of the scores of under-developed na- >tions at the UN Conference on the Environment and Development, who >equate the term with development. It doesn't mean non-use either. Antarctic whaling hardly underlies " the hopes and aspirations of the scores of under-developed nations" who couldn't put the required fleet to sea if they tried. Sustainable use recognizes that natural resources will be used and seeks to ensure that that use is not unsustainable. There is nothing in the principle that REQUIRES all species to be used in any way we think fit. And yes, if there is no way to use a species sustainably then non-use is the only sustainable option - unless Mr. Macnow is arguing that the concept of sustainable use requires that a species be used unsustainably if no sustainable use can be maintained, a notion that turns the concept of preserving resources for future generations on its head (and violates the ICRW, by the way). >Japan has never used threats, of economic consequences or other, against >small IWC members. On the other hand, Mr. Orenstein's organization, the >International Wildlife Coalition (oh so cleverly named to allow them to >put IWC on their adopt-a-whale fund-raising appeals) has. With this comment, I fear (and with his patronizing, hypocritical response on this point to my good friend Jose Palazzo, a man who has literally put his life on the line fighting poachers and other abusers of wildlife), Mr. Macnow really blows his credibility. That Japan does, in fact, use "checkbook diplomacy" in this way is well-known. I understand that both the Solomon Islands and the Seychelles left the Commission for this reason. Whale activists at the Commission have repeatedly been given first-hand accounts of this sort of thing by delegates (who, for obvious reasons, don't want their names mentioned). I have personal knowledge that Japan does the same thing at CITES: I know of three Asian countries who have received such threats, and David Western, Director of Wildlife in Kenya, stated in print that Kenya withdrew a proposal to list Bluefin Tuna because of threats of economic consequences from Japan. It was preciselyto provide a countervail to Japanese pressure that our organization called for a tourist boycott of four Caribbean members of the Commission; I will leave it to Steve Best, who was involved in this isuue at the time, to explain more fully if he wishes. And if Mr. Macnow really believes that our donors contribute to us under the impression that we are the International Whaling Commission, I suggest he take a reality check. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 17:03:22 -0700 From: Frederick Sharpe Subject: Attention Dawn Goley In-Reply-To: <199504240131.SAA11428(\)whistler.sfu.ca> from "Robin Baird" at Apr 23, 95 06:33:25 pm Hello, Does anyone have an email or phone for Dawn Goley? Thanks, Fred Sharpe Simon Fraser University fsharpe(\)sfu.ca ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 20:36:07 +1000 From: Richard John De Burgh Norman Recent (geologically speaking?) references. Perhaps this will be seen as a retort to the molecular references posted recently, but it is actually in reply to the earlier request for references about Sirenian anatomy by Dr Reep. 1. Brandt, J.F. Uber den Zahnbau der Stellerschen Seekuh (Rytina stelleri) nebst Remerkungen zur Characteristik der in zwei Unterfamilien zu zerfullenden familie der Pflanzenfressenden Cetaceen. Memoires de L'Academie Imperiale des Sciences de Saint-Petersbourg - Sixeme Serie Tome II:103-118, 1833. Notes : In research collection at Baillieu 2. Brandt, J.F. Symbolae sirenologicae, quibus praecipue Rhytinae historia naturalis illustratur. Memoires de L'Academie Imperiale des Sciences de Saint-Petersbourg - Sixieme Serie Tome V:1-160, 1849. Notes : In research collection at Baillieu. Excellent plates of skull, as well as a drawing of whole animal 3. Brandt, J.F. Symbolae Sirenologiae. Fasciculus II et III. Sireniorum, Pachydermatum, Zeuglodontum et Cetaceorum ordinis osteologia comparata, nec non Sireniorum generum monographiae. Mem.Academ.Imp.Sci.St.-Peter.VIIe Ser. Tome XII, No. 1:1-383, 1868. Notes : Enormous and in Latin. With 9 beautiful plates. In the Research collection at Baillieu 4. Buchner, E. Die Abbildungen der Nordischen Seekuh (Rytina gigas Zimm.) mit besonderer Bericksichtigung neu aufgefundener handschriftlicher Materialen in Seiner Majestat Hochst Eigenen Bibliothek zu Zarskoje Sselo. Mem.Academ.Imp.Sci.St.-Peter.VIIe Ser. Tome XXXVIII, No.7:1-24, 1891. Notes : In research collection at Baillieu. With a colour reproduction which appears to show a Steller's sea cow, a Steller's sea lion and a Nth fur seal. The plate would be good to photograph, except that the lower part is cut, and the whole is folded 5. Claudius, M. Das Gehororgan von Rhytina stelleri. Mem.Academ.Imp.Sci.St.-Peter.VIIe Ser. Tome XI, No.5:1-15, 1867. Notes : In research collection at baillieu. With two plates 6. Knox, R. Observations to determine the dentition of the Dugong; to which are added observations illustrating the anatomical structure and natural history of certain of the Cetacea. Trans.Roy.Soc.Edin. 11:389-417, 1831. Notes : In research collection at Baillieu. With one plate 7. von Baer, K.E. Untersuchungen uber die ehemalige verbreitung und die ganzliche vertilgung der von Steller beobachteten Nordichen seekuh (Rytina Ill.). Memoires de L'Academie Imperiale des Sciences de Saint-Petersbourg - Sixieme Serie Tome III:53-80, 1840. Notes : In research collection at Baillieu Hope they will be of some use. Richard Norman School of Veterinary Science University of Melbourne Veterinary Clinical Centre Princes Highway, Werribee, VIC 3030 AUSTRALIA Email: s#rjdbn(\)eduserv.its.unimelb.edu.au Phone: (03) 439 3163 Fax: (03) 741 0401 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 07:37:52 -0400 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Romero case The following is reprinted from the May 1995 edition of ANIMAL PEOPLE. (See info note at end.) Treason for trying to save dolphins CORAL GABLES, Florida--Aldemaro Romero is alive and well as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Miami. That annoys the Venezuelan government. Officially, he's wanted for treason. Unofficially, some authorities would rather have his tortured corpse in a ditch, along with that of his colleague Ignacio Agudo, a fellow academic and president of Fundacetacea (The Whale Fund), who has been dodging dragnets in Venezuela for more than a year now. Said Ramon Martinez, governor of Sucre state, to Wall Street Journal reporter Jose de Cordoba, "If it were up to me, I'd have them shot." Their alleged crime was videotaping a fishing crew in February 1993 during the acts of harpooning a dolphin, then hacking her apart alive for use as bait. "The remains of 13 other dolphins were found on the beach," states Romero. "The crew said on tape that they kill dolphins for shark bait. They also provided information about the number of dolphins they kill per month, and where they get the harpoons." It wasn't a completely clean sting. As the video sound track reveals, Romero and Agudo told the crew how to position the boat to give them good camera angles. But Romero also begged that the dolphin be killed quickly, and both Romero and Agudo asked that no more dolphins be killed. Claims Romero, "The fishermen were never paid, nor did we promise them anything. At the end of the trip we gave them a bottle of rum worth 95c U.S. as a gift for their hospitality to us. We also left behind the gasoline that we had earlier purchased to fill their spare can, worth $4.00 U.S." The Venezuelan government insists that Romero and Agudo paid for the dolphin killing as part of a plot by U.S.-based firms to keep Venezuelan oil and tuna out of the U.S. market. The H.J. Heinz Co., owner of Starkist tuna, is supposed to have paid off Romero and Agudo via a Heinz family donation of $10,000 to the San Francisco-based Earth Island Institute, with which neither Romero nor Agudo have any connection-- although Romero did receive some funding directly from the Heinz Foundation in 1991. The Philadelphia-based Sun Co. is said to have made a similar payoff through the Pew Charitable Trusts; Pew has granted Earth Island $190,000 to monitor dolphin-killing by the tuna industry. Venezuelan tuna has been barred from the U.S. since 1991 because of the frequent practice of netting tuna "on dolphin," i.e. surrounding schools of dolphins with purse seines because dolphins often swim above schools of tuna. This killed as many as 300,000 dolphins a year in the eastern Pacific before 1991, but Venezuela claims its fleet killed just 700 dolphins in 1994. Import restrictions on Venezuelan oil are also in effect, over a trade dispute. The alleged plot is improbable not only because of the lack of evidence of a money trail, but also because of Romero's international reputation. His resume includes the presidency of the 1992 Hemispheric Conference on Economics and the Environment; forming and serving as executive director of the Venezuelan Foundation for the Conservation of Biological Diversity (BIOMA); establishing five nature preserves; leading feasibility studies for two national parks; and developing a 200,000-entry data base on Venezuelan flora and fauna. A member of the Species Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Romero is also author or co-author of more than 300 scientific papers--many of them in partnership with Agudo. The Venezuelan embassy in Washington D.C. did not respond to ANIMAL PEOPLE's inquiry into the case. Entrapment Introduced as evidence in a court of law, the Romero/Agudo video might be thrown out as entrapment--much like the video Chris DeRose of Last Chance for Animals made in 1993 of Wisconsin dog dealer Ervin Stebane killing a dog for an undercover couple who said they wanted to buy dog meat. While DeRose's attempted prosecution failed, Stebane had been suspected of dubious deals involving dogs for 20 years or more, and was subsequently put permanently out of business by the USDA for record-keeping violations. The Romero/Agudo case involved an even longer history of alleged abuses and failures of government to halt them. Romero cites 20 documented references to the slaughter of dolphins for bait published between 1979 and the videotaped harpooning, plus four others published or broadcast subsequently. For instance, Romero says, "In January 1994, Sucre state councillor Jesus Anibal Gomez denounced the killing of dolphins in Santa Fe, within the Mochima National Park. Venezuelan officials showed up at the beach, collected the remains of about 10 dolphins, and later said they were actually dogs' carcasses," even though, "One dolphin was still alive when discovered." Adds Romero, "In May 1994, Victor Arango, a reporter for the syndicated TV program American Journal, went to the same village where we made our video. There he interviewed a number of fisherman. All of them said on camera that they had been harpooning dolphins for shark bait for years and that they still do it." Before releasing their video to the media, Romero and Agudo say, they tried to use it to persuade the Venezuelan government to create a coastal cetacean sanctuary and adopt a national marine mammal protection act. The video was released in May 1993, after the Venezuelan office of the Attorney General failed to act. By October 1993, BIOMA and Fundacetacea had collected 45,000 petition signatures in support of the demands for dolphin protection. Still the Venezuelan government didn't act. Then one evening Romero showed the video to a conservation biology class he teaches at the University of Miami. Russ Rector of the Dolphin Freedom Foundation attended. Known for waging confrontational media campaigns, "Rector asked if he could receive a copy," Romero remembers. "It was provided to him at no cost and without restrictions. Rector later elected to release the full, unedited tape to the media. This resulted in November 1993 television news broadcasts" of the tape in the U.S. "As a consequence," Romero continues, the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington D.C. and the Venezuelan General Consulate's office in Miami claim to have received over 20,000 letters of protest." Backlash Venezuela retaliated. "Since most environmental organizations in Venezuela received money from the government, they were compelled to sign a communique in which they stated that dolphins are not killed in Venezuela, despite the fact that they had never worked with dolphins," Romero charges. "Our telephones were tapped. In early January 1994, the two fishermen who killed the dolphins were arrested seven times in five days, once with their small children, and were made to sign a confession in which they claimed we had tricked them." Within a few more days, both Romero and Agudo were formally accused of killing the dolphins by a tribunal which allegedly gave them no chance to respond. The two were almost simultaneously charged with the same alleged offenses in Caracas. "Later on," Romero adds, "the government announced they were going to try both of us for 'treason to the motherland.' It is unclear whether or not the government is going to press such a charge," but after receiving death threats at his home from persons indicating familiarity with his daughters' school schedules, Romero fled to Miami with the children on February 19, 1994. His wife followed a few days later. The case escalated in April 1994, as a judge in Carupano, Venezuela, issued a warrant for Romero and Agudo, "but released the fishermen who actually killed the dolphin," according to Romero, who notes that, "This judge made calls to TV talk shows, saying for the record that if arrested, we would never be released from jail." Venezuela then announced it would attempt to extradite Romero from the U.S.--for which there is only one precedent, the attempted extradition of former dictator Perez Jiminez more than 35 years ago. Since then, for more than a year, it's been a war of nerves. The extradition request, if ever formally issued, isn't likely to be honored. The U.S. State Department, Americas Watch, and Amnesty International have all rapped Venezuela within the past two years for human rights abuses, a point Romero emphasizes, noting that the government has reportedly even tried to purge his books from stores and libraries. "The judiciary is corrupt and politically manipulated," he charges. "The use of torture against detainees is frequent, prison conditions are extremely harsh, people 'disappear' after being arrested, and dozens are extra-judicially executed by security forces." Romero, in Miami, is currently safe from everything but assassination, kidnapping, and/or attacks on his family. However, "Professor Agudo is still hiding in Venezuela and I am very concerned about his situation if the Venezuelan security forces get him," Romero told ANIMAL PEOPLE. "I think the only possibility for him is to create such a public uproar that the government will not have any other choice but to drop the charges against him and myself." (ANIMAL PEOPLE is a nonprofit newspaper, providing independent professional coverage of the whole range of animal protection issues & perspectives since 1992. Subscriptions are $18/year, $30/2 years, or $40/3 years; write to POB 205, Shushan, NY 12873. We'll send a free sample on request--just provide your full U.S. postal address.) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 00:06:54 -0400 From: AndMor(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Cousteau Park? Cousteau Marine Park in Paris has been closed for at least a year. It was located in Les Halles, near the Marais. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 09:04:29 -0700 From: Parrot Head Subject: BMP/GIF/TIF OF PINNIPEDS Does anyone know of a good ftp or WWW sights that may have bitmaps, giffs, or tiffs of various pinniped species (mainly northern elephant seals and California sea lions)? Thank you in advance... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + _+_ The Parrothead way of life: Charles S. Harding + /-|-\ Marine and Environmental + \--|-----/ "Wastin' away in Margaritaville..." Studies Program + \__ __/ "Umbilically connected to the University of San Diego + || temperate zone..." 5998 Alcala Park + || "Changes in latitudes, changes San Diego, CA 92110 + ------ in attitudes..." + "Boat drinks..." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 11:44:09 EDT From: Renee McLaughlin Subject: Re: Cousteau Park? In-Reply-To: Why did the marine park close? I am interested in learning more about the park especially since I did not know about it in the first place. Thank you. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 12:19:52 SAST-2 From: John Cooper Subject: African Seabird Group conference proceedings The African Seabird Group needs more storage space for its publications and so is making the following special offer to clear old stocks: PROCEEDINGS OF THE SYMPOSIUM ON BIRDS OF THE SEA AND SHORE, 1979. CAPE TOWN: AFRICAN SEABIRD GROUP. ED.: J. COOPER (1981). 474 PP. Includes 28 full-length papers and 10 abstracts on seabirds and waders (Charadrii) by Mahoney, Prater, Crawford, Furness, Hockey, Bourne, Ferns, Burger, Gochfeld, Imber, etc. Copies will be sent out surface mail for the inclusive price of US$ 10. Please make cheques payable to the "African Seabird Group" (or just send a 10-dollar bill) and post to me. Thank you! John Cooper +-------------------------------------------------------+ | John Cooper | | | | UCT Senior Research/SANAP Antarctic Officer | Room 2.06, John Day Zoology Building, University Avenue, Upper Campus | | Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology | | University of Cape Town | | Rondebosch 7700 | | South Africa | | | | Lalisa | | 9 Weltevreden Avenue | | Rondebosch 7700 | | South Africa | | | | Electronic mail: jcooper(\)botzoo.uct.ac.za | | | | Fax: +27-21-650-3295 | | Office phone (direct): +27-21-650-3294 | | Office phone (answering machine): +27-21-650-3296 | | Home phone: +27-21-685-1357 | +-------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 10:31:30 SAST-2 From: John Cooper Subject: SPECIAL OFFER SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER: SUBSCRIBE TO MARINE ORNITHOLOGY AND GET SIX YEARS FOR THE PRICE OF TWO! In order simultaneously to attract new members and to clear surplus stocks, the African Seabird Group is making a special introductory offer to new subscribers to its journal, Marine Ornithology, the only international, fully refereed journal devoted solely to seabirds. A large proportion of articles in recent issues have dealt with high-latitude birds of Antarctica, the sub-Antarctic islands and the Southern Ocean, making the journal of especial interest to polar biologists. For the normal cost of the 1995 subscription (US$ 30 or UK Pounds 20), new personal subscribers will receive five years' of back numbers (Vols 18-22 for 1990-1994) for only an additional US$ 30 or UK Pounds 20. Thus, total cost for six year's issues is US$ 60 or UK Pounds 40. Institutional subscribers can take advantage of this special offer for US$ 90 or UK Pounds 60. Please send payment in the name of the "African Seabird Group" to Box 34113, Rhodes Gift 7707, South Africa. Personal cheques are acceptable. Most of the earlier back numbers are still available and I can quote special rates if requested. Please send any queries via e-mail to jcooper(\)botzoo.uct.ac.za John Cooper, Chair: African Seabird Group +-------------------------------------------------------+ | John Cooper | | | | UCT Senior Research/SANAP Antarctic Officer | Room 2.06, John Day Zoology Building, University Avenue, Upper Campus | | Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology | | University of Cape Town | | Rondebosch 7700 | | South Africa | | | | Lalisa | | 9 Weltevreden Avenue | | Rondebosch 7700 | | South Africa | | | | Electronic mail: jcooper(\)botzoo.uct.ac.za | | | | Fax: +27-21-650-3295 | | Office phone (direct): +27-21-650-3294 | | Office phone (answering machine): +27-21-650-3296 | | Home phone: +27-21-685-1357 | +-------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 10:18:36 +0000 From: gnstri(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it Subject: no subject (file transmission) Subject: Re: Romero case In-Reply-To:<9504250239.AA08910(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it>from AnmlPeople(\)aol.com" at Apr 24, 95 07:37:52 am Regarding all the fuss Venezuelan officials seem to be raising about the disclosure by Romero that coastal fishermen kill dolphins, as I happened to say before in this discussion list, there really is nothing new about this. At least as far as the coastal strech comprised between Puerto la Cruz and Cumana' is concerned, common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) have been routinely killed by local fishermen and butchered on the small beaches of Islas Caracas at least since 1979, and most likely much earlier than that. During a year-long study in the area which I conducted in 1978-79 as a research associate of the San Diego-based Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute, I repeatedly found fresh dolphin remains in the above locations, and even withnessed the harpooning of two dolphins by fishermen on a small coastal boat during an aerial survey I was running. I remember eliciting disbelief from then Minister of the Environment Edgardo Mondolfi when I told him what I saw. "Venezuelan fishermen love and respect dolphins", he said. His opinion changed after I was able to bring his assistant, Carlos Gremone, to examine in situ the remains of a dolphin kill. I think I still have somewhere the photograph of Gremone inspecting a dolphin part on the beach. Prof. Romero perhaps is now being targeted as a scapegoat for whatever be the reason, however Venezuela must realise that the "fishermen don't kill dolphins" argument is a rather weak one. Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara Director, Tethys Research Institute - Milano, Italy gnstri(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 22:28:07 -0700 From: Richard Buckley Subject: Re: Cousteau Park? The Cousteau experiment, Parc Oceanique, is out of business. It needed to draw 800,000 visitors a year to break even and could draw only 400,000. There appears to be something to the idea that there is no substitute for first-hand experience with animals. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 08:01:22 +0300 From: smkenneth(\)sukair.cc.uob.bh Subject: Searching for Andrew Riddell Has anyone out there the address for Andrew Riddell of Auckland / Russell, New Zealand ? I have no detailed job description, but I know that he is concerned with small cetatean conservation in the North Island. Thanks in advance .... Ken Smith - smkenneth(\)cc.UOB.ac.bh ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 20:56:51 PDT Reply-To: DDVFFVS(\)UVVM.UVic.CA From: Paul Slootweg Subject: Re: ATOC and GPS/MET In-Reply-To: <199504201934.UAA31629(\)granite.radstone.co.uk> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- [much deleted] > Let's not drag it out even longer. Lets get some data so we can > start to answer not only climate questions, but also questions > about marine mammals. Who's kidding who? ATOC is not, and never was, intended to answer questio= ns 'about' marine mammals. The only marine mammal study related to ATOC is = merely intended to study the effect of ATOC on the marine environment, not any = wider issues! [remainder deleted] We cannot simply ignore the environmental impact that ATOC would have. = Valuable as the data might be, we must not allow the end to justify the means. = The burden we place on the marine environment is already unjustifyably high, = and we should not add to it without grave consideration of the effects. -- Regards, Paul Slootweg prs(\)radstone.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 21:02:01 PDT 25 Apr 1995 08:18:02 -0700". Rest of header flushed. Comments: Resent-From: DDVFFVS(\)UVVM.UVic.CA From: Dave Duffus ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML), National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA has been tagging California sea lions at Shilshole Bay, Seattle, WA to study their distribution, abundance and movements. Since October, 1994, sixty-one animals have been captured and tagged with white Allflex tags (on front fore flippers). The animals were also hot branded near the dorsal pelvic area (no.'s 44-107 to date). A red neoprene patch was also glued to their fur around the shoulder blades or lower on many animals, although this patch is known to have fallen off on some individuals. To date, most sightings of our marked animals have been made at the log rafts in Everett harbor, although a few sightings have been reported from McNeil Island, the Ballard Locks, SE Vancouver Island (Canada) and San Francisco. The animal mentioned in an earlier MARMAM message (sea lion no. 85) was captured, tagged and released on January 25, 1995 in Shilshore Bay (Seattle). It weighed 150.0 kg. If anyone should happen to see our marked animals, please contact Merrill Gosho or Pat Gearin at: National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NMFS, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way, Bldg. 4, Seattle, WA 98115-0070 (ph 206 526-4045) or contact us through the net. Thanks. GOSHO(\)AFSC.NOAA.GOV ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 08:57:39 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Ballard Locks Situation Update Marmam Group: Could someone provide an update of the Ballard Locks sea lion/steelhead trout situation? I have not seen or heard anything on this issue in several months. What is the status and what is happening? Thanks for your assistance on this issue. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 11:36:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: BID TO RESCUE BEACHED KILLER W BID TO RESCUE BEACHED KILLER WHALE By Jonathan Brown, PA News An 18-foot killer whale was today discovered high and dry 100 yards from the sea. Emergency services launched a rescue operation after the whale was found at lunchtime at Pegwell Bay, near Ramsgate, Kent. A Kent fire brigade spokeswoman said officers had dug a reservoir around the whale in an attempt to keep it wet and cool. She said they were awaiting the arrival of a specialist team of marine experts and divers to help refloat the mammal. The spokeswoman added: "Low tide is at 4pm and we will have to wait until the high tide which is due later tonight at 9.30pm." RSPCA officials were also on the scene. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 11:00:19 +0100 From: APM Subject: Serum samples Dear Pat, When you tagged these animals did you by any chance take blood samples. We have isolated previously unrecognised species of Brucella, a bacterium normally associated with reproductive disease in ruminants and man, from seals and cetaceans. We are trying to obtain serological evidence of the variety of marine mammals that it infects and are trying to obtain serum from a range of these. Can you help? Best Regards, Alastair MacMillan > > AP MacMillan FAO/WHO Centre for Reference and Research on Brucellosis OIE Brucellosis Reference Centre Central Veterinary Laboratory Weybridge Great Britain Tel: + 44 932 357216 Fax: + 44 932 347046 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 11:36:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: RESCUE NO 2 AS WHALE GETS STUC RESCUE NO 2 AS WHALE GETS STUCK AGAIN By Jonathan Brown, PA News A second rescue operation was under way today after a killer whale became stranded again. The 18-foot mammal was seen early today trapped in the estuary of the River Stour at Sandwich, Kent, just hours after being released into the Channel. A police spokesman said RSPCA officers and the British Diving Marine Life Rescue team were on their way to the incident. He said: "The high tide is due at around 10 am and they are hoping that when it comes in it might get free." Alison Hutchison of the RSPCA said that there was growing concern for the stricken animal. "People are rushing to the scene to help and we are now quite concerned as we thought it would have swum away last night." Firemen and divers had towed the stricken whale in a giant sling from nearby Pegwell Bay, near Ramsgate, Kent, where it was first discovered high and dry on mud flats 100 yards from the sea yesterday. Fire officers dug a reservoir around the two-tonne female in an attempt to keep it wet and cool. Water was splashed over its body until the tide came in for refloating. Marine experts, divers, and the fire brigade, suspended the whale in a tarpaulin between two motorised dinghies which headed out to sea. A police spokesman said: "It seems after she was released back into the Channel she became disoriented and came back inland." An RSPCA spokesman said the whale was in a grave condition. Vets and officials were battling to prevent water from filling the airhole and drowning the mammal. He said: "There are contingency plans to have it put down and drugs have been bought in just in case this is necessary. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 21:54:21 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: Bardot Foundation demand closure of dolphin show Paris, April 24 AP - Brigitte Bardot's animal rights foundation today demanded the closure of a dolphin show at a Paris-area theme park, saying one of the sea mammals there had just died of depression. The Bardot Foundation, headed by the former film star who is now France's leading animal rights activist, said the remaining dolphins at Asterix Park should released from captivity and returned to a natural environment. The Bardot Foundation said a female dolphin brought to the theme park in 1988 died earlier this month from depression due to her captivity. It said two other dolphins died in 1993 just before delivering babies. The dolphin show is one of the prime attractions at Asterix Park, which reported a net profit last year for the first time since in opened seven years ago. AP ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 19:13:41 -0800 From: Gideon Rubin Subject: opportunities? I would like to make an inquery as to any availible summer study, job, internship, or volunteer positions in the San Diego or Phoenix areas this summer. I am an undergraduate student at Brandeis University with new-found interest in the marine mammal world. I live in Phoenix but plan to spend most of the summer in San Diego. Any type of direction would be appreciated. Thank You, Gideon Rubin Respond to: e-mail: st942692(\)pip.cc.brandeis.edu or by mail to: 6019 North Central Phoenix, Az. 85012 We be jammin' ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 18:12:09 -0700 From: bickel(\)ccnet.com Subject: Re: Orca death in Texas Is the lack of breeding success isolated to this particular female in Vancouver? Or is this an "industry" wide problem? My thought would be that there has been little or no study of infant mortality rates among wild orcas, due to the obvious logistical problems. Without this information it would be hard to make a "scientific" judgement as to the viability of captive breeding programs. A "common sense" view would be that the captive status of the animal in question causes enough stress that the animal cannot have viable offspring. And also, as we are all aware of the strong bonds between groups of orcas, it would seem to be cruel to seperate these two in order to try a different mating. We continue to torment these animals in the name of "education/entertainment/profit". It speaks poorly of us as a species. K.R. Bickel Oakland Ca. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 18:28:03 -0300 From: Marcos Cesar de Oliveira Santos Subject: Lockyer s address Hi marmamers! Do any of you know Christina Lockyer s snail mail or e-mail (this would be better) addresses? I need urgently to get in touch with her. Thanks for attention Marcos Cesar Universidade de Sao Paulo e-mail:marcosos(\)cat.cce.usp.br ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 15:15:25 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: Cousteau Park? Richard Buckley wrote, re: the failure of the Cousteau Parc Oceanique: >There appears to be something to the idea that there is no substitute for >first-hand experience with animals. > > First of all, this was the first experiment with a totally animal-free "marine park." Therefore, I would hardly say that one can draw any kind of solid conclusions from its failure. Perhaps it wouldn't have failed if there had been some refinements to the displays, or new technology, or frankly lots of possible things -- maybe it was just badly designed. Not ever having visited it, I couldn't say, but as plenty of live-animal marine parks have also failed, I really don't see how the fate of one animal-free marine park (and the prototype at that) can be considered representative of the potential fate of future animal-free marine parks. Secondly, if it were true that live animals are really needed to draw and educate people, natural history museums should not still exist (and continue to be so popular). Although not a perfect analogy, it would also be hard to explain the strong public interest in dinosaurs, particularly among children, who have never and will never see a live dinosaur -- except of course in the movie "Jurassic Park" :-). Thirdly, there are marine facilities, such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, that attract people and educate them about cetaceans and pinnipeds, without having any live examples of these animals on display (at MBA, the only marine mammals on display are sea otters, who are, to the best of my knowledge, rescued and non-releasable). At MBA, life-size models, skeletons, videos, and graphics displays do a fine job of educating people about cetaceans and pinnipeds. Admittedly, the main attractions of the facility are its live animal exhibits (fish and invertebrates) and these undoubtedly draw people in. However, it is interesting to note that the facility's marine mammal exhibits seem to draw a great deal of attention and approbation from the public once they ARE in -- and the fish and invertebrate exhibits are renowned for accurately simulating the species' natural habitats (most notably the giant kelp forest exhibit), which I have yet to see a marine park manage for cetaceans and pinnipeds. Naomi Rose The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 14:26:39 EDT From: Gary Weik Subject: Marine Mammal Sounds or Pictures Available? Does anyone know of any ftp or WWW sites which have dolphin, whale, or manatee sounds (WAV/AU) or pictures (GIF/JPEG/TIF)? I have two to offer: http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary/orcas.gif http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary/humpback.gif Thanks, Gary Weik http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 14:31:14 -0400 From: Keith Ronald Subject: Re: your mail In-Reply-To: <9504250133.AA00806(\)solar.nova.edu> re manatee references, in case someone has missed it, another publication (small monograph) which includes anatomy: Ronald, K., L.J. Selley and E.C.Amoroso. 1978. Biological synopsis of the manatee. IDRC, Ottawa, Canada(3-A-76-4007) 215 p. Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor in Environmental Studies and Marine Biology Fellow of the University of Guelph, Fellow of the Institute of Biology,Fellow of Royal Geographical Society. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 10:36:53 -0400 From: Barbara B Piel Subject: Re: underwater blasting effects on vertebates In-Reply-To: <199504211949.PAA06696(\)kepler.unh.edu> I believe there is someone at the University of Newfoundland who is monitoring cetaceans in an area where underwater blasts were taking place. (Working with Jon Lien.) On Fri, 21 Apr 1995, vertzoo wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > Don Hocaday > > > >in going through marmam messages today, i saw your request for info on > underwater explosions and their effects on vertebrates. i presented a paper > on this subject at a conference here in santa barbara last year. the > meeting was directed at the removal of platforms off the california coast. > one reference (if you haven't already tracked it down) is Klima, E.F. et al. > 1988. Impacts of the explosive removal of offshore petroleum platforms on > sea turtles and dolphins. Mar. Fish. Rev. 50(3):33-42. the literature cited > section will get you on a good track toward what has been done. also, don't > overlook Fitch, J.E. and P. H. Young. 1948. use and effect of explosives in > california coastal waters. calif. fish and game 34:53-70. hope this helps. > > Charles D. Woodhouse > Curator, Vertebrate Zoology Department > Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History > > > > > X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X > Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History - Vertebrate Zoology Department > 2559 Puesta Del Sol Road E-mail:vertzoo(\)sbmnh.rain.org > Santa Barbara, CA 93105 voice: 805-682-4711 fax: 805-569-3170 > X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X > ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 09:45:04 -0500 From: mattyjv(\)merle.acns.nwu.edu Subject: captive belugas Recently, some of you have been supplying information about orcas in captivity. Does anyone have similar information about captive belugas? I am particularly interested in death rates of belugas in captivity. If you can find any information, please send it to me through MARMAM or to me directly. Thanks for your time. Matt Villano mattyjv(\)merle.acns.nwu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 11:35:17 U From: dprice Subject: Earthwatch WWW site Earthwatch Now On the World Wide Web! Earthwatch, an international nonprofit organization funding scientific and environmental enterprise, has launched the first in a series of on-line services. The 1995 Earthwatch research and exploration portfolio is now available on the World Wide Web. Via a browser such as Netscape or Mosaic, Internet users can access the Earthwatch Home Page at: http://gaia.earthwatch.org Founded in 1972, Earthwatch offers you the chance to participate on over 150 scientific and cultural research expeditions worldwide. No special skills are required - we'll train you in the field on projects ranging from assisting Randy Wells with wild dolphins in Florida to helping Ken Balcomb with Orca Surveys in Washington. As an EarthCorps member, you support the field research and cover your food and lodging expenses with tax-deductible contributions ranging from $500 to $2000. Airfare costs to and from the site are not included though these costs are also generally tax deductible. To date, over 40,000 EarthCorps members have contributed to important environmental and cultural research in 111 countries. Special Notice: Earthwatch is offering to administartors, teachers, librarians, counselors and students a special Educator Fellowship of 15% off the Share of Costs on June projects. Experience as an educator would be invaluable to many research teams. The Earthwatch Home Page details the mission of the organization. Readers can then explore a graphically rich catalogue of 150 expeditions, browsing by location (worldwide), time of year, fields of study (such as archaeology, marine mammalogy, paleontology and public health), and issues of concern (endangered species, sustainable development and more). Ground Truth reports of significant expedition findings and applications are also available. Readers can request additional information, sign up as Earthwatch member, or make a reservation for the EarthCorps via e-mail. Future on-line services will provide direct links between scientists at their research sites and classrooms, as well as interactive chat rooms and bulletin board services. For more information call 1 (800) 776-0188 or email dprice(\)earthwatch.org or eostergaard(\)earthwatch.org. You may also join the Earthwatch Internet Mailing list by sending a message to listserv(\)envirolink.org with the message: subscribe earthwatch first name last name in the body and leave the subject line blank. While others just look at the world, you can change it. Join the EarthCorps online today - make a difference! ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 08:37:36 -0700 From: Michael Torok Subject: Re: Bardot Foundation demand closure of dolphin show In-Reply-To: <199504261452.HAA07746(\)netcom23.netcom.com> from "Terry Hardie" at Apr 26, 95 09:54:21 pm > > Paris, April 24 AP - Brigitte Bardot's animal rights foundation > today demanded the closure of a dolphin show at a Paris-area theme > park, saying one of the sea mammals there had just died of > depression. I'm curious if anyone knows how they made this determination. -- ********************************************************************** Michael L. Torok, M.S. | Specializing in: Consulting Wildlife Biologist | - radio-telemetry Internet: mtorok(\)netcom.com | - custom engineering and Phone: 408-336-4530 (0800-2200 PST) | computer programming FAX: 408-335-3115 | - marine environment ********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 22:24:36 +0200 From: "Beatrice Jann (Tel 091/56 09 53)" Subject: Beluga confernc3 Hi! A message once stated that there had been, at the beginning of this month a conference on Belugas: could anybody please tell me who the organisers were? I would like to contact them for more information. Beatrice Jann Via Nolgio 3 6900 Massagno Switzerland OPhone+fax ++41/91/56 09 53 e-mail Jann(\)clients.switch.ch Thanks! ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 16:53:53 -0600 From: "David A. Brown" Subject: Re: Marine Mammal Sounds or Pictures Available? >Does anyone know of any ftp or WWW sites which have dolphin, whale, >or manatee sounds (WAV/AU) or pictures (GIF/JPEG/TIF)? > >I have two to offer: >http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary/orcas.gif >http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary/humpback.gif > >Thanks, >Gary Weik >http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary Unfortunately, I can't seem to access the two files above :( However, there is a Dolphin Page I know of. It has a picture as well as some good links. The Dolphin Page is at: http://wjh.www.harvard.edu/~furmansk/dolphin.html Good luck. David Brown ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 01:41:51 +0200 From: Xavier Roy Subject: Re: Cousteau Park? >Richard Buckley wrote, re: the failure of the Cousteau Parc Oceanique: > > >>There appears to be something to the idea that there is no substitute >for >>first-hand experience with animals. >> >> >First of all, this was the first experiment with a totally animal-free >"marine park." Therefore, I would hardly say that one can draw any kind >of solid conclusions from its failure. The "Parc Oceanique Cousteau" was not really a "marine park" of any kind but a true "Cousteau Park". Come and see Cousteau speaking on dozens of screens. But I confirm (from France and having visited it one or two times) that you can't say its failure prove anything. It was small, badly designed indeed, and a 5 year child did have to pay around 70 francs (12 US$) which was considered as really too expensive by all the visitors I've met. Regards Xavier Please reply to: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 09:38:46 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: captive belugas > Recently, some of you have been supplying information about orcas in >captivity. Does anyone have similar information about captive belugas? I am >particularly interested in death rates of belugas in captivity. If you can >find any information, please send it to me through MARMAM or to me directly. > Thanks for your time. > > Matt Villano > mattyjv(\)merle.acns.nwu.edu I am sending a reply to MARMAM as others may be interested in the data, or lack thereof, on belugas in captivity. Robert Moshenko, DFO Winnipeg, is responsible for keeping a record of the status of belugas taken from Churchill, Manitoba since 1967. The most recent report covers 1967-1991. I have been asking Mr. Moshenko for an update for some time but have been informed that he is busy, has other priorties, and I'll receive the update when he has had time to get at it. That time has not arrived. Perhaps some more inquiries for an update might speed things along. I do not have an E-mail address but a report can be requested by contacting: R. W. Moshenko Department of Fisheries and Oceans Central & Arctic Region Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N6 Canada Tel: (204) 983-5160 Good luck, Anne Doncaster ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 09:14:41 -0500 From: "D. Cap Introne" Subject: whale migration, barnacles, isotopes Hello all, I have recently found this group and am now asking its readers if they know of and/or have access to any samples of Cryptolepas, Coronula, etc or any other epizoic barnacles that they have collected from stranded and/or living cetaceans. I am trying to obtain a population of said species for a general survey of barnacle isotopic composition. These data, when combined with species information and other pertinent information, should (hopefully?) provide a means of determining whale migration patterns following the methodology outlined in Killingley, 1980 (Science, Vol. 207, pp 759-760.). Some insight as to causes for stranding potentially could be gleaned from these data. Further these data may provide insight as to a means of determining the age of non-toothed whales as well. For further information and/or if you would like to collaborate in this potentially important research please do not hesitate to contact me, Doug "Cap" Introne, by e-mail or at the Stable Isotope Lab (207) 581-2192. Thanks. Douglas "Cap" Introne Introne(\)maine.maine.edu Stable Isotope Laboratory Sawyer Environmental Research Center University of Maine Orono, ME 04469 (207) 581-2192 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 23:57:35 -0800 From: Coalition for No Whales in Captivity Subject: Re: Orca death in Texas Hey, Marmamers! Many thanks for all your private and public comments regarding the two killer whales kept at the Vancouver Public Aquarium. We will attempt to review some of them here. K.R. Bickel asks: >Is the lack of breeding success isolated to this particular female in >Vancouver? Or is this an "industry" wide problem? Since 1968, of 39 known pregnancies worldwide, 14 killer whales (37%) have been born in captivity and survived. Since U.S. and Canadian facilities are not required to report stillbirths and infant mortalities, those noted represent unsuccessful births we are aware of through necropsy reports, newsclippings, research papers, or other sources. CAPTIVE ORCA CALVES Enoshima Marineland in Japan: 1 dead Marineland in California: 1 miscarriage / 1 stillbirth / 4 deaths Marineland in Ont. Canada: 1 dead / 3 surviving Marineland Cote D' Azure in France: 1 stillbirth / 1 surviving Marine World Africa USA in California: 2 stillbirths Sealand of the Pacific in B.C. Canada: 1 dead / 1 surviving Sea World in Florida: 1 stillbirth / 2 mothers with fetuses dead / 5 surviving Sea World in San Diego, California: 1 miscarriage / 1 stillbirth / 1 dead / 2 surviving Sea World in Texas: 1 miscarriages / 1 dead calf and 1 dead mother with fetus / 2 surviving Vancouver Aquarium in B.C. Canada: 3 deaths World Safari in Japan: 1 stillbirth K.R. Bickel continues: My thought would be that >there has been little or no study of infant mortality rates among wild orcas, >due to the obvious logistical problems. Without this information it would be >hard to make a "scientific" judgement as to the viability of captive breeding >programs. The Vancouver Aquarium always refers to a report presented to the Int. Whal. Commn.and written by Peter Olesiuk, Mike Bigg and Graeme Ellis, titled "Life History and Population Dinamics of Resident Killer Whales in Coastal Waters of British Columbia and Washington State". The report concludes that only 43% of calves survive in the wild. If anybody out there in Marmam-land has analysed the data in this report, we would appreciate hearing from you. >A "common sense" view would be that the captive status of the animal in >question causes enough stress that the animal cannot have viable offspring. True. But it seems like the chances of the calf surviving depend more on the mother than the tank. For example, all of Corky's 7 and Bjossa's 3 calves have died, whereas all of Katina's 3 and Gudrun's 2 calves have survived. >And also, as we are all aware of the strong bonds between groups of orcas, it >would seem to be cruel to seperate these two in order to try a different >mating. Mixing and matching whales is common practice in this industry. In April 1992, a male calf (not even three years old) named Katak/Splash,was separated from Nootka, his mother kept in Marineland of Niagara Falls, Canada. Katak was sold to Sea World. An orca display tank in Idaho is filled every summer with new whales shipped there by Sea World. We call this practice "playing musical whales". >We continue to torment these animals in the name of >"education/entertainment/profit". It speaks poorly of us as a species. Indeed. We have received a message saying that the National Aquarium in Baltimore might have developed contraception for dolphins. We would appreciate more information on this. Once again, thank you for your help and support. Annelise Sorg Coalition for No Whales in Captivity 8636 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6P 5A1 (604) 266-3900 Fax (604) 266-1120 e-mail: annelise(\)direct.ca ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 11:53:58 -0600 From: "David A. Brown" Subject: Re: Marine Mammal Sounds or Pictures Available? Oops! It has been pointed out to me that the WWW URL I gave for the Dolphin Page is incorrect. >http://wjh.www.harvard.edu/~furmansk/dolphin.html It should be: http://wjh-www.harvard.edu/~furmansk/dolphin.html Sorry 'bout that. Also Gary Weik has pointed out that the two URL's he posted were incorrect. They should have been: http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary/images/orcas.gif http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary/images/humpback.gif Stayed tuned for the next installment of corrections...not. David Brown ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 15:30:16 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: captive belugas You wrote: > > Recently, some of you have been supplying information about orcas in >captivity. Does anyone have similar information about captive belugas? I am >particularly interested in death rates of belugas in captivity. If you can >find any information, please send it to me through MARMAM or to me directly. > Thanks for your time. > > Matt Villano > mattyjv(\)merle.acns.nwu.edu > > The overall annual mortality rate of captive belugas is approximately 5.7%. There are no known good estimates of annual mortality in any wild population, unlike for killer whales and bottlenose dolphins, which is primarily why you don't see so much discussion about them. As of November 1994, only seven beluga calves born in captivity were still alive. There may have been more births and/or more deaths since then, but I haven't heard of any. It would be necessary to examine the latest MMIR from NMFS to get the current number, which I intend to do in the near future. None of the seven calves alive in November 1994 were older than four years of age -- successful beluga births were not observed until the late 1980's, if I recall correctly. There are currently about 35 belugas in captivity in the U.S. Naomi Rose The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 11:02:32 +1000 From: Stephen Burnell Subject: Re: contacts In-Reply-To: <199504210330.NAA03301(\)extra.ucc.su.OZ.AU> I have been asked to post a request for information by an Australian TV producer who will be filming short 'wildlife' documentaries in Alaska and Canada in June/July of this year. The intended subjects are belugas, walrus and Harp seals. What they initially require are contact names and phone/fax numbers of people who are actively researching these species in Alaska and Canada. As I understand it the series involves short peices focussing on the animals and the people who devote a large amount of time to researching, conserving/protecting them. I would be most grateful if anyone conducting research on these three species, or who knows of someone else who is, could send the relevant contact details back to me. Please send them to my E-Mail and not the discussion list. Thanks for any assistance Stephen Burnell ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 19:49:37 -0400 From: George Elston Subject: Biologist Guide to Internet (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 20:39:49 CET From: Jan Willem Broekema To: ECS-all(\)mailbase.ac.uk Subject: Biologist Guide to Internet As promised to many people at the Lugano meeting, here follow the instructions to get yourself a copy of Una Smith's Biologist Guide to the Internet. Any questions? Regards, Jan Willem Broekema ECS Computer Support Group ----------------------------------------------------------- The Guide is released at irregular intervals. The most recent version is available via WWW, gopher, anonymous FTP and e-mail (and Usenet): - In Usenet, soon after a new release, look in sci.bio or sci.answers. - Gopher to sunsite.unc.edu, and choose this sequence of menu items: Worlds of SunSITE -- by Subject Ecology and Evolution A Biologist's Guide ... Or, from any gopher offering other biology gophers by topic, look for the menu item "Ecology and Evolution". The guide is stored there in two ways: as a file for easy retrieval and as a menu for browsing. - FTP to rtfm.mit.edu. Give the username "anonymous" and your e-mail address as the password. Use the "cd" com-mand to go to the directory pub/usenet/news.answers/biology/guide/ and use "prompt" and "mget*" to copy all the parts of the guide to your computer. For information about how to get many other useful documents from this archive, send the message "help". You can also use anonymous FTP to sunsite.unc.edu, where this Guide, in several formats, is stored in the directory pub/academic/biology/ecology+evolution/bioguide/ - Send e-mail to mail-server(\)rtfm.mit.edu with the text send usenet/news.answers/biology/guide/* You will receive several files in reply, one for each part: save each part separately, delete the e-mail headers and footers, and merge them. ----------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 09:36:27 -0800 From: Coalition for No Whales in Captivity Subject: Re: Orca death in Texas Sorry, Marmamers! I wrote: An orca display tank in Idaho is >filled every summer with new whales shipped there by Sea World. We call >this practice "playing musical whales". Oops! That Sea World facility is not in Idaho, it's in Ohio. My appologies. Astrid van Ginneken of Erasmus University Rotterdam sent me the following e-mail message: Dear Annelise, I am responding to your message on the MARMAM list. I have quit my subscription to the list, because it overloads my E-mail, which causes problems with my work. Since my focus is orcas, I have generous friends, who forward all orca-related E-mail to me. You may, however forward my comments to the list. Calf mortality in the wild is a difficult issue. Although I have the paper you mentioned, it is not clear to me how reliable that mortaility/survival estimate is. I have been working with Ken Balcomb on the Southern Residents in summertime since 1987 and I have looked at the Center's record of calves. Since 1982, 39 calves have been observed, of which 8 disappeared in their first year. The problem is that calves may have been born and died without us knowing. Hence the number of births and deaths is probably larger. Before 1990, there was very little research effort in winter, but this has improved since 1990. Since 1990 the figures are 22 calves born from which 2 died. The most recent births were around Dec 1994/Jan 1995. Hence, the observed survival of calves in the Southern Resident community seems high. As to Bjossa, it cannot simply be attributed to confinement that she lost her calves. As you stated, much also depends on maternal factors. Bjossa's first two calves died because Bjossa did not have normal milk production, although her maternal behavior was good. Because of the blood loss in the third calf, it is not known wether or not Bjossa's milk production would have improved. It seems that the death of her third calf is a tragic incident that is not related to the first two deaths. Freya in Marineland has already lost two calves due to, what I have been told was, placenta praevia. This is a very dangerous condition which almost always results in death when birth occurs to through the birth canal. In humans it is an indication for sectio caesarea. Hence, those losses cannot be blamed on the facility where Freya was kept. K14 seems to be the "Bjossa" of the wild. This female of K pod gave birth to K23 in 1988 at the age of 11, which is younger than average in the community. K23 was only seen for a week. In 1990, K14 gave birth to K24, which was only seen in the month of birth (September). We wondered if K14 would suffer from lactation problems. When K26 was discovered in spring 1993, we all worried about its chances for survival. Fortunately, K26 is still around and healthy. (J25, J29, and K23 were all first calves.) What, however, is very sad is the mortality of adult females, prior to or during delivery. This is obviously uncommon in the wild. It seems that infections form the greatest threat to orcas in captivity, despite frequent medical monitoring. The cause is not clear. Either the animals are subject to germs, against which they have little natural defence, or there are other factors that negatively affect their immune systems. If you could provide me with more accurate information on the calves you listed, I would be very grateful. I have fairly accurate records since 1987, but I lack some dates. Was Nepo the breeding male at Marineworld Africa at the time? When I am correctly informed, Yaka and Vigga reside there now. Sincerely, Astrid van Ginneken To answer Astrid's following question: "Was Nepo the breeding male at Marineworld Africa at the time?" The two stillbirths she is refering to, occured in 1968 when Marine World Africa USA was located in Redwood City, California. The two females Bonnie and Kianu, were impregnated in the wild. Annelise Sorg Coalition for No Whales in Captivity 8636 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6P 5A1 (604) 266-3900 Fax (604) 266-1120 e-mail: annelise(\)direct.ca ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 08:57:42 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Walrus Hunter Trespass Case. On Apr. 21, 1995, the Alaska Appeals Court ruled that Alaska criminal trespass laws cannot restrict Native access to hunt walrus at Round Island in the Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary. [Assoc Press] . Meeting on Illegal Trade in Whale Products. In mid-April 1995, a meeting was held in Tokyo concerning the illegal trade in whale products. [Dow Jones News] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 01:33:42 -0400 From: RobbinsB(\)aol.com Subject: Parc Oceanique Cousteau TO: MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS OF LIST M FROM: ROBBINS BARSTOW, WETHERSFIELD, CT, USA DATE: 27 APRIL 1995 SUBJECT: PARC OCEANIQUE COUSTEAU In September 1992, my wife and I visited Cousteau's "Parc Oceanique" in Paris with our 14-year-old grandson, and I took about 5 minutes of videotape to record some idea of what the place was like. We were frankly disappointed. It was almost lost as a side attraction, buried in a giant, underground mall, and was dimly lit and somewhat depressing. There were lots of videos, displays, and models, but they somehow didn't seem to meet the challenge of providing waterless, undersea excitement. Its creators apparently lacked the genius of the designers of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which we have also visited. The Cousteau Parc's greatest feature was a giant, life-sized, walk-through model of a 30-meter blue whale, inside of which could be viewed its incredible heart, other internal organs, and even a large, realistic-looking fetus. This was indeed impressive and almost by itself worth the high price of admission. I agree with Naomi Rose and Xavier Roy that no generalized conclusions can be properly drawn from the failure of this particular, well-intentioned but inadequately realized Parisian project. If anyone is sufficiently interested in getting a glimpse what the Parc Oceanique Cousteau looked like to send me $10 to cover cost of copying and mailing, I can make a copy of my 5-minutes of video footage (VHS) and send it to a regular postal address. Write me at: Robbins Barstow, 190 Stillwold Drive, Wethersfield, CT 06109 USA. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 12:17:38 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: Gray Whale Round table (fwd) Forwarded message: From: Jorge Urban Ramirez PROPOSALS AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE ROUND TABLE: GRAY WHALE, RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION. XX INTERNATIONAL MEETING FOR THE STUDY OF MARINE MAMMALS La Paz, B.C.S. MEXICO. April 18-22, 1995. 1. We propose the creation of a Multinational Program to discuss, propose and implement the appropriate investigations for the adequate conservation of the gray whale in all its area of distribution. 2. We recognize that there is insufficient information on the biology of the gray whale and that the characterization of the breeding lagoons is insufficient to achieve their best conservation. We therefore propose the following investigations: 2.1. Studies of gray whale biology, population status, and habitat use. 2.2. Physical characterization of the lagoons and nearby coastal areas used by the whales. 2.3 Studies of the characteristics and the sources of underwater sounds in the lagoons, as well as the reaction of the whales to these sounds. 2.4 Studies on the management of gray whale breeding areas of in order to reduce the impact of human activities in these zones. 3. We are very concerned by the absence of a contingency plan in the environmental impact study of the development of the salt extraction plant in San Ignacio Lagoon. In particular the following concerns were identified: 3.1 The construction and the operation of the dock. 3.2 Transportation of the salt outside of the lagoon. 3.3 The presence of hurricanes. 3.4 The noise produced by the pumps of water extraction. 4. We regognize the need of a National Program of Reseach and Conservation of Marine Mammals which includes activities related to the gray whale. At the same time it is requested that the Program of Marine Mammal Investigation of the National Fishing Institute reports and makes public its results of 15 years of investigation of the gray whale in Mexico. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 14:26:58 +0100 Reply-To: "R.H. Lambertsen" From: "R.H. Lambertsen" Subject: Request for Info: Baleen whale skull specimens I am an American scientist researching the feeding mechanics and ecology of baleen whales. As part of my research I am hoping to carry out stereophotographic characterizations of the 3D shape of skulls from ALL MODERN MYSTICETES (as initially accomplished on intact bowhead whales on the ice off Barrow, Alaska). My REQUEST is for information on any skull specimens of baleen whales that exist Europe and which are readily accessible for photographic study. To test my main hypothesis, the primary need is for photographs of the ventral side of the cranium AND the lateral and/or dorsal side(s) of one mandible. Do you know the location of accessible skull specimens and have a contact recommendation (name, E-mail, telephone, fax...) for further inquiry??? At present I know of specimens accessioned at the British Museum, the Swedish National Museum of Natural History, the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen, the National Museum of Natural History in Amsterdam, and the Museum of Amsterdam. Are there specimens at Museum de Paris, and the Museum d'Oceanographique in Monaco? In Norway? Elsewhere? __Many thanks for any help provided.__ Please respond by E-mail to rlambert(\)iu.net, fax to 1-407-267-7161, or snail mail to Ecosystems Group, Project Address, P.O. Box 6788, Titusville, Florida 32782 USA. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 11:14:43 -1000 From: Stacy Braslau-Schneck Subject: Re: Cousteau Park? In-Reply-To: <9504250024.AA03885(\)uhunix4.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> Hi all, I haven't left yet :} As AndMor(\)aol.com said, Parc Oceanique Cousteau has been closed for a while. After seeing it in '90 (I think), I think I can see why. It had some really nice displays - I especially liked the life-sized, walk-thru blue whale (wonder what happened to it?) but the first part was a Disneyland-like ride through an artificial reef with videos of swimming fish embedded in it (think Disney's Haunted Mansion - the exact same chairs). This lacked something real. I think they were on to something important, but it couldn't be pulled off right. But I got a great Petit poster out of it! Aloha (for real soon!) Stacy Stacy Braslau-Schneck sbraslau(\)uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 13:50:46 -0700 From: Josh London Subject: Marine Mammals and Global Warming In-Reply-To: <9504281919.AA29178(\)mx4.u.washington.edu> I am a student at the University of Washington and am currently in the process of compiling additional information for a paper discussing possible effects of Global Warming/Climatic Change on marine mammals. I would appreciate it if you would let me know of any research, journal articles, or persons that may be able to supply me with some additional information. Please reply to me via email: haole(\)u.washington.edu Thanks Josh London *************************************************************************** |\ /| Never give up until you have released your unused /| \_/_| capacities for service, and shared your gifts with __--|\_/ _\ others. One enkindled spirit can set hundreds on /_ (o \___o fire. --William H. Danforth /_ ----= / MSRP American Youth Foundation /__ \ -----' _______________________________________________________ \ // _/ Josh M London EMAIL: haole(\)u.washington.edu __/_/ Univ. of Washington /_-/ Seattle, WA WWW: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~haole *************************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 11:51:14 -0400 encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Undetermined origin c/o Postmaster Subject: Re: Venezualians fisherman harpooning dolphins In-Reply-To: <01HPRH87DSSY0000O8(\)BIONET.bio.dfo.ca> I may have missed some of the thread on the Romero case but, based on recent messages, I fail to see what the problem is with Venezualian coastal fisherman harpooning dolphins?! Are they using them for food? and, if so, what is the problem? Pierre Richard richard(\)wpgdfo.wpg.dfo.ca ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 20:56:20 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: Venezualians fisherman harpooning dolphins >I may have missed some of the thread on the Romero case but, based on >recent messages, I fail to see what the problem is with Venezualian >coastal fisherman harpooning dolphins?! Are they using them for food? >and, if so, what is the problem? > >Pierre Richard Among other things, it happens to be illegal, even under Venezuelan law. In fact the Venezuelan government has charged Dr. Romero under this law for making the film. The fishermen are reportedly cutting the animals up to use as shark bait; the shark fins are then sold, often to offshore trawlers from the orient. This is hotly denied by the Venezuelan government. Personally, I believe Dr. Romero. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 29 Apr 1995 00:46:24 +0200 From: Xavier Roy Subject: Re: Cousteau Park? >Hi all, I haven't left yet :} > >As AndMor(\)aol.com said, Parc Oceanique Cousteau has been closed for a >while. After seeing it in '90 (I think), I think I can see why. It had >some really nice displays - I especially liked the life-sized, walk-thru >blue whale (wonder what happened to it?) (etc.) >Stacy Braslau-Schneck >sbraslau(\)uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu The life-sized blue whale has been bought by an aquatic park in Paris: the "Aquaboulevard" which is at Porte de Versailles. From the mouth you can jump to a large swimming pool. Xavier Roy ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 14:27:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Norway-Whaling Norway-Whaling OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Norway overestimated the minke whale population off its coast by about 20 percent and therefore is lowering its limit for this season's catch from 301 whales to 232. Norway resumed commercial harvesting of minke in 1993, despite protests from conservationists around the world. This year's hunt begins Tuesday. The government had estimated the minke population at 86,700. But on Friday, the fisheries ministry said it had found an error in a computer program used for the estimates. That, along with other data, indicates there are no more than 69,600 minke whales off the coast, it said in announcing the lower catch limits. Minke are the smallest of the baleen whales, growing to about 30 feet. Like most other whale species, they have been driven to the brink of extinction by overharvesting. The International Whaling Commission, of which Norway is a member, banned commercial whaling in 1986 but its decisions are non-binding. Norway's whalers killed 279 minke whales last year, and 226 in 1993. "It is good that Norway has admitted the mistake, but we still think the figure is too high," said Katrin Brubakk of the Norway branch of the environmental group Greenpeace. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 29 Apr 1995 18:12:22 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: Handbook of Marine Mammals, #6 Dear Marmammers, Does anyone know the projected date for availability of the Handbook of Marine Mammals, vol. 6? Also, I am wondering if there is now more information on the Canadian symposium - The Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem. Are there any hotels in the area that will have special conference rates? Thanks for any information that is provided. Sincerely, Dagmar Fertl Minerals Management Service OCS Gulf of Mexico Region ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 29 Apr 1995 14:57:08 -0400 From: Howgar(\)aol.com Subject: Festival of Whales FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1995 CONTACT: KAREN CROSS THE WHALE MUSEUM 62 FIRST ST., PO BOX 945 FRIDAY HARBOR, WA 98250 PH: 360-378-4710 FAX: 360-378-5790 Debate will address ethical issues of captivity vs. release for whales and dolphins. Dr. David Bain, a representative of Marine World Foundation, will debate Benjamin White, Pacific director of Friends of Animals, on the question of the ethics of captivity for whales and dolphins, and whether captive cetaceans should be released. The debate will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, 1995, at The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor. Dr. Bain, a Friday Harbor resident, is a member of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association with a degree in behavioral biology, and has been vocal in his opposition to the release of orcas back to their natural environments. Mr. White has coordinated efforts to implement release plans for whales and dolphins, and has conducted publicity-generating events to garner public support for release efforts. A panel discussion with audience participation will follow the debate. The debate will be the highlight of the week-long Festival of Whales, May 5-14, in Friday Harbor and around San Juan Island. The question of release for captive whales is rapidly becoming a provocative topic of discussion, partly as a result of the message of the film Free Willy, and the ensuing hotly debated release plans for its star, Keiko, an Icelandic orca. The issue is also being catapulted into public consciousness in the Puget Sound area with the well-publicized Lolita Project. With the support of Washington Governor Mike Lowry and Sec. of State Ralph Munro, the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island hopes to return Lolita, the last surviving whale captured from Puget Sound, to her family and natural habitat. The future of the billion dollar a year marine theme park industry will depend on the outcome of society's deliberation of this ethical question. Also included in the week-long Festival will be talks by J. Michael Williamson of Massachusetts on how whale watches can be more educational for children, and the use of the internet for whale education. Williamson is also scheduled to talk about the whales of New England, the history of whaling, and a workshop on creating a life-size inflatable fin whale. Other lectures during the festival will discuss the proposed Northwest Straits Marine Sanctuary, led by Aaron Tinker; Kelley Balcomb will talk about growing up with whales; and Howard Garrett will give an update on the Lolita Project. There will also be workshops on whale photography with whale photographer Fred Felleman; individual whale identification on board whale watch vessels and at Whale Watch Park on San Juan Island, a kayaking workshop, a children's slide show and an opportunity for children to sleep overnight at The Whale Museum. On the evening of May 10th, Dr. Bain will describe his rescue of seven killer whales from a stranding event in Alaska. The interweaving rhythms and harmonies of the marimba band "Musasa" will incite dancing to inaugurate the Festival on Friday evening, May 5th. ### ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 21:34:42 -0400 From: HugeRhino(\)aol.com Subject: Green eyed elephant seals Am currently helping to rehab an Northern elephant seal pup that has aqua green eyes. The pup seems to have normal vision, and in all other aspects is a normal 4 month old elephant seal. Has anyone else had an encounter with a green eyed seal or sea lion? Any ideas why the eyes are such a different color than "normal" elephant seals? -Hugh T. Ryono HugeRhino(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Apr 1995 09:41:36 -0600 From: Alana Murray Subject: Sealand whales, etc In-Reply-To: <199504271629.KAA64451(\)gpu3.srv.ualberta.ca> On Wed, 26 Apr 1995, Coalition for No Whales in Captivity wrote: (...material deleted) > CAPTIVE ORCA CALVES > ...... > > Sealand of the Pacific in B.C. Canada: 1 dead / 1 surviving > When Sealand closed down in 1993 or thereabouts, I understand these whales were sold to Marineland in the U.S. What is their current status? Also, as we all know, Sealand was one of the worst facilities having killer whales in captivity - so, is it justified to include these whales in the same data set as whales that are kept in "better" conditions? (I'm referring to differences between aquaria, _not_ to the difference between captivity and wild!). My point is that while the question of whether or not whales should be kept in captivity is open for debate, we should not ignore the fact that some facilities do provide more or better care for their animals than others, so this might affect the distribution of calves that survive. > it seems like the chances of the calf surviving depend more on > the mother than the tank. For example, all of Corky's 7 and Bjossa's 3 > calves have died, whereas all of Katina's 3 and Gudrun's 2 calves have > survived. This is another good point. So far as I am aware, we know next to nothing about individual differences in female reproductive success in the wild. Could it be that Corky and Bjossa represent a minimum range for success in their respective wild populations? Or is it the fault of the facility? How could we test these questions?? > > The Vancouver Aquarium always refers to a report presented to the Int. > Whal. Commn.and written by Peter Olesiuk, Mike Bigg and Graeme Ellis, > titled "Life History and Population Dinamics of Resident Killer Whales in > Coastal Waters of British Columbia and Washington State". The report > concludes that only 43% of calves survive in the wild. If anybody out there > in Marmam-land has analysed the data in this report, we would appreciate > hearing from you. I might meekly suggest that some people have already analysed this data - the authors! Have you contacted Peter Olesiuk or Graeme Ellis? What was their response? ***************************************************************************** Alana Murray Dept of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton, Canada murraya(\)gpu.srv.ualberta.ca **************************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 21:38:09 PDT From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Orca death in Texas ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- "Is the lack of breeding success isolated to this particular female in Vancouver? Or is this an "industry" wide problem?" There are two particular orca mothers who have contributed hugely disproportionately to the mortality rate among orca fetuses and neonates in captivity--Bjossa at Vancouver and Corky at various institutions. Whether the facilities or the individuals are primarily at fault is the subject of heated debate; I personally don't think the evidence exists to prove or disprove either contention. However, since Corky has had trouble at several institutions, while other orcas have given birth successfully at the same sites, I lean toward believing the particular mothers have a lot to do with it. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 21:40:54 PDT From: Kimberly Collier Subject: Re: Assistance with Tursiops info In-Reply-To: <199504172059.NAA24075(\)franc.ucdavis.edu> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- On Mon, 17 Apr 1995, Mark B. Wise wrote: > Greetings all! > > I'm working on a project and need some important information > ASAP regarding Tursiops life history. > > First: Can anybody give me some information regarding neonates? > How long should a dolphin be considered a neonate? several weeks? > a few months? I've heard some people refer to them up till about > age one. To me, 10-12 months is a yearling. > > Secondly: What is the average length of a Tursiops at birth? I > realize the difficulties in making length/age comparisons; however, > I would assume newborns to be in a relatively narrow range. > > Finally: Although dolphins show obvious signs of sexual activity > throughout the year, do females go through any type of typical > estrous cycles? Or, what is the likelihood of giving birth > throughout the year? AND Does the likelihood differ geographically? > For instance, do dolphins found in warmer waters off Florida have > a greater likelihood of producing calves throughout the year than do > dolphins in Virginia? > > I would appreciate ANY information! Literature citings would be > EXTREMELY beneficial. Thank you in advance for your assistance!!! > > Mark Wise > ps. I lied! I have one more question: > Is there any information in the literature regarding the growth rate > (lengths) of Tursiops from newborns to age 1??? > Thanks again!! > > -- > Two roads diverged in a yellow wood... One's own self conquer is > better than all other people conquered; not even a god could > change into defeat the victory of a man who has vanquished > himself. from the Dhammapada Mark Wise-mbw(\)po.cwru.edu > Mark -- I have a few answers for you. 1. Regarding "Neonates" - all definitions I have ever seen or heard define a neonate as being in the first 4 weeks of life. 2. Average length at birth of calves: 42 - 48 inches (107 - 122 cm) & 25 - 40 lbs. (11-18 kg). 3. There are geographic differences in calving: Seasonal peaks vary as follows... -Northern Gulf of Mexico - give birth in spring -South Florida - give birth in spring or fall -Mid-Atlantic - give birth in spring -Southern California - give birth in fall (Worldwide, births occur throughout the year) Hope you find this of help - most of it is from my Sea World training manual (1992). There is a long bibliography listed at the end if you are interested (let me know - address below). Good luck! :) Kim Collier UC Davis Vet Med kacollier(\)ucdavis.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 21:42:22 PDT From: Gottfried Mayer-Kress Subject: Re: Marine Mammal Sounds or Pictures Available? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- --NeXT-Mail-1093179943-4 From: "David A. Brown" : > >Does anyone know of any ftp or WWW sites which have dolphin, whale, > >or manatee sounds (WAV/AU) or pictures (GIF/JPEG/TIF)? > > > >I have two to offer: > >http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary/orcas.gif > >http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary/humpback.gif > > Unfortunately, I can't seem to access the two files above :( > However, there is a Dolphin Page I know of. It has a picture as well > as some good links. The Dolphin Page is at: > http://wjh.www.harvard.edu/~furmansk/dolphin.html > unfortunately I couldn't download any of these images/sounds. I myself have a few orca images/sounds on: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/Projects/Orcas-SW/ hope that that URL works... --- Gottfried Mayer-Kress Center for Complex Systems Research, Beckman Institute, Physics Dept. UIUC 405 N Mathews, Urbana, Il 61801,gmk(\)pegasos.ccsr.uiuc.edu, gmk(\)igc.apc.org, gmk(\)santafe.edu, (217)-244-5877(voice),x5493(fax1),x8371(fax2), x1994 (msg) URLs: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/, ftp://ftp.santafe.edu/pub/gmk --NeXT-Mail-1093179943-4 From: "David A. Brown" <: > >Does anyone know of any ftp or WWW sites which have dolphin, whale, > >or manatee sounds (WAV/AU) or pictures (GIF/JPEG/TIF)? > > > >I have two to offer: > >http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary/orcas.gif > >http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary/humpback.gif > > Unfortunately, I can't seem to access the two files above :( > However, there is a Dolphin Page I know of. It has a picture as well > as some good links. The Dolphin Page is at: > http://wjh.www.harvard.edu/~furmansk/dolphin.html > unfortunately I couldn't download any of these images/sounds. I myself have a few orca images/sounds on: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/Projects/Orcas-SW/ hope that that URL works... --- Gottfried Mayer-Kress Center for Complex Systems Research, Beckman Institute, Physics Dept. UIUC 405 N Mathews, Urbana, Il 61801,gmk(\)pegasos.ccsr.uiuc.edu, gmk(\)igc.apc.org, gmk(\)santafe.edu, (217)-244-5877(voice),x5493(fax1),x8371(fax2), x1994 (msg) URLs: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/, ftp://ftp.santafe.edu/pub/gmk --NeXT-Mail-1093179943-4-- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 21:43:52 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: STRANDED WHALE DESTROYED ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- STRANDED WHALE DESTROYED By Jonathan Brown, PA News A stranded killer whale was destroyed today after it was decided it was too weak to survive a second rescue attempt. The 18ft whale was beached yesterday at Pegwell Bay near Ramsgate in Kent, but a massive rescue effort to return her to the Channel failed. The creature was spotted early this morning trapped in the estuary of the River Stour at Sandwich by a local harbourmaster. Revival efforts failed and the decision to destroy her was made by a local vet under the guidance of the Department of Environment, said the RSPCA. "The decision was made that she did not have the strength to survive another attempt to float her," said spokeswoman Sue Atkinson. "She was put to sleep at 11.20am. She was suffering from a very serious illness -- we don't know what yet. "We knew there was something wrong when she appeared again. We are very sad." A post mortem will be carried out on the whale whose body is being removed. Vets and officials had battled earlier today to prevent water filling the whale's airhole and drowning her. Yesterday firemen and divers towed the whale in a giant sling from where she was discovered high and dry on mud flats 100 yards from the sea. Fire officers dug a reservoir around the two-tonne animal in an attempt to keep her wet and cool. Water was splashed over her body until the tide came in for refloating. The whale was suspended in a tarpaulin between two motorised dinghies which headed out to sea. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 21:50:20 PDT From: Coalition for No Whales in Captivity Subject: Re: captive belugas ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Matt Villano asks Marmamers for info on death rates of belugas in captivity and Anne Doncaster provides the name and address of an uncooperative DFO official as a contact to receive this kind of info. We are also interested in death rates of belugas, specifically if born in captivity, and would also appreciate any info anyone might have. This is what we know: The Vancouver Aquarium keeps 5 belugas and Aurora,the youngest female at seven years old, is expected to give birth sometime in August or September this year. Gestation period for belugas is about 16 months. In 1978, Kavna, the oldest of the captive belugas at the Vancouver Aquarium, was captured pregnant and gave birth to a live calf who died soon after. No other pregnancies have occured (that we know of) until Aurora's. Throughout Kavna's pregnancy, she was regularly observed throwing her tail violently against the side of the pool and "snaking" the walls of the tank. Aquarium spokesperson at the time Stephanie Pain (Hewlett) is quoted in a National Film Board of Canada documentary: "It was terrible to watch, but she continued to do this periodically throughout her pregnancy." Thanks. Annelise Sorg Coalition for No Whales in Captivity 8636 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6P 5A1 (604) 266-3900 Fax (604) 266-1120 e-mail: annelise(\)direct.ca ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 21:52:05 PDT From: Delphinus(\)aol.com Subject: Re: captive belugas ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Regarding captive beluga information, I suggest you call, fax, or write to Jerye Mooney: 429 Martinshiro Street, Carson, CA 90745. Phone (310) 830-4952; fax (310) 549-0634. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 22:05:32 PDT From: Keith Ronald Subject: Re: contacts In-Reply-To: <9504280131.AA23847(\)solar.nova.edu> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Try Dr. Dave Lavigne, Zoology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Can. N1G 2W1 Telephone (519) 824 4120 for harp, hooded and harbour seals. We also have considerable footage (including unique birth footage) that could be made available if it was going to be used for the benefit of the animals. KR I am presently on-line from Guelph through Nova Southeastern Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor in Environmental Studies and Marine Biology Fellow of the University of Guelph, Fellow of the Institute of Biology,Fellow of Royal Geographical Society. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 22:12:36 PDT From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: no subject (file transmission) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The Agudo-Romero case is a good example of how environmentalists and their claims, however well-substantiated, are treated in many Latin American countries, including my own - Brasil - to a great extent. However, as I understand the situation in Venezuela is even worse because of the widespread disregard for civil rights. The banana-republic-like attitude of the Venezuelan ruling bureaucracy, denying facts and launching a witch hunt against these two persons, cannot be tolerated. Regardless of whether you like the issue or not, it has extrapolated the mere issue of dolphin killing to become a matter of human rights of researchers and their right to challenge government rulings. It may not affect many of you guys up in the USA or Europe, but it certainly is a matter of daily concern for me and my colleagues in other Latin countries. Let's not forget the Romero-Agudo case. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 06:33:36 PDT From: "Sam H. Ridgway" Subject: Re: Handbook of Marine Mammals, #6 Thank you for asking Dagmar. Fifteen completed chapters of subject book, The Second Book of Dolphins and The Porpoises, Academic Press, the sixth and last of the Handbook of Marine Mammals series, languish in a large box at my right arm waiting patiently for two of our world's most prominent cetologists to finish their chapters. I remain hopeful that the book can come out around the end of this year but that prospect grows dim each passing day. Cheers, Sam Ridgway From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: Handbook of Marine Mammals, #6 To: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM Dear Marmammers, Does anyone know the projected date for availability of the Handbook of Marine Mammals, vol. 6? Also, I am wondering if there is now more information on the Canadian symposium - The Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem. Are there any hotels in the area that will have special conference rates? Thanks for any information that is provided. Sincerely, Dagmar Fertl Minerals Management Service OCS Gulf of Mexico Region ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 10:58:20 SAST-2 From: John Cooper Subject: underwater explosions II Dear Marmam and Seabird-l members Many of you were most helpful in replying to my request for information on effects of underwater explosions on marine life, several going so far as to fax and priority mail me articles. I am very grateful for this and see it as an excellent example of how the Internet can help one get at the important literature. In my reading I have regularly come across an article which so far I have been unable to track down. Becauae it is the only one to mention birds in the title, it is one I especially wish to read. If anyone can send me a photocopy of I will be greatly indebted and will happily respond in helping find any South African references and/or by covering costs of p/copying and postage. The reference is: YELVERTON, JT, RICHMOND, DR, FLETCHER, ER & JONES, RK 1973. Safe distance from underwater explosions for mammals and birds. Defense Nuclear Agency. Dept Defense, Washington, DC. Tech Report DNA 3114T. 67 pp. Thanks in anticipation! John Cooper +-------------------------------------------------------+ | John Cooper | | | | UCT Senior Research/SANAP Antarctic Officer | Room 2.06, John Day Zoology Building, University Avenue, Upper Campus | | Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology | | University of Cape Town | | Rondebosch 7700 | | South Africa | | | | Lalisa | | 9 Weltevreden Avenue | | Rondebosch 7700 | | South Africa | | | | Electronic mail: jcooper(\)botzoo.uct.ac.za | | | | Fax: +27-21-650-3295 | | Office phone (direct): +27-21-650-3294 | | Office phone (answering machine): +27-21-650-3296 | | Home phone: +27-21-685-1357 | +-------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 07:27:53 +0000 Reply-To: jscarff(\)igc.apc.org From: Jim Scarff Subject: Re: Marine Mammal Sounds or Pictures Available? You should check out the Whale-Watching Web site, in Helsinki, Finland, of course. My brief review of its history of whale-watching in California suggests it is excellent. Truly global in character. They have both pictures and whale sounds available. http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/ --------------------- Jim Scarff 1807 M.L. King Way #A Berkeley, CA 94709 (415) 703-1440 (w) jscarff(\)igc.apc.org ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 14:54:19 EDT From: Erich Hoyt <100327.1067(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Whale Watching Numbers Worldwide I am completing a report on the world-wide value and extent of whale and dolphin watching for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. For each country involved in whale watching with at least some commercial aspect (including nature or diving tours that regularly include or feature cetaceans), I am seeking estimates of the numbers of people and how much (on average or at minimum) they spend on the tours (ie, the cost of the tour). I have detailed information on most of the 50+ countries and island territories where whale watching occurs. However, there are some blank spots for 1994 figures: 1. Egypt (Red Sea dolphin tours) 2. Colombia (west coast and Amazon) 3. Chile 4. Gambia 5. Senegal 6. Thailand and other SE Asian countries 7. Tonga 8. Various other islands throughout the South Pacific (besides the US and Japanese islands) 9. Mauritius and Seychelles 10. Various other Indian Ocean islands with the exception of Madagascar. 11. South Africa outside of Hermanus (have some information; would like more details if available) 12. Australia (outside of Queensland) Anyone who can provide leads or information is welcome to a copy of the report which will be released when the IWC meets later this month. Please send your land address as well. I will be able to use any information provided through May 6, but possibly a few days later. Thank you very much. Erich Hoyt FAX 00 44 1620 895 257 e-mail 100327.1067(\)compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 10:59:29 -0400 From: fasick jeffry Subject: Re: Green eyed elephant seals In-Reply-To: <199505010349.XAA07919(\)ds1.gl.umbc.edu> On Sun, 30 Apr 1995 HugeRhino(\)aol..com wrote: > Am currently helping to rehab an Northern elephant seal pup that has > aqua green eyes. The pup seems to have normal vision, and in all other > aspects is a normal 4 month old elephant seal. > Has anyone else had an encounter with a green eyed seal or sea lion? > Any ideas why the eyes are such a different color than "normal" elephant > seals? > -Hugh T. Ryono > HugeRhino(\)aol.com > Dear Hugh, My name is Jeff Fasick and I am working on my Ph.D. at the University of Maryland studying cetacean color vision. In response to your question of the green eye color of the seal you have, I might have a few answers. Eye color is based on the presence or lack of pigment cells in the pigment epidermal layer in the iris. The presence of pigment cells results in brown eye color, the complete lack of pigment cells results in pink eye color. Intermediate colors based on differing pigment levels results in the blue and green eye colors. This is a simplification of the actual physiology, but a fair assessment of the basis for eye color. Eye color should have very little influence on the animals vision. I know little about the phenotypic frequencies of seal eye color, but I imagine that green eyes are a recessive trait. If you can take a picture of the animals eyes, I would be interested in seeing what they look like. Jeff Fasick ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 13:41:32 -0400 From: AROMERO(\)umiami.ir.miami.edu Subject: Venezuelan fishermen harpooning dolphins The issue is four-fold: 1. Ecological: In 1942 a mission from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reported a depletion in the dolphin populations for Venezuela (Fiedler, R.H.; M.J. Lobell & C.R. Lucas. 1947. The Fisheries and Fishery Resources of the Caribbean Area. US Fish & Wildlife Serv. Leaflet # 259, 210 pp.). Althought there are not recent estimates, there is cause for concern. 2. Economical: Venezuelan fishermen rarely eat dolphin meat (except for the liver that is considered a delicacy). Their protein intake does not depend upon direct consumption of dolphins. They use dolphin meat as a shark bait. There is no empirical evidence that sharks, particularly the small-size species captured by those fishermen, prefer dolphin flesh as bait; these fishermen can use other types of baits for their activities. Thus, there is no need from the economic standpoint to continue killing dolphins off the coasts of Venezuela. 3. Legal: Killing of dolphins is prohibited by both Venezuelan and international laws. despite numerous cases reported in the press about these killings, only two people, environmentalists including myself, who have dennounced these facts have been prosecuted by the Venezuelan authorities. 4. Political: There is ample evidence that Venezuelan authorities have carried out a cover-up of this problem for a long time. The villification campaign against Prof. Agudo and myself, calls to be tried as "traitor to the motherland" as well as attempts to extradite me from the U.S., lead me to believe that there is big money being paid by someone in order to silence both of us. Aldemaro Romero Adjunct Associate Professor of Biology University of Miami ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 17:26:43 -0400 encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Undetermined origin c/o Postmaster Subject: Re: Venezuelan fishermen harpooning dolphins In-Reply-To: <01HPZWIIMZAA000738(\)BIONET.bio.dfo.ca> >3. Legal: Killing of dolphins is prohibited by both Venezuelan and >international laws ..... Thank you, Dr Romero, for answering my question about the problem with harpooning dolphins. I am not clear on your anwer to the legal aspect of this problem: which are the international laws that prohibit the killing of dolphins? Pierre Richard richard(\)wpgdfo.wpg.dfo.ca ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 10:22:50 U From: Janet Slater Subject: Introducing Dugong conserva Subject: Time: 10:07 OFFICE MEMO Introducing Dugong conservation Date: 2/5/95 Hello all, I am new to marmam, and want to introduce myself. I am working on conservation planning and monitoring of the dugong, (Dugong dugon) in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. I work for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Conservation issues I am involved with at present for the dugong are: Degradation of inshore seagrass habitats; interraction with fisheries/bycatch; marine debris; boat strike; indigenous hunting; heavy metal ingestion; undersea explosions from military operations. Australia is currently the stronghold for this species and we are planning for their conservation in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). I will also be working on Cetaceans in the GBR. Is anyone out there working on conservation planning for marine mammals-notably, Sirenia?? Janet Slater, Wildlife Conseravtion Planner, Australia. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 21:47:00 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Venezualians fisherman harpooning dolphins >I may have missed some of the thread on the Romero case but, based on >recent messages, I fail to see what the problem is with Venezualian >coastal fisherman harpooning dolphins?! Are they using them for food? >and, if so, what is the problem? > >Pierre Richard >richard(\)wpgdfo.wpg.dfo.ca Pierre Richard may be able to answer two questions vis-a-vis DFO policies. What is DFO's official policy on harpooning marine mammals and does DFO consider that marine mammals are subjects of moral consideration? Anne Doncaster ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 17:34:20 -0700 From: bickel(\)ccnet.com Subject: Grey Whale Migration and Dolphin Corpse Questions 1)This weekend while diving a friend and I observed 3 Grey Whales off Ft. Ross Ca. From what I have read this seems later than usual. Can anyone address possible factors, or is this "normal"? 2)While diving with the same friend several weeks ago we ran into a juvenile Pacific White Sided Dolphin corpse. If this happens in the future are there any orginazations that would be interested in this information or in the recovery for research? Would the possesion of the corpse constitue any violation of the MMA? ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 18:07:00 GMT From: Ian Chalklin Subject: Kent - Orca It was announced in the Press today that the Orca which came ashore in the Pegwell Bay area of Kent,UK last week. Which was refloated then stranded it self again and was subsequently put down was suffering from an enormous blood clot in the heart. The Preliminary Post-mortom results show the Orinicus Orca was female and had probably had 2/3 calves in her lifetime. Aside from the blood clot she also had a bacterial infection. She was put down using 20ml of Immobilon which was inserted into the backmuscle and the dorsal fin vein. The remains were dealt with by Paul Jepson of the Zoological Society of London, David George anf Nick evans of the Natural History Museum. The Blod clot was about 60cm and grown through the valves of the left side of the heart into the Aorta, obstructing the blood flow. There was also an abscess the size of a tennis ball on the underside and a second on the thyroid gland. The lymph nodes were swollen. Stomach contents showed aproximately 20 squid beaks but it was apparent that she had been fasting for some days prior to her demise. Brain: unexamined. All info available in press specifically the The Times dated 2nd May 1995 ******************************************************************************** Ian Chalklin Geography Department Canterbury Christ Church College North Holmes Road Canterbury Kent CT1 1QU United Kingdom Tel:(44 1227) 767700 Ext:337 Fax:(44 1227) 470442 E-MAIL:Ian(\)C71.Canterbury.AC.UK ******************************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 07:42:50 EST From: Tracey Jordan Subject: White sided dolphin corpse Yes - possession of any piece, part or carcass of a marine mammal is considered a violation of the MMPA, unless you are permitted for such possession. Next time such an event occurs - contact the National Marine Fisheries Service - they coordinate stranding data collection for the entire US. They will either respond themselves, or relay the information to people that are authorized to respond. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 10:53:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: WHALE SETS UP HOME IN MID-WEST WHALE SETS UP HOME IN MID-WEST COASTAL LAGOON PERTH, May 2 AAP - The Abrolhos Islands off Western Australia's mid-west coast have taken on a new resident, a young minke whale which has made a home for itself in an island lagoon. Geraldton Conservation and Land Management wildlife officer Kevin Marshall said today the 8.5 metre whale had been living in the lagoon, 55 km north-west of Geraldton, for about six months. Mr Marshall said Fisheries officers had twice shepherded the whale towards the lagoon opening, which was six to seven metres across and three metres deep, but the whale had turned back at the last minute. "It obviously likes being there," Mr Marshall said. He said the four tonne whale was being monitored, but was very healthy and showing no signs of being stressed or underweight. The 30 metre deep lagoon was very large, with a constant supply of fresh fish and provided plenty of space for the as-yet unnammed whale to "get lost in there". Mr Marshall said no-one was sure if the whale had left the lagoon in the past six months or why it was living there. The opening was big enough for the whale to exit, but Mr Marshall said it was possible the whale's sonar system was not working properly. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 10:52:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Norwegian whalers to defy gove Norwegian whalers to defy government quota cut OSLO, May 1 (Reuter) - Norway's whalers warned the government on Monday they would ignore its decision to reduce this year's minke whale catch unless they received full financial compensation. "The Norwegian Whalers Association still considers the quota to be 301 animals and these will be caught unless the authorities give full compensation for the reduction," the association said in a statement. The hunt begins on Tuesday. Norway's Fisheries Ministry said on Friday the quota of minke whales allowed to be caught this year must be reduced to 232 from 301 because it had misjudged stocks due to a computer programme error. Norway now estimates minke whale stocks in the north-east Atlantic to be 69,600 instead of 86,700. No one was available at the Fisheries Ministry for comment on the Whalers Association demands. Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993 in violation of a worldwide moratorium imposed in 1985 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 20:20:29 -0600 From: Gottfried Mayer-Kress Subject: Re: WHALE SETS UP HOME IN MID-WEST > Mr Marshall said no-one was sure if the whale had left the > lagoon in the past six months or > why it was living there. > The opening was big enough for the whale to exit, but Mr > Marshall said it was possible the whale's sonar system was not > working properly. > well, do minke whales have sonar at all? If yes, what is the evidence that it is not working properly? Is there any indication that the whale wants to leave the lagoon? Or is just the fact that the whale stays in the lagoon enough evidence that there must be something "wrong"? --- Gottfried Mayer-Kress Center for Complex Systems Research, Beckman Institute, Physics Dept. UIUC 405 N Mathews, Urbana, Il 61801,gmk(\)pegasos.ccsr.uiuc.edu, gmk(\)igc.apc.org, gmk(\)santafe.edu, (217)-244-5877(voice),x5493(fax1),x8371(fax2), x1994 (msg) URLs: http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/, ftp://ftp.santafe.edu/pub/gmk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 22:34:56 PDT From: AROMERO(\)umiami.ir.miami.edu Subject: Re: underwater explosions II ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- You may want to check this out. Simmonds, M.P. & L.F. Lopez Jurado. 1991. Whales and the military. Nature: 351:448. Al Romero ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 22:44:45 PDT From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Venezuelan fishermen harpooning dolphins ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- "I am not clear on your anwer to the legal aspect of this problem: which are the international laws that prohibit the killing of dolphins? Pierre Richard." I believe Pierre Richard misunderstands. The international laws being violated in the Romero/Agudo case pertain to human rights, including Mr. Romero and Mr. Agudo's rights of free speech and association. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 18:41:08 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: WHALEMEAT SEIZED FROM JAPANESE FISHING BOAT 02-May-95 07:33 pm Regular National WHALEMEAT SEIZED FROM JAPANESE FISHING BOAT Wellington, May 2 - The Department of Conservation has seized 16 tins of whalemeat from a Japanese tuna longline boat in Wellington, Conservation Minister Denis Marshall said today. The whalemeat came to light during a routine fishing licensing inspection on the Hoshin Maru 58 by Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries staff today. The processed whale meat, in 130g tins and labelled as ``bearded whale meat'', was seized under the Trade in Endangered Species (TIES) Act. Mr Marshall said in a statement that it was illegal to import whale products into New Zealand without documentation issued under the TIES Act. This Act gave effect to New Zealand's obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Such imports were also subject to the Marine Mammals Protection Act, he said. NZPA WGT jt sbp ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 22:08:07 -0700 From: Carol Howard Subject: Re: Attention Dawn Goley In-Reply-To: <9504250131.AA15427(\)biology.UCSC.EDU> I believe you can get an email message to Dawn Goley at goley(\)biology.ucsc.edu If that doesn't work, I can dig up her phone # for you. Good luck. Carol Howard ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 20:10:20 -0700 From: bickel(\)ccnet.com Subject: Re: Introducing Dugong conserva I would suggest contacting Save the Manatee Club, 500 N. Maitland Ave. Maitland FL, 32751. (407)539-0990 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 23:55:45 -0400 From: Keith Ronald Subject: Re: Whale Watching Numbers Worldwide In-Reply-To: <9505012020.AA20512(\)solar.nova.edu> Try Dr.M.M.Bryden, School of Anatomy, Sydney University, Australia. KR Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor in Environmental Studies and Marine Biology Fellow of the University of Guelph, Fellow of the Institute of Biology,Fellow of Royal Geographical Society. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 02:51:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Norway-Whaling Norway-Whaling By DOUG MELLGREN Associated Press Writer OSLO, Norway (AP) -- The protests were hot as usual when Norway's whale-hunting season opened Tuesday, except this year the whalers were at least as angry as the environmentalists. The hunters were furious because the government cut their total quota last week by more than 20 percent, to 232 whales. They threatened to kill the original quota of 301 whales anyway unless the government makes up for their lost profits. "This just isn't fair," said Olav Olavsen Jr. by radio from his whaling ship, the Nybraena, off northwestern Norway's Lofoten Islands. "We plan to shoot all the whales that were given to us, unless the government offers compensation," Olavsen said. Olavsen said the whalers would lose about $10,000 in profits for each whale allowed to live. The hunters sell whale meat for human consumption in Norway. On Friday, the government cut the quota it gave the whalers in writing after admitting it underestimated the minke whale population off Norway, in part because of a computer error. The new estimate is 69,600 whales, down from 87,600 but still almost 10,000 higher than the estimate given by the environmental group Greenpeace. Minister of Fisheries Jan Henry T. Olsen warned the whalers to heed the new quota, and said the government had not discussed possible compensation. "If there is anyone who exceeds their quota, they will lose their (whale-hunting) license," the minister said by telephone. Norway angered environmentalists, animal welfare groups and some countries by resuming commercial whale hunts in 1993, after a reluctant six-year break. The country's whalers killed 279 minke whales last year, and 226 in 1993, compared to about 1,800 a year in the early 1980s. In the battle over whaling, Norway has faced protests, boycott threats, confrontations with environmentalists at sea, and sabotage, including an attack that nearly sank Olavsen's Nybraena at its wharf more than two years ago. A 1986 commercial whaling ban by the International Whaling Commission is not binding because the commission's rules allow members to reject its decisions. International pressure forced Norway to suspend the hunt in 1987. One of Norway's main arguments in favor of resuming the hunt was that there were enough minke whales to sustain it, both off Norway and worldwide. The minke population worldwide is estimated at more than 1 million. Whalers also said cutting the quota so late imposes an economic hardship on some of the 33 ships expected to sail on the hunt in early May. To prepare for the hunt, they have to scrub their fishing boats and outfit them with harpoon cannon and the explosive harpoons used to kill the whales. "Some of the boats probably wouldn't have spent the money to equip for the hunt if they had known about the lower quota," said Olavsen, whose own quota was cut from nine to seven whales. "Those two whales will cost us just about as much as it cost to outfit the ship," he said. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 02:50:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Upcoming Program SUNDAY, MAY 14 The Discovery Channel 8:30 p.m.--IN CARE OF NATURE Whales Richard Sears, one of the world's leading specialists on humpback whales, lives in virtual isolation on the St. Lawrence river. Researchers study the whales who stop to feed there before they migrate south. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 21:24:37 -0400 From: HugeRhino(\)aol.com Subject: Jeff Fasik re: g.eyed seal To: Jeff Fasik What really struck me about the seal's eyes was that the green area is actually a disk within the eye area. It doesn't appear to be a cataract although not being an expert, I can't be sure. It doesn't look like any cataract I've ever seen in a seal. I have been told that the seal "squints" its eyes in the sunlight and others have told me that they are actually unsure how well its vision actually is. If you like, E-Mail me a mailing address and I'll try to get you a photo of the seal's eyes. Hugh T. Ryono HugeRhino(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 03:28:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Environmentalists sue U.S. ove Environmentalists sue U.S. over driftnet sanctions By Carol Vinzant NEW YORK, May 4 (Reuter) - Several environmental groups sued the United States on Thursday in an effort to force the imposition of sanctions on Italy for driftnet fishing. A lawyer for the Defenders of Wildlife said about 600 Italian vessels had continued driftnet fishing despite a 1991 United Nations ban and a 1992 U.S. law that threatens sanctions against violators. "All of Europe knows they have been violating the ban. It's common knowledge," said attorney Bill Snape. He said the State Department had been "dragging its feet" because it hoped to avoid imposing trade sanctions on an ally. The lawsuit filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade said Italy's alleged fishing practices force the United States to impose sanctions on fish product imports within 90 days if negotiations do not resolve the driftnet fishing issue. The U.S. 1992 High-Seas Driftnet Enforcement Act, which would prohibit Italy's annual $2 million of fish product exports to the United States and $1 billion of coral product exports, was the only mechanism to enforce the ban, he said. The State Department and the Commerce Department, both named in the lawsuit, and the Italian Embassy could not immediately be reached for comment on the lawsuit. Attorney Patti Goldman for the Sierra Club Legal Defence Fund said the group has been presenting evidence for about two years to the State Department on the violations. She said continued driftnet fishing of the Mediterranean Sea kills sea turtles, sea birds, sharks and about 2,000 to 3,000 whales and dolphins annually and has driven down populations of Striped Dolphins and swordfish. "It's basically strip-mining of the sea," Snape said. He said the groups are also monitoring the practices of Spain, France and Taiwan and would consider similar actions against them if successful against Italy. Goldman said she hoped the lawsuit would spur efforts of the European Union (EU) to ban driftnets altogether and of groups in Italy proposing a buy-back programme for the nets. The Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society International, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and the Earth Island Institute are also among the plaintiffs. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 11:18:16 EST From: "ELIZABETH A. NEILS" Organization: College of the Atlantic Subject: Re: Manatees Hi MARMAM I am doing research on manatees and bost collisions, and the resources that are available to me are limited. The reprinted May issue of ANIMAL PEOPLE, sent out on April 24, has been very helpful. However, I am in need of more information and hope that someone out there can help. All is appreciated. Cheers, Elizabeth Neils ean(\)ecology.coa.edu College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor Maine ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 11:13:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Norwegian police detain anti-w Norwegian police detain anti-whaling activists OSLO (Reuter) - Police detained 13 Greenpeace activists Wednesday after they blocked the entrance of the Fisheries Ministry in protest at Norway's resumption of commercial whaling. The environmentalists hung a huge banner from the roof which read "Science proves Norway must stop." They were fined $500 each and later released. Norway said last week the quota of minke whales allowed to be caught this year must be cut to 232 from 301 because it had misjudged stocks due to a computer program error. It now estimates minke whale stocks in the north-east Atlantic to be 69,600 instead of 86,700. The hunt started Tuesday as planned. "It's arrogant of Norway to start hunting without consulting the International Whaling Commission (IWC)," Greenpeace spokeswoman Katrin Brubakk told Reuters. Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993 in violation of a worldwide moratorium imposed in 1985 by IWC. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 20:08:30 -0700 From: Clara Schindler Subject: whale research (very important!) 5-3-95 To whom it may concern: I am an undergraduate looking for some information on the research of killer whales. I need to have information dating within 6 months. If you can E-mail me the information sometime before Wednesday 10, I would really appreciate it. Sincerely, Clara K. Schindler E-mail: schindlc(\)ucs.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 12:58:19 PDT From: "Paul E. Nachtigall" Subject: bioacoustics books ------- Mr. Mercado is right, there havn't been many recent books dedicated entirely to bioacoustics. There have been a series of books with substantial amounts of information about bioacoustics that have been recently published: Thomas J.A and Kastelein, R.A. Sensory Abilities of Cetaceans. Plenum Press, 1990, 703 pages. Thomas, J.A., Kastelein, R.A. and Supin, A.Ya. Marine Mammal Sensory Systems. Plenum Press, 1992, 773 pages. Kastelein, R.A., Thomas, J.A., and Nachtigall, P.E. Sensory Systems of Aquatic Mammals. DeSpil Publishers, Woerden, The Netherlands. (This book is in the final phases of publication, it will be available for $105 U.S. by writing to DeSpil Publishers, P.O. Box 23 NL-3440AA Woerden, The Netherlands: fax number "0031 3480 32 152". Au, Whitlow W.L. The Sonar of Dolphins. Springer-Verlag, 1993, 277 pages. Nachtigall, P.E., Lien, J., Au, W.W.L., and Read, A.J. Harbour Porpoises:Laboratory Studies to Reduce Bycatch. DeSpil Publishers, The Netherlands, 1995, 167 pages. Fay, R.R. Hearing in Vertebrates: A Psychophysics Handbook, Hill-Fay Associates, Winetka Illinois, 1988, 621 pages. Paul Nachtigall ------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 09:56:56 -1000 From: Frank Cipriano Subject: Re: Venezualians fisherman harpooning dolphins In-Reply-To: <9504282343.AA15975(\)uhunix4.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> On Wed, 26 Apr 1995, Undetermined origin c/o Postmaster wrote: > I may have missed some of the thread on the Romero case but, based on > recent messages, I fail to see what the problem is with Venezualian > coastal fisherman harpooning dolphins?! Are they using them for food? > and, if so, what is the problem? > > Pierre Richard > richard(\)wpgdfo.wpg.dfo.ca > The above message appears to have been sent from an institutional address, namely the Winnipeg office of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans of Canada. This raises several questions - Is Mr. Richard an employee of or spokesman for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans of Canada? Should his comments be taken as reflecting the official position of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans? Clarification of Mr. Richards affiliation and justification for his use of an institutional email account for making such comments would be much appreciated. Sincerely, Frank Cipriano Kewalo Marine Lab. University of Hawaii **all opinions expressed in this message are expressly my own and do not necessarily reflect the official positions or policies of the University of Hawaii** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 12:38:24 -0700 From: Kim Calder Subject: Phocid and Otariid diving behaviors In-Reply-To: <9505031742.AA23912(\)mx5.u.washington.edu> Does anyone know (or have ideas) why phocids are deeper divers than otariids? Please respond to: calderk(\)u.washington.edu Thanks! :) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 11:12:04 -0700 From: Michelle Kinzel Subject: Gray whale migration Not unusual to see gray whales this time of year, they are probal oops, probably mother/calf pairs or lagging juveniles north bound for Alaska. There is an ongoing effort to monitor these North bound groups along the California coast line, so it was not an unusual sighting for the time of year nor the area. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 18:11:47 +0100 Reply-To: prs(\)radstone.co.uk From: Paul Slootweg Subject: Re: Norwegian whalers to defy gove In-Reply-To: <199505021852.TAA11738(\)granite.radstone.co.uk> > OSLO, May 1 (Reuter) - Norway's whalers warned the > government on Monday they would ignore its decision to reduce > this year's minke whale catch unless they received full > financial compensation. > "The Norwegian Whalers Association still considers the > quota to be 301 animals and these will be caught unless the > authorities give full compensation for the reduction," This is exactly the reason why many of us are sceptical that the RMP woul= d ever work. Once there are any quotas at all, there will be pressure = to maintain those quotas no matter what. We are better off continuing with the moratorium. -- Regards, Paul Slootweg prs(\)radstone.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 08:34:22 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am shortening the summary to include only new items added since my last posting. However, I will post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. Today's posting is the longer version for the first Friday in May 1995. I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: New info and changes since 4/28/95 are bracketed {...}. Marine Mammals . {Tuna-Dolphin Hearing. The House Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively scheduled a hearing on tuna-dolphin concerns for May 18, 1995.} [Personal communication] . {Norwegian Whaling. On Apr. 28, 1995, the Norwegian Government announced that its was reducing its 1995 commercial quota for minke whales from 301 to 232 following a recalculation of the northeast Atlantic minke whale population that produced a lower estimate of their abundance (69,600 whales rather than 86,700); commercial whaling began May 2, 1995, with whalers demanding compensation for the lowered quota.} [Reuters] . Walrus Hunter Trespass Case. On Apr. 21, 1995, the Alaska Appeals Court ruled that Alaska criminal trespass laws cannot restrict Native access to hunt walrus at Round Island in the Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary. [Assoc Press] . Meeting on Illegal Trade in Whale Products. On Apr. 19-20, 1995, experts from seven nations attended an informal meeting in Tokyo, Japan, concerning prevention of illegal trade in whale products. [Dow Jones News, Personal communication] . Japanese Whaling. On Apr. 13, 1995, the whale processing vessel, Nisshin Maru, returned to Japan after having killed 330 minke whales in Japan's Antarctic research program. Japanese researchers reported that they had seen 27 blue whales and that the average age of harvested minke whales had declined, indicating their population was growing. [Assoc Press, Dow Jones News] . Japan and the IWC. In early April 1995, Japan released a position paper outlining concerns that the International Whaling Commission acted improperly in creating the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, compromised marine resource science by not implementing the adopted Revised Management Procedure for commercial whaling, failed to review the moratorium on commercial whaling by 1990 as was required, and failed to act in 1994 on a 1993 resolution to address the distress in four small traditional Japanese whaling communities caused by the commercial whaling moratorium. These concerns will be the basis for Japanese initiatives at the 1995 annual meeting of the IWC in Dublin in May. [Japan Whaling Assoc. press release] . Alaska Beluga Whale Workshop. On Apr. 7, 1995, the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee held a workshop in Anchorage to facilitate the exchange of scientific and subsistence information. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 12:30:23 +0000 From: gomercic(\)olimp.irb.hr Subject: mm longevity in captivityi] Prof. Dr. Hrvoje Gomercic Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb 41000 ZAGREB, Heinzelova 55, CROATIA Phone: 385 1 290 250; fax: 385 1 214 697 E-mail: gomercic(\)olimp. irb.hr I want to give my contribution to the discussion of the longevity of marine mammals in captivity: in Zagreb Zoo, Croatia, the Californian sea lion (Zalophus californianus, Lesson, 1828) male died in his 24th year (23 years out of that he was living in Zagreb Zoo). He died presumably of kidney insufficiency - uraemia, because the majority of nephrons was destroyed. Even though he wasn t living in ideal environmental conditions, he successfully mated very often and had many descendants (but unfortunately none of them survived). His last descendant was born when he was 21 years old. Reference: Gomercic, H., V. Gomercic, D. Skrtic: Craniometric characteristics of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus Lesson, 1828) from the Zagreb Zoo. Period. biol. 91, 131, 1989. Sincerely, Hrvoje Gomercic ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 10:30:36 -0400 From: Keith Ronald Subject: Re: Venezualians fisherman harpooning dolphins In-Reply-To: <9504282200.AA24793(\)solar.nova.edu> Have you considered the method of killing the animal, be anthropomorphic for a moment and apply the method to yourself. Add to this that a deep diving species will stay conscious long after capture because of the possibility of the brain receiving the last of the oxygenated blood. Apart from euthanizing stranded whales are there any known humane methods for killing whales that are in use? KR Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor in Environmental Studies and Marine Biology Fellow of the University of Guelph, Fellow of the Institute of Biology,Fellow of Royal Geographical Society. On Wed, 26 Apr 1995, Undetermined origin c/o Postmaster wrote: > I may have missed some of the thread on the Romero case but, based on > recent messages, I fail to see what the problem is with Venezualian > coastal fisherman harpooning dolphins?! Are they using them for food? > and, if so, what is the problem? > > Pierre Richard > richard(\)wpgdfo.wpg.dfo.ca > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 06:01:50 -0700 From: Richard Buckley Subject: Re: Manatees You may know of this already, but there is a group callled "Save the Manatee" in Maitland, Florida. They have a home page on www but I don't know its URL. You could also call Sea World in Orlando, FL. They do a lot of manatee rescue and rehabilitation. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 09:14:22 PDT From: "Sam H. Ridgway" Subject: Re: Phocid and Otariid diving behaviors The phocids that I have worked with and read about in the literature have a higher blood volume, higher hemoglobin, and overall greater oxygen carrying capacity than do otariids. Sam Ridgway From: Kim Calder Subject: Phocid and Otariid diving behaviors To: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM Does anyone know (or have ideas) why phocids are deeper divers than otariids? Please respond to: calderk(\)u.washington.edu Thanks! :) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 17:00:49 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Society for Marine Mammalogy The registration and abstract submission package for the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals has been completed and will be in the hands of the U.S. postal service on Monday, 8 May. All destinations other than the US and Canada are being sent via air mail. The initial distribution is to Society members, non-members who have specifically requested the material and to vendors. If you are interested in the meeting and do not fall in any of these three categories, please send me your snail mail address for the full package or I can send a brief conference note via email. Daniel K. Odell Conference Chair - 1995 Society for Marine Mammalogy ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 14:37:00 EST From: Phil Clapham Subject: Minkes First, many thanks to Gene Buck for his continued CRS updates, which are very usefukl. One note on the item regarding the japanese minke whale take and the contentioon that the average age is "declining" thus indicating an increasing population: Various people have attempted to document changes in biological and demographic parameters among southerhn hemisphere baleen whales following large-scale exploitation. These parameters have included age, age at sexual maturity and pregnancy rate. Despite a number of papers on this subject and what appeared to many people to be "clear" evidence of such (density-dependent) changes, they are not an established fact. Sally Mizroch points out that most such changes are probably spurious, notably in pregnancy rates, and result from inappropriate pooling of disparate data sets or failure to account for other effectors (see Mizroch 1980: Rep. IWC 30: 561-574; Mizroch & York 1984: Rep IWC, Special Issue 6: 401-410). More specifically, the idea that you can use a sample of 300 whales, without any knowledge of the population composition or demographic segregation, and say that it is a representative sample and comparable to similar samples from previous years, is extremely questionable. There is clear evidence of segregation by class in minke whale populations, which means that one could end up sampling completely different subsets in different years. Statistically, the idea that a sample of 300 animals from a population of 760,000 is representative - and identical to one taken last year - defies basic common sense. Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 13:00:28 EDT From: Brent Hall <73577.310(\)compuserve.com> Subject: "Whales Alive!", CSI Newsletter To: MARMAM I am the editor of the quarterly newsletter "Whales Alive!", published by Cetacean Society International, which is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization based in Connecticut, USA. I think MARMAM readers might be interested in the latest issue, which has a feature article about captivity, plus articles about the upcoming meeting of the International Whaling Commission, and the expansion of whalewatching worldwide. It's a bit large to post (40K bytes, 648 lines), but I will e-mail a copy to anyone who would like to see it. Please send your request to me at: 73577.310(\)compuserve.com (If I get many requests for it, I might decide to post it!) Thanks. Brent S. Hall 73577.310(\)compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 12:59:59 EDT From: Brent Hall <73577.310(\)compuserve.com> Subject: CSI Captivity Policy Statement To: MARMAM In the interest of stimulating discussion, defining opinions, and soliciting responses, the Cetacean Society International announces its revised policy statement with reference to the issue of cetaceans in captivity, adopted 3 May 1995: It is the position of Cetacean Society International that it is no longer justifiable for cetaceans to be captured or maintained in captivity for purposes of exhibition, research, or education. There exists a moral imperative for cetaceans in captivity to be maintained in optimal conditions for their physical and social well-being and for efforts to be made for their rehabilitation and release. The statement seeks, perhaps with further amplification, to oppose live captures, support stranding networks, curtail the export and import of captive cetaceans, strengthen the capabilities of APHIS, improve current conditions and programs, and foster solidarity amongst like-minded organizations. CSI invites all organizations with an interest in the issue to define and post their positions. Bill Rossiter, CSI President 73577.310(\)compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 08:05:32 EST From: Timothy Ragen Subject: monk seal veterinarian In the next few weeks, a position will be announced for a veterinarian to work with the Hawaiian monk seal program in Honolulu. The announcement will be for a regular, full-time, non-civil service position with the University of Hawaii, located at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in Honolulu, Hawaii. Continuation of the position will depend on program/ operational needs, satisfactory work performance, completion of necessary licensing requirements, and availability of funds. The veterinarian will 1) cooperate with scientists from NMFS, NOAA to evaluate, treat, rehabilitate, and conduct research on captive Hawaiian monk seals; 2) supervise and participate with rehabilitation staff in daily care and husbandry of captive seals; 3) review and refine protocols for all aspects of captive care; 4) design and conduct research on issues related to health and disease in wild populations of Hawaiian monk seals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; and 5) prepare and present summaries of captive research and care at professional meetings and in professional peer-reviewed journals. Two years experience with marine mammal veterinary care or related wildlife veterinary care will be required. For additional information, contact Tim Ragen (tragen(\)honlab.nmfs.hawaii.edu), 808/943-1280, 808/943-1290(fax), NMFS, 2570 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822-2396. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 15:17:55 -0700 From: Robin Baird Subject: Right Whale sighting at Pt. Piedras Blancas, CA on 5/3/95 (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 09:46:03 -0700 (PDT) From: Jim Carretta To all west coast marine mammal observers: On Wednesday, May 3rd, at approximately 1900 hrs, a north Pacific right whale was sighted approximately 1 mile off the beach at Pt. Piedras Blancas, on the central California coast (approximate position N35:40, W121:20). This represents only the 14th reliable right whale record from California waters since the year 1900. The whale was observed travelling southbound. Aerial surveys flown along the central California coast the next day failed to relocate the whale. Any resightings, photographs, or further information regarding this whale or any right whales sighted in California waters would be most appreciated. Information can be sent to my e-mail address, or the following people: Jim Gilpatrick Karin Forney Southwest Fisheries Science Center (same address) National Marine Fisheries Service kforney(\)caliban.ucsd.edu P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, CA 92038 (619)-546-7171 jimg(\)its.ucsd.edu (619)-546-7195 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Jim Carretta Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, CA 92038 jcarretta(\)caliban.ucsd.edu (619)-546-7181 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 10:04:48 -0700 From: Parrot Head Subject: 1995 NSF MARINE SCIENCE SHORT COURSE (fwd) We are accepting late applications. For an application please contact Dr. Anne Sturz at : asturz(\)pwa.acusd.edu 1995 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION MARINE SCIENCE SHORT COURSE FOR Instructors of Undergraduate Courses in the Marine Sciences PLEASE POST DEADLINE MAY 1, 1995 SPRING, 1995 The NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION has once again awarded the University of San Diego and Grossmont College an Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement grant to conduct a Marine Science Short Course for INSTRUCTORS OF UNDERGRADUATE COURSES with marine science content. The Short Course will be held June 10 - 25, 1995 at the University of San Diego. The grant pays for room and board, tuition, course materials, and other expenses associated with the project activities for 40 participants selected from 2- and 4- year colleges across the nation. The project will feature: - At sea investigations on a Scripps Institution of Oceanography research vessel. - U.S. Navy marine research operations. - Modern and ancient marine environments. - Commercial marine facilities. - Visits to research collections and laboratories - Internet, CD-ROM packages, and satellite imaging. - Networking with other instructors and researchers. Targeted participants are INSTRUCTORS OF UNDERGRADUATE COURSES with physical or biological oceanography content who have seasoned degrees, or lack substantial formal course work in the ocean sciences. Other potential candidates are instructors with limited access to the marine environment, oceanographic institutions, and related resources for teaching. For further information or application form, contact: Dr. Anne Sturz, Project Director Marine and Environmental Studies Program University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 Tel; (619) 260-4096 E-Mail: asturz(\)teetot.acusd.edu Shannon O'Dunn, Project Co-Director Grossmont College 8800 Grossmont College Drive El Cajon, CA 92020 Tel: (619) 465-1700 Ext. 313 Charles S. Harding, Editor, Oceanogram Marine and Environmental Studies Program University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 E-Mail: harding(\)teetot.acusd.edu For computer users, you may download the Course Description, Application Form, and a Daily Schedule from University of San Diego's GOPHER system. To access the GOPHER system at your INTERNET prompt type: GOPHER GOPHER.ACUSD.EDU Move the cursor using arrow keys and highlight the following directories by using the RETURN key: /USD Campus-Wide Information System /Resources grouped by discipline /Marine and Environmental Studies For further information to acces the USD Gopher, contact Charles S. Harding at the above email address and I will forward the information to you. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 20:49:23 -0700 From: "MARMAM Conference (\) estreet.com" Organization: E Street Mail Denver Subject: Re: Minkes Assuming that the minke sightings prove the average age is declining, which is open for another debate, can someone explain why it means the population is increasing? Isn't it possible (probable?) that the reverse is true? If the whalers are taking the largest (oldest) whales they can find, wouldn't it make sense that the average size was getting smaller? What if the older (larger) whales are not surviving as long as they should? Can someone clear up my confusion? Thank you, Cherie Olson whales(\)estreet.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 6 May 1995 08:18:31 -0400 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Minkes In addition to Phil Clapham's objections, the Japanese contention that a declining average age among minkes killed indicates a growing population fails as a matter of common sense: it means there are more young whales relative to old whales, but could as easily indicate that older whales have been hunted out as that there are more whales. Among land animals one frequently finds that young populations are indicative of a species under tremendous predation pressure, e.g. mice and rabbits. But mice and rabbits breed quickly enough to replenish their numbers; whales don't. Thus the minke population could either be growing--or about to crash. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 6 May 1995 20:33:26 -0700 From: Jim Moore Subject: Orca dorsal redux My daughter just had her 5th birthday at Sea World. They do a package deal, which includes a visit to Shamu Stadium with a short talk about orcas etc. How much do they eat; who swims faster, an orca or a dolphin; stuff like that. The topic that the hostess spent *longest* on was--you guessed--dorsal fins and the fact that they do NOT bend over because the animal is sad. She went into a thing about how bent dorsals are inherited from their mothers and fathers ("like eye color"), and besides -- did *you* know that a grown orca's dorsal fin can be twice as tall as *you* are [remember, 5-year olds!], with NO BONES, just cartilage, so no WONDER they flop over... I finally sort of lost it a bit and asked what ppercentage of wild orcas had bent over fins. She replied, "Well, I don't have any _statistics_..." at which point I said it's because they don't normally have them; she responded that I should just see the show where it would be explained to me, and when I pushed she very haughtily closed it off saying something to the effect of "Well, you're entitled to _your_ opinion, but I'm here for the children, not for *your* sake." I guess the point of that is that missinformation to 5-year olds as part of an educational experience is par for the course, because they wouldn't understand "we just don't know" as an explanation. I asked her about it later, and she made very clear that she had been saying what she'd been trained to say (by, her tone of voice said, People Who _Know_ These Things). Any Sea World folks online - I happen to think the place (at least San Diego; haven't been to any others) has a lot of potential and while I think orcas probably should not be kept in captivity, the other dolphins seem to do OK and overall I'm at least sympathetic to (if not totally persuaded by) the "ambassadors must suffer a bit so that people will care" argument. I'm more-or less on your side. BUT -- when you fudge the truth around in the name of education.... c'mon! Sea World does not NEED TO DO THAT! Gee, what a lovely soapbox! :-) I'm done now... cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 6 May 1995 22:28:50 -0400 Reply-To: "Mark B. Wise" From: "Mark B. Wise" Subject: Tursiops physiology assistance needed! Greetings all! Does anybody have any information regarding Tursiops reproductive physiology? I'm particularly curious about the estrous cycle. Unfortunately I live in Cleveland and may not have direct access to some of the articles from most marine mammal science journals or the like. ANY help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your assistance! Mark Wise -- Two roads diverged in a yellow wood... One's own self conquer is better than all other people conquered; not even a god could change into defeat the victory of a man who has vanquished himself. from the Dhammapada Mark Wise-mbw(\)po.cwru.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 7 May 1995 22:37:22 PDT From: fasick jeffry Subject: Re: CSI Captivity Policy Statement In-Reply-To: <199505052251.SAA03481(\)ds1.gl.umbc.edu> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- It is of my opinion, and I believe the opinion of others, that there is a very real need for zoological parks and aquaria. They educate those people who may not have the means or fortune to travel to regions and witness first hand an elephant, lion, or dolphin. By denying people this privilege is to deny them knowledge of their own world. Growing up in Chicago, I would have had no way of learning, understanding, nor appreciation for cetaceans and pinnipeds. It was zoological parks like the Brookfield Zoo and aquaria like the John G. Shedd Aquarium that planted the seed of curiosity in me to learn and study these magnificent animals. I have been studying, working with, and doing research on marine mammals for the last 8 years. It is my career and I am very grateful the zoos and aquaria that I visited as a youth and now as a young adult. Within the zoos and aquaria that I have been associated with we have educated over a million people a year on the natural history of marine mammals, we have seen our seals, sea lions, and dolphins give birth and raise healthy pups and calves, and we have rehabilitated sick wild animals and released them back into the wild. We have performed non-invasive research to learn more about the animals visual and auditory capabilities among other things. What have you and your organization done to educate the public about these animals or the scientific community as to how they live? How many animals have you rehabilitated and released back to the wild? Do you think we know as so much as we do about dolphins and seals from studies in the wild alone? It is beyond me why you are wasting so much time, money, and resources on slandering the very institutions that are doing more for the wild populations than you could ever achieve in 10 lifetimes. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 8 May 1995 20:11:37 -0700 From: Frederick Sharpe Subject: Baleen whale mouths In-Reply-To: <199505080538.WAA05725(\)whistler.sfu.ca> from "fasick jeffry" at May 7, 95 10:37:22 pm Hello- I would like to obtain information on the dimensions of baleen whale mouths, particularly for the humpback whale, but also for the fin, minke, and blue whales. Specifically, I am interested in measurements of the gape at maximun jaw distention, including: --the distance between the tip of the rostrum and the synovial cleft of the lower jaw --the distance between the corners of the mouth --the circumference or area of the gape Any info or references would be appreciated. Fred Sharpe Behavioral Ecolocgy Research Group Simon Fraser University fsharpe(\)sfu.ca ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 8 May 1995 02:56:05 -0700 From: Daniel Costa While reading MARMAM I was taken by the recent request for information about what is known about reproductive physiology of Tursiops, while at the same time I read of CSI's statement against any form of captive marine mammals, including research. My point is that almost everything we know about reproductive physiology comes from studies of captive dolphins (A good review of what is known about Tursiops can be found in "The Bottlenose Dolphin by Leatherwood and Reeves Academic Press 1989). Research on captive animals has provided us with tremendous insight into their biology. Marine mammal science and conservation requires an appropriate mix of both captive and field studies to truly gain an understanding of these animals. This is especially true for cetaceans, because they are so difficult to work with in the wild. While I prefer to study animals in the wild, I find that there are many instances where we cannot answer inportant questions concerning basic biology, reproductive physiology, nutritional biology, thermal biology acoustics, etc. without access to captive animals. It is very naive to think that we can learn all that we need to know about marine mammal conservation from studies exclusively in the wild. Thus a total ban of captive animals is not in the best interest of marine mammal conservation. Respectfully, Daniel Costa Ph.D. Professor of Biology ============================================================================ Daniel P. Costa Ph.D. Professor of Biology Earth & Marine Science Bldg University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (408) 459-2786 Voice (408 459-4882 FAX ============================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 8 May 1995 22:28:02 -0800 From: Coalition for No Whales in Captivity Subject: Re: Orca dorsal redux Jim Moore after a visit to Sea World in San Diego writes: >I finally sort of lost it a bit and asked what percentage of wild orcas had >bent over fins. She replied, "Well, I don't have any _statistics_..." at >which point I said it's because they don't normally have them; she responded >that I should just see the show where it would be explained to me, and when >I pushed she very haughtily closed it off saying something to the effect of >"Well, you're entitled to _your_ opinion, but I'm here for the children, not >for *your* sake." The following is an excerpt (word-for-word) of the "Shamu Killer Whale Quiz Show" played on the giant screen "Shamu Vision" at Sea World in San Diego on April 12, 1995. The public was asked the following question: "Why are some killer whale dorsal fins straight, while others are not?" The public then gets a choice of three answers: 1.Weather conditions; 2.Mood swings; & 3.Each is different. The "correct" answer was 3.: "All killer whale dorsal fins are uniquely different. Dorsal fins are not made of bone or cartilage, but rather of fibrous conective tissue called collagen. Veterinarians feel that height, weight and genetics all play a part in the straightness or droopiness of the killer whale dorsal fin. The shape of a killer whale dorsal fin has nothing to do with the mood of a killer whale or how he feels. Just as all of us are born with different sizes and shapes of body parts like noses or ears, killer whales have different dorsal fins in the wild and in marine zoological environments." Jim Moore continues: I'm at least sympathetic to (if not totally persuaded by) the >"ambassadors must suffer a bit so that people will care" argument. I'm more-or >less on your side. BUT -- when you fudge the truth around in the name of >education.... c'mon! Sea World does not NEED TO DO THAT! Unfortunately, Sea World is not the only facility that "fudges the truth". Last time I checked, the Vancouver Public Aquarium and Marine World Africa USA both were announcing at their whale shows, that the floppy fin syndrome is as prevalent in captivity as it is in the wild. I would also like to comment on another question that the public was asked at that "Shamu Killer Whale Quiz Show": "How many killer whales have been born in Sea World Parks?" The three choices were: 7, 9, & 11. Sea World's "correct" answer was: "9 killer whales have been born and are thriving in Sea World Parks." However, the truth is that 11 calves have been born in Sea World Parks, and only 9 have survived. And then there are the 2 stillbirths, the 2 miscarriages and the 3 females that died of pregnancy related complications. All this in the name of "mis-education". Annelise Sorg, Director Coalition For No Whales in Captivity 8636 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6P 5A1 Tel: (604) 266-3900 Fax: (604) 266-1120 e-mail: annelise(\)direct.ca ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 13:42:59 -0700 From: Jim Moore Subject: Katz Bill editorial I thought folks might be interested in an editorial that appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May, entitled "Misguided sentiment" and subtitled "Bill would put Sea World out of business". The editorial argues against Assemblyman Richard Katz' "bill to prohibit the capture of marine mammals by zoos and aquatic parks in California." It mentions the economic cost to San Diego as well as the educational and research importance of Sea World, but the essence of the editorial's thrust is that "To safeguard marine mammals and other animals, zoos and aquatic parks already are heavily regulated by multiple federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Animal Welfare Act. ... [marine mammals] hardly need additional protection from lawmakers in Sacramento." Interesting, given the debate going on as I write over a bill being pushed in the US Congress by Slade Gorton (R, WA) that would greatly weaken the ESA. It is nice to see the paper (and Anheuser-Busch?) arguing against the Contract With America's efforts to weaken federal wildlife regulations and turn everything back to the states. At least, I *think* that's what is being argued... ;-) cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 18:14:54 GMT Reply-To: Graham_Clarke(\)macconn.mpx.com.au From: Graham Clarke Organization: MacConnection FC BBS, +612-907-0412 Subject: I.W.C. Preview 1995 -------------------------------------------- International Whaling Commission Preview 1995 -------------------------------------------- The 47th Annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission will take place in Dublin, Ireland, from the 29th of May to the 2nd of June. The major issues expected to arise this year include the continuation of the development of the Revised Management System, the first report on the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, preliminary results from Japan and Norway's scientific permits, reports on small cetacean populations and the Scientific Committee's report on whale stock assessments for all Southern Hemisphere baleen whales and minke whales in the North Pacific and North Atlantic. Australia and the "like minded" nations will continue the most conservative, loophole-proof set of whaling management criteria possible, in order to ensure maximum humaneness, integrity and transparency of any future commercial whaling operations should the whaling nations ever gain the numbers in the IWC to end the moratorium. The Revised Management Scheme or RMS as it is called has been constantly delayed by the procrastinations of the pro-whaling countries over such stringent management conditions. The Scientific Committee is required to monitor a range of issues with regard to the Sanctuary, including feeding and breeding grounds; migration; species interaction and competition and environmental factors. The Committee will present it's first report on the Sanctuary at this meeting. Both Japan and Norway are required to present their preliminary results from their scientific research and detail their plans for the coming season. There are concerns that Japan is set to attempt to justify an increase in its minke whale kill in the Sanctuary since it is expected to raise what it refers to as "outstanding issues" regarding the establishment of the Sanctuary. The workshop on Humane Killing Methods is expected to highlight the electric lance, the contentious method of secondary killing, because of growing concerns that the present electrocution methods increase the whale's suffering rather than relieving it. The workshop includes issues on existing killing methods and those under development; killing efficiency; times to death; improving whale killing humaneness and crew safety. Of special interest this year will be a report by, the Danish Government about the Pilot whale hunt in the Faros Islands. Whether Denmark complies, and how candidly, will be interesting to see. Because of revalations about the availability of and trade in protected whale species, each IWC member nation is required, from this year, to report annually on the availability of whale products on it's domestic market, and the specific source of those items. Each nation must report any shipments of whale meat and products intercepted in international commerse and what measures the Government has taken in response. This year member nations have been asked to provide information about small cetacean populations, takes and threats in their waters. This is a positive move by the IWC to incorporate small cetaceans into its activities and considerations. Many member nations have long opposed the move on the grounds that the IWC does not have the "competence" to deal with such matters. Some are fearful of having to admit to and account for their shameful direct and incidental small cetacean kill records. The Scientific Committee will submit reports on the development of the Revised Management Procedure (RMP) and on progress towards assessments of all Southern Hemisphere baleen whales as well as minkes in the North Pacific and North Atlantic. Assessments will begin from this year of North Pacific Bryde's whales. Other reports include a discussion paper on various aspects of non-lethal research of Blue whales, a progress report on chemical pollution and cetaceans and an intrim paper on whale watching. All in all this meeting will show a positive conservation trend and most member nations will continue to support this move. However, Japan's continued thrust towards increased lethal whale research and it's so called "outstanding issues" do give rise to a number of grave concerns. ------------------------------------------------------ Graham_Clarke - "WHALES IN DANGER" Information Service ------------------------------------------------------ Sydney - AUSTRALIA - Graham_Clarke(\)macconn.mpx.com.au ------------------------------------------------------ - sent via an evaluation copy of BulkRate (unregistered). ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 18:15:59 GMT Reply-To: Graham_Clarke(\)macconn.mpx.com.au From: Graham Clarke Organization: MacConnection FC BBS, +612-907-0412 Subject: AUSTRALIAN WHALE STRANDING ----------------------------------------------- AUSTRALIA - East Coast Manning River, New South Wales - August 16, 1994 ----------------------------------------------- TROPICAL WHALE STRANDED IN RIVER A whale was the highlight of the Taree area by remaining in the Manning river for over 3 months. Many stories abound about why Willy, nicknamed after the movie "Free Willy", swam up the Manning river. The one most favoured is that Willy was a part of a group of dolphins playing near a sand-bar across the mouth of the Manning river. The dolphins crossed the sand-bar with Willy in close pursuit on the evening of the 16th of August. While the sand-bar posed no threat to the dolphins, because of their smaller size, they eventually swam back to open sea but Willy was hesitant to navigate his way back alone. The trip across may have frightened him a little or being now alone may have confused him. Either way Willy swam upstream. Eyewitnesses reported that in spectacular fashion Willy did a belly-flop onto the sand bar blocking the Harrington mouth of the Manning River. Much to the amazement of the observers who could see him clearly from their houses built on an old pilot's station, high above this place where river meets the sea, Willy wriggled his 10 tonne body off the sand and swam a cracking pace up the river. Belated wildlife experts able only to follow in hot pursuit. More than a week passed before Willy's species was narrowed down to either a Minke or a Tropical whale. During this time he was content to inhabit a small stretch of river about 1Km from Taree. Researchers and Parks Officials began monitoring Willy and by the 2nd of September they were beginning to ponder about how to get him back to the ocean. By September the 7th the 10 tonne whale, now confirmed to be a tropical whale, was staying put. Several attempts to lure Willy back to the sea by playing whale "songs" and erecting a series of markers had failed. Willy himself, had already attempted an escape several days earlier during a lunar high tide but was found stuck on a sand-bar in one and a half metres of water, just one kilometre from the sea. He finally freed himself only to swim the wrong way 17 kilometres back upstream. The so called rescuers next plan was to create a "wall of sound". 20 motor boats were summoned to create a line of vessels about 500 metres from Willy. Their motors to be used to create noise to see if Willy would move away. Willy went along with the plan, apparently without stress, despite the din the motors made. But just short of the river mouth, Willy doubled back, ducking quickly and silently under the boats and back up river. And so it went on. Willy outwitted nets in November. But, in what would be a world first Sea World marine experts planned to place Willy on a specially built stretcher which would be towed from the river by boat. This 15,000 dollar setup incorporated two inflatable tubes separated by a mesh matting. Similar systems had been used successfully to rescue small whales in New Zealand but an operation of this size would be a first. At 6am on Thursday, November 24th, the rescue team swung into action when Willy became stranded on the sand bank near the mouth of the river. The day was to be a preparation day for the next day's planned rescue but Willy had changed all that. The operation now was a matter of urgency with Willy progressively showing signs of debilitation from the lack of his normal food. By the time the rescue team arrived Willy was exhausted from trying to release himself from the sand bank. He was now relaxed enough for marine mammal experts to take blood samples which would provide further valuable research information on the whale. Willy, the 10 tonne whale was then successfully guided into the inflatable whale harness and towed out, through the sand bar, by Sea World's hard-hulled inflatable rescue boat, Sea World 2. Willy was finally released from the harness 2 kilometres out to sea, where he swam free and into deeper water. The morning's operation also marked the success of Sea World's revolutionary inflatable whale harness, which was developed for use in the Manning River operation. The 11 metre long harness, made up of two 1.4 metre diameter pontoons connected by a mesh cradle, has become an integral part of Sea World's specialised whale rescue equipment. With a 30 tonne capacity, the harness will be used in future rescue operations with large Humpback whales as well as strandings. In another development, results from chromosome tests on skin samples confirmed that the whale, nicknamed Willy, really was a male. ------------------------------------------------------ Graham_Clarke - "WHALES IN DANGER" Information Service ------------------------------------------------------ Sydney - AUSTRALIA - Graham_Clarke(\)macconn.mpx.com.au ------------------------------------------------------ - via BulkRate 2.0 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 18:51:13 -0400 From: Palacios1(\)aol.com Subject: auntie dolphins? or... Fellow Marmammers: Recently someone posted a message regarding the survivorship of dolphins born in captivity. He/she stated that the survivorship of these baby dolphins is actually affected by other tankmates who will attempt to steal the newborn from its mother; contrary to the common belief that tankmates act as 'aunties', helping the mother with the delivering and helping the baby take its first breath, etc. Is that a proven fact? Have these observations been published somewhere? Can someone provide references on this regard? Thanks. Daniel M. Palacios ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 09:51:39 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Upcoming Programs ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- WEDNESDAY, MAY 10 - The Learning Channel 10:00 p.m.--SCIENCE FRONTIERS Deaf Whale, Dead Whale The once tranquil ocean environment has become a place filled with man-made sounds. Biologists are now concerned that this noise pollution presents a new threat to the survival of whales and dolphins. FRIDAY, JUNE 2 - The Learning Channel 9:00 p.m.--DINOSAURS AND BEYOND Back To the Seas The journey of the mammal to the sea is one of the oddest tales of evolution. Since Darwin, the origin of whales and other sea mammals has fueledextensive debate among scientists. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 09:52:43 PDT From: GARYROBBINS(\)delphi.com Subject: Re: Katz Bill editorial ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- FYI: I'm preparing a long story on AB 1737, the Katz bill. If you have documents that you would like me to read, Email them or fax me (714-542-5037). And has anyone seen a copy of a 1995 study by Doug Demaster on the longevity of whales in captivity? Gary Robbins, science writer, The Orange County Register (714-953-7970). ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 11:38:19 EDT From: ddb admin Subject: Abstracts Abstracts on marine mammal-related articles from Anthrozoos 3(1) are as follows: Frohoff, T.G. and Packard, J.M. 1995. Human Interactions with free-ranging and captive bottlenose dolphins. Anthrozoos 3(1):44-53. ABSTRACT: The popular demand for encounters with dolphins has resulted in organized encounters around the world involving in-water interactions with both captive and free-ranging dolphins. Many concerns about these interactions have been raised with regard to the well-being of human and dolphin participants (e.g. Capaldo 1989; Iannuzzi and Rowan 1991). In this paper we (a) review existing information on human/dolphin interactions, (b) provide a qualitative comparison of such interactions in the captive and in the wild with the same species of dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and (c) make suggestions regarding future research needs regarding the well-being of dolphins and humans in interactive programs. This study found that the free-ranging dolphin/human interactions consisted primarily of basic elements of intraspecific interactions among free-ranging dolphins. Interactive dolphin behaviors in the captive environment consisted primarily of actions that had been signaled and then reinforced by humans. Potential indicators of disturbance in the dolphins were observed in both contexts, but most frequently in the captive environment. However, physical contact between dolphins and humans was not observed as a result of these behaviors. We conclude that future research is needed to assess the risks to human and dolphin participants during in-water encounters. Kellert, S.R., Gibbs, J.P., and Wohlgenant, T.J. 1995. Canadian perceptions of commercial fisheries management and marine mammal conservation in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Anthrozoos 3(1):20-30. ABSTRACT: Public attitudes toward the use of fisheries and marine mammals in the north-west Atlantic have played an influential role in recent controversies over management of these resources. A thorough assessment of public sentiment has, however, been lacking. We describe the results of a survey conducted to assess Canadian public opinion regarding a variety of commercial fisheries and marine mammal issues. Over one thousand, randomly selected adult Canadians were surveyed concerning their attitudes, knowledge, and concerns toward the conservation and management of marine mammals in the northwest Atlantic. The sample included 875 members of the general public, 130 sealers and 81 commercial fishermen. Most Canadians (93-95%) in all sampling groups and in all provinces, except Quebec (54%), expressed concern about conflicts between marine mammals and commercial fisheries. Knowledge of basic marine mammal biology, however, was strikingly deficient and variable among groups: sealers obtained the highest knowledge rating, fishers were intermediate, and the general public scored lowest. The views of the Canadian general public, sealers, and commercial fishers were highly divergent regarding prioritization of goals for Canada's commercial fishing industry. Sealers and fishers emphasized employment, cultural and economic considerations, while the general public placed greater emphasis on ecological and ethical matters. All groups agreed that the most significant threats to Canada's commercial fisheries included fishing by foreign countries, pollution, and over-fishing. Competition from marine mammals and damage to fishing equipment by marine mammals were rated as the least important threats. Fishing by foreign vessels in Canadian waters was regarded by all groups with particular suspicion. Unlike sealers and fishers, the general public consistently disputed the notion of sacrificing the needs of marine mammals for the benefit of commercial fishing. The public also expressed a strong preference for including fishing impacts on marine mammals in setting allowable catch quotas for commercial fish stocks, and further indicated a willingness to favor the interests of marine mammals over commercial fisheries in marine mammal entanglement situations. More than ninety percent of all respondents indicated strong support for the 'existence value' of seals. Most Canadians opposed sealing for fur, whereas most approved of harvesting abundant adult seal populations for meat, harvests associated with the cultures of native peoples, and harvests important to local economies. Respondents were divided regarding the harvests of seals that damage fishing gear. All groups strongly opposed the harvest of newborn seals. Sealers and residents of Newfoundland supported lethal methods of seal population control, while residents of large urban areas and women were inclined to approve of non-lethal measures. An overwhelming majority of Canadians objected to the use of poisons or clubs as a means of population control. Consideration of the results of this study could provide an enhanced basis for fashioning mutually acceptable policy solutions and mitigating conflicts between commercial fisheries and marine mammal conservation in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 16:04:59 -0700 From: Robin Baird Subject: abstract - otter conservation (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 8 May 1995 20:23:03 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Dear Marmammers: The following is an abstract from Aquatic Mammals vol. 20.3, which is devoted to conservation issues. The issue was requested and organized by the members of the Species Survival Commission of the World Conservation Union. If you are interested in obtaining reprints of the article, please do not contact me - refer to the address(es) that are listed w/ the article=92s abstract.=20 Subscription requests should be directed to: Paul Nachtigall, European Association for Aquatic Mammals, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, U.S.A. ***************************** Estes, J.A. 1994. Conservation of marine otters. Aquatic Mammals 20: 125-128. Marine-living otters occur along the temperate/boreal coasts of all continents except Australia. Two species (Enhydra lutris - the sae otter and Lutra felina - the chungungo or sea cat) live exclusively in marine habitats whereas several other species (Lutra canadensis - the Canadian otter L. lutra - the Eurasian otter; L. provacax - the southern river otter; and Anoyx capensis - the Cape clawless otter), which live primarily in fresh water habit ats, have given rise to marine-living populations.=20 The purposes of this paper are to (1) summarize available information on the distribution, status, and threats to marine otters, and (2) identify research and management needs for the conservation of these species and populations. Most of the information presented was taken from IUCN=92s Action Plan for the Conservation of Otters, or from corresondence with authors of the Plan.=20 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 19:11:48 -0400 From: DQCA(\)aol.com Subject: National Marine Educators Confer The National Marine Educators Association will hold its annual conference July 31-August 5, 1995 at UCSD. The conference, Oceans Without Borders, will focus on the geographic, physical, biological, economic, and cultural connections in marine education. The conference features symposia, concurrent workshops, field trips, exhibits, and special events. Keynote speakers include whale expert Stephen Leatherwood, UCSD scientist and professor Paul Saltman, and cultural anthropoligist Gene Anderson. The conference opens with a reception at the Stephen Birch Aquarium-Museum and concludes with an evening celebration at Sea World. University credit is available. Cost is $270 before June 15, 1995. For more information and registration materials contact Joy Wolf at Sea World 226-3640 or e-mail Robin Kendall at robink(\)bev.net. Please do not respond to the above e-mail address. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 16:03:15 -0700 From: Robin Baird Subject: abstract - whaling (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 8 May 1995 20:22:36 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Dear Marmammers: The following is an abstract from Aquatic Mammals vol. 20.3, which is devoted to conservation issues. The issue was requested and organized by the members of the Species Survival Commission of the World Conservation Union. If you are interested in obtaining reprints of the article, please do not contact me - refer to the address(es) that are listed w/ the article=92s abstract.=20 Subscription requests should be directed to: Paul Nachtigall, European Association for Aquatic Mammals, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, U.S.A. ***************************** Cooke, J.G. 1994. The management of whaling. Aquatic Mammals 20: 129-135= . Centre for Ecosystem Management Studies, Mooshof, 79297 Winden, Germany no abstract or conclusion was provided. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 16:35:49 -0700 From: Robin Baird Subject: abstract - polar bears (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 8 May 1995 20:02:23 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Dear Marmammers: The following is an abstract from Aquatic Mammals vol. 20.3, which is devoted to conservation issues. The issue was requested and organized by the members of the Species Survival Commission of the World Conservation Union. If you are interested in obtaining reprints of the article, please do not contact me - refer to the address(es) that are listed w/ the article=92s abstract. Subscription requests should be directed to: Paul Nachtigall, European Association for Aquatic Mammals, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, U.S.A.=20 ************************************************ Prestrud, P.* and I. Stirling. 1995. The International Polar Bear Agreement and the current status of polar bear conservation. Aquatic Mammals 20: 113-124.=20 * Ministry of Environment, Myntgt 2, P.O. Box 8013 Dep. 0030 Oslo 1, Norway In 1973, after much negotiation, the International Agreement for the Conservation of Polar Bears and Their Habitat was signed by Canada, Denmark, Norway, the United States of America, the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. This was in response to concern that the rapidly increasing levels of recorded harvest might result in the polar bear becoming endangered. The influence of the Polar Bear Agreement on the circumpolar development of polar bear conservation is judged to have been significant and, on a worldwide basis, polar bear populations are now reasonably secure. Most hunting is done by aboriginal people.=20 Nevertheless, shortcomings still exist. For example, the population boundaries and size of several populations, some of which are currently being harvested, are inadequately known. The Agreement has seen limited use to conserve habitat. Nevertheless, strong coordinated national and international research and management programs continue throughout much of the Arctic. Although the major conservation issue is still controlling and monitoring the harvest, additional potential concerns include long range transportation of hydrocarbons, radioactivity from nuclear dumping, climatic warming, and increased disturbance and harrassment resulting from increased development of the Arctic in general. It is unclear whether the Polar Bear Agreement can play a significant role in dealing with these wider issues.=20 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 16:34:43 -0700 From: Robin Baird Subject: abstract - river dolphins (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 8 May 1995 21:14:26 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Dear Marmammers: The following is an abstract from Aquatic Mammals vol. 20.3, which is devoted to conservation issues. The issue was requested and organized by the members of the Species Survival Commission of the World Conservation Union. If you are interested in obtaining reprints of the article, please do not contact me - refer to the address(es) that are listed w/ the article=92s abstract. Subscription requests should be directed to: Paul Nachtigall, European Association for Aquatic Mammals, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, U.S.A.=20 ***************************** Leatherwood, S.* and R.R. Reeves. 1994. River dolphins: a review of activities and plans of the Cetacean Specialist Group. Aquatic Mammals 20: 137-154. * Chairman, IUCN/SSC Cetacean Specialist Group, c/o Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Ocean Park, Aberdeen, Hong Kong no abstract or summary provided ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 16:55:28 PDT From: "Paul E. Nachtigall" Subject: Aquatic Mammals Contents ------- AQUATIC MAMMALS, Volume 21, no.1, 1995 Contents: Letters to the Editor (1) Virginia McKenna, (2) Nick Gales FERTL, D. and WURSIG, B.: Coordinated feeding by Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) in the Gulf of Mexico CCAUDRON, A.K.: Social behavior of Cape fur seals, Artocephalus pusillus pusillus, in captivity BLOOM, P.R.S., GOODSON, A.D., KLINOWSKA, M.S. and STURTIVANT, C.R.: The activities of a wild solitary bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) KASTELEIN, R.A., KERSHAW, J, BERGHOUT, E. and WIEPKEMA, P.R.: The food consumption of South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) MOORE, S.E. and RIDGWAY, S.H.: Whistles produced by common dolphins from the Southern California Bight DING, W., WURSIG, B. and EVANS, W.E.: Whistles of bottlenose dolphins from : comparisons among populations. AQUATIC MAMMALS is published by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals EDITOR: Paul E. Nachtigall Subscription or editorial information may be obtained from: Paul E. Nachtigall Editor, Aquatic Mammals Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawaii P.O. Box 1106 Kailua, Hawaii 96734 USA ------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 21:36:39 CDT encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Joline Lalime Organization: University of Missouri-St. Louis Subject: Re: MARMAM Digest - 7 May 1995 to 9 May 1995 In-Reply-To: Message of Wed, 10 May 1995 00:00:50 -0700 from Daniel Palacios inquired about aunt behavior in which the aunt was not helping the mother so here are a couple of refs. Hope they help aunt behavior or allomothering in dolphins when it may not actully benefit the mother or calf was noted by Johnson and Norris (1993?) Ch 14 social Behavior IN The Hawaiian Spinner Dolphin (Norris, Wursig, Wells and Wursig eds) startin g p263. I also just completed my Masters thesis entitled "Time Activity Allocat ion in Maternal and Allomothering Behaviors in Captive Atlantic Bottlenose Dolp hins" in which I noted that distraction by the allomother of the mother, trying to steal the calf etc. occurred. You really need qualitative behavioral data (esp in captive situations) to know which dolphins should be put together so as the mother will be helped more by the allomothers. hope this helped sincerely Joline Lalime s972828(\)umslvma.umsl.edu -- Joline Lalime Department of Biology University of Missouri-St. Louis s972828(\)umslvma.umsl.edu s972828(\)umslvma.bitnet ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 02:37:09 -0400 From: Howgar(\)aol.com Subject: CSI captivity policy jfasic1(\)gl.umbc.edu writes: >It is of my opinion, and I believe the opinion of others, that there is a >very real need for zoological parks and aquaria. They educate those >people who may not have the means or fortune to travel to regions and >witness first hand an elephant, lion, or dolphin. By denying people this >privilege is to deny them knowledge of their own world. Witnessing orcas and dolphins in captivity provides a very specific sort of education. Spectators, especially children, take home a sensation of the size, power and grace of the animals, similar to the feeling one may get watching an NBA game. That visceral experience is not to be discounted. Otherwise, the education depends on what information is presented. The quality of the educational content depends on what consumers want and what operators decide to provide. Usually a few facts are taught, such as whether the animals are endangered, whether they have predators, or how many teeth they have. Occasionally incorrect information is provided, such as the assertion that bent over dorsal fins are as prevalent in the wild as they are in captivity, or that killer whales live to a maximum of only 35 years. An unspoken lesson taught by marine theme parks is that capture and confinement of animals for our entertainment or education is to be applauded. That belief harkens back to ancient ideas that only humans (and usually only certain humans) are intelligent, or have souls, or feel emotions, and that all of nature exists for our purposes and at our discretion. But some animals besides humans display reasoning powers and creative intelligence. Globally, society is waking up to the revelation that at least some animals may have feelings much like ours (or are ours like theirs?) in situations like forced separation from family, loss of culture, or sensory deprivation. The IWC is grappling with the realization that suffering is caused when a harpoon strikes a whale. When dolphins or whales are confined to tanks, no matter how large, only crude vestiges of the animals remain. Their social context and adaptation to habitat, developed over millions of years, can't be seen in an artificial pool. Their full range of natural behaviors are replaced with new and unique tricks. Captivity extinguishes responsiveness to natural environmental and community variables; operant conditioning takes over. So the problem would seem to be to present the true, natural way of life of cetaceans to a wide public, without demonstrating wanton disregard for the animals' physical and emotional health, either by captivity or by overpopulating natural habitats with whale-watchers. I believe it can be done, with the added bonus of keeping marine parks thriving, by gradually making a transition toward state-of-the-art representational displays like IMAX theatres, animatronics, real-time feeds, etc., etc. (Imagine an NBA game in IMAX format.) Space does not permit the elaboration this topic deserves, but I hope this will contribute to further comment. Howard Garrett Center for Whale Research ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 07:46:28 -0700 From: Jim Moore Subject: RE Unhelpful 'aunts' Among nonhuman primates, "aunting" [aka allomothering] is very common in some taxa and virtually absent in others; there are a number of explanations that have been suggested both for the phenomenon and for its taxonomic distribution. It's been a while since I worked actively on langurs (one of the allomothering groups) so these refs may be dated; but my impression is that the field is still hung on whether it's selfish interference, nepotism, reciprocity, educational [learning to mother], non-adaptive hormonal/behavioral 'noise', or a bit of each. Hrdy, S. B. (1976). Care and exploitation of nonhuman primate infants by conspecifics other than the mother. pp. 101-158 IN Rosenblatt, J., Hinde, R. A., Shaw, E. & Beer, C. (Ed.), Advances in the Study of Behavior, Vol. 6. New York: Academic Press. Lee, P. C. (1989). Family structure, communal care and female reproductive effort. pp. 323-340 IN Standen, V. & Foley, R. A. (Ed.), Comparative Socioecology: The Behavioural Ecology of Humans and Other Mammals. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific. Shopland, J. M. & Altmann, J. (1987). Fatal intragroup kidnapping in yellow baboons. Am. J. Primatol. 13: 61-65. Sommer, V. (1989). Infant mistreatment in langur monkeys-- sociobiology tackled from the wrong end. pp. 110-127 IN Rasa, A., Vogel, C. & Voland, E. (Ed.), The Sociobiology of Sexual and Reproductive Strategies. London: Chapman & Hall. Wasser, S. K. & Barash, D. P. (1981). The selfish "allomother": A comment on Scollay and DeBold (1980). Ethol. Sociobiol. 2: 91-93. cheers Jim -------------- ------------------------------------- Jim Moore | HOW TO READ RESEARCH LITERATURE (1): Anthro, UCSD | Agreement with predicted curve is: jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu | a) excellent = fair (619) 534-5572 | b) good poor 534-5946 [fax] | c) satisfactory doubtful | d) fair imaginary ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 08:42:21 -0700 From: Robin Baird Subject: abstract - Sirenian conservation (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 8 May 1995 20:46:58 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Dear Marmammers: The following is an abstract from Aquatic Mammals vol. 20.3, which is devoted to conservation issues. The issue was requested and organized by the members of the Species Survival Commission of the World Conservation Union. If you are interested in obtaining reprints of the article, please do not contact me - refer to the address(es) that are listed w/ the article=92s abstract. Subscription requests should be directed to: Paul Nachtigall, European Association for Aquatic Mammals, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, U.S.A.=20 ***************************** Marsh, H.* and L.W. Lefebvre. 1994. Sirenian status and conservation efforts. Aquatic Mammals 20: 155-170. * James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Australia The Order Sirenia is represented by only four living species: three species of manatee and the dugong. All are listed as vulnerable to extincation by the IUCN (IUCN 1990). The three species of manatees all belong to the family Trichechidae; the Amazonian manatee, Trichechus inunguis, the West African manatee, Trichechus senegalensis, and the West Indian manatee, Trichechus manatus. There are two subspecies of the West Indian manatee: the Antillean manatee, Trichechus manatus and the Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris. The dugong, Dugong dugon, is the only extant species of the family Dugongidae. The status of manatees and dugongs is generally poorly known outside Florida and Australia. This review provides an overview of current estimation on their distribution and abundance and highlights recent conservation efforts.=20 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 11:46:45 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Rare Events Notification/Alert Fisheries and Marmam Groups: There used to be (and hopefully still is) a system/program that provided alerts to scientists concerning rare or noteworthy natural events or phenomena. Could someone help me recall that system/program and give me a contact with it? It's been several years since I've seen or heard anything about this approach, and it may not still be active. My recollection is that it was at least broadly biological and possibly covered all natural sciences. Gene Buck, gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 11:53:30 PDT From: Mr Stephen Leatherwood Subject: Re: Whale skin from Red Sea In-Reply-To: <199503261738.AA06620(\)hk.super.net> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I suggest you work with Scott Baker, who has a renewed interest in whales in that area after learning recently, as I did, that Soviet whalers killed 250 or so humpbacks off Kuria Maria islands in two years in the early 1960s. Reeves et al. wrote a bit on the humpbacks of that area, Small and Small on other great whales, in Leatherwood and Donovan, editors (1991), UNEP Marine MammalReports. Good luck. On Sun, 26 Mar 1995, TONY PREEN wrote: > As far as I know there are precious few records of large whales from > the Red Sea. I have some sighting and carcass data from southern > Saudi Arabia and Yemen, but have been unable to confirm any > identities. I think that most are Bryde's whales. I have some dried > skin (5 cm x 5 cm) from one carcass, for which I also have skull > photos. Is there anyone out there who can extract and identify > cetacean DNA and also has an interest in the identity of these whales? > > Tony Preen > > Department of Tropical Environment Studies and Geography > James Cook University > Townsville, Australia > e-mail: tpreen(\)cathar.jcu.edu.au > fax: xx61 77 814020 > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 11:54:12 PDT From: Matthias Hoffmann-Kuhnt Subject: literature ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi all, we are looking for the following literature which we couldn't get from any european library. Does anybody have a suggestion where to get a copy of it? Ridgway, S.H. and Bernischke, K. -Breeding dolphins present status, suggestions for the future- US Mar. Mam. Com. Rep MMC - 76/07; final Report; Washington D.C: thanks for your help in advance aloha Matthias Matthias Hoffmann-Kuhnt University of Berlin Behavioral Biology Haderslebener str 9 12163 Berlin Germany ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 11:55:20 PDT From: Jonah Rosenfield Subject: cetacean genetics ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hello all! I am trying to compile a list of scientists around the world currently applying molecular genetic research to study population structure, conservation, social biology, and evolutionary issues of marine mammals. The list I have now is pretty extensive, but I am concerned it is not complete. I am happy to share the responces with anyone who is interested. Thank you. Sincerely, Jonah Rosenfield jrosenfi(\)mbcrr.harvard.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 11:56:31 PDT From: BJM2(\)aol.com Subject: Question about walruses ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hello- I am interested in obtaining information on the morphological differences (if any) between Atlantic and Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens). Does anyone have such information or know where I might be able to find it (i.e. references)? Thanks, Brenda McCowan Marine Research Center Marine World Foundation bjm2(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 11:57:32 PDT From: Jeff Rothal Subject: Natural History Book Service ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- This service looks really nifty. I haven't ordered any books from them, but they seem to carry a good variety. (I have no personal stake in NHBS--just passing along the info.) Please excuse any duplication--this is being sent to several lists. The Natural History Book Service has a selection of over 40 000 books (out-of-print books too), videos, cassettes, CD's, CD-ROMs and other environmental materials. Check their WWW-site at http://www.nhbs.co.uk or send e-mail to nhbs(\)nhbs.co.uk and ask their latest catalogues. Snail-mail address is NHBS, 2-3 Wills Road, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5XN, United Kingdom. Tel.int. +44-1803-865913 and fax +44-1803-865280. Jeff Rothal jeffr(\)muskox.alaska.edu --- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 16:05:22 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: killer whale predation on sharks Dear Marmammers: A colleague and myself are interested in hearing from those of you with information on killer whale predation on sharks, for a paper that we are pursuing. So far, we have only two references: one from Rice about Prionace glauca (blue shark), but apparently it might have been a whitetip oceanic shark (Carcharhinus longtimanus); the other by a Russian researcher, reported in Hoyt's killer whale book - a basking shark. We are interested in hearing from you if you have any personal observations or know of someone/or a reference, with additional information on killer whale predation on sharks. Both stomach content information and behavioral observations are of interest to us. We thank you for your time and any information that you are able to provide us. Please respond directly to: Dagmar Fertl fertld(\)aol.com or Alejandro Acevedo acevedoa(\)tamug3.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 14:59:00 EST From: Phil Clapham Subject: Allomothering Allomothering: To add to Jim Moore's list, there's a nice article by Holly Dublin on elephants in: Wasser, S.K. (ed.) 1983. Social behavior of female vertebrates. New York: Academic Press. Good book in general, by the way. Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 09:30:29 -1000 From: "Herbert L. Roitblat" Subject: Re: CSI captivity policy In-Reply-To: <9505110649.AA11688(\)uhunix4.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> On Wed, 10 May 1995 Howgar(\)aol.com wrote: > jfasic1(\)gl.umbc.edu writes: > > >It is of my opinion, and I believe the opinion of others, that there is a > >very real need for zoological parks and aquaria. > > Witnessing orcas and dolphins in captivity provides a very specific sort > of education. Spectators, especially children, take home a sensation of the > size, power and grace of the animals, . . . > Otherwise, the education depends on what information is presented. The > quality of the educational content depends on what consumers want and > what operators decide to provide. It is definitely true that the quality of the educational experience depends heavily on the effort of the operators. Marine mammal scientists have a resposibility to facilitate this educational process. We have a responsibility to use our scientific skills effectively to gather information and to share this information with the public in ways that are accessible. . . . > > An unspoken lesson taught by marine theme parks is that capture and > confinement of animals for our entertainment or education is to be > applauded. That belief harkens back to ancient ideas that only humans > (and usually only certain humans) are intelligent, or have souls, or feel > emotions, and that all of nature exists for our purposes and at our > discretion. But some animals besides humans display reasoning powers > and creative intelligence. Globally, society is waking up to the revelation > that at least some animals may have feelings much like ours (or are ours > like theirs?) in situations like forced separation from family, loss of > culture, or sensory deprivation. The IWC is grappling with the realization > that suffering is caused when a harpoon strikes a whale. It seems to me to be true that marine parks and zoos communicate that it is at least tolerable, often important to maintain collections of animals. The attribution of this belief to Cartesian dualism, to beliefs about the soul, etc. is simply bad history. There are many other justifications for keeping captive animals, which include scientific efforts to understand the animals, attempts to prevent extinction, and others. There are also many reasons to believe that animals should not be kept in captivity, and people are, of course, free to hold those beliefs. My concern in this note is that we not confuse philosophical commitments with scientific justification. Revelation is a theological concept that depends on accepting trancendental truth because it is somehow revealed to the knower. Revelation is not a scientific concept. Similarly, beliefs about whether animals have souls or suffer the same experiences as humans is not a scientific issue. Science cannot reveal whether animals or humans or machines have souls. I do not wish to dissuade people from their theological commitments, but they must not be confused with scientific commitments. > > When dolphins or whales are confined to tanks, no matter how large, > only crude vestiges of the animals remain. This statement might sound like a well-grounded scientific comment. One test for whether it is a sensible scientific statement is to ask, "How do you know?" What evidence is there that animals in captivity are only a vestige of their true selves? Again, the point is that if one does not care about the evidence, then intellectual honesty would seem to demand that one declare that this is an assumption based on faith or revelation, not one based on science. I am not persuaded by arguments from faith and revelation. I do recognize that my thinking is guided by certain assumptions, but I also recognize that other people work from a different base of assumptions. I do not assume that my assumptions are necessarily the only legitimate ones to hold, and I would strongly disagree with those who think that they somehow know what is in the mind of any animal (including any person) and that their suppositions about the content of the mind is a necessary justification for their actions. I have spent more than two decades trying to understand animal cognition, but there is still a great deal that we do not know. . . . > Space does not permit the > elaboration this topic deserves, but I hope this will contribute to further > comment. > > Howard Garrett > Center for Whale Research > I am respectful of Mr. Garrett's comments, and I do think that there is value in providing additional educational resources to marine parks and zoos. Nevertheless, I believe that these institutions have an important place in our community and when done well, they contribute to the well-being of the species. For example, as Dan Costa pointed out in a recent message to this list, most of what we know about animal physiology and medicine (among other things) comes from captive animals. In my opinion, there can be a balance between those who think that no animal should be kept in captivity and those who see legitimate functions for marine parks and zoos. Herbert Roitblat, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology roitblat(\)uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu University of Hawaii (808) 956-6727 (808) 956-4700 fax 2430 Campus Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 11:15:30 -0400 From: SHindi(\)aol.com Subject: Marine education? I agree with Howard Garrett's questioning of the educational aspects of marine parks. As one who has witnessed many shows at Chicago's John G. Shedd Aquarium, I have watched circus tricks passed off as "natural behavior." When I questioned a number of trainers about these assertions, they ended up telling me they had never seen a wild dolphin. In other words, they don't know what they are talking about. Anyone who has seen wild dolphins or whales versus captives knows that comparing the two is ridiculous. It's like looking at a moonrock in Florida, and saying you experienced a moon walk. No one who has visited an aquarium has ever seen a real dolphin or whale there, merely a shell. A video, especially on huge screens, can show the true behaviors of these incredible animals, and leave them with their lives intact. Is it the same as being there, of course not, and neither is being at a chlorinated swimming pool in an aquaprison. It is interesting to me that Shedd played no part in educating visitors about the slaughter of dolphins while activists were fighting for "dolphin safe" tuna. I doubt other marine parks did either. Nor does Shedd educate visitors about the threats of renewed whaling now. If, as Shedd claims, it exists to educate and encourage people to make things better, why is there no real life lessons taught? Shedd tells people not to pollute, but that is hardly a groundbreaking philosophy. Some time back, a Shedd volunteer indicated that she had only the best intentions in spending her time at the Shedd. I don't doubt that. Nor do I doubt that Shedd personnel tries hard to give their prisoners (I can not classify them any other way) the best lives they can. Unfortunately, that's not good enough. One cannot place a free, wide-ranging animal in a small, foreign enclosure, radically alter his/her environment, and say everything is fine. The Simpson jurors have proven that, and they don't carry life sentences. Lastly, Shedd's absolute refusal to debate the captivity issue under the new director is the surest proof that they do not believe their own sales pitch. There is an alternative. Shedd and other marine facilities could display animals injured or who can not be returned to the wild. Those who were victims of human activities would be the best possible teachers as to what our responsibilities are to the oceans. No, it would be the same glitsy show business that exists now. It would, however, be humane, educational and defensible. Steve Hindi Chicago Animal Rights Coalition ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 17:05:44 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: CSI Captivity Policy Statement >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >It is of my opinion, and I believe the opinion of others, that there is a >very real need for zoological parks and aquaria. They educate those >people who may not have the means or fortune to travel to regions and >witness first hand an elephant, lion, or dolphin. By denying people this >privilege is to deny them knowledge of their own world. We can never provide everyone with complete or personal knowledge about the world. I would argue that most of what we know comes from other than first-hand experience. In my opinion, the educational value of displaying marine mammals at aquaria has not been established. It would perhaps be better to introduce people to a local ecosystem so that they can acquire a more in depth understanding of a biological system rather than to display one species in an artificial setting. For example, would school kids learn more from a comprehensive study of a local river valley, lake shore, or forest and its wildlife, or from a trip to the aquarium? >Growing up in >Chicago, I would have had no way of learning, understanding, nor >appreciation for cetaceans and pinnipeds. It was zoological parks like the >Brookfield Zoo and aquaria like the John G. Shedd Aquarium that planted >the seed of curiosity in me to learn and study these magnificent >animals. I have been studying, working with, and doing research on >marine mammals for the last 8 years. It is my career and I am very >grateful the zoos and aquaria that I visited as a youth and now as a >young adult. This seems to be an argument that personal and professional benefit is justification enough for the capture and display of marine mammals. Perhaps ethical principle would be a better foundation for the argument. > >Within the zoos and aquaria that I have been associated with we have >educated over a million people a year on the natural history of marine >mammals, we have seen our seals, sea lions, and dolphins give birth and >raise healthy pups and calves, and we have rehabilitated sick wild animals >and released them back into the wild. I repeat that educational benefits have not been established. In fact, when I was in Churchill, Manitoba, during a beluga capture by the Shedd aquarium, Betsy Raymond, at the time a spokesperson for the aquarium, admitted that one short term and no long term assessment had been undertaken on the educational value of displaying captive cetaceans. Perhaps the Shedd has completed more studies and you could provide details? >We have performed non-invasive >research to learn more about the animals visual and auditory >capabilities among other things. Could you explain how free-ranging cetaceans have benefited from this research? >What have you and your organization >done to educate the public about these animals or the scientific >community as to how they live? How many animals have you rehabilitated >and released back to the wild? I'm not sure to whom this question is addressed but there are many conservation and protectionist organizations that would claim to have spent considerable time and money on public education: for example,increasing public awareness of direct and indirect takes of wild marine mammals, the problems of pollution, the need to establish marine preserves. Some of these organizations are also involved in stranding networks and rehabilitation. One does not have to put marine mammals on display to accomplish any of these. >Do you think we know as so much as we >do about dolphins and seals from studies in the wild alone? I expect that most, if not all of what we have learned that is helpful to the protection of marine mammals has been learned by studying these creatures in the wild or, arguably,in short-term captive situations. Correct me if I am wrong. >It is beyond >me why you are wasting so much time, money, and resources on slandering >the very institutions that are doing more for the wild populations than >you could ever achieve in 10 lifetimes. The reason many of us oppose captivity is because we believe it is morally wrong and suspect that if marine mammals had their say, they would agree. Having watched some captures, I have never seen a dolphin volunteer for a life in captivity. I will not comment on the last statement which I expect is hyperbole? Anne Doncaster Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 12 May 1995 08:42:05 GMT+0200 From: Vic Cockcroft Organization: University of Port Elizabeth Subject: Re: Photographs of whales, dolphins and dugongs A favour from anyone out there able and willing to help, please. I and colleagues are writing a chapter on whales, dolphins and dugongs for a South African publisher. But, we, and the publisher, lack good quality photographs of many of the species represented off our coasts. The list is pretty extensive, so I won't list it here, just look in Steve Letherwood's & Randy Reeves' book to see what occurrs here!! Can anyone help? The publisher pays about US $50 per photograph used, not much bu US standards, but a lot of money here. So anyone that wants to earn some extra $, send me your name and address and I will forwrd to the publisher, who, presumabely, will contact you. Thanks. (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) Dr. V.G. Cockcroft Centre for Dolphin Studies Port Elizabeth Museum & University of Port Elizabeth P.O. Box 13147 Humewood 6013 South Africa Telephone 27 + 41 + 561051 Telefax 27 + 41 + 562175 (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 12 May 1995 18:48:19 -0400 From: BJM2(\)aol.com Subject: datrecorder information Marmammers: Does anyone have any information on the specifications and pricing of datrecorders? I am looking for a reasonably-priced high-quality (aren't we all?) datrecorder for recording vocalizations up to at least 25 kHz. I understand Sony has a few models. Are there any alternatives? Thank you in advance, Brenda McCowan Marine Research Center Marine World Foundation bjm2(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 12 May 1995 14:40:41 -0700 From: "Terrie WILLIAMS (IMS)" Subject: Re: Marine education? In-Reply-To: <9505120034.AB06149(\)biology.UCSC.EDU> Regarding Marine Education: It is unfortunate that the Shedd Aquarium should be singled out in many of these discussions regarding captive marine mammals, education, and use of rehabilitated animals as replacements for wild captures. In the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill 16 orphaned sea otter pups faced euthanasia because they could not be returned to the wild. Members of the Shedd Aquarium rescued these animals by finding a home for many of them. Rather than "Take the animals and run" the Shedd Aquarium worked for months with our research team to follow the medical history and potential long term toxicological effects of oil contamination on the pups. Shedd Aquarium's dedication towards these pups and to research that has implications for all wild marine mammals in oil shipping zones should be applauded. Few facilities or individuals have played a larger role in these efforts. Terrie M. Williams UCSC ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 12 May 1995 19:38:43 +0100 From: "R.H. Lambertsen" Subject: large cetaceans; endangered species; humpback whale; toxicology; sampling methods; organochlorines; PCB's; molecular biology; sex determination; P450 cytochrome oxygenase; biological effects; histochemistry; tissue culture; cryogenics; photoidentification; ecosystem integration; ecosystems health. To follow is the technical summary of a study I completed not long ago for the Department of Interior of the United States. The full report is available from: U.S. Department of the Interior. 949 E. 36th Ave, Rm 603, Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4302 USA I hope you will find this information useful. Those especially interested in the new sampling technology developed by ETT should contact me directly. However, I will be out of contact (in Europe) during the 1 June - 1 August period. Richard H. Lambertsen, Ph.D., V.M.D. Ecosystems Technology Transfer, Inc. P.O. Box 6788 Titusville, FL 32782-6788 U.S.A ____________________________TECHNICAL SUMMARY_______________________________ STUDY TITLE: A Baseline Method to Evaluate Chemico-biological Interactions Involving Cetacea REPORT TITLE: A Baseline Method to Evaluate Chemico-biological Interactions Involving Cetacea, with Description of an Improved Whale Biopsy System Designed for Multidisciplinary Research. CONTRACT NUMBER: 14-35-0001-30553. SPONSORING OCS REGION: Alaska. APPLICABLE PLANNING AREAS: All. =46ISCAL YEAR(S) OF PROJECT FUNDING: 1991; 1993. COMPLETION DATE OF REPORT: June l993. COST(S): FY 1991: $56,590; FY 1993: $435; Cumulative Project Cost: $57,02= 5. PROJECT MANAGERS: J. Montague, J. Geiselman. AFFILIATION: U.S. Department of the Interior. ADDRESS: 949 E. 36th Ave, Rm 603, Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4302. PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR*: R.H. Lambertsen. KEY WORDS: Gulf of Maine; Massachusetts Bay; large cetaceans; endangered species; humpback whale; toxicology; sampling methods; organochlorines; PCB's; molecular biology; sex determination; P450 cytochrome oxygenase; biological effects; histochemistry; tissue culture; cryogenics; photoidentification; ecosystem integration; ecosystems health. BACKGROUND: The likely roles of large whales in concentrating man-made chemicals from contaminated coastal zones and transporting these en masse to pelagic and benthic habitats indicate possible health risks to endangered species, other biota, and man. In U.S. coastal waters, increases in the number of deaths and apparent mortality rates of marine mammals, including humpback whales, since the l970's have led to speculation that toxic pollution of the coastal zone is impairing the resistance of these animals to disease. In parallel it has been suggested that these gigantic mammals serve as useful sentinels of environmental degradation, yielding insight into the health of large marine ecosystems because of their environmental integrating capability. To address these issues, and to better interpret existing data on tissue contaminants found in stranded whales, toxicological baselines representing free-ranging whale populations are needed. Without baseline information it is difficult if not impossible to judge the pathological significance of tissue contamination found in dead, moribund, or beached whales. Traditional methods to obtain baseline toxicological data, however, have relied principally on postmortem study of animals taken directly from the wild. Taking a different approach, the present study developed a supra-vital method to obtain toxicological and other types of information from free-living large cetaceans. This involved modification of an older, standard whale biopsy instrument to enable acquisition of high quality tissue samples of sufficient volume to allow high sensitivity toxicological analyses of tissue contamination in living whales. The promising possibility of cohort analyses, in which known individuals might be studied again at a later date, thereby was achieved. An initial field test was conducted on humpback whales in the southern Gulf of Maine, during the feeding phase of the annual migration of this species. OBJECTIVE: To develop and demonstrate a supravital method needed a) to evaluate pathways of ecotoxicological transport by large whales of anthropogenic pollutants and b) to establish baseline measures of tissue contamination in free-ranging populations of endangered whales. DESCRIPTION: A new whale biopsy system was designed to obtain efficiently a larger quantity of tissue for biologic, genetic, toxicologic, and veterinary research. All parts of the sampling device to make contact with the sample were made of titanium or Teflon=81, materials which meet the protocols of the National Institute of Standards and Technology for archival quality sampling of marine mammal tissues. After successful land-based testing of the prototype on pieces of whale blubber, 24 units were produced and then field tested in Massachusetts Bay on living humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Immediate behavioral responses were noted in 18 cases. In 10 animals, a statistical comparison was made of respiratory and other behavioral variables recorded for 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the samples were taken. The tissue biopsies, subdivided within one hour of their acquisition at sea, were preserved in liquid nitrogen and by other means for subsequent laboratory studies conducted by a collaborating group of specialists. Laboratory study determined 1) sample viability (by means of in vitro cell culture); 2) sex of the animals sampled (by application of the human pDP1007 y-chromosome specific molecular probe); 3) cytochrome P4501A oxygenase activity in endothelial cells which line the blood vessels of the skin (by means of immunohistochemical staining); 4) lipid concentration at different depths across the blubber (by microgravimetry after solvent extraction of tissue lipid); 5) concentrations of the toxic man-made products transnonachlor, hexachlorobenzene, ppDDE, dieldrin, a-chlordane, heptachlor epoxide, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) in the blubber (by gas chromatography, in some cases followed by mass spectroscopy); and 6) mathematical profiles describing the concentration of selected toxic contaminants across the blubber (by computer analysis of contaminant data vs subsample depth in four animals). On the basis of the data obtained, and available information on the sighting histories of the whales sampled, the possible best use of this sampling strategy for ecotoxicology was considered. SIGNIFICANT CONCLUSIONS: The results supported the conclusion that a more information-effective, cost-effective, and humane whale biopsy system has been successfully developed and field-proven. On this basis, the instrument developed can be recommended for future research and monitoring applications that are carried out selectively by specially trained personnel. The combined advantages likely will enable a) nondestructive tissue sampling of all large Cetacea, limited to the skin and blubber, b) long term cohort studies of involving known individuals. Measurement of contaminant profiles across the blubber in particular suggested a way to detect feeding-related exposure of endangered large whales to lipophilic toxicants on a local geographic scale. In combination with sighting histories, the contaminant profiles determined were consistent with the possibility of elevated rates of food-web transfer of organochlorine pesticides and PCB's in Massachusetts Bay, in the Southern Gulf of Maine. Previously published data on natural variation in lipid content across the blubber of fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus, also suggested a way to measure feeding + anabolic success in this and possibly other large baleen whale species. As a physiologic measure of body condition, this could significantly enhance sighting surveys seeking to evaluate the status or health of sentinel whale populations. STUDY RESULTS: Powered by a pneumatic projection mechanism, 21 of 24 (88%) experimental darts hit the study animals targeted. The majority of these experimental darts struck within a small target area at or near the base of the dorsal fin. Nineteen out of 20 (95%) fired in the intended design configuration obtained a useful sample. One trial dart fired with the biopsy instrument still contained in its sterile wrap did not function. The biopsies obtained were of sufficient size for distribution of 0.5-1.0 cc sample portions to 6-8 different research groups studying population structure, sex distributions, inbreeding coefficients, aging methods, histopathology, genotoxicity, ecotoxicology, and physiology. Seven out of nine (78%) samples plated in vitro were viable and showed active cell proliferation, without bacterial contamination, 8 to 20 days after the initiation of cell cultures. Molecular biological study enabled the sex of study animals to be determined, with results from application of the pDP1007 probe serving effectively as a quality control over an earlier, visual method of sex determination in the humpback whale. The immunohistochemical findings, by comparison, were negative, and accordingly suggested both the absence of induced cytochrome P450 1A oxygenase activity in endothelial cells of the skin of the animals sampled, and the lack of an in vivo detoxification response. However, further study which employs other immunohistochemical staining methods than used here are needed to examine more thoroughly the possibility of an in vivo detoxification response -- a biological effect of exposure to toxicants that would be suggested by P4501A cytochrome oxygenase activity in the skin. Measurable concentrations of the transnonachlor, hexachlorobenzene, ppDDE, dieldrin, a-chlordane, heptachlor epoxide, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) were found in the blubber of all the animals sampled. This indicated unequivocally that endangered humpback whales are exposed to these toxic anthropogenic products, possibly while feeding in U.S. coastal waters. Contrary to expectation, however, detailed analysis of the concentrations per g of lipid of hexachlorobenzene, transnonachlor, ppDDE, and total PCB's, conducted in four animals, generally revealed no significant downward gradient in these contaminants across the blubber. =46urthermore, two of these four animals were well known to utilize heavily Massachussets Bay, in the Southern Gulf of Maine, as a feeding area. The only exception was one individual, which had been previously sighted in the Gulf of Maine only once, and which apparently did not use this region intensively as a feeding habitat. Only the sample from this animal showed a significant downward gradient in contaminant concentration per g lipid from the outer to the inner blubber layer, in both hexachlorobenzene and total PCB's. Thus, in light of published evidence that the inner blubber layer of large baleen whales is an especially dynamic tissue, and more closely reflects recent feeding-related assimilation of anthropogenic, as well as natural compounds, the pattern of tissue contamination observed was consistent with the possibility of an elevated rate of exposure to toxic organochlorines, including PCB's, in Massachussetts Bay. Results of the analysis of behavioral responses to the sampling technology developed were compared with published data describing the behavioral response to the older, "standard" whale biopsy system, which is powered by a crossbow. On balance, this comparison suggested that the potential for adverse biological effect is less with the newly developed instrument. With both systems, respiratory variables and estimated swimming speeds did not change significantly between the 30 minute pre- and 30 minute post biopsy periods. Also, quantitative distributions of immediate behavioral responses, ranked by intensity, appeared essentially similar. However, the improved trajectory, range, control, and power of the new unit substantially reduced the number of failed biopsy shots and decreased disturbance of study animals caused by close vessel approach and repeated biopsy attempts. The need for repeated sampling of individual whales to supply different investigative purposes was likewise reduced because archival quality samples suitable for multiple research uses were obtained. STUDY PRODUCTS: 1) Improved whale biopsy technology, 2) Lambertsen, R.H., Baker, C.S., Weinrich, M.T., Modi, W.S. A Baseline Method to Evaluate Chemico-biological Interactions Involving Cetacea, with Description of an Improved Whale Biopsy System Designed for Multidisciplinary Research. A final report by Ecosystems Technology Transfer, Inc., University City Science Center, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 to the Minerals Management Service, 949 E. 36th Ave, Rm 603, Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4302. Contract 14-35-0001-30553. 59 pp., with technical drawings and 18 pp appendix giving photographs of study animals. *P.I.'s affiliation may be different than that listed for Project Managers. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 14 May 1995 13:41:32 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: Marine education? Terrie Williams wrote: > > Regarding Marine Education: > > It is unfortunate that the Shedd Aquarium should be singled out in >many of these discussions regarding captive marine mammals, education, and >use of rehabilitated animals as replacements for wild captures. In the >wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill 16 orphaned sea otter pups faced euthanasia >because they could not be returned to the wild. Members of the Shedd >Aquarium rescued these animals by finding a home for many of them. >Rather than "Take the animals and run" the Shedd Aquarium worked for >months with our research team to follow the medical history and >potential long term toxicological effects of oil contamination on the pups. >Shedd Aquarium's dedication towards these pups and to research that has >implications for >all wild marine mammals in oil shipping zones should be applauded. Few >facilities or individuals have played a larger role in these efforts. > I have been traveling for the last 12 days and have missed the opportunity to respond to several postings dealing with the captivity debate. I will be including general references to several of those postings in this reply. I apologize for its length, but it's several replies in one! There is actually little debate that most marine parks and aquaria do rescue many wild marine mammals in need (beached, stranded, oiled, etc.). Even some of the most staunch opponents of the public display industry do not deny that most facilities have aided at least a few animals and some facilities, such as the Shedd, Marine World Africa USA, and Sea World (primarily because they are better funded and have more extensive personnel, equipment, and facilities), have aided dozens if not hundreds of animals. And while it may seem that the Shedd is being singled out in many discussions in the captivity debate, I would argue that this is just an illusion, simply because they've been mentioned several times lately in MARMAM postings. Sea World, Marine World, and others (and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association) get mentioned and "targeted" their fair share of times. However, the GOOD things done by marine parks and aquaria do not cancel out the bad things. The debate keeps getting obscured by the erroneous idea that this issue is black and white, that public display is either a great thing or a horrible thing. Both sides in the debate keep lobbing bombs as if they could demolish the arguments of the other side. This only works if one side is largely telling lies, which hasn't really been the case -- interpretations of facts have certainly been biased, but the facts are what they are. My point is, the captivity issue is GRAY. The public display industry does both good AND bad things. I do not dispute any of the facts conveyed above by Terrie Williams, but is she in fact saying that these good things absolve the Shedd of any bad things it's done, that these good things mean NO bad things happen? I would hope not. My opinion, and why I stand on the anti-captivity side of the debate, is that right now the bad things are outweighing the good, that the gray is pretty dark. And if the public display industry doesn't change the way it does business, it is guilty of a great disservice to the animals it purports to care so much about. Some of the bad things the industry does affect only a relatively small number of animals (compared to the number of stranded animals rescued, for instance), such as wild captures (actually, the Shedd does need to be singled out in this regard, because it has captured more wild cetaceans for display in recent years [five in 1988, two in 1989, four in 1992, and three in 1993 -- four of which are already dead] than any other public display facility -- only the Navy has captured more animals in the last eight years). And of course the industry argues that any bad aspects of wild captures are mitigated by the educational value of the animals captured. But this counter-argument only holds if one accepts that some animals must suffer so that others may benefit (which, as some recent MARMAM postings point out, is extremely debatable) AND if in fact an educational message that benefits animals in the wild is being adequately received. I argue that the conservation message marine parks claim they deliver is not being received by the public and that an entirely different message is in fact being delivered to begin with. In my opinion, the "education fallacy" far outweighs the good things the industry does and shifts the balance in favor of discontinuing the practice of holding marine mammals in captivity for public display. The industry claims that people learn how to appreciate these animals as magnificent wild creatures that need to be protected from human folly by visiting a marine park or aquarium and watching the "educational" show. However: 1) There is no objective evidence that any conservation message is being received at all (I've mentioned this in previous postings and I just spoke at a conference last week, held by the Scientists Center for Animal Welfare, at which several zoo and aquarium officials admitted that they "don't have a clue" what message their visiting public is walking away with); 2) It is difficult to see how people learn to appreciate marine mammals as integral elements of their natural ecosystems when, unlike many terrestrial mammals, they cannot be displayed in naturalistic enclosures -- no fish, no algae, no textures in their tanks and almost always no natural social groups; 3) Little if any information is ever given about natural behaviors, natural social structures, or natural history period, particularly with cetacean displays -- most information, in shows and graphics, deals with anatomy, physiology, and veterinary care; 4) Actual misinformation is given out, almost certainly deliberately, as mentioned in several recent postings about Sea World, which is unconscionable; and most unforgivable, in my opinion, 5) Marine parks and aquaria often encourage people to regard the wild as a harsh, dangerous, hostile place (not just because of anthropogenic disturbances, but because of predators and parasites, and of all things, because of having to work to find food!! -- in short, they portray natural selection itself as a negative) to which captivity, where animals are pampered lovingly by their caretakers, compares very well indeed to an urban human. I seriously question how encouraging people to see the wild in such a negative light delivers a conservation message. And actually, that leads me to a sixth point, which is a little more subtle and admittedly more speculative, that after decades of being exposed to wild animals in zoos and aquaria, and even after 10-15 years of exposure to the "new" zoo, where conservation and naturalistic enclosures are stressed, people in the US seem to regard animals and the wild with even more hostility than ever -- if zoos and aquaria were succeeding in positively affecting the attitudes of the public as they claim, why are things going so badly for animals and the environment right now, both indirectly (e.g. through legislation) and directly (e.g. with more pollution, more littering, more direct killing, more hazards being introduced to the natural environment)? This trend seems to me to beg the question of whether those who claim that captive display actually encourages people to see animals and their habitat as objects for human manipulation and dominion might not be right... The captivity debate is not just a question of 600-1000 cetaceans (and thousands of pinnipeds and other marine mammal species) in marine parks vs. millions in the wild. In answer to WHY SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON THIS ISSUE: The public display industry is right in one thing -- marine parks and aquaria are a principal avenue through which most people are introduced to these animals and their habitat and the issues surrounding them. I believe very strongly that the message people get from seeing marine mammals held in the artificial, sterile confines of these facilities is negative, that it in fact perpetuates problems that we all want to solve. We've tried the captivity "experiment" in which people are directly and closely exposed to wild animals (arguably for hundreds of years, since Roman circuses) and from the look of things out there in the real world, it has FAILED. I say, why not try the "no live animals" experiment discussed recently here on MARMAM -- use the amazing and advanced technology available now to convert all marine parks and aquaria into hi-tech parks and leave wild animals, especially those whose habitats cannot be simulated, where evolution intended them to be -- in the wild. Such marine parks and aquaria, if they were successful, would not have to stop doing the good things they do and they would no longer be doing the bad things at all! What if such an experiment causes a true change in the way people see the world? What if it teaches that animals and natural ecosystems have INTRINSIC value and that they maintain a healthy biosphere in situ, which can only benefit humans as well? What if being exposed to THAT kind of marine park or aquarium delivers a conservation message that actually causes humans to change their behavior? The captivity debate is not black and white. It is not a question of whether marine parks and aquaria EVER do good things or ALWAYS do bad things. It is not a question of a few thousand animals vs. millions. It is NOT a purely political issue, and it is not a matter of animal rights zealots on one extreme and greedy money-grubbers on the opposite extreme. It is also not, as was recently suggested in another posting, a matter of science vs. sentiment or faith. Polarizing the issue and demonizing the other side is counter-productive. The public display issue is a very serious social and biological issue, a question of whether the message received by the visiting public is really helping or hurting conservation of the natural environment. I obviously have my own opinion, but in expressing it, my goal is not to polarize things. It is to convince people of a very real problem I perceive. I honestly believe, after delving into the debate for the last two years, weighing all the arguments and counter-arguments, and weighing the FACTS, that public display as it is currently practiced and defended by the industry is hurting conservation, hurting the very animals the industry claims it is helping. People are NOT getting the message the industry thinks they are getting. They are either getting no message at all -- just a great day at the zoo or park -- or they are learning that dolphins belong in tanks if that's where humans say they belong. And that's not good enough and doesn't mitigate anything at all. Rather than lob bombs at each other or keep one-upping each other with some isolated fact that supports whichever argument, I urge everyone, not just those directly involved with the debate but also those who are neutral or those who think the captivity question is not important when compared to other concerns, to consider, as objectively as possible, the implications of the "education fallacy" of zoos and aquaria. As the industry correctly points out, millions of people visit marine parks and aquaria each year. WHAT ARE THEY LEARNING? It DOES matter. Naomi Rose The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 14 May 1995 14:28:18 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Research vs. public display This is just a brief addendum to my other long posting. Both Dan Costa and Herbert Roitblat brought up the issue of captive marine mammal research and how it can be useful to marine mammal conservation. I personally do not dispute that. However, I wish to make three comments. One, marine parks and aquaria and public display of marine mammals in general really should be considered separately from research. Marine parks and aquaria don't contribute all that much to research (at least they don't often make their animals available for captive research) and dolphins and sea lions in entertainment shows and petting pools are not the same thing as dolphins and sea lions in dedicated research facilities being studied to benefit animals in the wild. Two, non-releasable stranded marine mammals and/or wild-caught marine mammals held only for limited periods are a much better alternative for researchers seeking captive subjects than animals captured or bred for permanent maintenance for public display in marine parks or aquaria. That is, live marine mammals in marine parks and aquaria are not needed in order for research on captive animals to continue. And three, there are those who argue from a strictly ethical point of view that manipulating marine mammals for research, even if the animals are held only temporarily and even if the research aids in conserving the species and its habitat, is very troublesome indeed. I urge all researchers not to dismiss these ethical arguments out of hand (which seems to be the tendency at the present time) -- Dr. Roitblat in particular seemed to confuse ethics with faith or revelation and frankly, I find that disturbing. I have been encountering too often lately an extremely arrogant assumption on the part of many researchers that science justifies everything and anything they do -- not to be melodramatic, but there were a bunch of Nazi doctors who believed that too. I'm not saying that I agree with those who argue it is absolutely insupportable and unethical to hold marine mammals (or any wild animals) in captivity for any research purpose, but I certainly think about what they're saying and don't dismiss it out of hand. I would hope that all researchers who use invasive techniques THINK about what they're doing and even worry about it. If a researcher employs invasive techniques without any misgivings at all, that's pretty scary. I don't think anyone is that infallible. Naomi Rose The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 14 May 1995 22:01:12 -0400 From: GARYROBBINS(\)delphi.com Subject: Re: Marine education? Naomi Rose of the Humane Society is correct in pointing out that there is too much verbal bomb throwing in the debate over whether whales and dolphins should be held at marine parks and aquariums. I just finished writing a long story about the battle over AB 1737, a bill in California that would make it illegal to possess or display any newly-caught dolphins, whales, sea lions and seals. I found the individuals on both sides of the debate issued statements that were wildly inaccurate, unsubstantiated or made out-of-context. The bill's sponsor, Assemblyman Richard Katz, said that a new study in the April issue of Marine Mammal Science proves that these animals die sooner in captivity than they do in the wild. The study does no such thing. What it does is examine the longevity of marine mammals that were in captivity from 1970-92. It doesn't compare these animals longevity with those in the wild because scientists do not have a clear idea of how long most species of marine mammals live in the wild. Anheuser-Busch, Sea World's parent company, stated that the bill would render marine mammal rehab centers useless because it would require them to release within 6 months. I talked to several of these centers and they all said that they typically release animals in 2-3 months. Naomi is right. This is a gray issue, not a black and white one. And the only way to advance the debate is through calm, rational discourse. Not through emotional statements that neither side can prove....Gary Robbins, science writer, The Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 11:01:19 -0700 From: Jim Moore Subject: Re: Marine education? Gary Robbins wrote: "The bill's sponsor, Assemblyman Richard Katz, said that a new study in the April issue of Marine Mammal Science proves that these animals die sooner in captivity than they do in the wild. The study does no such thing. What it does is examine the longevity of marine mammals that were in captivity from 1970-92. It doesn't compare these animals longevity with those in the wild because scientists do not have a clear idea of how long most species of marine mammals live in the wild." I'm puzzled here; the abstract of the article in question states: "For non-calf BD [bottlenose dolphin] and KW [killer whale], captive animals survived at a slightly lower rate (BD 0.944 vs. 0.961, P = 0.07; KW 0.938 vs. 0.976, P < 0.001) than animals in the wild (BD: Wells and Scott 1990, KW: Olesiuk et al. 1990)." Small, R. J. & DeMaster, D. P. 1995. Survival of five species of captive marine mammals. Marine Mammal Science 11(2): 209-226. Sea lions seem to do as well or better in captivity, though the data for these taxa (California & Steller) in the wild is thin. BTW, I tried regressing ASR on total individual-days for bottlenose dolphin and killer whale (tables 3 & 7), reasoning that institutions with the most experience might have the best success *rate*. For both, the relationship was very slightly negative, not positive. I can imagine this being due to larger institutions having started earlier & therefore having more of a learning-curve effect; in principle this could be confirmed by looking at day*ASR relationship for just the last 5 years (the paper compared ASR for 1988-1992 with previous years and found dolphin, Cal sea lion, & beluga had improved (1st 2 significantly, N small for beluga); Steller sea lion improved only slightly & killer whale survival was unchanged. The data in the tables aren't broken down by period though so I couldn't check this. Anyone know the answer? cheers Jim -------------- ---------------------------------- Jim Moore | HOW TO READ RESEARCH LITERATURE (2): Anthro, UCSD | PHRASE MEANING jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu | "It has been I have not bothered to (619) 534-5572 | shown that..." look up the original 534-5946 [fax] | reference, but ... ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 10:53:16 PST From: Jeffrey Lindsey Subject: Re: Marine education? >Terrie Williams wrote: > > > Regarding Marine Education: > > It is unfortunate that the Shedd Aquarium should be singled out in >many of these discussions regarding captive marine mammals, education, and >use of rehabilitated animals as replacements for wild captures. In the >wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill 16 orphaned sea otter pups faced euthanasia >because they could not be returned to the wild. Members of the Shedd >Aquarium rescued these animals by finding a home for many of them. >Rather than "Take the animals and run" the Shedd Aquarium worked for >months with our research team to follow the medical history and >potential long term toxicological effects of oil contamination on the pups. >Shedd Aquarium's dedication towards these pups and to research that has >implications for >all wild marine mammals in oil shipping zones should be applauded. Few >facilities or individuals have played a larger role in these efforts. > >>Naomi Rose Replies, >> >>I have been traveling for the last 12 days and have missed the >>opportunity to respond to several postings dealing with the captivity >>debate. I will be including general references to several of those >>postings in this reply. I apologize for its length, but it's several >>replies in one! Though I am not a professional in the Marine Mammal area, I am a volunteer who has put in hundreds of unpaid hours at a marine mammal care facility in the past two years. With that background I would like to throw in my two cent's worth on the debate of public display. I am aware that my experience comes only from the rehab point of view, not a marine park or zoo one, but for a small facility tucked away in a remote area, you would be surprised how many people we have visiting the facility throughout the week. Why is this important? The majority of our operating costs are publicly funded and without the publics ability to see, hear , and smell the animals donations would be a fraction of what they are. We do not go out of our way to display the animals but invite and encourage the public to visit and see the animals and the rehab work as part of the normal day's activities. I personally spend many hours talking to the public about our rehab work and about the animals themselves. More than once I have had conversations with commerical fisherman who have come to the facility with opinions that seals and sea lions are nothing but pests and should be shot at every chance. After showing them the effects of gun shot, propeller, gill net, and other human inflicted wounds, I feel these people have gone away with a better repsect for the animal and what their livelihood does to them (I am not taking a position on wether marine mammals effect commerical fishing industries or how the conflict between piniped and fisherman should be resolved, only that I have spent a lot of time caring for animals that have been shot and wounded, not shot and killed). Our facility also coexists with a full time marine science magnet program run by the local school district. This classroom hosts several classes a day thorughout the school year in marine sciences. Having sat in on some of the classes, especially the ones dealing with pinipeds, I have witnessed first hand the impact of seeing the animals five away has on the children once the fininsh the classroom work. In my opinion, the pictures in the books, the videos, the verbal descriptions, etc. are all just preludes to the moment the children get to come outside and watch the animals interacting, playing, fedding, fighting, and of course, being cared for. Yes, our animals are held in captivity only for the period of time that it takes to rehabilitate them (generally 4-6 weeks). HOwever, in my option, without public viewing opportunities, our facility would not exist. Does this justify marine parks and zoos? Not necessarily. Does it even justify rehab centers? Not necessarily. In my opinion, it proves the value in giving the public something real to take how with them, the sights, sounds, and smells of the animals. It is probable the the American space program (especially going to the moon) would never have happened if man, humans, had not been a part of it. We could have easily sent robots to the moon to to collect all the samples and data, but the publics interest would ahve quickly gone on to other subjects with out the human descriptions, the drama, the realitity of the situation that having men a part of the program brought. Getting rid of marine parks and zoos and replacing them with "multimedia" exhibits could very well go the same way. How many people are you going to draw to go into an theater and watch a "multimedia experience" versus being able to see Shamu perform. Without an Orca in captivity, would "Free Willy" have had as great an impact on the public? Maybe parks and zoos need to rethink their programs, but those they be gotten rid of totally???? J. Lindsey Marine Mammel Rehab Volunteer ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 14:42:56 PDT From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: CSI Captivity Policy Statement ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Does the reasoning of keeping marine mammals in captivity for people that cannot see them first-hand in the wild jusitifies all abuses in mishandling these animals? On the other hand, by that rationale, would it be justifiable to keep Australian bushman in a cage in Chicago because you cannot see the first-hand otherwise (or, alas, any other living thing?). I have just worked very hard in having an illegal zoo closed in Southern Brasil which, it was found, was a cover-up for wildlife traffic. Lots of angry people complained and said that they didn't give a damn to the wildlife smuggling, they just wanted a place to show their children wild birds, and that mattered above all. Is this sort of thinking what is arising here? ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 14:46:02 PDT From: Anne Doncaster ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >My point is that almost everything we know about >reproductive physiology comes from studies of captive dolphins . . . While I >prefer to study animals in the wild, I find that there >are many instances where we cannot answer inportant questions concerning >basic biology, reproductive physiology, nutritional biology, thermal biology >acoustics, etc. without access to captive animals. It is very naive to think >that we can learn all that we need to know about marine mammal conservation >from studies exclusively in the wild. Thus a total ban of captive animals is >not in the best interest of marine mammal conservation. > >Respectfully, >Daniel Costa Ph.D. >Professor of Biology >============================================================================ I have never had an explanation of how human knowledge of these phenomena (particularly in view of the fact that resources only allow us to study a minute fraction of species) helps animals in the wild. Again, because of lack of resources, would it not be better to contol human activities so that biological diversity is preserved in a healthy environment where life has proven it can survive very well? Anne Doncaster Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 14:54:27 PDT From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Marine education? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Terrie, The Shedd is singled out for attack by activists chiefly because of a long history of inept response to criticism, based on conventional corporate practice rather than the practice appropriate to a public institution. It's one of two outstanding examples I can think of involving excellent institutions which have undeservedly gotten very bad reputations by misresponding when kicked, the other being the North Shore Animal League. We've taken in-depth looks at both, trying to set the record straight. Our November and December issues covered the issue of activists vs. oceanariums in depth, with particular attention to the Shedd (the "Dirty Pool" series." ) The series is a bit long to e-mail, although I understand it was posted to MARMAM by someone at some point, but I'll send copies by snail-mail if you're seriously interested and can provide a U.S. postal address. Cheers, Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 15:06:04 PDT From: Ben Blaylock Subject: Book search ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am trying to locate a copy of the out of print book, "Batschelett, E. 1981. Circular statistics in biology. Academic Press." If you, or any of your colleagues, happens to have a copy for sale please contact me at: ben_blaylock(\)ccgate.ssp.nmfs.gov Thanks, Ben Blaylock National Marine Fisheries Service 75 Virginia Beach Drive Miami, FL 33149 305.361.4299 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 16:23:22 PDT From: "Paul E. Nachtigall" Subject: Re: : naomi rose's 'invasive research' In-Reply-To: Your message of Sun May 14 21:53:31 1995 ------- MARMAM, I read Naomi Rose's two recent entries to MARMAM with a great deal of concern. First, she indicates that people should "stop lob(bing) bombs at one another", and that.."the captivity debate is not black and white". She then proceeds to allude to people who keep animals as justifying their actions on an.."extremely arrogant assumption on the part of many researchers that science justifies everything and anything they do....there were a bunch of Nazi doctors who believed that too." I am dismayed at the unfettered and unedited opinions of people who contradict themselves and write with religious fervor. It seems apparent to me that the function of this sort of emotional rhetoric is to draw attention to one's cause independent of reasoned thought and to use the MARMAM as a tool to restrict reasonable research simply because the animals are 'captive'. Paul E. Nachtigall ------- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 14:26:38 -1000 From: "Herbert L. Roitblat" Subject: Re: Research vs. public display In-Reply-To: <9505152248.AA26232(\)uhunix4.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> On May 14, 1995, Naomi Rose of The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com, wrote: | This is just a brief addendum to my other long posting. Both Dan Costa | and Herbert Roitblat brought up the issue of captive marine mammal | research and how it can be useful to marine mammal conservation. I | personally do not dispute that. [She then goes on to distinguish between marine parks and research institutions] | Two, non-releasable stranded marine mammals and/or wild-caught marine | mammals held only for limited periods are a much better alternative for | researchers seeking captive subjects than animals captured or bred for | permanent maintenance for public display in marine parks or aquaria. In the absence of careful consideration of scientific implications it is impossible to know what animals are most appropriate for particular research questions. | | And three, there are those who argue from a strictly ethical point of | view that manipulating marine mammals for research, even if the animals | are held only temporarily and even if the research aids in conserving | the species and its habitat, is very troublesome indeed. I urge all | researchers not to dismiss these ethical arguments out of hand (which | seems to be the tendency at the present time) -- Dr. Roitblat in | particular seemed to confuse ethics with faith or revelation and | frankly, I find that disturbing. It has been said that when a writer is sure that his text is written in such a way that it cannot be misunderstood, it surely will be. That seems to be the case here. In my earlier note I said: My concern in this note is that we not confuse philosophical commitments with scientific justification. and Again, the point is that if one does not care about the evidence, then intellectual honesty would seem to demand that one declare that this is an assumption based on faith or revelation, not one based on science. I did not argue that ethics has no place, rather I noted that ethics depends on ones assumptions and, as Ms Rose has noted, there is room for different sets of assumptions. | I have been encountering too often | lately an extremely arrogant assumption on the part of many researchers | that science justifies everything and anything they do -- not to be | melodramatic, but there were a bunch of Nazi doctors who believed that | too. I take absolute exception to this comment. Although I was born after the war, many of my friends and relatives were survivors of the Nazi death camps. I take such comments personally and am offended deeply by them as a scientist and as a Jew. I find the equation of marine mammal scientists and Nazis offensive and the equation of the people exterminated by the Nazis with marine mammals to be revolting. Lobbing such bombs has absolutely no place in this kind of forum and I call on Ms Rose to retract them. Herbert Roitblat, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology roitblat(\)uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu University of Hawaii (808) 956-6727 (808) 956-4700 fax 2430 Campus Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 14:29:22 -1000 From: "Herbert L. Roitblat" Subject: Re: Marine education? In-Reply-To: <9505151758.AA13814(\)uhunix4.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> On May 14, 1995, Naomi Rose of The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com, wrote: | | There is actually little debate that most marine parks and aquaria do | rescue many wild marine mammals in need (beached, stranded, oiled, | etc.). . . . | | However, the GOOD things done by marine parks and aquaria do not cancel | out the bad things. The debate keeps getting obscured by the erroneous | idea that this issue is black and white, that public display is either a | great thing or a horrible thing. Both sides in the debate keep lobbing | bombs as if they could demolish the arguments of the other side. This | only works if one side is largely telling lies, which hasn't really been | the case -- interpretations of facts have certainly been biased, but the | facts are what they are. My point is, the captivity issue is GRAY. Without taking a position on the good vs the bad done by aquaria, I would like to emphasize that the question of whether animals can ethically be held in captivity is a vexing issue for many people and there is a wide spectrum of opinion. In this, Ms Rose is undoubtedly correct. | My opinion, and why I stand on the anti-captivity side of the | debate, is that right now the bad things are outweighing the good, that | the gray is pretty dark. It strikes me, that this is a legitimate position, and I respect it, though I obviously do not support it. What things would have to change for for Ms Rose to weigh in on the other side of the issue? | And if the public display industry doesn't | change the way it does business, it is guilty of a great disservice to | the animals it purports to care so much about. If she holds these two opinions, then it follows that she would be opposed to marine parks and aquaria. It does not follow, however, that anyone else must necessarily also be opposed to these institutions. | And of course the industry argues that any | bad aspects of wild captures are mitigated by the educational value of | the animals captured. But this counter-argument only holds if one | accepts that some animals must suffer so that others may benefit (which, | as some recent MARMAM postings point out, is extremely debatable) AND if | in fact an educational message that benefits animals in the wild is | being adequately received. I argue that the conservation message marine | parks claim they deliver is not being received by the public and that an | entirely different message is in fact being delivered to begin with. The questions surrounding marine animal capture and educational value are certainly debatable. Debatable here means that there are differing opinions about the relative value of animal capture and education. Again there is a spectrum of opinion on this issue. There is also a question about a matter of fact. What is the evidence about the educational value of marine parks? I don't know what the formal evidence is on this question, but it would be reasonable to find out. It would make a difference to my opinions. Ms Rose sems to agree that such information is important, but in the absence of information she seems to assume that there is no positive educational value: | In my opinion, the "education fallacy" far outweighs the good things the | industry does and shifts the balance in favor of discontinuing the | practice of holding marine mammals in captivity for public display. She then goes on to the fallacious conclusion that because she is unaware of formal studies of the educational value, it must be the case that there are none. Nonetheless she seems to call for marine parks to collect data on their educational impact. Which is reasonable as long as the facts make a difference. | People are NOT getting the message the industry thinks they | are getting. They are either getting no message at all -- just a great | day at the zoo or park -- or they are learning that dolphins belong in | tanks if that's where humans say they belong. And that's not good | enough and doesn't mitigate anything at all. The tenability of the position that the educational impact of marine parks is negative, would seem to depend on information about what people learn just as strongly as the position that their educational impact is positive. .I do not claim to know what message people are getting, but I have argued that marine mammal scientists have a responsibility to provide the best information they can to marine parks. And that it would be reasonable to find out what message people are getting. Assumptions are not facts. | I obviously have my | own opinion, but in expressing it, my goal is not to polarize things. | It is to convince people of a very real problem I perceive. I would also like to avoid polarizing the discussion. One way to do that is to be clear on which issues are matters of facts and which issues are matters of opinion. | Rather than lob bombs at each other or keep one-upping each other with | some isolated fact that supports whichever argument, I urge everyone, | not just those directly involved with the debate but also those who are | neutral or those who think the captivity question is not important when | compared to other concerns, to consider, as objectively as possible, the | implications of the "education fallacy" of zoos and aquaria. As the | industry correctly points out, millions of people visit marine parks and | aquaria each year. WHAT ARE THEY LEARNING? It DOES matter. On the one hand, I applaud Ms Rose's suggestions that we avoid lobbing bombs. I also applaud her call for objectivity in the discussion. Nevertheless, the use of such loaded terms as "education fallacy" would seem to minimize the chances for a reasoned discussion. If we are to have a rational discussion of ethical policy, we must be willing and able to consider the alternative views that make up the spectrum of opinion. Herbert Roitblat, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology roitblat(\)uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu University of Hawaii (808) 956-6727 (808) 956-4700 fax 2430 Campus Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 12:49:54 -0700 From: Daniel Costa My original message "My point is that almost everything we know about reproductive physiology comes from studies of captive dolphins . . . While I prefer to study animals in the wild, I find that there are many instances where we cannot answer important questions concerning basic biology, reproductive physiology, nutritional biology, thermal biology acoustics, etc. without access to captive animals. It is very naive to think that we can learn all that we need to know about marine mammal conservation from studies exclusively in the wild. Thus a total ban of captive animals is not in the best interest of marine mammal conservation. Respectfully, Daniel Costa Ph.D. Professor of Biology" Received the following reply: ===================================================================== "I have never had an explanation of how human knowledge of these phenomena (particularly in view of the fact that resources only allow us to study a minute fraction of species) helps animals in the wild. Again, because of lack of resources, would it not be better to control human activities so that biological diversity is preserved in a healthy environment where life has proven it can survive very well?" Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition ==================================================================== Let me first state that I wholeheartedly agree with Anne's basic premise that we should control human activities that harm biodiversity. To this end I am very much concerned with the tremendous attention and money given to protection of individual animals, with little or no concern given to the protection of populations and their habitat. I understand that it is difficult for people to focus on abstract concepts like populations and habitat and easier to focus on the plight of a single animal. However, the pragmatist in me suggests that as excellent a goal as it may be to curtail human activities that damage populations it is not likely to happen in the near future. This is especially true in light of the Republican controlled U.S. Congress which is anxious to get rid of the Endangered Species Act and other landmark environmental legislation. I think all of us basically believe in many of the same basic principles about protection of bio-diversity. However, we seem to disagree on how these goals are achieved. Some of us believe that captive marine mammals play a role in public education, awareness and in research. Others find this offensive. Again I think the important thing to consider is that while we argue about these issues, many of the truly important legislative advances of the last 20 years are being whittled away in the U.S. Congress. We need try to find common ground to prevent a rollback of years of U.S. environmental law. Finally I will attempt to answer Anne's question about how research on captive animals helps in marine mammal conversation and to a different MARMAM response that suggested that oceanaria like Sea World do not allow research on their animals. First I present a list of publications that I was directly involved with that resulted from work carried out with captives animals at Oceanaria and second research that is directly relevant to marine mammal conservation that was carried out on captive animals. The following studies were carried out with animals at Sea World, San Diego Castellini, M.A., Costa, D.P., and Castellini, M. 1992. Blood glucose distribution, brain size and diving in small odontocetes. Marine Mammal Science 8:294-298. Wickham, L.L., Costa, D.P., and Elsner, R. 1990. Blood rheology of captive and wild sea otters and elephant seals: Acclimatization? Canadian Journal of Zoology 68:375-380. Costa, D.P. 1982. Energy nitrogen and electrolyte flux and sea water drinking in the sea otter, Enhydra lutris. Physiological Zoology 55(1):35-44. Costa, D.P. 1978. The sea otter: its interaction with man. Oceanus 21(2):24-30. The following studies used captive animals and received significant support (temporary holding, logistics, medical care etc.) from Sea World, San Diego. Costa, D.P. and Kooyman, G.L. 1984. Contribution of specific dynamic action to heat balance and thermoregulation in the sea otter, Enhydra lutris. Physiological Zoology 57(2):199-203. Braham, H.W., Oliver, G.W., Fowler, C., Frost, K., Fay, F., Cowles, C., Costa, D., Schneider, K., and Calkins, D. 1982. Marine Mammals, Chapter 4 Pages 55-81. In: The St. George Basin Environment and Possible Consequences of Planned Offshore Oil and Gas Development, M.J. Hameedi ed., OCSEAP U.S. Dept. Of Commerce, Juneau, Alaska. Costa, D.P. and Kooyman, G.L. 1982. Oxygen consumption thermoregulation, and the effect of fur oiling and washing on the sea otter, Enhydra lutris. Canadian Journal of Zoology 60:2761-2767 Kooyman, G.L. and Costa, D.P. 1978. Effects of oiling on thermoregulation in sea otters. NOAA Technical Memorandum, Series ERL OCSEAP-1. D. Wolfe ed., Boulder, Colorado. --- The following publications resulted from work on captive animals and had direct relevance to conservation or marine mammal management issues: Huntley, A.C., Costa, D.P., Worthy, G.A.J., and Castellini, M.A. 1987. Approaches to Marine Mammal Energetics. Special Publication # 1 Society for Marine Mammal Science. Allen Press, Lawrence, Kansas. 253pp. Feldkamp, S.D., Costa, D.P., and Dekrey. G.K. 1989. Energetic and behavioral effects of net entanglement on juvenile northern fur seals, Callorhinus ursinus. Fishery Bulletin 87:85-94. Fadely, B.S., Worthy, G.A.J., and Costa, D.P. 1990. Assimilation efficiency of marine mammals determined using dietary manganese. Journal of Wildlife Management 54:246-251. Costa, D.P. 1988. Assessment of the impact of the California sea lion and northern elephant seal on commercial fisheries. Pages 36-43. In: California Sea Grant: Biennial Report of Completed Projects 1984-86. California Sea Grant College Program, University of California, La Jolla Publication # R-CSCP-024 This represents my own experiences with research at oceanaria. There are considerably more studies and better examples of captive research that is relevant to marine mammal conservation and management than I have provided here. Respectfully, Daniel P. Costa Ph.D. Professor of Biology ============================================================================ Daniel P. Costa Ph.D. e-mail: costa(\)biology.ucsc.edu Professor and Associate Chair of Biology Earth & Marine Science Bldg Rm A316 University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064 Voice (408) 459-2786: FAX (408) 459-4882 ============================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 23:39:39 -0400 From: HugeRhino(\)aol.com Subject: info on dolphins strandings I recently helped transport a young common dolphin (Delphinus Delphi) that stranded in Long Beach (California). I believe this is the first live stranding of a common dolphin within the breakwaters of Long Beach/Los Angeles Harbor on record. Does anyone know who I can contact to obtain more information on live strandings of cetaceans on the west coast of the United States? Hugh T. Ryono HugeRhino(\)AOL.COM ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 May 1995 14:23:05 GMT From: Joanne Dyer Organization: University of Plymouth Subject: GIS & Marine Mammals In regard to a project currently being undertaken, I am investigating the suitability of using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in assessing Whale movements in the natural environment. Please could anyone tell me if any work similar to this has been carried out before. Thanks in anticipation, Joanne Dyer jkdyer(\)plymouth.ac.uk or Applied Marine Science, University of Plymouth Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 6DM, UK. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 May 1995 11:44:32 -0700 From: Cathy Raubenheimer Subject: Symposium Notice Dear colleague/s Here is an 1996 symposium announcement. Hope it is of interest to you. Cathy ***************************************************** * IMPORTANT NOTICE * ***************************************************** BENGUELA DYNAMICS SYMPOSIUM: Impacts of variability on shelf-sea environments and their living resources An international symposium with the theme "Assessments of variability and change in shelf- sea environments, and forecasts of the impacts on marine resources and their management" will be held at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, from 24 - 25 November 1996. This symposium is the culmination of the third five year phase of the inter-disciplinary Benguela Ecology Programme which has concentrated on aspects of variability and change, and how these affect marine living resources and their management. Oral sessions, poster workshops and special sessions will address the following broad topics: Past, present and future environmental variability Intra-annual variability impacting resources Inter-annual variability impacting resources Long-term variability impacting resources Social and economic implications of resource variability Management of varying resources Important reply dates: First Announcement ............. 31 October 1995 Second Announcement ........ 31 March 1996 Final abstracts, registration ... 31 July 1996 Registration costs will be approximately R550. Further information can be obtained from: The BEP Symposium Secretariat Zoology Department University of Cape Town Rondebosch 7700 South Africa Phone: (021) 650-2681 (National) or (27-21) 650-2681 (International) FAX: (021) 650-2681(National) or (27-21) 650-2681 (International) Electronic Mail: bep(\)ucthpx.uct.ac.za Please distribute this notice to as many interested parties. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 May 1995 11:48:25 -0700 From: Robin Baird Subject: Re the HSUS Ethical Agenda (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 16 May 95 07:40:31 PDT From: Robert Gisiner ------- Naomi, fellow marmam-ers; Like some others who have already replied I was pleased by Naomi's opening conciliatory remarks about good and bad in captive marine mammal display and researcher. But was I the only one to notice that the four and half pages of pot-shots that followed were anything but conciliatory? In fact there was a lot of outright nastiness directed, in no particular order, at display for entertainment, at research with captive animals, at invasive research of any kind, at any and all attempts at education by display facilities. After the full five pages Naomi covered in those two messages, I wasn't sure if Naomi was calling for us to all work together to improve the balance of good to bad aspects (per her opening statements), or to end immediately a)invasive research on captive animals, or b) any research on captive animals, or c) research is o.k., but display for education or entertainment is not, or d)end all captive animal programs. What troubled me more than the ambiguities in Naomi's message were the digs, some direct, some indirect, at all of the above targets. Most hurtful to me was the apocryphal account of the "many" "extremely arrogant" researchers who assume that science justifies anything and everything they do and who Naomi claims to be encountering "too often", followed by a reference to "a bunch of Nazi doctors" (if that was the non"melodramatic" inference, I'd hate to see the melodramatic one!). As far as i'm concerned, one such horrible person would be far too many. We have gone to a lot of trouble to develop NMFS research permits, APHIS inspection of facilities, institutional animal care and use committees, animal car and use oversight by funding institutions and professional societies. If these aren't working to the extent Naomi implies, I'd expect to see her out there pointing fingers at the offenders and depanding that these oversight bodies do their jobs: I sure would! Like the hypothetical researcher who "employs invasive techniques without any misgivings at all" I frankly think that these bogeymen are creatures of Naomi's less-than-conciliatory imagination. What is so hurtful is that I went to school with Naomi, shared many fine mentors with her who engaged in research with captive animals, and have shared with her in long conversations where all of us expressed our concern and our desire to do what was right and good. It pains me to think that this is the way she thinks of me, and of the people who did so much to develop and foster her understanding and appreciation of marine mammals. This character assassination by vague innuendo is a far cry from the opening paragraph that inspired the positive response I've seen so far. I'd suggest we all go back and read that message a little more carefully. It is anything but a plea for dialog and conciliation. If the good things oceanaria do are white and the bad things are black, how are we to arrive at Naomi's conclusion that the captivity issue is gray if "the good things done by marine parks and aquaria do not cancel out the bad things." In fact, Naomi thinks they actually cause people in the US to "regard animals and the wild with even more hostility than ever" - a statement that I find absolutely astonishing, considering the well-documented public concern about the environment, which has increased tremendously in the past decade and continues to grow. Nor do I find it conciliatory when Naomi verbally assaults a park employee, probably young, probably not anywhere near as well-educated as the PhD level scientist who brought forth the flustered response about dosrsal fin droop in the first place. Naomi finds it "unconscionable; and most unforgivable," that this person misinformed the public. Does anyone find this a little harsh? If you don't, Id' like you to consider what terms of castigation and unswerving condemnation we should use for a PhD in Biology from the University of California, a national spokesperson for the HSUS, who "almost certainly deliberately" misinformed everyone on this listserver when she stated that the Navy "has captured more animals in the last eight years" than the fourteen taken by Shdd Aquarium, when she knows, or should know from her role in the Navy's reintroduction efforts, that the Navy has in fact captured no animals in the last eight years (that's right, zero). You are right when you say that "I don't think anyone is that (sic) infallible.", Naomi. And you were right when you said that "Polarizing the issue and demonizing the other side is counter-productive." You should have listened to your own advice. Bob Gisiner ------- ------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 May 1995 19:22:02 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: anyone know this bk? Dear Marmammers, I am trying to locate a copy of the following book (or at least the pages of it that I will refer to): Gosse, P.H. 1851. A Naturalist's Sojurn in Jamaica. London: Longmans. Pages 354-7 are supposed to include observations of Delphinus superciliosus in Kingston harbor feeding on young sharks. Has anyone seen this reference before? Can you comment on the "validity"of the report? What is Delphinus superciliosus these days? This reference comes from Truitt's (1974) bibliography on the smaller cetacea. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from anyone who can help. Dagmar Fertl fertld(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 16 May 1995 19:15:55 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: abstract Dear Marmam Readers: I found this recent article while looking for new marine mammal literature; figured it might be interesting to someone out there. Additionally, in that same issue of the journal, is a short "editorial" on the problems of disposing of large stranded whales. Caurant,F and C. Amiard-Triquet. 1995. Cadmium contamination in pilot whales Globicephala melas: source and potential hazard to the species. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 30(3): 207-210. Among marine mammals, pilot whales (Globicephala melas) are characterized by high levels of tissular cadmium (Cd). In this species, squids are used. In a signficant fraction of the marine mammal population sampled in the vicinity of the Faroe Islands, blood and urine Cd concentrations are higher than minimum adverse-effect levels established for human beings. However, the frequency-at-age data have not shown anomalies likely to reveal a major toxic problem, suggesting a remarkable tolerance of this species to heavy metals. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 03:16:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: WALRUS EXPERIENCE OPENS MAY 25 WALRUS EXPERIENCE OPENS MAY 25 AT MARINE WORLD AFRICA VALLEJO, Calif., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Marine World Africa USA will introduce a ton of new babies to visitors on Thursday, May 25. Actually, it's only four babies, but they average a little more than a cool 500 pounds each, so you do the math. They are 1-year-old Pacific walrus calves (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), and they'll debut in their new state-of-the-art simulated rocky beach habitat called Walrus Experience. The quarter-ton calves, one male and three females, are gaining one to two pounds a day on a diet of clams, herring and smelt, supplemented by bovine-sized baby bottles of pureed clam and herring "milkshakes." Fully grown, they will weigh nearly 4,000 pounds for the male and 2,500 for the females. Small wonder that Walrus Experience is built to showcase the massive size and power of these incredible marine mammals. Among the world's pinnipeds, the order of seals, sea lions and walruses, only the elephant seal is larger. And no marine mammal, not even the deep-diving but beach-sluggish elephant seal, can match the walrus for its amazing combination of huge size and mobility on land. In fact, the word "walrus" comes from the Old Norse language and literally means "horse-whale." With walruses, especially babies, there is also the "awww" factor. They're extremely sociable and gregarious animals, and their appealing and often comical behavior is irresistible. For example, like all walruses they take an inordinate amount of time settling down to sleep. They all have to be touching each other, and there is a never-ending argument over who is going to lie on top of whom. In the wild, an entire beach of sleeping walruses can be disturbed through a chain reaction that starts when a new animal arrives from the water and rudely lies down on someone else's flipper. Walrus Experience recreates some key features of the Bering Sea habitat where these animals are found. It has a large, 160,000-gallon chilled saltwater pool with a simulated rock and sand bottom made of sculpted concrete, a floating, non-melting "ice floe" and two rocky shore haul-out beaches with rock cliffs and boulder outcroppings. A crystal-clear wall of four-inch-thick viewing acrylic, 28 feet long by eight feet high, forms virtually an entire side of the habitat pool, allowing visitors simultaneous underwater and above-water perspectives of the walruses. The walruses were orphaned in the spring of 1994 in the Bering Sea during the federally authorized Native Alaskan subsistence hunts. They were recovered by a team from Marine World with the cooperation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Eskimo Walrus Commission and Yupik Eskimos from the village of Gambell, Alaska, on St. Lawrence Island. Names for the calves were chosen from a list of Siberian Yupik words submitted by the children of Gambell. The names for the females are Qiluk (key-luke), meaning "bark," Uquq (ook-ook), meaning "blubber" and Siku (see-coo), which means "Ice." The male is named Sivuqaq (see-vu-cock), which is the ancient Yupik name for the village of Gambell. His name was chosen as a way to honor the entire village. Walrus Experience gives visitors a first-hand sense of the fascinating and wonderful nature of walruses as well as communicating some important conservation messages. The first is that Pacific walruses are a success story. In less than half a century, they have come back from the brink of extinction due to international population management efforts and protection against commercial exploitation by industrialized nations. The second concept is that the bottom-feeding walrus is an indicator species of the health of the remote yet fragile Arctic environment, and some of the indications aren't good. Pacific walruses have the highest levels of cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, of any marine mammal species in the world. The final point is that the Bering Sea is one of the few places left on earth where human subsistence hunters are still part of the ecological balance. For nearly 5,000 years, the walrus has been indispensable to the survival and cultural makeup of Eskimos inhabiting the coasts and islands of the Bering Sea -- as important as the bison once was to Native Americans of the Great Plains. Although Pacific walruses are no longer endangered, the traditional culture of the people who depend on these animals is. Their way of life deserves to be protected as much as any other part of the natural world. /CONTACT: Annette Lindemann, 707-644-4000, ext. 227, Jim Bonde, 707-644-4000, ext. 225, both of Marine World Africa USA/ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 16:29:32 -0600 From: Andrew Schiro Subject: 1995 publications (part 2) Some time back Phil Clapham suggested that a group of people compile a list of current marine mammal publications and post them to Marmam. The following is a listing for 1995 publications. Included are several popular articles. I apologize for any duplicates of items already posted. Those who are interested may contact me personally for about 300 more publications from 1994. ************************************ Glezer, I.I., P.R. Hof and P.J. Morgane (1995). Cytoarchitectonics and immunocytochemistry of the inferior colliculus of midbrain in cetaceans. =46ASEB Journal 9(3):A247. Harder, T. (1995). Seals, whales and feline viruses. Kleintierpraxis 39(10):707-. Kann, L.M. and K. Wishner (1995). Spatial and temporal patterns of zooplankton on baleen whale feeding grounds in the southern Gulf of Maine. Journal of plankton research 17(2):235. Joseph, J. (1995). The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission - Iattc aims to protect tuna and dolphins. Fisheries 19(12):42. Hurford, W.E., P.W. Hochachka, R.C. Schneider, G.P. Guyton, K. Stanek, D.G. Zapol, G.C. Liggins and W.M. Zapol (1995). Splenic contraction, catecholamine release and blood volume redistribution during voluntary diving of the Weddell seal. FASEB Journal 9(3):A353. Hof, P.R., I.I. Glezer, A.V. Revishchin and C. Bouras (1995). Distribution of dopaminergic fibers and neurons in visual and auditory cortices of the harbor porpoise and pilot whale. Brain research bulletin 36(3):275-284. King, D.P., K.A. Lowe, A.W.M. Hay and S.W. Evans (1995). Identification, characterisation, and measurement of immunoglobulin concentrations in grey (Haliocherus grypus) and common (Phoca vitulina) seals. Developmental and Comparative Immunology 18(5):433-442. Kenney, R.D., H.E. Winn and M.C. Macaulay (1995). Cetaceans in the Great South Channel, 1979-1989: right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Continental shelf research 15(4/5):385. Kellert, S.R., J.P. Gibbs and T.J. Wohlgenant (1995). Canadian perceptions of commercial fisheries management and marine mammal conservation in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Anthrozoos 3(1):20-30. ------------ Public attitudes toward the use of fisheries and marine mammals in the north-west Atlantic have played an influential role in recent controversies over management of these resources. A thorough assessment of public sentiment has, however, been lacking. We describe the results of a survey conducted to assess Canadian public opinion regarding a variety of commercial fisheries and marine mammal issues. Over one thousand, randomly selected adult Canadians were surveyed concerning their attitudes, knowledge, and concerns toward the conservation and management of marine mammals in the northwest Atlantic. The sample included 875 members of the general public, 130 sealers and 81 commercial fishermen. Most Canadians (93-95%) in all sampling groups and in all provinces, except Quebec (54%), expressed concern about conflicts between marine mammals and commercial fisheries. Knowledge of basic marine mammal biology, however, was strikingly deficient and variable among groups: sealers obtained the highest knowledge rating, fishers were intermediate, and the general public scored lowest. The views of the Canadian general public, sealers, and commercial fishers were highly divergent regarding prioritization of goals for Canada's commercial fishing industry. Sealers and fishers emphasized employment, cultural and economic considerations, while the general public placed greater emphasis on ecological and ethical matters. All groups agreed that the most significant threats to Canada's commercial fisheries included fishing by foreign countries, pollution, and over-fishing. Competition from marine mammals and damage to fishing equipment by marine mammals were rated as the least important threats. Fishing by foreign vessels in Canadian waters was regarded by all groups with particular suspicion. Unlike sealers and fishers, the general public consistently disputed the notion of sacrificing the needs of marine mammals for the benefit of commercial fishing. The public also expressed a strong preference for including fishing impacts on marine mammals in setting allowable catch quotas for commercial fish stocks, and further indicated a willingness to favor the interests of marine mammals over commercial fisheries in marine mammal entanglement situations. More than ninety percent of all respondents indicated strong support for the 'existence value' of seals. Most Canadians opposed sealing for fur, whereas most approved of harvesting abundant adult seal populations for meat, harvests associated with the cultures of native peoples, and harvests important to local economies. Respondents were divided regarding the harvests of seals that damage fishing gear. All groups strongly opposed the harvest of newborn seals. Sealers and residents of Newfoundland supported lethal methods of seal population control, while residents of large urban areas and women were inclined to approve of non-lethal measures. An overwhelming majority of Canadians objected to the use of poisons or clubs as a means of population control. Consideration of the results of this study could provide an enhanced basis for fashioning mutually acceptable policy solutions and mitigating conflicts between commercial fisheries and marine mammal conservation in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Lawrence, M. (1995). Doolittles resort and dolphin divers: scuba hideaway on exotic St. Lucia. Skin Diver 44(1):80. Long, D.J., K.D. Hanni, P. Pyle, J. Roletto, R.E. Jones and R. Bandar (in press). White shark predation on pinnipeds along the central California coast, 1970-1992. Proceedings of the White Shark Biology Symposium. Long, D.J. (in press). White shark feeding and scavenging on cetaceans off California. Proceedings of the White Shark Biology Symposium. Lento, G.M., R.E. Hickson, G.K. Chambers and D. Penny (1995). Use of spectral-analysis to test hypotheses on the origin of pinnipeds. Molecular Biology and Evolution 12(1):28-52. Macaulay, M.C., K.F. Wishner and K.L. Daly (1995). Acoustic scattering from zooplankton and micronekton in relation to a whale feeding site near Georges Bank and Cape Cod. Continental shelf research 15(4/5):509. Lynn, S.K. (1995). Movements, site fidelity, and surfacing patterns of bottlenose dolphins on the central Texas coast, Texas A&M University:92. ------------ Radio-tracking of 10 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), from 9 July 1992 to 13 September 1992, and photographic surveys of 35 freeze-branded dolphins, from May 1992 to June 1993, were conducted in the Matagorda Bay area of Texas, in response to a mass mortality event which occurred between Matagorda and Aransas Bays, Texas, during spring 1992. The primary goals of the study were to assess range size and site fidelity, as well as to initiate a long-term ecological study by collecting data on social and behavioral patterns. The Matagorda Bay dolphin population was found to be numerically robust, occupying all regions of the bay surveyed. Mean range size, based on radio telemetry, was 140 km2 (SD =3D 90.7, n =3D 10 dolphins). Males and females = had similar range sizes though males visited the extremities of their ranges more frequently or for longer periods. Most, if not all 35 freeze-branded dolphins, appeared to be resident to the Matagorda-Espiritu Santo Bay area with much fluidity of group membership. Overall mark/recapture population size estimates from photo-identification suggested that 218 =B1 71.4 (95% CI= ) dolphins utilized an area of 312 km2 in Matagorda and Espiritu Santo Bays, similar to an estimate made in 1981. Dolphins spent longer times at the surface and dove less often at night, indicating lower activity levels at night. Observations of long-distance movement between Texas bays, and an autumn increase in dolphin numbers in the study area, suggested that the study animals were not an isolated population. Marshall, C.D. and R.L. Reep (1995). Cytoarchitecture of the caudal cerebral cortex in the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). Brain, Behav. Evol. 45:1-18. ------------ In several brains of the =46lorida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris, the architecture of cauda= l regions of cerebral cortex was examined in order to complete a map of cortical areas in the brain of this unique aquatic herbivore. Through observation of sections stained for Nissl substance, myelinated axons, acetylcholinesterase or cytochrome oxidase, we have identified eleven new cortical areas based on qualitative cytoarchitectural appearance and measurements of laminar thicknesses, for a total of twenty-four. Some areas exhibit poorly differentiated laminae while in others there are six clearly demarcated layers, often with sublaminar organization. Some previously identified areas were found to extend into the region caudal to the vertically oriented lateral fissure. As in other mammalian brains, cortical areas in manatees are organized in concentric rings of allocortex, mesocortex and isocortex. Putative functional roles have been assigned to most of the identified areas based on location, architecture, behavioral and anatomical considerations, and extrapolation from other taxa in which functional mapping has been done. Maluf, N.S.R. (1995). Renal lobes of sperm whale fetus and of killer whale cub. FASEB Journal 9(3):A551. Meyer, W., K. Neurand and M. Klima (1995). Prenatal development of the integument in delphinidae (Cetacea: Odontoceti). Journal of Morphology 223(3):269-287. ------------ The prenatal development of epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis was studied in embryos of different age of two delphinid species (Stenella attenuata, Delphinus delphis), using light and transmission electron microscopical methods. The delphinid embryo is covered by a multilayered tissue formed by four different epidermal generations (periderm, stratum intermedium- I, str. intermedium-II, str. spinosum) produced by the str. basale. The first layer appears at about 40-50 mm of body length, the second type (s.i.-I) about 60-160 mm, and the third type (s.i.-II) is present at 160-500 mm. The first spinosal cells are produced at 225-260 mm body length; thenceforth, the epidermis increases continuously in thickness. Epidermal ridge formation begins about 400-mm body length. The development of the dermis is characterized by the early production of thin connective tissue fibers (40- 70-mm body length) and simultaneously the cutaneous muscle matures in structure. Vascular development intensifies between embryos of 150-225 mm, and collagen production increases markedly in fetuses of 225-260-mm length. These events are paralleled by an increase in dermal thickness. The first elastic fibers can be recognized in the skin from the abdomen at about 600-mm body length. The development of the hypodermis is marked by very rapid and constantly progressing growth, beginning about 60-mm body length. The first typical fat cells appear in animals of 360-400 mm. Regional differences are obvious for all skin layers with regard to the flippers, where structural maturation proceeds more rapidly than in dorsal or abdominal regions. Norris, K.S. (1995). The Bowhead Whale. Edited by J. Burns, J. J. Montague & C. J. Cowles. Animal behaviour 49(2):558-560. Nachtigall, P.E., J. Lien, W.W.L. Au and A.J. Read (1995). Harbor porpoises: laboratory studies to reduce bycatch. The Netherlands, DeSpil Publishers. Milinkovitch, M.C., G. Orti and A. Meyer (1995). Novel phylogeny of whales revisited but not revised. Molecular Biology and Evolution 12. Pabst, D.A., S.A. Rommel, W.A. McLellan, T.M. Williams and T.K. Rowles (1995). Thermoregulation of the intra-abdominal testes of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) during exercise. Journal of Experimental Biology 198(1):221-226. ------------ Dolphins possess a vascular countercurrent heat exchanger (CCHE) that functions to cool their intraabdominal testes. Spermatic arteries in the posterior abdomen are juxtaposed to veins returning cooled blood from the surfaces of the dorsal fin and tail flukes. In this study, we investigated the effect of exercise on CCHE function in the bottlenose dolphin. The CCHE flanks a region of the bowel in the posterior abdomen andinfluences colonic temperatures. A rectal probe housing alinear array of seven copper-constantan thermocouples was designed to measure colonic temperatures simultaneously at positions anterior to, within and posterior to the region of the colon flanked by the CCHE. Immediately after vigorous swimming, temperatures at the CCHE decreased relative to resting and pre-swim values: post-swim temperatures at the CCHE were maximally 0.5 degree C cooler than pre-swim temperatures. These data suggest that the CCHE has an increased ability to cool the arterial blood supply to the testes when the dolphin is swimming. This ability could offset the increased thermal load on the testes in an exercising dolphin. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of deep body cooling in an exercising mammal that is not undertaking a dive. Perry, E.A., S.M. Carr, S.E. Bartlett and W.S. Davidson (1995). A phylogenetic perspective on the evolution of reproductive behavior in pagophilic seals of the northwest Atlantic as indicated by mitochondrial sequences. Journal of Mammalogy 76(1):22-31. ------------ The ice-breeding (pagophilic) habits and relatively short lactation periods of several species of "true" seals (Phocidae) of the Northwest Atlantic, including the harp seal (Pagophilus), bearded seal (Erignathus), and hooded seal (Cystophora), usually are assumed to have evolved in parallel. Current taxonomy regards Pagophilus and ringed seals (Pusa) along with harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) as subgenera of Phoca, unites Phoca (sensu lato) together with gray seals (Halichoerus) and Erignathus in the subfamily Phocinae, and places Cystophora with elephant seals (Mirounga) in a separate subfamily, Cystophorinae. Cladistic analysis of variation in the DNA sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene identifies three clades among northern seals: Phoca-Pusa-Halichoerus, (Cystophora-Pagophilus, and Erignathus. Erignathus is the sister group to the other species examined. Each clade may be regarded as a tribe of the subfamily Phocinae (the Phocini, Cystophorini, and Erignathini, respectively). The phylogeny suggests that the ice-breeding habit and associated brief lactation are ancestral characters for the Phocinae and that instances of fast-ice or terrestrial breeding are convergences on the ancestral condition in other phocid subfamilies. Quillin, M.L., T. Li, J.S. Olson, G.N. Phillips, Y. Dou, M. Ikeda-Saito, R. Regan, M. Carlson, Q.H. Gibson and H. Li (1995). Structural and functional effects of apolar mutations of the distal valine in myoglobin. J. Mol. Biol. 245:416-436. ------------ High-resolution structures of the aquomet, deoxy, and CO forms of Ala68, Ile68, Leu68, and Phe68 sperm whale myoglobins have been determined by X-ray crystallography. These 12 new structures, plus those of wild-type myoglobin, have been used to interpret the effects of mutations at position 68 and the effects of cobalt substitution on the kinetics of O2, CO, and NO binding. Molecular dynamics simulations based on crystal structures have provided information about the time-dependent behavior of photolyzed ligands for comparison with picosecond geminate recombination studies. The Val68-->Ala mutation has little effect on the structure and function of myoglobin. In Ala68 deoxymyoglobin, as in the wild-type protein, a water molecule hydrogen-bonded to the N epsilon atom of the distal histidine restricts ligand binding and appears to be more important in regulating the function of myoglobin than direct steric interactions between the ligand and the C gamma atoms of the native valine side-chain. This distal pocket water molecule is displaced by the larger side-chains at position 68 in the crystal structures of Leu68 and Ile68 deoxymyoglobins. The Leu68 side-chain can rotate about its C alpha-C beta and C beta-C gamma bonds to better accommodate bound ligands, resulting in net increases in overall association rate constants and affinities due to the absence of the distal pocket water molecule. However, the flexibility of Leu68 makes simulation of picosecond NO recombination difficult since multiple starting conformations are possible. In the case of Ile68, rotation of the substituted side-chain is restricted due to branching at the beta carbon, and as a result, the delta methyl group is located close to the iron atom in both the deoxy and liganded structures. The favorable effect of displacing the distal pocket water molecule is offset by direct steric hindrance between the bound ligand and the terminal carbon atom of the isoleucine side-chain, resulting in net decreases in affinity for all three ligands and inhibition of geminate recombination which is reproduced in the molecular dynamics simulations. In Phe68 myoglobin, the benzyl side-chain is pointed away from the ligand binding site, occupying a region in the back of the distal pocket. As in wild-type and Ala68 myoglobins, a well-defined water molecule is found hydrogen bonded to the distal histidine in Phe68 deoxymyoglobin. This water molecule, in combination with the large size of the benzyl side-chain, markedly reduces the speed and extent of ligand movement into the distal pocket. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Schantz, M.M., B.J. Koster, L.M. Oakley, S.B. Schiller and S.A. Wise (1995). Certification of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and chlorinated pesticides in a whale blubber standard reference material. Analytical Chemistry 67(5):901-910. Rinaldo, D. (1995). A whale of a question. Scholastic scope 43(15):18. ------------ These amazing sea creatures are definitely food for thought. But should they be food? Schiro, A., B. W=FCrsig, D. Weller, J. Norris and M. Armstrong (1995). Preliminary findings on sightings and movements of individually identified sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the north central Gulf of Mexico. 98th Annual Meeting of Texas Academy of Sciences, Baylor University in Waco, Texas. ------------ Individual indentifications of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) from photographs of natural markings were collected between Aug 22 and Aug 28 1994 in the north central Gulf of Mexico. A total of 513 sperm whales were sighted across 252 subgroups within an approximately 40 km2 study area. Many of these were resightings, and we estimate that fewer than 50 whales were in the study area. The mean subgroup size observed was 2.0 individuals with a range of 1-12. Twenty individual whales were photographically identified by marks on the trailing edge of their flukes. Sixteen individuals were sighted on only a single day; however, six of these whales were sighted twice within that day. The distance between resightings within a single day ranged between 3.6 and 11.4 km, with a mean resighting interval distance of 6.0 km. Four individuals were sighted on multiple days with resighting intervals ranging between 1 and 3 days. The distance between resightings for whales sighted on multiple days ranged between 10.3 and 26.2 km, with a mean resighting interval distance of 19.3 km. A minimum of two identifiable calves were observed during the duration of the study, and photogrammetry techniques were used to derive length measurements for several individuals. Preliminary findings suggest that individual sperm whales of the north central Gulf of Mexico show some site fidelity to a relatively limited range over at least several days. Shahidi, F., J. Synowiecki and J. Balejko (1995). Proteolytic hydrolysis of muscle proteins of harp seal (Phoca groenlandica). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 42(11):2634-2638. Shahidi, F., J. Synowiecki, R. Amarowicz and U. Wanasundara (1995). Omega-3 fatty acid composition and stability of seal lipids. StorrHansen, E., H. Soliid and J.P. Boon (1995). Patterns of chlorinated biphenyl congeners in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and in their food: statistical analysis. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 28(1):48-54. VanBonn, W.G. (1995). Captive cetaceans. American Veterinary Medical Association 206(2):155. van Pijlen, I.A., B. Amos and T. Burke (1995). Patterns of genetic variability at individual minisatellite loci in minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata populations from three different oceans. Molecular biology and evolution 12(3):459. Zhu, J., R.J. Norstrom, D.C.G. Muir, L.A. Ferron, J.-P. Weber and E. Dewailly (1995). Persistent chlorinated cyclodiene compounds in ringed seal blubber, polar bear fat, and human plasma from northern Quebec, Canada: identification and concentrations of photoheptachlor. Environmental Science & Technology 29(1):267-271. Yano, K. and M.E. Dahlheim (1995). Killer whale, Orcinus orca, depredation on longline catches of bottomfish in the southeastern Bering Sea and adjacent waters. Fishery bulletin 93(2):355. Wishner, K.F., J.R. Schoenherr, R. Beardsley and C. Chen (1995). Abundance, distribution and population structure of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus in a springtime right whale feeding area in the southwestern Gulf of Maine. Continental shelf research 15(4/5):475. Wiley, D.N., R.A. Asmutis, T.D. Pitchford and D.P. Gannon (1995). Stranding and mortality of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, in the mid-Atlantic and southeast United States, 1985-1992. Fishery Bulletin 93(1):196-. Andrew Schiro Marine Mammal Research Program Texas A&M University at Galveston 4700 Avenue U, Bldg 303 Galveston, TX 77551 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 16:29:28 -0600 From: Andrew Schiro Subject: 1995 publications (part 1) Some time back Phil Clapham suggested that a group of people compile a list of current marine mammal publications and post them to Marmam. The following is a listing for 1995 publications. Included are several popular articles. I apologize for any duplicates of items already posted. Those who are interested may contact me personally for about 300 more publications from 1994. ************************************ Adachi, J. and M. Hasegawa (1995). Phylogeny of whales - dependence of the inference on species sampling. Molecular Biology and Evolution 12(1):177-179. Anonymous (1995). Species in Danger. Nature Canada 24(1):50. ------------ Good news for the bowhead whale. Anonymous (1995). Paleontology. Discover 16(1):82. ------------ Whale on feet, respect for crawdaddies, dino embryo, and a Pliocene red tide. Anonymous (1995). Profile. Scientific American 272(1):n.p. ------------ Walter H. Munk, an oceanographer uneasily at odds with whale lovers. Anonymous (1995). Dolphin noise. National Fisherman 75(11):29. ------------ Prototype tracking system homes in on dolphins to target tuna. Arnason, U., K. Bodin, A. Gullberg, C. Ledje and S. Mouchaty (1995). A molecular view of pinniped relationships with particular emphasis on the true seals. Journal of Molecular Evolution 40(1):78-85. ------------ Baretta, L. and G.L. Hunt (1995). Changes in the numbers of cetaceans near the Pribilof-Islands, Bering Sea, between 1975-78 and 1987-89. Arctic 47(4):321-. Barlow, J. (1995). The abundance of cetaceans in California waters. Part I: ship surveys in summer and fall of 1991. Fishery Bulletin 93(1):1-14. ------------ A ship survey was conducted in summer and fall of 1991 to estimate the abundance of cetaceans in California waters between the coast and approximately 555 km (300 nmi) offshore. Linetransect methods were used from a 53-m research vessel. Approximately 10,100 km were searched, and 515 groups of cetaceans were seen. The estimated abundances and coefficients of variation (in parentheses) of the most common small cetaceans are the following: 226,000 (0.28) short-beaked common dolphins, Delphinus delphis; 78,400 (0.35) Dall's porpoises, Phocoenoides dalli; 19,000 (0.41) striped dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba; 12,300 (0.54) Pacific whitesided dolphins, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens; 9,470 (0.68) long-beaked common dolphins, Delphinus capensis; and 9,340 (0.57) northern right whale dolphins, Lissodelphis borealis. The estimated abundances (and CV's) of the most common large cetaceans are 2,250 (0.38) blue whales, Balaenoptera musculus; 935 (0.63) fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus; 756 (0.49) sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus; and 626 (0.41) humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae. Estimates are also made for other species and for higher-level taxa that could not be identified to species. Blow, R. (1995). Dr. Dolphin. Mother Jones 20(1):28. ------------ Flipper jokes aside, swimming with dolphins heals humans. Can the effect be reproduced in virtual reality? Boily, P. (1995). Theoretical heat flux in water and habitat secection of phocid seals and beluga whales during the annual molt. Journal of Theoretical Biology 172(3):235-244. Brown, M.R., P.J. Corkeron, P.T. Hale and K.W. Schultz (1995). Evidence for a sex-segregated migration in the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences 259(1355):229. ------------ Existing population models for humpback whales assume that all individuals within a population undertake the annual migration from feeding areas in high latitudes to breeding areas in tropical waters. An excess of males was recorded in the commercial whaling catches near breeding areas in the southern hemisphere, but no account of this was taken in developing population models, because it was believed that this bias was a result of whalers selecting against females with young calves. Here we demonstrate that the sex ratio of migrating humpback whales near a breeding area is highly skewed towards males. A biopsy study carried out in 1992 throughout the northward and southward migrations revealed a sex ratio of 2.4 males: 1 female in the population of humpback whales migrating along the east Australian coast (n = 180). A reanalysis of the catches made during commercial whaling in this and other areas of the southern hemisphere gave a sex ratio of the same order. The most plausible explanation, supported by some evidence, is that some females remain in the feeding areas throughout winter. The results reported here show that existing management models require major revision to take account of these findings. Cartee, R.E., B.W. Gray, J. John and S.H. Ridgway (1995). B-mode ultrasound evaluation of dolphin skin. Journal of diagnostic medical sonography 11(2):76. Callan, R.J., G. Early, H. Kida and V.S. Hinshaw (1995). The appearance of H3 influenza viruses in seals. Journal of General Virology 76:199-203. ------------ Surveillance for influenza A virus infection of seals has continued following the association of influenza A virus with epizootics of pneumonia in seals off the New England coast in 1979-1980 and 1982-1983. In January 1991 and January to February 1992, influenza A viruses were isolated from seals that died of pneumonia along the Cape Cod peninsula of Massachusetts. Antigenic characterization identified two H4N6 and three H3N3 viruses. This was the first isolation of H3 influenza viruses from seals, although this subtype is frequently detected in birds, pigs, horses and humans. Haemagglutination inhibition assays of the H3 isolates showed two distinct antigenic reactivity patterns: one more similar to an avian reference virus (A/Duck/Ukraine/1/63) and one more similar to a human virus (A/Aichi/2/68). The haemagglutinin (HA) genes from two of the H3 seal viruses showing different antigenic reactivity (A/Seal/MA/3911/92 and A/Seal/MA/3984/92) were 99.7% identical, with four nucleotide differences accounting for four amino acid differences. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that both of these sequences were closely related to the sequence from the avian H3 virus, A/Mallard/New York/6874/78. This indicates that influenza A viruses of apparent avian origin, including the H3 subtype viruses, continue to infect seals. Carvan, M.J., L.P. Flood, B.D. Campbell and D.L. Busbee (1995). Effects of benzo(a)pyrene and tetrachlorodibenzo(p)dioxin on fetal dolphin kidney cells: inhibition of proliferation and initiation of DNA damage. Chemosphere 30(1):187. Cowan, D.F. and T.L. Smith (1995). Morphology of complex lymphoepithelial organs of the anal canal ("anal tonsil") in the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. Journal of Morphology 223:263-268. ------------ A complex of lymphoepithelial organs, the "anal tonsils," is a consistent structure in the anal canal of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. This complex occurs as a circumferential cluster of discrete tonsil- like aggregations of lymphoid tissues, together with epithelial ducts ("crypts") and occasional mucus secretory units in the extreme lower portion of the intestinal tract. These structures are concentrated in the segment lined by stratified squamous epithelium and extend for a variable distance cephalad from the anal aperture. The tonsils appear to be most active, judged by the amount of lymphoid tissue present, in young animals. Depletion of lymphocytes and cystic enlargement of the crypts, probably representing functional as well as morphological involution, is a consistent feature of older animals. Dedina, S. and E.H. Young (1995). Conservation and development in the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) lagoons of Baja California Sur, Mexico., U.S. Marine Mammal Commission:81. ------------ In this report we identify ongoing and possible future development and related activities that could have a negative impact on two of the three main calving/breeding habitats for the eastern North Pacific gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) population in Baja California Sur, namely Laguna San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena. We also identify steps that are being or could be taken to assess and to prevent or minimize activities that may have adverse effects. We provide: (1) a brief summary of natural history, exploitation, protection, and current status of the gray whale population in Mexico; (2) a description of the physical and human geography of the study area; (3) a history of environmental conservation efforts in the study area; (4) an overview of the environmental management structure in the study area and the environmental impact review process in Mexico; (5) descriptions of past, existing, and planned development and commercial activities in the study area; and (6) descriptions of impediments to effective assessment and control of activities with potentially adverse impacts and possible means to strengthen current gray whale conservation. This study is based on field research conducted in Laguna San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena in Baja California Sur. Background research and interviews were conducted in San Diego, California, La Paz, Baja California Sur, and Mexico City. The research included: (1) conducting open-ended and semi-structured interviews; (2) participant observation of local residents' activities; (3) reviewing primary and archival data; and (4) reviewing newspaper coverage. This enabled us to compare actual use and management of gray whale habitats with: (a) how government officials think these areas are and should be used and; (b) how different user groups in the study area view regulations of their activities for gray whale habitat management. Laguna San Ignacio is the only primary gray whale breeding/calving area in Mexico that remains superficially unaltered. In contrast, portions of Bahia Magdalena have been changed by industrial and mining activities, as well as the recent construction of a thermoelectric plant. The majority of local residents at both sites are employed in fisheries, which suffer from chronic over-harvesting and poaching. While Laguna San Ignacio is formally protected as part of the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve and Bahia Magdalena remains unprotected, they face similar problems in terms of management structure, insufficient funding, and a shortage of on-site personnel, facilities, and equipment. In both areas, problems related to gray whale tourism have emerged as a result of: (1) overlapping government agency jurisdictions; (2) permitting irregularities; (3) non-uniform interpretation and enforcement of rules and regulations; and (4) poor communication among user groups and regulatory agencies. One issue of particular concern is that of how to better redistribute the economic benefits from gray whale tourism and elicit more active involvement of local communities in gray whale conservation programs. Mexico has played an important role in protecting the gray whale population and the population's main wintering areas. The gray whale has become a powerful political symbol of Mexico's commitment to environmental protection. Three federal agencies are primarily responsible for on-site protection of gray whales and regulation of human activities in Laguna San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena. These are the National Institute of Ecology (INE), Federal Attorney General's Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa), and the Secretariat of Fisheries (Pesca). In terms of restricting development activities, INE and Profepa are both legally obligated to work within the legislative framework provided by the 1988 General Ecology Law to review and prevent development projects that could cause adverse impacts to critical gray whale habitats in both areas. Under the 1992 Fisheries Law, Pesca is required to develop conservation programs for marine mammals. Article 254 bis of the Federal Penal Code prescribes up to six years in prison for individuals convicted of harassing or killing marine mammals. In Laguna San Ignacio, federal agencies have taken the lead role in habitat conservation. In Bahia Magdalena, the municipal government of Comondu has convened local residents, state, and federal agencies to discuss issues related to tourism development and conservation in the bay. The greatest threats to the whales and their habitats are from: 1) the development of a 52,150 ha salt production facility on the shore of Laguna San Ignacio; 2) a proposed 2,000 ha tourist resort development at Bahia Magdalena; and 3) uncontrolled gray whale tourism in the North Zone of Bahia Magdalena. Strict review and monitoring of development and whale-tourism by INE, Profepa, and Pesca under existing environmental impact assessment regulations, and the review of project plans and tourism activities by non-governmental organizations, research institutions and scientists familiar with gray whale habitats, should help to minimize potentially adverse impacts. Possible ways to improve conservation of gray whales and their habitats in Laguna San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena are to: (1) decentralize INE management structure, shifting administrative responsibilities to La Paz and establish on-site administrative facilities for the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve; (2) create a gray whale conservation advisory committee, based in Baja California Sur and made up of representatives from related government agencies, research institutions, and the local communities to review and provide advice on development and other activities that could affect gray whales and their habitat; (3) increase user fees for whale-tourism permits to help support on-site gray whale habitat protection; (4) increase efforts to emphasize local involvement, participation, and education during implementation of management programs by government agencies; (5) establish simple and inexpensive interpretive centers at the lagoons; (6) establish permanent operation bases for INE, Profepa, and Pesca staff at both sites; (7) hold regular meetings between gray whale advisory committee representatives and all users of the lagoons and their resources; (8) conduct annual, on-site training seminars through INE and other relevant federal agencies and research institutions for operators of whale-watching boats; (9) encourage voluntary, self-imposed restrictions by whale-tourism operators and government agencies on the promotion of friendly-whale encounters; (10) issue permits to operate and/or guide whale-watching boats only to locally-based, whale-tour operators that employ lagoon and bay residents; (11) foster greater involvement by whale-tour operators that employ around the lagoons, through sponsorship of education programs and community development projects; (12) implement a twenty-year mitigation monitoring program of the proposed salt production facility in Laguna San Ignacio and a tax on salt production to fund biosphere reserve research and conservation programs; (13) establish a five-year research program in Bahia Magdalena to assess impacts of tourism on gray whale behavior and distribution; (14) establish a gray whale refuge in the North Zone of Bahia Magdalena; (15) promote an international symposium on marine mammal tourism by government agencies, research institutions, non-governmental agencies, and tourism operators; and (16) map North American gray whale habitat through remote sensing and use of geographic information system (GIS) to provide detailed, comprehensive assessment of human impacts and habitat alteration. Estes, J.A. and D.O. Duggins (1995). Sea otters and kelp forests in Alaska: Generality and variation in a community ecological paradigm. Ecological Monographs 65(1):75-100. ------------ Multiscale patterns of spatial and temporal variation in density and population structure were used to evaluate the generality of a three-trophic-level cascade among sea otters (Enhydra lutris), invertebrate herbivores, and macroalgae in Alaska. The paradigm holds that where sea otters occur herbivores are rare and plants are abundant, whereas when sea otters are absent herbivores are relatively common and plants are rare. Spatial patterns were based on 20 randomly placed quadrats at 153 randomly selected sites distributed among five locations with and four locations without sea otters. Both sea urchin and kelp abundance differed significantly among locations with vs. without sea otters in the Aleutian Islands and southeast Alaska. There was little (Aleutian Islands) or no (southeast Alaska) overlap between sites with and without sea otters, in plots of kelp density against urchin biomass. Despite intersite variation in the abundance of kelps and herbivores, these analyses demonstrate that sea otter predation has a predictable and broadly generalizable influence on the structure of Alaskan kelp forests. The percent cover of algal turf and suspension feeder assemblages also differed significantly (although less dramatically) between locations with and without sea otters. Temporal variation in community structure was assessed over periods of from 3 to 15 yr at sites in the Aleutian Islands and southeast Alaska where sea otters were 1) continuously present, 2) continuously absent, or 3) becoming reestablished because of natural range expansion. Kelp and sea urchin abundance remained largely unchanged at most sites where sea otters were continuously present or absent, the one exception being at Torch Bay (southeast Alaska), where kelp abundance varied significantly through time and urchin abundance varied significantly among sites because of episodic and patchy disturbances. In contrast, kelp and sea urchin abundances changed significantly, and in the expected directions, at sites that were being recolonized by sea otters. Sea urchin biomass declined by 50% in the Aleutian Islands and by nearly 100% in southeast Alaska following the spread of sea otters into previously unoccupied habitats. In response to these different rates and magnitudes of urchin reduction by sea otter predation, increases in kelp abundance were abrupt and highly significant in southeast Alaska but much smaller and slower over similar time periods in the Aleutian Islands. The different kelp colonization rates between southeast Alaska and the Aleutian Islands appear to be caused by large-scale differences in echinoid recruitment coupled with size-selective predation by sea otters for larger urchins. The length of urchin jaws (correlated with test diameter, r-2 = 0.968) in sea otter scats indicates that sea urchins lt 15-20 mm test diameter are rarely eaten by foraging sea otters. Sea urchin populations in the Aleutian Islands included high densities of small individuals ( lt 20 mm test diameter) at all sites and during all years sampled, whereas in southeast Alaska similarly sized urchins were absent from most populations during most years. Small ( lt 30-35 mm test diameter) tetracycline-marked urchins in the Aleutian Islands grew at a maximum rate of apprxeq 10 mm/yr; thus the population must have significant recruitment annually, or at least every several years. In contrast, echinoid recruitment in southeast Alaska was more episodic, with many years to perhaps decades separating significant events. Our findings help explain regional differences in recovery rates of kelp forests following recolonization by sea otters. Fernandez, M., J.A. Balbuena, J.F. Pertusa and J.A. Raga (1995). Biometric variability of Hadwenius tursionis (Marchi, 1873) (Digenea, Campulidae) from the intestine of the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821). Systematic parasitology 30(1):67. Forney, K.A., J. Barlow and J.V. Carretta (1995). The abundance of cetaceans in California waters. Part II: Aerial surveys in winter and spring of 1991 and 1992. Fishery Bulletin 93(1):15-26. ------------ Two aerial line-transect censuses of cetaceans were conducted along the California coast during March-April 1991 and February-April 1992. The two surveys were designed to provide a combined estimate of cetacean abundance for winter and spring (cold-water) conditions; they complemented a summer and fall ship survey in 1991. The study area (264 270 km2) extended about 278 km (i50 nmi) off the coast of southern California, and 186 km (100 nmi) off the coast of central and northern California. A primary team of two observers searched for cetacean species through bubble windows that allowed an unobstructed view to the sides and directly beneath the aircraft. A third, conditionally independent observer searched through a belly window and reported animals that were missed by the primary team. Approximately 7,069 km and 5,973 km were searched in 1991 and 1992, respectively, resulting in 253 sightings of at least 18 cetacean species (some animals could only be identified to higher taxa). Estimates of abundance and coefficients of variation (in parentheses) for the most common small cetaceans are the following: 306,000 (0.34) common dolphins, Delphinus spp., 122,000 (0.47) Pacific whitesided dolphins, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens; 32,400 (0.46) Risso's dolphins, Grampus griseus; and 21,300 (0.43) northern right whale dolphins, Lissodelphis borealis. Abundance estimates (and CV's) for the most common whales are the following: 892 (0.99) sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus; 392 (0.41) beaked whales, genera Mesoplodon and Ziphius, 319 (0.41) humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae; and 73 (0.62) minke whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata. Frohoff, T.G. and J.M. Packard (1995). Human Interactions with free-ranging and captive bottlenose dolphins. Anthrozoos 3(1):44-53. ------------ The popular demand for encounters with dolphins has resulted in organized encounters around the world involving in-water interactions with both captive and free-ranging dolphins. Many concerns about these interactions have been raised with regard to the well-being of human and dolphin participants (e.g. Capaldo 1989; Iannuzzi and Rowan 1991). In this paper we (a) review existing information on human/dolphin interactions, (b) provide a qualitative comparison of such interactions in the captive and in the wild with the same species of dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and (c) make suggestions regarding future research needs regarding the well-being of dolphins and humans in interactive programs. This study found that the free-ranging dolphin/human interactions consisted primarily of basic elements of intraspecific interactions among free-ranging dolphins. Interactive dolphin behaviors in the captive environment consisted primarily of actions that had been signaled and then reinforced by humans. Potential indicators of disturbance in the dolphins were observed in both contexts, but most frequently in the captive environment. However, physical contact between dolphins and humans was not observed as a result of these behaviors. We conclude that future research is needed to assess the risks to human and dolphin participants during in-water encounters. Andrew Schiro Marine Mammal Research Program Texas A&M University at Galveston 4700 Avenue U, Bldg 303 Galveston, TX 77551 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 17:40:31 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: fetal anatomy: references? suggestions for necropsies? Greetings, We have a fetus that is a hybrid between a Dall's and a harbour porpoise. The specimen is currently frozen, and we are going to be undertaking a detailed necropsy in the next week or so. We've undertaken numerous necropsies on porpoises, but relatively few on fetuses, and I'm wondering whether anyone has suggestions and/or references on fetal dissection techniques different from the data typically collected for adult cetaceans (we currently use a modified version of the Smithsonian's necropsy data sheet)? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much, Robin ==================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Research Group Department of Biology Box 6244 University of Victoria Victoria, B.C. P.O. Box 1700, MS 7094 V8P 5L5 Canada Victoria, B.C. Phone (604) 380-1925 V8W 2Y2 Canada Fax (604) 380-1206 e-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca ==================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 20:33:37 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: polar bears Dear Marmam Readers: Does someone out there have a slide of a polar bear (captive is ok, but hopefully it doesn't need a major cropping job)? The slide would be used in a children's book on wolves and their relatives. The slide is in reference to arctic foxes sometimes following polar bears to scavenge prey. There is a rush for the slide; I need it before the end of next week. The photographer will receive credit next to the photo, as well as a complimentary copy of the book. Please contact me directly at my mailbox: Dagmar Fertl fertld(\)aol.com Thanks for your help! ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 18:13:03 -0700 From: Phillip Bigelow Subject: dissection of laryn-thoracics of pinnipeds Hello marmammers, I just recently joined the list. I am involved in research on the hyoid apparatus of carnivores, particularly pinnipeds. I would like to find anyone here who has done extensive dissection/anatomy studies on the throat/tongue region of pinnipeds. I have some questions to pose to you! In fact, if you have done *any* dissection is this area, I would like for you to give me an e-mail jingle. cheers, Phil Bigelow n8010095(\)henson.cc.wwu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 20:56:20 -0700 From: Pacific Whale Foundation Subject: Humpback Whale Project The Pacific Whale Foundation has recently received a grant to provide subsidies of up to 20% for teachers and students who particpate in our Australian Humpback Whale Project during September of 1995. For information on how you can join our research team studying humpback whales in Hervey Bay Marine Park, located along Queensland's beautiful Sunshine Coast, contact Intern Program Co-ordinator Kris Hunter by telephone (1-800-WHALE-11) or email: "pacwhale(\)igc.apc.org". Teams are limited in size to 5 participants, and last for a minimum of two weeks. Please do not send inquiries to Marmam. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 21:55:58 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: NEW ZEALAND TO DEBATE `HUMANE KILLING' OF WHALES AT IWC MEETING 18-May-95 12:44 pm Regular National NZ TO DEBATE `HUMANE KILLING' OF WHALES AT IWC MEETING Wellington, May 18 - The ``humane killing'' of whales will be debated at an International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Ireland next week, New Zealand whaling commissioner Jim McLay said in a statement today. A spokeswoman for Mr McLay, who is en route to the Dublin conference, said the commissioner and Massey University veterinary pathology and public health professor emeritus David Blackmore would participate in a week-long workshop on whale-killing methods. They would describe how New Zealand was trying to help change inhumane methods of killing whales, she said. ``Because New Zealand gets so many stranded whales, we have a lot of experience in it. ``We have said to the commission that we want to share with you the benefit of our experience,'' the spokeswoman said. Professor Blackmore's work shows that the ``lance'' method used by Japanese whalers to kill a research quota of whales in the southern ocean and sub-Antarctic ``wasn't delivering sufficient current to kill the whales humanely'', the spokeswoman said. New Zealand and Britain would put forward a proposal at the IWC meeting to have the Japanese whalers' lance killing method banned, she said. Mr McLay said in the statement New Zealand would maintain its robust opposition to commercial and scientific whaling at the meeting. ``There is always a clash of interests, given the different and frequently strongly held views of member governments on whaling. ``Despite this, the IWC has managed to make progress, such as last year's decision to establish a southern ocean sanctuary. ``I will be reiterating New Zealand's strong concern that minke whales continue to be killed within this area or, indeed, any other area, for research,'' Mr McLay said. As well as participating in the workshop on whale killing methods, Mr McLay will also be chairing a working group on whale-watching. ``We will continue to negotiate on the full range of issues, with the aim of obtaining the greatest possible protection of whales,'' he said. NZPA WGT ks ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 09:23:08 BSC From: Andre Barreto Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: Re: CSI Captivity Policy Statement In-Reply-To: Message of Thu, 11 May 1995 17:05:44 -0600 from This discussion about the benefits of captivity of cetaceans has gone a long way, but let me give my humble opinion. ;-) On Thu, 11 May 1995 17:05:44 -0600 Anne Doncaster said: > >>We have performed non-invasive >>research to learn more about the animals visual and auditory >>capabilities among other things. > >Could you explain how free-ranging cetaceans have benefited >from this research? > Well, I think that free-ranging cetaceans have benefited a lot from our knowledge acquired in captivity. Knowing more about auditory abilities of cetaceans allow us to protect from posible sources of sounds that we might not even know that were harmful to them. Better still, knowing their phisiology we are able to rehabilitate better stranded animals. And I can still think about benefits steming from births in captivity, because if you know the milk composition of several species (or at least the ones that were kept in captivity) and developmental patterns of young animals, you can help young animals that lost their mothers. (some lines deleted) >I'm not sure to whom this question is addressed but there are many >conservation and protectionist organizations that would claim to >have spent considerable time and money on public education: for >example,increasing public awareness of direct and indirect takes >of wild marine mammals, the problems of pollution, the need to establish >marine preserves. Some of these organizations are also involved >in stranding networks and rehabilitation. One does not have to put >marine mammals on display to accomplish any of these. I agree that to those objectives mentioned above you don't have to put animals in captivity, but to others you have. How would you know about the blood chemistry of a dolphin after deep diving without having one in a tank and teaching he to dive for long times and then exhaling on a hood? Or how would you know about their sonar and its ability to distinguish between a hollow and a filled cilinder? And how about learning about their cognitive abilities and their understanding of sign languages? And those are only some examples of things that can't be learned from free-ranging animals or dead ones stranded. > > >I expect that most, if not all of what we have learned that is >helpful to the protection of marine mammals has been learned by >studying these creatures in the wild or, arguably,in short-term captive >situations. Correct me if I am wrong. > Unfortunately you are wrong. I think that what you propose in your last line would be the best solution. Perhaps short-term captive animals would help us to understand them more without making them suffer from long confinement. I think that the fundamental disagreement here is that you, and most others that are totally against captivity, want exclusively to protect the cetaceans (and perhaps pinnipeds also) while I am concerned in understanding them. I also thing that they should be protected, as any other species living on this planet has, but the more I know and love them, the more I want to understand them and know why they do the things they do. And unfortunately some things can only be understood when you have a live and healthy animal close at hand. And this means captivity, in good conditions of course. > >Anne Doncaster > >Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition >P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station >Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 >Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 Andre S. Barreto | Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinhos | Depto. de Oceanografia - FURG (posasb(\)brfurg.bitnet) | C.P. 474 Rio Grande RS | 96201-900 | Brasil __________________________|_____________________________________ | "Problems worthy of attack, show their value hitting back" | |________________________________________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 13:11:16 +0000 From: gomercic(\)olimp.irb.hr Subject: release of captive dolphins in Black Sea? Prof. Dr. Hrvoje Gomercic Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb 41000 ZAGREB, Heinzelova 55, CROATIA Phone: 385 1 290 250; fax: 385 1 214 697 E-mail: gomercic(\)olimp. irb.hr Zagreb, 18 May 1995 Hello all, Here in Zagreb on Croatian TV we heard that the former Soviet army, now Ukrainian army probably, few weeks ago released in Black Sea big number of dolphins which were used in their army. Does anybody know something more about it? We are interested for it, because here in North Adriatic in harbour of little old Croatian town Bakar lived a female bottlenose dolphin with unusual behaviour for wild dolphin. Thanks for any information Hrvoje Gomercic ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 09:56:18 PDT From: HeiniH(\)aol.com Subject: Qualifications. ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am rather new to the MARMAM and have seen some very heated concerns discussed "on-line" dealing with captive cetaceans. There seem to be a lot of postings from one Ms. Rose from The Humane Society of the United States. I feel it might be helpful to the multiple recipients of MARMAM to know what your background is. If I'm not mistaken, H.S.U.S. is an animal right's organization as opposed to the American Humane Association, correct? With all due respect, I realize it sounds personal, but with the amount of your involvement with MARMAM, I feel it may serve to enlighten us whom don't know who you are by name. I respect comments from qualified persons, but feel that those from the unqualified serve only to cloud certain issues. Thank you in advance. HeiniH(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 09:57:20 PDT From: DRAGONETTES Organization: Southwest Texas State University Subject: Re: Marine education? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I put forth that there is another purpose that many derive from a marine park or a zoo and that is that one can use such as a means of relaxing the mind, to diffuse the stress that is built up. While such application is entirely a human concern, with all that humans are capable of, good and bad, to do away with such places without such considerations could indeed be the proverbial "shooting one's self in the foot". -Traci ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 10:01:31 PDT From: Coalition for No Whales in Captivity Subject: Re: Marine education? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Herbert Roitblat criticizes Naomi Rose: >She then goes on to the fallacious conclusion that because she is unaware >of formal studies of the educational value, it must be the case that there >are none. Nonetheless she seems to call for marine parks to collect data >on their educational impact.... >The tenability of the position that the educational impact of marine parks >is negative, would seem to depend on information about what people learn >just as strongly as the position that their educational impact is >positive. I do not claim to know what message people are getting ... it >would be reasonable to find out what message people are getting. >Assumptions are >not facts. Well, the Vancouver Public Aquarium must have already conducted such a study on their educational impact on children (and just forgot to tell us about it) because in a letter dated 8 May 1995, mailed to potential donors asking for financial support, the aquarium concludes: "We knew that our school programs had a tremendous impact on children." If this statement is based on "facts" and is not just another convenient "assumption" on their part, the aquarium would be in a position to answer Naomi Rose's question: > | WHAT ARE THEY LEARNING? It DOES matter. Annelise Sorg Coalition for No Whales in Captivity 8636 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6P 5A1 Tel: (604) 266-3900 Fax: (604) 266-1120 e-mail: annelise(\)direct.ca ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 10:03:45 PDT From: Barbara B Piel Subject: Re: GIS & Marine Mammals In-Reply-To: <199505161600.MAA10057(\)hopper.unh.edu> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- You might want to look at a paper entitled: "Assessment of the Possible Use of a Cooperative/Coordinated Geographic Information System (GIS) to Facilitate Access to, and Integration and Analysis of, Data Bearing upon the Conservation of Marine Mammals in Alaska." Prepared by Anne Hoover-Miller, Pacific Rim Research, Haines, Alaska. It is available from the Marine Mammal Commission 1825 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 512 Washington, DC 20009 The report contains a listing of organizations which you may want to contact for more information. Barbara Piel bbp(\)hopper.unh.edu On Tue, 16 May 1995, Joanne Dyer wrote: > > In regard to a project currently being undertaken, I am > investigating the suitability of using Geographical Information > Systems (GIS) in assessing Whale movements in the natural > environment. > > Please could anyone tell me if any work similar to this has been > carried out before. > Thanks in anticipation, Joanne Dyer > jkdyer(\)plymouth.ac.uk > or Applied Marine Science, University of Plymouth > Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 6DM, UK. > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 10:33:58 PDT From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: Research vs. public display ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dr. Roitblat wrote: >I take absolute exception to this comment. Although I was born after the >war, many of my friends and relatives were survivors of the Nazi death >camps. I take such comments personally and am offended deeply by them as >a scientist and as a Jew. I find the equation of marine mammal scientists >and Nazis offensive and the equation of the people exterminated by the >Nazis with marine mammals to be revolting. Lobbing such bombs has >absolutely no place in this kind of forum and I call on Ms Rose to retract them. With my earlier posting, my intention was certainly not to offend anyone. I have been called to task here by Dr. Roitblat for my reference to Nazism and also by Paul Nachtigall for showing a lack of consistency in my arguments (lobbing bombs even as I criticized bomb lobbers) and I stand duly chastised. I deeply regret my unforgivably glib reference to Nazism, all the more so because, in common with Dr. Roitblat, my family (on my father's side) were victims of the Holocaust and I have always attempted, having grown up imbued with that tragic history, to refer to it with due gravity. My only explanation (not meant as an excuse, as frankly I consider what I said inexcusable) is that a friend had just visited the Holocaust Museum and we had been discussing his experience and I had just that day watched "Schindler's List" on video, so the reference was at the surface of my mind. This seems a lamentably lame explanation, but I'm afraid it is the best I can offer, as it is the truth. I certainly was not trying to call anyone a Nazi nor was I equating genocide with marine mammal invasive research. Even I would not dare to be so glib. All I meant to do was make a point about arrogance in science (not as a lobbed bomb but simply as a statement of opinion, which I obviously failed to accomplish). I could (and should) have just as easily referred to the contributors to the Manhatten Project and its consequences to make my point (a perhaps equally overly melodramatic example, but undoubtedly less offensive, although perhaps not to the other side of my family, who were in Japan at the time of Hiroshima and Nagasaki). In making my point, I stress that I too am a scientist and proud of my training and credentials. I make my point not with "religious fervor" but out of a real concern for some of the attitudes I perceive in the scientific community. I consider humility a vitue in scientists and didn't think the postings by Herbert Roitblat or Dan Costa demonstrated this virtue to any degree (again, this does not excuse my comment). Science is not inherently good or right or justified. I believe it is important to consider ethics (and apparently Dr. Roitblat agrees with this), and even emotional convictions (although I still do not understand Dr. Roitblat's equating such with "religious" convictions), when making decisions in science and when making science-based policy decisions. This is not to imply that ONLY ethics or emotion should be considered, simply that they not be dismissed out of hand nor that they be misdefined as revelatory or religious. Once, again, I deeply regret lobbing bombs and I very much regret the glibness of my reference. Dr. Roitblat is completely justified in demanding a retraction and an apology and I offer both humbly. Naomi Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 10:35:15 PDT From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: Re the HSUS Ethical Agenda (fwd) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Bob Gisiner wrote: > >Like some others who have already replied I was pleased by Naomi's opening >conciliatory remarks about good and bad in captive marine mammal display >and researcher. But was I the only one to notice that the four and half >pages of pot-shots that followed were anything but conciliatory? In fact >there was a lot of outright nastiness I regret if my opinions and viewpoints appeared nasty to Bob because they were opposed to his way of thinking. I have already apologized elsewhere for comments in my second posting that were indeed nasty and in fact for violating my own request not to lob bombs, but I'm afraid I do not consider anything in my first posting to fall under the heading of "nasty." Critical, yes, but not nasty. I truly regret that Bob, who, as he mentioned, was a fellow student with me at UC Santa Cruz and whose work with Steller sea lions I greatly admired, perceives what I wrote so poorly. I do NOT have a poor opinion of science or scientists, as I've already stated elsewhere, and I still consider myself one, but I am greatly concerned by arrogance, wherever I see it (including in myself). >I wasn't sure if Naomi was calling for us to all work together to improve >the balance of good to bad aspects (per her opening statements), or to end >immediately a)invasive research on captive animals, or b) any research on >captive animals, or c) research is o.k., but display for education or >entertainment is not, or d)end all captive animal programs. None of the above. I was asking a) that the public display industry objectively evaluate the efficacy and nature of their education programs, rather than continue to claim without real evidence that their programs are successful and justify their existence and b) that everyone consider ethics and even emotion as well as facts in science-based and political decision-making processes. I have refined my opinions over the years, but I continue to hold the same basic opinions now as I did in school. It is understandable if Bob doesn't know this, because although we were fellow students, we were not confidantes; several of my friends and former colleagues from graduate school are not surprised at all by my statements these days and continue to support me. We have gone to >a lot of trouble to develop NMFS research permits, APHIS inspection of >facilities, institutional animal care and use committees, animal car and >use oversight by funding institutions and professional societies. If these >aren't working to the extent Naomi implies, I'd expect to see her out there >pointing fingers at the offenders and depanding that these oversight bodies >do their jobs: I sure would! Clearly Bob is unaware of the full extent of my job. I most definitely have been out on the "front lines," pointing fingers diligently. Ask anyone at APHIS or NMFS and they will tell you I am a very vocal advocate for marine mammals (both wild and captive) with these oversight bodies -- positively a thorn in their side, at times! I just spoke as an advocate at the New Orleans SCAW conference. State agencies hear from me as well, as do state and federal legislators, at hearings and during public comment periods. The HSUS conducts investigations when we hear of abuse allegations and we follow up with state and federal agencies with our results. Litigation, education, investigation, legislation -- I am involved in all of these aspects of marine mammal protection. It pains me to think that >this is the way she thinks of me, and of the people who did so much to >develop and foster her understanding and appreciation of marine mammals. I am dismayed that Bob, or anybody out there, took my comments personally. I can only say, and I can only ask that he believe, that they were not meant so. A statement that I find >absolutely astonishing, considering the well-documented public concern >about the environment, which has increased tremendously in the past decade >and continues to grow. I was referring, as did Dan Costa, to the new Congress and its anti-environmental members and their anti-environmental agenda. The general public may or may not be supportive of this agenda, but a lot of them voted for these legislators. I see us moving backward, at least legislatively -- it is currently an ugly scene in Washington D.C. for the environment and animals (witness the passage only yesterday of the "Dirty Water" bill). Nor do I find it conciliatory when Naomi verbally >assaults a park employee, probably young, probably not anywhere near as >well-educated as the PhD level scientist who brought forth the flustered >response about dosrsal fin droop in the first place. Just to clarify, as stated by others in other postings: the dorsal fin droop response was a policy response -- that is, the "young...flustered" employee was trained by Sea World to answer in this manner. Secondly, I wasn't actually referring to the dorsal fin droop issue, nor was I assaulting any individuals, but rather institutional policy, when I made that comment -- I was referring to the institutional statements by Sea World (in two recent brochures that I will be happy to send to anyone who requests copies) in which they state that the latest scientific evidence indicates that the MAXIMUM life span for killer whales is estimated to be 25-35 years. In fact, the latest scientific evidence indicates that the maximum life span for killer whales is estimated to be 50-60 years for males and 70-80 years for females. Even if these estimates are optimistic (which so far doesn't seem to be the case, as the Pacific Northwest database continues to grow), they certainly don't gibe with the low figure provided by Sea World to its millions of visitors each year. If you don't, Id' like you >to consider what terms of castigation and unswerving condemnation we should >use for a PhD in Biology from the University of California, a national >spokesperson for the HSUS, who "almost certainly deliberately" misinformed >everyone on this listserver when she stated that the Navy "has captured >more animals in the last eight years" than the fourteen taken by Shdd >Aquarium, when she knows, or should know from her role in the Navy's >reintroduction efforts, that the Navy has in fact captured no animals in >the last eight years (that's right, zero). I am absolutely astonished that you would say this, Bob. First of all, your implication that I would deliberately lie is in fact personally and directly offensive (as opposed to generally and indirectly offensive as others and you have found my remarks) and, to borrow your phrase, I am pained that you would insult me in such a public manner -- if you really believed I was mistaken, you could have sent me a private e-mail first, if only out of respect for our collegial history. Secondly, where did you get your information? The Navy has in fact captured (and perhaps the confusion arises because Navy personnel didn't directly capture these animals, but rather the Navy hired a capture operator to do so -- but that's generally true for all holders of captive marine mammals, so I don't really see how this explains it) 49 bottlenose dolphins in the last eight years -- 17 in 1987, 23 in 1988, and 9 in 1989. You only have to look in the MMIR to know this. I truly regret some of the reactions to my two postings -- although I have received a number of messages of support for my statements, the handful of extremely negative responses is greatly disturbing to me. I will make every effort to label my opinions as opinions in the future, I will make every effort to avoid lobbing bombs per my own request, and I will certainly make every effort to avoid offensive references, but I have to say I really don't know what I said in general that justifies the dramatic nature of these negative responses. If that makes me dense, so be it, but it certainly doesn't make me a liar, a religious fanatic, or an agitator. Naomi Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 10:36:20 PDT From: Robert Gisiner Subject: apology ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------- Naomi, fellow marmam-ers -- I was wrong: it has been seven years, not eight, since the Navy last collected marine mammals from the wild. I apologize for misinforming the readers of this list and for taking Naomi to task on a subject that I should have been better informed about. I still feel her letter was not constructive, but then I don't seem to have done much better myself. As the person who corrected me said, "The problem with getting on a high horse is the possibility of a long fall." Ouch. Bob Gisiner ------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 11:16:52 PDT From: Allan Rosen-Ducat Subject: Job opening in Mailbu ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- We have an opening for a rescue operations person. Please e-mail me with request for info. ****************************************************************************** Allan Rosen-Ducat President Voice: 310-457-7447 Marine & Mountain Wildlife Rescue Fax: 310-457-3445 E-Mail allanrd(\)earthlink.net ****************************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 20:28:44 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: abstract After looking at Andy Schiro's 1995 publication list, I found this was missing: Schultz KW. Corkeron PJ. 1994. INTERSPECIFIC DIFFERENCES IN WHISTLES PRODUCED BY INSHORE DOLPHINS IN MORETON BAY, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 72(6):1061-1068, Jun. Abstract: The sounds produced by bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus,and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, Sousa chinensis, were recorded on 11 days from 3 April to 13 August 1990 in Moreton Bay, eastern Australia. Twelve hours and 34 minutes of sound were recorded. The physical structure of whistles was described using a variable for duration and seven variables for frequency. Data were subjected to principal components analysis (PCA)and canonical discriminant analysis (CDA). PCA demonstrated the range of whistle contours recorded. CDA demonstrated differences in the whistles between species. Humpback dolphin whistles differed in shape (frequency modulation) and were generally of shorter duration and higher overall frequency than those of bottlenose dolphin whistles. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 13:40:00 EST From: Phil Clapham Subject: (Oh no!) Captivity No, I am not going to get involved in the captivity debate per se, nor am I going to attempt to interpret Naomi Rose's intentions (only she can do that) in making statements about Nazis etc etc. But I would like to question the recent message which implied she was unqualified because she works for an animal right's organization. Perhaps the person who posted this message - who, incidentally, didn't give any details about his/her own qualifications in the matter - could tell us how one defines "qualified"? Does ANYONE who works for an animal rights group not qualify, no matter what their training? By the way, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's DR Rose, not "Ms" Rose. If so, then Dr Rose obviously has some advanced training in science. Or is this somehow rendered null and void because of her employers? Please, folks, let's concentrate on the facts and the logic of the arguments, not the personal stuff. If someone has a good question or point to make, that in itself should qualify them to participate in any discussion as long as all such discussion is conducted in good faith. Or am I being naive? Fiat lux, Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 10:39:12 -0800 From: Jeff Rothal Subject: _Orcinus_ Fluke Width A local school is putting together a 17-foot paper mache killer whale. It's a scale model of a 25-foot male. They have all the measurements they need except the span (width) of the tail flukes. Does anyone out there have this measurement for a 25-foot male? Thanks in advance. Jeff Rothal jeffr(\)muskox.alaska.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 08:07:46 -0700 From: Daniel Costa I am reluctantly replying to the latest MARMAN message from Naomi Rose. I seriously considered ignoring the response, since it was an earnest attempt to rectify some earlier mistatements. However, I was singled out in her response as someone who has no "humility" in my messages to MARMAM. In all of my posting's I have tried to keep my comments as professional as possible. In my last response I only directly responded to a question from Anne Doncaster and suppled information that I felt addressed questions raised by Anne Doncaster and Naomi. There is very little to be gained from personnel attacks and making these issues emotional. Unfortunately, e-mail is a new medium that we are all getting accustomed to. I am sure that many of us have responded to e-mail without thinking about what we have said before sending if off. Often in the heat of the moment we write things we wouldn't say in person, nor would we say in a carefully worded letter. Nonetheless, we often let loose on e-mail in ways that we don't intend. I also have known Naomi, as I was an Adjunct Associate Professor at UCSC while she was a graduate student. I also had an opportunity to work with her in the field. From this perspective I find her comments directed at my research attitudes and ethics very hurtful. I stand by my earlier word and leave it up to the readers as to whether Naomi's comment directed at me is truly appropriate. A dear friend once told me "I don't care what any body says about me, as long as it is true" The following is an excerpt posted by Naomi Rose earlier today "...In making my point, I stress that I too am a scientist and proud of my training and credentials. I make my point not with "religious fervor" but out of a real concern for some of the attitudes I perceive in the scientific community. I consider humility a vitue in scientists and didn't think the postings by Herbert Roitblat or Dan Costa demonstrated this virtue to any degree (again, this does not excuse my comment)..." +++ This was my original MARMAM message posted in response to the CSI statement concerning captive marine mammal research. "While reading MARMAM I was taken by the recent request for information about what is known about reproductive physiology of Tursiops, while at the same time I read of CSI's statement against any form of captive marine mammals, including research. My point is that almost everything we know about reproductive physiology comes from studies of captive dolphins (A good review of what is known about Tursiops can be found in "The Bottlenose Dolphin by Leatherwood and Reeves Academic Press 1989). Research on captive animals has provided us with tremendous insight into their biology. Marine mammal science and conservation requires an appropriate mix of both captive and field studies to truly gain an understanding of these animals. This is especially true for cetaceans, because they are so difficult to work with in the wild. While I prefer to study animals in the wild, I find that there are many instances where we cannot answer inportant questions concerning basic biology, reproductive physiology, nutritional biology, thermal biology acoustics, etc. without access to captive animals. It is very naive to think that we can learn all that we need to know about marine mammal conservation from studies exclusively in the wild. Thus a total ban of captive animals is not in the best interest of marine mammal conservation. Respectfully, Daniel Costa Ph.D. Professor of Biology" This was my last message posted in an attempt to answer a question put forward by Anne Doncaster. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My original message "My point is that almost everything we know about reproductive physiology comes from studies of captive dolphins . . . While I prefer to study animals in the wild, I find that there are many instances where we cannot answer important questions concerning basic biology, reproductive physiology, nutritional biology, thermal biology acoustics, etc. without access to captive animals. It is very naive to think that we can learn all that we need to know about marine mammal conservation from studies exclusively in the wild. Thus a total ban of captive animals is not in the best interest of marine mammal conservation. Respectfully, Daniel Costa Ph.D. Professor of Biology" Received the following reply: ===================================================================== "I have never had an explanation of how human knowledge of these phenomena (particularly in view of the fact that resources only allow us to study a minute fraction of species) helps animals in the wild. Again, because of lack of resources, would it not be better to control human activities so that biological diversity is preserved in a healthy environment where life has proven it can survive very well?" Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition ==================================================================== Let me first state that I wholeheartedly agree with Anne's basic premise that we should control human activities that harm biodiversity. To this end I am very much concerned with the tremendous attention and money given to protection of individual animals, with little or no concern given to the protection of populations and their habitat. I understand that it is difficult for people to focus on abstract concepts like populations and habitat and easier to focus on the plight of a single animal. However, the pragmatist in me suggests that as excellent a goal as it may be to curtail human activities that damage populations it is not likely to happen in the near future. This is especially true in light of the Republican controlled U.S. Congress which is anxious to get rid of the Endangered Species Act and other landmark environmental legislation. I think all of us basically believe in many of the same basic principles about protection of bio-diversity. However, we seem to disagree on how these goals are achieved. Some of us believe that captive marine mammals play a role in public education, awareness and in research. Others find this offensive. Again I think the important thing to consider is that while we argue about these issues, many of the truly important legislative advances of the last 20 years are being whittled away in the U.S. Congress. We need try to find common ground to prevent a rollback of years of U.S. environmental law. Finally I will attempt to answer Anne's question about how research on captive animals helps in marine mammal conversation and to a different MARMAM response that suggested that oceanaria like Sea World do not allow research on their animals. First I present a list of publications that I was directly involved with that resulted from work carried out with captives animals at Oceanaria and second research that is directly relevant to marine mammal conservation that was carried out on captive animals. The following studies were carried out with animals at Sea World, San Diego -List of publications- The following publications resulted from work on captive animals and had direct relevance to conservation or marine mammal management issues: -List of publications- This represents my own experiences with research at oceanaria. There are considerably more studies and better examples of captive research that is relevant to marine mammal conservation and management than I have provided here. Respectfully, Daniel P. Costa Ph.D. Professor of Biology ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Again I apologize for taking up some much time and space on MARMAM. Respectfully, Daniel Costa ============================================================================ Daniel P. Costa Ph.D. e-mail: costa(\)biology.ucsc.edu Professor and Associate Chair of Biology Earth & Marine Science Bldg Rm A316 University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064 Voice (408) 459-2786: FAX (408) 459-4882 ============================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 09:05:12 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff - 5/19/95 Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . International Whaling Commission. The 47th annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission will be held from May 29 through June 2, 1995, in Dublin, Ireland. . Polar Bear Report. In February 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a draft report stating that polar bears do not require special protection, but do require special scrutiny, on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 10:28:06 AST9ADT From: Kurt Byers Subject: National Geographic request Can anyone help with the following? Thanks. Kurt Byers, Alaska Sea Grant Communications Manager BOWHEAD WHALES - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. Danielle Beauchamp seeks information for a story on the bowhead whale. More specifically, she needs to know if the skin and top layer of blubber (the muktuk) is rich in vitamin C. She needs this by May 23 at the latest. Kurt Byers, Communications Manager University of Alaska Sea Grant College Program (907) 474-6702 fnkmb1(\)aurora.alaska.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 21:22:46 CET Reply-To: Broekema(\)inter.NL.net From: Jan Willem Broekema Subject: tracking mar.mamm. by satellite: question If you are familiar with tracking animals in the wild, please read on. I am looking at the technology used in tracking animals, and I am especially interested in the use of transmitting geographical data to a base unit by satellite. I would very much appreciate the following information: - names of companies providing products and services to transmit data to a station, and experiences with the products, - technology used (GPS, Loran-C, GNSS, Inmarsat and others) - lifetime of systems (power generation, duration of lifetime) - accuracy of the system used (measured performance) The following is not of interest: - any ground based telemetry system If you know answers to any of these questions or if you know of anybody with experience in this field, please do NOT answer or reply to Marmam but to my address Broekema(\)inter.NL.net. Your effort is greatly appreciated. With kind regards, Jan Willem Broekema European Cetacean Society, Computer Support Group ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 16:39:24 -0400 From: Nardos Fessaha Subject: International Symposium on Dugong INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON DUGONG This symposium will be held at the Toba Aquarium, Toba, Japan, 15 - 17 November 1995. Oral presentations (both submitted and invited) will be given on dugong biology, paleontology, conservation, rescue, and husbandry. Investigators, students, and other interested people are encouraged to attend. A proceedings volume will be distributed at the meeting; 1-3 page camera-ready manuscripts should be submitted by 1 August 1995. For details, contact Mr. Hiroshi Maeda Planning Office Toba Aquarium Toba 3-3-6, Toba City, Mie Prefecture, 517 Japan Tel: 81-599-25-2801 Fax: 81-599-26-3608 E-Mail: LDN03052(\)Niftyserve.or.jp Compuserve: 100463,3176 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 15:46:16 -0600 From: "Joel G. Ortega-Ortiz" Subject: Lead levels in dolphins blood Hello MAMers, I have made a review in papers looking for the lead (Pb) in dolphins blood, however, I have not found so much. Does somebody out there have information about? Thanks. Joel G. Ortega-Ortiz Instituto de Biologia, UNAM Laboratorio de Mastozoologia Apartado Postal 70-153 Mexico, DF 04510 MEXICO ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 21 May 1995 22:27:06 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: TONGA CONSIDERS PROPOSAL TO RESUME WHALING 20-May-95 02:23 pm Regular International TONGA CONSIDERS PROPOSAL TO RESUME WHALING Auckland, May 20 AFP - The Tongan cabinet is considering a proposal to allow commercial whaling in its waters, a regional environmental official said today. South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP) project officer Sue Miller said the proposal involved taking 50 humpback, 200 sperm and 100 minke whales annually. She told AFP from SPREP headquarters in Western Samoa capital Apia that her organisation had been called on to advise the Tongan cabinet. Her report had been submitted to cabinet which was now discussing it. The government-owned Tonga Chronicle published parts of Miller's submission in its latest edition, naming the backer of the scheme as a Tasi Afeaki, a Tongan now living in Japan. But the Chronicle said the scheme was opposed by the Ministry of Land, Survey and Natural Resources. Miller said Afeaki's proposal was extensive and involved a large whale chasing boat and processing facilities for the meat. ``He is most definitely for real,'' she said, adding that Afeaki had extensively lobbied government officials to take up the proposal. Afeaki was advocating the use of whale-meat locally, but Miller noted whale-meat in Japan sold for around $US200 ($NZ305.11) a kilogram, far more than what anybody in Tonga could afford. In her report she said that aside from being emotive, Afeaki's proposal involved taking three types of whales which existed in limited numbers. The humpback is protected by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which is to meet in Dublin next week, because their numbers stand at less than 10 percent of the numbers believed to have existed in pre-whaling days. Tonga is not a member of the IWC. According to Miller, hunting 50 humpbacks a year was ``in excess of any form of sustainable take.'' She also questioned the proposal to take 200 sperm whales, noting the animal had never been hunted for its meat, only its oil, and was generally not considered edible. As for minke whales, Miller said she doubted there were any in Tongan waters. Whale-watching in Tonga's northern 34 islands of Vava'u is beginning to be a major tourist attraction for the kingdom. Every year for three months beginning around June humpback whales arrive from Antarctica and stay around Vava'u where they are believed to calf and mate. The Tonga Trench, one of the world's deepest points, passes near Vava'u and makes it attractive for the whales. At some places near Vava'u, the ocean is already up to 60 metres deep just 10 metres from the shore. Miller said in her report to cabinet that the whale-watching operation would come to an end with hunting because ``whaling and whale-watching do not go hand in hand.'' To accept Afeaki's proposal would also adversely affect the tourism industry as tourists are choosing destinations that are ``environmentally friendly,'' her report said. Tongans used to hunt and kill whales, taking around 10 humpbacks a year, but the practise was stopped by decree of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV in 1979. AFP dj ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 21 May 1995 22:27:27 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: JAPAN TO RAISE MINKE WHALE CATCH: REPORT 20-May-95 06:39 pm Regular International JAPAN TO RAISE MINKE WHALE CATCH: REPORT Tokyo, May 20 AFP - Japan has told the International Whaling Commission (IWC) of a plan to boost the number of minke whales it catches this year in a sanctuary around the Antarctic, Kyodo News Service said today. The news agency, quoting government sources, said the plan was in a document presented to a meeting of the IWC's Scientific Committee in Dublin. The plan is certain to draw opposition from the anti-whaling lobby at an IWC assembly which begins on May 29, Kyodo said. Japan is a member of the IWC, which banned commercial whaling in 1985 but still permits a limited form of non-commercial whaling for scientific purposes. Under the plan, Japan intends to catch about 100 minke whales in an area near where it already carries out scientific whaling within a Southern Ocean whaling sanctuary declared by the IWC last year. The sanctuary bars all commercial whalers from the Antarctic Ocean south of 40 degrees south latitude and in some areas below the 60th parallel. The document said that the increased catch was necessary to gather more accurate data on the number of whales as well as the effects of the marine ecosystem, pollution, parasites and environmental change. AFP ad ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 11:04:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: WHALES TO BE PROTECTED IN THE WHALES TO BE PROTECTED IN THE BIGHT ADELAIDE, May 22 AAP - Southern Right Whales will be protected in an area around the head of the Great Australian Bight for at least a year under a South Australian government plan to start a marine sanctuary. SA Premier Dean Brown said an area covering 17,500 hectares of ocean off the state's coast bordering Western Australia would become a whale sanctuary for the next year with no mining or fishing allowed. "The measures South Australia is taking will guarantee full protection of the critical breeding grounds of the Southern Right Whale in what will become the Great Australian Bight Marine Park," Mr Brown said. The sanctuary has been developed by the Department of Primary Industries and the Premier's Department in consultation with the local Yalata Aboriginal community in the area. Mr Brown said he hoped an ecotourism industry would develop in the area over the next 12 months. He said a full management plan for the area would be developed in that time to look at what restrictions would be placed on any crafts in the area and examine access routes for tourists who visit the Bight to watch whales. However he did not guarantee the future of the sanctury past the next year saying that would be decided after the management plan had been drawn up. "I think ecotourism relating to the whales is a very, very significant opportunity in this case and one which we believe is highly undeveloped, he said. "I can't pre-empt what might be in that management plan. I think it's clearly understood that there needs to be an area there which gives clear protection to the whales and we've shown our desire to achieve that by saying there's an absolute sanctuary there whilst that management plan is developed." ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 11:42:44 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Information Relating to Bowhead Whales; U.S. Implementation > >[Federal Register: May 18, 1995 (Volume 60, Number 96)] >[Notices] >[Page 26720-26721] >>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] > > >----------------------------------------------------------------------- > >DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE >[Docket No. 950508132-5132-01; I.D. 010995D] > > >Information Relating to Bowhead Whales; U.S. Implementation of >Bowhead Whale Strike Quota > >AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and >Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. > >ACTION: Notice of information; request for comments. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------- > >SUMMARY: NOAA is soliciting public comment on the proposed allocation >to U.S. natives of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) bowhead >whale catch limit. > >DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 19, 1995. > >ADDRESSES: Written comments may be mailed to the Office of >International Affairs, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East- >West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. A list of documents reviewed for >this action may be obtained upon request, and the documents examined >during the comment period during business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at >this address. > >FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Blankenbeker, 301-713-2276. > >SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NOAA is responsible for implementation and >enforcement of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361-1407), >the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C 1531-1543), and the Whaling >Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 916-9161). In addition, it provides staff >support to the [[Page 26721]] U.S. Commissioner to the IWC and to the >IWC Interagency Committee. Consistent with these responsibilities, NOAA >develops positions for implementation of the aboriginal/subsistence >harvest of bowhead whales under paragraph 13 of the Schedule to the >International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling, December 2, >1946, 62 Stat. 1716, T.I.A.S. No. 1849 (entered into force, November >10, 1948). > In order to provide for review and comment by the public of the >data upon which the U.S. positions are based, the following information >is provided: (1) The IWC catch level available for the U.S. aboriginal/ >subsistence bowhead whale harvest for 1995-98; (2) a summary of >available bowhead scientific information, including estimates of >current population level and annual recruitment rates; (3) a summary of >information on the nature and extent of aboriginal/subsistence need; >(4) the level of aboriginal/subsistence harvest limits that could be >implemented domestically; and (5) notice of the availability of those >documents reviewed by NOAA and relied on by the Under Secretary of >Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere in making his finding on the range >of harvest limits. NOAA is soliciting public comment on the proposed >domestic implementation of the IWC bowhead whale catch limit. > >1. Catch Level > > At the 46th Annual Meeting of the IWC in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, >May 23-27, 1994, the following catch limit was established for >aboriginal/subsistence whaling: > > For the years 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998, the number of bowhead >whales landed shall not exceed 204, and the number of bowhead whales >struck shall not exceed 68 in 1995, 67 in 1996, 66 in 1997, and 65 >in 1998, except that any unused portion of the strike quota for each >year shall be carried forward from that year and added to the strike >quota of any subsequent years, provided that no more than 10 strikes >shall be added to the strike quota for any 1 year. > > It was clarified on the floor of the meeting that if 15 of the >allowed strikes were not used in 1 year, 10 of those strikes could be >carried over to the next year and the remaining 5 strikes could be >added to another year. > >2. Scientific Information > > At the 1994 Annual Meeting of the IWC, an assessment of the status >of bowhead whales was completed using a series of relative abundance >estimates and an absolute abundance from acoustic and visual survey >data collected in 1988. The resulting analysis suggested that the >population currently is increasing at 3.1 percent annually (95 percent >confidence interval 1.4 percent to 4.7 percent), is at 36 percent of >its pre-exploitation abundance (95 percent confidence interval 0.27- >0.44), and has a median value for the replacement yield of 199 (95 >percent probability interval 97-300). A minimum replacement yield was >estimated to be 104 animals per year; 104 is the fifth percentile >replacement yield of the replacement yield distribution. Projections of >population size under three levels of takes were made, suggesting that >the population likely would increase at recent levels of aboriginal >catches. Major uncertainties identified included: (1) Completing the >analysis of the acoustic survey data from 1993, (2) methods of >correcting visual sighting data for distribution away from the sighting >location, (3) prior distributions for several input parameters, and (4) >the degree of genetic interchange between this stock and other more >depleted stocks of bowhead whales. > >3. Aboriginal/Subsistence Need > > In 1994, in response to a Federal Register document soliciting >comments on a proposed U.S. position, the Alaska Eskimo Whaling >Commission (AEWC) submitted a recalculation of the aboriginal >subsistence and cultural need for 9 whaling villages using estimated >populations for 1992 provided by the State Demographer of Alaska. Based >on the 1992 estimated populations, the calculated need for bowhead >whales in those 9 whaling villages was 50. > At the 1994 Annual Meeting of the IWC, the United States sought IWC >recognition that the island of Little Diomede has a subsistence and >cultural need to land 1 bowhead whale per year. Together with the 50 >bowheads needed for the other whaling villages, the total needed is 51. >Assuming a target efficiency rate of 75 percent, this would require a >quota of 68 strikes. > In setting a limit of 204 bowhead whales landed for 4 years (an >average of 51 animals per year), the United States believes that the >IWC implicitly acknowledged the subsistence and cultural need of Little >Diomede to land 1 bowhead whale per year. > >4. Domestic Harvest Range > > The IWC management scheme for aboriginal/subsistence whaling >provides (in Schedule paragraph 13(a)(2)): > > For stocks below the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) level but >above a certain minimum level, aboriginal/subsistence catches shall >be permitted so long as they are set at levels which allow whale >stocks to move to the MSY level. > > Given the above-stated minimum estimate of replacement yields of >104, an aboriginal/subsistence catch can be permitted in 1995. > Therefore, the catch limits for bowhead whales in 1995 shall be >such that no more than a total of 68 bowhead whales are struck. For the >years 1995 to 1998 combined, the number of bowhead whales landed shall >not exceed 204. > > Authority: 16 U.S.C. 916, 1361-1407, 1531-43. > > Dated: May 11, 1995. >Gary Matlock, >Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service. >[FR Doc. 95-12182 Filed 5-17-95; 8:45 am] >BILLING CODE 3510-22-F > > -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 18:48:42 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: Lambertsen report Dear Marmammers - For those of you interested in obtaining the biopsy-related report that Dr. Lambertsen provided an abstract (about one week ago), I have been asked by Minerals Management Service (the funding agency) in Alaska to tell you to PLEASE direct your report requests to: Public Information Minerals Management Service U.S. Dept of Interior 949 E 36th Ave, Rm 603 Anchorage, AK 99508-4302 Dr. Lambertsen did not add the line "Public Information", and MMS in Alaska is concerned that some of your requests might not be reaching that particular office. Thank you for your attention. Dagmar Fertl Minerals Management Service New Orleans, LA ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 17:51:55 -0600 From: Andrew Schiro Subject: Marine mammals in Fiji Dear Marmam Readers: I am an intern with Dr.Bernd Wursig doing photo-identification on bottlenose dolphins on the Texas coast. I will be entering the Peace Corps in October of this year, and am interested in using the knowledge I've gained here to study the marine mammals in the South Pacific. I've done a literature search and was unable to come up with any useful information on types of species in Fiji and outlying areas. The only material I've retrieved is extremely outdated or deals with whaling. Does anyone know of any current studies being done in this area? If anyone has any information, it would be greatly appreciated. I am using a friend's e-mail, but you can respond to my message at this address. Thank you! Amy McElroy ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 19:34:16 -0600 From: Andrew Schiro Subject: Cetacean bone fractures Dear Marmamers I am trying to find information on non-debilitating bone fractures and lesions in cetaceans (especially delphinids). I know about the Ogden paper on fin whales and the Philo paper on a bowhead whale. Could you suggest other references? Thanks Andrew Schiro Marine Mammal Research Program Texas A&M University at Galveston 4700 Avenue U, Bldg 303 Galveston, TX 77551 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 21:41:13 PDT From: DaPenick(\)aol.com Subject: Fwd: Apocalypse Bill ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- --------------------- Forwarded message: From: HEARTAllen(\)AOL.COM (Carole Allen) Sender: CTURTLE(\)NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU (Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation) Reply-to: CTURTLE(\)NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU (Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation) To: CTURTLE(\)NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU (Multiple recipients of list CTURTLE) Date: 95-05-18 00:17:13 EDT URGENT! TO: ALL SEA TURTLE AND MARINE MAMMAL CONSERVATIONISTS! The apocalypse bill for sea turtles and marine mammals has been filed by Senator Gorton of Washington and cosponsored by Shelby of Alabama and Bennett of Louisiana. Senate Bill 768 repeals the TED regulations and exempts sea turtles and many marine species such as sea otters, dolphins, whales, Steller sea lions, sea birds and other creatures from the protection of the Endangered Species Act! Call and write to your U.S. Senators urging them not to co-sponsor this bill and to vote against it! Spread the word to herpetological societies, turtle and tortoise clubs, conservation organizations and ask them to take action and now! There's no time to waste but a lot to lose if we don't get busy. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 21:44:47 PDT From: Michelle Kinzel Subject: Research facilities in Iceland ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am interested in any ongoing research being conducted in Iceland. I will be visiting the country this summer and would like names, addresses and information concerning marine mammal research in the \ country. Research Centers as well as names of specific researchers would be useful. I am particulary interested in Cetacean Behavior, Killer Whale studies, and Bioacoustics. Please reply to kinzel(\)mlml.calstate.edu" ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 21:49:49 PDT From: Keith Ronald Subject: Re: NEW ZEALAND TO DEBATE `HUMANE KILLING' OF WHALES AT IWC MEETING In-Reply-To: <9505181559.AA04797(\)solar.nova.edu> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I would very much appreciate being kept informed on techniques and success(?) on whale killing, its is high time this was discussed. having gone through 25 years of harp seal killing and devising some new methods(based on old) I have long felt that the blind eye approach to whale killing is no longer acceptable. Appreciate your informatiom Thanks KR Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor, Marine Mammals and Environmental Studies. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 21:54:58 PDT From: Doug Wartzok Subject: New Address for Joline Lalime ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Joline Lalime completed her master's degree at UM-St. Louis and has gone to Germany. She hopes to return to MARMAM in the future, but if anyone wishes to contact her to discuss her thesis, which she has previously mentioned on MARMAM, she can be reached via bauer-a(\)rmhs1.urz.tu-dresden.de Voice: 314-516-5898 SDWARTZ(\)UMSLVMA.BITNET (Bitnet) FAX: 314-516-6759 SDWARTZ(\)UMSLVMA.UMSL.EDU (Internet) Mailing address: Dr. Douglas Wartzok Dean of the Graduate School Associate Vice Chancellor for Research University of Missouri - St. Louis 8001 Natural Bridge Road St. Louis, MO 63121-4499 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 22:06:13 PDT From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: Marine education? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >I put forth that there is another purpose that many derive from a marine >park or a zoo and that is that one can use such as a means of relaxing >the mind, to diffuse the stress that is built up. While such application >is entirely a human concern, with all that humans are capable of, good >and bad, to do away with such places without such considerations could >indeed be the proverbial "shooting one's self in the foot". > >-Traci > May I suggest that this confuses the issue? I think the question is not "should marine parks exist" but "should marine mammals (or, more specifically, cetaceans) be displayed in them?" I certainly think that marine parks in general can provide a very useful educational purpose. The display of cetaceans, however, raises other issues. Naomi Rose has set many of these out, but I think there are others. Of prime concern to me is, given the limited amount of space and resources available to marine parks, whether devoting large portions of them to cetaceans is wise. Cetaceans require huge outlays to maintain and (as Naomi points out) are extremely difficult to display in ecosystem-conscious enclosures. All other considerations aside, woould these resources not be put to better use for displays such as the kelp forest at the Monterey Aquarium (which I understand does not exhibit cetaceans), or many of the displays at the Vancouver Aquarium? If the purpose is to convey a message about the environment, cetaceans are hardly the only creatures that can do it, and may not even be the best. Also, given the highly favourable public attitude towards cetaceans, perhaps the message about them has already gotten across, and there are other attitudes in more urgent need of being changed. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 22:07:36 PDT From: SBU2MA(\)rulsfb.LeidenUniv.nl Subject: Requested: Information about methods for training dolphins ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Marmam, I promised a young friend, with a strong interest in how dolphins are trained, that I would write to MARMAM and ask if there exists any literature about ways and methods of dolphin training. It would be a great help if someone could give some basic references, especially on subjects like the initial training of a new dolphin, new parts of a show etc. Yours sincerely Marjan Addink SBU2MA(\)RULFSB.LeidenUniv.NL ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 23 May 1995 11:20:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: STATE OPPOSITION HITS OUT OVER STATE OPPOSITION HITS OUT OVER WHALE PARK ADELAIDE, May 23 AAP - The South Australian opposition has joined criticism of the Brown government by conservationists and fishermen over a proposed whale santuary at the head of the Great Australian Bight. Premier Dean Brown said yesterday he would not rule out fishing or exploration in the 17,500 hectare sanctuary when a management plan is drawn up in 12 months. But Opposition Leader Mike Rann said today this was a "cop out", designed to dampen a political row over the sanctuary between Environment Minister David Wotton and Primary Industries Minister Dale Baker. Mr Rann wants a permananent, rather than a 12-month exclusion zone, declared. "This zone - which would be just six per cent of the area of the park - should be protected from mining and fishing permanently ... ," he said. "(The whales) breeding ground cannot be left as part-time protected zone. "My view is that the whales breeding area must be sacrosanct. "The Brown government's decision is a cop out - when in doubt, defer. "Mr Brown has failed to create a permanent breeding sanctuary for these whales." Yesterday, the SA Conservation Council criticised Mr Brown for moving to establish the sanctuary without a "management plan". SA Fishing Industry Council general manager Ken Lyons said he was disappointed that fishing was not permitted in the area while the managment plan was being drawn up. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 23 May 1995 11:20:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: TONGA REJECTS COMMERCIAL WHALI TONGA REJECTS COMMERCIAL WHALING PLAN NUKU'ALOFA, May 23 AAP - The Tongan government has rejected a request by a Japanese-based company to allow commercial whaling in the Pacific kingdom's waters. The company, MACA Pacific, had sought permission to harvest 50 humpback, 200 sperm and 100 minke whales a year. However the government ruled Tonga should maintain the moratorium placed on commercial whaling by King Taufa'ahau Tupou in 1980, which shut down the kingdom's small whaling industry. Ministers also wanted to protect the growing tourism industry built around whale-watching among Tonga's northern islands of Vava'u, where humpback whales calf and mate each year, the Tonga Chronicle reported. The whaling scheme was backed by a Tasi Afeaki, a Tongan now living in Japan, and involved a large whale chasing boat and meat processing facilities. The plan was opposed by the South Pacific Regional Environmental Program (SPREP) and by the government's Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources. A meeting earlier this month to discuss the proposal was told that the world's limited number of humpback whales were protected by the International Whaling Commission. Humpback stocks in the southern hemisphere are estimated at no more than 30 per cent of pre-whaling numbers. Harvesting 50 whales a year would be excessive and "in environmental terms, not an acceptable sustainable level", according to a report presented to the meeting. Sperm whales were rarely seen in Tongan waters, and in any event had never been hunted for its meat. It was also "improbable" that minke whales would be found around Tonga, the report said. Government spokeswoman Susana Faletau Fotu said as well as its moratorium on whaling, Tongan law prohibited killing of the mammals except for scientific research. Tongans used to hunt and kill whales, taking around 10 humpbacks a year until the practice was halted by royal decree. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 23 May 1995 13:17:30 -0600 From: Andrew Schiro Subject: Lead in Marine Mammals A few days ago some asked about references for lead in marine mammals. Below are two recent conference presenations. Solorzano Velasco, J. L., Y. Fernandez Artola, et al. (1995). Lead poisoning in 6 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) captured in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tabasco. 1995 Reunion Internacional para el Estudio de los Mamiferos Marinos, La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico. ------ Lead poisioning is a common problem for domestic animals and humans, whether it is chronic (in most cases) of acute. The toxicity is very variable, to such exent that the diagnostic has to be chemical. In dolphins it is unknown the origin and the toxic levels of lead. In this report we know what was found in six animals with anorexy, neuropathy and functional miopathy. The importance of this work is that it is one of the first reports of lead poisoning and death in dolphins from Mexico which were wild animals. This toxicity problem may serve as a preceeding work of monitoring which can indicate us the levels of pollution in the oceans. The observed picture corresponds to a chronic poisoning which made crisis because of the handling of animals which were not fisiologically [sic] fit to live in captivity. It is important to consider this for the strict criteria in the capture of this species. Even when the poisoning was determined, there is still an open case in our opinion until there is not a study of the lead levels in molluscs, fish, humans and even from the dolphins of this region. We hope this study can be done in a close future, as we find it of great interest for the population of this region as well as for the economy of the fisheries from this area. As now this problem was detected through the dolphins, it is important what will happen with the humans and the children that survive and feed from this ocean's resources. Tovar Schoener, L. A., C. Godinez Reyes, et al. (1995). Comparison of the concentration of cooper, iron, cadmium and lead in hair and other tissues samples, in the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus californianus). 1995 Reunion Internacional para el Estudio de los mam=EDferos Marinos, La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico. ------ This work was designed to determine the reliability of hair samples for measuring the concentration of the aforementioned metals, as compared to samples of other tissues (bone, liver, kidney, brain and skin). The samples were analized by stomic absorption spectrophotometry. The Cu concentration in the hair of the specimen A was 8.91%, 9.6%, 26.16%, 45.45%, 51.61% and 54.22% of that found in its liver, kidney brain, os dentale, skin and os frontale, respectively. In the specimen B it was 28.23%, in C 105.5%, in D 170% and in E 121.15% and 101.6%, of the concentration found in their respective bone samples. The Fe concentrationin hair samples in the A specimen was 10.64%, 21.22%, 26.95%, 48.2%, 104.18% and 123.48%, as compared respectively to the liver, os dentale, skin and kidney samples. In the animal it was 62.27%, in C, 147.58%, in D 595.25% and in E, 116.2% and 11.0% of the concentration in its bone samples. Cd doesn't seem to acumulate in measurable concentration in the hair of this species. In regard to Pb the concentration was 157.48% in the animal D, and 41.69% and 31.56% in the animal E, equally in relation to bone samples. The hair samples of animals A, B and C didn't register measurable concentration of Pb. The aforementioned facts suggest the possibility of using hair samples to measure the concentration of Cu, Fe and Pb in the California sea lion, as well as the convenience of developing further research on this point. Andrew Schiro Marine Mammal Research Program Texas A&M University at Galveston 4700 Avenue U, Bldg 303 Galveston, TX 77551 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 23 May 1995 17:10:48 EDT From: CHRIS CATTON <100541.2716(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Re: Marine Education Dear Marmamers, I've been watching this debate bounce back and forth for a few days now. It seems to me that it has been skirting several fundamental questions. What is the educational value of animals (not just marine mammals) in captivity? Do dolphinaria encourage conservation, or do they send a message to their audience of harmony between trainer and animal that is at odds with the reality of the world beyond the dolphin tank? Are people becoming more hostile to wildlife? Or does passive absorption of wildlife through TV documentaries make the TV audience so complacent about the reality of the natural world that they try and get their children to pose for photos with wild brown bears? Can virtual reality really stimulate kids to conserve biodiversity, or will it be just another video-game that further removes humans from nature? What actually is it that inspires people to get involved in conservation? I have looked for serious studies that attempt to address these questions, and found very little (any references gratefully received). I am researching a book and a series of short TV films that will be looking at these issues. The idea is to take people who are now involved in 'conservation' in some way, and get them to explain what it is that they feel motivated them. This might involve going with them to the zoo they visited as a child, to the summer lodge in the mountains they visited with their parents, or to meet some TV personality who inspired them. At the moment, the project is in early development. I would be interested to hear from anyone who would like to contribute in any way. Thanks Chris Catton ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 24 May 1995 18:59:12 -0400 From: gearly Subject: Seal Forum The New England Aquarium in Boston is planning to host a forum focusing on pinniped populations in the Gulf of Maine as a part of it's Forums for Sustainable Strategies. We are in the process of defining assignments for working groups and would like to solicit suggested questions or issues that might be important for our participants to address during these sessions. We have identified the following areas for discussion: Ethical issues and the role of pinnipeds in human society Ecosystem Health: Seal Populations as Bioindicators Anthropogenic impacts on seal populations Impacts of abundant populations and management issues If you have suggestions for questions or topics that you feel should be added to this forum, please forward them to Greg or Maggie at gearly(\)tiac.net. Be advised that the proceedings and results of the forum will be available on the internet in early September. We will post how they may be obtained in a later posting. Thank you in advance for any useful suggestions you may have. Greg Early Maggie Mooney-Seus Associate Curator Senior Conservation Associate/Policy Analyst Stranding Dept. Conservation Department New England Aquarium Central Wharf Boston, Mass ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 24 May 1995 20:53:57 -0700 From: "Joan M. Goddard" Subject: makah request to resume whaling Hello marmam. I am interested in aboriginal and commercial whaling history. Has anyone anything to say about the news that the Makah in Washington State want to resume hunting gray whales? Today's Victoria paper ran a headline "BC offers to discuss hunting requests" though I do not think any tribe here has even asked. I would like to receive any information on the progress of the Makah application. Joan Goddard phone : (604) 477-7827 3974 Lexington Ave. E-mail: ul149(\)freenet.victoria.bc.ca Victoria, BC V8N 3Z6 Canada ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 24 May 1995 20:32:54 -0700 From: "Joan M. Goddard" Subject: Re: NEW ZEALAND TO DEBATE `HUMANE KILLING' OF WHALES AT IWC MEETING In-Reply-To: <199505230454.VAA18847(\)vifa1.freenet.victoria.bc.ca> Hello. I am new to Marmam, but may be able to steer Keith Ronald to one of the Norwegian participants in the IWC discussions of humane killing. He was writing a book on the history of killing methods when I spoke to him in Norway in 1992. He took part in the IWC workshop on humane killing in 1992; and probably has been involved since. His address in 1992 was Egil Ole Oen Norwegian School of Veterinary Medicine Ullevalsv.72 0454 Oslo Norway I don't know if he has an E-mail address. Good luck. Joan Goddard, 3974 Lexington Ave. Victoria, BC V8N 3Z6 Canada On Mon, 22 May 1995, Keith Ronald wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > I would very much appreciate being kept informed on techniques > and success(?) on whale killing, its is high time this was discussed. > having gone through 25 years of harp seal killing and devising some new > methods(based on old) I have long felt that the blind eye approach to > whale killing is no longer acceptable. > Appreciate your informatiom > Thanks KR > > > Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) > Oceanographic Center > Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies > Nova Southeastern University > 8000 North Ocean Drive > Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. > Adjunct Professor, Marine Mammals and Environmental Studies. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 May 1995 20:17:07 +0000 From: gomercic(\)olimp.irb.hr Subject: legal protection of dolphin in Croatia Prof. Dr. Hrvoje Gomercic Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb 41000 ZAGREB, Heinzelova 55, CROATIA Phone: 385 1 290 250; fax: 385 1 214 697 E-mail: gomercic(\)olimp. irb.hr Zagreb, 25 may 1995 Dear Marmamers, we want to inform you that the dolphins are finally under legal protection in the Republic of Croatia. After our unsuccessful attempts in former Yugoslavia and also after a few years in independent Republic of Croatia, we have finally succeeded: We finished our study (H. Gomercic, D. Huber, T. Gomercic: The dolphins of the Adriatic Sea; present status and proposal for its protection. pp. 1-10. Zagreb, 4 January 1994. in Croatian language) at the end of 1993 for the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Croatian Government. The Croatian Parliament proclaimed the new Law on Protection of Nature so, from the May the 17th 1995 the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and all other cetacean species that could enter the Adriatic Sea are protected species by law. This is quite important decision because Croatian part (territorial waters - 12 miles offshore) of the Adriatic Sea is 67,000 square kilometres big, what is a half of the Adriatic Sea surface. In this part of the Adriatic Sea there are more than 1,200 islands and cliffs. 66 islands are populated. Inhabitants of all islands are Croats and many of them are fishermen. We roughly estimated that there live some 300 bottlenose dolphins. Now, we plan to raise public awareness on necessity of protection of Adriatic marine mammals. In 1981 we published, in Croatian language, big colour poster S.O.S. - Mediterranean Monk Seal, and now we are preparing S.O.S. - Dolphins (authors: Tomislav Gomercic, Ana Gomercic, Korana Stipetic). Following are the titles and abstracts of the papers presented at two last congresses of Croatian biologists (Dubrovnik, 1991 and Pula, 1994) which help us in raising public awareness about dolphin protection in the Adriatic Sea (except this, we have had many public lectures - H. Gomercic, G. Bearzi - in Zagreb and at Croatian TV): 1) H. Gomercic, D. Huber, V. Gomercic, B. Ozretic, S. Vukovic, D. Skrtic, G. Babac-Pasagic, V. Jukic-Brestovec: Some histological and histochemical characteristics of one species of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops sp.) from the Adriatic Sea. In: Proceedings of the Fourth Congress of Croatian Biologists (Drasko Serman, Ed.). Zagreb, December 1993. pp. 84-86. 2) G. Notarbartolo di Sciara, G. Bearzi: Cetaceans in the northern Adriatic Sea: past, present and future. In: Proceedings of the Fourth Congress of Croatian Biologists (Drasko Serman, Ed.). Zagreb, December 1993. pp. 86-87 3) (230) Hrvoje Gomercic1,Duro Huber2, Tomislav Gomercic3, Ana Gomercic3, Darinka Skrtic1, Snjezana Vukovic1: THE STRIPED DOLPHIN (STENELLA CAERULEOALBA, MEYEN 1833) FOR THE FIRST TIME FOUND IN THE ADRIATIC SEA IN 1991. In: Proceedings of Abstracts of the Papers Presented at the Fifth Congress of Croatian Biologists (Hrvoje Gomercic, Ed.). Hrvatsko biolosko drustvo. Zagreb, 1994. pp. 340-341. 1Zavod za anatomiju, histologiju i embriologiju, Veterinarski fakultet Sveucilista u Zagrebu, 41000 Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, Hrvatska 2Zavod za biologiju, Veterinarski fakultet Sveucilista u Zagrebu, 41000 Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, Hrvatska 341000 Zagreb, Neznane junakinje 1/V., Hrvatska Abstract: Up to now, in the Adriatic Sea there were found the following cetacean species: common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus), pilot whale (Globicephala melaena), common porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), Adriatic dolphin (Tursiops parvimanus), false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens), sperm whale (Physeter catodon), blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), little piked whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Although in the Mediterranean Sea live very numerous pelagic species of the striped dolphin, up to 1991 the striped dolphin was not found in the Adriatic Sea. In the last few years, in Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea we determined the species of more than 150 dolphin individuals. Only in one case we determined, by osteological analysis and later, by carcase's photo, that, by that moment still alive striped dolphin (Stenella caeruleoalba, Meyen 1833) was stranded at Lumbarda beach on Korcula Island on October 1991. It was physically mature animal of unknown gender. It was the first finding of this animal species in Croatia and in this part of Adriatic Sea. At this moment, we do not know if there is any relation between our finding and mass mortality of same species in the Mediterranean Sea, but we suppose that this specimen of striped dolphin died by morbillivirus infection, too. At the end, we want to propose once again the legal protection in Croatia of all cetacean species, mentioned above, which we have sent to the Ministry of Building and Protection of Environment of Croatian government and to the Redaction of cPriroda magazine at the end of the last year. (Contact person: Prof. Dr. Hrvoje Gomercic, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 41000 ZAGREB, Heinzelova 55, CROATIA. Phone: 385-1 290-250; Fax: 385-1 214-697; E- mail: gomercic(\)olimp.irb.hr) 4) (276) Gojko Antica1, Duro Huber1, Hrvoje Gomercic2: PUBLIC SURVEY ON THE STATE OF MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEAL (MONACHUS MONACHUS, HERMANN) IN THE CROATIAN PART OF THE ADRIATIC SEA. In: Proceedings of Abstracts of the Papers Presented at the Fifth Congress of Croatian Biologists (Hrvoje Gomercic, Ed.). Hrvatsko biolosko drustvo. Zagreb, 1994. pp. 398-399. 1Zavod za biologiju, Veterinarski fakultet Sveucilista u Zagrebu, 41000 Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, Hrvatska 2Zavod za anatomiju, histologiju i embriologiju, Veterinarski fakultet Sveucilista u Zagrebu, 41000 Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, Hrvatska Abstract: The Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus, Hermann) belongs to the genus of Monk Seals (Monachus), i.e. the only warm water seals. It is listed among the most endangered mammals of the whole Earth. The species is insufficiently studied and practically absent from our part of the Adriatic Sea. By a questionnaire we surveyed the experiences of people which work at the sea and/or the ones for which we were told that have seen the monk seal. In a selected sample of 109 examines we found 60 persons that met the monk seal one or more times. The distribution of encounters (last if more than one) was: 3 before 1960, 14 in the period 1960 - 1969, 16 in the period 1970 - 1979, 20 in the period 1980 - 1989, and 7 after 1990. The results show continuous extreme low abundance of the species. Slightly larger number of encounters in the previous decade is merely a consequence of counting only the last sightings, the fresher memories and the disappearing of older sightseers. All sightings after 1990 belong to one single specimen (Palagruza 1993.). During the year the most encounters occurred in July and August (52%), and the least in November and December (0%). That is primarily the consequence of the uneven presence of man at the sea. We conclude that almost 60 years (since 1935) of legal protection were insufficient as an instrument for the population recovery. Today we can not speak about our own population but only about occasional arrivals of individual animals from the other parts of the Mediterranean Sea. (Contact person: Prof. Dr. Djuro Huber, Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 41000 ZAGREB, Heinzelova 55, CROATIA. Phone: 385-1 290-141; Fax: 385-1 214-697; E-mail: huber(\)mavef.vef.hr) 5) (277) Giovanni Bearzi, Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, Elena Politi, Giancarlo Lauriano: ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) NEAR THE ISLANDS OF LOSINJ AND CRES (CROATIA). In: Proceedings of Abstracts of the Papers Presented at the Fifth Congress of Croatian Biologists (Hrvoje Gomercic, Ed.). Hrvatsko biolosko drustvo. Zagreb, 1994. pp. 399-400. Instituto Tethys di Milano, 20154 Milano, Via G. Giusti 5, Italia Abstract: Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) frequenting the waters adjacent to the east coast of the islands of Losinj and Cres were studied from small inflatable craft from 1987, in order to investigate their biology, ecology and behaviour. During 313 surveys, 612 hours were spent in observation and photography of 638 schools. Methods included photoidentification and focal group behavioral sampling. 127 individuals were identified by means of natural permanent marks on their dorsal fin. Most individuals were continuously sighted during the course of the study, showing a high degree of site fidelity. The reproductive rate showed remarkable differences among years. Calving season peaked in the summer. Mean group size was 6.91 (se = 0.06, mode = 2, n = 638, range: 1 - 35). Groups including calves were larger than groups entirely composed by adults. The group size changed significantly with time of day, with smaller groups in the morning and late afternoon. Feeding-related activities covered 77% of the behavioral budget, while 23% of the time was devoted to travelling and socializing. Mean group size was 9.6 during socializing, 7.5 during travelling, and 6.5 during feeding-related activities. Looking for food in small groups may represent an efficient strategy in an area where food resources are probably scattered. The high fluidity of dolphin groups could also represent an ecological adaptation to an impracticable and variable distribution of the food resources. (Contact person: Dr. Giovanni Bearzi, Tethys Research Institute, Dolphin Project, 51551 VELI LOSINJ, Podjavori 13, CROATIA. Phone/Fax: 385-51 236-348; E-mail: bearzi(\)srce.public.hr) 6) (278) Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara1, Drasko Holcer2, Giovanni Bearzi1: PAST AND PRESENT STATUS OF CETACEANS IN THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ADRIATIC SEA. In: Proceedings of Abstracts of the Papers Presented at the Fifth Congress of Croatian Biologists (Hrvoje Gomercic, Ed.). Hrvatsko biolosko drustvo. Zagreb, 1994. pp. 401-402. 1Instituto Tethys di Milano, 20154 Milano, Via G. Giusti 5, Italia 244000 Sisak, Ogulinceva 27, Hrvatska Abstract: During the past 150 years nine cetacean species were recorded from the Northern and Central Adriatic Sea, including the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), the sperm whale (Physeter catodon), the Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), the false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens), the longfinned pilot whale (Globicephala melas), the Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus), the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), and the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba). Except for the common and for the bottlenose dolphin, however two coastal species well adapted to the shallow Adriatic habitat, which were encountered regularly in this region in historical times all other cetacean species are represented by very rare occurrences of stray individuals. Today only the bottlenose dolphin is regular in the Northern and Central Adriatic, owing to the generalised decrease of the common dolphin throughout its former Mediterranean range. It is unfortunate that worsening environmental conditions due to human effects, particularly along the western shore of the Adriatic basin, seem to be causing the loss of suitable habitat and fragmentation even of this last remaining cetacean species, the bottlenose dolphin. A review of the causes of cetacean decline in the Adriatic Sea is presented, together with suggestions to counteract such decline, and ensure marine mammal conservation in the region. Proposed measures include the establishment of protected areas, the curbing of landoriginated pollution, the adoption of more conservative fishing policies, scientific research, and public awareness activities. (Contact person: Dr. Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, Tethys Research Institute, 20154 Milano, via G. Giusti 5, Italy. Phone: 39.2.314403; Fax: 39.2.29401987; E-mail: gnstri(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it) Sincerely, Hrvoje Gomercic ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 25 May 1995 16:12:15 EST From: Timothy Ragen Subject: Veterinary position The following position will be announced by the University of Hawaii on 1 June, 1995. For application information contact Joung Lee (808/943-1255) or Glenda Hensley (808/956-8083). For information about the position contact Tim Ragen (808/943-1280; fax 808/943-1290; timothy_ragen(\)ccgate.ssp.nmfs.gov). VETERINARY MEDICAL OFFICER, Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Full-Time, RCUH Non-Civil Service, Federal Funds, to begin approximately July, 1995; continuation is dependent upon program/operational needs, satisfactory work performance, and availability of funds. Position located at the National Marine Fisheries Service in Honolulu, Hawaii. Minimum Monthly Salary: $3520.00. Duties: Oversees captive care research and rehabilitation efforts with emphasis on husbandry and clinical care of Hawaiian monk seals; Designs and conducts studies of health in wild populations of Hawaiian monk seals, with emphasis on identification and characterization of major disease processes; Coordinates and collaborates with other researchers on high priority studies of monk seal physiology and behavior, as required for effective management of the species; Interacts with personnel from private facilities holding Hawaiian monk seals, coordinates captive care to ensure compliance with protocols; Seeks outside consultation with recognized experts in clinical care of marine mammals; Other duties as assigned. Minimum Qualifications: Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from a veterinary college accredited by American Veterinary Medical Association; successfully passed (1) the National Board Examination for Veterinary Medicine, (2) the Clinical Competency Test, and (3) the State of Hawaii License Examination (or verify enrollment for the examination). Two to four years experience with marine mammal veterinary care or related experience in wildlife veterinary medicine. Knowledge of: principles and techniques of veterinary medicine as applied to wildlife populations; equipment and techniques used to diagnose, test, treat, and control diseases and parasites; diagnostic features, modes of transmission, pathology, toxicology, distribution, and frequency of occurrence of wildlife diseases; literature of veterinary medicine; the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, and APHIS regulations; Ability to: identify diseases and parasites and provide veterinary care; conduct diagnostic and laboratory analyses, and physical examinations; examine and perform necropsies; and work with and train rehabilitation staff. Able to withstand very hot climate, work in the sun for long hours, walk long distances (5-7 miles) in the sand carrying 25-35 pounds of field gear; able to restrain immature seals; tolerate travel in small boats and obtain medical clearance for working on NOAA research vessel; possess a valid driver's license. Or an equivalent combination of experience and training which provides knowledge, abilities, and skills to perform the job. Desirable Qualifications: Competency in clinical care and husbandry of marine mammals, wildlife epidemiology, pathology, laboratory diagnosis, research design and statistics, familiarity with micro computers and routine software packages. Inquiries: Glenda Hensley, 956-8083. Application Requirements: Send cover letter (note Recruitment No.) with narrative on your qualifications for the position, resume with salary history, the names and phone numbers of three work related references, and copy(ies) of diploma(s) and /or certificate(s) used to qualify for position to the Director of Human Resources, Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii, 2800 Woodlawn Drive, Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96822. Facsimile (808) 988-8369. Closing date: 06/16/95. Recruitment No. 95-129. VETERINARY MEDICAL OFFICER Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research I. SUMMARY OF DUTIES: Regular, full-time, RCUH non-civil service position with the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research located at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in Honolulu, HI. Continuation dependent upon program/ operational needs, satisfactory work performance, completion of necessary licensing requirements, and availability of funds. Collaborates with scientists from NMFS, NOAA to evaluate, treat, rehabilitate, and conduct research on captive Hawaiian monk seals; supervises and participates with rehabilitation staff in daily care and husbandry of captive seals; develops and implements protocols for all aspects of captive care; designs and conducts research on issues related to health and disease in wild populations of Hawaiian monk seals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; prepares and presents summaries of captive research and care at professional meetings and in professional peer-reviewed journals. II. SCOPE OF POSITION: A. Reports to: Principal Investigator B. Supervises: Rehabilitation staff (3-4 persons) C. Signature Authorities: Responsible for drugs used in treatment of and research on captive and wild seals. D. Level of interaction: Serves as co-investigator for rehabilitation project; serves as co-investigator for studies of health and disease in the wild population; directly responsible for all activities related to clinical care and husbandry of seals. III. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 65% A. Oversees all captive care research and rehabilitation efforts with particular emphasis on enhancing knowledge of husbandry and clinical care of seals; reviews and refines protocols for all aspects of captive care, including (but not limited to) feeding, veterinary treatment, transport, collection and release critieria and screening; participates in daily care and husbandry of seals; conducts postmortem evaluations of dead seals; conducts studies to investigate monk seal physiology, with particular emphasis on individual animal condition, susceptibility to capture stress, hydration status, and treatment of parasites; performs anesthesia, surgical procedures, and procedures for collection of tissue samples. 20% B. Designs and conducts studies of health in wild populations of Hawaiian monk seals, with primary emphasis on identification and characterization of major disease processes. This includes (but is not limited to) studies related to nutrition; physiology; marine toxins; impacts of parasitic, viral, and bacterial infections; and impacts related to environmental contaminants or toxins. Conducts studies of dieoffs or significant disease processes in the wild populations; prepares/updates treatment plans for disease processes leading to die-offs. Coordinates and collaborates with non-NOAA researchers on high priority studies of monk seal physiology and behavior, as required for effective management of the species. 15% C. Interacts with personnel from private facilities holding Hawaiian monk seals; coordinates captive care of seals to ensure compliance with protocols; interacts with Captive Care Committee (which reviews captive care protocols and procedures and makes recommendations to the Laboratory Director); and interacts with non-NOAA researchers seeking permission to conduct research on captive seals. Seeks outside consultations with recognized experts in clinical care of marine mammals. Assures compliance with APHIS regulations on captive care and husbandry. IV. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: A. Education: Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from a veterinary college accredited by American Veterinary Medical Association; must have successfully passed (1) the National Board Examination for Veterinary Medicine, (2) the Clinical Competency Test, and (3) either must have passed the State of Hawaii License Examination or show verification of enrollment for the examination. B. Experience: Minimum of two (2) years experience with marine mammal veterinary care or related experience in wildlife veterinary medicine. C. Knowledge, Abilities, and Skills: Knowledge of (1) principles and techniques of veterinary medicine as applied to wildlife populations; (2) equipment and techniques used to diagnose, test, treat, and control diseases and parasites in wildlife populations; (3) diagnostic features, modes of transmission, pathology, toxicology, distribution, and frequency of occurrence of wildlife diseases; (4) literature of veterinary medicine; and (5) the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and APHIS regulations for captive care of marine mammals. Ability to (1) identify diseases and parasites of marine mammals and provide necessary and appropriate veterinary care, (2) conduct diagnostic and laboratory analyses, and perform routine physical examinations, (3) examine and perform necropsies for diagnosis of disease and determination of causes of death, and (4) ability to work with and train rehabilitation staff in various aspects of husbandry, assessment of health and disease problems, and treatment. Cross-disciplinary communications skills (both written and oral), including ability to establish and maintain cooperative relations with Federal, State, and local officials. D. Physical and/or Medical Demands: Must be able to withstand very hot climate and be able to work long hours in the sun. Must be able to walk long distances (5-7 miles) in the sand carrying 25-35 pounds of field gear. Must be able to manually restrain immature seals. Must be able to tolerate travel in small boats and must be able to obtain medical clearance for working on NOAA research vessel. Must have or obtain valid Hawaii driver's license. V. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS: Competency in clinical care and husbandry of marine mammals, wildlife epidemiology, pathology, laboratory diagnosis, research design and data analysis, and record keeping. Orientation toward population-level management of disease, previous field work, background in research design and statistics, familiarity with micro computers (MS-DOS) and routine software packages. Ability to effectively communicate with experts in marine mammal science (such as members of the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team, or the Marine Mammal Commission). ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 26 May 1995 09:43:18 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Illegal Whalemeat Smuggling. In late May 1995, Investigative Network, Earthtrust, and various scientists from Hawaii and New Zealand announced that they will present a report, entitled "Tracking the Pirates: New DNA Results and Undercover Research Expose the Illegal Whalemeat Trade," to the International Whaling Commission detailing recently completed DNA tests revealing new information about illegal trading in whalemeat, including sale of illegal meat in Japan and South Korea, involvement of criminal groups in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, and illegal laundering of smuggled whalemeat in Japan. [U.S. Newswire] . Chilean Sea Lion Mortalities. In mid-May 1995, salmon farmers became embroiled with Chilean Government officials concerning alleged killing and beheading of sea lions that feed upon salmon reared in offshore net pens. Salmon producers fear an international reaction against Chilean salmon. [Santiago El Epoca via Greenwire] . Tonga Rejects Commercial Whaling Appeal. On May 23, 1995, Tonga press announced that the Tonga Government will maintain the moratorium on commercial whaling and had rejected a request by a Japanese-based company to allow commercial whaling in Tongan waters. [Assoc Press] . Manatee Calf Mortality. On May 23, 1995, marine scientists reported growing concern that increased calf mortality may threaten manatee species survival. Experts estimate that 54 calves may die this year compared to 46 last year. [Miami Herald via Assoc Press] . EC Whaling Resolution. On May 19, 1995, the European Parliament adopted a joint resolution reaffirming its opposition to the commercial hunting of all whale species when the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee considers such hunting a threat to species survival. [Reuters] . Japan's Minke Whaling Plans. On May 20, 1995, Japanese authorities announced that Japan has told the IWC that it plans to increase the number of minke whales killed for scientific research in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary in 1995 by 100 animals, to be taken from an area adjacent to where previous whaling has occurred. Among other purposes, the increased kill is to gather more data on parasites and effects of marine pollution and conduct a feasibility study of stock identity based on DNA analysis. Japan is also considering a similar future study of toothed whales. [Dow Jones News] . Gray Whale Hunting Plans. In late April 1995, officials of the Makah Tribe, Washington State, wrote NMFS that they would like to kill as many as five gray whales each year for ceremonial and subsistence purposes. The Tribe asked NMFS to help develop whaling guidelines, and plans to ask the International Whaling Commission to endorse a 1996 hunt. The 13 Nuu-chah-nulth Tribes on Vancouver Island, British Columbia are also holding discussions with Federal and Provincial officials concerning their right to hunt gray whales. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 26 May 1995 11:21:28 -0700 From: Frederick Sharpe Subject: Re: Makah whaling In-Reply-To: <199505261453.HAA26484(\)whistler.sfu.ca> from "Gene Buck" at May 26, 95 09:43:18 am Concerning the request for more information on proposed harvest of grey whales by the Makah Tribe of Washington State. There are a number of informative papers on aboriginal whaling along the Pacific coast of North America, which help put the issue into perspective. The following brief review was taken from Marshell (1989) and O'Leary (1984). The spectular and dangerous nature of aboriginal whaling off the west coast has ensured it recived early and sustained academic attention. Several detailed ethnographies have been collected on the Nuu-chah-nulth of Vancouver Island and the Makah of Washington State. (Curtis 1916, Drucker 1951, Swan 1868, Waterman 1920) There are two basic theories concenring the the age of origin of west coast whaling. The diffusionist theory maintains that the original settlement of the coast was accomplished by a maritime adapted people, whoes ecconomy included whaling. These people were subsequently displaced or absorbed by inland salmon fishing people who pushed out to the coast. Because of geographic isolation and small size of the salmon streams on the west coast of Vancouver Island and northwest Washington, a strong maritime economy was sustained. The independent invention model, argues for a more recent advent of whaling (approx 2,000-3,000 BC) as increasing exploitation on inshore (fish and shellfish) and riverine resources (salmon) promoated greater utilizatio of "offshore" resources. Concerning whaling activities, north along the coast there appears to be a decrease in the intensity of harvest, and an increase in the use of "drift whales". In the south, their is evidence of a high dependancy on whaling on the Ozette site on Makah lands in Washington, as this site is characterized by a high abundance of whalebone, although whaling equipment is poorly represented at all sites. With harpoon tips, quailty appeared to count more than quanity. It required only a few harpoons to bring in a single whale, while hundreds would be required to capture an equivalent quanith of seals or fish. Correct ritual for successful whaling was important, and harpoon tips were carefully stored in cedar bark pouches. Damaged whale scapulae recovered at Ozette indicate that harpoons were assiduously removed from the skeleton after buthering, perhaps as much for ritual reasoning as pragmatic ones (Mauger 1979). The journal of white settler John R Jewitt who was kept as a slave at Nootka sound provided much information about the food habits of his captors. Jewitt's primary concerns were how to keep his work load down and his belly full, and his journal entries (summarized by Cavanagh 1983) indicate that the Nootka consumed whale products regularly and in large quantities throughout the year, despite the highly irregular and limited success of local whalers. The reasonably consistent supply of whale products were achieved by distrubuting whale blubber and oil to other groups whenever plentiful. Similarly, at Ozette Huelsbeck (1988) found that "whale were probably the most important food resourece, both in their diet and as a commodity to be traded". Their economy was specalized, and generated a surplus of whale products to be traded for essentials such as cedar for housing planks and canoes. The Makahs did not appear to have strong seasonal movements typical of other areas, rather products moved instead of people. The method of taking whales was by means of a harpoon with line and floats. When the whale surfaced, the harpooner waited until about the boat was three feet from the whale and then aimed for an area just behind the pectoral flipper. The harpoon tip was detachable and tied to the line and seal skin floats which would impeded the progress of the animal, making it particularly difficult for the whale to dive. The wounded animal could be harpooned again, and when exhausted, it could be approached and dispatched with a lance. The mouth was tied shut and the carass towed back to shore. Harpoon tips were made from mussel shell blades, although further north on the coast slate and obsidian were used. Far to the north, there is speculation that the Aleuts, Koniag, and Chugash used poison-lances for whaling. The stone-tipped lance was coated with a concentrate of aconite form the plant monkshood (Aconitum sp). The struck whale was left to die; if the hunters were lucky, in 3 to 6 days it would drift ashore. A low recovery rate was also reported by Jewitt at Nooka Sound, who reported Chief Maquinna was at sea 53 days, struck and lost eight whales, and recovered one animal. Marshall, Y. 1989. Whaling, subsistence, and settlement among the westcoast people of Vancouver Island. N.Z. Arch. Assoc. O'Leary, B.L. 1984. Aboriginal whaling from the Aleutian Islands to Washington State. In M.L. Jones, S.L. Swartz, and S. Leatherwood (eds). Academic Press. Fred Sharpe Behavioral Ecology Research Group Simon Fraser University fsharpe(\)sfu.ca ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 09:21:46 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: abstract D. Fertl and B. Wursig. 1995. Coordinated feeding by Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) in the Gulf of Mexico. Aquatic Mammals 21.1: 3-5. Summary: In 1986, Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) in the Gulf of Mexico were observed and filmed while feeding in a coordinated manner on a school of clupeid fishes. Dolphins herded the fish into dense balls against the sea surface. While such feeding activity for other delphinid species has been well-described nearshore, our observations represent one of the first reports of coordinated feeding offshore. Copies of this article may be obtained by contacting: Dagmar Fertl Minerals Management Service 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd Mail Stop 5410 New Orleans, LA 70123 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 28 May 1995 15:58:43 -0400 From: RobbinsB(\)aol.com Subject: IWC STATEMENT OF AFFIRMATION TO: MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS OF LIST M From: Robbins Barstow, Cetacean Society International, 190 Stillwold Drive, Wethersfield, CT 06109 USA (FAX: 203-257-4194) (Internet: RobbinsB(\)aol.com) On Monday, 29 May 1995, the 47th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission officially begins its week-long session in Dublin, Ireland. MARMAM recipients may be interested in the following "Statement of Affirmation" which is being distributed at the IWC meeting by the Cetacean Society International, and which has been co-signed by the 28 Non-Governmental Organizations listed at the end: A STATEMENT OF AFFIRMATION Addressed to Contracting Governments of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling by the Undersigned Non-Governmental Organizations We believe that even if commercial whaling could be shown to be theoretically sustainable, it cannot now be justified. We therefore urge all member nations to work toward the goal of an IWC management regime of total global protection from consumptive, commercial exploitation, and from lethal scientific whaling. Sustainable use of natural resources does not require consumptive use. We believe that the optimum utilization of cetacean resources under the ICRW must stem from non-lethal, non-consumptive research, recreational, and educational activities, such as those involved in benign whalewatching. While continuing to maintain staunch opposition to any resumption of commercial whale killing or any change in the Commission's zero catch limits, we urge member nations to participate in discussions that seek to establish a failsafe system of supervision and control to be in effect should commercial whaling, nevertheless, come to be authorized at some future date. Meanwhile, we urge continued discussion of non-lethal research methods and humane killing issues, including restraints on whaling under special permits for scientific purposes. We further urge active work to promote public education regarding the ethical arguments against commercial whale killing. As of 27 May 1995, the above "Statement of Affirmation" has been co-signed by the following 28 Non-Governmental Organizations: CETACEAN SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL WHALE AND DOLPHIN CONSERVATION SOCIETY AMERICAN CETACEAN SOCIETY WORLD WILDLIFE FUND INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE, U.S. HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE SIERRA CLUB INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE COALITION EARTHTRUST FRIENDS OF ANIMALS ANIMAL PROTECTION INSTITUTE GREAT WHALES FOUNDATION ANTARCTICA PROJECT CENTER FOR ACTION ON ENDANGERED SPECIES CARE FOR THE WILD PACIFIC WHALE FOUNDATION HUMAN/DOLPHIN FOUNDATION OCEANIA PROJECT ENDANGERED SPECIES PROJECT MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL DOLPHIN WATCH ROBIN DES BOIS (France) AU NOM DE LA CREATION (Switzerland) DOLPHIN DATA BASE BORN FREE FOUNDATION (UK) AUSTRALIAN WHALE CONSERVATION SOCIETY ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 28 May 1995 21:38:37 PDT From: Eric Archer Subject: Re: Marine education? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Ronald Orenstein has said: >I certainly think that marine parks in general can provide a very useful >educational purpose. The display of cetaceans, however, raises other >issues. Naomi Rose has set many of these out, but I think there are others. In my mind, this is _THE_ central issue. Delphinaria bill often themselves as educational institutions. However, when I talk to people who have recently been there, they talk of the entertainment value. I'm afraid that the message that comes across is not one of eco-consciousness, but one that places the concept in the minds of most people (if it's not already there) that the natural world exists to wow and amaze us, i.e. we can capture and harness it and ride on its back. I'm not saying that these parks _cannot_ educate, for I believe that they, outside of all others, have the ability to. What I am saying is that I don't feel that they place as large an effort on education as possible. To me, this is what separates them from most zoological parks where there is an overt drive to educate and jump-through-the-hoop type shows are downplayed if they exist at all. Why this aspect hasn't been addressed on a larger scale, I don't know. ------------------------------------+----------------------------------------- Eric Archer | "Marine Biologist?!?!?.... I didn't Scripps Institution of Oceanography | even know that WAS a job!" University of California, San Diego | - George Costanza La Jolla, CA 92093 U.S.A. | email: farcher(\)sdcc3.ucsd.edu | "Get off the cross, we need the wood." phone: 619-546-7095 | - Tori Amos ------------------------------------+----------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 28 May 1995 21:40:21 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: AUST BOOSTS AID FOR NEW WHALE ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- AUST BOOSTS AID FOR NEW WHALE SANCTUARY CANBERRA, May 26 AAP - Australia will commit $500,000 to a two-year program for the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary. Federal environment minister John Faulkner, who announced the program today, said it would enable Australia to develop and participate in cooperative international programs of research, monitoring, and management of the sanctuary. Details of the program are to be announced at the next International Whaling Commission annual conference in Dublin next week. Senator Faulkner said he hoped that meeting would be a catalyst for other countries to develop a wider international program for the sanctuary, which the IWC agreed last year to establish. "If the sanctuary is to be maintained in the long term, it is essential that Southern Hemisphere nations are active in management of the sanctuary," Senator Faulkner said in a statement. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 28 May 1995 21:42:00 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: A Stormy Prediction For NOAA ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The Federal Page The Washington Post A Stormy Prediction For NOAA; Budget Plans Imperil Public Safety, Aide Says By Curt Suplee Washington Post Staff Writer The short-term forecast for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is grim: heavy to severe budget cuts followed by drastic erosion in public safety. That's what it looks like to Douglas K. Hall, assistant commerce secretary for oceans and atmosphere. At a time when many federal managers are being coy about how much money their agencies could actually afford to lose, Hall is refreshingly blunt. "We do not have programs that are optional," he said. So if the 15 percent budget reductions that the House has planned for NOAA are enacted, Hall said, the agency will be unable to provide some "basic services that the American people have come to expect," including early hurricane, tornado and flood warnings, highly accurate weather data for airlines and agriculture, and protection of imperiled ocean fish and marine mammal populations. The House budget resolution calls for cutting NOAA's budget from $2 billion in fiscal 1995 to $1.7 billion in fiscal 1996. By fiscal 2000 funding would shrink to $1.55 billion for the agency that runs the National Weather Service, a system of Earth-monitoring satellites and the National Marine Fisheries Service, among other programs. According to NOAA analysts, reductions of that magnitude would entail: Eliminating one-half of NOAA's satellite capability. At present, the agency maintains four satellites (two in polar orbit and one in "geostationary" position over each coast) that are used for gathering ocean and weather data, as well as tracking hurricanes and El Nino events. The life expectancy of the satellites is about five years. Budget cuts would permit NOAA to operate only two satellites -- a situation that would lead to a six-month blackout of information between the failure of one of the existing units and the time a replacement could be launched. Such a blackout would threaten "potentially catastrophic life and property consequences," according to an agency analysis. Canceling one of the geostationary satellites would mean that the remaining one would be repositioned to the center of the United States. NOAA would thereby lose the ability to monitor severe weather approaching Hawaii as well as developments in the mid-Atlantic, where hurricanes form. Because accuracy of landfall predictions would be decreased, officials might have to evacuate larger areas in the event of an imminent disaster. And "every mile of coastline that you don't have to evacuate saves $1 million," Hall said. Conversely, canceling a polar satellite would cut coverage of Alaska by half and degrade the quality of aviation forecasts, he said. Private enterprise also would feel the effects. The National Institute of Standards and Technology estimated recently that accurate wind data save U.S. airlines about $150 million a year by allowing them to avoid carrying excess fuel; NOAA calculates that warning farmers months in advance of likely El Nino effects saves those in southeastern states alone about $100 million a year by letting them tailor crop plans to anticipated conditions. Discontinuing modernization of the National Weather Service. In the late 1980s, Congress mandated that the agency convert its old system of 300 weather stations to a consolidated network of 118 forecast offices equipped with advanced radar and other updated technology. Ninety-eight are currently operational. Planned budget cuts, Hall said, would mean that 42 of the new radar facilities would be shut down by fiscal 1997, reducing the expected nationwide coverage by about one-third and violating a law that forbids the NWS to allow "degradation of service" during modernization. Operating with 76 offices instead of 118 would mean, in many cases, giving up the increasingly accurate weather warnings that "the American public deserves" for its $4-per-year per capita contribution, Hall said, as well as the full benefit of billions of dollars already spent on "one of the most successful investments in civilian technology in this century." Reducing enforcement of federal laws against overfishing and harming endangered species. The National Marine Fisheries Service is charged with promoting sustainable use of the seas and preventing the kind of catastrophic depletion of ocean resources that has recently occurred off New England -- where populations of many fish species have collapsed. According to the House budget proposal, the fisheries service would lose about 30 percent of its personnel, Hall estimated, as well as numerous offices and laboratories. All funds for modernizing and replacing its fleet of ships would be cut off. Those changes would make it even harder to set catch quotas for various fish species -- a process that entails gathering data and making scientific predictions about fish populations. That's a worrisome prospect for the nation's $3.5 billion-per-year fishing industry. "Make the wrong decision," Hall said, "and you can destroy a billion-dollar resource in just a couple of days." Scaling back oceanic and atmospheric research. Funding cuts for this part of NOAA, Hall said, would diminish research into broad-scale problems such as ozone depletion (an area NOAA pioneered), El Nino effects and long-term climate change, as well as eliminating or reducing partnerships with many universities and institutes. In addition to budget cuts, congressional Republicans have recommended dismantling the Commerce Department (NOAA's parent agency), dispersing NOAA programs among several other agencies and privatizing many functions, including some weather forecasting programs. "There is a misperception that there is an alternative" source of the federal government's satellite, radar and surface observations, Hall said. "We can't buy these data from anyone else." "The word `privatization' " he added, "is often used to camouflage the idea of a major retrenchment . . . in a scientific infrastructure we have built up over decades." ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 28 May 1995 21:43:17 PDT From: "Michael K. Kliks" Organization: Institute of Zoology Subject: Information on Mediterranean Monachus. ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 26 May 1995, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan Greetings from Central Asia and many thanks and Gods' blessings to our scientist colleagues in Croatia for sharing with us their important work! My current interest in the Caspian seal is related to my interest in the Hawaiian Monk seal (our home is on O'ahu) which, after the Caribbean and Mediterannean Monk seals dissappear may well be the last of its genus to co-exist, briefly, with Homo sapiens. If anyone has compiled, or has access to recent literature search outputs/ bibliographies, 1980-Present on the genus Monachus please download it to me directly ((\)michael.zool1.alma-ata.su) so as not to burden the web. All subjects would be welcome; however the main interest of our group here is in reproductive behavior, toxicology, microbiology and issues related to species preservation, including social, economic, anthropologcal and political aspects. . .all of which will parallel (or perpendicular) our interests in Phoca (Pus) caspica and P. siberica of Sacred Baikal. "Ua mao ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono. Aloha no kako!" ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 28 May 1995 17:37:30 -0700 From: "Richard C. Connor" Subject: shark predation on cetaceans In-Reply-To: <9505282103.AA24565(\)casbs.Stanford.EDU> I am looking for literature that gives evidence for shark attacks on baleen whales other than the humpback whale and further, any firsthand account of a shark attack on any cetacean. Please reply directly to my address and not MARMAM. Thanks in advance Richard Connor ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 08:45:22 -0500 From: "Randall W. Davis" Subject: Re: Information on Mediterranean Monachus. >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >If anyone has compiled, or has access to recent literature search outputs/ >bibliographies, 1980-Present on the genus Monachus please download it to me >directly ((\)michael.zool1.alma-ata.su) so as not to burden the web. All subjects >would be welcome; however the main interest of our group here is in reproductive >behavior, toxicology, microbiology and issues related to species preservation, >including social, economic, anthropologcal and political aspects. . .all of >which will parallel (or perpendicular) our interests in Phoca (Pus) caspica >and P. siberica of Sacred Baikal. > >"Ua mao ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono. Aloha no kako!" Here are a few references from 1980 to present on Monachus. Below this are a few on P caspica and P. siberica. 1. Alcorn, D. J. and J. R. Henderson (1984). "Resumption of nursing in "weaned" Hawaiian monk seal pups." Elapio 45(2): 11-12. 2. Alcorn, D. J. and A. K. H. Kam (1986). "Fatal shark attack on a Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi)." Marine Mammal Science 2(4): 313-315. 3. Argano, R. (1992). "Sea turtles and monk seal in Italian seas: conservation and perspectives." Boll. Mus. Inst. biol. Genova 56-57: 113-136. A syntetic analysis of the actual status of Mediterranean sea turtles and of monk seal is done with an overview of our studies, protection activities and conservation proposals. 4. Avella, F. J. (1986). "A plan for the reintroduction of the monk seal (Monachus monachus) in the archipelago of Cabrera (Balearic Islands, Spain)." Aquatic Mammals 12: 43-48. 5. Banish, L. D. and W. G. Gilmartin (1988). "Hematology and serum chemistry of the young Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi)." Journal of Wildlife Diseases 24(2): 225-230. Between January 1984 and May 1987, blood samples were collected from 12 young (3- to 6-mo-old) Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) that were captured in the wild and held in captivity. All samples evaluated were from clinically normal animals. Average hematologic and serum chemistry values were not remarkable for a young diving mammal. The blood and serum analyses performed established reference ranges, which can be used as indicators of health status for this endangered species. 6. Banish, L. D. and W. G. Gilmartin (1992). "Pathological findings in the Hawaiian monk seal." Journal of Wildlife Diseases 28(3): 428-434. Postmortem examinations were performed on 45 Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) collected during field research on the beaches of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (USA) from 1981 to 1985. Both males and females of all age groups, perinatal through adult, were examined. Frequent findings included parasites, trauma, cardiovascular disease (congenital and acquired), and respiratory infections. Emaciation was a common condition. All animals except neonates were infected with parasites; infection was severe in several cases. Splenic hematopoiesis was a universal histopathologic finding. Some cases exhibited lesions consistent with renal, gastrointestinal, and toxic disorders;ectopic tissue calcification; gallstones; and ophthalmologic and dental problems. 7. Boness, D. J. (1990). "Fostering behavior in Hawaiian monk seals: is there a reproductive cost?" Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 27: 113-122. 8. Dailey, M. D., R. V. Santangelo, et al. (1988). "A coprological survey of helminth parasites of the Hawaiian monk seal from the northwestern Hawaiian Islands." Marine Mammal Science 4: 125-131. 9. DeLong, R. L., G. L. Kooyman, et al. (1984). "Hawaiian monk seal diving behavior." Acta Zool. Fennica 172: 129-131. 10. Duguy, R. and G. Cheylan (1980). "Les phoques des cotes de France. I. Le phoque moine Monachus monachus (Hermann, 1779)." Mammalia 44: 203-209. 11. Dupuy, A. R. (1983). "Donnees complementaires concernant le statut des mammiferes marins du Senegal." Bulletin de l'Institut Frances d'Afrique Noire 45A: 380-391. 12. Dupuy, A. R. and J. Maigret (1982). "Les mammiferes marins des cotes du Senegal. 5. Observations signalees en 1980-1981." Bulletin de l'Institut Frances d'Afrique Noire 44A: 213-218. 13. Eliason, J. J., T. C. Johanos, et al. (1990). "Parturition in the hawaiian monk weal (Monachus schauinslandi)." Marine Mammal Science 6(2): 146-151. 14. Gerrodette, T., M. P. Craig, et al. (1992). "Human-assisted fostering of Hawaiian monk seal pups." Hawaii Audobon Society 52: 43-46. 15. Gerrodette, T. and W. G. Gilmartin (1990). "Demographic consequences of changed pupping and hauling sites of the Hawaiian monk seal." Conservation Biology 4: 423-430. 16. Gilmartin, W. G., T. C. Johanos, et al. (1993). "Survival rates for the Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi)." Marine Mammal Science 9: 407-420. 17. Henderson, J. R. (1984). "Encounters of Hawaiian monk seals with fishing gear at Lisianski Island, 1982." Marine Fisheries Review 46: 59-61. 18. Hiruki, L. M. and I. Stirling (1993). "Wounding in Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 71: 458-468. 19. Johanos, T. C., B. L. Becker, et al. (1994). "Annual reproductive cycle of the female Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi)." Marine Mammal Science 10: 13-30. 20. Johnson, A. M. and E. Kridler (1983). "Interisland movement of hawaiian monk seals." Journal of the Hawaii Audobon Society 44: 43-45. 21. Kenyon, K. W. (1981). Monk Seals - Monachus Fleming, 1822. Handbook of marine mammals. London, Academic Press. 194-220. 22. Kinzelbach, V. R. and J. Boessneck (1992). "Vorkommen der Monchsrobbe Monachus monachus auf Sal (Kapverdische Inseln)." Z Saugetierkunde 57: 58-59. 23. Le Boeuf, B. J., K. W. Kenyon, et al. (1986). "The Caribbean monk seal is extinct." Marine Mammal Science 2(1): 70-72. 24. Macdonald, C. D. (1982). "Predation by Hawaiian monk seals on spiny lobsters." 63: 700. 25. Maigret, J. (1986). "The monk seal, Monachus monachus, Hermann 1779 on the west African coasts." Aquat. Mamm. 12: 49-51. 26. Minasian, S. M., K. C. Balcomb, et al. (1987). The Whales of Hawaii. San Francisco, CA, Marine Mammal Fund. 27. Rigas, G. and K. Ronald (1985). "Observations on the biology and behavior of the Mediterranean monk seal." Aquatic Mammals 11: 23-26. 28. Ronald, K. (1972). The Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Survival Service Commission, Guelph, Ontario. 29. Sergeant, D., D. Campbell, et al. (1980). Expedition (#22) of R/V Redina Maris to search for Caribbean monk seals in the Southeast Bahamas Islands, Cruise, World Wildlife Fund, U.S.A. and People's Trust for Endangered Species. 30. Sullivan, R. M. (1981). "Aquatic displays and interactions in harbor seals, Phoca vitulina, with comments on mating systems." 62: 825-831. 31. Thomas, J., P. Moore, et al. (1990). "Underwater audiogram of a Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi)." Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 87(1): 417-420. 32. Villa-R, B., J. P. Gallo-R, et al. (1986). "La Foca Monje Monachus Tropicalis (Mammalia: Pinnipedia) Definitivamente Extinguida En Mexico." . 33. Wexler, M. (1993). "A monk on their backs." National Wildlife Dec/Jan 1993: 46-49. 34. Whittow, G. C. (1987). "Thermoregulatory adaptations in marine mammals: interacting effects of exercise and body mass. A review." Marine Mammal Science 3(3): 220-241. 35. Woods, C. A. (1987). An investigation of possible sightings of Caribbean monk seals (Monachus tropicalis) along the north coast of Haiti MM3309519-2, Final report, U.S. MMC. 36. Wyss, A. R. (1988). "On "retrogression" in the evolution of the Phocinae and Phylogenic affinities of the Monk Seals." American Museum Novitates : 1-38. ********************** 1. Anonymous (1980). "Fresh water pinniped." HSWRI Currents 17: 3&7. 2. Bauwens, L., E. Van Dyck, et al. (1987). "Corynebacterium equi pneumonia in three Baikal seals (Pusa sibirica)." Aquatic Mammals 13: 17-22. 3. Frost, K. J. and L. F. Lowry (1981). Ringed, Baikal and Caspain seals Phoca hispida Schreber, 1775; Phoca sibirica Gmelin, 1788; and Phoca caspica Gmelin, 1788. Handbook of marine mammals, Vol. 2: Seals, Academic Press. 29-53. 4. Thomas, J., V. Pastukhov, et al. (1982). "Phoca sibirica." Mammalian Species 188: 1-6. 5. van Nie, C. J. (1986). "The purkinje fibres in the heart of the common seal Phoca vitulina vitulina (Linnaeus, 1758), the Baikal seal Pusa sibirica (Gmelin, 1788), the fur seal Arctocephalus australis (Zimmermann, 1782), the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena (Linnaeus, 1758) and the white-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris (Gray, 1846)." Aquatic Mammals 12: 61-64. 6. Zemskiy, V. A. and V. I. Krylov (1982). "On the intrapopulation structure of the caspian seal." Marine Mammals - Collected Papers. All-Union Res Inst Mar Fish & Oceanography - VNIRO : 83-97. I hope these are of use Cheers Andy Andrew Schiro Marine Mammal Research Program 4700 Avenue U, Bldg 303 Galveston, TX 77551 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 09:35:18 -0400 From: Keith Ronald Subject: Re: Information on Mediterranean Monachus. In-Reply-To: <9505290502.AA29280(\)solar.nova.edu> You might wish to look at following: Ronald, K.,L.M.Hanly, P.J.Healey, and L.J.Selley.1976.An annotated bibliography on the Pinnipedia. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea(ICES), Copenhagen.785 pages. Roanld,K.,P.J.Healey,J.L.Dougan,L.J.Selley and L.Dunn.1983.Anannotated bibliography on the Pinnipedia.Supplement I, ICES,Copenhagen, 350p. Ronald,K.,B.L. Gots, J.D.Lupson, C.J.Willings and J.L.Dougan. An annotated bibliography on seals, sea lions and walrus.Supplement 2 ICES,Copenhagen,801 p. Several others come to mind but less specific: Facts on File,1984:288-289,New York. There are also two International Conference reports on Monachus(mainly M.monachus). One from 1984 held in LaRochelle the other from Rhodes in 1979(published by United nations) but that may be too ancient. Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor, Marine Mammals and Environmental Studies. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 09:52:49 +0200 From: John_Wieja Subject: Re: Dolphin Project Europe Newsletter The Dolphin Project Europe Newsletter is now available through e-mail. This 11-page newsletter reports on the rehabilatation and release of captive dolphins. Send your request to me at wieja(\)euronet.nl and mark it "Dolphin Project". Arlette Liwer ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 17:46:24 MDT From: Peter James Adam Subject: request for seal teeth Hello marmamers, I am presently in my last year of undergraduate schooling in Zoology at the University of Calgary. As an option for my last year, I have chosen to do an independent techniques course on the aging of animals from cementum growth layers in teeth. I hope to work with pinnipeds and/or cetaceans for my MSc, and would thus like to learn the technique with these two groups. Our museum is greatly lacking in pinniped material, and I have no source of seal or sea lion canine teeth. Is there anybody out there that would be able to spare some teeth from unneeded carcasses? Unfortunately, they will be destroyed in the process, and the jaw usually has to be cut for removal purposes. Please e-mail me if you, or somebody you know might be able to help. Thank-You, Peter J. Adam pjadam(\)acs.ucalgary.ca ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 22:34:39 +1000 From: Bill Fulton Subject: Freeze-Branding : Database Begun Freeze-branding of cetaceans is on the increase. I've begun compiling a database of the brand numbering ranges used by projects in various countries (e.g. 01 to 99, or A1 to A50). This should be helpful when branded individuals turn up far afield. It will also help future researchers choose number ranges which are not already in use elsewhere. Although I'm specially interested in the Pacific, the database in intended to have worldwide scope. It will be freely available to all Internet users. If you can help with any information, contact names or pointers to similar databases, it certainly would be much appreciated. Information could range from the informal "Some dolphins were released in Peru in the seventies marked P1 to about P10 on the dorsal fin", to more precise accounts with names, contact details, dates, circumstances, species/sex/length and so on. When the database begins to take shape I'll post details on how to get a copy. Thanks. Bill Fulton ORRCA Sydney Australia E-net: fulton(\)decus.org.au Fax: +61 2 413 1076 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 10:21:28 -0400 From: Wende Evans Subject: Flaccid Fin Syndrome - Orcinus orca I am a Marine Biology Master's candidate at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I am researching a condition in Orcinus orca known as flaccid fin syndrome (FFS) i.e. the aparent loss of rigidity in the dorsal fin of orcas. I am looking into the causitive agents along with the environmental factors that play a role in this condition. I have compiled a questionaire that I hope Marmamers will take a few minutes to fill out. The results of this questionaire along with my findings will be posted on Marmam. I. Your experience with Orcinus Orca: ___ intense field study (more than five years (\) published on orcas) ___ first-hand observations (less than five years experience) ___ major research (without actual field observations) ___ observations of orcas in the wild while studing other marine animals (e.g. sea-lion depravation) ___ minor research (without actual field study) ___ observations in aquaria, casual ___, 1 to 4 years ___, five or more years ___ II. Knoweledge of FFS: ___ intense study (researched the condition with field observations) ___ research study - published articles on FFS (please provide list of references) ___ first-hand observations (without explicit research on the condition) ___ wild encounters while studying other marine animals ___ observations in aquaria III. Brief definition of FFS as you have seen it. IV. Which causitive agents do you think play an important role in FFS? ___ environment ___ captivity ___ wild/open ocean ___ fitness of the animal ___ genetics/heredity ___ sickenss/injury ___ age of the animal ___ feeding habits ___ water quality ___ temperature ___ salinity ___ temperature of the collagenous tissue (composing the fin) ___ variation in diet ___ periods of fasting and reproduction ___ other underlying causitive agents (please specify) V. Documented research on FFS - from IV above, were your choices based on heresay or documented proof? (please list articles if available) VI. Other comments on the condition of FFS in Orcinus orca. Thank you for taking time to fill out this questionaire. If you have further information that may be helpful to my research, it would be appreciated. Again, thank you for your input on this project and I will be posting the results of the questionaire when I have collected the various inputs. Wende Evans 3369 College Ave. Davie, FL, 33314, USA (305) 452-6615 evansw(\)ocean.nova.edu NSU Oceanographic Center Ft. Lauderdale, FL ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 11:40:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Norway, facing protests, defen Norway, facing protests, defends whaling policy By Martin Cowley DUBLIN, May 29 (Reuter) - Norway defended its whaling policy in the northeastern Atlantic on Monday as environmentalists protested noisily outside the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Dublin. Kare Bryn, Norway's commissioner, accepted an earlier IWC finding that his nation's estimates of the numbers of minke whales contained errors. But he argued that revised estimates were soundly based. "We have every reason to believe that that is a correct figure," he told journalists at the end of the first day of the global whale management organisation's conference. Bryn said Norway would undertake a new survey this summer in the north Atlantic which would involve scientists from other nations and provide a better database for further study. The dismissal of the estimates by the IWC's scientific committee led to the Norwegians' revision and a decision by them to reduce the 1995 permitted whale kill from 301 to 232. Norway is the only country which continues commercial whaling in defiance of an international ban. Bryn said the revised estimates contained the same level of protection as before. "We feel that we are still on safe scientific ground on this." He added he hoped the scientific committee would be able to reach a new agreement on whale numbers by next March. "An extensive inter-sessional process has been set up so that by next year we are pretty confident that...the committee will be able to agree on a new figure," he said. The scientific committee blamed flawed computer programmes for the Norwegians' over-estimatate. The finding added fuel to calls by leaders of Greenpeace, the international conservation organisation, for all whaling to end. Japan also continues to hunt whales under a loophole that permits "scientific whaling." For several hours 250 Greenpeace protesters banged drums, shouted and blew whistles as they demonstrated with banners reading "No Way Norway" and "Stop Bloody Whaling" at the main entrances to Dublin Castle, the conference venue. John Bowler of Greenpeace Ireland said in a statement: "It's more obvious than ever that there is no scientific basis for Norway's whale hunt." He added: "The Norwegian government has always said its hunt had a firm scientific basis. Now that's out of the window, they have no choice but to recall their whalers." The IWC said it could not provide an estimate of the number of minke whales but was making considerable progress towards that goal. The IWC meeting runs until June 2 and is being attended by over 300 delegates from more than 30 countries. It is also due to discuss comprehensive assessment of whale stocks, revised management procedure and the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 17:09:14 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Freeze-Branding : Database Begun >Freeze-branding of cetaceans is on the increase. I've begun compiling a >database of the brand numbering ranges used by projects in various countries >(e.g. 01 to 99, or A1 to A50). > Just a query re branding. I understand the DFO is branding grey seals on Sable Island. I have been told that this had led to serious infections and was a pretty appalling situation. Does anyone know what kind of branding DFO is using and more details on the affect of branding on marine mammals? Anne Doncaster Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 19:29:25 -0400 From: H ELIZABETH MOSES Subject: abstract Fellow MARMAMers: In response to some recent inquiries concerning the use of GIS in the marine mammal field, here is the abstract of my recently completed Master's thesis. I hope it is helpful! For copies of the thesis, please contact me at the address listed below. cheers, Elizabeth Moses DISTRIBUTION OF NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES (_Eubalaena glacialis_) IN RELATION TO OCEANOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF THE SCOTIAN SHELF (1) Elizabeth Moses and (2) John T. Finn A main objective of the Right Whale Recovery Plan (NMFS 1991) is the "identification and protection of habitats essential to the survival of the northern right whale." During the summer and early fall, right whales are concentrated in the Gulf of Maine, Bay of Fundy, and off the coast of Nova Scotia between Browns and Baccaro Banks. Locations where some portions of the population migrate during the winter are still unknown, and new genetic evidence indicates an additional summering ground. Evidence from the field suggests a significant relationship between environmental features and whale distribution. We used GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to create a model which relates right whale sightings on the Scotian Shelf to sea-surface temperature (SST) and bathymetry. Data were plotted in overlaying coverages using the GIS programs ARC/INFO and GRID. GIS coverages allow a visual comparison between expected and observed sightings. We looked for broad seasonal patterns of whale distribution, keeping in mind that this study examined only a small part of the known right whale habitation area (incidental sightings suggest that their range is broader than documented sightings indicate). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine relationships between right whale presence and the oceanographic features of SST and bathymetry. The validity of the model was tested by applying it to other areas of known right whale occurrence (Great South Channel, Cape Cod Bay, Bay of Fundy). We then used the model to predict the probability of right whale presence in uninvestigated areas of the North Atlantic. Results showed that the general pattern of predicted right whale habitat matched observed patterns well for the Scotian Shelf and the Gulf of Maine. Predictions of additional summering grounds included the Grand Banks, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the banks off Greenland, Iceland, and Ireland, some of which are historical whaling grounds. Future work on this model should include expanding the study area and constructing GIS coverages for primary food production and movement of thermal fronts. For management, our results will aid in identifying and assessing critical right whale habitat. This approach to studying right whales can serve as a model for assessing potential distribution of any species for which enough baseline and life history data are available. (1) P.O. Box 1344, Sumter, SC, 29151, USA, (803) 773-2451 E-mail: efmoses(\)forwild.umass.edu (2) Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Holdsworth Hall University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA (413) 545-1819 E-mail: finn(\)forwild.umass.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 31 May 1995 11:18:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Whale smuggling widespread Whale smuggling widespread, says report LONDON, May 30 (Reuter) - Smuggling of whalemeat is widespread, with new evidence pointing to an illegal trade triangle between Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, a British conservation group said on Tuesday. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said it based its claim on a series of genetic tests of whalemeat taken from major cities in Asia, including Tokyo and Seoul. "The tests revealed the meat as having come from at least seven protected species," said the group. "These DNA tests help prove the existence of a whalemeat smuggling triangle." Commercial whaling was banned in 1986. However "pro-whaling" nations continue to flout the rules and smugglers are cashing in, with whalemeat now fetching about $100 a pound, it said. Since regulated whaling is unenforcable, the only way to curb illegal trade in the meat is to require that DNA testing becomes part of international monitoring, the group said. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 31 May 1995 18:39:10 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: NEW ZEALAND WANTS ANTARCTIC WHALING TO END: MCLAY 31-May-95 04:14 pm Regular Parliament NZ WANTS ANTARCTIC WHALING TO END: MCLAY Wellington, May 30 - Whaling is continuing in Antarctic waters despite the establishment of a southern ocean whale sanctuary, the head of New Zealand's delegation has told the International Whaling Commission's annual meeting in Ireland. Jim McLay, New Zealand's commissioner at the meeting, which began on Monday, said killing was continuing inside the sanctuary, ostensibly for scientific purposes. ``New Zealand is a strong supporter of the sanctuary, which includes New Zealand waters below 40 degrees south latitude,'' he said in a prepared speech. ``It was fitting that the sanctuary has been created in an area that was the scene of many of the worst excesses of commercial whaling over the past century. ``It is therefore a cause of great concern to New Zealand that whales continue to be killed within this area.'' Japan kills about 300 whales each year from an estimated population of 760,000 minkes in Antarctic waters under a provision that allows hunts for scientific research. Mr McLay said New Zealand recognised that whaling for scientific purposes was permitted under last year's convention in which the sanctuary was formed. ``However, it is New Zealand's view that, with modern management techniques, the information necessary for the management and conservation of whales can be obtained from non-lethal methods. ``We are therefore opposed to scientific whaling. ``We are concerned that the numbers of whales being killed for research purposes appear to be increasing and that such activities are occurring in the newly established sanctuary.'' Mr McLay said important research would be presented to the meeting on whale killing methods, ``which will demonstrate that the electronic lance method is ineffective and painful''. ``It is New Zealand's hope that agreement will be reached to ban the use of the lance as a method of killing whales.'' Both Norway and Japan want to use the five-day meeting to ease the 1986 global ban on commercial whaling. NZPA PAR bs cf ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 31 May 1995 18:38:44 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: JAPAN IN THE DOCK AT INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION 31-May-95 12:57 pm Regular International JAPAN IN THE DOCK AT INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION Dublin, May 31 AFP - Japan is clearly in the dock at an International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting here, where Britain yesterday joined non-governmental organisations in accusing Tokyo of planning to hunt more than the 500 whales a year. The Japanese disputed the allegation but have not sought to deny that they have so far killed 330 Minky whales this year in Antarctica, where their critics say they have violated a special whale sanctuary established in 1994. In February the environmental organisation Greenpeace intercepted three Japanese whalers operating well within the protected zone. Australia, New Zealand and France have condemned Japanese whaling practices, while non-governmental organisations warn that intrusions into the sanctuary will undermine its very purpose -- to provide a safe haven for whales to reproduce. Officially, the expedition of the Japanese factory ship Nisshin Maru was to carry to out ``scientific hunting''. But many experts contend there are other ways to study whales and argue that the scope of the operation suggests that ends other than science are being served. For the World Wildlife Fund Japanese whale-hunting is no more scientific than that practised by Norway in the Atlantic, where Norwegian boats have taken 230 whales this year. On the Nisshin Maru, according to the fund, flesh is stripped from the whales and then treated before being sold on markets in Japan and South Korea. Despite the criticism, Japan petitioned the IWC to authorise four Japanese fishing ports to take 50 Minky whales. The commission rejected the request yesterday by a vote of 14 to 10. Japanese delegates here have argued that the Minky population has been increasing and insist that neither the sanctuary nor an international moratorium on commercial whaling is therefore justified. While Japan considers itself bound by neither of the restrictions, a Japanese representative stressed that his government had no intention of leaving the IWC. ``Even if there are problems, we are inside the International Whaling Commission because we are always deeply concerned by the protection of whales,'' a member of the Japanese delegation told AFP. Since 1987 the Japanese have taken between 300 and 330 whales a year. Prior to the application of an international moratorium in 1986, Japan killed more than 2000 whales a year. Tokyo accepted the moratorium in 1988 but soon afterwards launched a whale-hunting campaign it described as being in the interests of research. AFP sje ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 31 May 1995 14:35:41 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Gulf of Maine marine mammal reports Marmam Group: I have a congressional office looking for recent (last two years) reports or studies on any aspect of marine mammal populations (grey and harbor seals, right and humpback whales, harbor porpoise) in the Gulf of Maine. I would appreciate assistance in identifying citations or documents that I should bring to their attention. Thanks for any suggestions. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 31 May 1995 21:06:01 EDT From: William Rossiter <71322.1637(\)compuserve.com> Subject: CSI Captivity Statement narrows A position statement on cetaceans in captivity was posted in early May by Cetacean Society International, with the partial intent of stimulating a discussion on MARMAM. With apologies to those who don't care to see the statement again: "It is the position of Cetacean Society International that it is no longer justifiable for cetaceans to be captured or maintained in captivity for purposes of exhibition, research or education. There exists a moral imperative for cetaceans in captivity to be maintained in optimal conditions for their physical and social well-being and for efforts to be made for their rehabilitation and release. Thanks to many who have exceeded our expectations with opinions and even a few facts. I implore those who have not commented to contribute to the pot. This is a gray issue, even if the opinions are often black and white. Perhaps you could add a lucid, logical, professional opinion, but don't want to participate in an exchange that has slipped into too many personal insults andirrelevant assaults. Many who have facts to contribute to this discussion are holding back, because of a few who can't hold back their opinions. Come on folks, please act a little more professionally. I don't care if the word count exceeds the ATOC frenzy, but I hope the venom doesn't. Many of you will have to come face to face again in December, at least. For those who need to throw electron bombs or Email insults stop wasting everyone's time and lob directly at 71322.1637(\)compuserve.com. In a small sense CSI turned up the heat, but obviously it hasbeen simmering a long time. CSI clearly puts the cetacean first. This is a growing public attitude which CSI fosters; we're a part of it more than just responding to it. The attitude is based on perceived values and deep opinions that can be expressed without much qualification, especially as there is precious little empirical data to work with. There are few useful statistics on current public attitudes in the U.S.; part of CSI's effort is to stimulate some more. Our statement is a heartfelt expression by an eclectic group, CSI's Board of Directors, all with strongly demonstrated commitments to help cetaceans. We resolved the statement over three meetings in as many months, with only one vote in opposition. You may think we want war. We think that we're trying to help. Does CSI really feel that captivity is no longer justified for research, as well as education or exhibition? With very few exceptions, today, yes. This is the toughest part of the issue for me, because I honor and need science to teach me about these creatures. For an operator of heavy machinery I've been more involved with cetology than most, and consider quite a number of professionals as friends. I know something of the constraints you face, and the dedication most bring to a sorely undercompensated field. And, as many have pointed out, so much knowledge has come from captive projects that could not have come from any other source. In no way do I assume to know enough about all the current research on captive cetaceans to judge each one, but the point to some is that I have no right to judge at all. This could too easily flow into a book about applied versus absolute science, and the financial, legal and ethical constraints on the latter. There is a cost/benefit involved here, but no one seems to know how to quantify the cost to the cetacean, which CSI feels to be of paramount importance. Who judges? At some point we each must judge, on inadequate data, that the cost to an individual cetacean exceeds the benefit of the research. CSI assumes the right to judge, as busybodies to some, or as an interested and involved public to others. If researchers blanch at such travesty might I be justified in measuring their response by their vested interest? I do not need these cetaceans for credentials, employment, convenience, or publishing. If all researchers who do still put "their" cetaceans first I'd shut up, but I know of cases where they don't. In essence I'm dealing with oversight, not easily accepted by many scientists. In my work my every word is recorded, along with the results of my actions. I know that these may be available to shuttered bureaucrats or a pandering media, as well as appropriate investigators.There is an implied threat there; I've learned to live with it. But, to stimulate a few flaming arrows, consider the following: Is captivity justified by research for husbandry? No, and that might include the few final details on the reproductive physiology of Tursiops, as has been addressed on MARMAM. More urgent needs are to understand immune supression for stranding and human impact issues, physiological cues for point source determination and management, and a host of critical questions addressable with current captive "resources". We need much work on (quarantined) morbilivirus, not the rejection of stranded Tursiops by some network facilities because of contaminant risks. "Wet rat" generics,such as reproduction, don't often apply to more significant needs, such as the same reproductive questions for the N.A. right whale. Logistics aside, would anyone justify the "take" of a right whale to help us understand their reproductive physiology and perhaps keep the 300+ left from vanishing? OK, what about gray whales? Why not understand their success? And, continuing the edge of the envelope, and with the IWC much on my mind of late, what if the Japanese married science with business and made minke farming a reality. Built around a swim-with theme park, of course, with a tastefully decorated processing plant off to the side, all sorts of great science on minke whales could result. The slogan could be "swim with them now, eat them later". U.S. facilities would never be party to such ideas but Seaquarium's planned LolitaLand could give a Japanese delegation great ideas on the latest crowd manipulators. Are some captive research projects driven by the need to keep the staff occupied or paid, or to keep the "resources" active or productive? Absolutely, and the same philosophy is building the newest Trident submarine. Are many projects subjected to oversight by the facility's PR department, and does this drive or constrain some? Yes, as newsletters and annual reports trumpet. Are facilities reluctant to have "their" resources" used by outside researchers, without PR oversight, staff authorship, and final authority over data? Yes, and here I recall some people who have tried. Can you think of a few? There are still many research projects left, but some seem to almost trickle along. The dolphin will be there everyday, 9-5, convenient, so why rush? Some readers will resent this, as I resent keeping the dolphin there until, and if, you're ready. I speak for CSI, by default, but here with a mix of personal opinion and stimulus for response. Get a grip. CSI won't "ban captive research" or close any facilities, but we will work to strengthen APHIS, focus on problem facilities and circumstances, strengthen stranding responses, and make education mean something; an agenda that blatantly puts the cetacean first. CSI is actively assessing the captive cetacean issue. We want to know how you, the experts, feel. If you wish to help us understand the issue, and share your opinion, wisdom or facts in a more private forum, consider a direct message to my address, above. I want informed opinion and real facts, and will agree to any condition of anonymity or confidentiality you request. I'm particularly interested in hearing from those in the display industry, or researchers using it. I'll read, respect,and learn. If anyone thinks they can't change my mind consider that a month ago I still vowed that I'd never own a computer (Clapham will smile wryly). A direct message also ensures receipt, because I am often away and must impose on another CSI board member to try to keep me current. The CSI newsletter, "Whales Alive", will post the CSI Statement to our membership and comp list, and I want to include whatever wisdom you professionals can give us on the issue of cetaceans in captivity, as well as some expansion on our statement. I'll need your input by mid June to meet our deadline. If I ever learn to type with two fingers I might warm up to this. Bill Rossiter President, Cetacean Society International ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Jun 1995 17:01:02 +0200 From: "Giovanni Bearzi / VET.FAK" Subject: acoustic Tursiops info request Dear marmamers, with the intent of comparing surface behavior, respiration pattern, and acoustic behavior, we would like to receive any information or suggestion concerning ways to design a protocol for the collection of non-ultrasonic acoustic data on coastal bottlenose dolphins. Is there any literature available on acoustic sampling ? (i.e. appropriate time intervals for comparing surface - and acoustic behavior?) thanks, Sylvan Oehen and Giovanni Bearzi Adriatic Dolphin Project Tethys Research Institute Please reply to: ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 1 Jun 1995 15:57:12 EDT From: Robin Baird I thank Mr. Rossiter for a lucid, exceptionally honest statement on his organization's position and am responding to his request for additional views on the issue of captive marine mammals. My first caveat is that I am a scientist but in this case cannot offer useful facts, only an opinion and its reasons after long consideration (and my second caveat is that this runs to 76 lines - caveat emptor). Like many others that have commented, I believe this question hinges ultimately on your personal value system. My intention here is to offer some concepts for consideration that have influenced my position as both a scientist and as an outside observer of active captive research. I work on marine mammal hearing and use anatomical models based on ears taken post-mortem from animals that died in strandings or in captivity. To the best of my knowledge, of the 103 ears I have examined over the last 15 years, only 11 ears from 6 animals were from captive animals (here defined as animals kept in a facility on a long term basis, not those that died when captive for rehabilitation after a stranding). I believe these numbers imply several things. First, they are testimony to the extraordinary efforts of field/NMFS/F&W workers who supply us with tissue - on which I and all anatomical researchers are entirely dependent - (THANK YOU ONE AND ALL). Second, once Mr. Rossiter set me to thinking about the ratios, I realized that they are a very indirect measure of the care and health of captives. I assure you that I am just as vigorous (some would say annoying) in my requests to captive sites as to stranding centers. All caretakers - captive and non-captive related - have been remarkably receptive and helpful to me - and based on my experience been equally diligent in responding to my requests. For my work at least, remarkably few animals come available from aquaria. They aren't dying in droves. This brings me to my third point; i.e.,I am in effect a researcher with little or minimal vested interest in the maintenance of captives as a source of material. Nevertheless, as both a scientist and a citizen, I am in favor of some captive level of marine mammals. I do not naively believe that all captives are necessarily well-treated, and this is not a global seal of approval; no one rationally condones abuse. Let's stay with the question of whether some form of captivity is warranted. Access to animals in captivity on display comes in two flavors: it provides the opportunity for research, but far more important is the fact that access is also given to the average non-scientist to observe these animals. As graphic as video is, it cannot compare with a live view, and, it is from these experiences that we as a individuals and as a society primarily derive our will and interest in preserving the wild parts of our world. Even if you feel we have sufficient will now, we still need knowledge. I became a biologist because of a deep and abiding admiration for the idea of life. Not human, not mammal, not vertebrate but life per se and in all forms. That sounds overly dramatic, but it is true and I believe it is a sentiment common to most biologists. I narrowed my professional focus to marine biology because the ocean fascinates me and to my mind marine creatures offer the most exquisite variety of adaptations. Clearly, I have a great deal invested in the ocean, not just professionally, but also personally. I want that variety preserved. Experience show us it can best be preserved through understanding its intricacies. At the moment, our knowledge must come through both field observation and close examination. We just aren't technologically smart enough to measure physiology, small scale behaviour, and communication for every species remotely. The style of modelling or inferential research I do cannot (and some of my grant reviewers will cheerfully confirm this) by any means answer all the questions about marine mammals. Some work must be done with live animals and some must be done over time. Captive work and field observation are complementary not duplicative, and many questions about cognition and physiology in particular that are best addressed with hands on work are crucial to better understanding of marine species. If we preferentially shield any organism from some reasonable level of close examination, we limit our ability to understand or predict in what way human activity will impact it. We are, of course technologically smart - or stupid - enough to produce an irretrievably negative effect on any species unless we have that intimate knowledge. Captivity - reasonable and responsible - provides that opportunity. I am certainly not immune to the majesty and thrill of a glimpse of a free running animal, but I also urge that we must have the courage to take the responsibility of some captivity in exchange for an informed approach to our world. Darlene R. Ketten, Ph.D Asst. Prof. Harvard Medical School Otolaryngology/MEEI 243 Charles St. Boston, Mass. USA 02114 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 09:05:39 PDT From: George Elston Subject: cetacean brain wave activity ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- To the readers of MARMAM: I am writing in the hopes that the readers of MARMAM might have some information that I am in need of. The question was brought up of "do dolphins dream?". I was wondering if the readers of MARMAM might be able to answer this question or to point me in the direction of research papers that might enlighten me on this subject. I was curious if since, as far as I am aware, dolphins and other whales do not ever enter into an unconscious state similar to humans and other mammals, do they ever show brain wave activity that we associate with dreaming in humans. Thanks in advance for any information you might be able to provide on this subject. George Elston gelston(\)gate.net ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 09:06:50 PDT From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: Marine education? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Eric Archer writes, re marine parks: >I'm not saying that these parks _cannot_ educate, for I believe that they, >outside of all others, have the ability to. What I am saying is that I don't >feel that they place as large an effort on education as possible. To me, >this is what separates them from most zoological parks where there is an >overt drive to educate and jump-through-the-hoop type shows are downplayed >if they exist at all. Why this aspect hasn't been addressed on a larger >scale, I don't know. I think in my original comment I was using the term "marine park" as a catchall to include aquaria. Places like the Vancouver Aqurium, cetaceans aside, are to my mind set up very much with education in mind. Places like the Miami Seaquarium, on the other hand, fit Eric's description to a T - but these places depend, far more than a place like Vancouver does, on marine mammal displays. Get rid of them and there isn't a lot left - not the case with Vancouver (or consider the Monterey Aquarium which has no marine mammals at all). -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 09:08:03 PDT From: SGASPARI(\)aol.com Subject: HARBOR SEALS BEHAVIOR ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I would like to share a behavioral observation, of two harbor seals, that I consider to be unusual, and I would like to know whether anybody has an explanation for it, or has observed something similar. At Jenner, California (the mouth of the Russian River), there were about 150 harbor seals including numerous weaners and pups, hauled out during high tide. The two observed harbor seals were of different size, the bigger one (adult size) never moved or had the slightest reactions during the observation time, either when rolled by the waves, nor to bites and pushes by the other seal. It was dead. The other seal was smaller in size, (seemed to be bigger than a weaner) and was alive. They were first washed up on the sand bank and later washed out of the haul out. What at first appeared to be a play interaction, turned out to be something that I can not define. While on the sand bank, before being washed off, the smaller seal was biting the dead seals neck, mounting it repeatedly, and at last just embracing it with its flipper. While in the water, the one seal was trying hard to hang on to the dead one, while the waves were gradually washing it away. Even when they went under a convergence of two currents for about one minute, they surfaced together, one holding the other one. There was a lot of pushing and trying to prevent the waves from taking the body away. It looked like it was helping the dead one to get on the haul out, and eventually they got within a couple of meters or less from the sand bank. It seemed that one was lifting up the other to breath, the animals were submerged, and only part of the heads or noses were visible, one at a time. I do not know the end of the story, because I got distracted, and I am not really sure whether one came out abandoning the others body, although it seemed to be the case. The observation was carried out through binoculars for at least ten minutes at a distance of about 50 meters. Thanks for any input. Stefania Gaspari ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 09:53:19 -0800 From: "Autumn E. Blanchard" Subject: Re: Marine education? Correction, the Monterey Aquarium has sea otters, albeit rehab ones. >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Eric Archer writes, re marine parks: > >>I'm not saying that these parks _cannot_ educate, for I believe that they, >>outside of all others, have the ability to. What I am saying is that I don't >>feel that they place as large an effort on education as possible. To me, >>this is what separates them from most zoological parks where there is an >>overt drive to educate and jump-through-the-hoop type shows are downplayed >>if they exist at all. Why this aspect hasn't been addressed on a larger >>scale, I don't know. > >I think in my original comment I was using the term "marine park" as a >catchall to include aquaria. Places like the Vancouver Aqurium, cetaceans >aside, are to my mind set up very much with education in mind. Places like >the Miami Seaquarium, on the other hand, fit Eric's description to a T - but >these places depend, far more than a place like Vancouver does, on marine >mammal displays. Get rid of them and there isn't a lot left - not the case >with Vancouver (or consider the Monterey Aquarium which has no marine >mammals at all). >-- >Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) >International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) >Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 >Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net >Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 >Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 Autumn E. Blanchard Electrical Engineering, FT-10 University of Washington autumn(\)ee.washington.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 09:59:33 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am shortening the summary to include only new items added since my last posting. However, I will post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. This is the longer version for the first Friday in June 1995. I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: New info and changes since 5/26/95 are bracketed {...}. . Marine Mammals . {House Subcommittee Hearing. On June 22, 1995, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively rescheduled an oversight hearing on tuna/dolphin concerns and discussion of possible amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act to modify dolphin-safe fishing provisions.} [Los Angeles Times via Greenwire] . Chilean Sea Lion Mortalities. In mid-May 1995, salmon farmers became embroiled with Chilean Government officials concerning alleged killing and beheading of sea lions that feed upon salmon reared in offshore net pens. Salmon producers fear an international reaction against Chilean salmon. [Santiago El Epoca via Greenwire] . Tonga Rejects Commercial Whaling Appeal. On May 23, 1995, Tonga press announced that the Tonga Government will maintain the moratorium on commercial whaling and had rejected a request by a Japanese-based company to allow commercial whaling in Tongan waters. [Assoc Press] . Manatee Calf Mortality. On May 23, 1995, marine scientists reported growing concern that increased calf mortality may threaten manatee species survival. Experts estimate that 54 calves may die this year compared to 46 last year. [Miami Herald via Assoc Press] . EC Whaling Resolution. On May 19, 1995, the European Parliament adopted a joint resolution reaffirming its opposition to the commercial hunting of all whale species when the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee considers such hunting a threat to species survival. [Reuters] . Japan's Minke Whaling Plans. On May 20, 1995, Japanese authorities announced that Japan has told the IWC that it proposes to increase the number of minke whales killed for scientific research in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary in 1995 by 100 animals, to be taken from an area adjacent to where previous whaling has occurred. Among other purposes, the increased kill is to gather more data on parasites and effects of marine pollution and conduct a feasibility study of stock identity based on DNA analysis. Japan is also considering a similar future study of toothed whales. [Dow Jones News] . International Whaling Commission. The 47th annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission is being held from May 29 through June 2, 1995, in Dublin, Ireland. {On May 30, 1995, delegates to IWC's annual meeting were to debate a Japanese request to kill 50 minke whales in Japanese coastal waters, and discuss management of small cetaceans. On May 29, 1995, four Caribbean nations drafted and introduced a resolution to prevent the IWC from regulating small cetaceans traditionally used for food in their countries; the IWC will vote on this resolution on May 31, 1995. On May 30, 1995, Investigative Network, Earthtrust, and various scientists from Hawaii and New Zealand presented a report, entitled "Tracking the Pirates: New DNA Results and Undercover Research Expose the Illegal Whalemeat Trade," to the IWC detailing recently completed DNA tests revealing new information about illegal trading in whalemeat, including sale of illegal meat in Japan and South Korea, involvement of criminal groups in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, and illegal laundering of smuggled whalemeat in Japan. On May 31, 1995, the IWC adopted a non-binding resolution demanding that Norway suspend all commercial whaling immediately; Norwegian delegates responded that they intend to continue their whaling. On June 1, 1995, the IWC voted 21-3 (Norway, Japan, and the Solomon Islands voting in opposition) to impose random DNA testing on all whalemeat stocks to deter illegal trade.} [Dow Jones News, Assoc Press, U.S. Newswire, Reuters] . Gray Whale Hunting Plans. In late April 1995, officials of the Makah Tribe, Washington State, wrote NMFS that they would like to kill as many as five gray whales each year for ceremonial and subsistence purposes. The Tribe asked NMFS to help develop whaling guidelines, and plans to ask the International Whaling Commission to endorse a 1996 hunt. The 13 Nuu-chah-nulth Tribes on Vancouver Island, British Columbia are also holding discussions with Federal and Provincial officials concerning their right to hunt gray whales. [Assoc Press] . Polar Bear Report. In February 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a draft report stating that polar bears do not require special protection, but do require special scrutiny, on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 11:29:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Boosted Glacier Bay cruise-shi Boosted Glacier Bay cruise-ship traffic proposed By Yereth Rosen ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuter) - The National Park Service proposed Thursday a 72 percent increase in summer cruise-ship traffic in southeast Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park. Under a plan released by the Park Service, cruise-ship entries would be increased to 184 from the current 107, with the increases coming in the early and late summer. The boosted traffic would be accompanied by additional environmental protections, according to the Park Service's proposal. They include seasonal closures of congressionally designated wilderness waters to motorized vessels and expansion of designated "whale waters," the agency said. Also, the Park Service would require cruise ship operators to use new techology to minimize air pollution and underwater noise, which can disturb animals. Bob Barbee, Alaska regional director of the National Park Serivce, said the plan allows more people to visit the state's national parks, while assuring ecological protections. Environmentalists have been skeptical of plans to boost cruise-ship traffic in Glacier Bay, a haven for whales and other animals. But one Alaska environmental leader said Thursday he was open to the prospect of more park cruise ships. "National parks are about environmental quality as well as visitors. So the air quality issues are very important," said Chip Dennerlein, head of the Alaska office of the National Parks and Conservation Association. The plan is scheduled to be published Monday in the Federal Register, the Park Service said. It is subject to a public comment period that ends Aug. 4 and will be the subject of six public hearings, the agency said. Earlier this year, when Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt announced his intention to allow expanded cruise ship entries into the park, some observers viewed that as a concession to the new power of Alaska's all-Republican congressional delegation. With the Republican takeover of Congress, Sen. Frank Murkowski of Alaska was elevated to chairman of the Senate Energy Committee and the state's sole House member, Don Young, became chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 11:28:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Whaling commission cracks down Whaling commission cracks down on smugglers DUBLIN, Ireland (Reuter) - The International Whaling Commission voted Thursday to impose random DNA testing on all whalemeat stocks in an attempt to foil smugglers, environmentalists said. They told the commission's annual meeting in Dublin that meat from protected whales was openly sold in South Korea and Japan at prices of up to $100 a pound. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said in a statement that 21 countries supported the resolution which was opposed by Norway, Japan and the Solomon Islands. "The vote to introduce DNA testing of whalemeat is a major victory for us in the fight to end all whaling," said society spokesman Chris Stroud. "It means that evading detection will become increasingly difficult for whalers who callously ignore the ban on commercial whaling." The commission banned commercial whaling in 1986 but the environmentalists said countries like Japan had continued whaling under the justification of scientific research. The society said the Japanese government had seized more than 500 tons of illegally-smuggled whalemeat since 1988. The commission urged Norway this week to stop whaling immediately and reconsider its objection to an international moratorium on whaling. Norway is the only country which continues commercial whaling in defiance of a 10-year international ban. It issued a license to kill 232 minke whales earlier this year on the basis that stocks were plentiful. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 11:28:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: IWC calls on Norway to stop wh IWC calls on Norway to stop whaling DUBLIN, June 1 (Reuter) - The International Whaling Commission has urged Norway to stop whaling immediately and reconsider its objection to an international moratorium on whaling. The IWC said in a resolution at its annual meeting in Dublin on Tuesday that its scientific committee had unanimously agreed that there was currently no valid abundance estimate for minke whales in the Northeastern Atlantic. The resolution, passed by 21 votes to six, called on Norway to "halt immediately all whaling activities under its jurisdiction." Norway is the only country which continues commercial whaling in defiance of a 10-year international ban. It issued a licence to kill 232 minke whales earlier this year on the basis that they were plentiful. Japan also continues to hunt whales under a loophole that permits "scientific whaling." The IWC resolution was welcomed by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS). "We are delighted that this resolution has been passed. Countries like Norway will no longer be allowed to hide behind the cloak of science in justifying their needless slaughter and destruction of whales," said campaigns director Chris Stroud. The IWC meeting runs until June 2 and is being attended by over 300 delegates from more than 30 countries and observers from other organisations. The meeting has been accompanied by protests from international conservation group Greenpeace, with demonstrators brandishing banners saying "No way, Norway' and "Stop the bloody whaling'. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 08:54:34 -0230 Reply-To: johnwl(\)KEAN.UCS.MUN.CA From: johnwl(\)kean.ucs.mun.ca Subject: Dyes for use in seal feeding study - advice sought. Hi all, I have been trying to find some sources and advice for use of marker dyes in a feeding study I plan to conduct with harp seals. In addition to Carmine Red and Chromium Sesquioxide, I would like to know if anyone has used other dyes/colours. Ideally I would like 5 to 10 other options. If somone could suggest companies which sell dietary marker dyes, or references to their use, I would be most grateful. regards, Jack Dr. J.W. Lawson (johnwl(\)kean.ucs.mun.ca) Ocean Sciences Centre Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada A1C 5S7 (709) 737 3248 (709) 737 3220 (FAX) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 23:03:14 BST From: Margaret Klinowska Subject: Re: [acoustic Tursiops info request] In-Reply-To: <"ppsw2.cam.ac:049030:950601192302"(\)ppsw.cam.ac.uk> For details of many aspects of Tursiops behaviour see Bloom et al Aquatic Mammals 21. 1 19-42 1995 M. Klinowska ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 16:34:32 +0100 From: "Christina M. Tombach" Subject: Dorsal Fin Photo ID Matching Program I am currently working with Ned Lynas and the ORES Center for Coastal Field Studies in Quebec and we have several on-going projects involving the St. Lawrence Whales. Ned said that he saw a Dorsal-Fin matching program (for photo ID work) at a conference he attended a couple of years ago. Does anyone know of such a program or how I could find it? We could always write something up ourselves, but we thought we would try this one out if possible. I would appreciate any information. Thanks Christina ********************** Christina M. Tombach Aquatic Biology University of California Santa Barbara utina(\)mcl.ucsb.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 15:43:42 -0700 From: Jim Moore Subject: RE IWC crackdown on smuggling RE the posted Reuter story on random DNA testing of whale meat to identify smugglers: >opposed by Norway, Japan and the Solomon Islands. Is there by chance a representative of one of these nations online who could explain the nature of their objections? I would think they would be all in favor of cleaning up smuggling operations... cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 3 Jun 1995 09:32:16 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: JAPAN WILL NOT HALT WHALING -- MINISTER 02-Jun-95 05:55 pm Regular International JAPAN WILL NOT HALT WHALING -- MINISTER Tokyo, June 2 Reuter - Japan has no intention of halting whale hunting and will make efforts to persuade the International Whaling Commission (IWC) not to ban whaling entirely, Agriculture Minister Taichiro Okawara said on Friday. ``Japan has no intention of stopping whaling for scientific purposes,'' Okawara told reporters. ``We will tenaciously negotiate with other nations to attain their understanding.'' Okawara was responding to an IWC resolution at its annual meeting in Dublin on Thursday that urged Norway to stop all whaling activities. The resolution was not directed against Japan. Norway is the only country that continues commercial whaling, defying an international ban by the IWC since 1985. But Japan also continues to hunt whales under a loophole that permits ``scientific'' whaling. It is seeking IWC approval of a plan to continue killing about 300 minke whales annually for population studies for the next 16 years. Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research carries out ``research'' whaling on behalf of the government and has killed about 300 minke whales annually since 1987. Environmental activists say this is thinly disguised commercial whaling as most of the meat, an expensive delicacy in Japan, ends up in restaurants. Japan, the world's biggest consumer of whalemeat, says successive research missions to the Antarctic have shown that stocks in some areas have recovered enough to justify the resumption of commercial whaling. Reuter ad ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 3 Jun 1995 09:32:57 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: IWC MEETING PASSES MOTION TO BAN SCIENTIFIC WHALING 03-Jun-95 02:45 am Regular International IWC MEETING PASSES MOTION TO BAN SCIENTIFIC WHALING Dublin, June 2, Kyodo - Anti-whaling nations at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) today adopted a resolution urging a ban on whaling for research purposes inside a Southern Ocean whale sanctuary. On the fifth and final day of the Dublin gathering, 16 nations submitted the resolution calling for scientific whaling in the Antarctic to be conducted in a non-fatal way. A total of 23 countries voted for the motion, seven voted against and one abstained. The Japanese delegation has said scientific whaling is necessary to determine the impact of years of whaling on stocks and to obtain an accurate profile of the population in the region. Anti-whaling countries said such whaling is unnecessary in the Antarctic whaling sanctuary, which was decided upon by a majority of IWC members at last year's meeting in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Shortly before the meeting voted for the resolution, Japan's Fisheries Agency in Tokyo said the nation would continue scientific whaling even if the motion was passed. However, sources said the agency would review its plan to increase the annual number of whales to be taken from the ocean to 400 from 300 after the team returned from Dublin. The motion does not bind scientific whaling in the northwestern Atlantic, where Japan launched such whaling last year. The resolution was agreed on following a Japanese request for a review of the Southern Ocean sanctuary. Japan is a member of the IWC, which banned commercial whaling in 1985, but the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, which the IWC administers, permits a limited form of non-commercial whaling for scientific purposes. Japan has been catching about 300 whales each year since 1987 in the Antarctic for what it describes as scientific purposes. KYODO krm ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 3 Jun 1995 12:21:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: WHALE RESCUE UNDER WAY WHALE RESCUE UNDER WAY By Michael Harvey, PA News Two 30-ft whales were today at the centre of a rescue operation after they left the open sea and headed for a river mouth. Rescuers on board a lifeboat and harbour launch were trying to steer them away amid fears that the creatures -- believed to be pilot whales -- could become beached. The whales were seen early this morning outside Harwich harbour at the entrance to the River Stour on the Essex coast, police said. The whales were later spotted inside the harbour and now appeared bent on swimming up the river, a coastguard spokesman said. An inshore lifeboat from the Walton-on-the-Naze rescue centre and a harbour launch were sent to track the whales and try to head them off back to sea, the spokesman said. "They do not appear to be injured or in any distress but they appear hell bent on swimming up the river," the spokesman added. In a similar incident about 10 years ago pilot whales were successfully urged back to sea after they swam into the harbour, a harbourmaster official said. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 3 Jun 1995 17:58:04 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: posting error Due to a computer error, the following message was posted earlier to MARMAM lacking the proper header information. The original sender was eplunix!drk(\)EDDIE.MIT.EDU (Darlene Ketten). ---------------------------Original message---------------------------> > > > I thank Mr. Rossiter for a lucid, exceptionally honest statement on his > organization's position and am responding to his request for additional > views on the issue of captive marine mammals. My first caveat is that I > am a scientist but in this case cannot offer useful facts, only an > opinion and its reasons after long consideration (and my second caveat > is that this runs to 76 lines - caveat emptor). Like many > others that have commented, I believe this question hinges ultimately > on your personal value system. My intention here is to offer some > concepts for consideration that have influenced my position as both a > scientist and as an outside observer of active captive research. > I work on marine mammal hearing and use anatomical models based on > ears taken post-mortem from animals that died in strandings or > in captivity. To the best of my knowledge, of the 103 ears I have examined > over the last 15 years, only 11 ears from 6 animals were from > captive animals (here defined as animals kept in a facility on a long > term basis, not those that died when captive for rehabilitation after a > stranding). I believe these numbers imply several things. First, they > are testimony to the extraordinary efforts of field/NMFS/F&W > workers who supply us with tissue - on which I and all > anatomical researchers are entirely dependent - (THANK YOU ONE AND > ALL). Second, once Mr. Rossiter set me to thinking about the ratios, I > realized that they are a very indirect measure of the care and health > of captives. I assure you that I am just as vigorous (some would say > annoying) in my requests to captive sites as to stranding centers. All > caretakers - captive and non-captive related - have been remarkably > receptive and helpful to me - and based on my experience been equally > diligent in responding to my requests. For my work at least, remarkably few > animals come available from aquaria. They aren't dying in droves. This > brings me to my third point; i.e.,I am in effect a > researcher with little or minimal vested interest in the maintenance of > captives as a source of material. > Nevertheless, as both a scientist and a citizen, I am in favor of > some captive level of marine mammals. I do not naively believe that > all captives are necessarily well-treated, and this is not a global > seal of approval; no one rationally condones abuse. Let's stay with > the question of whether some form of captivity is warranted. Access to > animals in captivity on display comes in two flavors: it provides the > opportunity for research, but far more important is the fact that > access is also given to the average non-scientist to observe these > animals. As graphic as video is, it cannot compare with a live view, > and, it is from these experiences that we as a individuals and as > a society primarily derive our will and interest in preserving the wild > parts of our world. Even if you feel we have sufficient will now, we > still need knowledge. > I became a biologist because of a deep and abiding admiration > for the idea of life. Not human, not mammal, not vertebrate but life > per se and in all forms. That sounds overly dramatic, but it is true > and I believe it is a sentiment common to most biologists. I narrowed > my professional focus to marine biology because the ocean fascinates me > and to my mind marine creatures offer the most exquisite variety of > adaptations. Clearly, I have a great deal invested in the ocean, not > just professionally, but also personally. I want that variety > preserved. Experience show us it can best be preserved through > understanding its intricacies. At the moment, our knowledge must come > through both field observation and close examination. We just aren't > technologically smart enough to measure physiology, small scale > behaviour, and communication for every species remotely. The style of > modelling or inferential research I do cannot (and some of my grant > reviewers will cheerfully confirm this) by any means answer all the > questions about marine mammals. Some work must be done with live > animals and some must be done over time. Captive work and field > observation are complementary not duplicative, and many questions about > cognition and physiology in particular that are best addressed with > hands on work are crucial to better understanding of marine species. > If we preferentially shield any organism from some > reasonable level of close examination, we limit our ability to > understand or predict in what way human activity will impact it. We > are, of course technologically smart - or stupid - enough to produce an > irretrievably negative effect on any species unless we have that > intimate knowledge. Captivity - reasonable and responsible - provides > that opportunity. I am certainly not immune to the majesty and thrill > of a glimpse of a free running animal, but I also urge that we must > have the courage to take the responsibility of some captivity in > exchange for an informed approach to our world. > Darlene R. Ketten, Ph.D > Asst. Prof. > Harvard Medical School > Otolaryngology/MEEI > 243 Charles St. > Boston, Mass. USA 02114 > ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 3 Jun 1995 22:08:44 PDT From: Anne Doncaster ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- In response to Darlene Ketten: > My intention here is to offer some >concepts for consideration that have influenced my position as both a >scientist and as an outside observer of active captive research. I am still interested in hearing from scientists' a)why it is necessary to use marine mammals who are on public display and b)how research on this category of marine mammals has benefited free-ranging members of their species. > Nevertheless, as both a scientist and a citizen, I am in favor of >some captive level of marine mammals. . . . >access is also given to the average non-scientist to observe these >animals. As graphic as video is, it cannot compare with a live view, >and, it is from these experiences that we as a individuals and as >a society primarily derive our will and interest in preserving the wild >parts of our world. I have never heard that the public display of captive wildlife motivates people to protect wild parts of our world. Generally, (I'm referring to cetaceans) aquaria argue that people are encouraged to protect free-ranging whales. However, I have not seen any hard evidence to support either claim. . >Even if you feel we have sufficient will now, we >still need knowledge. Many of us would argue that we are far from having sufficient will now, that in fact, the environmental crises is worsening. > Experience show us it can best be preserved through >understanding its intricacies. I don't think we can take this for granted. I would argue that understanding nature's intricacies may well be beyond human capabilities and that it would be more productive to work on the premise that it does not matter if we understand nature, what we have to do is change human attitudes and activities that are destructive of nature. Science might play a role in this but how important a role? At the moment, our knowledge must come >through both field observation and close examination. We just aren't >technologically smart enough to measure physiology, small scale >behaviour, and communication for every species remotely. We haven't got a hope of studying every species (plant and animal); at best, scientists can only study a tiny fraction of organisms. How does this fractured approach help preserve the wild places and all life? > We >are, of course technologically smart - or stupid - enough to produce an >irretrievably negative effect on any species unless we have that >intimate knowledge. Then aren't the wild places doomed? I should think we already have general principles that could reverse (if the trend can be reversed) environmental degradation and that one could say that encouraging people to believe that we must have an intimate knowledge of every species to do so simply stalls the environmental agenda. >I am certainly not immune to the majesty and thrill >of a glimpse of a free running animal, but I also urge that we must >have the courage to take the responsibility of some captivity in >exchange for an informed approach to our world. Considering what is happening in the U.S. (Contract for America) I think scientists and environmentalists had better have the courage to ask how we have failed so badly and what changes we have to make. Protecting our own turf limits an open debate on where we go from here. Anne Doncaster Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 3 Jun 1995 22:10:30 PDT From: Karin Belton Subject: White Dolphins - Hong Kong ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hello Marmammers! I was just wondering if there is anyone who has any information regarding the research project studying, and trying to save, the endangered white dolphins in the harbour in Hong Kong. There has been a big controversy surrounding the issue by conservationists and the Hong Kong government, and I would like, if possible, to know more about the research that is being done, etc. Thank you in advance for any information anyone may send my way. Karin Belton Long Marine Lab, UCSC kbelton(\)netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jun 1995 14:03:52 -0600 From: "Spencer K. Lynn" Subject: Whaling NEAH BAY, Wash Something from today's New York Times... =46rom TimesFax, Internet Edition, =A9 1995 The New York Times Sunday June 4, 1995 Tribe Sees Cure to Ills of Modernity in Whaling NEAH BAY, Wash. - The children of this American Indian village at the far western edge of the continent struggle with the usual demons of modern life - drugs, alcohol and violent videos among them. And like parents elsewhere, Makah tribal members say that a return to old-fashioned values might be just the thing to bring their youth around. But in this case, tradition means going out in fierce Pacific Ocean swells to chase and kill gray whales, which have not been hunted legally in American waters for more than 40 years. Citing an 1855 treaty that makes them the only Indian nation with whale-hunting rights guaranteed by the Federal Government, the Makah have announced plans to kill up to five whales every spring, beginning next year. A whale hunt, they say, would provide focus for a tribe where unemployment is running at 50 percent and the fishing fleet has been hit hard by declining salmon runs. "Right now, there's a real frustration among the kids with what's happened to fishing,'' said Andrea Alexander, general manager of the 1,700-member tribe. "They thought they could grow up and be fishermen, like their parents. With whaling, they would get to participate in something that has real cultural and spiritual value, and they could put food on the table as well.'' The Makah plan has caused an international stir, and it poses a problem for the State Department. For more than a decade, the American Government has led the campaign to outlaw commercial whaling around the globe. But this week, at the International Whaling Commission's annual meeting in Dublin, the Americans have been on the spot from an Indian nation within its borders. The Makah say there is a big distinction between their proposal and commercial whaling. The Indians want to take whales for subsistence and ceremonial purposes, not as part of a commercial operation. But opponents say that it smacks of hypocrisy to allow one group of people to hunt whales as an indigenous right, but to condemn others claiming the same right - as do those in Iceland and Norway, for example. By TIMOTHY EGAN Posted to MarMam by Spencer Lynn Texas A&M University Marine Mammal Research Program 4700 Avenue U, Bldg. 303 Galveston, TX 77551 (409) 740-4718 voice (409) 740-4717 fax Internet: LynnS(\)tamug2.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jun 1995 13:32:58 -0400 From: Dolphintlf(\)aol.com Subject: Cetacean bibliographies Dear MARMAMers, The two cetacean bibliographies I sent to many of you a few weeks ago are now available in the WWW Virtual Library/Whale-Watching-Web. This site is maintained by Rauno Lauhakangas, and I would like to extend my thanks to Rauno and to Jim Nollman for sending the biblios to him. I will update the bibliographies periodically as new titles become available and would be grateful to receive suggestions from MARMAMERs for both older titles and new titles you would like to see added to the lists. I am also working on the following additional cetacean bibliographies, for which contributions are welcome: Children's literature Film and video cassettes Audio cassettes The URL for the site is: http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/ or more directly http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/literature/fic_main.html Best regards, Trisha Lamb Feuerstein dolphintlf(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 00:28:28 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: Re: HARBOR SEALS BEHAVIOR In reply to the description of live harbor seals interacting with a dead one, the following reference might be of some use as a tangent: Rosenfeld, M. 1983. Two female northwest Atlantic harbor seals (P. vitulina concolor) carry dead pups with them for over two weeks -- some unusual behavior in the field and its implications for a further understanding of maternal investment. Abstract, 5th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Boston, Mass. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jun 1995 21:05:55 -0700 From: Gregory Bruehler Subject: Sea of Cortes Dolphin die-off I am very interested in obtaining information on the dolphin die-off last winter in the Sea of Cortes. I have recently read articles refering to a meeting of the International Marine Mammal Society in La Paz. Does anyone have addresses or contacts for information on this matter? I have read that cyanide from a marine tracer (dye) was the culprit and would like to know more. If anyone has any useful information it would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Greg. Gregory Bruehler 2962 Laurel St. San Diego, CA 92104-5421 e-mail: bruehler(\)mail.sdsu.edu Fax (619) 521-1466 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 4 Jun 1995 22:53:00 -0400 Reply-To: dave(\)ornith.cornell.edu From: Dave Mellinger Subject: cetacean branding Bill Fulton wrote: > Freeze-branding of cetaceans is on the increase. I've begun > compiling a database of the brand numbering ranges used by projects > in various countries (e.g. 01 to 99, or A1 to A50). > > This should be helpful when branded individuals turn up far afield. > It will also help future researchers choose number ranges which are > not already in use elsewhere. > ... > Bill Fulton > ORRCA > Sydney Australia > E-net: fulton(\)decus.org.au > Fax: +61 2 413 1076 In the U.S., there's a government center that coordinates marking of wild animals for exactly the reasons you listed. They cover at least birds, and perhaps other animals as well. I'm not sure whether they include marine mammals among the species tracked, but it might be worth a call to find out. I'm also not sure what geographic area they cover -- because of their principal focus on the birds here, it may be just North America, or just North and South America (because of migration), or it may be the whole world. I believe there's a similar organization in Canada, which shares a database with the U.S. lab. You might want to contact the people there, not least because they've been thinking about animal-marking data and databases for many decades and perhaps could give you some ideas and steer you clear of some potential rough spots. Whether or not they cover marine mammals, they'd probably like to know about your database. The name is "National [sic] Banding Laboratory" or something close to that. They're in Laurel, Maryland, and their phone number is +1-301-497-5790. ======================================================================= David K. Mellinger Bioacoustics Research Program email dave(\)ornith.cornell.edu Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology phone +1-607-254-2431 159 Sapsucker Woods Road fax +1-607-254-2415 Ithaca, NY 14850-1999 USA ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 02:56:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Norwegian whale hunter fights Norwegian whale hunter fights off Greenpeace OSLO, Norway (Reuter) - A Norwegian whale hunter used force Saturday to prevent Greenpeace activists chained to his ship from stopping him hunting whales, Norwegian television reported. A police spokesman said the incident in the Arctic port of Tromsoe had passed without violence, saying: "Everything went peacefully." But Norwegian television showed whaling association chairman Steinar Bastesen trying to throw an anti-whaling woman activist overboard. Bastesen was forcibly prevented by a male environmentalist from tossing the screaming woman into the sea. Asked on television if he believed news coverage of the incident would hurt Norway's whaling cause, Bastesen said: "No, they occupied my ship and we removed them from my ship." The International Whaling Commission Friday urged an end to whale killing. Norway is the only country breaking a commercial whaling moratorium. Seventeen Greenpeace activists chained themselves to the "Havliner" whaleboat, but Bastesen and his crew used welding equipment to break their bonds. A dozen activists were still aboard when the ship set out, only to be put ashore on an island 25 miles away. The national news agency NTB quoted one activist, German Stefan Flovman, as saying Bastesen hit him for five minutes and threw his mobile telephone into the ocean. Greenpeace spokesman Geir Wang-Andersen said: "He (Bastesen) was acting in a violent way and he was kicking and beating the activists. The police did not do anything to stop him." He said Bastesen had a quota of eleven minke whales. "He has not shot any whales yet this season," Wang-Andersen told Reuters. "He was just setting to sea and we tried to stop him because he represents the whalers." ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 02:56:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary From: George Elston Newsgroups: alt.animals.dolphins Subject: Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary Date: Sun, 4 Jun 1995 12:43:23 -0400 Today, Sunday June 4,1995, was to have been an important day for two female dolphin at the Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary, Sugarloaf Key Fl. The two females, bogie and bacall, were to have been fin branded in preparation for their official release back into their home pod off of the Indian River in Melborn Fl. Reintroduction of the dolphin into their own family, and tracking of the released dolphin are a crucial part of this important ongoing project to release captive dolphin. Fin branding will allow spotters to quickly identify these dolphin, is not detrimental to the animals, and is an accepted method of marine mammal identification. The officially released dolphin will also be tracked by satellite for the first three months of their freedom so that they can be quickly spotted and monitored as to their health and well being, and other non-invasive methods of tracking are under investigation by the facility. There are possibly as many as 500 captive dolphin around the world that could be freed by this important and innovative program, and it's success in all aspects of untraining, release, and monitoring is decisive in it's long range plans for the future. At 8:30 am Sat., June 3,1995 the workers at the Sanctuary, discovered that the net had been dropped that prevented the three female dolphins, Molly, Bogie, and Bacall, from entering open water. The three dolphin were observed in a high boat traffic area next to the Sugarloaf Marina. Ric O'Barry (Director of Rehabilitation) and Lloyd Good (Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary Director), unable to lead the dolphin back into their pen, were able to lead the dolphin, at this time, away from the danger area and maintain visual contact with the dolphin on the flats surrounding Sugarloaf Key. At about 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon the three dolphin followed a high speed boat back to the Sanctuary area. At about 5:00 pm (the dolphins regular feeding time) Ric O'Barry, Lloyd Good, and Mary, a behaviorlist with the sanctuary, were able to coax the dolphin, with fish, around a small point and back into the Sanctuary lagoon. A soft net was swum into place immediately by Gary Elston, a sanctuary volunteer. A hard net was installed within an hour to prevent the dolphin becoming entangled in the soft net. Sanctuary personnel are on site 24 hours and are vigilant to prevent another attempt to sabatoge the years of work that have been put into this project. The identities of the vandals is under investigation by the Monroe County Sheriffs Dept. The fin branding has been postponed, due to the stress on the dolphin. Despite the attempts of misguided individuals to impose their own agenda on the important work at the sanctuary, and who's actions put the dolphins at extreem risk for their future health and well being, the program will proceed on track with it's efforts to be the first facility in the world dedicated to the untraining and release of captive dolphin. George Elston gelston(\)gate.net ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 22:09:09 PDT From: "Joan M. Goddard" Subject: Re: Whaling NEAH BAY, Wash In-Reply-To: <199506050019.RAA22456(\)vifa1.freenet.victoria.bc.ca> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Thanks to Spencer Lynn for forwarding today's New York Times article regarding the Makah whaling proposal. The writer appears to be unaware that American Eskimos, with IWC approval, are annually killing bowhead whales under the supervision of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission. I would be interested in further discussion of the issue of aboriginal whaling. I would welcome mail to my personal address or via Marmam. Joan Goddard Victoria, BC e-mail ul149(\)freenet.victoria.bc.ca On Sun, 4 Jun 1995, Spencer K. Lynn wrote: > Something from today's New York Times... > > =46rom TimesFax, Internet Edition, =A9 1995 The New York Times > Sunday June 4, 1995 > > > Tribe Sees Cure to Ills of Modernity in Whaling NEAH BAY, Wash. > > - The children of this American Indian village at the far western edge of > the continent struggle with the usual demons of modern life - drugs, > alcohol and violent videos among them. And like parents elsewhere, Makah > tribal members say that a return to old-fashioned values might be just the > thing to bring their youth around. But in this case, tradition means going > out in fierce Pacific Ocean swells to chase and kill gray whales, which > have not been hunted legally in American waters for more than 40 years. > Citing an 1855 treaty that makes them the only Indian nation with > whale-hunting rights guaranteed by the Federal Government, the Makah have > announced plans to kill up to five whales every spring, beginning next > year. A whale hunt, they say, would provide focus for a tribe where > unemployment is running at 50 percent and the fishing fleet has been hit > hard by declining salmon runs. "Right now, there's a real frustration among > the kids with what's happened to fishing,'' said Andrea Alexander, general > manager of the 1,700-member tribe. "They thought they could grow up and be > fishermen, like their parents. With whaling, they would get to participate > in something that has real cultural and spiritual value, and they could put > food on the table as well.'' The Makah plan has caused an international > stir, and it poses a problem for the State Department. For more than a > decade, the American Government has led the campaign to outlaw commercial > whaling around the globe. But this week, at the International Whaling > Commission's annual meeting in Dublin, the Americans have been on the spot > from an Indian nation within its borders. The Makah say there is a big > distinction between their proposal and commercial whaling. The Indians want > to take whales for subsistence and ceremonial purposes, not as part of a > commercial operation. But opponents say that it smacks of hypocrisy to > allow one group of people to hunt whales as an indigenous right, but to > condemn others claiming the same right - as do those in Iceland and Norway, > for example. By TIMOTHY EGAN > > > > Posted to MarMam by > > > Spencer Lynn > Texas A&M University > Marine Mammal Research Program > 4700 Avenue U, Bldg. 303 > Galveston, TX 77551 > > (409) 740-4718 voice > (409) 740-4717 fax > > Internet: LynnS(\)tamug2.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 07:51:21 -0700 From: Alan Macnow Subject: LETHAL VS NON-LETHAL WHALE RESEARCH FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association I just returned from the IWC meeting in Dublin, where I detailed the comparison of lethal vs non-lethal research in obtaining information to meet stated goals of the IWC. As usual, the anti-whaling majority rejected the contributions of its own Scientific Committee. First, it asked the Scientific Committee to evaluate the need for lethal vs non-lethal whale research and report back to it next year. Then it precluded any evaluation by the Scientific Committee by passing a resolution calling for all future research on whales to be done by non-lethal means. The anti-whaling majority did the same thing on the question of the use of the electric lance as a secondary killing method. First, the IWC asked the Scientific Committee to evaluate the effectiveness of the electric lance when it meets next year. Then it banned its use without waiting for the Scientific Committee evaluation. Such disdainful treatment of the Scientific Committee is the reason why respected U.K. cetacean scientist Philip Hammond resigned in disgust from chairmanship of the IWC Scientific Committee. FROM: Alan Macnow Tele-Press Associates, Inc. 321 East 53 Street New York, NY 10022 TEL: (212) 688-5580 FAX: (212) 688-5857 FOR: Japan Whaling Association FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH SHEDS LIGHT ON WHALE POPULATIONS (Dublin - ) Last year, anti-whaling activists succeeded in persuading 23 members of the International Whaling Commission to designate Antarctic waters as a whale sanctuary. This year, they are mounting a strong campaign to halt scientific biological research in the area. There are two main elements to the campaign. The first, pursued with religious fervor, is creation of a belief that the sanctuary is a sacred haven for whales. The second is promo- tion of the idea that non-lethal research can provide all the answers needed on whale population growth, the health of their habitat, and the condition of the stocks. Both contentions have no basis in reality. Only commer- cial whaling is banned in the 11 million square mile area, not other activities. And the opportunity for research was given as a justification for the measure. As for the notion that non- lethal research is an adequate substitute for biological exam- ination of the animals through autopsy, it is highly erroneous. The growth and health of whale populations can only be assured by continuous research on the stocks. Sound conserva- tion management is based on an accurate knowledge of the animal and its environment, and monitoring the populations over time to detect changes. As stated in paragraph 4 of Article VIII in the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), "Recognizing that continuous collection and analysis of biological data . . . are indispensable to sound and construc- tive management of the whale fisheries, the Contracting Govern- ments will take all practicable measures to obtain such data." Japan, a traditional whaling nation, has the most ex- tensive research program. It includes the taking of whales for biological and ecological research, along with non-lethal re- search techniques and the development of a data base on the ocean environment. Its multipurpose program is designed to resolve uncertainties in the population dynamics of the Antarctic minke whale, study its ecology, determine the stock structure, along with migration, schooling, and age and sex segregation patterns, and develop reliable DNA sampling technol- ogy. Sightings surveys are an important and integral part of the research program. Japan also is participating in research programs of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), including sightings sur- veys to assess the populations of all of the major whale species in the Antarctic area. These programs are funded by the govern- ment of Japan and from the proceeds from the sale of whale meat that is a by-product of the research. The research programs are conducted by the Institute of Cetacean Research and Japanese government research agencies. The Japanese research program, carried out under the authority of Article VIII of the ICRW, seeks to address the major issues identified by the IWC and embodied in its resolu- tions. These are: (1) Management of commercial and aboriginal subsistence whaling; (2) Effects of pollution and environmental threats on whale stocks; and (3) the role of whales in the ecosystem and interaction with other species. The effectiveness of non-lethal research in achieving these objectives is very limited, as can be seen in the follow- ing table: MAJOR ISSUES FOR THE IWC 1. MANAGEMENT OF COMMERCIAL, AND ABORIGINAL SUBSISTENCE WHALING Task Type of Research Program Comprehensive Non-Lethal Biological Parameters: Determine Age Composition of Population X Determine Age at Sexual Maturity X Determine Pregnancy Rate X P Determine Fecundity Rates X Determine Sex X X Determine Natural Mortality Rate D Stock Identification: Morphometrics - Determine Size and Body Proportions X Genetic X P Vocalization D Photo ID D Pollution Burdens D Parasite Loads X Estimate Abundance: Determine Population Abundance by Sightings Survey X Study Whale Behavior X Study Distribution Patterns by Age X Study Distribution Patterns by Sex X X Determine Stock Migratory Patterns P P 2. EFFECTS OF POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS ON WHALE STOCKS Task Type of Research Program Comprehensive Non-Lethal Chemical Load: X X Heavy Metal Pollutants X Organic & Aromatic Pollutants X D Epidemiology: Viral Infections X Gastro-Intestinal Parasitic Infections X Physiology: Determine Changes in Internal Secretory System X D Determine Changes in Sex Hormone Production & Chemistry X D Reproductive Function and Fertility X Anatomical Studies: Bones and Teeth Studies X Brain Studies X Heart and Lung Studies X Internal Organ Studies X Skin X D 3. ROLE OF WHALES IN THE ECOSYSTEM AND INTERACTION WITH OTHER SPECIES Task Type of Research Program Comprehensive Non-Lethal Ecological Impacts, Map Changes in Diet and Prey Abundance X Study Energetics, Physiology and Digestion X Interactions with other Species X Determine Changes in water quality, food chain abundance, etc. X Condition Factors: Study Changes in Blubber Thickness X D Protein & Water Content of Meat X Explanation of Symbols: X Effective and Practical P Effective in Certain Applications D Under Development -end- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 10:39:23 EDT From: HUGO8cu(\)nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu Subject: birth weights of some fur seals Hi, I am working with growth energetics of fur seal pups, and I could not find data on birth weights of Guadalupe and South American fur seals. Could any one help me with this? Thanks, Hugo Ochoa Acuna Department of Zoology University of Florida P.O. Box 118525 Gainesville, FL 32611 Phone : office +904 392 1107 fax +904 392 3704 E-mail: HUGO(\)zoo.ufl.edu hugo8cu(\)nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 07:20:59 -0700 From: Alan Macnow Subject: Re: RE IWC crackdown on smuggling FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association All of the countries are in favor of random DNA testing to stop smuggling. Japan, in fact, has begun assembling mtDNA type sequences of all cetaceans found in its waters and abroad so that it can begin random sampling of cetacean products found in its markets. The reason for the vote against the resolution was a matter of principle. The IWC anti-whaling majority is increasingly trying to extend the powers of the IWC in contravention of the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). The ICRW limits the authority of the IWC to whaling vessels, shore stations, and waters in which whaling is prosecuted. It has no authority to get involved in trade. That is a matter for CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. If you have any further questions, I will be glad to answer them. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 08:34:40 +0100 Reply-To: prs(\)radstone.co.uk From: Paul Slootweg Subject: Captive Display >>As graphic as video is, it cannot compare with a live view, >>and, it is from these experiences that we as a individuals and as >>a society primarily derive our will and interest in preserving >>the wild parts of our world. > > I have never heard that the public display of captive wildlife > motivates people to protect wild parts of our world. Lack of direct evidence does not make something untrue. I cannot imagine how my children are going to get excited about wildlife if they are only allowed to watch it on TV. While I still remember being captivated (pun intended) by Flipper (now he was a captive dolphin, wasn't he?), it was seeing the real thing that really got me excited. That does not mean that I favour a deregulated free-for-all, but rather a carefully thought out use of captive display to educate and motivate towards environmental awareness. This means that the important issue is not IF captive display should be allowed, but how we are going to protect the interests of the individual animals concerned. If we cannot get the few captive animals cared for properly, then what chance does the wild population have? -- Regards, Paul Slootweg prs(\)radstone.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 22:44:29 -0700 From: Phillip Bigelow Subject: Wanted: fossil pinniped monograph Greetings, Anybody have a spare (or unwanted) copy of : Mitchell, E.D. 1966. The Miocene Pinniped Allodesmus. University of California Publications in Geological Sciences, vol. 61. It's out of print. I already have a good photocopy of it, but I would like the real thing (it's got good photos that don't photocopy as well as I want). If you want to part with your copy, drop me a note. Thanks in advance. phil n8010095(\)henson.cc.wwu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 21:06:51 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: JAPAN HARPOONS BAN ON ``RESEARCH'' WHALING 05-Jun-95 09:52 pm Regular International JAPAN HARPOONS BAN ON ``RESEARCH'' WHALING Tokyo, June 5 AFP - Japan vowed today to pursue ``research'' whaling and rejected a series of anti-hunting resolutions by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) last week. ``It is emotional and not based on objective facts,'' a state fisheries agency official said of the resolutions after the Japanese delegation returned from the IWC annual session in Dublin. ``We don't think about halting research operations,'' added Mineo Yamamoto, a whaling specialist at the agency. ``We will prudently consider how to cope after hearing a report from the delegation.'' Japan, whose 400-year-old whaling industry has been badly hit since the IWC enforced a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1985, is particularly angered by a resolution tightening up on hunting for research purposes. The resolution adopted by 23 of the 30 IWC member nations declared that whaling for scientific purposes must now be limited to ``non-lethal'' methods. The IWC highlighted the Antarctic whaling sanctuary set up last year. Japan, which claims there is a robust population of minke whales, has caught up to 330 minke annually since 1987 for supposed research on the reproduction and development of the species -- with a view to resume commercial whaling. ``It is necessary to cut up whales to gather data on age, the rate of pregnancy, ocean pollution and other factors,'' Yamamoto said. The resolutions are legally unbinding as they have not been transformed into amendments to the International Whaling Convention. But Japan, which also ignores the Antarctic sanctuary, could risk sanctions from leading anti-whaling nations such as the United States and Australia which can ban Japanese fishermen from their waters. The conservative Sankei newspaper charged today that anti-whaling campaigns had been manipulated by ``radical ecologist organisations which have virtually hijacked the IWC''. ``Anti-whaling groups may be a majority in the west. But there are quite a few sympathisers for Japan among rational academics, journalists and opinion leaders,'' the newspaper said. The Tokyo branch of the worldwide environment watchdog Greenpeace vowed to campaign against Japan's whaling. Greenpeace activist Junko Sakurai said there were price spirals in meat from the minke whales caught in the ``research'' operations. ``We have information, which is hard to be confirmed, that gangsters are involved in the sales of whale meat,'' she said. AFP sje ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 14:41:04 -0700 From: Alan Macnow Subject: WHALING COMMISSION MEETING COMMENTS FROM: Alan Macnow Tele-Press Associates,Inc. 321 E. 53 Street New York, N.Y., 10022 Tel: (212) 688-5580 Fax: (212) 688-5857 FOR: Japan Whaling Association IWC IGNORED ITS OWN RULES AND SCIENTISTS TO OPPOSE WHALING The International Whaling Commission (IWC), completing its 47th annual meeting in Dublin, Ireland last week, again managed to break its own rules and ignore its scientists. Some of the highlights of the meeting: * The Rules of Procedure allow any IWC member to exclude non-governmental organizations (NGO's) from committee meetings. When the Russian Federation asked that NGO's be excluded from the Aboriginal Subsistence and Infractions Committee meetings, all complied except for a dozen or so from the U.S., including Greenpeace, the Humane Society, World Wildlife Fund, International Wildlife Coalition, and the Animal Welfare Institute. U.S. Commissioner Michael Tillman insisted that they be allowed to stay as members of the U.S. government delegation. Although they were not listed in the U.S. delegation at initial registration, the IWC Secretary permitted the rules to be bent to accom- modate the United States. They were allowed to remain in the meeting while other NGO's, not influential enough to be adopted by a national delegation, had to leave. * Norway came under a great deal of abuse because it con- tinued to hunt whales in the North Atlantic while its minke whale population estimates were under review by the IWC Scientific Committee. Norway is legally entitled to hunt whales because it filed a timely objection to the commercial whaling moratorium adopted in 1982. It voluntarily refrained from commercial whaling while the IWC developed a Revised Management Procedure (RMP) but resumed whaling last year when the IWC failed to implement the RMP. Nevertheless, Norway limited its catch to the number that would have been permitted under the RMP. Earlier this year, Norway announced that errors were found in calculating the minke whale stock abundance and lowered its catch quota from 301 minkes to 232. However, the IWC Scientific Committee, meeting prior to the IWC Plenary session, was unable to agree on a population estimate for the stock during its two-week session. The anti-whaling IWC majority then demanded that Norway immediately cease whaling and passed a resolution condemning Norway for con- tinuing. Apart from the fact that a resolution is non-binding, the facts are that (1) Norway has a legitimate right to catch whales; and (2) even if the stock abundance is found to number only 53,000 as Greenpeace asserts, a catch of 232 minke whales would be only 0.43 percent of a population with a 4 percent rate of annual increase and cannot pos- sibly harm the stocks. U.S. Eskimos are allowed to take a higher percentage of a severely depleted stock of Pacific bowhead whales numbering only 7,500. * In 1992, the IWC passed a resolution promising prompt ac- tion to relieve the distress of four small coastal whaling communities in Japan that were severely impacted by the commercial whaling moratorium. The Japanese government, on their behalf, had asked for a relief allocation of only 50 non-endangered minke whales from a coastal population numbering over 25,000. The IWC majority led Japan to be- lieve that the relief allocation would be granted as soon as the government removed all commercial aspects from the harvest and distribution of the 50 whales. The Japanese then worked for two years to develop an acceptable Action Plan which contained everything the IWC members required. Incredibly, the IWC this year passed a resolution commend- ing the Action Plan but reneged on the relief allocation. * Last year, the IWC anti-whaling majority designated 11 million square miles of the Southern Ocean northwards of Antarctica as a sanctuary in which commercial whaling would be banned. Because there was no scientific support for such a measure, and it appeared to violate the purpose and terms of the international whaling convention that the IWC must uphold, a number of members questioned its legality. This year, legal experts including Prof. William Burke of the Law School of the University of Washington, found the sanctuary to be illegal. A resolution calling for the IWC Secretary to get opinions from competent international legal organizations, such as the International Court of Justice, was introduced. However, the anti-whaling major- ity abruptly cut off debate and a vote on the resolution, asserting that the majority can do anything it wants, even if it does not conform to the plain meaning of the inter- national convention. * The IWC asked its Scientific Committee to determine next year which research tasks required killing whales and which could be achieved by non-lethal means. However, the anti-whaling majority precluded any evaluation by the IWC's Scientific Committee by passing resolutions that condemned lethal research and called for all research to be conducted by non-lethal means. * The question of the use of electric lances as a secondary killing method was referred to a Working Group, which is expected to complete its evaluation next year. However, without waiting for the Working Group's evaluation, the anti-whaling majority passed a resolution calling for a ban on the use of electric lances. * The majority of the IWC passed a resolution which at- tempted to extend its authority to trade, despite the fact that it lacks such authority under the international whal- ing convention. The convention gives the IWC authority only over whaling vessels, land stations, and waters in which whaling is prosecuted by the signatory nations. The resolution called upon member countries to take measures involving domestic and international trade in whale pro- ducts which clearly are beyond the authority of the IWC. International trade in whale products comes under the authority of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), not the IWC. * France, the original proposer of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, showed its concern for cetaceans by failing to provide information requested by the IWC last year on har- bor porpoise deaths in its waters. Other anti-whaling na- tions failing to provide the requested information were England and Spain. Also, France, the U.K., and Spain are among the few nations still using driftnets which, accord- ing to Greenpeace, kill thousands of whales, dolphins, and sharks. But none of these countries have ever provided annual data to the IWC on the numbers of whales killed by their driftnets or other fishing gear. The numbers are important to proper management of whale stocks in the At- lantic. France, incidentally, cheerfully dispatches ves- sels loaded with radioactive nuclear materials through its Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. * In one of the few concessions to the rights of its mem- bers, the IWC passed a resolution noting the objections of Caribbean nations to further intrusion by the IWC into their regional management of small cetaceans, an area in which the IWC lacks competence and authority. But the United States refused to acknowledge the right of these countries to express their own positions on the subject and voted against them. To its embarrassment, only two other countries voted with the U.S. * Another: Japan's plan to extend the scope of its re- search on stock identification by taking 100 minke whales from an area adjoining its current research area was ac- cepted without comment by both the Scientific Committee and the IWC Plenary. It was found that DNA analysis did not yield clear stock identification results and that it was necessary to do morphological studies on the size and body proportions of the animals, as well as parasite loads and pollution burdens, to get definitive results. In his opening statement to the IWC, Japan's Com- missioner Kazuo Shima called upon the group to adhere to the provisions of the international whaling convention. He said: "The Convention is, in effect, the constitution of this orga- nization. It cannot be violated without risk to the integrity and authority of the organization. If the Commission violates its own constitution, how can it have authority to set rules for others?" The IWC would do well to take this question to heart. -end- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 17:43:28 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: RE IWC crackdown on smuggling > FROM: Alan Macnow > Consultant, Japan Whaling Association > > The reason for the vote against the resolution was a matter of > principle. The IWC anti-whaling majority is increasingly trying > to extend the powers of the IWC in contravention of the terms of > the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). > The ICRW limits the authority of the IWC to whaling vessels, shore > stations, and waters in which whaling is prosecuted. It has no > authority to get involved in trade. That is a matter for CITES, the > Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Mr. Macnow is presumably deriving this conclusion from Article I, par. 2 of the Convention, which states: "This Convention applies to factory ships, land stations, and whale catchers under the jurisdiction of the Contracting Governments, and to all waters in which whaling is prosecuted by such factory ships, land stations and whale catchers." Article II provides definitions of "factory ship", "land station," "whale catcher" and "Contracting Government. By a protocol adopted in 1956, the definition of "whale catcher" was extended to include helicopters and other aircraft. There are two ways to read this language. One is the way obviously espoused by the Japanese government - that is, exclusively, as though the article meant that the Convention applied ONLY to the things listed. However, the language can also be read inclusively - meaning that the language is trying to say that ships and waters beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the Contracting Governments are not excluded by the Convention. This version, which is non-restrictive, would have the purpose of closing loopholes and, in fact, extending the scope of the ICRW rather than restricting it. Thus Simon Lyster, in his book "International Wildlife Law", argues that "By extending inside States' 200 mile coastal zones and even into their territorial seas and inland waterways, the treaty applies to a much wider geographical area than most international fisheries agreements." This would suggset that the broader interpretation was the one intended by the Contracting Governments. The other Parties appear to prefer, by their actions, the latter interpretation, as they have in the past taken measures to curb, for example, pirate whalers which operated under the flags of non-Contracting Governments and could therefore, under a narrow reading of Article I, be beyond the treaty's jurisdiction. As far as CITES is concerned, I have always understood the position of its Parties to be that CITES should take into account the views of the IWC (in fact this was one of the reasons the Parties rejected Norway's proposal to downlist Minke Whale to Appendix II at the last conference). This would hardly be the case if the IWC had no jurisdiction whatever over trade issues as they relate to whale conservation. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 09:09:43 -0700 From: Alan Macnow Subject: Re: RE IWC crackdown on smuggling FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association Mr. Orenstein, as usual, tries to confuse facts with opinions. An ordinary meaning reading of the Articles he referred to gives the IWC jurisdiction over all waters in which whaling is prosecuted. To me and others, this means including the territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zones of all coastal countries, though some IWC members insist that their sovereign rights preclude application of IWC authority to their waters. It is not really an extension of the ICRW, then, to interpret the IWC's authority as extending to territorial seas and EEZs. If Mr. Orenstein means to imply that conveyance of IWC authority to territorial seas and EEZs also conveys it to land and the marketplace, his reach far exceeds his grasp. It doesn't! As for CITES, that worthy organization only relies upon the IWC to tell it the status of whale species considered for listing in its Appendices. The IWC has no authority to impose trade measures of any type. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 11:36:40 PDT From: "Sam H. Ridgway" Subject: Re: dolphin brain wave activity In response to Elston's question about dreaming by dolphins, I have reviewed what is known about REM or paradoxical (known to be dream sleep in humans, at least) sleep of dolphins in two publications listed below. These reviews list primary publications on the subject: (1990) Ridgway, S. H. The central nervous system of the bottlenose dolphin. In: The Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops spp.Ed. by S. Leatherwood and R. Reeves. Academic Press, New York. pp. 69-97. (1986) Ridgway, S.H. Physiological observations on dolphin brains. In: Dolphin Cognition and Behavior: A Comparative Ap- proach Ed. by R. Schusterman, J. Thomas, and F. Wood, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, New Jersey, pp. 31-59 Sam Ridgway ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 13:15:21 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Captive Display Paul Slootweg states: >Lack of direct evidence does not make something untrue. Lack of evidence does, however, make it incorrect to claim something is true. >I cannot imagine how my children are going to get excited about >wildlife if they are only allowed to watch it on TV. No-one has responded to the suggestion that people can learn about wildlife directly by stepping outside. Nor has anyone addressed the relative educational benefits of a local river, lake or woodlot verses an aquarium, i.e. observing an accessible ecosystem rather than a few individual species. > >This means that the important issue is not IF captive display should >be allowed, Captivity of marine mammals is hotly debated. Therefore the "If" is important. Anne Doncaster Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 18:08:26 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: ethics Dear Marmam Subscribers: The following are ethics publications that might be of interest to researchers and students alike: On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research (National Academy of Sciences). A 40-page booklet discussing the treatment of data, publication practices, and other aspects of research. This can be ordered from the National Academy Press at (800) 624-6242 for $5.00 per single copy, or $2.50 each for 10 or more. The former complements the latter publication: Honor in Science (Sigma Xi), $2.50 each (20-99 copies, $1.50 each) by calling Marlyn Miller at (800)243-6534. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 11:17:19 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: Re: NEW ZEALAND TO DEBATE `HUMANE KILLING' OF WHALES AT IWC MEETING (fwd) > >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > >I would very much appreciate being kept informed on techniques > >and success(?) on whale killing, its is high time this was discussed. > >having gone through 25 years of harp seal killing and devising some new > >methods(based on old) I have long felt that the blind eye approach to > >whale killing is no longer acceptable. > >Appreciate your informatiom > >Thanks KR > > > > > >Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) > >Oceanographic Center > >Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies > >Nova Southeastern University > >8000 North Ocean Drive > >Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. > >Adjunct Professor, Marine Mammals and Environmental Studies. > > > Dear Keith Ronald. I do think that many will disagree with you > when you are claiming that the "blind eye" is turned to how whales > are being killed. In the last 15 years, three workshops on whale > killing methods have taken place at the International > Whaling Commission, IWC. The first in 1980 in Cambridge, UK (5 days), > the second in 1992 in Glasgow (3 days), and the latest two weeks > ago in Dublin (3 days) under the chairmanship of > Dr. Sam H. Ridgway, US. Both hunting and killing methods for > bowhead whales in Alaska, minke and fin whales in Greenland, > the pilot whale hunt at Faroe Islands and the minke whale hunts > in Norway and Japan were presented. The results and progress made > through the last years were thoroughly discussed. > > In addition to these workshops, progress reports and the results > from each years hunt have been regularily reported to IWC through > its "Humane Killing Working Group" which meets every year prior to > the annual meeting in IWC. > > > Most reports are probably available from the Secretariat of IWC: > > International Whaling Commission > The Red House, > Station Road, Histon, > Cambridge CB4 4NP > UK > > > I will also refer you to the following papers and reports on this > issue presented to the workshop in Dublin: > > Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission. Hunting efficiancy and recovery > methods developed and employed by native Alaskans in the subsistance > hunt of the bowhead whale. Int. Whal. Commn. 47/WK 15. > > Barnes, GRG, Madie, P, and Blackmore, DK: Further investigations > relevant to the use of the electric lance in whaling. Int. Whal.=20 > Commn. 47/WK 2. > > Government of Japan. Report on killing methods for the 1994/95 Antarctic=20 > minke whale research operations. Int. Whal. Commn. 47/WK 11. > > International Whaling Commission. Report on the Workshop on whale killing=20 > metods. Glasgow 1992. IWC paper 44/18. > > International Whaling Commission. Report on the Workshop on whale killing=20 > methods. Dublin 1995. IWC paper 47/18. > > Kestin SC: Welfarew aspects of the commercial slaughter of whales. (Animal= > > Welfare, 1995, 4, 11-27). Int. Whal. Commn. 47/WK 7. > > (Oen EO, Walloe L: Comments on document IWC/47/WK 7 by SC Kestin). > > Lockyer C: Review of progress on the implementation of the action plan=20 > adressing humane killing, agreed Glasgow, 1992. Int. Whal. Commn. 47/WK 1. = > > > Oen EO: Killing methods for minke and bowhead whales. 1995. Dissertation=20 > presented for the degree of Doctor Medicinae Veterinariea, Norwegian=20 > College of Veterinary Medicine, Oslo, Norway. (Presented for the Workshop=20 > on Whale Killing Methods in Dublin as paper IWC/47/WK 8). > > Oen EO: A Norwegian penthrite grenade for minke whales: Hunting trials=20 > with prototypes and results from the humnt in 1984, 1985 and 1986. Acta vet.= > > scand., 1995, 36. In press and Int. Whal. Commn.47/WK 8, Paper V. > > Oen EO: A new penthrite grenade compared with the traditional black powder= > > grenade: Effectiveness in the Alaskan eskimo hunt for bowhead whales.=20 > Arctic, 1995, 48, 177-185 or Int. Whal. Commn. 47/WK 8, Paper VII. > > Oen EO: Killing methods for minke and bowhead whales. Paper VI: Hunting > methods for minke whales in Norway. Results of scientific whaling in 1992=20 > and 1993 and the traditional hunt in 1993. Int. Whal. Commn. 47/WK 8.=20 > > Oen EO, Walloe L: Hunting methods for minke whales in Norway. Results of=20 > scientific and traditional whaling in 1994. Int. Whal. Commn. 47/WK 9. > > Oen EO: Animal welfare considerations in the killing of large mammals in=20 > Europe (euthanasia, slaughter and hunting). Int. Whal. Commn. 47/ WK 10.=20 > > (Kestin SC, Soul PJ: Comments on document IWC/47/WK 10 by EO Oen. Int. > Whal. Commn. 47/WK 18). > > > > > Egil Ole Oen (Oeen) > Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine > P.O. Box 8146, Dep. > 0033 Oslo=20 > Norway > > > > ____________________________________________________ > > Egil Ole =D8en > VESO co/The Norwegian College of Veterinary medicine > P.O.Box 8146 Dep. > 0033 Oslo, Norway > > Telephone: + 47 22964877 > Fax : + 47 22565704 > e-mail : Egil.O.Oen(\)veths.no > > ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 21:38:43 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: RE IWC crackdown on smuggling > Mr. Orenstein, as usual, tries to confuse facts with opinions. And Mr. Macnow, as usual, tries to get personal. Oh, well... What I was discussing was neither fact nor opinion per se, but legal interpretation, and Mr. Macnow has apparently misunderstood my point. > > An ordinary meaning reading of the Articles he referred to gives > the IWC jurisdiction over all waters in which whaling is prosecuted. > To me and others, this means including the territorial waters and > Exclusive Economic Zones of all coastal countries, though some IWC > members insist that their sovereign rights preclude application of > IWC authority to their waters. It is not really an extension of > the ICRW, then, to interpret the IWC's authority as extending to > territorial seas and EEZs. That is not what I meant. The point I was trying to make was that Article I of the ICRW does not restrict the ambit of the treaty. For example, if I say "this law applies to taxicabs" I may mean either "this law ONLY applies to taxicabs" or "this law doesn't just apply to passenger cars and buses, it applies to taxicabs too". Which, then, is the closer analogy to Article I of the ICRW? Does the language meen the treaty ONLY applies to the things listed (ie factory ships) or that it applies to all sorts of things, and, just to make sure they don't slip out from under, factory ships too? The example of the extension into territorial waters is evidence that the latter interpretation is the correct one. If Simon Lyster's interpretation is correct, the language serves to extend the ICRW's ambit into waters that would not normally be covered by such a treaty - in other words, extending, not restricting, its scope. By the legal principle of "ejusdem generis" it is reasonable to assume that the rest of Article I, par. 2, should be interpreted the same way. And as this article is the only one of its type, then if it is not intended to be restrictive then the limits of the treaty are not defined in its language. > > If Mr. Orenstein means to imply that conveyance of IWC authority to > territorial seas and EEZs also conveys it to land and the marketplace, > his reach far exceeds his grasp. It doesn't! Not specifically, I agree; but if the statement of authority in Article I par. 2 is indeed an extension rather than a restriction, then there is nothing in the ICRW that says that it CANNOT apply to land and the marketplace. Though the treaty language does not address these points directly, the wording in the preamble that sets as an ICRW objective "a system of international regulation for the whale fisheries to ensure proper and effective conservation and development of whale stocks..." could be taken as authority for saying that the IWC can look at marketing operations, including illegal ones, that prevent such a system from being effective. > > As for CITES, that worthy organization only relies upon the IWC to > tell it the status of whale species considered for listing in its > Appendices. The IWC has no authority to impose trade measures of > any type. > There is obviously value in CITES and the IWC working together, and little merit in duplication of effort. However, there may be areas in which the IWC can be more fine-tuned than CITES; for one thing, its parties meet annually instead of every two to three years and so may be better able to respond to emergency situations. Aturf war between the two organizations would not be a good idea - but neither would be a suggestion that neither body can advise the other on matters of importance relating to the other's provenance. The point surely ought to be that illegal whaling and the smuggling of whale products contradicts the spirit, if not the letter, of both treaties, and the best method for dealing with it is the one that gives the Parties to beoth agreements the widest latitude to take effective action. Arguing that the IWC should not do so only helps the criminals, and I do not think even the government of Japan is officially in favour of illegal trade in whale products. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 22:59:29 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: looking for references Dear Readers, I am having a difficult time locating the following references, and would be interested in hearing from anyone who has access to: Norris, K.S. 1958. Facts and tales about killer whales. Pacific Discovery. Jan: 24-27. Tomilin, A.G. 1957. Mammal of the USSR and adjacent countries, vol 9. Cetacea. Israel Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem. Yukhov et al. 1975. (The diet of killer whales in the Antarctic and Adjacent Waters. Marine Mammals Part 2). Morskie mlekopitayuschie. Chast'2. Kiev: Naukova dumkka, pp. 183-185. I am in need of a few pages within the 2 Russian publications. Please respond directly to my address: Dagmar Fertl fertld(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 11:34:13 -0700 From: Kees Camphuysen From: camphuys(\)nioz.nl (Kees Camphuysen) To: marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca -- Texel, 08-06-95 Dear colleagues, In the NE Atlantic region, we have been surprised by frequent strandings of Sperm Whales during the last few years. In order to evaluate the need for immediate research or conservation measures, a status report on current knowledge on the events must be prepared. I am commissioned by the Emergency Response Fund of the United Nations Environmental Programme to produce a review of all available details about the recent strandings events of Sperm Whales in the NE Atlantic region; the status, results and conclusions of the investigations made into the dead animals to date, including pathology, toxicology, bacteriology, parasitology and virology. This review will have to include a compilation of information about the "normal" distribution and densities of Sperm Whales in the NE Atlantic region; all available information on older strandings (up to some 300 years ago), an evaluation how unusual the recent strandings are; recently reported changes in distribution of this species; oceanic and/or prey fluctuations that may have affected Sperm Whale distribution; migration patterns; offshore industrial activities (including as appropriate, boat traffic, marine minerals exploitation and survey) that might affect distribution and/or migration. Could you provide me with any information about recent strandings of Sperm Whales (in the N Atlantic) that you happen to know about (place, date, number of animals, circumstances)? Are mass strandings or strandings of solitary animals elsewhere in the world now more frequent than formerly? Are you aware of any key persons/researchers that I should contact (name/address/e- mail address). Thank you very much in advance. Kind regards Kees Camphuysen -- From Camphuysen C.J., Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Texel P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands Office (direct) phone + 31 2220 69488 Office fax + 31 2220 19674 Home phone + 31 2220 18744 E-mail camphuys(\)nioz.nl Also: CAMPHUYSEN SEABIRD RESEARCH Ankerstraat 20, 1794 BJ Oosterend, Texel, The Netherlands Phone + 31 2220 18744 (weekends & evenings) E-mail camphuys(\)nioz.nl ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 11:00:35 -0600 From: Andrew Schiro Subject: Re: ethics If you have access to the WWW you can download this for free from: http://xerxes.nas.edu/nap/online/obas/ >On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research (National Academy >>of Sciences). A 40-page booklet discussing the treatment of data, >>publication practices, and other aspects of research. This can be >ordered >from the National Academy Press at (800) 624-6242 for $5.00 per >single >copy, or $2.50 each for 10 or more. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 10:49:04 -0700 From: Phil Clapham Subject: Abstract - humpback whales MATTILA, D.K., CLAPHAM, P.J., VASQUEZ, O. & BOWMAN, R.S. 1994. Occurrence, population composition and habitat use of humpback whales in Samana Bay, Dominican Republic. Can. J. Zool. 72: 1898-1907. A study of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) was conducted between 1988 and 1991 in Samana Bay, Dominican Republic. Humpbacks were observed as early as the earliest survey (3 January) and as late as the latest (16 March). Local abundance varied from 0 whales per hour to a maximum of 3.2 whales per hour (mean = 1.70, SD = 0.79), and densities calculated from track surveys ranged from 0.09 to 0.82 whales per square nautical mile (mean = 0.31). Abundance generally peaked in February, but variation was observed both within a season and between years. Almost all whales were observed in the eastern part of the bay, towards or at its mouth. In all, 397 individuals were photographically identified during the study period. Of these, 18 were observed in more than one year (17 in 2 years, 1 in 3 years). A total of 15.8% of identified individuals were observed on more than 1 day in a year (maximum 5 days), with mothers representing 33.3% of all resightings. Observed occupancies of resighted animals ranged from 1 to 33 days (mean = 6.3 days, SD = 7.14). The mean group size was 1.95 (range: 1-15, SD = 1.30, n = 652 groups). Ninety-nine groups contained a calf, and all groups larger than three (n = 45) were competitive in nature. Comparisons of fluke photographs with the North Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalogue revealed 141 matches of 118 individuals to other areas. Of these, 76 were to high-latitude feeding grounds (including the Gulf of Maine, Newfoundland, Labrador, the Gulf of St Lawrence, and west Greenland), while the remaining 65 were to other areas of the West Indies (Silver Bank, Navidad Bank, Puerto Rico, Virgin Bank or Anguilla Bank) or to Bermuda. We suggest that Samana Bay is one of the most important winter habitats in the West Indies for humpback whales from all over the western North Atlantic, although whaling records suggest that the abundance of whales in this area may be a relatively recent phenomenon. Sighting of other marine mammal species in Samana Bay are summarized. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phillip J. Clapham, Ph.D. SW Fisheries Science Center phone: 619-546-7173 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive fax: 619-546-5653 La Jolla, CA 92037 internet: pclapham(\)caliban.ucsd.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 13:20:33 -0700 From: Alan Macnow Subject: Re: RE IWC crackdown on smuggling FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association As I indicated in an earlier posting, I do not want to get involved in a long drawn-out debate with Mr. Orenstein. So unless a new point is introduced, this will be my last posting on this particular issue. Also, I apologize if I got too personal. I think, though, that Mr. Orenstein would howl if our government extends application of the laws, or its authority, in the way he stated. Our laws, for example, allow property such as land and homes to be taxed. Would we allow our government by extension to also tax our clothing, furniture, and other items of personal property on an annual basis? I think not. They would have to be specifically referenced in a tax law. International treaties must, by their very nature (i.e., agreements between different countries, each with their own languages, and with an understanding of English that might be somewhate different from our understanding) be highly specific, with key terms defined. An extension might come about if all parties to the agreement agreed to it. That is why Japan and other countries are always careful to disclaim any actions by the IWC that involve trade issues, although they usually then cooperate with them. They are cooperating in the effrort to stamp out smuggling and trade in illegal whalemeat. In fact, they hosted an international workshop for this purpose in April and will soon adopt DNA testing of whale meat found in their markets. They also cooperate fully on providing data on small cetaceans, and whale watching, though neither come under the competence of the IWC. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 18:57:34 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: references Marmam Subscribers: I've received a number of offers to locate the Tomilin reference; thank you to those who replied to my request. I am no longer needing any help in tracking that reference. I am, however, still in need of the Yukhov et al. (1975) and Norris (1958). Thank you again to those of you who have offered to help me, even though all of you are very busy! Dagmar Fertl ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 18:18:21 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: JAPAN TO CATCH 100 MINKE WHALES THIS YEAR 09-Jun-95 11:30 am Regular International JAPAN TO CATCH 100 MINKE WHALES THIS YEAR Tokyo, June 9 Kyodo - A four-ship Japanese fleet will leave tomorrow for the northwestern Pacific tomorrow to catch minke whales for research purposes, Fisheries Agency officials said today. The fleet will leave from Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, and operate in the sea until early September to catch up to 100 minke whales under the agency's whaling policy for this year, the officials said. The operation is expected to draw bitter reaction from anti-whaling nations as the International Whaling Commission, at its annual assembly last Friday, adopted a resolution urging Japan to discontinue whaling even for what it terms research purposes. But Toshihiko Tsuruoka, vice minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, said the IWC resolution was nonbinding, while the commission's science committee appreciated Japan's research whaling. The departure of the fleet was timed for research reasons, Tsuruoka said, denying its connection with the IWC's annual assembly. Kyodo jc ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 09:13:10 -0400 From: Helen Nearing Subject: Duke Mar. Lab course Spaces Still Available Explore the fascinating world of MARINE MAMMALS with us Summer Program 1995 at Duke University School of the Environment, Marine Laboratory MARINE MAMMALS. (Environment 226L.) Ecology, social organization, behavior, acoustic communication, anatomy/necropsy and management issues. Focused on marine mammals in the southeastern United States (for example, bottlenose dolphin, right whale, West Indian manatee). Laboratory exercises will consider social organization and acoustic communication in the local bottlenose dolphin population. Prerequisite: introductory biology. One course or 4 semester hours. Instructors: A. Pabst, J. Reynolds, K. Rittmaster, D. Rubenstein, L. Sayigh, V. Thayer, and R. Wells. The biology and management of marine mammals throughout the world attract considerable interest and raise ecological, evolutionary, economic, and ethical questions. This course provides a systematic overview of marine mammals in general, but focuses on selected marine mammals found in the southeastern United States. For such species, we emphasize the following topics: behavior and ecology, current research techniques, and key management issues. The final week of the course involves small-group field research projects. Evaluation is based on examinations and research project reports. Course space is limited and admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Room and board will be available for course participants at the Marine Laboratory. The course is offered during Summer Term III (July 24 - August 25). APPLICATION: Required credentials include the completed summer course application (found at the back of the Marine Laboratory 1995 publication) and an academic transcript. TO REQUEST APPLICATION MATERIALS CONTACT: Admissions Office Duke University School of the Environment, Marine Laboratory 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort NC 28516-9721 phone 919/504-7502; fax 919/504-7648; email hnearing(\)mail.duke.edu Duke University students: The Marine Laboratory 1995 publication is available in the Office of Enrollment Services, School of the Environment (Levine Science Research Ctr.), in the Biology Office (135 Bio. Sci.) or in the Pre-Major Advising Center. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 12:40:31 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: RE IWC crackdown on smuggling > FROM: Alan Macnow > Consultant, Japan Whaling Association > > As I indicated in an earlier posting, I do not want to get involved > in a long drawn-out debate with Mr. Orenstein. So unless a new > point is introduced, this will be my last posting on this particular > issue. Also, I apologize if I got too personal. Apology accepted. > > I think, though, that Mr. Orenstein would howl if our government > extends application of the laws, or its authority, in the way > he stated. Our laws, for example, allow property such as land > and homes to be taxed. Would we allow our government by extension > to also tax our clothing, furniture, and other items of personal > property on an annual basis? I think not. They would have to > be specifically referenced in a tax law. Mr. Macnow is confusing international treaties with domestic laws. The big difference, of course, is that domestic laws apply to individuals while treaties apply to states. Since states are sovereign and bind themselves to treaties voluntarily, in a way treaties are more comparable to contracts than to things like domestic tax laws. Thus there is no overarching body that can (as a state can) apply the law against citizens as in Mr. Macnow's example, and therefore by extension can abuse its power. At most there is a body (such as the IWC) consisting of the states themselves, which can at best impose the will of the majority on the minority - but of course, the minority, by acceding to the treaty, knew exactly when (or they) signed up that they could be bound in this fashion. This is why treaty language is normally interpreted in the least restrictive way, as the restrictions are on the parties themselves, not on a body with power to impose its will on citizens. > > International treaties must, by their very nature (i.e., agreements > between different countries, each with their own languages, and > with an understanding of English that might be somewhate different > from our understanding) be highly specific, with key terms defined. > An extension might come about if all parties to the agreement agreed > to it. In fact, the reverse is the norm. Because treaties are arrived at by negotiation, they very often contain highly diffuse language necessary to bring about compromise and to place the least amount of fetters on state action. To give a simple example, the ICRW does not define such key terms as "whale" or "whaling industry", and therefore leaves open (in its language at least) the question of whether it applies to small cetaceans or to non-consumptive uses of whales like whale-watching. Domestic laws are far more likely than treaties to have extensive definition sections. Simon Lyster makes this point directly in "International Wildlife Law" (Grotius Press, 1985) at p. 22: "The main text of the Convention refers only to "whales" without defining what it means by the word "whales". Since the distinction between "whales", "small whales" and "dolphins and porpoises" is ambiguous from a taxonomic viewpoint, the jurisdiction of the IWC over smaller cetaceans is unclear." > They also cooperate fully on providing data on small cetaceans, and > whale watching, though neither come under the competence of the IWC. As noted above there is nothing in the Convention stating clearly that these issues do not come under IWC competence; it is only traditional practice that has ignored them - and not completely, as various IWC actions in the past have related to both of these areas. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Compuserve ID: 72037,2513 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 13:52:50 -0400 From: Virginia Marine Science Museum Subject: Employment opportunities (\) VMSM. Employment opportunities at the Virginia Marine Science Museum. Applications and information may be obtained by calling the City of Virginia Beach Department of Human Resources at 2396 Court Plaza Dr., Room 100, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 23456-9056. Please _do_not_ call the Museum or request information via e-mail. The Virginia Marine Science Museum's 35 million dollar expansion program is well underway. The following new positions will be instrumental in preparing for phase one of the expansion project which will open to the public December 1995. Currently, the museum holds the distinction of being one of the most highly attended museums in the state with more than 325,000 visitors a year, including 80,000 school children. With the expansion, the museum is expecting more than 750,000 visitors a year to discover the wonders of Virginia's marine environment. With intriguing new animals and creative new exhibits, such as a macro marsh where grasses and insects are 10 times their normal size, the museum will be among the top ten facilities of its kind in the nation. New residents for the museum will include sharks, harbor seals, river otters, herons and egrets. To create these specialized habitats, the museum's 100,000 gallons of aquaria will expand to 500,000 gallons and a huge outdoor aviary will be built on the Owl's Creek shoreline. Visitors will also be able to immerse themselves in the world of water from the seats of a six-story IMAX theatre. We invite you to submit your application for any of the unique employment opportunities described below by the designated closing date. Separate applications are required for each position of interest to you. Museum employees enjoy the comprehensive benefits package provided by the City of Virginia Beach. These positions and salary ranges are effective July 1, 1995. ******************************************************************** Museum Marketing/Sales Coordinator #A5148 Salary: $39,420 - $59,130 Closing 8/3/95 Museum Admissions Supervisor #A5149 Salary: $20,744 - $30,078 Closing 7/27/95 Museum Program Specialist/Special Events #A5150 Salary: $21,794 - $31,602 Closing 7/27/95 Exhibits Specialist (3 positions) #A5151 Salary: $25,274 - $36,648 Closing 7/27/95 Note: There are three vacancies available for Exhibits Specialist - one each in the speciality areas of marine mammals, fish and birds. Exhibits Specialist/Graphics #A5154 Salary: $25,274 - $36,648 Closing 7/27/95 Exhibits Technician II/Aquariums #A5155 Salary: $20,744 - $30,078 Closing 7/27/95 Exhibits Technician I/Aquariums #A5156 Salary: $17,887 - $25,937 Closing 7/27/95 Exhibits Technician II/Horticulture #A5157 Salary: $20,744 - $30,078 Closing 7/27/95 Exhibits Technician II/Life Support Systems #A5158 Salary: $20,744 - $30,078 Closing 7/27/95 Exhibits Technician II/Water Quality #A5159 Salary: 20,744 - $30,078 Closing 7/27/95 *********************************************************************** Virginia Marine Science Museum 717 General Booth Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23451 voice:(804) 437-4949 fax:(804) 437-4949 | vmsm(\)infi.net - please place the name of the intended recipient in the subject - *********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 13:58:56 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . ATOC Revisions. On June 2, 1995, Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists announced conclusion of an agreement with environmental critics of the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) project. As agreed, the California portion of the ATOC project will be refocused as a two-year, $4.5 million research program on the effects of the ATOC sound source on marine mammals. [San Jose Mercury News via Greenwire] . Ballard Locks Sea Lion Release. On June 8, 1995, the single California sea lion, "Hondo," held in captivity since January to prevent his feeding on Ballard Locks steelhead trout was released. Although authorized if all other non-lethal methods were exhausted, no sea lions were killed this year. [Assoc Press] . International Whaling Commission. On June 2, 1995, the IWC adopted a resolution, by a 23-7 vote (1 abstention), urging that non-lethal research be conducted in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and that nations not issue special permits allowing killing of cetaceans in the Sanctuary; Japanese delegates indicated that Japanese whalers would not abide by this resolution. [Dow Jones News, Assoc Press, U.S. Newswire, Reuters] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 10 Jun 1995 14:12:00 -0400 From: H ELIZABETH MOSES Subject: GIS for ecological work Hello Fellow MARMAMers, I just wanted to thank all those who contacted me after the posting on my thesis - the response has been overwhelming. Many of you asked about using GIS for marine mammal work and ecosystem work in general, and asked if I knew of other publications or people doing the same kind of work. Just as a reminder, an ECO GIS listserver was started as a result of these same kinds of questions, after the meeting in Galveston. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to get much use, and I think it could be just the place to discuss and exchange information and ideas - not only for marine mammal work, but related topics as well. If my information is correct, the listowner is Pete St. Onge (E-mail: PSTONGE(\)TrentU.ca), and to _subscribe_ to the listserver, mail to the following address: MAILSERV(\)TRENTU.CA In the BODY of the e-mail, NOT the subject, send a one line message containing either 'subscribe' or 'unsubscribe' and the word 'eco-gis' To post messages to the list itself, send mail to: ECO-GIS(\)TRENTU.CA If any of this is incorrect, my apologies to Pete, and could he please update us? But for all of you graduate students and researchers who contacted me, this would be a great way for us to exchange ideas! As someone said to me, Happy GISing! Elizabeth Moses efmoses(\)forwild.umass.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 10 Jun 1995 22:08:23 PDT From: Peter Corkeron Subject: Re: LETHAL VS NON-LETHAL WHALE RESEARCH In-Reply-To: <199506061918.FAA28555(\)extra.ucc.su.OZ.AU> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- One of the only fun bits of the kerfuffle which erupts every year at IWC time is getting to read Alan Macnow's postings on Marmam. His sense of humour really is surprisingly subtle. After all, how else could the "lethal vs non-lethal whale research" posting be viewed? On one hand, he whinges about how the IWC calls on the scientific committee to review lethal vs non-lethal whaling, but then passes a resolution against lethal research. This might actually be a reasonable whinge. But Alan, with his own inimitable style, then follows up with an unbelievably inaccurate table comparing what can be achieved with lethal and non-lethal whale research. If, for some strange reason, Alan was actually serious with this posting, I can only conclude that his idea of persuing the scientific literature involves reading something different from what I do - perhaps there's a whole area of research that doesn't get published by scientific journals (on this planet, anyway). Or, just maybe, his political stance interferes with his eyesight when it comes to reading some papers. I suspect that the IWC scientific committee will do a good job of reviewing the literature on whale research. In the meantime, Alan, keep up the good work. There aren't enough jokes posted on Marmam. Its great to see you keeping up the entertainment level. Peter Corkeron pcorkero(\)extro.ucc.su.oz.au ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 10 Jun 1995 12:19:20 -0400 From: Zozie(\)aol.com Subject: "aboriginal" whaling I, too, am interested in "aboriginal" whaling, and have been keeping an eye on the Makah proposal. Firstly, there really isn't such a thing as "aboriginal" whaling. Certainly there are indigenous people around the world with a long and unbroken history of whaling who take whales. There isn't a good name for what it is now, except perhaps "non-commercial whaling." It is misleading to call it "traditional" because ALL whaling is traditional in societies where it is and was practiced. At the Dublin IWC meeting, the Makah representative, Dan Greene, talked with many people -- some of whom I'm sure encouraged him and others who did not. Greene is a very personable young man. The Makah do have a tradition of whaling which goes back centuries. However, they (like the rest of American whalers), were put out of business 70+ years ago. Greene speaks of the American and European whalers who destroyed Makah whaling. What must also be understood is that ALL American whaling collapsed at about the same time. We simply took too many whales, as whaling nations tend to do. In the ensuing years, the Makah have lost the know-how. Some elders remember the last hunts, but the gear and the savvy would have to be relearned. Also, the Makah way of killing whales was extremely inhumane by current standards (as Greene explained it to me in Dublin), so the Makah are considering using explosive harpoons -- a technique that is NOT in their tradition, and with which they are going to need help to learn. So who will teach this? This is going to be a difficult problem for everyone. The Makah will have to establish NEED for whales in order to qualify for the exemptions under Marine Mammal Protection Act, even with their treaty. The gray whales are, of course, off the endangered species list, so that law will not apply. However, since the Makah intend to kill the whales during the migration -- either up or down -- the whales would be covered by the Migratory Species Act. Now, if they take whales during the migration, it means that if they kill a female, she will probably either be pregnant (heading south), or with a calf (heading north), which brings up further problems. I personally am very sympathetic with the drum-keepers and the spiritual leaders of indigenous people around the world who are attempting to keep their values and their spirit/souls alive and well, and who work for the health of the planet. I am not so sympathetic with any people who manipulate cultural expressions for profit or for some selfish end. The Makah saga has just begun. There will doubtless be many turnings before it is finished. phoebe wray (email: zozie(\)aol.com) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 11 Jun 1995 13:47:29 -0400 From: Robert Kenney Subject: Re: "aboriginal" whaling On Sat, 10 Jun 1995, Zozie(\)aol.com wrote: > . . . . . . . However, they (like the rest of American > whalers), were put out of business 70+ years ago. . . . . Not to pick nits, but the "non-commercial" Inuit bowhead whalers in Alaska are Americans and still in business, and I believe the last commercial whaling operation in the U.S. continued in California until 1972 with the original passage of the MMPA. Cheers, Bob Kenney rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 09:01:13 -0700 From: Karin Belton Subject: Re: White Dolphins - Hong Kong (fwd) I am forwarding this message from Chris Parsons for all who are interested. If there is anyone who may be in a position to offer any help to this project please contact Chris. Thank you. Karin Belton ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 12:38:40 +0800 (HKT) From: Chris Parsons To: Karin Belton Subject: Re: White Dolphins - Hong Kong On Sat, 3 Jun 1995, Karin Belton wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > > Hello Marmammers! > > I was just wondering if there is anyone who has any information regarding > the research project studying, and trying to save, the endangered white > dolphins in the harbour in Hong Kong. There has been a big controversy > surrounding the issue by conservationists and the Hong Kong government, > and I would like, if possible, to know more about the research that is > being done, etc. > > Thank you in advance for any information anyone may send my way. > > Karin Belton > Long Marine Lab, UCSC > > kbelton(\)netcom.com > Presently there are two researchers working full-time on the Chinese white/pink dolphins in Hong Kong (Sousa chinensis): Lindsay Porter and myself. We're just about to leave for two conferences, one in Taiwan and one in the Phillipines (UNEP) where we will be presenting papers on threats to the dolphins, mortality rates and the colouration of Humpback dolphins. At the moment the size of the population is estimated to be 80 individuals. Last year 9 mortalities were reported (the actual number of mortalities is estimated to be significantly higher) and 4(possibly 5) have been reported this year. At this rate of motality the local population could crash in just a few years. The biggest contravercy recently has been over the Sha Chau discision. One of the areas of greatest dolphin abundance is around the islands of Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau. This area was put forward by us, to the HK Government, to be designated a dolphin sanctuary. The provisional Airport Authority (PAA), also wanted this area for the construction of an aviation fuel oil tanker terminal. After lots of political wrangling and lobbying, the HK government gave approval for the tanker terminal, but on the proviso that the fund the establishment of the sanctuary. HOWEVER the current plans for the sanctuary mark out a 1000ha area (which includes approx 100ha of land). In the centre of this is the oil terminal (approx 1/2km long oil rig-like structure). Alos there will be five terminal related construction projects covering over 360ha of sea bed. Estimated noise levels from the terminal are estimated to be 115-118dB (human pain threshold is 120dB). There are plans for three marine fairways through the "sanctuary" and a 1/2-1km continually dredged shipping channel on the west side of the area, cutting across the north-western corner. Commercial fishing will also be allowed in the "sanctuary". Just about the only controls are that water sking and jet skiing will not be allowed in the sanctuary. Neither of these are likely as three sewage outfalls are just starting to drain minimally treated (primarily screened-i.e. a wide mesh over the end of the pipe) sewage into the area. Presently 30,000 cubic meters/day of sewage, which is planned to increase to 400,000 cubic meters/day by the year 2000. The term "sanctuary" is a costly joke, and merely a way for the government to look as if it's doing something to help the dolphins, but really bowing to construction companies and developers. A senior government official said: "we acn't let a few eagles and dolphins stand in the way of whats going on in Hong Kong." With this sort of callous thought from the government the dolphins are ultimately doomed. If you need more information E-mail again. Please forward this message to anyone you would think would be interested. We're trying to get as much international pressure as possible on the HK government, so that they can't sit back and watch the dolphins die out... Yours, Chris Parsons, Dolphin Research Group, Swire Institute of Marine Science, Cape d'Aguilar, Shek O, Hong Kong. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 13 Jun 1995 00:52:16 PDT From: Sergio Escorza Subject: Employment opportunities (\) VMSM. >To: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM >Status: RO > >Employment opportunities at the Virginia Marine Science Museum. >Applications and information may be obtained by calling the City of Virginia >Beach Department of Human Resources at 2396 Court Plaza Dr., Room 100, >Virginia Beach, Virginia, 23456-9056. Please _do_not_ call the Museum or >request information via e-mail. > >The Virginia Marine Science Museum's 35 million dollar expansion program is >well underway. The following new positions will be instrumental in >preparing for phase one of the expansion project which will open to the >public December 1995. Currently, the museum holds the distinction of being >one of the most highly attended museums in the state with more than 325,000 >visitors a year, including 80,000 school children. With the expansion, the >museum is expecting more than 750,000 visitors a year to discover the >wonders of Virginia's marine environment. With intriguing new animals and >creative new exhibits, such as a macro marsh where grasses and insects are >10 times their normal size, the museum will be among the top ten facilities >of its kind in the nation. New residents for the museum will include >sharks, harbor seals, river otters, herons and egrets. To create these >specialized habitats, the museum's 100,000 gallons of aquaria will expand to >500,000 gallons and a huge outdoor aviary will be built on the Owl's Creek >shoreline. Visitors will also be able to immerse themselves in the world of >water from the seats of a six-story IMAX theatre. > >We invite you to submit your application for any of the unique employment >opportunities described below by the designated closing date. Separate >applications are required for each position of interest to you. Museum >employees enjoy the comprehensive benefits package provided by the City of >Virginia Beach. These positions and salary ranges are effective July 1, 1995. > >******************************************************************** > >Museum Marketing/Sales Coordinator #A5148 >Salary: $39,420 - $59,130 Closing 8/3/95 > >Museum Admissions Supervisor #A5149 >Salary: $20,744 - $30,078 Closing 7/27/95 > >Museum Program Specialist/Special Events #A5150 >Salary: $21,794 - $31,602 Closing 7/27/95 > >Exhibits Specialist (3 positions) #A5151 >Salary: $25,274 - $36,648 Closing 7/27/95 >Note: There are three vacancies available for Exhibits Specialist - one each >in the speciality areas of marine mammals, fish and birds. > >Exhibits Specialist/Graphics #A5154 >Salary: $25,274 - $36,648 Closing 7/27/95 > >Exhibits Technician II/Aquariums #A5155 >Salary: $20,744 - $30,078 Closing 7/27/95 > >Exhibits Technician I/Aquariums #A5156 >Salary: $17,887 - $25,937 Closing 7/27/95 > >Exhibits Technician II/Horticulture #A5157 >Salary: $20,744 - $30,078 Closing 7/27/95 > >Exhibits Technician II/Life Support Systems #A5158 >Salary: $20,744 - $30,078 Closing 7/27/95 > >Exhibits Technician II/Water Quality #A5159 >Salary: 20,744 - $30,078 Closing 7/27/95 > >*********************************************************************** > Virginia Marine Science Museum > 717 General Booth Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23451 > voice:(804) 437-4949 fax:(804) 437-4949 | vmsm(\)infi.net > - please place the name of the intended recipient in the subject - >*********************************************************************** > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sergio Escorza Trevi~o | Scripps Institution of Oceanography | Dormir de dia es a University of California at San Diego | lo que mas aspira e-mail: sescorza(\)sdcc3.ucsd.edu | un tipo como yo phone: (619)546-7095 FAX: (619)546-7003 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 13 Jun 1995 10:01:28 +0200 From: John_Wieja Subject: Dolphin Project Europe Thank you to the hundreds of people who requested the Dolphin Project Europe newsletter. I will be gone from June 16 until August 18 and will not be able to receive or save any e-mail - no one will be monitoring my e-mail, but someone will be deleting all messages received. If you need to contact Dolphin Project Europe, please do so before June 16, or after August 18. Thank you, Arlette Liwer ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 13 Jun 1995 11:13:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Whale Freed HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP NATIONAL WIRE AT 1530 JUNE 12, 1 PERTH - West Australian wildlife officers today freed a whale entangled in a craypot line off the town of Cervantes, 245kms north of Perth. Later, CALM wildlife officer Doug Coughran said there were no signs of major injury to the humpback whale freed from the craypot line. He said CALM followed the animal for more than half an hour to ensure it was unharmed. It appeared to swin strongly and to have been unscathed by the ordeal. Mr Coughran said the whale was about 12 metres long and two to three years old. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 13 Jun 1995 11:14:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Rescued Calif. porpoise holdin Rescued Calif. porpoise holding own VALLEJO, Calif., June 12 (UPI) -- A baby harbor porpoise found floundering in a tidal pool along the Monterey Bay shoreline faces an uphill battle to survive, a Marine World-Africa USA official said Monday. Jim Bonde, a spokesman for the research center, said the baby porpoise got separated from its mother only hours after its birth and was found Friday afternoon. "It's just fortunate she was swept in toward the beach and not out to sea," he said. "A porpoise this young could not survive in the open ocean." The baby porpoise, measuring 2 1-2 feet and weighing about 17 pounds, was transported more than 100 miles by marine biologists from Monterey to Marine World. She was placed in a holding tank and has been receiving around the clock attention. "On Friday night, she needed help from a floatation device to swim," Bonde said. "Since then she has alternated between swimming pretty well on her own to swimming next to a volunteer's leg as they walk around the tank. Then there are times she needs to rest. It is easy to see she is in a weakened state." Bonde said the young marine mammal did not appear ill. She was being forced fed a soy milk mixture because the species' is lactose intolerant and cannot drink cow's milk. Bonde said it was too early to predict the porpoise's long-term survival, but if certainly would never be returned to the wild. "We are taking it one day at a time," he said. "We'll see if she makes it for three weeks or a month. At that time, we'll make a decision about her long-term future. We don't have harbor porpoises here, so she likely would be shipped to a facility like the one at Point Defiance in Tacoma." ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 14 Jun 1995 11:33:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Turks ban performing dolphins Turks ban performing dolphins, seals from Ukraine ANKARA, Turkey (Reuter) - Turkey's environment ministry, acting on a complaint by French actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot, Tuesday banned a Ukrainian show of performing dolphins and seals. They had been brought by a Ukrainian company called Biostar-CH to the resort town of Marmaris on the Mediterranean, the Anatolian news agency said. Environment Minister Riza Akcali, in reply to Bardot's appeal last week, said performances by the four dolphins and two seals were banned after marine scientists reported they had developed sores and were under stress from being kept in too narrow cages. The Marmaris Bay climate was unsuitable for them, the experts added. Turkey was considering removing them to a marine mammals rehabilitation center in Malta until their return to Ukraine could be arranged, the news agency said. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 14 Jun 1995 19:01:30 -0400 From: Wende Evans Subject: Flaccid Fin Syndrome - Orcinus orca (questionaire - reminder) Two weeks ago I sent out a questionaire to all MARMAM subscribers. I am very pleased with the number of responses. I will be analyzing the results and posting them within the next few weeks. Below is a copy of the origional questionaire if you did not receive a copy or did not get the chance to reply. Please feel free to send your comments. Again thank you for all of the responses from the questionaire. Origional Questionaire: I am a Marine Biology Master's candidate at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I am researching a condition in Orcinus orca known as flaccid fin syndrome (FFS) i.e. the aparent loss of rigidity in the dorsal fin of orcas. I am looking into the causitive agents along with the environmental factors that play a role in this condition. I have compiled a questionaire that I hope Marmamers will take a few minutes to fill out. The results of this questionaire along with my findings will be posted on Marmam. I. Your experience with Orcinus Orca: ___ intense field study (more than five years (\) published on orcas) ___ first-hand observations (less than five years experience) ___ major research (without actual field observations) ___ observations of orcas in the wild while studing other marine animals (e.g. sea-lion depravation) ___ minor research (without actual field study) ___ observations in aquaria, casual ___, 1 to 4 years ___, five or more years ___ II. Knoweledge of FFS: ___ intense study (researched the condition with field observations) ___ research study - published articles on FFS (please provide list of references) ___ first-hand observations (without explicit research on the condition) ___ wild encounters while studying other marine animals ___ observations in aquaria III. Brief definition of FFS as you have seen it. IV. Which causitive agents do you think play an important role in FFS? ___ environment ___ captivity ___ wild/open ocean ___ fitness of the animal ___ genetics/heredity ___ sickenss/injury ___ age of the animal ___ feeding habits ___ water quality ___ temperature ___ salinity ___ temperature of the collagenous tissue (composing the fin) ___ variation in diet ___ periods of fasting and reproduction ___ other underlying causitive agents (please specify) V. Documented research on FFS - from IV above, were your choices based on heresay or documented proof? (please list articles if available) VI. Other comments on the condition of FFS in Orcinus orca. Thank you for taking time to fill out this questionaire. If you have further information that may be helpful to my research, it would be appreciated. Again, thank you for your input on this project and I will be posting the results of the questionaire when I have collected the various inputs. Wende Evans 3369 College Ave. Davie, FL, 33314, USA (305) 452-6615 evansw(\)ocean.nova.edu NSU Oceanographic Center Ft. Lauderdale, FL ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 14 Jun 1995 22:30:44 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Careers in Marine Mammal Science Careers in Marine Mammal Science The Society for Marine Mammalogy has produced a brochure entitled 'Strategies for Pursuing a Career in Marine Mammal Science'. The brochure covers a variety of careers involving marine mammals, academic considerations and lists a large number of sources for general information on marine mammals and internships involving marine mammals. Single copies of the brochure are available from Allen Press, P.O. Box 1897, Lawrence, KS 66044-8897. Telephone: 800-627-0629 Cost is US$1.50 for students; US$3.00 for non-students. Individuals joining the Society for Marine Mammalogy will receive a copy of the career guide and a copy of the most recent membership directory. -------cut here ---------------------------------- cut here------------------ THE SOCIETY FOR MARINE MAMMALOGY APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP Name:________________________________________________________________________ Address:______________________________________________________________________ City:_____________________ State:______ Country:_____________________________ Postal Code:________________ E-mail:________________________________________ Phone:______________________ Fax:____________________ Position/Affiliation/Occupation:______________________________________________ Highest Degree:_________________ in _________________________________________ Marine mammal research activities /responsibilities /interests:__________________________________________________________________ Membership Category Requested (check one) / / FULL Member - Dues $75 U.S./calendar year. Open to professionals in natural science in the management, husbandry, conservation, or training of marine mammals and to graduate students in these fields. / / EMERITUS Member - Dues $50 U.S./calendar year. An Emeritus Member is any member who has retired from a professional career and is older than 60 years of age, or is older than 65 years of age and has been a Full Member of the Society for one or more years. Emeritus Members qualify for all the privileges of Full membership. / / STUDENT Member - Dues $50 U.S./calendar year. Open to anyone actively enrolled in a degree-granting institution of higher education - may not serve as officer or committee member but receives the journal and has all other membership privileges. Note: graduate students qualify for either Full or Student membership and may choose between them. Student membership requires proof of full-time student status. / / ASSOCIATE Member - Dues $70 U.S./calendar year. Open to anyone interested in the aims of the Society - same privileges as Student Member. / / INSTITUTIONAL Member - Dues $100 U.S./calendar year. Open to any organization or institution - receives all publications and notices of the Society, but may not vote. / / LIFE Member - Dues $1200 U.S. or four payments of $350 U.S. ______________________________________________________________________________ Membership is for a calendar year. New member recieve all back issues of MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE published during the year in which they join. Members renewing after 1 January, but prior to 1 June, add a handling charge of $2.50 U.S. for back issues. Members renewing after 1 June add a handling charge of $5.00 U.S. for back issues for that calendar year. Add $15.00 U.S. for air mail delivery outside of North America. All dues are payable in U.S. currency. Dues Enclosed $____________U.S. VISA or MasterCard Account No.__________________________ Exp. Date__________ Signature_____________________________________ Date _______________________ Send to: Dr. Glenn VanBlaricom, SMM Membership Chair, Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Fisheries, WH-10, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 U.S.A. Telephone: 206-543-6475 Fax: 206-685-7471 / / I do NOT want my name included in the membership directly (published biennially). --------------------------------------- end of file ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 16:24:58 +0200 From: "Giovanni Bearzi / VET.FAK" Subject: Tursiops babysitting Delphinus Dear Marmamers, last August we had the opportunity to observe an unusual event in our study area, which is a part of the Croatian Kvarneric', in the Northern Adriatic Sea. A common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) was babysitting a newborn bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). The mother of the calf (a well known, photoidentified individual named "Badfin") was staying nearby, apparently involved in deep-water feeding activities but often surfacing in a loose association with the couple. Common dolphins are rare in the area, being observed by us only twice in eight years of observations (totalling well over 2,000 hours at sea). The only cetacean species regulaly observed in the area is the bottlenose dolphin. I was wondering if there are other similar reports in the literature. Is there any first-hand observation of non-cospecific babysitting? I would also like to receive any comment or hint. Best, Giovanni Bearzi Adriatic Dolphin Project Tethys Research Institute Podjavori 13 51551 Veli Losinj Croatia tel/fax ++ 385 51 236348 giovanni.bearzi(\)public.srce.hr ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 15:01:17 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: non-conspecific babysitting Would Giovanni please clarify which species was doing the babysitting - the Delphinus or the Tursiops. The subject line says Tursiops was babysitting, while the body of the message says the reverse. Thanks! (BTW, that is a very cool observation!) Dagmar Fertl ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 10:50:28 +0100 From: nhi633(\)aberdeen.ac.uk Subject: Otolith-erosion in vitro Hello marmammers, As part of my studyproject on marine mammal diets at the university of Aberdeen, Scotland, I want to start an in vitro project to estimate degradation of the otoliths often found in these stomach samples. Until now I was not able to find much on the working and pH values of marine mammal stomachs. I am aware of the work of Murie and Lavigne and the article about passage-rates of elephantseals by Krockenberger and Bryden. Would somebody of you know more articles about otolith erosion (preferable in vitro) or the working or passage rates in cetaceans. I am also open to suggestions and advice. Since Graham Pierce is my supervisor, any articles by him I have easy acces to. Thank you in advance, Gerard Wijnsma It is de boer al likefolle Dept of Zoology as de ko skyt as de bolle University of Aberdeen Tillydrove avenue AB9 2TN Aberdeen Scotland, UK Fax (44) 01224 272396 email g.wynsma(\)abdn.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 11:19:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Baby propoise dies Baby propoise dies VALLEJO, Calif., June 15 (UPI) -- A baby porpoise, found stranded last week in a Monterey Bay tide pool, weakened during the night and died early Thursday, officials at Marine World/Africa USA announced. Jim Bonde, spokesman at the wildlife park, said the propoise began to show signs of distress late Wednesday night. "The volunteers noticed she was beginning to struggle and finally had to be supported in the pool," he said. "She stopped breathing about 6:46 a.m. and efforts to revive her failed." The death of the 2 1-2 foot-long, 17-pound harbor porpoise stunned volunteers and marine biologists, who had kept 24-hour watch ever since the young mammal was brought to Marine World last Friday. "Everyone is pretty upset," Bonde said. "It's one of those things, you knew there were great odds against her, but you always hoped. It's a major blow." A necropsy -- an autopsy on an animal -- was being performed Thursday to determine cause of death. The porpoise became separated from her mother within 24 hours of its birth. She was found by a young boy struggling in tide pool on the shoreline of Monterey Bay. Marine biologists from the University of California, Santa Cruz rushed her to Marine World which has large holding tanks and could properly care for the animal. However, biologists gave her little chance to survive because she had become separated from her mother so soon after birth. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 11:19:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: China offers reward for captur China offers reward for capture of rare dolphin BEIJING, June 16 (Reuter) - Chinese authorities are offering a reward for the live capture of the rare Yangtze River dolphin in central China following poor results from a five-year-old breeding programme, the Xinhua news agency said on Friday. The Anhui provincial government would pay 90,000 yuan ($10,843) to anyone who caught a dolphin and brought it alive to its breeding and protection centre on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, it said. It was unclear how many of the dolphins the authorities would offer rewards for. A centre in Hubei province has raised just one dolphin since it opened eight years ago, the agency said. The number of dolphins in the river had shrunk to less than 100 in 1994, from 400 in 1984 and as many as 6,000 in the 1950s, Xinhua said. The Yangtze River dolphin would be extinct within 100 years unless properly protected, it quoted experts as saying. It had a large brain and swam so quickly it was difficult to catch, it said. People living near the river have reported only two sightings this year. Industrial development along the river and increased volume of river traffic had led to severe water pollution that was threatening the dolphin, it added. However, when local fishermen one, they always throw it back, Xinhua said. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 11:20:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Beached Dolphins Beached Dolphins TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) -- Fifteen dolphins beached themselves Thursday and scientists were trying to save the 12 survivors, including a baby that was being fed with a bottle. The pod of short-snouted Stenella dolphins was found stranded in shallow water south of Fred Howard Park about 15 miles from Tampa. Two already were dead and the third died later. Scientists believe some of the group may have become sick or disoriented by seas churned up last week by Hurricane Allison. Six of the dolphins, including the baby estimated to be 6 months to a year old, were doing well in a holding tank at the Clearwater Marine Science Center, said Dennis Kellenberger, the center's executive director. They will be released well out to sea if blood tests show they are healthy. The other six were being held in 2-foot deep surf until blood tests show if the animals are sick, he said. If they are well, they probably will be released, if not, they will be taken to a holding tank. Mass beachings of dolphins happen once or twice a year along Florida's Gulf Coast, Kellenberger said. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 12:58:15 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Yangtze River Dolphins. On June 16, 1995, the Xinhua news agency announced that the Anhui provincial government would pay 90,000 yuan ($10,843) for live capture of a Yangtze River dolphin for a government breeding program for the rare species. [Reuters] . Fishing vs. Right Whale Hearing. On June 15, 1995, a hearing was held before Judge Douglas P. Woodlock in U.S. District Court, Boston, on a lawsuit charging that the State of Massachusetts is not taking sufficient action to protect right whales from harm by commercial fishing operations; the suit seeks to ban commercial fishing within State waters when right whales are present. [Assoc Press] . ATOC. On June 15, 1995, the California Coastal Commission unanimously approved a permit for the revised Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate program. [San Jose Mercury News via Greenwire, Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 15:10:34 MDT From: Paul K Anderson Subject: ATOC When ATOC first came over the horizon it was a two-year study of the feasibility of measuring ocean temperature, with an associated Marine Mammal Program. As a result of public concern and a compromise with environmental organizations it is now incarnated as an 18-24 month study devoted to the effects of the proposed sound broadcasts on marine mammals, ostensibly under full control of marine mammalogists. The site of the California sound source has also changed from the Sur Ridge location (in the Monterrey Bay Marine Sanctuary) to the Pioneer Sea Mount, SW of the Farallone Islands. The source will be 88 km off the California Coast at a depth of 980 m. Although ATOC will be paying the bills, the intensity of the sounds and the broadcast schedule will presumably be wholly under the control of biologists, and set to meet biological objectives independently of the needs of oceanographers. In this form ATOC seems less threatening. Assuming the experimental design will be an expansion of the Pilot Study described in the Final California EIS I still have several concerns: 1. Although the objectives are formulated in classic null-hypothesis format in the Pilot Study protocol a the introductory paragraphs suggest a philosophical bias. The stated objective is to "validate" the assumption that "reactions from marine animals are unlikely at ATOC received levels <120 dB at distances of> 20 km." 2. The 120 dB aquatic standard criterion for 50% of animals exhibiting avoidance behavior is based on only a few cetacean species and there is no guarantee that the 50% of animals that showed a reaction may not have suffered damage, nor that those that did not show avoidance had not suffered damage (e.g. threshold shifts) previously and did not suffer further damage. 3. Baseline observations of acoustic and other behaviors in the Pioneer Seamount area itself, prior to initiation of the first broadcasts are apparently going to be limited to a single aerial survey. 4. Controls for the experiment will involve comparison of of acoustic and other behavior of animals near the source with those more distant, and paired comparisons of behavior during four days when sounds are broadcast for 20 minutes every four hours, with behavior of animals in the same area with the source off during a four day period AFTER (my emphasis) the sounds have been off for three subsequent days. This latter control assumes (with no empirical justification) that behavior will have returned to "normal", and that any individuals that have remained in the area were not still affected (impaired or habituated) by the initial exposure. I would prefer a control comparison of behavior prior to exposure with behavior during exposure. 5. Although there are provisions for shut down of broadcasts if "acute or short term effects" are observed, there are no specifications as to what conclusions would lead to cancellation of the the ATOC experiment itself, or who would exercise a veto. ATOC proponents will almost certainly argue that given the expense of installing the cable and source on the Seamount they should be allowed to capitalize on their investment. 6. Motorized vessels are to be used for surface (visual and acoustic) observations. Engine sounds may affect animal behavior and interfere with acoustic sensing. The protocol proposes use of sailing vessels for spin-off studies (sperm whales, leatherback turtle) studies in the Atlantic and Carribean, why not use sail (e.g. large catamarans) for the main study off California? ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 17:09:56 +0000 From: gnstri(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it Subject: Tethys Institute new address Dear colleagues and friends, as of today, the city of Milano is hosting our organisation within the premises of the Civic Aquarium. We have thus changed our address and phone numbers. The fax number and the email address has remained the same. This is the new address: Tethys Research Institute Acquario Civico - viale G.B. Gadio 2 I-20121 Milano, Italy ph. (39-2) 7200 1946 - fax (39-2) 2940 1987 email: gnstri(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it Please disregard all previous addresses/phone numbers you may have for us. Thank you, Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara Director ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Jun 1995 00:27:52 GMT Reply-To: Andy(\)smlr.demon.co.uk From: Andy -- I will be entering into discussions on rehabilitation of cetaceans in the near future. One of the main discussions will focus on the issue of neonatal harbour porpoises. Does anyone have any knowledge of succesful rehabilitation of a neonate harbour porpoise. Thank you 16:22 25/04/95 Andrew D Williams ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Jun 1995 15:46:08 -0400 From: Lizz Schlansky Subject: Mesoplodon europaeus I was recently priveleged enough to take part in the necropsy of Mesoplodon europaeus (Gervais beaked whale/Gulf Stream beaked whale). The whale had washed up on the east coast of Florida. I found the stomach contents to be fascinating: it contained several large plastic bags and several large (6-14 in. long) organisms tentatively identified as tunicates. The question is are there deep water tunicate species that might be found by an animal that feeds in the deep water, or could they be something else. If anyone has any information or suggestions on where to find information on the dietary habits and the gastrointestinal tract anatomy of this species, please respond to me at: Lizz(\)seas.marine.usf.edu Thank you very much. Lizz Schlansky ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Jun 1995 15:25:13 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: ATOC Paul Anderson expressed some continued concerns with the ATOC project, whose MMRP will now be proceeding, after a settlement was reached between Scripps and several environmental and animal protection groups. Although clearly everyone will not be satisfied with this settlement, I would like to address at least two of Paul's concerns briefly, in an attempt to clarify why the settlement was accepted. > 1. Although the objectives are formulated in classic > null-hypothesis format in the Pilot Study protocol a > the introductory paragraphs suggest a philosophical > bias. The stated objective is to "validate" the > assumption that "reactions from marine animals are unlikely > at ATOC received levels <120 dB at distances of> 20 km." This "philosophical bias" was a concern of many commenters on the draft EIS. One of the provisions of the settlement with Scripps is that "the MMRP does not claim that it will be able to prove or disprove long-term impacts on marine mammals, and therefore the results of the MMRP will not be so used." > > 5. Although there are provisions for shut down of > broadcasts if "acute or short term effects" are > observed, there are no specifications as to what > conclusions would lead to cancellation of the > the ATOC experiment itself, or who would exercise > a veto. ATOC proponents will almost certainly argue > that given the expense of installing the cable and > source on the Seamount they should be allowed to > capitalize on their investment. Scripps has agreed to remove the sound source at the end of the MMRP and not to reuse it until such removal has occurred. The ultimate decision to continue with the ATOC experiment will rest with NMFS, as they must ultimately approve any permits, and NMFS will receive recommendations from an advisory board made up of scientists and environmental group observers. Should Scripps decide to proceed with the ATOC project, "a full environmental review process will be undertaken in compliance with all applicable laws, including the preparation, circulation, and approval of a programmatic environmental impact statement under NEPA..." Most importantly, although the MMRP will now proceed without challenge from the environmental and animal protection groups who signed the settlement, these groups have reserved their right to challenge any violations of federal and state permits or of the settlement. They have also reserved their right to challenge any future permit applications or environmental documents that are submitted after the MMRP ends. The settlement in no way indicates an endorsement of ATOC by these groups (contrary, incidentally, to some comments made in the press by Scripps representatives). As I said, this settlement may not be perfect from the point of view of either side, but that is typical of any legal settlement. From the point of view of ATOC proponents, the MMRP may now proceed without legal challenge. From the point of view of ATOC opponents, the settlement's most important aspect is that the ATOC project must still undergo a full programmatic environmental review and this review process, which cannot take place any sooner than 1997, may still be fully challenged under the law. There are those citizens and scientists who undoubtedly still have some legitimate and significant concerns about the design of the MMRP -- I recommend that those individuals contact Scripps and request to submit those concerns to the advisory board. The advisory board's minutes and a summary of its meetings will be available to the public -- the summary will be distributed to a mailing list that is being developed, so I would also recommend that such concerned citizens and scientists request to be put on the mailing list. Naomi Rose, Ph.D. The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Jun 1995 11:48:12 BST From: John Dineley Subject: Captive Dolphins.. ------------------------------------------------------ The following below is my personal response I recently sent to the CSI regarding their position statement against the keeping of cetaceans in captivity. It is reproduced here for the general interest of MARMAM subscribers... ------------------------------------------------------ To: William Rossiter <71322.1637(\)com.compuserve> From: John Dineley (S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk) Subject: CSI Captivity Statement I was most interested in your recent posting to MARMAM and ECS bulletin board regarding comment to the CSI position statement on cetaceans in captivity. With respect, I find the statement rather disappointing and also some what sweeping and dogmatic. I could understand the CSI campaigning against inappropriate welfare of captive dolphins, but I feel a policy statement that wishes to see the total outlawing of cetacean keeping as unfair. First, I would like to outline my credentials regarding being able to comment on the CSI statement. I have been actively involved in the husbandry of marine mammals (dolphins, seals and sealions) for twenty-three years in both the UK and Europe. I am a member of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals and the International Marine Animal Trainers Association. I have published and presented a number of papers on marine mammal husbandry and training. Currently, I am studying for a BSc honours degree in biology/psychology. I plan to return to work in aquaria and/or zoos after my studies are completed. I have no personal problem with animals being in captive environments, although I would qualify this by stating that I have strong feeling against animals being kept 'badly' in captive environments. I have noted the amount of debate on MARMAM regarding the merit or otherwise of education and research derived from marine mammals in captive environments. While this is an interesting debate, I feel this is missing the point. The fundamental principle, as far as I am concerned, is an issue of animal welfare. While not a complete science, we do have various tools we can use to assess the welfare of animals in captivity and these should be used to gain an understanding of the issues involved rather than the ease of falling back on emotive rhetoric that some groups and individuals seem to enjoy doing. In the United Kingdom in 1985, there was an independent, government sponsored, attempt to assess whether the educational, research and breeding benefits of dolphinaria in the UK were sufficient value to justify the further import and continued display of live dolphins and whales. If dolphin keeping could be justified, the investigators were asked to consider legal standards that should be applied to dolphinaria. Dr Margaret Klinowska (University of Cambridge) and Dr Susan Brown were appointed as the scientists to investigate and report on this issue. Evidence for and against dolphin keeping were invited from all interested parties; this included dolphin keepers, animal welfare and conservation groups such as Greenpeace and the RSPCA. Dr Klinowska and Dr Brown went to a great deal of trouble to investigate various allegations regarding UK dolphin exhibits and found a vast majority of the welfare concerns to be unfounded. On publication of the report (Klinowska, M. and Brown, S. [1986] A REVIEW OF DOLPHINARIA. London: Department of the Environment) a Steering Group was set up to review the report (Bonner, N. etal [1989] DOLPHINARIA: REPORT OF THE STEERING GROUP. London: Department of the Environment), they made the following published comments: >In general, many of the concerns about the physical >and mental welfare of cetaceans were either not >well founded, relate to particular cases or would >require extensive research to establish...No >substantial contra-indictaions to keeping cetaceans >have been found which would not apply equally to >the keeping of any other wild-caught animals...This >is not to say that there are no problems with >cetacean keeping, only that problems are not >dissimilar to these encountered in wild-caught >animal husbandry in general, and could be solved. A more recent study by the Canadian government could also find no compelling reasons to outlaw the keeping of cetaceans in captivity (Department of Fisheries and Oceans [1989] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON MARINE MAMMALS. Ottawa: Fisheries Research Branch of DFO). I think a lot more research needs to be done in all areas of animal welfare. However, the above UK report was undertaken by objective scientists with no affiliation to animal welfare/rights groups nor aquaria operators. The basic problem with discussing captive cetaceans is that as a group (particularly the dolphins) they have become popular icons; images ready to be displayed on campaigns and products that have the requirement of a 'green' credibility and/or sell various New Age philosophies. This is why, I believe, they have been singled out for some form of special treatment eg: it alright to keep an elephant and chimpanzee but not a dolphin. Clearly there are problems with the logistics of keeping large aquatic mammals, but these are not impossible to overcome. Many marine facilities already provide such settings. John Dineley, email - S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ---------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 09:25:24 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract Dear Marmam readers: As a service to the European Association for Aquatic Mammals, the following is an abstract from the most recent Aquatic Mammals. Please do not request the article from me, I have posted the address of the contact author with the abstract. I have cross-posted this to the ECS mail group - apologies for duplications. ********************************************* Caudron, A.K. 1995. Social behaviour of Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus in captivity. Aquatic Mammals 21.1: 7-17. * Service d'Ethologie et de Psychologie animale, Institut de Zoologie, Universite de Liege, Quai Van Beneden 22, B-4020 Liege, Belgium. In this study, a group of 6 South African or Cape fur seal Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus housed at the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (Belgium) were observed during 300 hours spread over 1 year (June 1990-June 1991). We present a qualitative and quantitative description of the way members of a family structured group of related Otariidae interact in confinement conditions. By establishing the detailed time budget of each individuals, we show the importance of the social life in the daily activities of captive fur seals. The mean percentager of diurnal time spent in social interactions is 9.8% versus 1.9% in a group of nonrelated California sea lions Zalophus californianus (Waring, 1984). The existence of a behavioural distinct breeding period is confirmed by changes in time budget correlated to the sex and maturity of each individual. The reproductive synchrony developed by captive Cape fur seals kept in the northern hemisphere and the natural breeding period are exactly 6 months out of phase (end of spring). ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 09:33:59 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract Dear Marmam readers: As a service to the European Association for Aquatic Mammals, the following is an abstract from the most recent Aquatic Mammals. Please do not request the article from me, I have posted the address of the contact author with the abstract. I have cross-posted this to the ECS mail group - apologies for duplications. ********************************************* Wang Ding, Bernd Wursig, and William E. Evans. 1995. Whistles of bottlenose dolphins: comparisons among populations. Aquatic Mammals 21.1: 65-77. * Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas 77551-5923 + Current address for D. Wang: River Dolphin Research Department, Institute of Hydrobiology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China Bottlenose dolphin whistle structure was compared among populations, by spectral and statistical analysis. Differences in whistle structure were greater between far separeted than closer areas. Animals from nearby areas may influence each others' whistles by mimicry, but may also have similar whistles due to periodic changes of individuals across areas. Whistle differences among groups in adjacent areas were small. Dolphins in non-adjacent areas presumably developed unique acoustic characteristics due to geographic isolation. The characteristics of whistle structures could potentially be used to distinguish among populations. Frequencies of the major energy of dolphin whistles were higher than the major frequencies of back-ground noise, and a specific acoustical niche relative to environment may be hypothesized. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 12:08:08 -0400 From: Damon Job Subject: ATOC review For a brief historical overview of the ATOC issue see: Kaiser, J. 1995. Of Whales and Ocean Warming. Science News 147(22):350-351. (June 3, 1995) **************************************************************** Damon A. Job. djob(\)clark.net -or- nzpzr010(\)sivm.si.edu Marine Mammalogist Biodiversity Conservation Consulting Natural Resources Management Consulting. Internet Consulting Information Broker Professional Scientific Employment Search Specialist. **************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 12:46:35 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: Mesoplodon europaeus >I was recently priveleged enough to take part in the necropsy of Mesoplodon >europaeus (Gervais beaked whale/Gulf Stream beaked whale). The whale >had washed up on the east coast of Florida. I found the stomach contents >to be fascinating: it contained several large plastic bags and several >large (6-14 in. long) organisms tentatively identified as tunicates. The >question is are there deep water tunicate species that might be found >by an animal that feeds in the deep water, or could they be something else. >If anyone has any information or suggestions on where to find information >on the dietary habits and the gastrointestinal tract anatomy of this species, >please respond to me at: >Lizz(\)seas.marine.usf.edu > >Thank you very much. >Lizz Schlansky > It sounds to me as though the whale was eating salps, which are colonial pelagic tunicates; salp chains may reach 30 cm. or more according to the George's "Marine Life". I can easily see how a whale might mistake a floating plastic bag for a translucent salp colony (as leatherback turtles are believed to do with respect to balloons and jellyfish). Gage and Tyler's "Deep-Sea Biology" notes that salps both migrate vertically and sink rapidly on death; they cite Caccione et al, pp. 42-50 in "Sedimentation in Submarine Canyons, Fans and Trenches" (eds. Stanley and Kelling) and, on vertical salp migration, Weibe et al (1979), Marine Biology 53: 249-255. I'd better say right away that as I am not a marine invertebratoligist, this is pretty much a lay opinion, but it may help. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 13:54:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: Tuna/dolphin MARMAM readers should be aware that there is an effort underway by the Republicans in the House of Representatives to weaken the International Dolphin Conservation Act that was enacted in 1992 in response to the large number of dolphin deaths resulting from tuna fihsing. The lobbying effort is being led by the Mexican government and a handful of U.S. tuna fishermen. A hearing is set for the 22nd June in front of the House Resources Committee, chaired by Don Young (not a marine-mammal- friendly representative). A bill will probably follow shortly thereafter. Chances of passage: House, good - Senate, unknown, but probably not great. Republicans are under the mistaken impression that sufficient time has passed since the passage of the Act to quieten the issue, and that people don't care enough to stop them from passing legislation that would result in many more dolphin deaths. Calls to your representatives to let them know that they should not support a weakening of the law would be very helpful. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 17:39:23 -0400 From: Linae Boehme Subject: Remaining Clymene's Released News from Florida: Four adult female Clymene's dolphins (Stenella clymene) were released into the Gulf of Mexico late Monday morning. These animals, along with an orphaned calf, were the last surviving members of a group which stranded Thursday. The calf had not been weaned when its mother died so it remains in captivity. If you have further questions, feel free to contact me directly and I'll do my best to answer any questions. Linae Boehme Volunteer, Clearwater Marine Aquarium linae(\)kelvin.marine.usf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 09:48:40 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract Dear Marmam readers: As a service to the European Association for Aquatic Mammals, the following is an abstract from the most recent Aquatic Mammals. Please do not request the article from me, I have posted the address of the contact author with the abstract. I have cross-posted this to the ECS mail group - apologies for duplications. ********************************************* Sue E. Moore and Sam H. Ridgway. 1995. Whistles produced by common dolphins from the Southern California Bight. Aquatic Mammals 21.1: 55-63. Science Applications International Corporation, 3990 Old Town Avenue, Suite 105A, San Diego, CA 92110-2931 A total of 5,291 whistles produced by common dolphins, Delphinus delphis, from the Southern California Bight were analyzed by digital processing of spectrograms and categorized to eight whistle-types, four of which comprised over 97% of any sample. The eight whistle-types were similar to, but not inclusive of all, whistle contours previously reported for common dolphins offshore California, indicating that the whistle repertoire for the species is larger than that reported here. The authenticity of the whistle-types is supported by their occurrence in each of four recording contexts, although proportions of the dominant four whistles varied among contexts. Because the common dolphin whistles described here were not individual-specific nor context-specific, they seem best characteriazed as a portion of either a graded series or regional dialect repertoire. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 14:53:29 -0700 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: Whaling NEAH BAY, Wash During the Whaling Comission Meeting in Dublin, which I attended, there was widespread rumour in the hallways that the Makah claim to "whaling rights"had more to do with the "tribal leaders" links with timber sales to Japan than with any legitimate tradition. As to reaffirm this hypothesis, the Makah representative was attended frequently by wildlife-consumption lobbyists. Whetehr this is the case is something the US environmentalists will have to check. The Makah episode exposes an old wound in the flank of the US anti-whaling movement which is the irresponsible, almost criminal agreement to let the "poor Eskimos" take the endangered bowheads in exchange for an anti-commercial whaling position from the Government. It is clear in my mind after all these (11) years at the Whaling Comission that the eskimo "need" for killing bowheads is false, and that the state-of-the-art technology utilized to hunt the animals are totally dismissive of the "tradition" invoked to justify the slaughter. Alas, it seems that Barrow, as a "whaling" village, is also a bit too modern according to some reports I;'ve hear at the Dublin meeting. So, here the issue of fake "tradition", left in peace for years, threatens to spread along the Us West Coast. I wonder whether it would be time for my fellow environmentalists up there to start paying some attention eg to the Brazilian Comissioner at the Whaling Comission who has disputed the "aboriginal" claims for years - only to be greeted by deaf ears from the so-calledenvironmental NGOs. Flames are welcome regarding the above comments. It was about time to address this issue around here! Cheers, J. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 17:58:20 EDT From: Brent Hall <73577.310(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Re: ATOC To: MARMAM Naomi Rose's response to Paul Anderson's concerns about ATOC have raised some new concerns in my mind, which I think will be shared by other MARMAM readers. >Paul Anderson expressed some continued concerns with the ATOC project, >whose MMRP will now be proceeding, after a settlement was reached >between Scripps and several environmental and animal protection groups. This settlement has not been described to MARMAM readers. I would like to know what are the terms of the settlement? Which environmental and animal protection groups agreed to this settlement? >One of the provisions of the settlement with Scripps is that "the >MMRP does not claim that it will be able to prove or disprove long-term >impacts on marine mammals, and therefore the results of the MMRP will >not be so used." If the MMRP will not prove or disprove long-term impacts on marine mammals, then it is not capable of determining the impact of the full ten-year ATOC program on marine mammals, which is what I believe the MMRP was originally for! What is the purpose of this new revised MMRP? >The advisory board's minutes and a summary of its meetings will be >available to the public -- the summary will be distributed to a mailing >list that is being developed, so I would also recommend that such >concerned citizens and scientists request to be put on the mailing list. Can you tell MARMAM readers how to be added to the mailing list? Brent Hall Cetacean Society International 73577.310(\)compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 18:32:38 -0400 From: FERTLD(\)aol.com Subject: babysitting by other species In reference to the incident of the Delphinus babysitting the Tursiops calf, I finally found the reference that I remembered from Leatherwood that has a mention of something. Leatherwood, S. 1977. Some preliminary impressions on the numbers and social behavior of free-swimming bottlenosed dolphin calves (Tursiops truncatus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In the report "Breeding dolphins...." edited by Ridgway. Leatherwood talks about observations of Tursiops and S. plagiodon (= S. frontalis) at Marineland of Florida. He talks about seeing Tursiops and S. plagiodon in a tank together during a dolphin show. "At one point, the Tursiops abandoned her calf to participate in the high jumps. When she did so, the calf immediately joined up with the larger of the two spotted dolphins, took up a close swimming position and remained with it for about 5 minutes. Circling the perimeter of the tank, the the spotted dolphin made no attempt to reject the calf and continued its previous swimming pattern." Hope this helps. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 21:34:29 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Marine Mammal Conference Attention Conference Registrants Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals When completing the conference registration form please pay particular attention to the description of the items included in each registration category. For example, full registration (member and non-member) INCLUDES both the opening reception at Sea World and the closing banquet. Student registration INCLUDES the opening reception but NOT the banquet. Extra tickets for the opening reception and the closing banquet are available for purchase on the registration form. They are primarily intended for use by 'significant others' who will be travelling to Orlando but will not be attending the conference proper. Students have the option of purchasing a banquet ticket. Some individuals have sent in payment for FULL registration PLUS a reception ticket and a banquet ticket when they did not intend to do so. While this is easily corrected for individuals paying by credit card, it becomes a significant problem when the individuals have paid by check. Please read the registration categories carefully. If you have any questions, please email me for clarification. Daniel K. Odell Conference Chair ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 09:55:31 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract Dear Readers: It might be of interest to anyone who has a copy of the following paper published by N. Gales and K. Waples in vol. 19,2 of Aquatic Mammals "The rehabilitation and release of bottlenose dolphins from Atlantis Park, Western Australia", that were two letters to the editor in vol. 21,1 of Aquatic Mammals (the most recent issue) regarding this matter (one written by Virginia McKenna w/ The Born Free Foundation, the second by Nick Gales). ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 10:02:33 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract Dear Marmam readers: As a service to the European Association for Aquatic Mammals, the following is an abstract from the most recent Aquatic Mammals. Please do not request the article from me, I have posted the address of the contact author with the abstract. I have cross-posted this to the ECS mail group - apologies for duplications. ********************************************* Kastelein, R.A., J. Kershaw, E. Berghout, and P.R. Wiepkema. 1995. The food consumption of South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens). Aquatic Mammals 21,1: 43-53. Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park, Strandboulevard-oost 1, 3841 AB Harderwijk, Holland This is a study of the food consumption of 4 male and 8 female South American sea lions at Marineland, Antibes, France. The females' average daily food consumtpion increased for about 5 years after birth, after which it stabilized at around 5 kg/day. The males' average daily food intake reached a peak of about 12 kg/day during their 8th year after which it dropped and stabilized at around 9 kg/day. Adult males ate on average 3% of their body weight each day, and females ate 4%. Although the animals were allowed to eat as much as they wanted, their food intake fluctuated seasonally. They ate less during the breeding season which was between June and September at Marineland. This is 6 months different from this species' breeding season in the wild in the Southern hemisphere. Energetics of this species are compared in human care and in the wild, and the estimation is made that wild adult males may eat 3700 kg of fish per year, and adult females around 1900 kg per year. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 10:42:38 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract Dear Marmam readers: As a service to the European Association for Aquatic Mammals, the following is an abstract from the most recent Aquatic Mammals. Please do not request the article from me, I have posted the address of the contact author with the abstract. I have cross-posted this to the ECS mail group - apologies for duplications. ********************************************* Peter R.S. Bloom, A. David Goodson, Margaret Klinowska, and Christopher R. Sturtivant. 1995. The activities of a wild, solitary bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic Mammals 21,1: 19-42. Curator, Sealion Centre, Flamingo Land, Malton, N. Yorks, YO17 0UX, U.K. The movements and activities of a wild, solitary bottlenose dolphin with a small home range have been studied through six 24 hour watches, conducted between June 1989 and January 1992. Possible relationships with environmental factors were investigated. The opportunity was also taken to compare these results with patterns indicated by reports from informal watches. Foraging activity accounted for more than half the dolphin's time budget. The proportion of foraging noted during daylight hours alone differed significantly from records for entire 24 hour periods. Tidal rhythms appeared to the major influence on the dolphin's position, showing a strong preference for the harbour mouth during ebb tide, where he was generally found foraging. The dolphin spent a considerable part of his time associating with boats and swimmers (averaging 34% during daylight), which was termed 'recreational activity'. However, the number of recreational opportunties accepted by the dolphin varied considerably from watch to watch (27% to 83%), and had no apparent pattern. This suggests that the animal was able to prevent visitors from dictating his entire pattern of behaviour. Data from informal watches indicated a higher incidence of recreational activity, lower resting, and lower foraging than from the formal watches. These results were expceted, since the informal data was often gathered by people involved in recreation activity withthe dolphin. Acoustic monitoring of foraging greatly aided determination of this activity at night, and throughout the entire watch provided a more accurate visual observation. A regular patrol pattern and steady echolocation were common features during foraging, whereas travel from one area to another within the dolphin's home range was observed with no discernible echolocation activity. Resting behaviour was also acoustically monitored and proved to be essentially silent. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 20 Jun 1995 11:24:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Whale Lagoon Whale Lagoon EDITOR'S NOTE -- It is reminiscent of industry-environmental battles ranging from the spotted owl debate in the Pacific Northwest lumbering country to the snail darter that once stopped the building of a dam in the South. This time it's whales that are the issue and a salt plant that is the potential threat. By ERNEST SANDER Associated Press Writer LAGUNA SAN IGNACIO, Mexico -- Here on the Baja California peninsula, temperate aqua water laps against desert shores of sand, yucca and creosote bushes. Shacks of corrugated metal, netting and discarded wood, where local fishermen live, are the only signs of civilization. It is hardly the image of conflict. But it is. Every winter and spring a spectacular event comes to this secluded bay. California gray whales migrate 6,000 miles from the Bering Sea to this lagoon and several others nearby to mate and bear their young. Tourists trek to see, hear and sometimes touch the whales. Locals consider the sea mammals part of the regional identity. So prized is this annual rite and its pristine backdrop that the government has designated the land a protected reserve. The pledge to set aside this space and keep it free of further industrialization is being sorely tested by a Mexican company's plan to expand its salt-mining operation on the lagoon. The company, Exportadora de Sal, is the world's second-largest salt producer and a rare profitable government-run business in Mexico. Mexico's National Ecology Institute, counterpart to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has rejected the proposal to expand, but the company has appealed. The issue is being viewed as a test of Mexico's commitment to the environment in times of economic distress. The stakes are even higher because it involves an adored animal whose graduation from the endangered species list is considered one of the great victories of animal conservation. "If you have a protected area, a national park with biodiversity, you cannot sacrifice all these natural resources and biodiversity to get out of an economic crisis," said Maria Elena Sanchez, a biologist and member of Group of 100, an environmental organization based in Mexico City. Exportadora de Sal, which wants to extend its current operation to the outskirts of Laguna San Ignacio, says the project will produce jobs and economic security. Without the extra $100 million in revenue, it would be forced out of business by an Australian firm underpricing it, company officials say. Critics, including authors Carlos Fuentes, Octavio Paz and Allen Ginsberg, contend Exportadora is not under any competitive threat, but is just being greedy. "We are the best ecologists because we live here," said Rodolfo Garayzar, who heads the union of salt workers in the city of Guerrero Negro. "We have been here for 40 years, and not one whale has died." No one knows exactly why the whales come to these waters during the first four months of each year. Neither the environmentalists nor the company can say with full confidence how the whales would be affected by Exportadora pumping millions of gallons of water from this lagoon onto 120,000 acres of nearby salt flats. The successive flooding and evaporations create layers of dried salt that are then extracted. Would the whales stop coming? Would they go to another lagoon? Do they even need to calve in a lagoon? Some scientists claim the whales are drawn by the shelter and the warm, salty, shallow water, but researcher James Sumich says that is speculation. "Everybody can make their own story, but the information is just not that solid," said Sumich, a marine biologist at San Diego's Grossmont College who did his doctorate work at Laguna San Ignacio. Late last century, gray whales were slaughtered en masse in these lagoons by hunters, including Captain Charles Melville Scammons, who made a fortune from the oil. One of the lagoons is now named after him. Mexico banned commercial whaling in 1954, the same year Exportadora de Sal moved into Guerrero Negro, north of Laguna San Ignacio. Gradually, the gray whales began returning, and in 1972 and 1979, presidential decrees established the land as a refuge for whales and their calves. Even by the standards of stark, untrammeled beauty along the thousand-mile Baja coastline, the Vizcaino Desert Biosphere Reserve, anchored by Laguna San Ignacio, is unique. Snowy plover, the California least tern, marine green turtles and peregrine falcons inhabit the area, which contains the northernmost distribution of mangroves in the continent. Environmentalists fear the salt firm's $120 million expansion would alter the natural balance in the lagoon and on the land surrounding it. Pulling water from the bay would change its temperature and salinity as a current of cold, less-salty water circulates in from the ocean. Digging and scratching to extract salt could change the land's ecosystems. More machines and boats could also scare away visiting animals. In rejecting the Exportadora proposal, the National Ecology Institute said it was not compatible with the goal of a biosphere reserve -- to shelter plant and animal habitats from possible harm. Exportadora has declined to comment on the ruling or on its plans. Twice, subdirectors from the company failed to appear for scheduled interviews with a reporter, and they have not returned numerous phone calls. Union boss Garayzar claims the media has spread misinformation about the company. He indignantly recounts Mexican news reports claiming Exportadora "kills whales" and inaccurate references to it as a Japanese company. (It is 49 percent owned by Mitsubishi.) As he walks through the company's Guerrero Negro grounds, past mountainous mounds of salt, the crane and conveyor belts leading to barges bound for Japan and the United States, Garayzar notes signs of the company's conscience. He points out perches the company has built for the osprey to nest in. "Exportadora doesn't attack species," he said. "We defend life. We care about it." Guerrero Negro is a company town, where nearly 1,000 of its 15,000 residents work at the salt plant. Clothing shops, furniture stores, gas stations and taxi drivers depend on Exportadora workers for their business. At noon, a siren sounds for lunch, and men in yellow hard hats and blue "ES" windbreakers file from the company gates to take their lunch breaks at home. There are baseball fields, gymnasiums, boxing facilities and a junior college for company employees. The union hands out whale patches to those who work hard and are accident-free, to those who study hard and excel at sports. Even the chandeliers in the simple Nuestra Senora de Guadeloupe church are crested with black metal whale carvings. On a recent night, a car from the local newspaper drove through town with a bullhorn announcing a rally in support of the plant expansion. Not a single dissenting voice was heard among the speeches at the hearing. Contrast this with the somnolent, windswept life on the shores of Laguna San Ignacio. Year-round, as early as 5:30 a.m., before the breeze picks up, the men who head the 700 fishing families along the lagoon ply the waters for shark, clams, lobster and scallops. They sell their haul to a truck that passes through and supplies northern Baja California cities. When they need groceries or car parts, sometimes they make the bumpy trip to San Ignacio, which itself has only several thousand people. Most are aware of the company's proposal. "I don't agree with it," says Jose Maria Aguilar Amador, a fisherman who has spent most of his life here. "It is an injustice to the birds, whales and fish." Several huts away, leathery-skinned Francisco Mayoral unfolds blueprints of the Exportadora plan, rattling off details on locations and figures. "There are many poor people who need work," he says, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. "The expansion is the best option." ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 20 Jun 1995 10:09:51 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: ATOC Brent Hall wrote: >This settlement has not been described to MARMAM readers. I would like to >know what are the terms of the settlement? Which environmental and animal >protection groups agreed to this settlement? The groups that agreed to this settlement include American Oceans Campaign, Earth Island Institute, Environmental Defense Fund, The Humane Society of the United States, League for Coastal Protection, and Natural Resources Defense Council. Please contact the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund at 415/627-6700 for details about the terms of the settlement. > >>The advisory board's minutes and a summary of its meetings will be >>available to the public -- the summary will be distributed to a mailing >>list that is being developed, so I would also recommend that such >>concerned citizens and scientists request to be put on the mailing list. > >Can you tell MARMAM readers how to be added to the mailing list? I recommend that you call Scripps and ask to be directed to the department or individual dealing with inquiries regarding the MMRP -- they will have this information. Naomi Rose, Ph.D. The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 20 Jun 1995 17:04:02 -0700 From: Pacific Whale Foundation Subject: All-white humpback whales June 20, 1995 Two Australian colleagues and I are writing a note about observations of an all-white humpback whale observed a number of times off the east coast of Australia over the past few years. Based on the shape of its dorsal fin, it appears to be the same whale. In a 1982 summary of "anomalously white cetaceans" published in the Journal of Mammalogy, Jim Hain and Steve Leatherwood listed no instances of humpback whales. Is anyone aware of any documented sightings of all-white humpback whales other than the one reported off the east coast of Australia between 1991 and 1994? I have heard (or read somewhere) of an albino humpback whale off the coast of Africa, but haven't found any published account. We are aware that humpback whales in the southern hemisphere have a great deal of white on their ventral and lateral surfaces. We are also aware of a whale in Hawaii reported as having a lot of white a couple of years ago. In this case, however, we are interested in sightings of albino or otherwise completely white humpback whales. If anybody has information bearing on this, we would be grateful for your comments. You can post responses to my email account rather than to marmam. Thanks, and Aloha. Paul Forestell, Pacific Whale Foundation ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 14:59:48 +0200 From: Ornis Consult A/S Subject: Intro new subscribers Hi everyone, We are new to the group so please bear with us if we go out of style. We would like to take this opportunity to look for colleagues with similar interests and present our own main interests. We seek contact with colleagues working with the study of offshore cetacean distribution, especially with the study of impact of fronts, pycnocline topography, watertypes etc. and prey distribution. We use - and continue to develop - GIS techniques for these studies and would like to discuss with people with experience and/or interest in this field. We have two persons employed working with satellite imagery and would very much like to discuss application of these techniques in cetacean study with people experienced with this. Our main interest at the moment is offshore seabird and cetacean ecology including mapping, population estimates feeding ecology and study of distribution in relation to marine parameters. We work professionally with studies of seabirds and cetaceans within the framework of the Ornis Consult Ltd., a commercial consultancy company dealing mainly in bird ecology. In the company 14 biologists are employed and the two of us works mainly with seabirds and cetaceans. Sincerely, Henrik and Jan _____________________________________________ | Jan Durinck & Henrik Skov | | Ornis Consult Ltd., Vesterbrogade 140 A, | | DK-1620 Copenhagen V., Denmark. | | Phone: +45 31318464 or +45 97962696 | | Fax : +45 31247599 | | __________________________________________ | ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 09:33:48 -0700 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: Whale Lagoon An interesting development on this issue is that the Mexican Government, at the last QWhaling Comission meeting in Dublin, requested - and was granted - scientific advice on this matter through the appointment of specialists by the Scientific Committee. While Mexico claims this is a transparent process aimed at giving independent settlement to the issue, it seems more likely that bureaucrats involvced in the Exportadora de Sal business are actually trying desperately to find a way to overthrow the ruling against the expansion already given by the proper environmental authorities. Thus, thye Whaling Comission, if its appointed "specialist" delivers a report in favor of the salt m,ining expansion, may find itself in a difficult position of being responsible for helping to supersede the ruling of a national authority on environmental protection. This will be really a curious case to watch. J. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 12:55:03 -0400 From: Jonah Rosenfield Subject: '87 dolphin die-off Hello! I would be most grateful to anyone who could refer me to references or people connected with the 1987 die-off of tursiops along the east coast of the United States. I am trying to learn more about why it occurred, what was the effect of such a massive amount of mortality, the specifics of that mortality and what follow-up studies are currently being done. Thank you. Jonah Rosenfield jrosenfi(\)mbcrr.harvard.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 07:44:12 -0400 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Aquarium shorts Aquariums (reprinted from ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 1995) Sea World of California on June 8 released two common dolphins into the Pacific Ocean, 10 miles west of San Diego, after a month of rehabilitation. The two were found stranded near San Luis Obispo on May 3 and May 4, respectively--shortly after Sea World released two other common dolphins, Catalina Bob and Malibu Bob, who had required a year of rehab apiece. Something of a celebrity, Catalina Bob was initially rescued from stranding on April 3, 1994, near Morro Bay, California. Released after a month of care by Marine World Africa USA, Catalina Bob stranded himself again two days later and was taken to Sea World for more comprehensive treatment. The four Sea World parks have now rehabilitated and released more than 2,700 animals since 1990. A 2,000-seat dolphin arena debuted June 1 at the New York Aquarium, which hadn't exhibited dolphins since the old 600-seat arena was torn down in 1993. Two rock-hopper penguins, hatched June 12 and 13, were the first animals to be born in the Oceanarium wing of Chicago's John Shedd Aquarium, but one, who required help to get out of his shell, died a few hours later. The Oceanarium wing opened in 1991. Now caring for 13 rock-hoppers, 18 gentoos, and four Magellanic penguins, Shedd staff believe they have convincingly overcome the fungal outbreak--accidentally brought with 19 penguins from the Glasgow Zoo in Scotland--that caused 13 penguin deaths during 1990. Education Management Corporation, which closed Ocean World at the end of last summer and turned the site into a parking lot for the adjacent Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, has reportedly been asked by the Florida Department of Environmental Conservation to undertake an extensive cleanup of the canalized Seminole River--its longtime water source, allegedly also used as a dump for "motors, old fencing, all kinds of things," according to former Ocean World dolphin trainer Russ Rector, who later led a campaign against the facility for purportedly abusing animals. "They also have 40 years worth of untreated dolphin and sea lion poop piled up where the backwash from the filters came out," Rector said. (ANIMAL PEOPLE is a nonprofit newspaper, providing independent professional coverage of the whole range of animal protection issues & perspectives since 1992. Subscriptions are $18/year, $30/2 years, or $40/3 years; write to POB 205, Shushan, NY 12873. We'll send a free sample on request--just provide your full U.S. postal address.) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 13:47:05 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: Re: babysitting by other specie (fwd) Forwarded message from GROSS.abrscbr(\)anca.erin.gov.au ----------------------------Forwarded message---------------------------- > From (\)UVVM.uvic.ca:GROSS.abrscbr(\)ANCA.ERIN.GOV.AU Tue Jun 20 20:46:29 1995 > Message-Id: <9506210343.AA08046(\)theseus.erin.gov.au> > From: GROSS.abrscbr(\)anca.erin.gov.au (GROSS) > To: owner-marmam(\)UVVM.uvic.ca (FERTLD) > Subject: Re: babysitting by other specie > Date: Wed, 21 Jun 95 14:11 > Return-Receipt-To: GROSS.abrscbr(\)anca.erin.gov.au > > The recent message referring to the babysitting of one dolphin species by > another may provide a partila answer to one of the most fascinating > puzzles in cetacean biology, that of transfer of cyamid (whalelice) from > one cetacean species to another. In delphinids, cyamids are usually quite > rare, and when they occur they are not very prolific. Attached firmly to > small recesses around the appendages or eyes, blowhole etc, these animals > are not geared to jumping from one fellow school member to another, let > alone to another species some distance away. They lack swimming larvae, > and raise the ir young in brood pouch. > > Transfer of cyamids would be quite feasible during suckling, since the > mammary slits of dolphins offer a suitable refuge for them. If, during > babysitting by another species, the calf attempted to suckle, and > prompted the babysitter to comply, cyamids could be transferred. The odds > seem very small for this happening, but how else can one account for > Syncyamus equus occurring on specimens of Sousa chinensis, Tursiops > truncatus (two neritic species), Delphinus delphis (neritic and offhore > cool waters) and Stenella coeruleoalba (warm oceanic water) off the > southeastern South Africa. > > Graham Ross > Australian Biological Resources Study > gross.abrscbr(\)anca.erin.gov.au > > > ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 09:40:49 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: cetaceans and fisheries The May 1995 issue of Marine Pollution Bulletin (30,5), has an editorial by G. Cognetti entitled "Pelagic fishing and protection of cetaceans: two contrasting rights?". This might be of interest to many of the subscribers of ECS and Marmam. Apologies to those of you receiving both mail lists. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 07:42:37 -0400 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Marine mammal shorts Marine mammals (reprinted from ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 1995) Whaling The tiny Pacific nation of Tonga on May 23 rejected an application by Tongan citizen Tasi Afeaki, now living in Japan, to set up a branch of the firm MACA Pacific in Tonga, which would kill 50 humpbacks, 100 minkes, and 200 sperm whales per year for export. Tongan government spokesperson Susan Fotu said the deal was refused because, "Whaling and whale-watching," a major industry in Tonga, "do not go hand-in-hand." In an image-enhancing move on the eve of the four-ship Japanese whaling fleet's June 10 sailing, the Japanese cabinet on June 9 moved to ban trade in 280 items made from parts of species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species--15 years after Japan ratified CITES. Included are ivory seals, items made from tiger, kangaroo, or crocodile pelts, and anything made from the shells of either tortoises or hawksbill sea turtles. The estimated 400 Japanese firms affected may still sell products made from such materials if the materials were imported before 1980, and are registered. Nonregistration carries a fine of $2,380. The ban took effect on June 28. Seventeen Greenpeace activists chained themselves to the Norwegian whaler Havliner as it left the Arctic port of Tromsoe on June 3, seeking to keep the crew from killing a quota of 11 minke whales. After the whalers cut the chain with a blowtorch, "Norwegian television showed Whaling Association chairman Steinar Bastesen trying to throw an anti-whaling woman activist overboard," Reuter reported. "Bastesen was forcibly prevented by a male environmentalist from tossing the screaming woman into the sea." Said Geir Wang-Andersen of Green-peace, "Bastesen was kicking and beating the activists. The police did nothing to stop him." Stefan Flovman of Germany said Bastesen beat him for five minutes and threw his cellular telephone overboard. Twelve Greenpeacers still aboard as the Havliner sailed were dropped off at an island 25 miles away. Whale-watching A North Pacific right whale was seen on Wednesday, May 3, about a mile off the beach at Point Piedras Blancas, California--only the 14th reliable right whale sighting in California waters since 1900. Right whales, hunted almost to extinction, are the scarcest of the baleen whales. South Australia prime minister Dean Brown proposed on May 22 to establish a southern right whale sanctuary at the head of the Great Australian Bight--for one year, to boost whale-watching. Brown drew immediate flak from both opposition leader Mike Rann, who pressed for a permanent sanctuary, and the fishing industry, which resents being excluded from the whale breeding ground. The National Park Service on June 1 proposed to increase the number of cruise ship visits allowed in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, each summer from the present 109 to 184. The increase would be accompanied by stricter rules governing passage through waters frequented by the whales whose presence makes Glacier Bay voyages popular. Pinipeds The Caspian seal, native to the Tien Shan region of Central Asia, is in "rapid and severe decline," due to the fur trade, says zoologist Michael Kliks of the National Academy of Sciences in the Republic of Kazakhstan. On March 1, Kliks found 5,000 freshly skinned Caspian seal carcasses at just one hunting camp near the Arctic Circle. Fisheries officials on June 8 released Hondo, the steelhead-eating sea lion, from a cage near Ballard Locks, Washington, where he had been kept since January to protect endangered spring steelhead runs. Under intense activist and media scrutiny, authorities refrained from killing any sea lions this year, though authorized to do so by the 1994 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Chilean environmental officials reportedly drew death threats in mid-May for trying to keep salmon ranchers from killing sea lions who raid their sea pens. The Alaskan Court of Appeals ruled on April 21 that Alaska cannot use criminal trespass laws to keep Native Americans out of the Walrus Islands Game Sanctuary. Cetacean habitat The Scripps Institution of Oceanography announced June 2 that it is turning the California part of the controversial Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate experiment into a two-year study of the effect of underwater sound on marine mammals. The $35 million project involves broadcasting high-volume sound from loudspeakers set up 3,200 feet below the ocean surface on Pioneer Seamount, a dormant volcano 48 miles off Half Moon Bay. It was initially designed as an attempt to use underwater sound waves to measure global warming, still the purpose of the Hawaiian phase of the experiment. The California test site was originally to have been off Point Sur in the Monterrey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The experiment was delayed and moved last year due to objections from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Division of Sanctuaries and Reserves. Even after relocation, it was opposed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, Earth Island Institute, and the Environmental Defense Fund, who have now agreed to let it go ahead. It was to go before the California Coastal Commission on June 15 and the Hawaii Land and Natural Resources Department on June 22 for final authorization. Defenders of Wildlife, the Humane Society of the U.S., the Royal SPCA, the Whale and Dolphin Conserv-ation Society, and Earth Island Institute in May sued the State Department and Commerce Department for failing to invoke the 1992 High Seas Driftnet Enforcement Act to sanction Italy for illegal driftnetting in the Mediterranean. The groups claim Italian driftnets kill 2,000 to 3,000 whales and dolphins a year. The State Department says it has no evidence of that. The Ukrainian military is believed to have released a "big number of dolphins" in the Black Sea in early May, reports Dr. Hrvoje Gomercic of the veterinary faculty at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. One dolphins believed to have been among them found her way south to the harbor at Bakar, Croatia--a timely move, as effective on May 17, all marine mammals are protected within Croatian territorial waters, amounting to half the Adriatic Sea surface. According to Gomercic, 13 species of cetacean have been documented in the Adriatic, mostly bottlenose dolphins and striped dolphins, but occasionally even a blue whale, fin whale, or sperm whale. Also protected are Mediterranean monk seals, seen just seven times since 1990. More than 20 highly endangered pink dolphins, found only in Hong Kong harbor, have washed up dead since work began on Hong Kong's new airport in 1992, biologist Lindsay Porter has told the United Nations Environment Program, seeking help to save the species; only 80 survive. Hong Kong is building a jet fuel depot in the middle of the dolphins' last feeding area, but will ask tankers to approach it in a dolphin-friendly manner. "How do you drive an oil-tanker in a dolphin-friendly manner?" retorted Jo Ruxton of the World Wildlife Fund. A young minke whale has lived for six months in a Sea World tank-sized lagoon about 35 miles northwest of Gerardton in the Abrolos Islands off Western Australia, and though he could leave any time, has shown no sign of doing so, nor any sign of stress or illness. Fish are plentiful in the lagoon. "He obviously likes being there," shrugs local wildlife officer Kevin Marshall. (ANIMAL PEOPLE is a nonprofit newspaper, providing independent professional coverage of the whole range of animal protection issues & perspectives since 1992. Subscriptions are $18/year, $30/2 years, or $40/3 years; write to POB 205, Shushan, NY 12873. We'll send a free sample on request--just provide your full U.S. postal address.) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 07:15:43 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: Aquatic Mammals Marmam subscribers - I have received a number of postings requesting information on the journal - Aquatic Mammals. Thank you so much for your interest! Aquatic Mammals is the journal of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. Aquatic Mammals is available for $50.00 U.S. to members of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals or the European Cetacean Society. It is available to everyone else for $95.00 per year for the three issues. Please contact: Paul E. Nachtigall Editor, Aquatic Mammals Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology Kailua, Hawaii 96734 USA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 10:41:00 -0400 From: Linae Boehme Subject: clymene release update To the dismay of staff and volunteers at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the four female Stenella clymene dolphin released Monday morning were found dead on Wednesday. The animals were sighted by a tow boat captain on Anclote Island approximately 3 miles from their original stranding sight. Mote Marine Laboratories performed the necropsies. They found "repiratory problems" as well as one nearly full term fetus. We were able to positively identify the animals as they had been tagged before release. The radio transmitter attatched to one of the animals was missing. Nothing is known about the fate of the 5 animals released from the stranding sight on Monday. They have not been located in two day. Researchers at Mote are hoping this means they have travelled too far offshore to be detected by their areal surveys. If anyone has further questions or comments, please contact me directly. Linae Boehme Volunteer, Clearwater Marine Aquarium linae(\)kelvin.usf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 17:59:51 BST From: John Dineley Subject: PORPOISES ------------------------------------------------------------------- Re: recent request for information on MARMAM regarding the rehabilitation of porpoises. As far as I am aware the only facility in Europe that has consistent hands-on experience in the rescue and rehabilitation of this species is Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park in the Netherlands; they are the official Dutch rehabilitation centre for standard cetaceans. I believe they have had a number of porpoises at the centre since it was built in 1990. I have recently further been informed that they also have a "half-way" house sea- pen facility for "back to the wild" rehabilitation. contact address: Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Strandboulevard Oost 1, 3841 AB Harderwijk, Postbus 9114, 3840 GC, Harderwijk. Holland. Telephone: (03410) 1 60 41 FAX: (03410) 2 58 88 ---------------------------------------------------------- John Dineley, S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ---------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 15:48:45 -0400 From: Geoffrey Patton Subject: abstract Dear Marmam readers: As a service to MARMAM readers, the following abstract is from the most recent issue of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. Please do not request the article from me but, rather, from the contact author whose address is included. ********************************************* Rawson AJ*, JP Bradley, A Teetsov, SB Rice, EM Haller and GW Patton. 1995. A role for airborne particulates in high mercury levels of some cetaceans. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 30:309-314. * Mote Marine Laboratory, Marine Mammal Research Program, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34235 USA. In a study of 25 _Tursiops truncatus_ and two _Globicephala macrorhynchus_ examined by necropsy, abundant HgSe was found in both the liver and in the respiratory system (lung and hylar lymph nodes). In the liver HgSe was consistently associated with the cell-breakdown pigment lipofuscin, whereas in lung and hilar lymph nodes it was consistently associated with particulates consisting of partially graphitic soot and silicates. This supports earlier suggestions that in the liver HgSe may be a storage end product of Hg metabolism, while adding the new suggestion that in the respiratory system HgSe may be inhaled, preformed in combustion emissions. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 11:26:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: TODAY IN CONGRESS TODAY IN CONGRESS The Washington Post HOUSE Meets at 10 a.m. Committees: Resources -- 2 p.m. Fisheries, wildlife & oceans subc. International Dolphin Conservation Act. 1334 LHOB. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 13:40:43 +0000 From: Sara Heimlich-Boran Subject: Re: Whale response to net encirclement RE: Whale response to net encirclement Fellow Marmamers: I'm looking for references about the response of cetaceans to net encirclement, especially during capture for captive display. Is there any truth to the rumour that once encircled, they tend to be rather quiescent? Any suggestions (about people to contact or things to read) will be appreciated. Hasta la proxima Sara Heimlich-Boran Sea Mammal Research Unit DELPHIS c/o British Antarctic Survey 7 Victoria Street Hig Cross, Madingley Road Cambridge CB1 1JP Cambridge CB1 1JP e-mail: SLHB(\)wpo.nerc.ac.uk Tel: 44-1223-311354 Tel/Fax: 44-1223-313116 Fax: 44-1223-328927 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 17:02:03 GMT+0200 From: MISS SEE PLON Organization: Rhodes University Subject: e-mail address Hi there, Does anybody out there know how I could get hold of Al Myrick? He has retired recently and thus cannot be contacted at his old e-mail address any more. Does anyone know his current e-mail address or fax- number or know how else I could contact him? I would greatly appreciate any help in this matter. Thanks, Stephanie. Stephanie Ploen Department of Zoology Rhodes University Grahamstown 6140 SOUTH AFRICAStephanie Ploen Department of Zoology & Entomology Rhodes University P.O.Box 94 Grahamstown 6140 SOUTH AFRICA ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 09:48:11 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Norway Extends Whaling. On June 22, 1995, Norwegian officials announced that commercial whaling would be extended for an additional week, through June 30, to compensate for bad weather. Whalers were reported to be 35 to 40 whales short of their harvest quota of 232 minke whales. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 21:58:33 -0700 From: Charles Greene Subject: Eskimo whaling Greetings: Jose Palazzo Jr. wrote on 19 June about the recent International Whaling Commission meeting, saying among other things: "...The Makah episode exposes an old wound in the flank of the US anti-whaling movement which is the irresponsible, almost criminal agreement to let the "poor Eskimos" take the endangered bowheads in exchange for an anti-commercial whaling position from the Government. It is clear in my mind after all these (11) years at the Whaling Comission that the eskimo "need" for killing bowheads is false,..." Eskimos are not poor, they make no claim to being poor, and they do need to hunt whales. It's in their blood, it's part of their psyche. They need to hunt whales to a greater degree than we need many of our "needs". They need to hunt whales the way we need food, shelter and friendship. If prohibited from hunting whales, without being convinced rationally that it was in their best interests to quit whaling, the Eskimo civilization would be jeopardized. I come by this view from having lived in Barrow, and having visited Gambell and Kaktovik, off and on for many months going back to November 1962. I have met, talked with and lived with Eskimos. Since 1989 I have lived in Barrow during four spring whaling seasons. I have never been employed by the North Slope Borough or any agencies residing there or associated with Eskimos, and I have not been their contractor or grantee. In 1981 I received expenses to attend and contribute to one of their bowhead whale scientific conferences. My work (underwater acoustics research) has been supported at different times by the U.S. Navy (1960s-70s), by industry and by the Department of the Interior (1980s-90s), for whom I do not speak. How does one learn about Eskimo needs by attending IWC meetings? I have never attended, but I read in "The Arctic Sounder", June 15, 1995, about Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission officials attending the recent IWC meeting in Dublin. According to the article, last year the IWC granted AEWC a 4-year quota of 204 whales landed and 263 strikes. That quota is shared by the hunters in many Eskimo villages from St. Lawrence Island to Barter Island. To earn that quota, the hunters and their organizations have paid for expensive whale census efforts and to submit the results for review by skeptical and unsympathetic scientists and mathematicians. The hunters earn their quota not by emotional, sentimental expressions about their culture, their traditions, their aboriginal way of life, but by hard facts of whales counted, not just once, but year after year. It is important to note that the Eskimo hunters have chosen to cooperate with the IWC and the government agencies regulating the taking of marine mammals. They would prefer, and they think the western arctic bowhead population and its recruitment rate would support, a larger quota. The Eskimos may have alternatives to cooperation, based on tribal rights and treaties, but they consider themselves to be Americans and they chose to live by American law. I have wondered: where is Greenpeace during the whale hunting? I think Greenpeace, and other whale conservation groups, have investigated the Eskimo whaling and have found that it is reasonable and justifiable, if regrettable. They object to any whaling, but I think the Eskimos have earned their respect. Jose should visit an Eskimo whaling community, attend a whaling captain's meeting, have coffee with the whalers. In 1986 I worked on an oil industry support boat (a 60 m "boat" with a crew of 13)--I was monitoring the sounds underwater near a drillship operation northwest of Kaktovik. The captain was adamantly opposed to whaling--bowheads were an endangered species, and killing them, even for food, was abhorrent. The industry and the hunters had an agreement that industry boats would help during an emergency, and this captain was called to take his boat to aid a group in which a hunter had lost his hand in an accident at sea. The captain came back a changed man--his contact with the hunters brought him to understand the hunters' needs and to sympathize with their cause. Charles Greene cgreene(\)rain.org ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 15:18:08 -0400 From: Linae Boehme Subject: Stenella clymene corrections Along with many requests for information received these past few days I also received a few corrections concerning my information. Please accept this new information with my apologies. The first group of dolphins were released well offshore early Friday morning by Mote Marine Lab. Two aerial surveys have been flown to try to locate the dolphins. A signal was received from Mote's group on Friday afternoon, apparently from offshore of Anclote Key. A second survey on Monday did not find signals from Mote's group but did pick up signals from the radio tagged animal released by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The animal radio tagged by Mote could have moved out of range, it's radio tag may have been lost, or that animal may have died. Weather and aircraft mechanical problems have prevented further attempts to track the animals at this posting. Many thanks to Randy Wells for these corrections. Linae Boehme linae(\)kelvin.marine.usf.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 24 Jun 1995 12:50:14 -0400 From: Delphin(\)aol.com Subject: Whale Conservation Institute Website Hello! Just a note to let you know that Dr. Roger Payne's Whale Conservation Institute now has a webpage. You may find it at this URL: http://www.tiac.net/users/rhobson/wciweb.html This was my very first 'outing' a a creator of webpages, and I am sure that the WCI home on the Internet will certainly be evolving over time. Future plans certainly include -pictures of whales-, whale sounds in AIFF format, links to Whalenet, and a host of other additions. This represents a first step, though, and... well... I am somewhat proud of it! Pleae forward this information to those you thing might be interested, and please, if you see any typos or other glitches that i might have missed in my rush, please use the email function from within the webpage to let me know! -Rick Hobson Whale Conservation Institute ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 24 Jun 1995 11:20:31 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: cetacean hybrids in the wild and captivity Greetings, We are writing up something on a hybrid between two species of porpoises (Dall's and harbour), and wanted to find out about any obscure references to cetacean hybrids. I've included a list below of all those we know of, including both positive and possible hybrids, in both the wild and captivity. If anyone knows of anything not on this list, please let me know. WILD Positive: blue whale x fin whale - Spilliaert et al. 1991. Arnason et al. 1991 Probable/possible: Delphinapterus x Monodon - Heide-Jorgensen and Reeves 1993 Tursiops x Steno - Simoes-Lopez et al. 1994 Tursiops x Grampus - Fraser 1940 Tursiops x Stenella - Herzing 1990 CAPTIVE Tursiops x Pseudorca - Nishiwaki and Tobayama 1982, Sylvestre and Tasaka 1985 Tursiops x Steno - Dohl et al. 1974, Shallenberger and Kang 1977 Tursiops x Grampus - Shimura et al. 1986 Tursiops x Pseudorca at Sea Life Park - published refs??? Thanks very much, Robin ================================================================ Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Research Group Box 6244 Victoria, B.C. V8P 5L5 Canada Phone (604) 380-1925 Fax (604) 380-1206 e-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca ================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 26 Jun 1995 11:45:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Canada aquarium rejects calls Canada aquarium rejects calls to free whales VANCOUVER (Reuter) - Vancouver's aquarium said Friday it will give up one of its famous killer whales but rejected calls for the whales to be freed in the wild. The aquarium said that Finna, a 19-year-old male, will be transferred to another institution. Finna's mate, a female named Bjossa, will be kept, but a non-breeding female killer whale will be brought in as a companion. "For the foreseeable future ... visitors to the aquarium will be able to see and learn about killer whales just as they have for the past 30 years," John Nightingale, executive director of Vancouver Aquarium, told a news conference. The moves are intended to keep Bjossa from becoming pregnant again after she gave birth to three calves who all died near birth at the aquarium, the latest in March. The aquarium was the first in the world to capture a live killer whale more than 30 years ago and is a leading center for study of the aquatic mammals also known as Orcinus orca. The news followed a six-month study by the aquarium. Environmentalists urged the popular whale exhibition be dismantled and an opinion poll by a local newspaper found 63 percent of residents opposed keeping the whales in captivity. Friday's announcement outraged animal rights activists, who oppose splitting up the pair and believe the whales should be returned to the wild. A spokeswoman for the group No Whales In Captivity said activists will fight the transfer of Finna. "We're totally against it. We hope the aquarium comes to their senses. If they don't we are prepared to physically blockade this move if necessary," she told local television. The aquarium says that releasing the whales into the wild "is not a safe and viable option." ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 26 Jun 1995 16:28:38 -0500 From: jreiden(\)smtplink.mssm.edu Subject: humpback bubble net/cloud Dear "Marmammers": We are currently writing our abstract for the biennial meeting (Conference on the biology of marine mammals) on a proposed mechanism of bubble cloud release in humpback whales. Do any of you have any photographs or videos of whales (any species, baleen or toothed) releasing air from the mouth underwater? I know someone was kind enough to show me a video of this behavior at the Galvestan meeting (after "video night"), but, alas, I cannot remember who it was. If you are out there, could you please contact me? Does any one know of any published references describing this behavior, or similar behaviors (e.g., bubble netting)? Please respond to me directly at: jreiden(\)smtplink.mssm.edu Thanks very much in advance for your help! Joy Reidenberg ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 27 Jun 1995 07:52:40 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: air quality and its effect on cetaceans Dear Marmam readers: I am interested in hearing from folks with information on air quality and its effect on cetaceans. I am currently aware of two papers: Rawson et al. 1995. (recently posted to Marmam) and Leonard,J. and Delumyea,RD. 1994. Elemental carbon concentration in the air around Tampa Bay, Florida, 1990-1991. Air & Waste 44:804-806. If you have more information, I would be interested in hearing from you. Sincerely, Dagmar Fertl Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 07:42:39 PDT From: DWILLIAMS(\)delphi.com Subject: mass strandings ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am new to MARMAM, but I am not new to marine mammal research. I have been working to solve the mystery of mass stranded whales for twelve years now and believe that I am close to achieving this goal. My problem is my lack of a scientific degree and the writing skills to put this work into acceptable format for presentation in a respectable journal. In addition, I believe a grant might be available to the right team. For these reason, I seek a collaboration with a highly qualified scientists to lead this project to its conclusion. Anyone interested should E-mail their postal address and qualification. I will forward you a draft detailing the theory and the areas I feel need additional work. You will not be disappointed by the theory. David Williams Moby Dick Society, Inc. PO Box 10771 Pompano Beach, Fl 33061 305-942-9352 dwilliams(\)delphi.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 07:44:42 PDT From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: RE IWC crackdown on smuggling ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Oh, just a minor question regarding the Japanese good intentions regarding control of whale meat smuggling. I wonder why was it that the Japanese banned NGOs from attending a meeting held recently in Japan to discuss DNA related to market control. Alas, it seems that Japan has some sort of allergy with non-governmental cooperation, since it has tried to ban the Whaling Comission from freely receiving donatuions from NGos to help developing countries'scientists to attend scientific meetings of the Comission... Much good will indeed. J. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 07:45:24 PDT From: Michael Moore Subject: Cetacean cDNA library(s) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Does anyone have a cDNA library from one or more cetacean species? Michael J. Moore Biology Department Mailstop 32 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole MA 02543-1049 U.S.A. Fax 508 457 2134 Voice 508 289 3228 mmoore(\)aqua.whoi.edu or: mjmoore(\)athena.mit.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 07:46:12 PDT From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: ATOC ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Due to the scope of ATOC, I am of the opinion that it must have full international scrutiny before any permits are granted by US authorities. Have any other Pacific nations been consulted before this "agreement" was reached? Will anyone in the US even think of addressing the need for international consultation? J. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 07:48:57 PDT From: Zozie(\)aol.com Subject: Makah whaling ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The Makah rep told me in Dublin that his tribe numbers 2200 people (not households) and that they bring in $10million per year, $7 million from timber sales. Sounds like a lot of timber, so it may be that the Makah need another "cash crop," so to speak. There are some reports from the West Coast that the Makahs have clear-cut on their land and that the elders don't like it. The Makah are also talking about "trading" in whales, as they did in the last century. With whom will they trade? I asked the Makah rep why he thought people would like whale meat. He smiled and said he had seen little kids eating whale meat like potato chips out of a bag. They didn't know it was whalemeat, he said, but they loved it and ate the whole bag. I asked him where they got the whalemeat... he got vague. he said it wasn't gray whale and it wasn't bowhead whale. When I persisted he mumbled something about "we trade around, you know." The Inuits have never traded with the Makah. I checked. I also asked the Japanese NGO about bagged whalemeat. She said Baird's beaked whale comes that way in Japan. Very interesting. And, to respond to Joe's (Hi Jose!) "old wound in the flank" of US positions on cetaceans, I don't believe anyone thinks of the Inuits as "poor Eskimos," if they ever did. All that North Slope settlement ruled that out. However, it is silly to ask any indigenous people to use only their "old" methods. That would be wasteful, cruel, and high-handed. Phoebe Wray ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 07:49:32 PDT From: Kurt Byers Subject: Toxins in Marine Mammals ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Here is a request that was posted on Profnet. If anyone can help this writer, please contact Ben Sherman, Media Relations chief for the National Sea Grant College Program. Ben will put you in touch with the writer at the Providence Journal. Thanks. TOXIC MARINE MAMMALS - PROVIDENCE JOURNAL BULLETIN. Roger Payne, biologist and whale expert, theorizes that chemical wastes mankind has discarded into the oceans are gradually weakening marine mammals, causing illnesses that lead to many of the strandings that otherwise seem inexplicable. There have been countless unexplained strandings on the East Coast in recent years. A reporter is looking for scientists who may have collected tissue samples or done other work to determine the levels of various toxins in these animals. Kurt Byers, Communications Manager University of Alaska Sea Grant College Program (907) 474-6702 fnkmb1(\)aurora.alaska.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 08:00:17 PDT From: Don Hockaday Subject: Re: Eskimo whaling ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > >Jose Palazzo Jr. wrote on 19 June about the recent International >Whaling Commission meeting, saying among other things: > > "...The Makah episode exposes an old wound in the > flank of the US anti-whaling movement which is the > irresponsible, almost criminal agreement to let the > "poor Eskimos" take the endangered bowheads in > exchange for an anti-commercial whaling position from > the Government. It is clear in my mind after all these > (11) years at the Whaling Comission that the eskimo > "need" for killing bowheads is false,..." and on 23 June, Charles Greene responded: > >Eskimos are not poor, they make no claim to being poor, and they >do need to hunt whales. It's in their blood, it's part of their psyche. >They need to hunt whales to a greater degree than we need many of >our "needs". They need to hunt whales the way we need food, >shelter and friendship. If prohibited from hunting whales, without >being convinced rationally that it was in their best interests to quit >whaling, the Eskimo civilization would be jeopardized. > ... Do the Eskimos take whales only as part of their tradition and only use the harvest in traditional ways, or do they sell whale products for profit? Don Hockaday hockaday(\)panam.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------ Don Hockaday, Acting Director The University of Texas - Pan American Coastal Studies Laboratory 100 Marine Lab Drive; South Padre Island, Texas 78597 (210) 761-2644 fax (210) 761-2913 hockaday(\)panam.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 08:01:16 PDT From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: Eskimo whaling ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I appreciate Charles Greene attempt to justify Eskimo whaling as a need, based on his observations. I have however no need to go have coffe with a whaler to observe the tremendous difference between the discourse of the "aboriginal needs" and the crowd of Washington lobbysts swarming to the Whaling Comission every time their quota is up to renewal. If the need is not for survival or culture, it is not aboriginal and therefore not jusitied under the exemption. It is definitely not for subsistence, and I challenge the concept that you can exempt the killing of an endangered species as "culture"amidst the snowmobiles, helicopters, advanced grenades, etc.etc. plus the oil money flowing all around in royalties. If Greenpeace, for whatever reason, doesn't want to bring this issue to a debate, I myself have no need to back from this. Let's exchange views and stop pretending the matter is settled and accepted. Besides, if "psyche" was reason for exemptions for rules of conduct, perhaps we owe the Amazon headhunters apologies and compensation for psychological damage - they are no longer allowed to eat the visitors or shrink their heads, which was an integral and outstanding part of their culture! Regards, J. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 08:06:33 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Hunting Whales ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hunting Whales EDITOR'S NOTE: Norway allowed commercial whaling for the third straight year in defiance of international protests. An Associated Press reporter recently spent 11 days on a boat hunting whales off Norway's arctic region, the first foreign journalist allowed on a Norwegian boat since the hunts resumed in 1993. ------ By DOUG MELLGREN Associated Press Writer ABOARD THE WHALING BOAT SENET (AP) -- A shout of "whale" from the deck sends Eilert Nilsen tumbling from his impossibly small bunk in the bow of the whaling boat Senet. In seconds, the Norwegian wiggles into orange overalls and heavy parka, and climbs up a flimsy ladder to his post in the crow's-nest, on top of the mast, 30 feet above the deck. "There. Starboard," Nilsen shouts, pointing a mitten. The whale's black back breaks the surface for a quick breath. The 56-foot Senet is 370 miles north of the Arctic Circle and about 1,250 miles from home, far from the angry demonstrations against Norway's resumption of commercial whaling in 1993 after a six-year break. Norway has endured protests, consumer boycotts and sabotage, arguing the hunt for minke whales is a coastal tradition that simply uses a plentiful natural resource. Opponents demand that Norway respect a nonbinding whaling ban imposed in 1986, especially after its admission this spring that it overestimated minke numbers off its coast by 20 percent. Other foes of the hunt, often the most angry, say whales are special creatures that should not be killed no matter what their numbers. The Senet's crew knows the bitterness of the debate better than anyone. Last year, the Senet -- which fishes for shrimp most of the year -- became Norway's best-known whaling boat. It was sabotaged and nearly sunk at its wharf. The California-based Sea Shepherd group claimed responsibility. The tiny, slow-moving Senet was later hounded through the North Sea by two Greenpeace ships, looking like a toy by comparison. When five Greenpeace members boarded from rubber boats, the Senet's three crewmen threw at least one boarder into the sea and the others jumped. "It was pretty nerve-wracking," says harpooner Sigurd Grundvig. Like the other whalers, he says the protests are not justified because there are plenty of minke whales. Opponents of the hunt dispute that. Whatever the number, it is about to be reduced by one. Grundvig, 45, mans the harpoon cannon in the bow. He scans the often stormy but now still waters of the Arctic Ocean north of Norway. He checks his watch. This minke whale surfaces every five minutes -- like clockwork -- to breathe. The crew has waited weeks for this moment. Kept in port by storms, they languished aboard the crowded, 37-year-old wooden boat before heading out to prowl vast tracts of ocean in search of the whales' migration path from the equator to the arctic. "Whale hunting is 90 percent waiting," says Arvid Enghaugen, the Senet's 43-year-old owner and skipper. "First we have to have good weather. Then we have to find the migration. Then we have to find a whale. Then we have to get it." After all the waiting, Grundvig has about 1 1/2 seconds to spot the whale, decide whether it is big enough to be worth shooting, aim and fire his heavy cannon. He fires. The 26-pound harpoon, trailing a rope, strikes the whale. There is a puff of smoke and spray from the shock grenade on the tip of the harpoon exploding deep in the whale's head. The whale bursts from the water, writhing in its death throes. It twists, turns and sinks, its broad tail disappearing last. It is winched in, and Grundvig shoots it in the brain with a hunting rifle. The whale's blood turns the water red. Opponents say harpooning is cruel, but Grundvig, a hunter on land as well, claims the explosion usually kills or stuns immediately and the rope on the harpoon prevents a wounded whale from escaping to suffer a slow death. "We have very good control. If the whale shows any sign of life, we winch it in and shoot it," he says. The whale is dead, but there is no elation on board. If anything, there is quiet relief. It is the boat's third whale since the nearly two-month season opened May 2 but the first in weeks. The Senet has a quota of five whales. Nilsen, who started whaling 21 years ago at age 17, says a kill probably looks horrible to outsiders. "I keep a few sheep at home. Sometimes I have to kill one (for food). I don't like it, but it has to done. It's the same with the whales," he says. The crew winches the 28-foot, roughly 11,000-pound whale on board, causing the boat to creak and list. The whale's head hangs over one side, with the harpoon still sticking out. Its stump of a tail -- the crew has already sliced off its fins -- hangs over the other side. Veterinarian Olav Breck, 35, takes measurements and samples. He is a government inspector, like those aboard all 33 of Norway's boats to watch over the hunt. The crew peels off the one inch of blubber and then -- with the calm efficiency of neighborhood butchers -- fills the deck with huge chunks of red meat, often weighing more than 150 pounds each. "He's a thin fellow," Nilsen tells another whale boat by radio. Two hours later, the stripped skeleton is dumped over the side, where sea gulls float, ready to squabble for scraps. The whale, a male, provides about 3,500 pounds of meat, which will bring about $8,200 when sold for human consumption. Blubber also will be sold. None of the meat or blubber is allowed to be exported, even though there is a big market for them in Japan. "Was that so awful? Was that worth all the fuss?" asks Enghaugen afterwards. He says whales provide half his annual income. The crew hoses blood and meat scraps off the deck, and immediately resumes the hunt. The sea is calm. "Good whale weather," Enghaugen says. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 08:07:05 PDT From: John Dineley Subject: Re: Canada aquarium rejects calls ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- I was interested in the recent mailing regarding the whales at Vancouver Aquarium. I wonder what kind of research "No Whales In Captivity" have done into the viability of releasing these Icelandic orcas back to the wild, and who these organisations scientific advisers are? ----------------------------------------------- John Dineley, PO BOX 153, Bedford, MK40 2JD, UNITED KINGDOM. E-mail: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 08:08:05 PDT From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: marine mammals and GIS ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Marmam readers - I am posting this as a courtesy to a subscriber on Ecolog-l. I would appreciate it if someone could help this person. Please post messages directly to her. ************************ I am currently one year away from finishing my Master's in geography, and would to apply this fall to a Ph.D program to do research in the geographic distribution of marine mammal habitats--using GIS and remote sensing skills being developed for my thesis. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could take the time to point me towards any pertinent references, and if you think of any university which may be suited to this kind of research, that would be great. I've already requested the report by Hoover-Miller about GIS and marine mammals. Thanks, Ellen Hines ehines(\)typhoon.sdsu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 10:56:35 BST From: Belinda.Gray(\)wcmc.org.uk Dear Marmam, I am a volunteer here at WCMC. Many of the users of our information services are interested in marine and coastal issues, and distribution maps are much in demand. With this in mind we are currently reviewing the present distribution and status of the dugong with the intention of producing a global level GIS on dugong range and population. At the moment we are trying to assess the feasibility of developing a world range map on a 1:1,000,000 base. If sufficient data are available we will develop this map in digital format and this will eventually be made available through our Biodiversity Map Library. We would be very grateful for any help or information on areas of dugong distribution other than Australia. If you have any information including unpublished sightings, details of recent fieldwork or leads to people working in the field, we would greatly appreciate hearing from you. Please reply to me by e-mail or by fax or post to the address below. Thank you in advance for your time and help, Belinda Gray E-mail: Belinda.Gray(\)wcmc.org.uk Species Unit World Conservation Monitoring Centre 219 Huntingdon Road Cambridge CB3 ODL, U.K. Fax: (01223) 277136 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 08:28:47 -0700 From: Charles Greene Subject: Re: Eskimo whaling In-Reply-To: <199506281518.IAA29939(\)coyote.rain.org> Hello all, Don Hockaday asked how the Eskimos used the whales they caught. The answer is, I think, it depends. The Alaska Eskimos hunt bowheads, and they eat the whales. In my observation, their consumption is in traditional ways, with many native celebrations based on the whale hunt and capture. I am unaware of any sales, and I would be very surprised to hear that there were. On the other hand, Eskimos in other parts of the world probably due sell whale parts. Specifically, narwhal tusks can be bought. (Don't ask me where, or from whom.) Regards, Charles Greene ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 16:11:03 -0500 From: Marcos Cesar de Oliveira Santos ib - bie 7600 Subject: Malformation in delphinids Dear marmamers: Does anyone know any references about malformation in Tursiops truncatus, or in any other delphinid species? A friend of mine observed a rostrum malformation in a wild Tursiops and would like to know more about this possible cases. If anyone have or know about a reference, please, feel free in getting in touch. Greetings, Marcos C. Universidade de Sao Paulo - Brazil marcosos(\)usp.br ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 13:34:10 -0700 From: "R. Mitchell, Political Science, U of O" Subject: Population Can anyone tell me where to locate a current IWC list of best estimates of population of various whale species? Thanks, Ronald Mitchell, Asst. Prof. Department of Political Science 1284 University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-1284 Tel: 503-346-4880 Fax: 503-346-4860 Email: rmitchel(\)oregon.uoregon.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 16:17:10 -0500 From: Marcos Cesar de Oliveira Santos ib - bie 7600 Subject: Jojo Hi marmamers: I would like to know what happened (or is happening) with Jojo, the lone sociable Tursiops truncatus from Turcs and Caicos. The only information I got was from "Sea Frontiers" - 1990; 1991. From then on I could't get any information about this dolphin. Could anyone help me? I look foward some help. Thanks for your attention. Greetings, Marcos C. Universidade de Sao Paulo - Brazil marcosos(\)usp.br ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 07:38:13 -0400 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: The Cult of Animal Celebrity The following, originally published in the June 1995 edition of ANIMAL PEOPLE, is reposted to MARMAM at request of Michael Magaw: The Cult of Animal Celbrity by Captain Paul Watson (founder, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society) Within the animal protection movement, there are two types of animals: those with individual names and those without. The movement is accordingly split between advocates for animals with names, and advocates for all the rest. Free Keiko, free Lolita, free Corky, free Hondo. These are wonderful and appealing ideals--but not all captive cetaceans can or should be freed. Not all facilities holding marine animals are the enemy. And the huge sums raised to free a few individuals could be more positively directed toward ending the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of nameless whales, dolphins, and seals on the world's oceans. The amount of money raised for the cause of freeing marine mammals with names may exceed $45 million a year, from the thousands raised to aid local seals and dolphins in distress to the $14 million estimated cost of someday, maybe, freeing Keiko, the orca star of the film Free Willy! Never in the history of the animal protection movement have so many given so much for so few--and so many given so little for such large numbers. Just as celebrity humans make loads of cash while the commoners work harder to get by, so it is with whales. Keiko is a movie star. Corky and Lolita are cause celebres. Hondo the sea lion is a Seattle character. Several times a year when a marine mammal gets lost up a river, stuck on a sand bar, or trapped in ice, the media descends in a frenzy of sound bites, the animal receives a name like "Humphrey the humpback," and the baptism allows citizens to fret as they follow the animal's plight and applaud a "rescue" which may be no such thing. A seal is trapped in the St. Lawrence River, for instance, and the media names her. The public gives thousands of dollars to transport her to freedom in the Gulf of St. Lawrence-- where the slaughter of tens of thousands of seals like her is simultaneously underway and unremarked. Media glorification of animals in distress indicatively focuses on animals in conflict with nature. When nature is the culprit, humans identify with their fellow creature. Thus the Russians spent more money to rescue two California gray whales from ice entrapment in the Arctic than they made from slaughtering 200 of the same species the same winter off the Siberian coast. The media knighted them as liberating heroes for rescuing two and ignored the massacre of 200. At the same time, then-President Ronald Reagan was a hero for championing the cause of the two trapped whales--even as he refused to sanction Iceland for illegal whaling. The media has even reported about trapped dolphins and pilot whales being heroically rescued in Japan, Iceland, and Newfoundland, by people who regularly kill the same species, without questioning the contradictions involved. When the Shedd Aquarium captured two dolphins off the southern California coast in 1994, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and I were criticized for not dropping what we were doing to run to their defense. We were accused of being callous, of supporting dolphin captures, and one prominent advocate against captivity, Ric O'Barry, called me "the worst enemy dolphins have." What was not reported was that we were engaged in a project to stop gill-netting off the same coast, which killed dozens of dolphins every night. We received no support and very little encouragement. The media was uninterested. We could have jumped on the bandwagon and participated in the media circus, chasing the Shedd boats around with banners. Instead we kept our eyes focused on the greater tragedy. Also overlooked was that a year before, we helped fund the opposition to the capture of beluga whales in Hudson's Bay by the Shedd Aquarium. This led directly to a Canadian ministerial order placing an indefinite moratorium on further captures. We are opposed to captures from the wild. We exercise our opposition legally, when it will be effective. We do not simply strut before the cameras when it is convenient to do so. Biological Armageddon Now, what could a marine wildlife conservationist, a protector of species, do with the kind of money made available to those who champion marine animals with names? Plenty. This year, the Norwegians, Icelanders, Faroese, Japanese, Koreans, Portuguese, Russians, Canadians and Americans will slaughter thousands of whales. The victims will include endangered bowheads, under native subsistence quotas, in addition to hundreds of minkes and unknown numbers of pirated sperms, grays, pilots, and belugas. We like to think that dolphins are safe because one can buy dolphin-safe tuna in the supermarkets. But reality is that the tuna industry reflagged their vessels outside of the U.S. when hit with regulation requiring dolphin-safe fishing practices; the same ships continue to slaughter tens of thousands of dolphins each year. Federal legislation barring the import of tuna netted "on dolphin" took effect on June 1, 1994--but Mexico successfully had sued the U.S. to block effective enforcement a year earlier, under the terms of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Accordingly, the Japanese, Venezuelans, Panamanians, Mexicans, Peruvians, Faroese, Norwegians, Americans, and Koreans will massacre hundreds of thousands of defenseless dolphins. The Norwegians, Canadians, Russians, and Namibians will slaughter nearly half a million seals. Albatrosses are dying in the thousands as they are cruelly hooked on 25-mile longlines or become ensnared in 50-mile driftnets. The U.S. shrimp industry devastates sea turtles. (Even Forest Gump was a turtle killer.) Once seemingly limitless fish populations are at the brink of extinction. The North Atlantic cod fishery has collapsed. A dozen salmon runs a year vanish from the Pacific Northwest. Even the recently pristine Galapagos Islands are under assault by fishers, who kill seals, dolphins, and turtles on the side. Reality is that our generation is presiding over a marine biological Armageddon. Money is needed to restore and protect spawning areas. Money is needed to lobby, legislate, and litigate against the fishing, whaling, and sealing industries. Money is needed for research, investigation, and enforcement. Money is needed at every level, from government agencies to non-governmental organizations to individuals in the field. Yet the money is not available. The great tragedy of the commons is that there is every economic incentive to exploit the oceans and little economic incentive to protect them. Many animal protection groups respond by going where the money is: to celebrity, a form of currency, which can be traded quite profitably within the media marketplace. It is easy to entice schoolchildren and the general public to fork over funds to "save" Dotty the dolphin or Sally the seal. It is easy for people to relate to the plight of the individual, especially through endearing pictures. It is quite another thing to capture people's attention over the horrific slaughter of thousands of animals in the name of profit. Pictures of this only make most of us want to avert our eyes--and thoughts. Some groups raise support for wild whales by setting up so-called whale adoption programs. Donations to save all whales are attracted by placing the publicity focus on individuals, who respond to protect "their" whale as they never would to an appeal for all the whales. Diversionary issues In recent years attention has also centered on captive dolphins held by oceanariums. This too has attracted more support than work on behalf of the animals in the wild: the oceanarium animals have names. They can be seen. Unfortunately, the attacks on the oceanariums have been a media blitzkrieg of indiscriminate irrationality, pushing all facilities into one category: the enemy. Any dissent within the movement, i.e. any questioning of the overall strategy and tactics, is stifled. Those who champion the captive animals become the good guys, no matter what, and those who keep the animals are the bad guys. Reality is of course never so simple. In truth Sea World rescues more animals in the wild, chiefly from strandings, than all animal advocacy groups combined. Also forgotten is that Sea World does not capture dolphins or whales from the wild, and that the much maligned Shedd is involved in breeding, maintaining, and restoring more than 100 species of African freshwater fish called cichlids. The truth is that the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas holds animals rescued from inferior facilities. Many of the Mirage dolphins were at one time cruelly abused. No expense is spared now to give them the best care available. They are not forced to perform. The anti-captivity movement, however, dismisses these arguments by saying that the animals are simply held to make profits--a form of slavery. Again, the facts are otherwise. The Mirage subsidizes the dolphin facility to the tune of $1.5 million dollars a year. No profit has ever been made nor is it planned for. The dolphins cannot be returned to the wild; they have never known freedom, and would simply perish. A double standard is at work when the Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary in Florida is considered politically correct for holding unreleasable dolphins, while the Mirage is condemned. The difference between the two is that the facilites at the Mirage are far superior, but the Mirage is owned by a business man, while Sugarloaf is owned by prominent members of the anti-captivity movement. Apparently it's okay to hold dolphins captive if you are publicly against captivity. Actually, oceanariums in many ways are victims of their own success. They educated the public so well about dolphins, whales, and other marine life that a public that didn't care a fig about these animals before 20 years ago now cares a great deal. Unfortunately this compassion for whales and dolphins is not harnessed as a force against the killing industry, but is instead turned back against the teacher. The oceanariums have also failed to aggressively educate the public about the slaughter in the wild. Many facilities like the Vancouver Aquarium and Sea World do not risk overt criticism of the Japanese whaling industry. The fact is that tens of thousands of Japanese tourists love to look at lovable dolphins, and pay good money to do so. Unfortunately, too many insist upon keeping dolphins and whales on their sushi plates. Earth Island Institute is raising $11 million to build Keiko a bigger tank in Oregon so that he can be moved from his tank in Mexico. Warner Brothers has already kicked in a few million. Keiko probably cannot be released due to a potentially contagious skin disease, yet the fundraising to "free" him continues--including by groups not associated with Earth Island and not accountable for their use of the cash, much of it apparently spent on "public education" via further direct-mail funding appeals. Meanwhile the conservation side of the animal protection movement needs ships to police the Galapagos and to protect the Southern Oceans Whale Sanctuary, where the Japanese killed at least 300 minke whales this year alone and might have killed whales of other species with no one the wiser because no one was even there to watch, let alone to defend whales. We need to police overfishing and pirate whaling. Unfortunately, these far more serious threats are out of sight and out of mind. The victims are nameless and their loss is considered media-insignificant. Rights, welfare, conservation My purpose here is not to belittle the efforts of those who champion individual animals. The strength of any movement is diversity, including diversity of strategies and tactics. Conservationists, animal welfare advocates, and animal rights advocates have many objectives in common. At the same time there must be tolerance of other opinions and understanding of the importange of agreeing to disagree. Animal welfare is humanity in action. Animal rights is the philosophic attempt to better that humanity. Conservation is simply survival and thus the foundation of our collective concerns. To address the issues of animal welfare and animal rights while ignoring the foundation of conservation is to collapse the structure of all. There should be concern for individual animals, and I am not saying that animals with names should be ignored. However, it is imperative that the interests of species receive priority attention. Individuals will inevitably die, and that is the ultimate fact of life. Once a species is gone, it is gone forever, and with the species gone, there will be no individuals left to be named. It must be recognized that there is much to be learned from all phases of activity within the animal protection movement. The hardcore vegan animal rights advocate and the Shedd staffer working to protect a vanishing species are each involved in what they perceive to be the best strategy to help animals. It is not that one is right and the other wrong. Both are right within the context of their individual values. The bottom line is that both are positively active. Positive criticisms of each others' strategy is positive. Unfortunately the animosity between different approaches is becoming increasingly more negative and destructive. The cry of "Free Willy!" is exciting and inspirational, but what does it really mean? Free Willy to an ocean where whales and dolphins are slaughtered in the hundreds of thousands? To an ocean stinking with pollutants--an ocean of abuse? A future where as one of the masses, the celebrity whale will be just another target for a harpoon, in a world that doesn't give a damn for what it can't see and can't name? There are hundreds of dolphins held in tanks around the world. There are millions whose numbers diminish daily in the largest human-controlled killing tank of all: the ocean. If we don't halt the wanton killing in the wild, the only place dolphins will survive will be in captive facilities. It's time to fight the real enemy, out there on the high seas, the killing grounds where the scarlet blood of dolphins, whales, seals, sea birds, turtles and fish flows forth each day like a river of a million tributaries, into the azure blue and toward the inky blackness of oblivion. (ANIMAL PEOPLE is a nonprofit newspaper, providing independent professional coverage of the whole range of animal protection issues & perspectives since 1992. Subscriptions are $18/year, $30/2 years, or $40/3 years; write to POB 205, Shushan, NY 12873. We'll send a free sample on request--just provide your full U.S. postal address.) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 11:58:13 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: Makah whaling >And, to respond to Joe's (Hi Jose!) "old wound in the flank" of US positions >on cetaceans, I don't believe anyone thinks of the Inuits as "poor Eskimos," >if they ever did. All that North Slope settlement ruled that out. However, >it is silly to ask any indigenous people to use only their "old" methods. > That would be wasteful, cruel, and high-handed. > >Phoebe Wray > I do not think the question is that simple. Aboriginal whaling claims, as I understand them, are based on a number of grounds, including cultural identity, traditional rights and treaty claims. Clearly if it is to happen at all (and I wish it wouldn't), aboriginal whaling should be conducted as humanely as possible and with the lowest number of struck-and-lost animals involved. The question of which precise method is appropriate seems to me secondary, though, to the broader question of what bounds are to be placed on aboriginal claims within the context of the legal basis for those claims. I don't think any of us would want to see an aboriginal whaling "right", if such exists in law, to interpreted as (say) a right to launch factory ships on the high seas outside the scope of the IWC, or to kill every last member of a species, or to torture individual whales to death (and please, before I get any flames, I am not saying that any aboriginal group has any intention to do any of these things). But where should the boundaries lie? For example: Does a traditional right take precedence over conservation practices needed to prevent species extinction? Does a traditional right established in the context of local subsistence use give the holder the right to trade commercially in whale products? and, with respect to the weapons issue: Does a traditional right give the hunter the right to take more whales, or whales in areas previously unreachable, than was possible at the time the right was established (because weapons and transportation technology was limited in the past)? So the question might be better put, not should aboriginal whalers be required to stick to (say) bone-tipped wooden harpoons and umiaks, but should aboriginal whalers be allowed to take (by whatever method) whales that an umiak-and-wooden-harpoon hunt would have been unable to reach or land (assuming that they should be alowed to take any whales at all)? Certainly in the context of the Makah, that based on Phoebe Wray's message it sounds like a "traditional" hunt is far from the Makah's minds, and that at the very least the prospect of the Makah using traditional claims to trade whale meat to the Japanese (if such is their intent) is not one that any of us should view with pleasure. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)hookup.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 10:54:55 -800 Reply-To: jnollman(\)pacificrim.net From: jnollman Organization: Interspecies Subject: traditional beluga hunt I've witnessed and studied the traditional beluga hunt done by the Inuvialuit people of the MacKenzie Delta. My experience there was very different from what the government's many demographic reports made me expect. The whales had all but retreated from the estuary, probably from a mixture of an "upgrade" to new hunting methods based on fast outboards with huge engines as well as demolition tests by the ever-expanding gas and oil industry. The government studies say that the population is healthy and growing. That seemed unlikely from the observations made by myself and my companions. But I'm no government scientist. One fact emerges as critical. Mark Fraker, reporting back in the early 1980's concluded that the modern hunters probably lose more animals today than they ever did before the introduction of bullets and motorboats. Using a harpoon tethered a whale to a boat no matter what else happened. Now they shoot the whale until it bleeds to death, and hope that they get close enough to stick it with a harpoon before it sinks in the very muddy waters of the delta. What seems primarily missing in the modern hunt is the traditional values of patience and perseverence. What is mostly new, is the idea of using the whales as target practice. Whether the whale suffers more or less I can not say. But I can say that far more of them suffer today than suffered fifty years ago. ______ Jim Nollman Interspecies Communication Inc. jnollman(\)pacificrim.net ____________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jun 1995 16:39:44 -0400 From: Howgar(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Celebrity Animals Paul Watson writes: >Within the animal protection movement, there are two types of animals: > those with individual names and those without. The movement is accordingly >split between advocates for animals with names, and advocates for all the >rest. I don't see the "split" alluded to here. I concur more with sentiments expressed further down in Watson's message: >The strength of any movement is diversity, including diversity of >strategies and tactics. Conservationists, animal welfare advocates, >and animal rights advocates have many objectives in common. At the >same time there must be tolerance of other opinions and understanding >of the importance of agreeing to disagree. When money, or media attention, is found for one project, other projects are not therefore deprived of that money or attention. This is a belief, not a fact. The 4 or 5 million found for the Free Willy Project, for instance, was not set aside for undetermined marine mammal projects, but came out of private money, which is where most of the money is, for that specific project. The appearance of that money for that project does not reduce the money or attention available for habitat conservation work at all. Quite the contrary, it only enhances the chances of orienting people's values toward marine mammal and habitat conservation projects. Any money raised to reintroduce Keiko, Lolita, Corky or to rescue any other named whale or dolphin does not come from any fund that could have been spent to support the Sea Shepherd Society. The economic philosophy driving the society at large, however, does waste a lot of money on destructive development and shortsighted resource exploitation. Those are the values to question. It's really a question of our society's priorities. When we deride each other's efforts, if only by comparison with our own, we tend to reduce each other's support. There are tremendous benefits to be realized by returning a captive whale or dolphin to its native waters, primarily to demonstrate that they are deserving of our respect. The effort to reintroduce celebrity cetaceans both exemplifies and reinforces the ethical value that habitats and their inhabitants should be respected. Those habitats thereby take on greater importance in the eyes of the public. It is our job to make sure that connection is made in the media. In that way, the Sea Shepherd Society's work becomes more meaningful to more people. I think most of us on both sides of the "split" are ultimately striving for habitat protection. Sea Shepherd's work is perfectly parallel. I wish you the greatest of success. Most damaging is when differences in tactics, or professional jealousies, become personal animosities, especially when slander, polarization and even lawsuits follow. We need to be able to talk to each other, share information and viewpoints, trust in basic intentions, and work together when we can. We don't have to agree on everything to agree on a lot of things. There are a lot of misunderstandings in Watson's message that could have been cleared up with better communication. Howard Garrett Center for Whale Research ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 1995 09:08:49 -0400 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Repost: Whale-watching in St. Lawrence Date: Sun, Jun 25, 1995 7:51 AM EDT From: AnmlPeople Subj: Whale-watching in St. Lawrence To: MARMAM(\)uvvm.bitnet I received no reply to the previous posting, and wonder if it actually got posted, as I understand MARMAM is monitored by some people who do whale research in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and should have some answers. To repeat, within five days we'll have the chance to do some whale-watching in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and possibly from Nova Scotia. This will inform future ANIMAL PEOPLE articles pertaining to the plight of belugas in the St. Lawrence basin, and other issues relating to that area. Any suggestions as to where exactly we should go will be welcomed. Also, a question: we're aware of whale-watching cruises that depart from either side of the Riviere Saguenay, on the north side of the St. Lawrence, but not of any departing from the south side, e.g. around Riviere de Loup, which is a much bigger community. Can it really be that there is no whale-watching on the south side? Thanks for any leads, Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 1995 08:36:49 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: Canada aquarium rejects calls John Dineley wrote: > >I was interested in the recent mailing regarding the whales at >Vancouver Aquarium. > >I wonder what kind of research "No Whales In Captivity" have >done into the viability of releasing these Icelandic orcas back to >the wild, and who these organisations scientific advisers are? > >----------------------------------------------- > >John Dineley, >PO BOX 153, >Bedford, >MK40 2JD, >UNITED KINGDOM. > >E-mail: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk > I think the whole point is, there has been very little research into the issue of returning long-term captive cetaceans to the wild (and what has been done has had mixed results). Given that the public display industry itself has admitted that such research may have future applications to species enhancement projects for endangered or threatened cetaceans, the proper response to such a lack of data should be, it seems to me, to pursue the research whenever practicable and possible. However, it has been my experience that the industry, although perfectly willing to pursue the establishment of protocols for the rehabilitation and release of beached and stranded marine mammals, is reluctant to pursue the establishment of protocols for the rehabilitation and return to the wild of long-term captives. At some point, given the potential for the enhancement of individual welfare (by being returned to the wild, with proper preparation, if all other husbandry or logistical options fail for any particular individual animal) and given the potential for future applications to the enhancement of endangered or threatened species, I strongly believe that such research should proceed, with all proper caution, if animals are available. I think this is what No Whales In Captivity is proposing (given the husbandry problems -- primarily repeated pregnancies -- associated with the continued maintenance of the two Vancouver whales together in their small enclosure). I don't believe they have made any unsubstantiated claims about success or supporting data. I turn Mr. Dineley's question around and ask, "What kind of research has anyone done into the lack of viability of releasing these whales back to the wild?" Naomi Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 1995 12:54:27 BST From: John Dineley Subject: Paul Watson Article -------------------------------------------------- Re: Howard Garret' comments of the Paul Watson article mailed on MARMAM. Howard's states: >The 4 or 5 million found for the Free Willy Project, for instance, > was not set aside for undetermined marine mammal projects, > but came out of private money.... In fact, this is not completely correct, public money has, and is, being used to support such projects. I have a letter from Warner Brothers that was sent to all persons concerned with Keiko, it states that: "If you would like to know how you can contribute to the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation please contact the Earth Island Institute..."; Oregon Coast Aquarium (the facility that is to rehabilitate Keiko) in it's Waterlines magazine (Winter, 1994) specifically directs readers interested to send donations to help Keiko's rehabilitation to the same above fund; further pleas for public funding can be found - including Warner Brother plans of international benefit premieres when Free Willy 2 is released. I have even seen street collection for this project in my home town. Further, the "infamous" Into The Blue project, which released three ex-captive UK dolphinaria animals in the Caribbean, raised 134,000 UK pounds from a public campaign for funds aided by a UK national newspaper. These methods of fund raising for the above projects are not isolated examples. >The appearance of that money for that project does not reduce >the money or attention available for habitat conservation work at >all. Quite the contrary, it only enhances the chances of >orienting people's values toward marine mammal and habitat >conservation projects. Well, in the UK at least, many charities (not just animal ones) are having problems fund-raising. Analysts call it "charity fatigue". I would argue that the general public once they have given, for example, to Free Willy (Keiko rehabilitation projects) believe that they have contributed "to save the whales" in general and that other projects, in a similar vain, are ignored. For example, it is unlikely that in the UK the public would donated the same sums of money to release captive dolphins as they did for the Into The Blue project; although this may have something to do with this project being subject to later controversy as to its scientific credibility and the actual ultimate fate of the released dolphins, which remains unknown in the long-term. Further, it could be suggested that visiting a well run zoo or aquarium could: "enhances the chances of orienting people's values toward marine mammal and habitat conservation projects". >There are tremendous benefits to be realized by returning a >captive whale or dolphin to its native waters, primarily to >demonstrate that they are deserving of our respect. Benefits to who: the animal; the wild population that receives it; the release project and personal who operate it? This statement is, of course, open to serious and continuing debate. I am aware of a three recent studies that suggest such "welfare" releases are not a particularly good idea. Finally, I find it interesting that Howard doesn't mention Paul Watson's support for reputable aquaria and zoos and the important role they can play: Watson stated: >It must be recognized that there is much to be learned from all >phases of activity within the animal protection movement. The >hard-core vegan animal rights advocate and the Shedd staffer >working to protect a vanishing species are each involved in >what they perceive to be the best strategy to help animals. It is >not that one is right and the other wrong. Both are right withn >the context of their individual values. The bottom line is that >both are positively active. ----------------------------------------------------- John Dineley, PO BOX 153, Bedford, MK40 2JD. email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk -------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 1995 09:52:28 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: some listserv commands for MARMAM In response to several enquiries regarding basic commands to retrieve MARMAM information, subscribe and unsubscribe etc, the following information is provided. Messages meant to go out to the subscribers to MARMAM should be sent to: marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca All other messages (to retrieve files, for help, to subscribe or unsubscribe) should be sent to: listserv(\)uvvm.uvic.ca For help with basic listserv commands, send the one word message: help To retrieve monthly logs of messages previously sent to MARMAM, send the message: get marmam logXXYY where XX = year (e.g. 95) and YY = month (e.g. 01) To subscribe to the list, send the message subscribe marmam your name To signoff the list, send the message: unsub marmam To obtain a list of names and e-mail addresses of MARMAM subscribers, send the message: review marmam More detailed listserv commands can be obtained by sending the command: info refcard Robin Baird, MARMAM Co-editor ===================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Research Group Box 6244 Victoria, B.C. V8P 5L5 Canada Phone (604) 380-1925 Fax (604) 380-1206 e-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca ===================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 10:42:53 -0700 From: vertzoo Subject: Re: Malformation in delphinids I have seen one case of rostral malformation in Delphinus capensis offshore of southern California in the Santa Barbara Channel. The dolphin was riding the bow wave of our vessel on a very calm day with excellent underwater visability. It appeared to swim and interact normally with other dolphins in the pod. Not much else to say; it did make me wonder whether this was congenital or the result of an older injury. The specimen was of adult size, about 2 meters in length. Hope this is of some interest to you. C. D. Woodhouse S. B. Museum of Natural History > >Does anyone know any references about malformation in Tursiops truncatus, >or in any other delphinid species? A friend of mine observed a rostrum >malformation in a wild Tursiops and would like to know more about this >possible cases. If anyone have or know about a reference, please, feel >free in getting in touch. Greetings, > >Marcos C. >Universidade de Sao Paulo - Brazil >marcosos(\)usp.br > > X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History - Vertebrate Zoology Department 2559 Puesta Del Sol Road E-mail:vertzoo(\)sbmnh.rain.org Santa Barbara, CA 93105 voice: 805-682-4711 fax: 805-569-3170 X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 1995 15:42:54 -0400 From: Michael Moore Subject: release of captive animals With respect to the principle of release of long-term captive animals: (I have only recently begun subscribing to MARMAM and apologise if I repeat earlier missives). Those concerned with marine mammals would do well to look at the history of release of other taxa. There are many instances where fauna and flora have been taken either from the wild in other parts of the world or from captivity and released into the wild. Most of these experiences have been negative. Many of the disasters have been as a result of unwitting introduction of microbes hitchiking on the target species. So - the release of marine mammals into areas already inhabited by the same species is different you say - maybe for the marine mammal itself, but you have no way of knowing what other organisms you are translocating - into a potentially virgin territory for that organism. So you say you can ensure the marine mammal is free of specific pathogens. But for every pathogen we know enough about to screen for, there may be ten that we know nothing of at all. Thus any release of a marine mammal back even to where it came from carries an unknown risk of translocation of a potentially problematic pathogen with that release. Given the recent history of severe infectious epizootic marine mammal mortality in various parts of the world such considerations should be given full weight in the ongoing discussion currently unfolding in MARMAM. Michael J. Moore Biology Department Mailstop 32 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole MA 02543-1049 U.S.A. Fax 508 457 2134 Voice 508 289 3228 mmoore(\)aqua.whoi.edu or: mjmoore(\)athena.mit.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 1995 16:15:08 -0700 From: Jim Moore Subject: Re: release of captive animals Michael Moore [no relation! ] notes that: "Thus any release of a marine mammal back even to where it came from carries an unknown risk of translocation of a potentially problematic pathogen with that release." Without commenting on the problem itself, it's worth noting that to the extent that this is a serious argument against reintroductions, it kicks the legs out from under one of the major current justifications for zoos in general, i.e., captive breeding on "the ark" for eventual release to the wild to help conserve/restore natural populations. ?Related notion: There have historically been two major theories to explain the extinction of megafauna coincident with the arrival of humans (Americas ca 12-15kya; Madagascar ca ?1.5kya; Australia ca 50kya; etc): climate changes (that in some cases permitted the people to get there) and human hunting. Apparently a recent conference on extinctions featured the intro of hypothesis #3: human-spread pathogen jumping taxa and wiping out taxa with low replacement rates (megafauna). Personally I'm skeptical but it ties in with the potential seriousness of the pathogen issue. cheers Jim Jim Moore Anthropology-0101/UCSD/La Jolla CA 92093 jjmoore(\)ucsd.edu [ps: sorry for lack of reference to the conference--it just got writeup in Science or someplace, saw it just a few days ago...] ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 1995 10:19:40 BST From: John Dineley Subject: Introductions ----------------------------------------------------- Re: various comments regarding animal reintroductions... Yes, it is quite true that releasing animals in areas which already contain resident species could challenge the existing population with unwanted pathogens. This is exactly why guide-lines by the IUCN state that such protocols of release should not be undertaken. They suggest that species reintroduction should be to areas that does not contain any resident populations of the "to be released" species. I think those interested in the reintroduction debate should note that there appears to be three completely different reason for reintroduction. (a) reintroduction for a purpose of conservation. This would be undertaken to reintroduce an animal species that may have, but does no longer, exist in a particular area (taking care that the reasons for it initial demise is understood and can be rectified). In social animals, as some species of cetacean, release would be as a cohesive group. Individual welfare would not be of main concern (some of the group may unfortunately die in the experiment). What is the important criteria is the viability of the group to self-sustain, not the individual group members. (b) welfare releases. Projects such as Keiko (Free Willy) etc. Individual animals are released back to the wild, after some form of rehabilitation, after long-term captivity. The individual is important in such releases; as the release is being undertaken in the belief that it will enhance the particular individuals long-term welfare. (c) standing rehabilitation and release. Stranded animals are found in a distressed situation that requires human intervention to ensure their survival. If these animals can be successfully treated and return to full health, they are normally return to the wild (where practicable, to the areas they were found) after a relatively short period of time. Animals with long-term health problems may have to be maintained in a captive environment or euthanasias. In all these situations costs and benefits - both to the individual and species involved - have to be objectively assessed. There are three useful publications that cover some of these areas that are worth reviewing. Those interest should contact the below organizations for further information (availability, cost, postage overseas etc) TRANSLOCATION OF LIVING ORGANISMS. IUCN Position Statement. Sept.4, 1987. published by: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Avenue du Mont-Blanc, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland. WELFARE GUIDE-LINES FOR THE REINTRODUCTION OF CAPTIVE BRED MAMMALS TO THE WILD (1992) published by: Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, 8 Hamilton Close, South Mimms, Potters Bar, HERTS. EN6 3QD. United Kingdom. While the second publication refers to captive bred animals, it still remains useful in the case of long-term captives as these could be so human-habituated as to be consider "captive bred". There also exists a comprehensive report (1993) sponsored by the US Navy on marine mammal reintroduction which is worth studying: REINTRODUCTION TO THE WILD AS AN OPTION FOR MANAGING NAVY MARINE MAMMALS by R.L.Brill and W.A.Friedl. Technical report 1549 Written requests for copies (if still available) to: Randy Brill, NCCOSC RDTE, DIV 51, 53420 Craig Road, Room 200, San Diego, California 92152-6267, USA ---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- John Dineley PO BOX 153, Bedford, MK40 2JD. email S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk -------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jul 1995 19:05:25 BST From: John Dineley Subject: captive release I would wish to thank Dr Rose for responding to my mailing. I would like to add some further comments to points she raised: >I turn Mr. Dineley's question around and ask, "What kind of >research has anyone done into the lack of viability of >releasing these whales back to the wild?" No research appears to have been undertaken regarding the release of Icelandic orcas back to their area of capture. Therefore, such releases would be an experiment with an unknown outcome. I can not see how this can be presented as an viable option that will enhance the INDIVIDUAL welfare of the captive animals targeted by various groups. To date (and I am sure that MARMAMers who have up-dated information will correct me) there appears to have been only two genuine scientifically controlled release projects for dolphins and whales. This has involved bottle nose dolphins; one in the US and the other in Australia. The US project was undertaken by Dr Ken Norris and Dr Randy Wells. Two animals were captured and kept for two years study, released, and then monitored. Two of the conclusions of this study were that (due to social grouping) young male dolphins were the best candidates for release, and that animals should always be released into the location of capture. I believe that long-term monitoring of these animals continues. The Australian project was undertaken in 1990 by biologist Dr Nick Gales. This program spanned two years and was developed to release the dolphins held at Altantis Marine Park near Perth involving adults captured in 1981 and some captive bred calves. However, despite expert planning, advise, and care from park staff, it was found that a number of animals (3) had to returned to captive care, and at least one animal (a calf) did not survive the transition to life back into the wild. Dr Gales and Kelly Waples recently published full details of the project in AQUATIC MAMMALS (volume 19, number 2). According to the report, of the nine animals released: three returned to captive care; one disappeared, presumed dead; five remained in the wild with last confirmed sightings ranging from time periods of 5.5 to 30 days. >At some point, given the potential for the enhancement of >individual welfare (by being returned to the wild, with >proper preparation, if all other husbandry or logistical >options fail for any particular individual animal).. One then has to ask, has all other husbandry and logistical options been deemed as tried and failed for animals such as the Vancouver whales (and other animals targeted by welfare groups), and is release now the only option left? =========================================== John Dineley, PO BOX 153 BEDFORD, MK40 2JD United Kingdom email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk =========================================== ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jul 1995 08:36:57 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: 21 DOLPHINS CAUGHT IN FISHING NETS IN MARCH - SEALORD 03-Jul-95 12:49 pm Urgent National 21 DOLPHINS CAUGHT IN FISHING NETS IN MARCH - SEALORD Wellington, July 3 - Sealord Products is planning a review of its fishing practices after 21 dolphins died after being caught in trawl nets in March. The dolphins were caught by a Japanese boat chartered to Sealord fishing for jack mackerel off the Taranaki Bight in three weeks between March 9 to 31. Sealord chief Executive Phil Lough said in a statement today Sealord had introduced its current code of fishing practices four years ago to minimise the risk of marine mammal catches. The practices were introduced in consultation with Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Department of Conservation experts. He said the boat involved in the March incident was following Sealord's code of practice when the dolphins were caught. Two MAF observers were on the boat at the time. ``We are now initiating a wide study involving marine scientists, skippers, Government departments and our own surveillance staff to further improve the code and avoid similar occurrences in the future,'' Mr Lough said. He said Sealord would not resume mackerel fishing in the area until the code was reviewed. Sealord general manager, fishing, Rob Grant said the Japanese vessel had been using trawl nets to catch mackerel. He said the nets were being hauled 1km to 2km behind the boat in waters of 300m to 400m in depth. Mr Grant said under the code of practice vessels were required not to turn in such a way that would result in closures of the net or the net rising to the surface, which could trap dolphins. He said it was believed the dolphins caught in the incident had swum into the net to retrieve mackerel and had become disorientated. ``The vessel had obeyed the Sealord code of practice. Our objective is to have a code of practice with zero mammal by-catch. Realistically this cannnot be guaranteed but we will take every effort to ensure it is, including withdrawing from the area. ``The vessel will not be coming back to New Zealand for a number of reasons not the least being part of our reaction to this incident and also for their own commercial reasons,'' Mr Grant said. He said Sealord spent around $800,000 each year ensuring its fishing methods were environmentally friendly. ``We believe that in other areas like the West Coast with the fur seals the code of practice we have adopted has made a big difference,'' he said. NZPA WGT ps cf ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jul 1995 11:45:14 -0400 From: Palacios1(\)aol.com Subject: rostrum malformations in Inia geoffrensis With regards to the recent posting about rostral malformations in dolphins, Fernando Trujillo has documented at least two Inia geoffrensis from the Colombian Orinoco River with rostral malformations. They appear in good health, however, and one of them is a dominant breeding male named Cyrano (rostrum bent upwards). Possible explanations for this are: 1. A result of genetic isolation in this population. 2. A result of pollution, as the region is very rich in oil deposits and extraction has been going on for a number of years. Persons interested should contact: Fernando Trujillo Fundacion Omacha Apartado Aereo 13001 Bogota, Colombia. ************** Daniel M. Palacios ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jul 1995 11:45:06 -0400 From: Palacios1(\)aol.com Subject: Fwd: Humpback whales I'm forwarding the following message from another list, in case someone from Marmam can help. Daniel M. Palacios --------------------- Forwarded message: From: heeb(\)esh.unibe.ch (Philipp Heeb) To: ecologia(\)MIT.EDU (ecologia) Date: 95-06-30 09:55:57 EDT Dear Co-readers of the Biology / Evolution lists, I am writing to see if someone, somewhere could tell me how to obtain a copy of the following paper: D'Vincent, Nilsson, & Hanna (1985). Vocalization and coordinated feeding behaviour of the humpback whale in southeastern Alaska. Sci. Rep. Whales Res. Inst. 36, 41-47 I have tried to obtain it here in Switzerland, but had no success for the moment. I would greately appreciate if anyone could help me to obtain such paper. Thank you very much Philipp Heeb *---------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Philipp Heeb * Zoology Department * University of Bern * CH - 3032 Hinterkappelen * Switzerland * * Tel: 41 (031) 631 91 27 * Fax: 41(031) 631 91 41 * Email: heeb(\)ubeclu.unibe.ch *--------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jul 1995 12:20:15 +0000 From: microbe(\)ccrv.obs-vlfr.fr Subject: frequency of cetaceans vocals-Acoustic-Hydrophon Could anyone tell me (or give me some references) about the frequencies of emission (and more generally: range - amplitude - maximum distance of reception - diversity of sounds in relation with the behavior,...) of some of the following species of cetaceans: Stenella coeruleoalba Delphinus delphis Physeter catodon (macrocephalus) Tursiops truncatus Grampus griseus Ziphius cavirostris Balenoptera physalus Globicephala melas The 10 of july I'll go for a sea campaign of census in the Western-Mediterranean sea, and I'll have to use an hydrophon for the first time and to record some vocals. So, I hope to receive your help quickly ! Thank you very much in advance With regards NOE frederic microbe(\)ccrv.obs-vlfr.fr Station Zoologique B.P 28 06230 Villefranche sur mer France ------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATION ZOOLOGIQUE. URA 716. E-mail: microbe(\)ccrv.obs-vlfr.fr BP 28. F-06230 - VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-MER tel: (33) 93 76 38 43 FRANCE fax: (33) 93 76 38 34 ========================================================================= ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jul 1995 16:15:42 -0400 From: Dolphintlf(\)aol.com Subject: rostrum malf. S. longirostris On one occasion while swimming with Hawaiian spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) in Kealakekua Bay (Big Island), I noted the following rostrum malformation in a dolphin who swam alongside me for about five minutes. On the side facing me, in the central two-thirds of his/her mouth, the lips did not meet, permanently exposing both the top and bottom teeth. I have swum with somewhere in the neighborhood of 200-300 different dolphins in Kealakekua Bay and have never noted this type of malformation in any other. This particular dolphin's rostrum (and just the rostrum) was also freckled/mottled, which I have never noted in any of the others. Regards, Trisha Lamb Feuerstein dolphintlf(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 14:01:58 +1000 From: mccnsa(\)peg.apc.org Subject: Re: Toxins in Marine Mammals have reformatted article, trust new format is suitable,cheers,Tony Flaherty The following information may be of interest, specific references relating to the US are provided in the original article; LITERATURE REVIEW HEAVY METALS AND ORGANOCHLORINES IN MARINE MAMMALS IN AUSTRALIA. A recently published paper in The Science of the Total Environment (Kemper et. al. 154, 1994, pp 129-139), has reviewed information from published and unpublished sources on toxins in Australian marine mammals. Levels of toxic contaminants found in marine mammals in Australian waters are generally low in comparison with many other parts of the world, particularly the northern hemisphere. Heavy metals and organochlorines are accumulated in the tissues of marine mammals because of these animals generally higher position in the food chain - toothed whales and dolphins usually having higher levels than baleen whales. ORGANOCHLORINES There is very little information on organochlorine levels in Australian marine mammals, but what data are available suggest that levels are low in comparison to other parts of the world. Some high levels were recorded in bottle-nosed dolphins Tursiops truncatus, common dolphins Delphinus delphis and Australian fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus. The highest levels of DDT's were found in the few samples analysed from the Victorian coast. Total DDT levels in Australian marine mammals are generally well below those concentrations found in seriously affected parts of the world. The highest PCB levels were recorded in a bottle-nosed dolphin from New South Wales. Levels of PCBs and DDTs were higher in Australian fur seals than those found in cetaceans. HEAVY METALS Adult bottle-nosed dolphins in the inshore gulfs of South Australia had considerably higher levels of cadmium compared with other regions, although much more data are needed to confirm this. It is strongly suspected that the lead smelter at Port Pirie is the prime source of cadmium found in elevated levels in bottle-nosed dolphins in the SA Gulfs. A similar situation exists off Tasmania with the seabirds, Fairy Prions (Pachyptila turtur), where cadmium levels were significantly higher in birds closer to the source of cadmium pollution. Mercury levels were found to be highest in false killer whales Pseudorca crassidens, and Australian fur seals. Both from the east and south east coast where natural mercury contamination could be contributing to elevated levels. Lead levels were high in two dolphin samples. Dugongs, (Dugong dugon) have unusual heavy metal loads in comparison with other marine mammals. The iron and copper rich seagrasses on which these animals feed, rather than human activities.may influence these levels. High levels of toxins are implicated contributing to outbreaks of disease in European seals and North American dolphins. There is circumstantial evidence that moderate DDT levels in dolphins from the Victorian coast, are being "immunologically compromised" and dying of disease, but this needs a great deal more study. A large number of samples from recent strandings have been analysed, but the results have not been studied. There is a need for a coordinated and in depth study of toxins and associated pathology found in Australian marine mammal and other coastal species. Any veterinarians wishing to become involved in such studies should contact Dr. Catherine Kemper, Curator of Mammals at the South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000. Compiled from A Review of Heavy Metal and Organochlorine Levels in Marine Mammals in Australia, in The Science of the Total Environment, 154 (1994) 129-139. Authors Catherine Kemper, South Australian Museum; Philip Gibbs, Australian Water Technologies, Science and Environment; David Obendorf Dept. Primary Industries and Fisheries, Tasmania; Steven Marvanek Australian Animal Health laboratory, CSIRO Victoria. Posted by Tony Flaherty Marine and Coastal Community Network, South Australia Region, PO Box 120, Henley Beach, South Australia, E-mail mccnsa(\)peg.apc.org (A non-governemt marine and coastal environment information and liason agency).............. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 20:04:44 +1000 From: mccnsa(\)peg.apc.org Subject: Marine mammal entanglements TUNA FARM ENTANGLEMENTS Information required for entanglement prevention. Boston Bay at Port Lincoln, South Australia is a site of holding pens for Southern Blue Fin Tuna, captured from wild stock and held in feed-lot style operations to increase size and weight before sale for export, mainly to Japan. Entanglements of marine mammals in the nets surrounding the tuna holding pens still occur and are yet to be effectively addressed in relevant aquaculture management plans. The species involved include Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), Fur Seal (Arctocephalus sp.), Australian Sea lion (Neophoca cinerea). Sharks and seabirds may also become entangled. The rates of entanglement are unclear. Data available comes from carcases handed over from individual farms. Whether all entanglements are reported is unclear, although such reporting is a condition of the licensing agreement. Rates of entanglement from carcasses recovered suggest between ten to twenty dolphins per year, although anecdotal evidence has suggested a higher rate of entanglement, some sources suggesting one to two animals per week. There is some concern over the possibility of local population declines in dolphins if catch rates of between 10 to 20 dolphins a year occur. The tuna industry, farm owners and researchers have been working on solutions to the problem, however results appear to be limited The problem at Port Lincoln is slightly complicated as not all tuna enclosures appear to have regular entanglements. It may be a combination of farm location, as well as food availability, mesh size and net hanging that contribute to entanglement. Brief recommendations from Dr William Perrin at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggest that the best net size to reduce entanglements of dolphins and seals is to use a mesh of 50 mm or less (stretched), hung to avoid loose folds and billows. Sound reflectors, pingers and air impregnated mesh may be of some value in deterring large whales, but appear to be less successful in reducing seal, dolphin, and shark entanglements. Any other information or relevant research is being sort to present to industry to reduce the current rate of entanglement and alleviate any future impacts on local dolphin and other marine mammal populations. Posted by Tony Flaherty SA Regional Coordinator Marine and Coastal Community Network PO Box 120 Henley Beach, South Australia 5022 E-mail mccnsa(\)peg.apc.org ................... ... ...-....1200 N8 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 12:30:06 -0500 From: Michael.Carvan(\)UC.Edu Subject: marine lab in Turks and Caicos I understand that there is an american university that is establishing a marine laboratory in the Turks and Caicos (on the Island of Provinciales, I think). Does anyone know which university? I recently returned from a trip there and the area is amazing. The reefs are some of the best I've seen. While on a four hour fishing trip we spotted a single beaked whale, a single delphinid, and a group of 10-12 pilot whales in about 4000 feet of water, within sight of land. All the best, Mike. ******************************************************************************** Michael J. Carvan III, PhD FAX (513)558-0974 Department of Environmental Health or -0925 University of Cincinnati Medical Center lab (513)558-0373 P.O. Box 670056 office (513)558-0919 Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0056 Michael.Carvan(\)uc.edu ################################################################################ The ideas and opinions expressed in the above message are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Cincinnati, its divisions, and/or its affiliates. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 08:05:02 -0600 From: Stephen_Arthur(\)nbs.gov Subject: e-mail address request I am looking for an e-mail address for Dr. Yuri Buhktiyarov at the marine mammals lab of the Magadan Branch of TINRO in Magadan, Russia. If anyone on this list can help me out I would greatly appreciate it. Please reply to Stephen_Arthur(\)nbs.gov. Thanks. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 12:25:21 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: dolphin catches in trawls In response to the article posted to Marmam entitled "21 dolphins caught in fishing nets in March - Sea Lord" - does anyone know what species was involved? I would guess Delphinus based on a review of incidental catches in trawls for New Zealand. I am working on a review of cetacean interactions with trawls, to be presented at the Canadian symposium "The Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem". Our review is close to comprehensive (to the best of our knowledge), but if someone has some unpublished data or observations, I would appreciate hearing from you. Dagmar Fertl Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 10:00:28 -0400 From: fasick jeffry Subject: Re: cetacean genetics In-Reply-To: <199505111913.PAA19710(\)ds1.gl.umbc.edu> Dear Jonah Rosenfield, I am sorry it took this long to reply to you pertaining to other scientists studying the molecular genetics of marine mammals. I am working on my doctoral research studying the visual pigments of Tursiops by cloning and characterizing the visual pigment opsin genes. This will be accomplished by screening a Tursiops retinal cDNA library, cloning the full length genes and expressing the cloned opsin protein. in situ hybridization and MSP will also be used to further analyze the location of the genes in the retina and the absorption spectra of the visual pigments in vivo. I am very interested in others using molecular techniques in their studies of marine mammals. Please send me information about these individuals. Thank you for your help and assistance Sincerely, Jeff Fasick ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jul 1995 09:58:05 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info. Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am shortening the summary to include only new items added since my last posting. However, I will post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. This is the longer posting for the first Friday of July 1995. I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: New info and changes since 6/30/95 are bracketed {...}. Marine Mammals . {Canadian Seal Population. On June 29, 1995, Canadian scientists reported to the advisory Fisheries Resource Conservation Council that stocks of northern cod and other groundfish species showed no signs of recovery or rebuilding yet, despite three years of fishing bans. The report noted that the Atlantic seal population had doubled to 4.8 million since the 1970s, and suggested that harp and grey seals were hampering the recovery of fish stocks.} [Reuters] . Norwegian Whaling. On June 22, 1995, Norwegian officials announced that commercial whaling would be extended for an additional week, through June 30, to compensate for bad weather. Whalers were reported to be 35 to 40 whales short of their harvest quota of 232 minke whales. {On July 5, 1995, Norwegian officials announced that a total of 213 minke whales had been killed in the commercial harvest, with one vessel still hunting through July 8 for two additional whales. The Ministry of Fisheries began a four-week whale population survey on July 3, 1995, using 10 vessels.} [Assoc Press, Reuters] . {Proposed Regulations on Incidental Taking During Commercial Fishing. On June 16, 1995, NMFS published proposed regulations (Federal Register, p. 31666-31696) implementing the new management regime for taking of marine mammals incidental to commercial fishing and including the proposed list of fisheries to be regulated. Public hearings on the proposed regulations will be held through late July.} [Federal Register] . Yangtze River Dolphins. On June 16, 1995, the Xinhua news agency announced that the Anhui provincial government would pay 90,000 yuan ($10,843) for live capture of a Yangtze River dolphin for a government breeding program for the rare species. [Reuters] . Fishing vs. Right Whale Hearing. On June 15, 1995, a hearing was held before Judge Douglas P. Woodlock in U.S. District Court, Boston, on a lawsuit charging that the State of Massachusetts is not taking sufficient action to protect right whales from harm by commercial fishing operations; the suit seeks to ban commercial fishing within State waters when right whales are present. [Assoc Press] . ATOC. On June 15, 1995, the California Coastal Commission unanimously approved a permit for the revised ATOC program. [San Jose Mercury News via Greenwire, Assoc Press] . House Subcommittee Hearing. On June 22, 1995, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans held an oversight hearing on tuna/dolphin concerns and the International Dolphin Conservation Act, with discussion of possible amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act to modify dolphin-safe fishing provisions. [Los Angeles Times via Greenwire] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jul 1995 16:50:23 -0400 From: "Mason T. Weinrich" Subject: Spanish Marine Mammal Guides Can anyone help me out in finding out what general public guides to marine mammals, wirtten in Spanish, exist for central or south america? Please e-mail me privately and let me know what references you know of, and (if possible) what you think of the quality of each work. Thanks - Mason Weinrich, Cetacean Research Unit ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jul 1995 11:42:34 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: release of captive animals Michael Moore wrote: > >With respect to the principle of release of long-term captive animals: ..any release of a marine mammal back even to where it came from >carries an unknown risk of translocation of a potentially problematic >pathogen with that release. Given the recent history of severe infectious >epizootic marine mammal mortality in various parts of the world such >considerations should be given full weight in the ongoing discussion >currently unfolding in MARMAM. > I agree with this and those who support the return to the wild of long-term captive cetaceans do not take the risk of disease transmission lightly. However, I would like to make an observation here...the U.S. Navy has been maintaining and exercising several bottlenose dolphins, who were captured in the Gulf of Mexico or Florida, off the southern coast of California for years now, in training maneuvers in which the animals are taken out into the open ocean, untethered (the dolphins are trained to follow boats and respond to recalls), and where they have been known to encounter wild conspecifics. At least seven of these animals were "inadvertently released" (in essence, they went AWOL), two after at least five years in captivity, one as recently as 1992. Their fate is unknown. It is my understanding (someone please correct me if I'm mistaken) that several of these Navy dolphins were also temporarily deployed in the Persian Gulf during the war. I am not bringing this up to point fingers at the Navy, but simply to ask what precautions they have been taking to prevent disease transmission. If there are those who do not believe these precautions are adequate, which presumably some of those who are critical of rehab and release programs for long-term captives would not, then I strongly urge these people to include the Navy training program in their concerns. However, if the precautions taken by the Navy are considered adequate, then it seems to me that these same precautions, and any additional ones that are logical and reasonable, can be applied to any long-term captive release program. This would not mean that the risk is eliminated, only that it is reasonably mitigated. Naomi Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jul 1995 11:11:53 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: captive release John Dineley wrote: >No research appears to have been undertaken regarding the >release of Icelandic orcas back to their area of capture. >Therefore, such releases would be an experiment with an >unknown outcome. I can not see how this can be presented as >a viable option that will enhance the INDIVIDUAL welfare of the >captive animals targeted by various groups. Although to some extent I concur with Mr. Dineley that the risks involved in a precedent-setting, experimental return-to-the-wild for a killer whale do not entirely support the goal of enhancing the individual welfare of the experimental subject (in this case, we are speaking of Keiko), I do not think these risks are prohibitive or unreasonable and frankly, the first steps must be taken, risks and all, or no benefit will ever accrue to that first or any other whale. Since I firmly believe (and history and the odds support me) that Keiko will not live much longer in captivity, the risks involved in rehabilitating him and at the least retiring him in a natural sea-water pen in Iceland (to emphasize a point that seems frequently to be lost in this debate, release is not a rigid goal for most of those who support it as a concept) seem balanced and in Keiko's best interests. In the same sense that a terminally ill human submitting to an experimental drug treatment that may cause an even earlier death, but then again may give the person several more years, seems worth the risk to many people, submitting Keiko to an experimental rehabilitation and release program seems worth the risk to those who support such a program for him -- yes, he may die (for any number of reasons -- and he will die sooner than later anyway), but he also may retire in a sea pen in Iceland and live a few more years there, and better yet, he just may successfully return to his pod for the remainder of his life. I find the argument that an experimental rehab and release project, whose primary goal is enhancement of the individual whale's welfare, should not proceed because there are risks involved to the individual whale to be an unreasonable, Catch-22 kind of argument. I also find it incongruous coming from an industry that didn't consider it a valid argument 30 years ago when captivity for killer whales was an experiment (and arguably still is) and the risks of being brought INTO captivity to the individual welfare of all the animals captured from the wild then were considerable (and in many cases promptly fatal). > >>At some point, given the potential for the enhancement of >>individual welfare (by being returned to the wild, with >>proper preparation, if all other husbandry or logistical >>options fail for any particular individual animal).. > >One then has to ask, have all other husbandry and logistical >options been deemed as tried and failed for animals such as the >Vancouver whales (and other animals targeted by welfare >groups), and is release now the only option left? I repeat (I sincerely hope for the last time) -- release is most certainly NOT the only option left. Retirement in a sea pen in native waters is certainly one other option for Keiko and the two Icelandic whales from Vancouver. As has been recently suggested by others on MARMAM, other options besides a life time of captivity in small, stadium-style enclosures should be considered and explored by the captive display industry, options that would clearly enhance the welfare of the animals involved (such as by giving them more room than a typical concrete enclosure provides). Incidentally, it is my understanding (and I welcome being corrected) that the situation with the Australian release was precipitated because (at least initially) there were no other options for the dolphins at the Atlantis marine park. In other words, this was an example where it would have been ideal to have had return-to-the-wild be a routine, viable management option. In the end, another management option was found for the three dolphins who were recaptured -- life time maintenance in a natural sea-water pen, which I understand is relatively spacious (compared to their original enclosure at the marine park). This outcome supports my point above, but my point here in mentioning the Atlantis release is simply that there have been and undoubtedly will continue to be situations where it would be ideal to have return-to-the-wild be a viable option. Naomi Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jul 1995 11:24:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Greenpeace accuses Italy of ki Greenpeace accuses Italy of killing dolphins By Claire Springett ATHENS, July 4 (Reuter) - Italian fishermen using driftnets are killing more than 8,000 dolphins a year, Greenpeace said on Tuesday. "At least 8,000 dolphins, tens of sperm whales and an unknown number of sea turtles, sharks and other marine species meet a tragic end each year in Italian driftnets," campaigner Nikos Haralambidis told a news conference. "Large quantities of commercially sold fish die that give thousands of fishermen a livelihood. An estimated 82 percent of driftnet catches are thrown back into the sea dead with about 85 species being caught in these deathtraps," Haralambidis said. The Greek branch of the international environment group spent the last two weeks of June roaming the Ionian Sea by ship and helicopter to root out offenders among Italy's 650 boats licensed to trawl for swordfish using driftnets. "The Italian government pledged to implement in 1995 a plan to withdraw driftnets that has been ready since March 1994. No practical steps have been taken," Haralambidis said. The Greenpeace team tracked down the vessels, measured the length of nets using radar, reeled them in and then cut those violating a European Union 2.5-km (1.5-mile) limit on length. "Dolphins, in the agony of their effort to escape, suffer stress, use up large amounts of oxygen, and soon asphyxiate. It's very rare for them to survive five or six hours in the net," Haralambidis told Reuters after the news conference. "It's easier for dolphins and whales to die because they breathe fresh air. Friction from the nets is enormous, the nylon fibres are impossible to break, and the more the dolphins push the more entangled they get," he said. Haralambidis presented footage by Reuters Television taken from Greenpeace's inflatable raft that showed Italian fishermen hurling a crate at activists who left the mother vessel to grab part of the driftnet, and then threatening them with a harpoon. Around three km (nearly two miles) of netting were confiscated from boats, Haralambidis said. "What we're fighting for is a total ban, which would be easier to enforce than the 2.5-limit as no authority will measure the nets metre by metre as we did," Haralambidis said. "But the longer the net the more animals are caught and the more overfishing there is," he said. Italian Greenpeace campaigners who are continuing the mission off Italy told Reuters on Monday they seized part of a driftnet at least eight km (five miles) long off Sicily. "Everyone has a reason to hide the truth - fishermen because of taxes and catching undersize fish and governments because they don't want illegalities to show," Haralambidis said. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jul 1995 23:59:39 -0400 From: SimaL(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Eskimo whaling Charles Greene recently said, "On the other hand, Eskimos in other parts of the world probably due sell whale parts. Specifically, narwhal tusks can be bought. (Don't ask me where, or from whom.) Regards, Charles Greene ******************************** Actually, there is a very large international trade in narwhal tusks. It is a topic of discussion for the September meeting of the CITES Animals Committee meeting (among a large number of other topics). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has trade statistics that have been compiled by IUCN; very little is known about the potential or real detriment to narwhal populations of this trade. I believe Canada and Greenland are major exporters. Contact Sue Lieberman at FWS (703/3538-2085 or Susan_Lieberman(\)mail.fws.gov) for trade statistics. More details will be available after the Sept. meeting. SimaL(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jul 1995 23:53:21 -0400 From: SimaL(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Makah whaling Don't forget- the Makah tribe is asking to take gray whales. Not even the Japanese (and no other country either) have a reservation on gray whales. So the Makah will not be able to trade with anyone- assuming they can take gray whales, which isn't likely. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jul 1995 23:50:24 -0400 From: SimaL(\)aol.com Subject: Re: RE IWC crackdown on smugg... Jose Palacio wrote: ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Oh, just a minor question regarding the Japanese good intentions regarding control of whale meat smuggling. I wonder why was it that the Japanese banned NGOs from attending a meeting held recently in Japan to discuss DNA related to market control. Alas, it seems that Japan has some sort of allergy with non-governmental cooperation, since it has tried to ban the Whaling Comission from freely receiving donatuions from NGos to help developing countries'scientists to attend scientific meetings of the Comission... Much good will indeed. ***************************************** It is the policy of the Japanese Government, in all cases in my experience, to advocate exclusion of NGOs from any and all meetings. It is correct that they blocked NGO participation in the meeting on illegal trade in whale meat, as well as in many other CITES-related meetings. The Japanese Govt. is not comfortable with NGO involvement- plain and simple. The U.S. Govt. always spars with the Japanese on this, because the U.S. always advocates open meetings, with all NGOs able to participate very actively. If it were up to the U.S., the CITES Standing Committee even would be open to NGOs. Nothing really wonderful goes on at the meeting- but NGOs should be able to hear it first hand. If a developing country NGO really kciked up a fuss (saying that the meeting affected their lives, etc.), then something might change. My point is that the Japanese didn't treat the whale trade meeting any different than other meetings. The trick for NGOs is to make this an issue.It is one thing not to be able to speak or vote- but to not even be in the room when decisions are made that effect the future of species and people's lives? SimaL ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jul 1995 10:27:41 BST From: John Dineley Subject: reintroductions ======================================== Naomi Rose wrote: >Since I firmly believe (and history and the odds support me) >that Keiko will not live much longer in captivity, the risks >involved in rehabilitating him and at the least retiring him in a >natural sea-water pen in Iceland (to emphasize a point that >seems frequently to be lost in this debate, release is not a rigid >goal for most of those who support it as a concept) seem >balanced and in Keiko's best interests. The statement that this animal will not live much longer in captivity is pure speculation. We do not know enough about the dynamics of wild Icelandic killer whale population survivorship to make such a judgement. Most, if not all, detailed information about wild orcas come from animals observed in waters of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. Even in this situation, there are gaps in out knowledge. I understand that the Icelandic government are against having any former captive orcas released into their territorial waters, therefore, any plans to release Keiko in this area a not viable. I am not aware of their attitude to having a natural sea water pen housing such animals on their island; it would be interesting to know if anyone has asked for their opinion on this matter. Further, if retiring him to a sea-pen in Iceland is a goal, then he would be better staying in his possible new home in Oregon Coast Aquarium. This facility is at least in a position to attract sufficient vistor numbers to financically support the animal's welfare. Iceland, by its very nature (weather conditions) and tourist numbers, may be hard pressed to obtain sufficient funding for the running of such a project even if permission is granted for its operation. >As has been recently suggested by others on >MARMAM, other options besides a life time of captivity in >small, stadium-style enclosures should be considered and >explored by the captive display industry, options that would >clearly enhance the welfare of the animals involved (such as >by giving them more room than a typical concrete enclosure >provides). I am not aware of any behavioural research that considers that sea-pens are better (or worse) for the welfare of marine mammals than concrete enclosures. Enclosure size alone is not a good criterion for assessing welfare needs. ======================================= John Dineley, PO BOX 153, BEDFORD, MK40 2JD. email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ========================================= ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jul 1995 15:54:02 -0500 From: Mario Mota Subject: amazonian manatees Hello fellow marmamers, I am trying to contact the Brazilian team IBAMA responsible for the research and conservation of marine mammals, primarily those members that are involved with manatees. If anyone in e-mail land has their address, particularly of Vera da Silva, Ricardo Soavinski, or Miriam Marmontel, please forward it to me. Thank you, Mario Mota ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 9 Jul 1995 17:11:51 -0400 From: Zozie(\)aol.com Subject: sirenians In case sirenian people missed it, in the current issue of The Pilot (UNEP): >Sirenews and several other sources of manatee-related >information is now available on the Internet thanks to the >Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Address: >www.dep.state.fl.us under "Protected Species Management." Same issue also notes highest report human caused manatee deaths in Florida for 1994 -- 70 dead animals, or about 10% of the population. Same issue also notes aerial surveys along 500 km of Kenya's coastline found dugongs only in Ungwana Bay and Manda Bay and only 16 animals were sighted. regards phoebe wray (zozie(\)aol.com) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jul 1995 12:07:42 PDT From: TMMC(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Jojo ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Regarding your request for information on Jojo. The person who you should contact is Dean Bernal, Director of the Jojo Dolphin Project. His address is P.O. Box 153 Providenciales Island Turks and Caicos, B.W.I. 809-941-5617 Phone and Fax I just spoke with Dean last week and Jojo is doing alive and well. Krista Hanni Director of Science The Marine Mammal Center Marin Headlands, GGNRA Sausalito, CA 94965 (415) 289 7344 e: TMMC(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jul 1995 12:10:53 PDT From: George Elston Subject: Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary Statement In-Reply-To: <199503102011.PAA07962(\)tequesta.gate.net> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I have been asked to post the following statement by the staff of the Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary. Responses should be sent to: The Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary, P.O. Box 148, Sugarloaf Key, Fl. 33044. Telephone:=20 Vx-305 745 2391, Fax-305 745 3398 or to the list.=20 =20 =20 SUGARLOAF DOLPHIN SANCTUARY STATEMENT =20 In response to recent articles, we feel it is incumbent upon us to clarify many of the issues and allegations pertaining to the Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary.=20 The Welcome Home Project for Bogie and Bacall was formed by Richard O'Barry (The Dolphin Project) and Joe Roberts (The Dolphin Alliance) in agreement with the Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary, with the immediate goal being to release Bogie and Bacall back to the wild in the Indian River Lagoon. Ric O'Barry's responsibility was to begin the readaptation process at Sugarloaf and then move to the Indian River with the dolphins to effect the release. Joe Roberts responsibility to the project was to obtain a Scientific Research Permit from National Marine Fisheries Service. Ten months later, Joe Roberts applications have been rejected twice as incomplete and we are still maintaining the dolphins at Sugarloaf. Joe Roberts demanded that we hire a "scientist" of his choosing to document the behaviors of the dolphins and to do the readaptation and release instead of Ric O'Barry. This "scientist" was, in fact , no scientist at all, but rather the dolphins original trainer for four years at The Ocean Reef Club. After one month in her care, the dolphins did indeed regress and had once again become dependent on humans. We are now working to undo the damage that has been done. Joe Roberts alleges to have "fired" Ric O'Barry, who never was his employee, and in effect has nullified and voided the original contract. The Welcome Home Project no longer exists.=20 Joe Roberts and three members of our board now charge that we are maintaining the dolphins in unhealthy surroundings. These board members are Rick Spill (of The Animal Welfare Institute and a self-proclaimed marine mammal research analyst), Mark Berman (of the Earth Island Institute and coincidentally also a member of the Dolphin Alliance Advisory Board, a clear conflict of interest) and Robert Schoelkopf (of The Brigantine Marine Stranding Center in New Jersey). Not one of these three board members have been here to view, visit, or inspect the Sugarloaf facility since early November, with the exception of Ric Spill who was last here in on November 30th, the day the Navy Dolphins arrived.= =20 Instead they have listened to rumors and concocted lies in order to justify their desires to remove the dolphins in their own interests.=20 We have now been accused of cutting our own fence in order to release the dolphins. Oddly enough, the federal agencies in charge of the animals= =D5 welfare knew about the escape before we did. We don=D5t know who notified them. We have been attacked for maintaining the dolphins in water that is unsafe. After the fence was vandalized on June 3rd, NMFS and APHIS both sent investigators to the Sanctuary. We were inspected and investigated daily for almost two weeks, and were found to be in compliance with all federal regulations. Our Veterinarian of Record has examined the dolphins and examined the facility. The dolphins are all doing well. No other dolphin facility has been inspected as often as we have. Our water quality meets human standards. However it has come to our attention that the federal government is requesting $300 million for next years budget to continue efforts to clean the polluted Indian River Lagoon, a project that will admittedly take several years to complete. This should be of concern to Joe Roberts and the Board of Directors.=20 Another allegation is that Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary has pocketed money in the name of Bogie and Bacall. We charge no admission fees and receive no major funding at this time. It is our decree that we will not exploit the dolphins to raise money. We have no swim program or any other dolphin amusement project. We raise money to feed and maintain the dolphins until release by selling T-shirts and accepting donations from the public as a non-profit organization. We have held two fund raising benefit parties. If Joe Roberts had fulfilled his obligations successfully we would have released the dolphins after no more than three months. Instead we have fed these dolphin for ten months while Joe Roberts has marketed Bogie and Bacall, received funding, and now is demanding that we turn the dolphins over to him because he must produce a product.=20 Rick Spill's charges that there have been numerous and unauthorized releases by the Sanctuary are blatantly untrue. The dolphins escaped once when the fence was vandalized, but Molly, Bogie and Bacall were successfully lured back to the Sanctuary . All of the dolphins are confined and in no proximity to wild dolphin populations. There have been no attempts to release the dolphins without a permit. No one recognizes that the dolphins are not prepared to survive on their own at this point better than we do. A release is a gradual process and we now have to start the readaptation from the beginning for Bogie and Bacall, due to the =D2scientific=D3 intervention. Molly has not been through the readaptation process. The runaway Board of Directors has voted to remove all but one dolphin, Sugar, who has thrived for the past twenty-seven years in Sugarloaf waters. This action is not for the benefit of the dolphins or in the best interest of the corporation, but to satisfy the board members own self-interests. The three Navy dolphins and Molly are slated to be moved to a facility in Key Largo run by Rick Trout, a man who vowed to destroy the Sanctuary when he left in December. His facility is not complete and he does not have a permit. Rick Spill was instrumental in forcing Trout to leave the Sanctuary in the interests of the animals welfare. Now they are allies. There are obviously hidden agendas.=20 Considering that none of the three board members have felt it necessary to personally examine and evaluate the dolphins current situation at the Sanctuary, it seems unconscionable that they would make allegations and determinations based on rumors and blatant lies. A court of law will now determine who is working in the best interests of the dolphins and the corporation. In the meantime we invite everyone to come and see for themselves how happy and healthy these dolphin are.=20 =20 Signed The staff of the Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary June 30, 1995 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jul 1995 12:11:47 PDT From: Kurt Byers Subject: Forwarded: Science ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Perhaps someone would care to assist this student. I understand the Society for Marine Mammology has a career guide available. Could someone send her one? My name is Amy Wagner. I am a high school student interested in Marine Biology. I want to work with Dolphins after college. My school has an annual science fair every year and for a science project I would like to ask the Indainapolis Zoo to work with their dolphins. That is why I am writing to you. I was wondering if you had any information about communication between dolphins. That is what I plan doing research on. Also, if you have any advice on how to write a proposal it would be very appreciated since I am planning on writing one for the Indainapolis Zoo. At this point in time I am in Japan, but will shortly be returning to Indainapolis. My internet address in Indainapolis is astonerbr(\)aol.com. If you could write to me at this address it would be greatly appreciated, also. Thank you so much for your time and effort. Sincerely, Amy Wagner Kurt Byers, Communications Manager University of Alaska Sea Grant College Program (907) 474-6702 fnkmb1(\)aurora.alaska.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jul 1995 12:12:14 PDT From: Jean-Martin Lapointe Subject: Re: Repost: Whale-watching in St. Lawrence In-Reply-To: <199507011611.JAA05127(\)franc.ucdavis.edu> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- On Sat, 1 Jul 1995 AnmlPeople(\)aol.com wrote: > Lawrence basin, and other issues relating to that area. Any suggestions as > to where exactly we should go will be welcomed. Also, a question: we're > aware of whale-watching cruises that depart from either side of the Riviere > Saguenay, on the north side of the St. Lawrence, but not of any departing > from the south side, e.g. around Riviere de Loup, which is a much bigger > community. Can it really be that there is no whale-watching on the south > side? Thanks for any leads, > Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. > You probably won't find many whale-watching facilities on the south shore; I think the reason is that the best whale-watching opportunities are at the Saguenay-St-Lawrence confluence, and to get there from the south shore is a long boat ride. There are good spots for whale-watching on the south shore, but they are much farther east, at the tip of the Gaspe peninsula (Perce and Gaspe have whale-watching tours, among others). JM Lapointe jmlapointe(\)ucdavis.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jul 1995 12:13:14 PDT From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Paul Watson Article ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >-------------------------------------------------- John Dinely writes: >Re: Howard Garret' comments of the Paul Watson article mailed >on MARMAM. > >>The 4 or 5 million found for the Free Willy Project, for instance, >> was not set aside for undetermined marine mammal projects, >> but came out of private money.... > >In fact, this is not completely correct, public money has, and is, >being used to support such projects. > >I have a letter from Warner Brothers that was sent to all persons >concerned with Keiko, it states that: "If you would like to know >how you can contribute to the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation please >contact the Earth Island Institute..."; Do we have a problem of definition here? I thought that "public money" usually referred to tax-dollars (I thought "private money" was the opposite). Isn't the distinction here between money freely given by those who support release programmes (and that is currently the source of release funds) verses using tax-dollars that may or may not be knowingly or willingly given? Some, perhaps all aquaria, receive funding from tax-payers who may or may not supporter keeping marine mammals in captivity. >Further, the "infamous" Into The Blue project, which released >three ex-captive UK dolphinaria animals in the Caribbean, raised >134,000 UK pounds from a public campaign for funds aided by a >UK national newspaper. I would consider "Into the Blue" an attempt to undo the harm done by the aquarium industy; this is obviously a matter of ethical perspective. However, the media sometimes endorse the pro, sometimes the anti-captivity position. If the media are pro- captivity, the industry potentially receives gate-receipts; if anti, humane organizations may receive the equivalent - money. >I would argue that the general public once they have given, for >example, to Free Willy (Keiko rehabilitation projects) believe that >they have contributed "to save the whales" in general and that >other projects, in a similar vain, are ignored. People give to what they support and they may be right. > >Watson stated: > >>It must be recognized that there is much to be learned from all >>phases of activity within the animal protection movement. The >>hard-core vegan animal rights advocate and the Shedd staffer >>working to protect a vanishing species are each involved in >>what they perceive to be the best strategy to help animals. It is >>not that one is right and the other wrong. Both are right withn >>the context of their individual values. The bottom line is that >>both are positively active. There may be much to be learned, and people may be frantically active, but that does not mean that all efforts are equally effective. Anne Doncaster Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jul 1995 12:15:34 PDT From: Hal Whitehead/Lindy Weilgart Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: ATOC - Nothing to Do with Global Warming says Dr. Munk. ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- This was sent to me with a request to forward. The following are the author's opinions only. Lindy Weilgart ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date sent: Tue, 20 Jun 1995 09:34:29 +0000 From: david.dilworth(\)sfsierra.sierraclub.org Subject: ATOC - Nothing to Do with Global Warming says Dr. Munk. --Boundary (ID dmPRleOLKCGFOMgv4Jv/xw) *Dr. Munk admits ATOC has nothing to do with Global Warming* (c) Copyright 1995 by David Dilworth Yesterday afternoon, June 15th, in Carmel, California the California Coastal Commission unanimously passed both the ATOC coastal permit and the Federal Consistency certification for the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC). ATOC proposes to measure ocean temperature by blasting a 195 decibel undersea noise across from California to Hawaii, Guam and New Zealand. This sound is roughly 133 decibels in air - about as loud as standing in the jet blast of a commercial aircraft at takeoff. The project has raised tremendous public outcry for its probable harm to marine life. It is widely perceived that ATOC will somehow help prove or disprove Global Warming or the Greenhouse effect. The first sentence of the Environmental Impact Statement Introduction says "This subsection presents background on the global climate change question..." But - be careful. Remember the first rule of science - Don't assume anything! That concept was shattered when the principal researcher Dr. Munk firmly asserted (after receiving Coastal Commission Certification) "I never claimed ATOC had anything to do with Global Warming." to Dr. Norman Seaton Ph.D., Virgina Handley of the San Francisco office of Fund for Animals and myself. As we expressed incredulity he went on "I never claimed ATOC had anything to do with the Greenhouse Effect." He further explained how ATOC has nothing to do with global climate change - only small scale climate understanding. As I pressed for what it was that ATOC was supposed to do, he said ATOC is about studying climate level change. "Climate" he said "is an area some 5000 to 10,000 kilometers in diameter (1500 to 3000 mile radius)." It turns out his studies will be about "climate" in the ocean - but not world wide, not over land, not over the poles and NOT IN THE AIR. What this means is ATOC is not about studying the atmosphere and it is not about GLOBAL anything. It is about studying a single, local underwater "climate" (as opposed to studying the whole planet) and then moving to another ocean area and trying out what was learned in the first location. Then he tries another place and so on. To come up with a computer model to help understand global warming at this rate could easily take a century. He compared it to an experiment he did near San Diego - "I studied waves and came up with some models for how they worked." Then he went to another location and tried the wave model out to see how well it worked. There's nothing wrong with that. Its a valid method to create a tool to understand and predict a local phenomena. But, just as this has nothing to do with predicting or inferring global waves, similarly ATOC has nothing to with predicting or inferring global climate, weather or temperature. He is entirely backed up by the EIS Executive Summary which carefully avoids any reference to "global" anything and defines "large space scales" of 3000 to 10,000 kilometers. There is no reference to global warming or greenhouse effect. But the Introduction to the EIS begins "This subsection presents background on the GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE PROBLEM that ATOC SEEKS TO ADDRESS,..." In any case, the environmental public has been hugely mislead. Even the Coastal Commission's staff report says "[ATOC will] assist in the determination as to whether global warming is occuring." Our local Sierra Club chapter was persuaded to vote in support of the project and hold our noses about the intentional harm to marine life because of the carrot held out that the experiment would not only help understand global warming, but that we would get useful results in about ten years. I find it somewhat more than interesting that Dr. Munk did not take any pains to deny the connection before or during the Coastal Commission hearing. In fact, during the hearing, he made reference to how important it is to know whether the atmosphere is warming at a slow or a fast rate. This seems a bit more than simple silence. Especially since his project has nothing to do with measuring the atmosphere. I see this as an effort to encourage the misapprehension that the experiment would help predict global warming. Let me make clear: 1) I agree ATOC is a valid experiment and may turn out some interesting results, BUT 2) Any relationship ATOC has with global warming is as faint as the soup made from boiling the shadow of a starving pigeon on a foggy day. _____________________ Next, an agreement with the so-called Environmental Groups (EGs) kept them from opposing the project. It is claimed that the agreement will not allow ATOC to proceed - only the Marine Mammal program. It turns out what the EGs agreed to was: 1) to change the name of the project from ATOC to Marine Mammal Research Project (MMRP); 2) create an advisory group with the ability to stop the project after six months; 3) to allow all the ATOC reception stations to begin listening; 4) to allow a 4 days on, 7 days off 195 decibel noise and; 5) give up their right to sue or object to the project. The agreement does not allow the advisory group to reduce the volume of the 195 decibel sound generator. In essence the EGs have allowed the ATOC test to begin. _____________________ Following are my remarks to the Coastal Commission: ATOC is a Fish Story Sir Issac Newton was wrong. Possibly the greatest intellect the world has produced, in later life, tried to make gold out of common chemicals in vain. Should we study Global Warming? Of course. But ATOC won't help. Because it has nothing to do with global warming. Remember the lesson of Newton's folly, just because a "respected scientist" says so, doesn't mean its true. Most people focus on ATOC's probable harm to marine life and miss its many insurmountable logic and science flaws. The best data ATOC could possibly return might tell us something about submarine detection or communication, but it won't tell us anything about global warming. First, we can't measure global ocean temperature with sound for the exact reasons we can't measure global atmospheric temperature. There are too many variables that we know little to nothing about. The variables are of overwhelming magnitude and complex interaction: depth, salinity, ocean currents, sound spreading and large scale deep ocean temperature surprises like El Nino. If we could measure these things - we could measure global warming with the same methods - except we'd do it directly in the atmosphere - without using the ocean. But we can't. We don't have a way to do it. Second, the logic of ATOC works just like this: I'll tell you how hot the oven WAS by measuring the temperature of this turkey now - even though I don't know when the turkey came out of the oven - ten minutes or ten years ago. It simply can't be done. All right - the turkey might be done - but the logic is a turkey. Sadly, ATOC's ability to calibrate Global Warming computer models is a $35 million dollar fish story. -END- -David Dilworth Monterey County Science Fair Judge Chair - Sierra Club Ventana Chapter Forest Protection Committee Sierra Club Info Technology Committtee Co-Director - Save America's Forests DC Chair - Project Censored of Monterey County Common Cause Coordinator for Monterey/Santa Cruz Counties Operations Director - Dilworth Software, Inc. Box 100, Carmel, Ca 93921; (408) 624-6500 "David.Dilworth(\)SierraClub.Org" --Boundary (ID dmPRleOLKCGFOMgv4Jv/xw)-- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jul 1995 16:54:01 -0400 From: "Courtney E. Stirling" I am trying to locate the email and postal address of PJH Reijnders. Can anyone help? Please send replies to: stirling(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu Thanks for the help! Courtney Stirling Graduate School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island S. Ferry Rd. Narragansett, RI 02882 401-782-3000 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 11 Jul 1995 08:59:50 EDT From: Gary Weik Subject: Re: sirenians In-Reply-To: Mail from 'Zozie(\)aol.com' dated: Sun, 9 Jul 1995 17:11:51 -0400 Specifically, the Manatee resource referred to can be reached at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/psm/index.html. Gary Weik Internet: gary(\)lexis-nexis.com LEXIS-NEXIS, Dayton, Ohio WWW: http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary "Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues, but to be able to trick people year in and year out the way I did, I think that's a much greater feat." -- Bob Uecker ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 11:31:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Upcoming Programs 07/12/95 8:30 p.m. TLC --SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN WORLD Episode 3 Do orca whales communicate through their own language, or are they simply making random squeaks? Also: violence in the ant kingdom. 07/12/95 10:00 p.m. TDC --THE DEEP PROBE EXPEDITIONS Pearson Island--Mischief and Mayhem The habits, nature, and intelligence of wild seals are investigated. The habitats visited include a cave on the coast of northern California, Marine World Africa to talk to the trainers, the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge to examine the monk seal, and a breeding colony of Australian fur seals in New South Wales, Australia. 07/15/95 8:00 P.M. TDC -- SPECIAL OF THE WEEK In the Company of Whales Among the most prominent environmental issues facing human kind in the 1990s is the fate of the whale. Whale expert Roger Payne takes an in-depth look at these massive creatures and their fight for survival. 07/16/95 9:00 p.m. TDC --DISCOVERY SUNDAY Alaska's Whales and Wildlife Along Alaska's southeastern coast, whales leap, bears fight, eagles soar, and glaciers crumble. Naturalist Michael Ellis leads a tour of this diverse ecosystem, at once solid and fragile. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 14:20:44 GMT+0200 From: Vic Cockcroft Organization: University of Port Elizabeth Subject: Re: Otolith Atlas OTOLITH ATLAS OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN MARINE FISHES Malcolm J. Smale , Gillian Watson and Thomas Hecht. 1995. Ichthyological Monographs of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology No. 1. xiv, 253 pages, 149 plates Abstract Otoliths from 972 fish species representing 181 families occurring off the coast of southern Africa are described and illustrated to aid identification of otoliths from predator stomach contents, archaeological deposits or palaeontological studies. Keys are provided for most families to assist in the identification of species. Regressions relating otolith diameter to body length and mass are provided where adequate material is available. Otoliths used are listed and where appropriate, the institution which holds fish voucher specimens and their accession numbers are provided. Most of the material collected was from the western Indian Ocean and the south-east Atlantic, except for a few widely distributed species which were collected from the northern hemisphere or elsewhere. Significant disparities in otolith form within certain families are noted and may indicate taxonomic anomalies. The atlas is illustrated with scanning electron micrographs and line drawings. It has a soft cover, and is sewnbound. It may be ordered from : The Librarian, J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Somerset Street, Grahamstown, South Africa FAX in SA: 0461-22403 (+027-461-22043 outside SA) OR The Librarian, Port Elizabeth Museum, P.O. Box 13147, Humewood, 6013, South Africa. FAX in SA: 041-562175 (+027-41-562175 outside SA). Please send your order to either address. An invoice may be sent by fax if required. The atlas will be posted by surface mail on receipt of the order and a cheque. Should airmail be required, please add on the listed cost of airmail for the country of destination. Note that the cost is per atlas. The cheque must be made out to either J.L.B. Smith Institute or Port Elizabeth Museum, depending on the address used. PRICE LIST South and southern Africa, price in SA rands per copy, including VAT, packaging and surface mail. South Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R 120 Fastmail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R 10 Southern Africa (Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, Malawi) R 120 Airmail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R 30 All other countries, prices in USA $ per copy, including packaging and surface post.. . US$ 50 Additional cost for AIRMAIL postage per atlas to: Comores, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zaire . . . . . . US$ 14 Argentina, Brazil, Europe, United Kingdom, Republic of Taiwan, countries in North Africa, Iraq, Iran, Israel and South America . . US$ 25 Bangladesh, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, the USA and Vietnam. . . . . . . . .US$ 34 Australia, Peoples Republic of China, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Zealand, Samoa and Solomon Islands. . . . . . . . . .US$ 45 Order Form OTOLITH ATLAS OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN MARINE FISHES by Malcolm J. Smale, Gillian Watson and Thomas Hecht, Ichthyological Monograph Number 1, J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Grahamstown, 1995 ISBN 0-86810-294-6, XIV, 253 pages, 149 plates Please send me . . . . copy/copies of Otolith Atlas of Southern African Marine Fishes. Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..................................................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Code: .......... . . . copies of Otolith Atlas at . . each = . . . . additional air mail cost at . . each = . Total = I enclose a cheque to J.L.B. Smith Institute (or) Port Elizabeth Museum for (N.B. For payments made to J.L.B. Smith Institute, Credit Card payments are accepted.) Address to order from: The Librarian, J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Somerset Street, Grahamstown, South Africa FAX in SA: 0461-22403 (+027-461-22043 outside SA) OR The Librarian, Port Elizabeth Museum, P.O. Box 13147, Humewood, 6013, South Africa. FAX in SA: 041-562175 (+027-41-562175 outside SA) (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) Dr. V.G. Cockcroft Centre for Dolphin Studies Port Elizabeth Museum & University of Port Elizabeth P.O. Box 13147 Humewood 6013 South Africa Telephone 27 + 41 + 561051 Telefax 27 + 41 + 562175 (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 13:35:26 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: oil spill Is there somebody familiar with this spill that can provide information on the status of the impact on marine mammals in the area? Thanks. ************************************ Penguin rookery threatened by Australian oil spill *************************************** By Mark Bendeich SYDNEY, July 12 (Reuter) - A salvage crew worked frantically to rescue an ore carrier from a reef in southern Australian waters on Wednesday as a heavy slick of fuel oil took a mounting toll on penguins and other birdlife. In the worst oil spill ever recorded in the treacherous waters off the island state of Tasmania, more than 300 tonnes of fuel oil have leaked from the fully-laden Iron Baron since it ran aground at a river mouth on the island's north coast. The small penguins are the worst affected, with more than 160 so far fouled by the slick, a wildlife official said, adding that the area's 1,000-strong fairy penguin rookery was under threat. "They are not particularly rare," the official told Reuters. Asked if the local rookery could be wiped out, he said: "It could easily do that." Volunteers were working around the clock to find and clean the affected birds, but the number of fouled animals turning up on beaches was rising fast, the official said. The 37,500-tonne carrier, owned by Australian resources giant Broken Hill Pty Co Ltd (BHP), was laden with 26,000 tonnes of manganese ore and 550 tonnes of fuel oil when it hit the reef in a gale late on Monday. Conditions have eased, with seas calm and a light breeze blowing on Wednesday, but the salvage crew must work fast to stabilise and refloat the ship with the weather forecast to worsen again in the next few days, a BHP official told Reuters. "It's a good window of opportunity for us to progress the salvage work," spokesman Jeff Lomas said. The salvage company, United Salvage, said it aimed to refloat the vessel at high tide late on Thursday night by blowing the ship's ruptured tanks with compressed air. Asked if there was still a risk the ship could break up, United Salvage project manager Ian Hoskison told Reuters: "Yes. That's purely dependent on the weather." The oil spill, small by world standards, has hit about 15 km (10 miles) of shore around the river mouth and upstream, fouling penguins as they return at night to the rookery. "When they get fouled up they start to lose their flotation and they head for shore," said wildlife officer Nick Mooney. Volunteers were washing the birds and drying their feathers with hairdryers, he said. Only one penguin has died so far. More than 300 other volunteers, including schoolchildren, were helping to clean up the shore, shovelling the thick black sludge into trailers and trucks, port official Donald McQuestin told Reuters. The oil spill was contained and no more fuel was leaking from the ship, he said. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 09:37:54 -0700 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: Makah whaling I am definitely less concerned with the whalemeat traffic from the Makah proposed gray whaling (in all senses) than with the influences traffic originating from Japan on the issue. It is well known that Japan has hired and corrupted politicians and government officers the world over - and it's not just bribery, but the promises of economic gain to the countries that pale compared to the japanese net profit - to promote "satellite" whaling through land stations: Brasil, Chile, Peru, others. It is no wonder if this process starts again if we ever have any commercial whaling allowed. I maintain that the Japanese have a similar interest in supporting "aboriginal" whaling in order to blur the issue of commercial whaling. That, I suppose, is the main point, and after all these decades of living as a non-whaling Nation it remains to be seen whether the Makah request is a legitimate claim or a scam induced by Japan and other "wise-use" allies. J. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jul 1995 16:15:00 -0800 From: Susie Pike Subject: Re: ATOC - Nothing to Do wit Reply to: RE>ATOC - Nothing to Do with Global Warming says Dr. Munk. I need to respond to David Dilworth's MARMAN message of 13 July under the heading *Dr. Munk admits ATOC has nothing to do with Global Warming*. It is a lengthy message, and it says things very different from what I believe in. The goal of ATOC is not to DETECT global warming. It is to make a contribution towards a meaningful PREDICTION of climate change, whether it be warming or cooling. The main points are: 1. The Ocean is a vital component in any attempt of projecting climate change. You will not get the atmosphere right if you don't get the ocean right. 2. I find the evidence for global surface atmospheric warming by 0.5 degrees centigrade during the last century pretty convincing. But the important thing is not what happened over the last hundred years, but what will happen over the next fifty. If the rate of warming is about the same as in the past century, not much is likely to happen. If it is many times larger, then some concerted action will be called for. 3. To those who say that we know enough already for concerted action, I would suggest that concerted action requires a credible prediction. When the effect of the CFC's on the ozone hole was clearly established, society did react in a determined manner. 4. To make climate models credible, they have to be TESTED against observations, in the atmosphere and ocean. If there is agreement; fine. If not, the observers and climate modelers will work together to improve the climate models until there is substantial agreement. 5. The first thing to do is to test the climate models with regard to the seasonal change. If the climate models do not get the winter to summer change right, they will not get the greenhouse effect right. The next thing to do is to test the climate models with regard to the prediction of year-to-year changes. This is as far as we will be able to go with the present, ongoing ATOC effort. Mr. David Dillworth's statement that it will take a century to do some good just doesn't make any sense. Walter Munk Scripps Institution of Oceanography __________________________________________________________ *Dr. Munk admits ATOC has nothing to do with Global Warming* (c) Copyright 1995 by David Dilworth Yesterday afternoon, June 15th, in Carmel, California the California Coastal Commission unanimously passed both the ATOC coastal permit and the Federal Consistency certification for the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC). ATOC proposes to measure ocean temperature by blasting a 195 decibel undersea noise across from California to Hawaii, Guam and New Zealand. This sound is roughly 133 decibels in air - about as loud as standing in the jet blast of a commercial aircraft at takeoff. The project has raised tremendous public outcry for its probable harm to marine life. It is widely perceived that ATOC will somehow help prove or disprove Global Warming or the Greenhouse effect. The first sentence of the Environmental Impact Statement Introduction says "This subsection presents background on the global climate change question..." But - be careful. Remember the first rule of science - Don't assume anything! That concept was shattered when the principal researcher Dr. Munk firmly asserted (after receiving Coastal Commission Certification) "I never claimed ATOC had anything to do with Global Warming." to Dr. Norman Seaton Ph.D., Virgina Handley of the San Francisco office of Fund for Animals and myself. As we expressed incredulity he went on "I never claimed ATOC had anything to do with the Greenhouse Effect." He further explained how ATOC has nothing to do with global climate change - only small scale climate understanding. As I pressed for what it was that ATOC was supposed to do, he said ATOC is about studying climate level change. "Climate" he said "is an area some 5000 to 10,000 kilometers in diameter (1500 to 3000 mile radius)." It turns out his studies will be about "climate" in the ocean - but not world wide, not over land, not over the poles and NOT IN THE AIR. What this means is ATOC is not about studying the atmosphere and it is not about GLOBAL anything. It is about studying a single, local underwater "climate" (as opposed to studying the whole planet) and then moving to another ocean area and trying out what was learned in the first location. Then he tries another place and so on. To come up with a computer model to help understand global warming at this rate could easily take a century. He compared it to an experiment he did near San Diego - "I studied waves and came up with some models for how they worked." Then he went to another location and tried the wave model out to see how well it worked. There's nothing wrong with that. Its a valid method to create a tool to understand and predict a local phenomena. But, just as this has nothing to do with predicting or inferring global waves, similarly ATOC has nothing to with predicting or inferring global climate, weather or temperature. He is entirely backed up by the EIS Executive Summary which carefully avoids any reference to "global" anything and defines "large space scales" of 3000 to 10,000 kilometers. There is no reference to global warming or greenhouse effect. But the Introduction to the EIS begins "This subsection presents background on the GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE PROBLEM that ATOC SEEKS TO ADDRESS,..." In any case, the environmental public has been hugely mislead. Even the Coastal Commission's staff report says "[ATOC will] assist in the determination as to whether global warming is occuring." Our local Sierra Club chapter was persuaded to vote in support of the project and hold our noses about the intentional harm to marine life because of the carrot held out that the experiment would not only help understand global warming, but that we would get useful results in about ten years. I find it somewhat more than interesting that Dr. Munk did not take any pains to deny the connection before or during the Coastal Commission hearing. In fact, during the hearing, he made reference to how important it is to know whether the atmosphere is warming at a slow or a fast rate. This seems a bit more than simple silence. Especially since his project has nothing to do with measuring the atmosphere. I see this as an effort to encourage the misapprehension that the experiment would help predict global warming. Let me make clear: 1) I agree ATOC is a valid experiment and may turn out some interesting results, BUT 2) Any relationship ATOC has with global warming is as faint as the soup made from boiling the shadow of a starving pigeon on a foggy day. _____________________ Next, an agreement with the so-called Environmental Groups (EGs) kept them from opposing the project. It is claimed that the agreement will not allow ATOC to proceed - only the Marine Mammal program. It turns out what the EGs agreed to was: 1) to change the name of the project from ATOC to Marine Mammal Research Project (MMRP); 2) create an advisory group with the ability to stop the project after six months; 3) to allow all the ATOC reception stations to begin listening; 4) to allow a 4 days on, 7 days off 195 decibel noise and; 5) give up their right to sue or object to the project. The agreement does not allow the advisory group to reduce the volume of the 195 decibel sound generator. In essence the EGs have allowed the ATOC test to begin. _____________________ Following are my remarks to the Coastal Commission: ATOC is a Fish Story Sir Issac Newton was wrong. Possibly the greatest intellect the world has produced, in later life, tried to make gold out of common chemicals in vain. Should we study Global Warming? Of course. But ATOC won't help. Because it has nothing to do with global warming. Remember the lesson of Newton's folly, just because a "respected scientist" says so, doesn't mean its true. Most people focus on ATOC's probable harm to marine life and miss its many insurmountable logic and science flaws. The best data ATOC could possibly return might tell us something about submarine detection or communication, but it won't tell us anything about global warming. First, we can't measure global ocean temperature with sound for the exact reasons we can't measure global atmospheric temperature. There are too many variables that we know little to nothing about. The variables are of overwhelming magnitude and complex interaction: depth, salinity, ocean currents, sound spreading and large scale deep ocean temperature surprises like El Nino. If we could measure these things - we could measure global warming with the same methods - except we'd do it directly in the atmosphere - without using the ocean. But we can't. We don't have a way to do it. Second, the logic of ATOC works just like this: I'll tell you how hot the oven WAS by measuring the temperature of this turkey now - even though I don't know when the turkey came out of the oven - ten minutes or ten years ago. It simply can't be done. All right - the turkey might be done - but the logic is a turkey. Sadly, ATOC's ability to calibrate Global Warming computer models is a $35 million dollar fish story. -END- -David Dilworth Monterey County Science Fair Judge Chair - Sierra Club Ventana Chapter Forest Protection Committee Sierra Club Info Technology Committtee Co-Director - Save America's Forests DC Chair - Project Censored of Monterey County Common Cause Coordinator for Monterey/Santa Cruz Counties Operations Director - Dilworth Software, Inc. Box 100, Carmel, Ca 93921; (408) 624-6500 "David.Dilworth(\)SierraClub.Org" --Boundary (ID dmPRleOLKCGFOMgv4Jv/xw)-- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jul 1995 17:54:32 -0400 From: Zozie(\)aol.com Subject: Gray and Makah whaling I've been getting some flak -- rather nicely, that is privately -- because I noted earlier that commercial whaling and NW Indian whaling collapsed at the same time. I've had some second thoughts on this. If we rely on David Henderson's assessments (Nineteenth Century Gray Whaling: Grounds, Catches and Kills, Practices and Depletion of the Whale Population, pp 159-186, In Jones, Swartz and Leatherwood, The Gray Whale,1984), he states (p 175): >So few gray whales remained after 1874 that only whalers at >a few shore stations or those on ships seeking right or >bowhead whales in northern seas continued to kill a small >number of graybacks... >Whalers captured or killed most of the whales at the known >and originally crowded grounds within a period of two >decades. This fishery, of course, took calves and females on the calving grounds and northern migration, as well as pregnant females heading south. The California gray survived because the whalers abandoned the hunt. Henderson says in summary (p 184): >...nineteenth century California gray whaling from ships and >shore stations on the coasts of the Californias caused a >devastating decline in the gray whale population, and probably >only the early whalers' inability to pursue a species to its end >saved the California grays from near extinction or complete >extirpation. This is the same population of whales hunted by native peoples in the American Northwest. We ought to keep in mind that the native peoples were a small population (the Makah in 1790 numbered about 1000 people). This poses an interesting question: If, as they say, whaling collapsed for the Makah people because commerical whaling had devasted the whales, why did it? There were still grays, and the Makah didn't take enough to threaten them with extinction. So why did they stop whaling? Anthropology and ethnology studies report the Makah took whales (grays and humpbacks) primarily for oil. In the subarctic, the meat spoiled before it could be utilized. The oil was a measure of status and was traded. Humpbacks must have been extirpated first, but there were still grays in waters available to Makahs throughout the 20th century. Perhaps we need to look elsewhere, to changing cultural patterns and economic concerns, for a reason the Makah quit whaling. (The above info comes from Beth Laura O'Leary. Aboriginal Whaling from the Aleutian Islands to Washington State. pp 79-102, in Jones, Swartz and Leatherwood cited above.) Phoebe Wray (zozie(\)aol.com) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jul 1995 16:24:57 BST From: John Dineley Subject: Into The Blue Anne Doncaster states: >I would consider "Into the Blue" an attempt to undo the harm done by the aquarium industry; this is obviously a matter of ethical perspective. There are a number of reason why the INTO THE BLUE project has been criticised. Which, for reasons of brevity, I am not going into in detail. However, one key criticism was that the animals were not released back to their area of capture. The three animals involved were: Rocky , captured on April 23, 1971 in the Florida Panhandle; Missie, captured in April, 1969 in Texan waters; and Silver, captured in April, 1978 in Taiwan waters. They were exported out of the UK in early 1991 (Rocky: January 15, 1991; Missie and Silver: March 18, 1991) and were "rehabilitated" on a conch farm lagoon in the Caribbean Turks and Caicos Islands. They were then moved to a floating lagoon off the island of West Caicos on the September 8, 1991 and released back to the wild on September 10, 1991. I can not understand how releasing three "genetically foreign" animals into an area that already contains a resident population of bottle nose dolphins helps: "undo the harm done by the aquarium industry". This action went against the IUCN guideline on the reintroduction of flora and fauna. Further, Missie and/or Silver were believed to be carrying a genetic disordered that affected their ability to produce viable calves. Silver also was apparently suffering from an low key infection of Candidiasis when released. Unlike the animals released by Atlantis Marine Park, these three had good chances of been relocated to other facilities in Europe rather than being released. ================ John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD, UK. Email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 14 Jul 1995 14:06:36 -0600 From: Holly Fortenberry Subject: Help: dolphin and human-swimmer interactions Dear Fellow Marmammers: I am working on a proposal regarding the interaction between free-ranging bottlenose dolphins and human swimmers, surfers, boaters, jetskiiers, and para-sailers. I have only found references to "sociable" individuals in quite unique circumstances (e.g. "Opo" in New Zealand and "Donald" in Cornwall, U.K.). If anyone out there knows of any anecdotes or published material on these types of interactions, I would be ever so grateful to hear from you. Any and all help will be deeply appreciated. Thank you very much. I will post a summary of the responses. Hollis D. Fortenberry Marine Mammal Research Program Texas A&M University (\) Galveston 4700 Ave. U, Bldg 303 Galveston, TX. 77551 e-mail: Fo1053(\)tamug3.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Jul 1995 13:47:45 -800 Reply-To: jnollman(\)pacificrim.net From: jnollman Organization: Interspecies Subject: Makah use of gray whale I offer a brief commentary on Phoebe Ray's recent intriguing comment about the oil/meat issue vis-a-vis Makah gray whale hunting. When I was working in Barrow to help free 3 gray whales stuck in an ice hole, I was told that the local Inuit had recently killed a bowhead stuck in another icehole. One of the whaling captains told me the gray whales were not hunted and killed like the bowheads, because the gray's meat was bad tasting. So the gray whale rescue became international news while the bowhead killing, became local business as usual. Can someone on MARMAM tell us what the Makah plan to do with their killed gray whales? ______ Jim Nollman Interspecies Communication Inc. jnollman(\)pacificrim.net ____________________ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Jul 1995 13:10:51 -1000 From: Paul Armstrong Subject: marine mammal meetings Hi, I'm trying to submit an abstract for the marine mammal meetings in orlando. Does anyone know where to FAX the abstract or where to get the meeting application forms? Paul Armstrong University of Hawaii Honolulu, HI 96822 (808)539-7311 FAX (808)599-4817 e-mail Thanks in advance, Paul ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 15 Jul 1995 23:34:12 -0400 From: RNOBLES(\)delphi.com Subject: Marine Biology -- Pilot Whales I am trying to find information on the pilot whales who beached themselves some time ago in Florida, and around 100 died in the apparent mass suicide. People came from all around to form a human barricade, but the whales still managed to beach themselves. Someone recommended I write to you. Any information you have on this incident would be greatly appreciated. Where in Florida did this happen? When? Any information on the pilot whale, or this incident, would be appreciated. Robin Nobles > The best place to request information about marine mammals (like the one about > pilot whale strandings in Florida ) is the marine mammal research and > conseervatoi list or > MARMAM%UVVM.BITNET(\)CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 13 Jul 1995 12:14:04 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: whale-watching in the West Indies Marmam Readers - The following was posted in the newsletter of UNEP's Caribbean Environment Programme, and might be of interest to some folks (I personally have not seen the field guide). The contact person is listed at the bottom of the message. Dagmar Fertl ***** Whale-watching in the West Indies: a guide to cetaceans and sites of the region. This publication is the most complete field guide of whales and dolphins occurring the West Indies. Part 1 includes illustrations and text - latin and common names, physical description, behaviour, feeding, range, breeding and status - on all 26 species of whales and dolphins of the region. Part II is a site guide that provides details on boat trips and land-based watching from the Bahamas to the north coast of South America. There are three appendices: a sighting record card, a suggested equipment list, and an overview of first aid for stranded cetaceans. The 40 page, pocket-sized Guide concludes with an illustrated glossary of specialised terms. Individual copies may be ordered directly from Island Resources Foundation at $12.50 each, including postage and handling. Contact the Foundation's Washington Office for details on discounts for volume purchases or for island-based non-governmental organizations. For more information contact: Bruce Potter, Island Resources Foundation, 1718 "P" Street NW, Suite T-4, Washington, DC 20036. Phone (1-202)265-9712. FAX (1-202)232-0748. Electronic mail: INTERNET: iresources(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 16 Jul 1995 14:20:26 +0000 From: STEPHEN WAGNER/LYNDA GREEN Subject: (Fwd) (Fwd) CAPTIVE BORN MANATEES RELEASED TO THE WILD ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- From: Self To: marmam(\)uvvn.unic.ca Subject: (Fwd) CAPTIVE BORN MANATEES RELEASED TO THE WILD Date: Sun, 16 Jul 1995 14:18:53 ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- From: Self To: MARMAN(\)UVVM.BITNET Subject: CAPTIVE BORN MANATEES RELEASED TO THE WILD Date: Sun, 16 Jul 1995 14:05:47 On July 12, the Miami Seaquarium released three captive born manatees at Meritt Island Wildlife Refuge at the Kennedy Space Center. Harvey, five years old, Indi, three years old and Foster, two years and four months, were loaded into boxes made for transport and taken by Honey truck to their new temporary home, four hours away. The manatees were accompanied by our animal care staff, our divers, our curator and one of our Vetinarians, Dr, Michael Renner. This is the first time that captive born manatees will be at the Meritt Island Halfway House. They will be reconditioned and taught to eat natural sea grass and watched very closely by their excellent staff and volunteers. Dr. Gregory Bossart of the Miami Seaquarium will go to the Refuge in two weeks to take blood and to weigh the manatees. Bob Bondi satellite tagged each manatee and each has a microchip and freeze brand for identification. If all goes well, they will be released into the wild in one month and will be monitored and tracked, If these captive born manatees do well, this would mean that we would be able to repopulate the speices with animals that are born in captivity. Perhaps, we would be able to again breed manatees in captivity with the knowledge that they will survive in their natural habitat. Harvey, Indi and Foster lived together at the Seaquarium. They are bonded friends. The day after the release, all three were seen together exploring their new waters with great curiousity. There are 1821 manatees left in Florida. 110 have died in the last five months, many of the mortalities were boat related. Let us hope that this experiment will put us on the cutting edge of manatee survival. LYNDA GREEN ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 16 Jul 1995 20:53:33 LCL Reply-To: Nick Tregenza From: Nick Tregenza Subject: Re: Help: dolphin and human-swimmer interactions >Hollis D. Fortenberry >regarding the interaction between free-ranging bottlenose dolphins and >human swimmers, surfers, boaters, jetskiiers, and para-sailers. In Cornwall, SW England, (which has had a couple of 'friendly' bottlenose dolphins in the last 20 years) there has been a regular seawatch by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust since Sept 1990. In Sept 1991 a group of bottlenose dolphins, often reported as 20 - 25 animals, suddenly moved into the area and have been seen many times since. They frequently surfed alongside human surfers in various bays, but were usually at least 2m from a person, and they did not associate with any swimmers or divers. They responded to jet skis, fast-approaching boats or helicopters by bunching up, speeding up, synchronising their surfacing and finally by making changes of direction underwater. On one occasion in their second summer (93) a single individual was left behind in a small ria that a group of them had visited. This animal spent a lot of time over the next 3 days swimming very close to moored boats or moving boats, and took an interest in all human boating activity on the water. Then it disappeared. In their third summer all but two of the group disappeared from west Cornwall for several months. The two that were left then regularly swam with local divers, including a local diving school, which they met on a daily basis for a while. This behaviour stopped when the group size increased above 3 later in the year. I also got a couple of reports of the 2 playing with seaweed, which had not been reported to me from the larger group (in which they did sometimes play with fish), and they were reported close enough to surfers to be touched. An anthropomorphic interpretation (and mine!) would be that the incessant splitting and fusing of their groups sometimes goes wrong and an individual, or very small group, gets left behind and then hangs around where it is, hoping the rest will come back, but meanwhile it/they feel lonely and associate more with humans on that account. We have also seen goups of 10 or so respond to the approach of a person on a board. On some occasions a large animal from the group approached the board and surfaced with a very loud 'emphatic' exhalation, and on one occassion also gave a tail slap. It's worth considering the possibility that the board slapping the waves is giving a signal. We have also seen high surfacing with a loud exhalation following a short period inspecting a small boat from beneath and alongside. Sometimes 2 animals surface simultaneously in front of the boat and do this. Nick Tregenza ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 01:55:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Upcoming Programs MONDAY, JULY 17 10:00 p.m.-TDC-WORLD OF DISCOVERY Beautiful Killers Killer whales were once called "wolves of the sea" and were thought to be extremely dangerous; now they are beloved attractions at aquatic parks. But do we have a right to keep them in captivity? TUESDAY, JULY 18 10:00 p.m.-TDC-INTIMATE WITH WHALES The former head diver for Jacques Cousteau's crew, Bernard Delemotte, travels the oceans to teach whale lovers how to dive and communicate with the earth's largest mammals. WEDNESDAY, JULY 19 10:00 p.m.-TDC-SECRETS OF THE DEEP Whales of the Pacific Northwest Once slaughtered in vast numbers to quench man's greed, gray and orca whales of the Pacific Northwest are thriving again thanks to the efforts of natives and amateur researchers. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 10:51:31 +0100 From: Steve Buckland Subject: statistics and dolphins ... _____________________________________________________ UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES _____________________________________________________ ---------------------------------- RESEARCH STUDENTSHIP IN STATISTICS ---------------------------------- Funding is anticipated from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission for a PhD student for the period October 1995 - September 1998. The student will be based in St Andrews, Scotland, but will be expected to spend one month per year at IATTC, at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. Applicants should have or expect to gain a good degree in Mathematics or Statistics. Students with a strong first degree in a biological subject with a substantial quantitative component will also be considered. Interest or expertise in cetaceans would be an advantage. Enquiries as soon as possible please to Professor Stephen Buckland (address below). RESEARCH TOPIC Incidental mortality of dolphins in the tuna fishery in the eastern Pacific Ocean since 1959 has had an adverse impact on abundance of spotted, spinner and common dolphins. Quantifying that impact is problematic. A large volume of sightings data has accumulated by placing observers on board tuna vessels. Currently, post-stratification techniques are used to estimate trends in numbers from these data. The project is to develop spatio-temporal models to provide better understanding of the changes in abundance and distribution of these dolphins. The models will be used to investigate reasons for movements of the dolphin stocks, and to assess the plausibility of assumed stock boundaries. The student will join the Wildlife Population Assessment Research Group (WPARG), which comprises an active group of 2 academic and 5 research staff. Over the next few months, several postgraduate students will join the group. Current and new PhD topics are: 1. Spatial and temporal models for environmental data. 2. Development of population assessment methods and management models for red deer in Scotland. 3. Improving sightings survey methodology for cetaceans. 4. Developing a general framework for covariates in distance sampling. 5. Spatio-temporal models for bird distribution and abundance. 6. Modelling grasshopper and locust interactions with pathogens. 7. Developing algorithms for efficient survey design. WPARG is part of the Statistic Division in the School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences at St Andrews. The Division comprises 7 academic and 8 research (3 honorary) staff. IATTC is a large international commission with headquarters at Scripps. The Tuna-Dolphin program, headed by Dr Martin Hall, was set up with the aim to reduce the incidental kill of dolphins in the eastern Pacific tuna fisheries to zero. Preliminary spatio-temporal modelling has been carried out collaboratively between WPARG, IATTC and the US National Marine Fisheries Service. ________________________________________________________________________ Steve Buckland Mathematical Inst Tel. 01334-463787 (+44-1334-463787) North Haugh Fax 01334-463748 (+44-1334-463748) St Andrews KY16 9SS e-mail steve(\)dcs.st-and.ac.uk Scotland ________________________________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 08:51:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: ATOC I missed Dr Munk's response to the allegation that he denied that ATOC "ever had anything to do with global warming", so I apologise upfront if the issue has been resolved. But as a footnote it may interest others to know that NPR carried a piece on ATOC on Morning Edition today (7/17). The piece noted that the "ultimate aim" of the project was "to detect signs of global warming". A project scientist then discussed this aim, and the manner in which ATOC could achieve it, in some detail. If Dr Munk is really now stating that ATOC's principal aim is not global warming research - the hook that was used to apparently convince many people of its value - then this is certainly not the impression that the press have, or indeed some of the project's spokesmen. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 08:48:34 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Action Alert: House Appropriations & marine mammals The following ACTION ALERT is posted on MARMAM to the attention of all of those who are U.S. citizens (voters). Please consider active involvement in a critical issue that will significantly effect marine mammals, your profession, and you: As many of you may be aware, the budget appropriations process is underway in Congress. The House bill that affects Dept. of Commerce appropriations (and thus NOAA/NMFS, the Marine Mammal Commission, and most of what affects the implementation of the MMPA), called the Chrysler Bill (no H.R. number known as yet), has some extremely serious cuts and changes to many marine mammal programs, as the House and Senate both consider the dismantling of Commerce. The Marine Mammal Commission will be unfunded and thus effectively disbanded. The consequences of this to marine mammal protection and conservation will be enormous. NMFS will be broken into parts; enforcement and some other functions transferred to the Dept. of Transportation, other limited functions passing to the Dept. of Interior, and many other functions, particularly those affecting marine mammals, eliminated outright, as Commerce is disbanded. The NOAA Corps' vessels and personnel will be phased out over the next two years. The '94 MMPA's fisheries interaction mortality and injury reduction framework will be seriously jeopardized. No funds will exist for programs for the right whale, Hawaiian monk seal, strandings, entanglement studies, blue fin tuna research, and many other critical efforts. Funding for other programs will be drastically cut -- for instance, the appropriations for the Steller sea lion recovery plan are halved. Until the '98 MMPA reauthorization, certain minimum requirements (locked into place due to lack of information as research and observer programs are curtailed or discontinued) will limit fisheries from utilizing resources to the maximum advantage of the fishers. These changes are therefore a bipartisan concern for all of those who interact with marine mammals, whether through research, commercial fishing, or for any other purpose. The present version of the Chrysler Bill will include these and many other budget cuts. The Senate may continue the process without moderation. A ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee is Ted Stevens (R-AK), who supports much of the above. Whatever your involvement with marine mammals, you are part of the only potential to prevail over these budget attacks and only if your voice is heard. You are urged to contact the following Members of Congress who may need your support, in addition to your own Representative and Senators, who need to hear your professional opinion. House Appropriations: John Murtha, Bob Livingston (Chair), Marcy Kaptur, Estaban Torres, Charles Wilson, Sidney Yates, Nany Pelosi, and Nita Lowey. House Resources: Gerry Studds, Bruce Vento, Jim Saxton, Walter Jones, George Miller, Sam Farr, Neil Abercrombie, Wayne Gilchrest, Peter Torkildsen, and Pat Williams. Senate Appropriations: Daniel Inouye, Ernest Hollings, Patrick Leahy, Mitch McConnell, James Jeffords, Tom Harkin, Harry Reid, Patty Murray, Mark Hatfield (Chair), Connie Mack, Frank Lautenberg, and Barbara Mikulski. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation: Bob Packwood, John Kerry, and Olympia Snow. In addition, stay current on hearings and sessions that affect marine mammals. It can seem overwhelming, perhaps impossible. If you are new to all this, consider the process a vital learning experience. If you are a veteran with too much else to do, consider this a priority for your last chance to act on things you will be living with for a long time. Phone calls (Capitol switchboard number is 202/224-3121) that go in to the House Appropriations Committee members Monday 7/17 and Tuesday morning 7/18 are especially important -- the Committee will be considering the Chrysler Bill on Tuesday. Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. William Rossiter The Humane Society of the U.S. Cetacean Society International hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com 71322.1637(\)compuserve.com phone: 301/258-3048 fax: 301/258-3080 (contact for additional information/questions) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 11:46:49 -0400 From: Keith Ronald Subject: Re: (Fwd) (Fwd) CAPTIVE BORN MANATEES RELEASED TO THE WILD Congratulations to the three half-way housers and Seaquarium. It is a step forward for the survival of the species and it must be balanced by a much more realist attitude to habitat reclamation and "defense". I have spent considerable time thinking about what we do for the species and what could be done., We now have very confusing and contradictory signage on the ICW, if the instructions were followed and \or enforced(neither are) they might be realistic. For example the entrance to Port Everglades has no speed restrictions, unless you consider 26 knots reasonable, at times there are several hundred high speed boats passing through this narrow entrance an hour. Presumably so are manatees, unless we reduce the speed at the outer sea buoy then your three survivors may have to face this death trap, a death trap that could so easily be removed. I suspect several animals get hit here and carry their wounds further into the ICW, possibly dying at a later date, or getting struck again, etc. The speed control system is vague, there are at least 5- different agencies in boats within the Fort Lauderdale area, is there any coordination, is there competition to keep on the water even though they are obviously overlapping and some redundant? FRANKLY FLORIDA HAS TO MAKE ITS MIND UP THAT IT REALLY WANTS TO KEEP THE SPECIES-PRESENTLY AS AN OUTSIDER I AM NOT TOTALLY CONVINCED. This is no way takes away from your efforts, as without any conservative measures of that type I would have to be proven correct. Again my congratulations to all concerned. KR Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor, Marine Mammals and Environmental Studies. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 14:26:21 EDT From: Brent Hall <73577.310(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Fwd:Dolphins & sea lions in Turkey Message forwarded from Erich Hoyt to MARMAM: URGENT MESSAGE 4 dolphins (Black Sea Tursiops) and 2 northern sea lions are being held in appalling conditions in tiny pens at the busy town quay in Marmaris, Turkey, at the entrance to a 700 berth marina. The animals were brought illegally into Turkey from Sebastopol aquarium by a Ukraine company who leased them from the aquarium as a travelling tourist attraction. Despite much pressure from local and international press and television, no action has yet been taken. These creatures have now been in these conditions for 2 months and are in great stress. Several international organisations have offered assistance with expertise and funds but before anything can happen the Turkish government must gain control of the animals. Apparently under Turkish law, the Turkish government cannot legally confiscate the animals which belong to the Ukraine government even though 1. They were brought into the country illegally, 2. The animals had no health certificate, and 3. No site inspection was carried out. All of these things contravene Turkish law, but still they cannot seize the animals! I fear these beautiful creatures will die before a solution is found as one already is sick. The water has a constant oil slick, rubbish and sewage effluent flow through and their pens are surrounded by boats coming and going. Can anyone please offer any solution? We need help urgently! Please fax to Mr. Yilmaz Dagci - TURMEPA (Turkish Marine Environment Protection Association) Fax Number: 90 216 3432177 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 17:43:38 +0100 From: t02jt(\)aberdeen.ac.uk Subject: Re: Makah whaling In-Reply-To: from "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr." at Jul 12, 95 09:37:54 am Before I get started, don't get me wrong. I am agreeing with the basic principle of the argument below. I am just concerned that the statements enclosed are of a non-provable (aka non-scientific) form or speculation. > I am definitely less concerned with the whalemeat traffic from the > Makah proposed gray whaling (in all senses) than with the influences > traffic originating from Japan on the issue. It is well known that > Japan has hired and corrupted politicians and government officers the > world over Who? Name two. I agree that in principle the Japanese whalers have emence powers to do such things, but not necessarily that they have been proved to do so. - and it's not just bribery, but the promises of economic > gain to the countries that pale compared to the japanese net profit - > to promote "satellite" whaling through land stations: Brasil, Chile, > Peru, others. Again this is pure speculation. I am not aware that the Japanese are actively bribing and economically aiding 'satellite stations' in order to encourage whaleing to take away some of the pressure on themselfs, except to the extent of the provision of a market for the whale products caught by these nations. It is no wonder if this process starts again if we ever > have any commercial whaling allowed. I maintain that the Japanese have > a similar interest in supporting "aboriginal" whaling in order to blur > the issue of commercial whaling. That, I suppose, is the main point, IS IT??? > and after all these decades of living as a non-whaling Nation it remains > to be seen whether the Makah request is a legitimate claim or a scam > induced by Japan and other "wise-use" allies. > J. My vote is on the side of the legitimate request (not that I would grant it, on my own anti-whaling and moral grounds). Too many arguments these days are presented on supposition and guesses, rather than known fact. Jn.T. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 22:07:42 -0400 From: Zozie(\)aol.com Subject: makah whaling To respond to Jim Nollman's question... Dan Greene, the Makah rep I talked to in Dublin told me they intend to eat the whales... also use for "traditional and ceremonial purposes." I've always heard that gray whale meat is not eaten much, Greene made a case for their eating the whale meat instead of holding out their hands for government money and food stamps etc. I didn't know at the time that I spoke to him that the Makah, in fact, "traditionally" (and here I mean it in the sense of "in the old days") did not eat the meat, so I didn't ask him about it. The paper I read on Makah whaling suggested that it took so long to tow the whale back to shore and to flense it that the meat was rotten. However, should the Makah whale now, they intend to use up-dated equipment, so presumably they could utilize the meat. Greene also told me that they were "traders"... as if he had some idea they could sell the whales. I don't believe that is legal, even if their taking them is under their treaty with the US. This whole issue has a very unsavory smell... it will certainly cause trouble amongst the US NGOs and make next year's IWC difficult for the US. (And there are some who suggest that is what the whole thing is about... Perhaps the Makah really do feel that a revival of their rituals associated with whaling would benefit them in spiritual ways. Phoebe Wray zozie(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Jul 1995 02:17:00 EST From: Suchi Psarakos <0005907380(\)mcimail.com> Subject: Re: Help: dolphin and human-swimmer interactions Will the person requesting information on dolphin/swimmer interaction please verify his/her email address? I have sent two message to the address given, and had both of them returned. I can be reached at suchi(\)mael.soest.hawaii.edu. Thank you. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Jul 1995 07:23:47 -0400 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Macaw caught a whale According to fragmentary reports we've been receiving from Friends of Animals and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society over the past 24 hours, Macaw tribe "minister of fisheries" Daniel Green on July 17 returned from a visit to his salmon nets in Neenah bay with a juvenile California grey whale in tow, who drowned in a net over a 24-hour period. We're told that Green was aware the young whale was drowning a day earlier, and did nothing to save her. The whale was immediately butchered and the remains distributed among the 2,300-odd members of the Macaw tribe, some of whom are expected to surreptiously sell some of the meat. Grey whales have been feeding in the area of Green's nets, we're told, for about a month. Because Green is a Macaw and the Macaw have treaty rights to whale, apparently the federal government can do nothing about the situation under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Green represented the Macaw at the 1995 International Whaling Commission meeting in Ireland, and is known to have close links with the Norwegian and Japanese whaling industries, as well as with "wise use" leaders in the U.S. via the Macaw tribe's heavy involvement in logging. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Jul 1995 11:24:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Boycott Canadian salmon, envir Boycott Canadian salmon, environmentalists say LONDON, July 18 (Reuter) - Environmentalists on Tuesday urged British shoppers to boycott Canadian salmon in protest over seal culling. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said the future of the animals was being put at risk by the annual hunt which Canadian officials say is necessary to preserve fish, including salmon, stocks. The Fund says up to 300,000 seals are killed every year. IFAW executive director Richard Moore said in a statement: "It is certainly the biggest marine mammal hunt and is probably the worst example of wildlife slaughter in the world today." "Seal hunting is extremely cruel and totally unnecessary. The international community simply doesn't want seal products." Britain imports more than 100 million cans of Canadian salmon a year. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Jul 1995 09:50:17 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: special meeting THE 15th INFORMATION TRANSFER MEETING sponsored by the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region Minerals Management Service December 12, 13, and 14, 1995 Hotel Inter-Continental New Orleans, La. The 1995 Information Transfer Meeting (ITM) will be the fifteenth to be hosted by the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region of the Minerals Management Service (MMS). This year's 3-day meeting will be held in the Hotel Inter-Continental, located at 444 St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. There is no registration fee. The purpose of the ITM is to encourage information exchange among participants about current research accomplishments, or issues of concern to the MMS and the Gulf of Mexico researchers. Presentations at the ITM generally pertain to the MMS Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas program as well as regional, environmental,social, or economic concerns. The meeting is attended by scientists,managers, and representatives from government, academia, industry,environmental groups, and the general public. The agenda is planned and coordinated by the MMS staff in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region with emphasis on information exchange on issues of current interest to the Region or the MMS oil and gas program. Technical sessions in recent years have included topics on physical oceanographic studies, GIS applications, marine mammals, marine education, and industry issues. Sessions for the 15th ITM include: the Marine Minerals Program, Industry Issues on the OCS, Contaminant Research, Flower Garden Banks Issues,Progress Reports on Studies from the Coastal Marine Institute and Environmental Studies Program, Gulf of Mexico Offshore Operations Monitoring Experiment, Contaminant Research, Air Quality Issues on the OCS, Marine Mammals, Neotropical Birds, Platforms as Fisheries' Habitat, Socioeconomic Research, Coastal Issues, LATEX Physical Oceanographic Study, and many more. * For More Information * Regarding technical issues, contact: Ms. Carla M. Langley Environmental Studies Section Office of Leasing and Environment Gulf of Mexico OCS Region 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (504) 736-2775 (504) 736-2901 (Fax) Regarding registration, contact: Ms. Anne O'Heren Jakob Office of Conference Services University of New Orleans Room 122, Education Building Lakefront New Orleans, Louisiana 70148 (504) 286-6680 (504) 286-7317 (Fax) ****************************************************************** THE 1995 INFORMATION TRANSFER MEETING Hotel Inter-Continental New Orleans, La. December 12 - 14, 1995 SESSION TOPICS THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE'S MARINE MINERALS PROGRAM: Status and Trends, Regulatory Climate, and Environmental Studies (SAND & GRAVEL MINING) INDUSTRY ISSUES ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (Co-chaired by the Offshore Operators Committee) AIR QUALITY ISSUES ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES SUMMARIES PROGRESS REPORTS COASTAL MARINE INSTITUTE PROGRESS REPORTS GULF OF MEXICO OFFSHORE OPERATIONS MONITORING EXPERIMENT LATEX PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY PROGRESS REPORTS OIL-SPILL GIS PROJECTS MAINTENANCE OF FISHERIES USING PLATFORMS AS MATERIALS OF OPPORTUNITY FLOWER GARDENS BANKS MARINE SANCTUARY ISSUES NEOTROPICAL BIRDS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE GULF OF MEXICO AND OIL & GAS DEVELOPMENT MARINE MAMMALS OF THE GULF OF MEXICO: A REVIEW OF THE RESULTS OF THE GULFCET PROGRAM AND FUTURE INVESTIGATIONS COASTAL CHARACTERIZATIONS APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT DECISIONMAKING CONTAMINANT RESEARCH IN THE GULF OF MEXICO SOCIOECONOMIC RESEARCH IN THE GULF OF MEXICO REGION FORUM FOR ISSUES IN THE GULF STATES ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Jul 1995 08:35:23 -0700 From: Forsyth Kineon Subject: News Release: Scripps Research On Marine Life I thought the following news release would be of interest. This is the NOAA press release on the permitting of the ATOC project. Forsyth Kineon School of Marine Affairs University of Washington Forsythk(\)u.washington.edu DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NEWS RELEASE VIA E:MAIL NOAA 95-R135 Contact: Scott Smullen - NMFS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (301) 713-2370 7/14/95 Justin Kenney - NOS Sanctuaries (301) 713-3145 ext. 153 SCRIPPS TO FOCUS RESEARCH ON MARINE LIFE OFF CALIFORNIA The federal government today gave the Scripps Institution of Oceanography approval for a two-year research project to determine the effects of low frequency sound on marine animals in an area 53 miles off the California coast, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced. Scripps, of La Jolla, Calif., is authorized to conduct a proposed two-year pilot project that will attempt to assess and evaluate the potential effects of certain sound transmissions on the distribution and behavior of marine animals, and to identify ways to avoid any potential disruption that the transmissions may cause. This project is part of a larger effort by Scripps to monitor long-term changes to ocean temperature by measuring transmission times of low frequency sound. Scripps must follow nearly 50 special measures to protect marine life, including safeguards formally agreed to by Scripps and six environmental organizations on the location and operation of the research. Signatories to the agreement were Scripps, the Humane Society of the U.S., American Oceans Campaign, Earth Island Institute, Environmental Defense Fund, League for Coastal Protection, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The two NOAA agencies involved conclude that the marine mammal research should have little effect on marine life if a number of protective measures are followed. However, NOAA will require Scripps to modify their research if significant adverse effects to marine life are observed. NOAA held California public hearings and extended several comment periods over two years to collect all available scientific data about the potential effects of Scripps' proposed Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) research. In addition, the Advanced Research Projects Agency, sponsor of the Scripps project, and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service developed an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service added protective measures to an agency permit that will allow the acoustical research to occur without violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. NOAA officials believe the special conditions of the permit will minimize potential adverse effects to marine mammals and sea turtles. For example, the fisheries service permit conditions require Scripps to document and report all changes in marine mammal distribution and behavior within 80 kilometers of the research area, and Scripps must halt research operations and contact the fisheries service if adverse effects to marine mammals are observed. Additionally, Scripps must submit bi-monthly progress reports and a six-month report detailing observations of the marine mammals and sea turtles in response to the sound transmissions. The report will be reviewed by an advisory board that consists of marine mammal scientists and representatives from NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA's National Ocean Service and Sanctuaries and Reserves Division, environmental organizations, the Marine Mammal Commission, Scripps, Marine Mammal Center, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishing Association and others. Additionally, NOAA's National Ocean Service issued a permit to Scripps to lay 53 miles of electronic cable across the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary with conditions to protect sanctuary resources on the sea floor and within surrounding waters. The power cable is required to be installed on sandy substrate, avoiding kelp beds, hard bottom and ship wrecks. The sanctuary permit further protects all living sanctuary resources by requiring Scripps to notify sanctuary personnel immediately of any evidence of harm to any mobile sanctuary resources that may come in contact with the sound transmission. A sanctuary staff member will participate in the ATOC marine mammal research program advisory board, which oversees progress and approves any modifications. Originally, Scripps proposed to place the sound source in the sanctuary, but later agreed to move the sound source outside its boundaries to an area called the Pioneer Seamount after the National Ocean Service sanctuary program and environmental groups expressed concerns about the potential effects on sanctuary resources in the specially protected area. ### ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 18 Jul 1995 13:35:30 -0400 From: Stephen Best Subject: Seals and the Credibilty of Brian Tobin To all, Brian Tobin, the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, made the following statement ... "Whatever the role seals have played in the collapse of groundfish stocks, seals are playing a far more important and significant role in preventing, in slowing down, a recovery of groundfish stocks." ... on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Prime Time News program. What follows is the unattributed scientific report, over Garry Stenson's name, issued by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which Tobin putatively claims supports the above statement. I can't find anything in this report or anything in any reputable, peer reviewed paper or study anywhere in the world on any marine mammal fisheries interaction that would support the Minister's statement. But before I begin making public allegations on our web site about the Minister's unethical use of science (or should I say pseudo-science), the highly questionable quality of the research efforts of DFO scientists, and the fact that some DFO scientists appear not to be working in science at all but rather in the service of providing propaganda disguised as science to shore up an ill-conceived and irresponsible political policy, I would appreciate comments from the subscribers to MARMAM about the report in question. Thanks in advance. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D Report on the Status of Harp Seals in the Northwest Atlantic Science Branch Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Center Department of Fisheries and Oceans P.O. Box 5667 St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5X1 ----------------------------------------------------- Northwest Atlantic Harp Seals BACKGROUND The Harp seal is an abundant, medium sized seal which migrates annually between Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of the north Atlantic. Male harp seals are only slightly larger than females with adults averaging approximately 1.6m in length and weighing an average of 130 km. Harp seals give birth ("whelp") on the ice in the White Sea, near Jan Mayen Island and the northwest Atlantic. The northwest Atlantic breeding stock, historically the largest, summers in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland. In the fall most of the seals migrate southward to the Gulf of St. Lawrence ("Gulf") or to the area off southern Labrador and northern Newfoundland ("Front") where they give birth in late February or March. Females nurse a single pup for ten to twelve days, after which they mate and then disperse. The pup, known as a whitecoat, moults its white fur at approximately three weeks of age. Older harp seals form large moulting concentrations on the sea ice off northeastern Newfoundland and in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence in April and May. Following the moult, seals disperse and eventually migrate northward. Small numbers of harp seals may remain in southern waters throughout the summer. THE FISHERY Harp seals have been hunted commercially since the early eighteenth century. About 250,000 animals were harvested per year at the beginning of the century but the hunt declined during the First World War to about 150,000 from 1919 to 1939. Commercial harvesting almost stopped completely during World War Two, but then it increased rapidly reaching 450,000 in 1951 and averaging about 300,000 seals per year from 1945 to 1966. The first TAC was wet in 1971 at 245,000 and varied until 1982 when it was set at the present level of 186,000. Prior to 1983, the large-vessel take of pups on the whelping patch accounted for the majority of the harvest. A ban on the importation of whitecoat pelts implemented by the European Economic Community in 1983 severely reduced the market, ending the traditional large-vessel hunt. Harp seals are still hunted by land-based sealers in both the Gulf and Front areas during the winter although catches have remained low. Table 1: TAC and commercial catches of harp seals (,000s) in Atlantic Canada 1972-1994. 1972-82 1983-90 1991 1992 1993 1994 TAC 175 186 186 186 186 186 Catch 172.0 49.6 52.6 67.7 26.9 61.2 Harp seals are also hunted in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland but there are no recent catch statistics for either area. During the late 1970'2 catches in the Canadian Arctic were thought to range between 1,200 and 6,500. Catches in Greenland were estimated to be in the order of 14,000- 18,000 in the early 1980's. Recent information suggests that Greenland catches may now be in the order of 50,000 harp seals annually but this has not been confirmed. An unknown number of harp seals are incidentally caught in the groundfish gillnet fishery in Eastern Canadian waters. RESOURCE STATUS The total number of harp seals in the northwest Atlantic cannot be assessed directly. Surveys of the total population are impractical because harp seals are distributed widely across the Arctic and north Atlantic during the summer and, even though they congregate during the whelping and moulting periods, not all of the population is present at the surface at any one time and place. However, since pups remain on the ice while being nursed, harp seals populations can be assessed by estimating pup production (births) as a first step. Then by incorporating information on the pregnancy rates of female seals and the ages of seals caught, a population model can be constructed and the total population size estimated. In the past, pup production has been estimated by examining catch data, mark-recapture experiments or aerial survey techniques. The results for similar time periods were often conflicting. Estimates for the mid to late 1970s ranged from approximately 250,000 to 500,000. The Royal Commission on Seals and Sealing in Canada concluded that pup production in 1978 was in the order of 300,000 - 350,000 and the total population was 1.5 - 1.75 million. In 1990, serial surveys of the Front and Gulf of St. Lawrence resulted in an estimate of 580,000 =F1 78,000 pups and a total population of 3.1 million (95% Confidence Intervals (C.I.) 2.7-3.5 million). 1994 Pup Production The most recent estimate of harp seal pup production in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and at the Front was obtained from surveys conducted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, in March 1994. Extensive reconnaissance flights were carried out to find the whelping concentrations and monitor their movements. Both visual and photographic surveys were conducted to estimate pup production while on-ice observations were used to correct the results for pups which may not have been present at the time of the survey. The total number of pups born was estimated to be 447,000 =F1 114,000 at the Front, 199,000 =F1 48,000 in the southern Gulf, and 57,000 =F1 27,000 in the northern Gulf. Since it is unlikely that any whelping concentrations were missed, the total pup production for 1994 was in the order of 703,000 =F1 127,000 (Fig. 1) Total pup production has increased between 1990 and 1994. There were large increases in the northern and southern Gulf while production at the Front in 1994 was slightly lower. These changes may be due to the movement of females among whelping areas. The proportion of the total production in each area varies among years but traditionally, approximately a third of the pups are born in the Gulf. The increased production observed in the Gulf during 1994 marks a return to the traditional level. Figure 1 Estimates of pup production 1955-95 [graphic included in original paper] Population Dynamics Catch at age data is obtained from the reported catch statistics and by direct sampling of seals caught by commercial sealers. Teeth are removed from jaws and the ages determined by reading lines within the teeth. The reproductive tracts of females are examined to determine whether they are mature, if they had a pup the previous year, and if they are pregnant again. It is now clear that pregnancy rates have dropped significantly in recent years. For example, approximately 90% of the mature females were pregnant in the early 1980s , but only 70% were during the early 1990s. The age at which females become sexual (sic) mature has also changed. In the early 1980s the average age at which they matured was 4.6 years while in the early 1990s it was 5.3 years. The exact timing of these changes cannot be determined since they occurred at a time when few reproductive samples were available. However, they appear to have taken place since the mid 1980s. The pregnancy rates and age at maturity influence strongly the calculations of population estimates. Figure 2 Estimates of total population 1955-95 [graphic included in original paper] Total Population A harp seal population model, incorporating information on pup production since the late 1970s, reproductive rates since 1955 and catch at age data since 1952, has been developed to provide estimates of total population. The model indicates that pup production declined from the late 1950s through the mid 1979s, increased until 1987, declined from 1988 - 1990 and then increased again (Fig. 1). The decline in the late 1980s reflects the lower pregnancy rates observed. The estimated number of pups born in the late 1980s is somewhat dependent upon the way in which the reproductive data are incorporated in the model. Uncertainty in the timing of the decline in reproductive rates makes it difficult to determine the extent of the increase in pupping during the early 1980s and the decline in the late 1980s. The number of pups born has started to increase again in recent years due to the continued increase in the number of breeding females. Estimates of the total population declined during the 1960s, reached a minimum in the early 1970s, and then increased steadily to the present (Fig. 2 [if we use it]). The total population in 1994 was estimated to be approximately 4.8 million (95% C.I. 4.1 - 5.0 million). This estimate could be as low as 4.5 million if pup mortality is assumed to be higher than that of older seals. The uncertainty associated with the estimates of natural mortality and pup exploitation are accounted for in the confidence intervals, but not all possible sources of uncertainty are included, and therefore these confidence intervals are underestimates of the total uncertainty. The recent reproductive data provides (sic) evidence that the pregnancy rates of seals since the late 1980s were lower than those used in the previous harp seal model to estimate the 1990 population. Incorporating these new reproductive data into the current model has a major influence on our estimate of 1990 population. The estimate increased to 4.1 million (95% C.I. 3.6 - 4.3 million). Therefore, in recent years the population has grown at about f% per year. Replacement Yield The replacement yield, which is the number of seals that can be harvested without changing the total population, is approximately 287,000 (95% C.I. 208,000 - 293,000). It is important to note that this estimate of replacement harvest is sensitive to the age of the catches, which are assumed to be the same those (sic) caught in 1993, and to the pregnancy rates used in the model. Prey Consumption The consumption of Arctic cod, capelin and Atlantic cod in the Northwest Atlantic between 1981 and 1994 was estimated using an energetics model. The energy requirements of individuals were estimated based on their size and then extrapolated to the entire population using estimates obtained from the population model. The proportion of energy obtained from various prey species and the amount consumed was estimated using information on the seasonal distribution of seals, the composition of their diet in various areas, and the energy content of the prey. Total prey consumption by harp seals in the Northwest Atlantic has increased from 3.6 million tonnes in 1981 to 6.9 million tonnes in 1994. Almost half (46%) of the prey consumed were from Arctic waters while 40% came from waters off eastern Newfoundland and the remainder (14%) from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The major prey off Newfoundland is Arctic cod (a non- commercial gadoid) and capelin. Harp seals consumed an estimated 1.2 million tonnes (95% C.I. 750,000 - 1.7 million) of Arctic cod, and 620,000 tonnes (95% C.I. 288,000 - 1.0 million) of capelin 1n 1994. Although Atlantic cod is a relatively small component (about 3%) of the diet, the large number of seals present consumed approximately 88,000 tonnes (95% C.I. 45,000 - 140,000). In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, capelin was the major prey of harp seals while Arctic cod was a minor component of the diet as it is not common in these waters. In 1994, seals consumed an estimated 445,000 tonnes (95% C.I. 208,000 - 729,000) of capelin and 20,000 tonnes (95% C.I. - 48,000) of Arctic cod. Harp seals consumed an estimated 54,000 tonnes (95% C.I. 14,000 - 102,000) of Atlantic cod in the Gulf during 1994 which was approximately 5.6% of their diet. The majority of fish eaten by harp seals were 10- 20 cm long. The Atlantic cod were primarily 1-2 years old, younger than those taken in the commercial fishery. The capelin eaten were mainly 1-3 years which represents some overlap with commercial fisheries. These estimates of consumption depend upon a number of assumptions which have various degrees of uncertainty associated with them. The energy requirements of individual seals and the abundance of seals used in the model are thought to be accurately estimated and within the ranges assumed. The areas of greatest uncertainty are due to our lack of knowledge concerning the seasonal distribution of seals and the annual, seasonal and geographic variability in their diet. Relatively small changes in these assumptions could have significant effects on the results. Studies are currently being conducted to improve our knowledge of both the diet and distribution of harp seals. Until they are completed however, these estimates of consumption should be considered preliminary and used with caution. For More Information Research Documents: Stenson, G.B., M.O. Hammill, M.C.S. Kingsley, B. Sjare, W.G. Warren and R.A. Myers. 1995. Pup production of harp seals, Phoca groenlandica, in the northwest Atlantic during 1994. DFO Atl.Res.Doc.95/20. Stenson, G.B., M.O. Hammill and J.W. Lawson, 1995. Predation of Atlantic cod, capelin and Arctic cod by harp seals in Atlantic Canada, DFO Atl.Res.Doc.95/72. Shelton P.A., G.B. Stenson, B. Sjare and W.G. Warren, 1995. Model estimates of harp seal numbers at age for the northwest Atlantic, DFO Atl.Res.Doc.95/21. Contact: Garry Stenson Tel: (709) 772-5598 ---- Stephen Best, Vice President | Tel: 1.519.925.3440 International Wildlife Coalition | Fax: 1.519.925.2003 PO Box 988, Shelburne | e-mail: sbest(\)inforamp.net Ontario, Canada, L0N 1S0 | http://www.webcom.com:80/~iwcwww/=20 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Jul 1995 09:51:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: Makah Jn T. (full name, please - some of us have email systems designed in the late 15th century that just give "MARMAM" as the sender tag) asserted today that the claim that Japan "buys" votes or other political influence is pure speculation with no evidence to support it. Forgive me, but you are being extraordinarily naive. Japan has a history of putting economic aid - frequently "fisheries development" money - into countries for its own ends. Examples: 1) Bequia/ St Vincent, whose native humpback whale fishery was thought by most observers to be on its way out. The fishery now continues, which is very much to Japan's advantage in the IWC. 2) Seychelles. Again, fisheries development money went into the country on the agreement that the Seychelles would abstain with regard to any votes that concerned Japanese interests in the IWC. There are other examples. As for arguments being based upon "fact", what would you suggest? That unless confidential memos are uncovered revealing exact and unequivocal cause-effect relationships, we should assume that a pattern of behavior with predictable results does not exist? And that when a country denies a specific assertion we must automatically assume that they are telling the truth? If you really believe this, I suggest you don't ever work in Washington DC - you'd last two minutes! Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Jul 1995 14:04:55 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Seals and the Credibilty of Brian Tobin Re: > Report on the Status of Harp Seals > in the Northwest Atlantic > > Science Branch > Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Center > Department of Fisheries and Oceans > P.O. Box 5667 > St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5X1 > > ----------------------------------------------------- > > >RESOURCE STATUS > > >1994 Pup Production > > The most recent estimate of harp seal pup >production in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and at the Front >was obtained from surveys conducted by the Department >of Fisheries and Oceans, in March 1994. . . . The total >number of pups born was estimated to be 447,000 =F1 >114,000 at the Front, 199,000 =F1 48,000 in the southern >Gulf, and 57,000 =F1 27,000 in the northern Gulf. Since >it is unlikely that any whelping concentrations were >missed, the total pup production for 1994 was in the >order of 703,000 =F1 127,000 (Fig. 1) Don't 114,000 + 48,000 + 27,000 = 189,000, so that 1994 pup production should read 703,000 =F1 189,000? >Total Population > The total population in 1994 was estimated >to be approximately 4.8 million (95% C.I. 4.1 - 5.0 >million). This estimate could be as low as 4.5 million >if pup mortality is assumed to be higher than that of >older seals. I thought it was a given that pup mortality is estimated to be higher than adult mortality. >The uncertainty associated with the >estimates of natural mortality and pup exploitation are >accounted for in the confidence intervals, but not all >possible sources of uncertainty are included, and >therefore these confidence intervals are underestimates >of the total uncertainty. >Incorporating these new reproductive data into the >current model has a major influence on our estimate of >1990 population. The estimate increased to 4.1 million >(95% C.I. 3.6 - 4.3 million). Therefore, in recent >years the population has grown at about 5% per year. If the confidence intervals are underestimates of the total uncertainty, what, if anything do either the 1994 or revised 1990 estimates of harp seal populations tell us about either harp seal numbers or population trends? >Prey Consumption > Total prey consumption by harp seals in the >Northwest Atlantic has increased from 3.6 million >tonnes in 1981 to 6.9 million tonnes in 1994. > These estimates of consumption depend upon a >number of assumptions which have various degrees of >uncertainty associated with them. , , , The areas of >greatest uncertainty are due to our lack of knowledge >concerning the seasonal distribution of seals and the >annual, seasonal and geographic variability in their >diet. Relatively small changes in these assumptions >could have significant effects on the results. Studies >are currently being conducted to improve our knowledge >of both the diet and distribution of harp seals. Until >they are completed however, these estimates of >consumption should be considered preliminary and used >with caution. In a News Release (June 28/95) Brian Tobin announced that "seals are feeding on 6.9 million tonnes of fish and other prey a year - -" It would appear that Brian Tobin is not using this information with caution, an irresponsible act, in my opinion, on the part of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Anne Doncaster Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Jul 1995 15:36:51 -0500 From: Doug Wartzok Subject: Contents of MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE 11(3) MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE Volume 11, Number 3 July 1995 Maximum net productivity level estimation for the northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) population of St. Paul Island, Alaska TIMOTHY J. RAGEN Pages 275-300 The goal of this study was to assess the maximum net productivity level for the northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) population of St. Paul Island, Alaska. Definitive determination of this level is not possible due to uncertainty in life table parameters and density-dependent changes in those parameters. To account for such uncertainty, repetitive numerical simulations were used to generate frequency distributions of estimates for the maximum net productivity level and related population parameters. This approach systematically varied simulation input parameters, ran a separate simulation with each input parameter combination, and validated the simulations on the basis of comparison with historical observations. Results from validated simulations were compiled in frequency distributions to provide a measure of confidence for MNPL estimates. The distributions confirm that this population is probably well below its maximum net productivity level. Because they reflect the uncertainty in our understanding of northern fur seal population dynamics, these distributions are a more realistic basis for management than single point estimates. Key words: management uncertainty, maximum net productivity level, northern fur seal, Callorhinus ursinus, population modeling. Indices of body condition and body composition in female Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) JOHN P. Y. ARNOULD Pages 301-313 An attempt was made to develop simple, inexpensive, rapid means of determining body composition in Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella). Measurements of total body water (TBW) and total body lipid (TBL), obtained by hydrogen isotope dilution, were compared to the results of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and morphometric indices of body condition in 52 adult females. TBW was weakly correlated with BIA measurements of resistance (r =-0.30, P < 0.03). Conductor volume (length2/resistance) was more highly correlated with TBW(r = 0.75, P < O.OOO1) and the inclusion of mass into the predictive equation improved the correlation further (r = 0.95, P < O.OOO1). A body condition index (mass/length) previously used in pinniped studies was positively correlated to TBL (r = 0.77, P < O.OOO1) validating its use as a relative index of condition. However, body mass alone was highly correlated to TBW (r = 0.94, P < O.OOO1) and appears to provide a simple, rapid means of estimating body composition in adult females. This technique may also be applicable to juvenile male Antarctic fur seals. Key words: Antarctic fur seal, Arctocephalus gazella, body composition, condition, bioelectrical impedance, mass, body water, isotope dilution. Immunological and hematological parameters in captive harbor seals (phoca vitulina) JENS NIELSEN Pages 314-323 Peripheral blood was collected from 13 captive seals (12 harbor seals and 1 gray seal) of various ages to study different immunological and hematological parameters. In vitro mitogenic reactivity of blood lymphocytes was measured by means of a microculture lymphocyte transformation test (LTT). After stimulation with different doses of the mitogens concanavalin A (Con A) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM), all examined seals showed significant proliferative responses to each mitogen. Furthermore, mitogenic reactivity significantly decreased with animal age suggesting this parameter of seal lymphocyte function is age related. The present experiments support that the LTT is a suitable tool to monitor the functional capacity of seal lymphocytes. By means of the erythrocyte-rosette (E-Rosette) test it was demonstrated that a subpopulation of mononuclear seal blood leucocytes formed rosettes with sheep red blood cells (SRBC). This observation indicates that the phenomenon probably represents a marker for T lymphocytes in the seal as in several other mammalian species. Furthermore, the percentage of SRBC rosette-forming cells decreased with the age of the animals. Total blood leucocyte counts and differential leucocyte counts were determined by light microscopy. The number of leucocytes varied considerably among individual animals. Parallel to a significant decline of the percentage of lymphocytes with age, a corresponding increase in the percentage of neutrophils was demonstrated. In all of the seals, the percentages of monocytes and eosinophils were found to be low with only minor individual variation. The LTT and the E-rosette test are suggested as potential tools to elucidate immunological disorders in the seal. Key words: harbor seal, Phoca vitulina, captivity, peripheral blood, mononuclear leucocytes, mitogenic reactivity, lymphocyte transformation test, E-rosettes, age, immunology, hematology. Diving behavior of the saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis nordq.) HEIKKI HYVARINEN, ESA HAMALAINEN and MERVI KUNNASRANTA Pages 324-334 The activity and diving patterns of four adult Saimaa ringed seals (Phoca hispida saimensis), landlocked subspecies living in Lake Saimaa, Finland, were examined during spring, summer, and autumn by the use of VHF-transmitters. Over 17,000 dives were registered. The duration of the dives and diving patterns differed among individuals. The mean duration of dives increased from spring to autumn; e.g., in one individual the mean dive duration increased from 6 min in June to 10.5 min in October. The haul-out periods of one individual in May to early June made up 46.2% of its total activity budget, but in another individual in July to August the haul-out periods made up only 11% of the budget and the seal was submerged for 80% of the time. Periods of successive long duration dives (>10 min) were observed in three individuals in summer and autumn. The longest dive measured was 23 min. The duration of the periods containing long dives was often over three hours (maximum six hours) and the mean duration of the dives about 15 min. These long duration dives are assumed to be aerobic resting dives. Generally, the dives of the Saimaa ringed seal appear to be of longer duration than previously assumed. Key words: Saimaa ringed seal, Phoca hispida saimensis, diving behavior, activity, resting dives, radio telemetry. An assessment of changes with time in the marking patterns used for photoidentification of individual sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus SUSAN DUFAULT and HAL WHITEHEAD Pages 335-343 We observed changes with time in the patterns of characteristic fluke markings used to identify sperm whales. Changes were categorized as minor, moderate, or major based on their severity. These change types were found to occur at rates of 0.9%, 11.8%, and 1.3% per individual per year, respectively. Gain and loss rates for each of seven different mark types were also calculated. The highest estimated rate was the gain of small nicks at 0.08 per individual per year. Most individuals identified by us possess at least a few characteristic marks and, therefore, changes of the type observed in this study are unlikely to severely affect their recognizability. For all but one mark type, gain rates were higher than loss rates, indicating that individuals may be accumulating marks with age. Over long periods this could eventually make individuals unrecognizable, with the result that population sizes calculated from these data may be overestimated. As long as photoidentification studies are conducted sufficiently often, and these changes are as gradual, as they appear to be, this problem should be minimal. Key words: photoidentification, sperm whale,Physeter macrocephalus, changes with time. Identification of whale species by liquid chromatographic analysis of sarcoplasmic proteins YOSHIYUKI UKISHIMA, YUMIKO SAKANE, AKIRA FUKUDA, SHIRO WADA and SHOJI OKADA Pages 344-361 Liquid chromatography (LC) was applied to identify whale species by analyzing water-soluble sarcoplasmic proteins in skeletal muscles. Twenty-five samples from four baleen whale species (fin whale, sei whale, Bryde's whale, and minke whale) and eight toothed whale species (sperm whale, Baird's beaked whale, short-finned pilot whale, Dall's porpoise, northern right whale dolphin, Pacific white-sided dolphin, common dolphin, and striped dolphin) were analyzed. Water-soluble sarcoplasmic proteins were extracted from each sample and analyzed using a UV-VIS spectrophotometric detector at 280 nm and a photodiode array detector. The chromatographic profiles of each sample showed distinctive qualitative and quantitative characteristics for each whale species, making species identification possible. A photodiode array detector was useful for further accurate identification of whale species by obtaining the absorption spectra of separated protein peaks. These results suggest that the LC method is readily applicable to rapid, simple, and reliable identification of whale species. Key words: Identification of whale species, sarcoplasmic proteins, liquid chromatographic profiles, relative retention time, % total area, absorption spectra. Reproduction in the female subantarctic fur seal, Arctocephalus tropicalis MARTHAN BESTER Pages 362-375 The reproductive tracts of 89 female subantarctic fur seals, taken at Gough Island between November 1977 and October 1978, were examined. Females started ovulating at age 4 yr and all 6-yr-old females were sexually mature. They are mono-ovulatory, alternating between ovaries, and only single embryos were found. Females older than 13 yr (n = 11) showed poor follicular development and some failed to ovulate. The gestation period (first recorded ovulation to first recorded birth) was 360 d, while delayed implantation (first recorded ovulation to first recorded implantation) lasted for 139 days. Follicle numbers in the functional ovary declined sharply after ovulation while the corpus luteum increased in size until at least 1 mo prior to parturition. The number of follicles in the contralateral ovary increased after midwinter (June/July), and the mean size of the largest follicles peaked prior to ovulation in December. The mean size of the largest follicles increased in both ovaries near implantation time, after reaching a low subsequent to ovulation. The regressing corpus albicans, conspicuous for approximately 3 mo after parturition, could not be detected macroscopically within one year postpartum. Subantarctic fur seals at Gough Island have a distinct postreproductive class of older females. The pregnancy rate for all females greater than 4 yr of age was 79%, and it was 84.5% for the sexually mature group of greater than 6 yr of age, while the mean age at puberty was 4.80 yr. Key words: subantarctic fur seals, Arctocephalus tropicalis, female reproductive morphology, seasonal cycle, delayed implantation, gestation, pregnancy rate, Gough Island. Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) predation on seined salmonids in the lower Klamath River, California WILLIAM T. STANLEY and KEVIN E. SHAFFER Pages 376-385 Feeding activity of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) was monitored while the California Department of Fish and Game seined and tagged migrating adult salmonids between 1984 and 1988. The number of predations observed each week of observation was significantly correlated with the number of fish seined during that week. There was a significantly higher number of predations observed on days when seining took place than on days when no seining occurred. Our observations suggest that most, if not all, predations we observed on days when seining occurred involved fish that had been recently seined and released. The estimated percentage of seined fish taken by seals was relatively constant over the five years of the study, ranging from 3.1% to 5.5%. Various strategies for reducing the level of predation on seined salmonids in the lower Klamath River are discussed. Key words: harbor seals, Phota vitulina, Klamath River, seal predations, salmonids, seining mortalities, diet, pinnipeds, California. NOTES Weaning in North Atlantic right whales. PHILIP K. HAMILTON, MARILYN K. MARX and SCOTT D. KRAUS Pages 386-390 Competition, predation, and the evolution and extinction of Steller's sea cow, Hydrodamalis gigas PAUL K. ANDERSON Pages 391-394 Diurnal movement patterns of Hector's dolphin as observed from clifftops. GREGORY S. STONE, JENNY BROWN and AUSTEN YOSHINAGA Pages 395-402 Osteomyelitis of the skull in a leopard seal, Hydrurga leptonyx MARCELA JUNIN and HUGO PATRICIO CASTELLO Pages 403-406 BOOKS Reviews ELEPHANT SEALS: POPULATION ECOLOGY, BEHAVIOR, AND PHYSIOLOGY. B.J. Le Boeuf and R.M. Laws, eds. Reviewed by Peter Shaughnessy Pages 407-409 BIOLOGY OF NORTHERN HEMISPHERE PILOT WHALES: A COLLECTION OF PAPERS. Reports of the International Whaling Commission (Special Issue 14). G.P. Donovan, C.H. Lockyer and A.R. Martin, eds. Reviewed by Michael Kingsley Pages 409-412 BUSINESS Page 413 LETTERS Scientific Correspondence AN EARLIER PACIFIC RECORD OF A HOODED SEAL Francis H. Fay Page 415 MEMORIES William Edward Schevill Pages 416-419 NEWS Page 420 ERRATUM Page 420 =================================== Dr. Douglas Wartzok Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Dean of the Graduate School University of Missouri - St. Louis St. Louis, MO 63121-4499 314-516-5898 (Phone) 314-516-6759 (Fax) sdwartz(\)umslvma.umsl.edu (e-mail) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Jul 1995 11:14:52 PDT From: Charles Greene Subject: Re: Help: dolphin and human-swimmer interactions In-Reply-To: <199507150622.XAA24009(\)coyote.rain.org> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Holly Fortenberry: There is, or was 4 years ago, Fungi the Dingle Dolphin swimming with people at the entrance to the Dingle Harbor in western Ireland. Regards, Charles Greene ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Jul 1995 11:15:17 PDT From: Allan Rosen-Ducat Subject: Los Angeles Volunteers Sought (Wildlife Rescue) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Marine & Mountain Wildlfe Rescue is seeking volunteers located in the Los Angeles area. We are soliciting volunteers to assit in the development and support of our Marine Mammal and wildlife rescue services. Any level of activity is appriciated. For information please contact Laurie Matthias at 310-457-9453. Thank you for your interest. ****************************************************************************** Allan Rosen-Ducat President Voice: 310-457-7447 Marine & Mountain Wildlife Rescue Fax: 310-457-3445 E-Mail allanrd(\)earthlink.net ****************************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Jul 1995 11:15:41 PDT From: William Burns Subject: PCIS Cetacean Occasional Paper Series ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The Pacific Center For International Studies, a think tank specializing in international wildlife law and conservation issues, announces the publication of two new papers in its International Wildlife Law Occasional Paper Series: 7 The International Whaling Commission in the 1990s: Problems and Prospects, P.C.I.S. International Wildlife Law Occasional Paper Series, No. 6, December, 1994. This paper examines the IWC from a historical perspective, assesses the judiciousness of the resumption of commercial whaling, including a critique the Revised Management Procedure, and proffers several suggestions on how to strengthen the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling should the moratorium be lifted. 7 The International Whaling Commission and the Regulation of Consumptive and Non-Consumptive Uses of Small Cetaceans: A Critical Agenda for the 1990s, P.C.I.S. International Wildlife Law Occasional Paper Series, No. 5, December, 1994. This paper examines one of the most controversial and pressing issue facing the IWC: whether the organization has legal competence to regulate the taking of small cetaceans. The paper examines the dangers faced by the world s small cetacean species and provides extensive legal analysis on the competence issue, utilizing the text of the ICRW, customary international law, and principles of equity. Copies of the papers are available for $13.00 apiece, which includes shipping and handling; overseas customers should add $2.00 for shipping. Orders may be placed by phone, fax or e-mail. We will invoice academic institutions, government agencies and non-profit organizations. For a complete list of Center papers, please contact us. -- William C. Burns, Director, Pacific Center For International Studies 33 University Square, Suite 184, Madison, WI 53715-1042, USA (608) 256-6312 (phone) (608) 257-0417 (fax) A member of the: * EarthAction Network * Galapagos Coalition * Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Jul 1995 11:16:06 PDT From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: (Fwd) (Fwd) CAPTIVE BORN MANATEES RELEASED TO THE WILD ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > On July 12, the Miami Seaquarium released three captive born >manatees at Meritt Island Wildlife Refuge at the Kennedy Space >Center. Harvey, five years old, Indi, three years old and Foster, >two years and four months. . . I wonder why the aquarium industry would release manatees held in captivity for some years and yet argue that to release of dolphins would be cruel to the captive dolphins and dangerous to free-ranging dolphins. Anne Doncaster Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Jul 1995 11:16:47 PDT From: Kelly Horan Subject: whale programs ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Did anyone happen to record the following televised programs on whales? If so, I would really love to buy a copy. 7/12 8:30PM TLS - Scientific American World, episode 3 (Orca whales) 7/15 8:00PM TDC - Special of the Week "In the Company of Whales" 7/16 9:00PM TDC - Discovery Sunday " Alaska's Whales and Wildlife. Thanks *very* much for any info, kellyh(\)sybase.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Jul 1995 10:57:20 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: articles Marmam readers might be interested in checking out: The Aug 1995 issue of Discover that has an article about the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Marine Mammal Laboratory. The July 1995 issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife with an article about the cetacean fauna of the Gulf of Mexico. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 20 Jul 1995 12:08:44 EDT From: William Rossiter <71322.1637(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Action Alert;Appropriations Update House Committee markup Tuesday, 18 July, restored 1 million to Marine Mammal Commission for FY96 of 1.55m requested. MARMAM responders to this financial assault may have helped MMC's survival, and that should illustrate our point. But your individual input to Congress, as concerned and knowledgeable constiuents, is even more necessary now. Much more is at stake. There is still no confirmed HR bill number, and although the earlier named "Chrysler Bill" will deal with the dismemberment of Commerce later, we have discovered that the most correct identification for the currently critical Bill is "House Appropriations for the Department of Commerce". Please stay involved. Your voice needs to be heard. Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. William W. Rossiter The Humane Society of the U.S. Cetacean Society International hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com 71322.1637(\)compuserve.com phone:301-258-3048 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 19 Jul 1995 09:17:55 -0700 From: Alan Macnow Subject: Re: Makah FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association I would like to hear Phil Clapham deny that the U.S., the U.K., France, and almost every other developed country use aid grants to encourage other countries to support their policies. Does he know that the U.S. and the U.K. give financial assistance to almost all of the Caribbean countries, including St. Vincent, St. Lucia, and Grenada? Japan, as the world's largest provider of aid to other countries, gives financial and fisheries assistance to almost all of the under-developed countries, including to Brazil, Chile, India, Oman, Australia and New Zealand, all of whom vote against whaling at the IWC. Where then is the pattern aid = support? As for St. Vincent and Bequia, not one penny of fisheries or financial assistance has ever gone to the whaling operation. I wonder why we never heard a word about the buying of votes by the "environmental" groups when they recruited Seychelles, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua and a number of other small countries to vote for the commercial whaling moratorium in 1982, then had the arrogance to put their own people as IWC Commissioners instead of allowing the countries to use their own nationals? And who among the "environmental" community even raised an eyebrow when Antigua suddenly reappeared at the IWC last year to vote for the Antarctic whale sanctuary, even though it had to pay off over $90,000 in back contributions in order to regain its vote? And where did the money come from? And who protested the use of NAFTA to get Mexico and Chile to vote for the Sanctuary? Or the award to Denmark of an additional 100+ whales in return for its vote on the sanctuary? Most reprehensible is the use of coercion, such as boycotts, to force IWC member countries to change their votes. I am tired of these holier than thou attitudes from people who tolerate the grossest examples of immorality in support of their own causes. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Jul 1995 11:45:21 -0400 From: Tremblay Roland Subject: N.Atlant. seal osteology Anybody knows a good reference for comparative osteology of Northern Atlantic phocids, namely Ph. Vitulina, Ph. groenlandica and Hal. grypus? Thanks. Roland Tremblay Departement d'anthropology Universite de Montreal ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Jul 1995 09:22:10 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . British Boycott Canadian Salmon over Seal Cull. On July 18, 1995, British environmentalists associated with the International Fund for Animal Welfare urged British citizens to boycott Canadian salmon to protest the Canadian seal cull. [Reuters] . ATOC Permits. In mid-July 1995, permits for Scripps Institution of Oceanography to test the effects of underwater sound on marine mammals offshore of California were approved by NMFS and NOAA's Sanctuaries and Reserves Division; sound transmissions are expected to begin in October 1995; Hawaii's Dept. of Land and Natural Resources has scheduled a public hearing for later in July to consider a permit application for activities in the Kauai area. [Assoc Press] . Makah Net Gray Whale Incidentally. On July 16, 1995, Makah fishermen found a gray whale incidentally entangled in salmon nets offshore of Neah Bay, WA; Makah officials notified NMFS and tribal members harvested the whale for food. On July 17, 1995, NMFS officials indicated Makah fishermen had acted legally in using the entangled gray whale. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Jul 1995 15:22:22 +0100 From: t02jt(\)aberdeen.ac.uk Subject: Windflow To MARMAM I am in the process of writing a report on the ethology of the bottlenose dolphin in the waters around the Azores islands. One of the more interesting correlations that has come to light is between the direction of travel for fast moving dolphins, and the direction of the prevailing wind (both show a strong positive correlation for 50 sightings to within 45 degree). I would be interested to hear from anyone who has made such observations in the past (references would be appreciated), or who could suggest any idea as to why the dolphins are doing this (other than 'they must be using the dorsal fin as a sail ', a comment which I shall ignore). Thanks. Julian t02jt(\)aberdeen.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Jul 1995 08:50:57 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: white whale Marmammers: A follow-up to Paul Forestell's initial report of repeated sightings of a white humpback whale. ***************************************************** Moby Dick stirs excitement in Australian waters SYDNEY, July 21 (Reuter) - An extremely rare albino whale has been spotted off the Australian coast, prompting a call on Friday for whale-watchers, seafarers and even aircraft to look out for the real-life Moby Dick. The all-white humpback whale was sighted by a fisherman off a headland midway along Australia's east coast last Sunday, a spokesman for a state wildlife service told Reuters on Friday. It was the fourth sighting since 1991 of what is thought to be the same animal, said Lawrence Orel, a spokesman for New South Wales state's National Parks and Wildlife Service. "It's the colour of new white paper," said Australian Whale Conservation Society president Paul Hodda, who spotted the whale four years ago. "There's no evidence of any other white humpback whale anywhere in the world," he told Reuters. News of the latest sighting had caused "a bit of excitement" in scientific and conservation circles, Orel told Reuters. "We do welcome reports from people who may have seen it, because it will give us a good idea of how fast and what distances it is travelling," he said. "This animal is useful from a scientific point of view. It is readily visible from a boat or an aircraft." The most recent sighting was from a fishing boat as the whale swam past Cape Byron, about 550 km (340 miles) north of Sydney, on a migration route from Antarctic waters to sub-tropical breeding grounds off the northeast coast. The society appealed on Friday for whale-watchers to take care not to stress the animal and to keep well clear. The breeding season, which runs from August to October, brings whale-watching to a peak in northeast waters. Local media reports have dubbed the albino whale Moby Dick, after the white whale that featured in Herman Melville's famous novel of the same name. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Jul 1995 07:26:58 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: Seals and the credibility of Brian Tobin I am personally relatively new to the issue of the Canadian seal hunt. However, Dr. David Lavigne of the University of Guelph sent me a packet of press clippings and radio show transcripts (all published within the last two months), generated by the recent announcements made by Fisheries Minister Brian Tobin about seals and cod. His statements were based, as Stephen Best pointed out, on the seal population studies conducted by the Canadian Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans. After reading the paper posted by Stephen and going through this pile of press clippings, I am appalled at the frenzy being whipped up by the Minister, based on a study that, as Anne Doncaster pointed out, ends very clearly with the statement that many of the results presented in the paper were preliminary and should be used with caution. The entire paper is more or less based on modeling, which is all very well, but one then must consider the validity of the models' assumptions and so on. The paper itself acknowledges that many of the assumptions used had varying degrees of uncertainty associated with them. Mr. Tobin does not mention any uncertainties in his various media statements and most definitely has not been cautious in those statements. The anti-seal bias in the eastern Canadian media is in fact bordering on the inflammatory -- nothing in the "liberal elite" U.S. media can hold a candle to it. It is one thing for op-ed pieces or opinion columns to be biased, and it is also one thing for standard articles to choose to over-represent only one side of an argument. But the vocabulary used in these articles by the journalists themselves is disturbingly leading -- seals are "gluttons," the seal population is "exploding" -- headlines claim that "seals are destroying cod stocks." No where in these articles and transcripts is it mentioned that the Minister's claims are largely based on modeling rather than empirical data, no where is it mentioned that the numbers of seals, and especially the amount of prey they consume, are uncertain estimates. In fact, in only a handful of at least a hundred clippings is any attempt made to represent an opposing viewpoint -- one paper did print an opposition letter-to-the-editor responding to a particularly vicious anti-seal op-ed piece; the letter writer quite rightly points out that people and overfishing are at the root of the cod decline (something else very few of the articles bother to point out), but even then, the editor actually adds a note at the end, stating that just because people may be to blame for the initial crash, that's no reason to let the seals finish off what we started! With this kind of bias in the media, given the human propensity to be swayed by "facts" stated so unequivocally in print, the seals and the Canadian Atlantic ecosystem don't seem to stand much of a chance against some serious mismanagement based on "pseudo-science," as Stephen Best called it. Scientists in the U.S. and Canada should be deeply concerned about how these uncertain data and estimates are being translated by politicians into absolute hard facts to support an economic agenda. This is the misuse of science at its worst. Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Jul 1995 07:22:25 -0700 From: Jaap v/d Toorn Subject: Re: CAPTIVE BORN MANATEES RELEASED TO THE WILD In-Reply-To: from "Anne Doncaster" at Jul 20, 95 11:16:06 am Anne Doncaster writes: > > > On July 12, the Miami Seaquarium released three captive born > >manatees at Meritt Island Wildlife Refuge at the Kennedy Space > >Center. Harvey, five years old, Indi, three years old and Foster, > >two years and four months. . . > > I wonder why the aquarium industry would release manatees held > in captivity for some years and yet argue that to release of > dolphins would be cruel to the captive dolphins and dangerous > to free-ranging dolphins. > > Anne Doncaster First of all, the above representation of the aquarium industry's position on release is not accurate: the position is that it would be cruel and dangerous if done improperly. Not so long ago there has been a discussion on this list about requirements for release programs (triggered by the Keiko release initiative). If done properly, dolphins could be released. Note in this context, that the Chicago Zoological Society and some members of the International Marine Animal Trainers' Association co-operated in Randy Wells' effort to release of 2 dolphins in the Sarasota area. Having said this, note that the original message said that the manatees have not been released yet, but will be in a halfway house for at least month to be "reconditioned and taught to eat natural sea grass". Such a halfway house construction would also be required for the release of dolphins. Also, in this case an extensive follow-up is planned (the animals will be freeze-branded and satelite tagged so that they can be localized and recognized). This important part of a release program has been absent in most dolphin release efforts, making evaluation of these programs virtually impossible. There are a few differences however: - manatees, being herbivores, will be able to forage after being familiarized with natural vegatation, whereas dolphins will also need to sharpen their hunting skills. This will require more time and more careful planning. - these animals have not been part of an elaborate training program and will therefore not be as focused on people as the average aquarium dolphin. - the release is an attempt to support a threatened population. This not an issue with bottlenose dolphins (or killer whales for that matter). For the manatees the release is triggered by a need to support the population and the question if the individual animals would be better off in captivity or in the wild has not asked (explicitely at least). With the release of dolphins, the individual well-being is actually the key issue (and threats to the population they will be released into have come into this picture as secondary issues (introduction of foreign genetic material and/or introduction of diseases)). As a matter of fact, looking at the number of boating related deaths of manatees, these individuals have a better chance of survival in captivity. Don't get me wrong, I do support this effort, because the manatee population needs all the support it can get and this looks like a well- planned effort. Also, the release of named, recognizable individual may create more public interest in this issue. What I hope I have made clear is that the release of these manatees is quite different from (proposed) cetacean releases. The manatees are untrained animals with a disposition (biology, behavior) quite different from dolphins and the reason for the release is the need of the population, not the need (or perceived need) of the individual. Quite different from the context of the cetacean releases. A different approach or attitude if you will from the aquarium industry is therefore not surprising. Jaap -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn jaap(\)tfs.com 73064.2662(\)compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Jul 1995 11:01:12 BST From: John Dineley Subject: Captive Release ==================================== Anne Doncaster writes: >I wonder why the aquarium industry would release >manatees held in captivity for some years and yet argue >that to release of dolphins would be cruel to the captive >dolphins and dangerous to free-ranging dolphins. I do not have first hand knowledge of this project, only what has been posted on MARMAM. However, I would judge that manatee releases are to do with the conservation of an already endangered species. In these situations, the assessment of the risks involved to the animals (released and/or wild) have to be weighed against conservation gains. When, and if, such conservational releases are scientifically valid for species of captive bred cetaceans I am sure the "aquarium industry" will be actively involved. Actually, it is not the "aquarium industry" that argue that the release of dolphins would be "cruel to the captive dolphins and dangerous to free-ranging dolphins" but organisations such as the IUCN - the World Conservation Union. These assessments come from scientific evaluation of the risks such projects can engender. Generally, the multi-million dollar "animal-rights industry" want to release cetaceans back to the wild to promote their ideological aims ie: the outlawing of cetaceans in captivity. As sincere as some individuals might be, I believe their zeal sometime clouds the legitimate scientific concerns regarding the efficacy of such "welfare" projects to the individual animals involved. ==================================== John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD UK. email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk "Your damned if you do and your damned if you don't!" ===================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 21 Jul 1995 17:06:53 -0400 From: AROELL(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Seals and the credibility of Brian Tobin As a staff member of IFAW i have been actively worked against the Canadian seal hunt for the past 10 years and attended Brian Tobin's press conference on June 28 in the Magdalen Islands where he published the status report of the harp seal population. Perhaps I can shed some light on the latest developments. First of all we have to realize that the canadian seal hunt (which is probably the largest slaughter of wildlife in the world) is NOT based on scientific or economic reason, but is just a political hot potato. No politician who wants to be re-elected will denounce the hunt. The fact is that Atlantic canada is in dire straights economically and having an annual seal hunt (which is heavily subsidized by the government) is a tool to keep people happy. The Canadian press (who has always been biased) did no accurately report Tobin's statements. for example, Tobin stated very clearly that overfishing by man, not the seals, was the primary cause for the fish stock collapse. No press report I have seen relayed that information. Furthermore, he made a promise that he would increase the quotas and ensure that the entire quota would be taken, wether or not there is a commercial basis for it. He also made it clear that a renewed off shore, large vessel hunt and a renewed commercial whitecoat hunt would be an option for discussion. Obviously it is important to dispute DFO's population figures, and we will certainly do everything we can to prove them wrong, but it is clear that even if every seal is removed from the NW Atlantic, it will not bring back the fish stocks. But that does not make any difference to DFO because they have issued so much misinformation to the fishing community over the years that they will give them the only thing that will pacify them: a increased seal hunt. There are no viable markets for seal products (except for the penis bones) and no viable market will open up in the near future (according to a marketing study conducted in 1994 for the government of NWT). there is no doubt in my mind that the seal hunt situation will go back to the 70's and hundred of thousands of seals will be killed for no aparent reason. Hope this helps. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 07:55:47 -0400 From: CTombach(\)aol.com Subject: Address? Hi Marmamers, Does anyone know how to get in contact with Dr. Phil Lovell with the Conservation Research Group? E-mail, Phone, or Mailing Address would be appreciated. Thanks, Christina ************************ Christina M. Tombach Centre ORES dEtudes Cotiere Grandes Bergeronnes, QC Canada ctombach(\)aol.com utina(\)mcl.ucsb.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 04:28:53 ADT From: Hal Whitehead/Lindy Weilgart Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: Re: Eastern Canadian seals To: MARMAM From: Hal Whitehead Re: Do seals affect cod populations? I have heard, very informally, from fisheries scientists that, despite the claim that the seals have an impact on cod stocks off eastern Canada, there is no evidence for this in the substantial data base on cod. If seals, who eat young cod, were affecting the populations, then there should have been changes in the survival rates of young cod as the seal population increased over the past 15 years or so. But there is no sign of this. Does anyone know any more about this? The rationale for increasing the seal hunt is clearly political. Fishermen in these parts have a general, but not universal, dislike of seals, they vote, and their attitudes are generally reflected by the local and national media. However, even if seals do affect cod stocks now they are so low (which might be the case, although it might well not be), to make any substantial change to the impact of seals on cod, somewhere around 70% of the seals would have to be killed. The scale and cost (in dollars and other ways) of such a slaughter make it very unlikely. Hal Whitehead Biology Dept Dalhosuie University ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 13:49:00 -0400 From: DWILLIAMS(\)delphi.com Subject: need pictures of stranded whales Non-profit group planning on publishing a book about stranded whales and dolphins needs pictures of stranded animals. Please help. Black and white okay. Thanks, Dave williams Moby Dick Society, Inc. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 21:05:10 -0400 From: Geoffrey Patton Subject: Need address French MARMAMERS: S'il vous plai^t, if there is someone in close contact with Jean Pierre Genin, DVM of Lyon, I wish to get a message to him. Merci beaucoup. Sincerely, (signed) Geoffrey W. Patton, Doctoral Candidate Dept. of Pathology, College of Medicine University of South Florida MDC Box 11 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 gpatton(\)com1.med.usf.edu (813) 974-0540 (e-mail normally checked at least daily) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 19:25:48 -0400 From: Terminal Student Subject: Manatee Deaths In-Reply-To: <9506151648.AA24524(\)solar.nova.edu> Does anyone have the figures for manatee deaths in past years? I have looked at the DEP WWW site and it has only 1994 and 1995. I am interested in: Total Deaths in 1991, 1992, 1993 Watercraft Related Deaths in 1991, 1992, 1993 If someone would be kind enough to provide this information or where I could obtain these figures I would sincerely appreciate it. Thank You! Marta Smith marta(\)ocean.nova.edu Marta Renee' Smith (305) 920-1909 Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania FL 33304 USA --------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 23 Jul 1995 09:39:07 -0400 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Manatee Deaths Re manatee deaths, here's what we have, compiled from press accounts: 1995: 60 in first quarter. 1994: 193 dead; 60 killed by boats. 1993: 145 dead. 1992: 1991: 179 dead; 53 killed by boats. 1990: 206 dead; 47 killed by boats, 46 killed by cold snap.) 1989: 186 dead; 58 killed by boats. 1988: 166 dead; 50 killed by boats. 1987: 133 dead; 36 killed by boats. 1986: 122 dead. 1985: 1984: 129 dead; was said to be a new record. Annual mortality counts began in 1970. In many years, preliminary news reports put mortality slightly lower. We've also discovered many instances of publications citing "last year" data which was actually a couple of years old or incomplete. --Merritt Clifton, editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE. (ANIMAL PEOPLE is a nonprofit newspaper, providing independent professional coverage of the whole range of animal protection issues & perspectives since 1992. Subscriptions--either U.S. or foreign--are $18/year, $30/2 years, or $40/3 years; write to POB 205, Shushan, NY 12873. We'll send a free sample on request--just provide your full postal address.) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 23 Jul 1995 12:31:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: SA: LABOR PUSHES FOR WHALE SAN SA: LABOR PUSHES FOR WHALE SANCTUARY ADELAIDE, July 23 AAP - A rejected plan for a whale sanctuary in the Great Australian Bight should be revived and adopted, South Australian Opposition Leader Mike Rann said today. The plan for a permanent marine park was framed by the state government's marine experts but was rejected by Premier Dean Brown in favour of a one-year protection zone. The Opposition leader said he would introduce a bill to parliament this coming week which would create a permanent sanctuary for southern right whales at the head of the bight. Labor's bill will allow for a sanctuary zone of 552 square kilometres to protect the breeding grounds of the whales, which travel to Australian waters and the Antarctic each winter to mate and calve. The government has declared a one-year protection zone of 175 square kilometres while further plans are drafted. Mr Rann called on Liberal MPs and the Democrats to support the bill to guarantee protection for the whales. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 23 Jul 1995 18:02:42 +0200 From: "Giovanni Bearzi - VET.FAK" Subject: Tursiops craniometry request Dear marmamers, I'm working on a thesis on Adriatic bottlenose dolphin craniometry, in order to investigate metrical variability within the Adriatic community, as well as epigenetical features. I'm also interested in age determination by acid atching. I would be grateful if somebody could provide me with a list of basic literature, or the addresses of some people working in this field. Thanks for your help, Sandra Pribanic Faculty of Biology University of Zagreb Barcev trg 7 10000 Zagreb - Croatia e-mail messages could be send to the following address: giovanni.bearzi(\)public.srce.hr ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 23 Jul 1995 21:16:20 -0400 From: Zozie(\)aol.com Subject: Manatee deaths The best records are to be found in the Marine Mammal Commission reports. They have been documented in the reports since 1973. They continue to go up, despite boating regs because the public (mostly tourists) still is not sensitive enough to slow down and not hit manatees. The major cause of death is still from speeding boats, but there were also serious numbers of deaths from other environmental factors. Phoebe Wray ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 13:08:13 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: Re: Upcoming Programs In-Reply-To: <199507180327.PAA05319(\)bytes.gen.nz> On Mon, 17 Jul 1995 r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com wrote: > MONDAY, JULY 17 > 10:00 p.m.-TDC-WORLD OF DISCOVERY > Beautiful Killers > Killer whales were once called "wolves of the sea" and were thought to be > extremely dangerous; now they are beloved attractions at aquatic parks. > But do we have a right to keep them in captivity? [etc...] > WEDNESDAY, JULY 19 > 10:00 p.m.-TDC-SECRETS OF THE DEEP > Whales of the Pacific Northwest > Once slaughtered in vast numbers to quench man's greed, gray and orca > whales of the Pacific Northwest are thriving again thanks to the efforts > of natives and amateur researchers. Did anyone tape either of these? I'd like to get ahold of them, and would be prepared to pay for shipping and tapes. Thanks, Terry ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 23 Jul 1995 17:47:19 -0600 From: Holly Fortenberry Subject: Thanks to all! Dear fellow marmammers: I recently posted an inquiry regarding any information on free-ranging bottlenose dolphins interacting with human swimmers, surfers, boaters, parasailers and jetskiiers. The response has been great and I would like to give a summary of all the information I received: Christina Lockyer's chapter 18 in The Bottlenose Dolphin (eds: Leatherwood and Reeves, Academic Press 1990). Aquatic Mammals has many articles: Patricia St. John, Educating a wild dolphin (17:1) Bloom et. al. has many articles written about "Freddy" north of England. Encounters with Whales and Dolphins and other books have been written by Wade Doak of New Zealand. Horace Dobbs of the UK published "Donald" and other books. Bloom, P.R.S., Goodson, A.D., Klinowska, M., and Sturtivant, C.R. (1995); The activities of a wild, solitary bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic Mammals 21:1 pp 19-42. The Reports of the Marine Mammal Commission to the U.S. Congress for 1992, `93, `94 contain much information on the controversial subjects of swim with dolphin programs and feeding wild dolphins. The Discovery Channel's "In the Company of Whales". Ron Canning in Key West, Florida runs a business called Dolphin Watch which takes tourists out to swim with the dolphins (Tursiops). Human bathers feed Tursiops in the wild at Monkey Mia, in western Australia. Anecdotes: There was "...a dolphin that killed a swimmer who was bothering the animal off Brazil". "There is, or was 4 years ago, Fungi the Dingle Dolphin swimming with people at the entrance to the Dingle Harbor in western Ireland." "Off the coast of central California there is a pod of free-swimming bottlenose dolphins that range from the Ventura County coast to near Point Conception. There have been numerous reports of these dolphins surfing with the human surfers in the area. These reports may refer to more than one member of this coastal group of dolphins." A couple of dolphins approached to within a few yards of two surfers just north of Scammons Lagoon in Baja California. One of the dolphins caught and surfed the same wave as one of the surfers and was only a few feet away from the human surfer (who fell off of his surfboard due to this startling event). The two dolphins then met each other (after the surfing dolphin rode the wave all the way to its completion) and they left together down the coast. As two surfers approached a group of about 30 Tursiops off highway 101 in California, three individuals from the group departed and headed straight for the surfers. When one surfer continued to paddle closer, the three dolphins (who were now less than 10m from the surfer) simultaneously raised their flukes and entire tail stocks into the air. They were positioned in a straight line and held themselves in place for several seconds before the surfer turned and went back to the beach. Juvenile Indo Pacific Humpbacks (Sousa) in Bahrain, Arabian Gulf, nudge the soles of feet of people whose legs are hanging over the side of one researcher boat. Some of the animals in these pods around the reef swim alongside a human being towed in a life ring and regularly swim underneath the boat hulls. Of the jetski interactions, "Once they get used to the machine they seem fascinated by the jet pulse and bubbles. Once they have become habituated to that you can engage them in some quite spectacular games of chase which some (if not all) really enjoy. Fred...loves that ski and he has learned that by Z turning and a version of the Immelman turn, he can get me off the ski and into the water...and he will come within touching range. A variation of this is to come alongside (on the right) and push me over. I was concerned when this first started that he might take this action with other people, but he never has, only to me. It has so far ruined a portable telephone and several notebooks!!". "In Sept 1991 a group of bottlenose dolphins, often reported as 20 - 25 animals, suddenly moved into the area and have been seen many times since.They frequently surfed alongside human surfers in various bays, but wereusually at least 2m from a person, and they did not associate with any swimmers or divers. They responded to jet skis, fast-approaching boats or helicopters by bunching up, speeding up, synchronising their surfacing and finally by making changes of direction underwater. On one occasion in their second summer (93) a single individual was left behind in a small ria that a group of them had visited. This animal spent a lot of time over the next 3 days swimming very close to moored boats or moving boats, and took an interest in all human boating activity on the water. Then it disappeared. In their third summer all but two of the group disappeared from west Cornwall for several months. The two that were left then regularly swam with local divers, including a local diving school, which they met on a daily basis for a while. This behaviour stopped when the group size increased above 3 later in the year. I also got a couple of reports of the 2 playing with seaweed, which had not been reported to me from the larger group (in which they did sometimes play with fish), and they were reported close enough to surfers to be touched." I would like to thank the following for taking the time to respond to my posting: Erich Hoyt, Aldemaro Romero, Charles Greene, John Dineley, Jim Nollman, Rick Hobson, Mary Stack, Robbins Barstow, Peter Corkeron, Chris Sturtivant, Bill Evans, Philip Hill, Nick Tregenza, Toni and Jim Frohoff, Larry Fletcher, Bill Keener, Sarah Haavind, Geoffrey Patton, Ken Smith and Lizz Schlansky. Hollis Hollis D. Fortenberry Marine Mammal Research Program Texas A&M University (\) Galveston 4700 Ave. U., Bldg 303 Galveston, TX. 77551 e-mail: Fo1053(\)tamug3.tamu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 23 Jul 1995 14:19:42 -0400 Reply-To: dave(\)ornith.cornell.edu From: Dave Mellinger Subject: wind and dolphins Julian (t02jt(\)aberdeen.ac.uk) writes: > .... One of > the more interesting correlations that has come to light is between > the direction of travel for fast moving dolphins, and the direction > of the prevailing wind (both show a strong positive correlation for > 50 sightings to within 45 degree). I would be interested to hear > from anyone who has made such observations in the past (references > would be appreciated), or who could suggest any idea as to why the > dolphins are doing this (other than 'they must be using the dorsal > fin as a sail', a comment which I shall ignore). Some possibilities that come to mind: (1) Wind obviously affects the speed and direction of waves and their associated surface water movement. Perhaps dolphins travel long distances more often when the waves (and wind) are in their favor. (2) Dolphins stay close to the surface when the waves (and wind) are in their favor, since wave-induced water motion is strongest there. (3) Dolphins porpoise (jump out of the water while traveling) more when they are moving with the wind. With regard to (1), dolphins are undoubtedly aware of surface currents and wave directions, and may travel long distances more often when the waves are helping out. As an example, most migratory birds are highly dependent on favorable winds, and will tend not to migrate until the right weather pattern arrives. With regard to (2) and (3), the correlation could come from a combination of behavior changes and observer bias. Perhaps dolphins stay close to the surface, or spend more time out of the water, when they have a tailwind. Since dolphins are presumably much more visible when near the surface or (more so) when porpoising, observations could be biased toward seeing them when they're moving in the wind direction. You could test this porpoising idea if you knew whether porpoising was happening for each dolphin sighting in your data set, and whether in general the data collection was biased by porpoising. There are two sub-possibilities for porpoising: that wind could slow the animals down directly, or could just tend to roll them to the side during their time out of the water (there is that dorsal fin) and make it harder to porpoise. In either case, the animals may do it more when a tailwind is present. If rolling by the wind is indeed a significant effect, you'd also expect to see relatively more porpoising when dolphins are traveling into the wind, since the rolling force would be weaker in that direction also. On the other hand, if the cause is mainly that a tailwind directly helps the dolphins move more efficiently, then porpoising into the wind would not occur. The distribution of sighting directions relative to wind may give an answer about the relative importance of these two effects. (Or there could be other effects more knowledgeable people could suggest.) Obviously the three possibilities above may all have some effect, as well as others I haven't thought of. You have your work cut out for you in disentangling them! ======================================================================= David K. Mellinger, Postdoctoral Research Associate Bioacoustics Research Program email dave(\)ornith.cornell.edu Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology phone +1-607-254-2431 159 Sapsucker Woods Road fax +1-607-254-2415 Ithaca, NY 14850-1999 USA ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 12:29:38 +0100 From: Alastair MacMillan Subject: Serological diagnosis in marine mammals We are using an indirect ELISA to carry out a survey of sera from a wide range of marine mammal species for the presence of antibodies to Brucella. This test requires the use of an anti-globulin enzyme conjugate for antibody detection. We are currently using protein A for this purpose, but are uncertain as to it's suitability for use in all species of seals and cetaceans. Do any colleagues have any information concerning the antibody isotypes of marine mammals, any peculiarities of their humoral immune responses and what is the best conjugate(s) to use diagnostically. Many thanks Alastair MacMillan ___________________________________________________ AP MacMillan FAO/WHO Centre for Reference and Research on Brucellosis OIE Brucellosis Reference Centre Central Veterinary Laboratory Weybridge Great Britain Tel: + 44 1932 357216 Fax: + 44 1932 347046 e-Mail: cvl(\)dircon.co.uk ___________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 09:06:38 -0700 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: Captive Release I don't want to enter into this captivity discussion other than to respond to someone that may think that IUCN - The World Conservation Union and Its Wealthy Bureaucracy Sitting in Switzerland - is a neutral or independent body. As much as the "animal rights million-dollar lobby" , IUCN has grown and expanded its web of influence by bowing and agreeing to governments and developing its own ideologies - like "sustainable use of wildlife" - which are more based on political convenience than any "science" I have seen. By so doing, IUCN, on behalf of its affiliated governments and many government-dependent institutions on its membership, has literally disregarded the efforts, the ideas and the agenda of both researchers and environmental activists in developing countries like mine. Thus, I dare proposing that quoting IUCN in a discussion like this is no longer an assurance of neutrality or science-based opinion. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 08:39:02 -0700 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: Makah whaling I am surprised that anyone older than 8 can ignore the facts surrounding the recent history of Japanese whaling, and for those who have been around here for long I must apologize for citing my country's own example again - Brazil, where YES, Japanese aid was openly and directly linked to an aligned pro-whaling position during the military rule - just a few years ago. I can name several politicians who profited from this, but I wish to mention a major defender of Japanese whaling in Brazil who has recently been prosecuted for corruption in elections, Humberto Lucena. Other examples? Chile's Pinochet. Peru. The recent efforts by the Venezuelan disguised dictatorship to reappear aggressively in the international fora linked to whales & whaling. One last point. Of course these are non-scientific arguments, but mere history. The question surrounding Makah whaling is not related to Natural History Science, but rather to whether it is (a) legitimate, (b) needed, (c) legal, (d) influenced by Japanese and wise-use interests. Before these questions are properly answered, casting a pro-whaling vote as the anonymous respondent did is at least " non- scientific" . Jose ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 19:53:47 BST From: John Dineley Subject: IUCN ==================================== Jose Truda Palazzo Jr states: >I don't want to enter into this captivity discussion other than to >respond to someone that may think that IUCN - The World >Conservation Union and Its Wealthy Bureaucracy Sitting in >Switzerland - is a neutral or independent body. > >As much as the "animal rights million-dollar lobby" , IUCN has >grown and expanded its web of influence by bowing and >agreeing to governments and developing its own ideologies - >like "sustainable use of wildlife" - which are more based on >political convenience than any "science" I have seen. By so >doing, IUCN, on behalf of its affiliated governments and many >government-dependent institutions on its membership, has >literally disregarded the efforts, the ideas and the agenda of >both researchers and environmental activists in developing >countries like mine. Thus, I dare proposing that quoting IUCN in >a discussion like this is no longer an assurance of neutrality or >science-based opinion. My reference to the IUCN referred to their 1988 Statement of the Translocation of Living Organisms. What ever the perceived politics involved in the operation of this organisation, this document still gives sound scientific advise as regards reintroduction of flora and fauna. ===================================== John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ===================================== ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 15:46:17 EDT From: David Mattila Subject: position available POSITION AVAILABLE October, 1995: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Center for Coastal Studies. Responsible for overall management of this 18-year-old marine and coastal environmental organization. Fundraising ability and supervisory skills imperative, writing and speaking skills essential, knowledge of nonprofit management issues required. Must be a self-starter, well organized, able to work with staff and Board of Directors, capable of conceptualizing and promoting programs, projects and events that further the Center's research, conservation and education missions. Advanced degree in science, education or management is highly desirable. Salary negotiable depending on experience and proven track record. Send cover letter and resume to: Search Committee Center for Coastal Studies 59 Commercial St. P.O. Box 1036 Provincetown, MA 02657 DEADLINE: September 8, 1995 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 13:32:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: Politic Alan Macnow says that he would like to hear me deny that the "other side" engages in the same sort of tactics as Japan, viz. in buying votes etc. I am sorry to disappoint him, but I have no intention of doing this. I do not represent either a government or an NGO (contrary to his intimations), and consequently am quite free to be blunt about this issue. Of course this sort of thing goes on. If an organization or country adopts certain strategies to further its own ends, it is not illogical to assume that the opponents of the country's policies will have to resort to similar tactics in order to be effective. When I sent my recent note on Japan's buying of votes, I was simply pointing out that denying that this sort of thing goes on is very naive. Welcome to the real world. Now, Mr Macnow, how about you? I would like to hear you state, flatly and unequivocally, that Japan's economic development money and other subsidies have absolutely no political motivation and are not given with any consideration to furthering its whaling policies. That, for example, the fisheries money that your employers poured into Bequia was given with not the slightest thought to a whaling connection. I suggest that Mr Macnow has painted himself into a corner. If he denies that Japan engages in vote-buying, it would be rather amusing since it is tantamount to saying that the bad guys do this but we don't. If he admits it, he has effectively confessed to what his own message terms - what was it again? - gross immorality. On another subject, I and others would be grateful if Mr Macnow would respond to queries sent months ago requesting details of the Japanese minke whale genetic studies. Or can it be that Mr Macnow now realizes that the studies which he rather hurriedly summarized at that time do indeed run the danger of demonstrating what his opponents have been saying for some time about minke whale stock structure? Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 13:29:54 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: Vancouver Aquarium beluga gives birth (fwd) Forwarded message: Press Release, Vancouver Public Aquarium July 23, 1995 Beluga Baby Born At 7:32 this morning Aurora, the nine year old beluga at the Vancouver Aquarium, gave birth to a female calf. The calf swam directly to the surface and took a strong first breath. Mother and calf are doing well. The calf seems quite vigorous and is swimming strongly. Aurora is displaying strong maternal behaviour - swimming alongside her calf. This is the first beluga calf to be conceived and born in a Canadian aquarium. Staff and volunteers on the "24 hour calf watch" spotted tiny tail flukes protruding from Aurora's body at 3:55 a.m. The dark grey calf emerged tail first. She is about 1.5 m long and weighs more than 70 kilograms. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 20:29:19 -0400 From: Zozie(\)aol.com Subject: Makah whaling To respond to Jose's note suggesting the Makah issue must be discussed on various levels... it is apparently the stance of the US govt that the take of the entrapped gray whale by the Makah last week is legal under the treaty of the tribe. I think that legality may be questioned on a couple of points. I'm not a lawyer but have been around for awhile and see that there are some questions -- for instance, if the Makah didn't take gray before they were off the list (meaning they were abiding by US law as US citizens) why are they taking them now (and NOT abiding by the law as US citizens, who are abiding by the moratorium)? And there are some others of a more arcane legal nature. I've just read anthropologist Colson's book, The Makah, which covers a period in which the author lived in a Makah village in 1944-45. She notes at that time there were no people in the village who remembered how to whale and none who had been whaling. There were a few elders whom she describes as having very early memories of the men oging off to wHALE. She also refers to the fact that by 1910 whaling was gone from the villages. There is no question that the Makah have a long history of whaling, and that it was of central importance to them before they were pushed around by Indian Agency people at the end of the 19th century. It had an elaborate spiritual ritual, which lasted even after a Christian church opened on the reservation. So should the dialogue be about the value of re-inventing traditions? And who will argue this with competency? Phoebe Wray zozie(\)aol ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 18:14:00 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: Temporary suspension of MARMAM (25-27 July) Greetings, From Tuesday 25 July through Thursday 27 July no messages will be sent out from the MARMAM list. Both editors and the two individuals who help with list editing will be in the field for that period. Any messages submitted to the list over that time will be dealt with when someone returns on 28 July. Robin Baird, MARMAM co-editor ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 18:19:03 -0700 From: Robin Baird Subject: Aquatic Mammals: Table of Contents Issue 21.2, 1995 (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 24 Jul 95 17:34:05 PDT From: Paul E. Nachtigall ------- The following papers will appear in Aquatic Mammals 21.2, 1995. KLIMA, M.: Cetacean phylogeny and systematics based on the morphogenesis of the nasal skull ....................................................................... SEKIGUCHI, K.: Occurrence, behavior and feeding habits of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) Pajaro Dunes, Monterey Bay, California ....................................................................... SECCHI, E., and SICILIANO, S.: Comments on the southern range of the spinner dolphin (stenella longirostris) in the western south Atlantic ...................................................................... PFEIFFER, C.J., and VIERS, V.S.: Cardiac ultrascructure in the ringed seal (Phoca hispida) and the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) ...................................................................... GAO, A.-L., ZHOU, K.-Y., and WANG, Y.-M.: Geographical variation in morphology of bottlenosed dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in Chinese waters ................................................................... ORAMS, M.B.: Development and management of a feeding program for wild bottlenose dolphins at Tangalooma, Australia ....................................................................... DUDZINSKI, K.M., FROHOFF, T.G., and CRANE, N.L.: Behavior of a lone female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with humans off the coast of Belize ...................................................................... KASTELEIN, R.A., DOKTER, T. and HILGENKAMP, J.: A swimming support for dolphins undergoing veterinary care ............................................................................ Paul E. Nachtigall Editor Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawaii FAX 808 247-5831 Aquatic Mammals is published by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. ------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 13:31:45 +1000 From: mccnsa(\)peg.apc.org Subject: Great Australian Bight Marine Park The following may be interest to MARMAM readers with regards to the proposed Marine Park at the Great Australian Bight in South Australia. The Draft Management Plan for the proposed Great Australian Bight Marine Park, was originally being prepared by the South Australian Research and Development Institute's Aquatic Science Centre (SARDI). This was part of a contract to the Commonwealth Government as part of their Ocean Rescue 2000 programme to establish a national representational system of marine reserves. Most recently SARDI was "unofficially" taken off the project and responsibility for producing a final draft placed with Primary Industries Fisheries. The draft of the management plan has been called a "briefing to (state) cabinet and has not been released officially to members of the advisory committee consisting of fishing, mining, aboriginal and conservation representatives, as has been standard practice for the previous drafts of the document. Recently the Wilderness Society was refused access to the document through the Freedom of Information procedure. Their case is currently before the state ombudsman. What is even more suprising is that the contracting agency, the officially the Commonwealth Department of Environment, Sport and Territories has not even been allowed access to the document they contracted. The following information is collated from a public pamphlet produced as part of the public consultation phase of the park planning process and also from information discussed through the advisory committee process before the draft report was suppressed. Why there has been so much suppression of information and secrecy over a document that is merely a draft management plan for discussion is unknown, but it possibly relates to the data showing the low amount of commercial fishing activity in the area which would tend to support the proclamation of a large marine managed area. The Great Australian Bight Marine Park Proposal Why a Marine Park? . The Great Australian Bight region is recognised world-wide as a significant seasonal habitat for populations of the endangered Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis). Within the GAB region, specific areas such as the Head of Bight and the Merdayerrah Sandpatch, representing one of the most significant habitats for the breeding and calving of Southern Right Whales in Australia. Every year, between the months of May and November, approximately 50-60 whales visit the Head of Bight region to calve, nurse their young and breed. Estimates currently put the world population at around 1500 to 3000 individuals, with an Australian population of approximately 400-600. . The area at the Head of Bight also represents one of the few areas in the world where the breeding and general behaviour of the whales can be observed closely by the public. The proximity of the whales to shore and the unique cliff top views afford some of best whale-watching views in the world. . The Great Australian Bight region generally is also recognised as a significant seasonal habitat for many other species of rare and endangered marine mammals. At least 17 species of cetaceans have been recorded including Blue Whales, Sperm Whales, Minke Whales and Humpbacks. Two species of seals or pinnipeds are also found in the region: the New Zealand Fur Seal (Arctocephalos forsteri) and the rare Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca cinerea). Of particular significance is the recent discovery of breeding colonies of Australian Sea Lions along the Nullarbor Cliffs, within the boundaries of the proposed Marine Park. . In September 1989, the South Australian Government announced it's intention to protect the critical calving and breeding areas of the Southern Right Whale by proposing South Australia's first multiple-use Marine Park: the Great Australian Bight Marine Park. What is a `Marine Park'? . The concept of `Marine Parks' is one of managed use within a conservation framework. Marine Parks are large, multiple-use areas that attempt to integrate the management of a range of activities (such as commercial and recreational fishing, recreation, tourism and mining) by providing for varying levels of protection and use throughout an area. The principal aim of a Marine Park is not to exclude use but to manage all uses in the area on an integrated, ecosystem level for ecologically sustainable use. . One of the best known examples of a multiple-use Marine Park is the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which provides for a whole range of activities, such as tourism, fishing (commercial and recreational), conservation, recreation and scientific research, while maintaining the essential ecological processes which sustain this unique coral reef ecosystem. Only a small proportion of this well-known Marine Park (approximately 5% in area) is totally excluded from traditional exploitative activities, such as fishing, for preservation purposes. Threats to the Southern Right Whale . Southern Right Whales are presently considered both `vulnerable to extinction' (World Conservation Union, International Union for the Conservation of Nature) and `endangered' (Council of Nature Conservation Ministers 1991). While the species is presently recovering, the suspected very low diversity of the gene pool in the population (after being hunted to near extinction), makes the species vulnerable to catastrophic collapses due to environmental or other changes. . Southern Right Whales, like all marine mammals, are protected under Commonwealth legislation from direct disturbance or harm. However, this legislation does not protect marine mammals from indirect disturbance (eg. aircraft, fisheries entanglements, seismic drilling) or direct habitat disturbance (eg. dredging, pollution). The potential threats to the recovery of rare and endangered species is greatest in nearshore calving and breeding areas (like the Head of the Great Australian Bight) and include: whale watching vessels and pleasure craft low flying aircraft coastal industrial activity (eg. seismic, drilling, sandmining and shipping operations) defence operations collision with large vessels entanglements in fishing gear pollution including plastic debris at sea, oil spills and dumping of industrial waste into waterways and the sea (leading to bio-accumulation of toxic substances in body tissue) impacts on critical migratory pathways, calving and mating areas from inshore habitat degradation, such as from fisheries exploitation and petroleum and mineral exploration and exploitation . Because marine mammal-based ecotourism industries historically develop very rapidly, there is a critical need to protect and manage the critical breeding and calving habitats at the Head of the Great Australian Bight, despite the fact that is appears relatively unimpacted by human activities at present. . Further, endangered species with small populations, such as the Southern Right Whale, are particularly vulnerable to extinction. Habitat protection of critical breeding and calving areas is one of the most effective pro-active conservation measures to ensure species recovery of endangered marine mammals. Proposed Area of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park . The proposed Great Australian Bight Marine Park would cover an area of approximately 8 600 square kilometres of State and Commonwealth waters and intertidal lands, from the Dog Fence, just west of Cape Adieu, to Eucla, in Western Australia (see Figure 1). The larger Commonwealth component of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park (beyond 3 nautical miles) comprising approximately 7 000 square kilometres (or 80% of the total area) would be established later under separate Commonwealth legislation, namely the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975. Benefits of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park to South Australia The Great Australian Bight Marine Park would represent: South Australia's first Marine Park national and international recognition for the protection of globally significant breeding and calving areas of the Southern Right Whale (a species vulnerable to extinction) and also, the recently discovered breeding colonies of the rare Australian Sea Lion a significant contribution to the national, representative system of Marine Parks, which will represent the first formal reservation of the marine habitats and ecosystems typical of the southern coast of Australia a multiple-use management area where the activities of commercial and recreational fishing, mining and the developing ecotourism industry can be cooperatively managed on an ecologically sustainable basis increased regional and state ecotourism opportunities and recognition through the management of some of the best whale-watching opportunities in the world a continuing focus for the ongoing internationally recognised scientific research on the Southern Right Whale opportunities for involvement of indigenous communities in Marine Park management and training, particularly whale- watching activities and ranger training a focus for marine education and interpretation of the marine environment for the isolated remote communities of the far West Coast of South Australia How are Activities or Uses Managed in a Marine Park? . The integrated management of uses or activities within a Marine Park is achieved through a process of zoning. Zoning separates a Marine Park into discrete management units or zones and provides levels of protection which reflect the characteristics of natural resources, biodiversity and traditional use. Most importantly, by separating potentially conflicting uses and activities into different areas or zones, zoning minimises conflicts that may arise between the different user groups. . The zoning of activities or uses within a Marine Park is determined with community and industry participation through the development of a `management plan'. . The DRAFT management plan for the Great Australian Bight Marine Park is presently being prepared by SARDI, in cooperation with the Department of Primary Industries, under funding from the federally-funded 'Ocean Rescue 2000' program. Community and industry input is being received on the management plan through the Great Australian Bight Marine Park Management Plan Advisory Committee. Background . South Australia is the only State in Australia not to declared any Marine Parks (note: many developing nations have Marine Parks - Vietnam, Yap, Thailand, Phillipines...); . South Australia presently has the least proportional area of its jurisdictional waters protected under habitat conservation and management legislation (1.4% cf. with QLD and WA at 25% and 20% respectively); . the proposed Marine Park will protect one of the most critical nursery, calving and breeding areas of the endangered Southern Right Whale in the world - it is also the most important site for calving and breeding in Australia (over half the number of calves born in Australian waters are born at this one site); . the proposed Marine Park is essentially multiple-use, managing a range of uses (ie. fishing, tourism, recreation, mining and conservation) on an integrated, ecosystem-basis; . under the proposal, only 552 sq.km (or 6.4% of the total Marine Park area) will be excluded all-year round from extractive/exploitative activities such as fishing and mining (both these activities have been clearly demonstrated, through research studies, to cause disturbance to whales); . the fishing industry and the Department of Mines & Energy want access to this area for 6 months of year for commercial fishing and mineral and petroleum exploration (when the whales are not present); . this area, known as the Sanctuary Zone, represents the key area where the whales congregate, breed and calve at the Head of Bight, and move along the Nullarbor Cliffs (NB: the key issue is that their critical habitat should be protected all-year round); . the Marine Park area itself has not only poor prospectivity for mineral and petroleum activity, but commercial fishing activity is minimal (an average of less than 1% of Southern Rock Lobsters in western SA are caught within the Marine Park area); . the Minister responsible for declaring Marine Parks is also, the Minister for Fisheries and Mines and Energy - this has been a major conflict of interest, which has resulted in his reticence to support the Marine Park (despite the support from the Minister for the Environment); . SARDI, the agency contracted by the Commonwealth (the Australian Nature Conservation Agency) to produce the management plan for Marine Park has been withdrawn from the project by the Minister of Primary Industries, before it has completed it's contractual obligations. No reason has been given for SARDI removal from the project. This removal, in effect, looks likely to result in a breach of contract, with possible compensatory implications for the South Australian Government. The original project was funded in 1992 by the Commonwealth on the express condition that South Australia proclaim the Marine Park `in the near future'. This was agreed to in a letter to the Commonwealth by the then Government of South Australia, namely, the Minister for Environment (Susan Lenehan) and the Minister for Fisheries (Lyn Arnold). . Marine Parks are a nationally and internationally recognised tool for the integrated management of marine ecosystems, while conserving areas of key significance, eg. GBR, Shark Bay, Ningaloo, etc...(in all these parks, only a small proportion 5-10% is excluded from extractive/exploitative activities); . The Western Australian Government has recently released a report (the Wilson Report) recommending a further 77 Marine Parks for it's coastline. This is because of the demonstrated economic benefits (particulary ecotourism) of Marine Parks, like Ningaloo and Shark Bay Marine Parks. . Marine Parks are also wonderful ecotourism opportunities, as witnessed by the national and international profile of the GBR, Shark Bay, and Ningaloo - as such, the GAB Marine Park has the potential to be a major national and international tourist drawcard for SA and particularly, for the remote west coast communities of SA... Specific Information . A proposal to establish a Head of Bight Sanctuary only - cannot be considered a `Marine Park' (but rather an `Aquatic Reserve'). Marine Parks are defined nationally and internationally as large areas, zoned for multiple-use activities (ie. they are specifically established to manage a range of non-exploitative and exploitative activities). Importantly, they incorporate the concept of `buffer zones'. . The original project funded by the Commonwealth was for a large, multiple-use Marine Park not a small, unzoned area (like an Aquatic Reserve). This will possibly have significant contractual implications for SARDI in delivering the final report to the Commonwealth. SARDI may well have to pay back $150 000 to the Commonwealth if it fails to complete the management plan (as originally contracted), or if it fails to adhere to the defined and agreed project specifications (ie. a management plan for a multiple-use, Marine Park). . The buffer zone proposed in the GAB Marine Park is the Conservation Zone. Importantly, the proposed Conservation Zone will protect the activities of fishing and mining from detrimentally affecting the whales. Of particular concern is the potential for acoustic disturbance from boats and mineral exploration activities to cause disturbance to calving mothers. . Extensive research both, here in Australia and overseas, indicates that whales are affected by acoustic disturbance from boats from 2-7 km away. The whales at the Head of Bight are calving mothers. The potential disturbance from adjacent boats can cause mothers to desert their calves and leave them prone to malnourishment and predation from White Sharks. This has been identified as one of the major threats to Southern Right Whale and Humpback Whale populations in the Commonwealth's, National Cetacean Action Plan (1995). . A proposed Sanctuary only at the Head of Bight is not sufficient to protect the whales from acoustic disturbance. . Also the proposed Sanctuary fails to protect the other critical breeding area at the Merdayerrah Sandpatch and also, the migratory route between the two identified breeding areas. . 21 breeding colonies of rare Australian Sea Lions. These represent approximately 10% of the world population and represent the most significant populations for this species in the world. This is because these species were never commercially harvested and hence, are thought to have very high levels of genetic diversity (this is very important in the recovery of threatened or rare species) (refer to expert submission by Dr Peter Shaughnessy, CSIRO Division of Wildlife & Ecology). nd Mines and Energy - this has been a major conflict of interest, ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 20:55:10 -0600 From: pam keim Subject: Killer Whales in captivity (?) I am searching for statistics of Killer Whale births/deaths in captivity, similar to the chart that Erich Hoyt supplied in his book "Orca: The whale called Killer" (1984). Also, does anyone know of the current laws around the globe for capture of Orcas? Is it still illegal in North America? How many Orcas are currently in captivity around the world? Is anyone currently keeping track of captive Orca statistics? Thank you for your replies, in advance. :) Yours Truly, Ivy Keim P.S. Does anyone have information regarding the plight of the now famous "Keiko", star of "FREE WILLY"? ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 10:38:28 +0100 Reply-To: cjoiris(\)vnet3.vub.ac.be From: cjoiris(\)vnet3.vub.ac.be Subject: sperm whale symposium Dear ECS member, One year after the stranding of 4 sperm whales on the Begian coast, and taking into account the other strandings in the North Sea, we organize a sperm whale symposium at Koksijde, Belgian coast, on November 16-18, 1995. The programme includes: 1. Ecology and Ethology of sperm whales. 2. Pathology and toxicological studies. 3. Organisational aspects of whale stranding. Speakers (in order of appearence): W De Smet (B), M Simmonds (UK); C Phillips (UK); J Gordon (UK); P Evans (UK); RH Lambertsen (USA); H Ross (UK); T Jauniaux (B); R Law (UK); C Joiris (B); JM Bouquegneau (B); C Lockyer (UK); T Jacques (B); J Tavernier (B); C Smeenk (NL); J Tassyns (B); L Noel (B). 4. Last session: debate: The causes of sperm whale strandings in the North Sea. Attendance limited. Registration fee: 2500 BF; students 1500 BF. If you want to preregister or if you are interested in receiving more information, please contact me. PLEASE DO NOT USE THE "REPLY" FUNCTION! Best regards, Claude Joiris Belgian representative to ECS. Prof Claude JOIRIS cjoiris(\)vnet3.vub.ac.be tel: 32 2 629.34.14 fax: 32 2 629.34.38 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 10:46:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: Alert IF YOU LIVE IN THE U.S., PLEASE READ THIS. Subscribers should be aware of a particularly pernicious piece of legislation that will go to the floor of the House of Representatives next week. The Labor, Education, Health & Human Services Appropriations Bill now contains language designed to stifle legitimate political expression of non-profits, universities and others. An amendment successfully added by Reps McIntosh (R-Indiana), Istook (R-Oklahoma) and Riggs (R- California), would prohibit ANY federal funding from going to any organization or entity that engages in "substantial political advocacy". It states that no more than 5% of an organization's non- grant income can be spent on advocacy. The Bill's definition of advocacy goes well beyond even the Internal Revenue Service's current definition of lobbying. It involves not only attempts to influence legislation, but also efforts to influence agency actions (e.g. by commenting on proposed regulations). It also bars the giving of money or in-kind services by the organization to any political campaign, or to any third-party organization that does this. The Bill would also bar any federal grantee from litigation against the government. Incredibly, all of this extends not only to the federal government, but to attempts to influence state and local governments as well. State and local governments themselves are exempted from the Bill (but not Indian tribes). In case you're wondering how Dept of Defense contractors and their lobbyists get around this, the Bill's provisions involve "any federal funds except those given for the acquisition of property or services... for direct benefit to the United States." Translation: this Bill is an outrageous attempt to stifle First Amendment rights and to stop the direct involvement in the political process of all those nasty non-profits, universities and others that the Republican right wing finds so annoying. Please take the time to pick up the phone right now and call your Representative (not Senator), whether you know who he/she is or not. Call (202) 224-3121, which is the House switchboard, and ask to be put through to your Rep's (or "the Rep from X") office, and urge them to vote for amendments designed to strike this language from the Bill. By the way: all three sponsors of this Bill are freshmen, and McIntosh (the lead) was the head of Quayle's infamous Council on Competitiveness under the Bush Administration. Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 13:01:30 EDT From: William Rossiter <71322.1637(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Air Drop of Pseudorca? Silly question # 305: Please help as I don't watch enough TV and have been asked for help explaining a news video reported (from New Zealand) as a Sea World rehabilitation and release of Pseudorca a few months ago that ended with a release from "18m" altitude from helicopters. Any details specifying the total project, as well as confirmation/denial/explanation of the air drop would be most welcome. Opinions on the whales' abilities to deal with the noise, air pressure differential, and overall situation would help greatly. Was there a follow up demonstrating survival, what methods were used, and were conspecifics the drop targets? Not trying to churn the waters, honest. Just looking for facts. Thanks, Bill Rossiter ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 26 Jul 1995 11:56:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: Abstract - humpback whales Clapham, P.J., Leimkuhler, E., Gray, B.K. & Mattila, D.K. 1995. Do humpback whales exhibit lateralized behaviour? Anim. Behav. 50: 73-82. Abstract. Lateralized behaviour has been documented in non-human species, although many observers believe that it occurs at the individual rather than the population level. Its occurrence in humpback whales in Massachusetts Bay was investigated by examining active behaviour types in which preference could be given to one direction or side. These included head breaching (direction of spin), flippering (right or left), and tail breaching (direction of movement). In addition, persistent abrasions on the right or left jaw resulting from turns to one side during bottom feeding were noted. Of 75 individuals with jaw abrasions, 60 (80%) showed abrasions on only the right jaw, while 15 (20%) had abrasions on only the left. No whales had abrasions on both jaws. Location of abrasions was consistent in all resighted individuals for up to 12 years. Two of the the active behaviour types were not strongly lateralized: directional bias was seen in only five of 21 bouts (23.8%) of breaching, and in three of 11 bouts (27.3%) of tail breaching. However, 22 of 34 bouts (64.7%) of flippering showed a bias towards one direction (generally the right). Furthermore, direction of bias in all behaviour types was individually consistent between bouts and was strongly correlated with abrasions on the corresponding jaw (P = 0.0032). The sex ratio of individuals with jaw abrasions, and of those showing directional bias in active behaviour, did not differ significantly from that of the overall population. Overall, these data suggest that humpback whales exhibit some behavioural asymmetries, at least one of which is at the population level. this result suggests asymmetry of function in motor or somatosensory representations, although too little is known about the brain of this species to permit definitive conclusions. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 12:02:25 -0700 From: Alan Macnow Subject: Re: Politic FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association Phil Clapham on 24 July again raised the issue of "vote buying" in connection with the IWC. I had pointed out that "environmen- tal" groups in the period 1979-1982 had recruited a number of countries (19 in all) into the IWC for the purpose of voting for the commercial whaling moratorium, and were so brazen about it that they had their own people from the U.S. and the UK ap- pointed as commissioners to speak for those countries at the IWC, instead of allowing those countries to appoint their own citizens to those posts. Conceding that "this sort of thing goes on", he said that denying it would be very naive. Apparently, I am naive enough to believe that: 1. Natural resource management should be based on science, not politics or ideology; 2. Signatories to a conservation convention should support that science, not politics, ideology, nor national interest; 3. Representatives of those signatory countries should be na- tionals of the countries they represent and responsible to the people of those countries for actions taken by them at the in- ternational fora. I do not work for the government of Japan, so I am not party to the decisions made by it, nor to the motivations behind them. I do know, however, that the Japanese government several times refused to give government assistance to countries that said they would support Japan at the IWC if such assistance were granted. Why? Because those countries had shady reputations in- volving corruption and/or drug dealing and/or human rights violations. I know, too, that neither the Japanese government nor I, nor anyone associated with us, has ever required the government of an aid recipient country, nor its representative, to vote in fa- vor of Japan at the IWC in order to get or maintain financial assistance. The most any of them has been asked to do is to follow the advice of the IWC Scientific Committee. And to the best of my knowledge, none has ever voted in support of some- thing Japan supported if such a vote was contrary to the advice of the Scientific Committee. This was not the case when the "environmental" groups co-opted the countries they recruited and cast their votes for the moratorium and the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, neither of which was endorsed by the IWC Scientific Committee. Mr. Clapham, vote-buying is the use of money or favors to dic- tate the substance of a vote. There is a direct cause and ef- fect relationship. Maintaining friendly relationships with a country or providing economic assistance is not vote buying if it is not conditioned on dictating the substance of a vote. Words, after all, have meaning and substance, and should not be loosely tossed about. It is untrue and extremely defamatory to say that Japan engages in vote-buying at the IWC. As for your contention that "my employers" poured "fisheries money" into Bequia, that is laughable. "My employers" is the Japan Whaling Association, which hardly has enough money to employ me. Much of my work is pro bono and not reimbursed. If you are talking about the Japanese government, it is not my employer and has not poured money into Bequia. Only the St. Vincent government determines where and how fisheries assistance is applied. The only fisheries project in Bequia consists of a new landing dock, an icemaking machine, and a small cold storage facility. Anyone familiar with the small island could not con- clude that "fisheries money" was "poured" into it. Now, regarding Mr. Clapham's query requesting details of the Japanese minke whale genetic studies, I would suggest that if he is really interested he should ask the IWC for them. That isn't so hard. The IWC's e-mail address is ca100(\)phoenix.cambridge.ac .uk. The titles are Spacial and Temporal Patterns of Mitochondrial DNA Variation from Antarctic Areas IV and V by L.A. Pastene, M. Goto, and S. Itoh, and Populations Differentia- tion in the Western North Pacific Minke Whale as Revealed by RFLP Analysis of Mitochondrial D-loop DNA, by L.A. Pastene and M. Goto. Drs. Pastene, Goto and H. Kato also authored a paper for this year's IWC on RFLF analysis of the DNA of Bryde's whales. A Progress Report on a Mitochondrial D-loop DNA Se- quence Data Base for Cetaceans, by M. Goto and N. Yagi, can also be obtained from the IWC. I am somewhat in the dark about Mr. Clapham's insinuation that the "studies which he hurriedly summarized . . . do indeed run the danger of demonstrating what his opponents have been saying for some time about minke whale stock structure?" If by that Mr. Claphan means that the DNA studies show that there is more than one minke whale stock in the Antarctic, I have never been of the opinion otherwise. As far as I know, the probability of more than one stock has always been a given; that is why the RMP was constructed to evaluate catch quotas for small segments of the Antarctic within the arbitrary stock boundary zones devised in earlier times. The DNA studies cited above confirmed what before was only a hypothesis. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 22:29:08 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Captive Release >==================================== > >Anne Doncaster writes: > >>I wonder why the aquarium industry would release >>manatees held in captivity . . . . > >I do not have first hand knowledge of this project, only what >has been posted on MARMAM. > >However, I would judge that manatee releases are to do with >the conservation of an already endangered species. Yes manatees are endangered but does that not raise the question of why aquaria are breeding non-endangered species? My understanding is that aquaria do not meet any accepted principles of captive breeding programmes. > >Actually, it is not the "aquarium industry" that argue that the >release of dolphins would be "cruel to the captive dolphins >and dangerous to free-ranging dolphins" but organisations >such as the IUCN - the World Conservation Union. The Vancouver Public Aquarium, I believe, has said that captive dolphins could not cope in the wild and that it would, therefore, be impossible to release them. The Aquarium also raised the issue of disease transmission to wild populations. > >Generally, the multi-million dollar "animal-rights industry" >want to release cetaceans back to the wild to promote their >ideological aims ie: the outlawing of cetaceans in captivity. >As sincere as some individuals might be, I believe their zeal >sometime clouds the legitimate scientific concerns >regarding the efficacy of such "welfare" projects to the >individual animals involved. The multi-billion dollar aquaria industry has a vested interest, irrespective of what science says, in opposing the release of captive dolphins. The animal rights industry has always argued that holding dolphins in captivity is morally wrong. Recently, the concept of release has attracted significant contributions from members of the public who agree. I am not sure what concerns scientists have re the efficacy of release projects on the individual animals involved. Anne D. Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 22:50:47 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: CAPTIVE BORN MANATEES RELEASED TO THE WILD >Anne Doncaster writes: . >> I wonder why the aquarium industry would release manatees held >> in captivity for some years and yet argue that to release of >> dolphins would be cruel to the captive dolphins and dangerous >> to free-ranging dolphins. >> >> Anne Doncaster > >First of all, the above representation of the aquarium industry's >position on release is not accurate: the position is that it would be >cruel and dangerous if done improperly. I don't think anyone has supported releasing captive dolphins improperly, although there may well be differences of opinion on what is proper. . . . the >manatees have not been released yet, but will be in a halfway house >for at least month to be "reconditioned and taught to eat natural >sea grass". Also, in this case an extensive follow-up >is planned (the animals will be freeze-branded and satelite tagged >so that they can be localized and recognized). I'm not sure how important the evaluations are to the dolphins but the two release projects with which I have some familiarity, Keiko and the Florida Dolphin Project,incorporate programmes to prepare the animals before the release takes place and to track the animals after release. >- the release is an attempt to support a threatened population. This not > an issue with bottlenose dolphins (or killer whales for that matter). I take your point - up to a point. I do feel that the fact that the aquarium industry has no vested interest (and by law cannot have) in manatees, may also contribute to the difference in attitude. Re risk to wild populations, none of the releases, including dolphins "lost" by the US navy, have been shown to have caused any harm to wild populations. Nor have I seen any assessment of how risky the process might be for wild populations. If the benefits for released individuals are significant, would this justify a small risk to their wild counterparts? Anne D Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 06:33:07 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: otter deaths a mystery Otter deaths a mystery MONTEREY, Calif., July 25 (UPI) -- The cause of the deaths of as many as 13 female sea otters over the last 10 days in the Monterey Bay area remains a mystery, marine biologists said Tuesday. Julie Hymer, of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, said tests have shown that at least two of the otters were poisoned, but it was not known if the poisonings were intentional or what toxin killed the mammals. "It seems unusual that there's a concentrated area where these mortalities are taking place," she said. Hymer said the aquarium retrieved 12 of the sea otter carcasses between July 16 and Tuesday, while another reportedly washed out to sea. All the otters were female and all but one was found in Monterey's inner harbor or nearby Del Monte Beach. "What is going on?" Hymer asked. "We've never had so many 'dead calls.' Is this something naturally happening or is there some foul play?" Jack Ames, an environmental specialist with the state Department of Fish & Game, said the otters appear to be underweight. "They're mostly real thin and had kind of gone downhill for at least a period of a week or so, maybe longer," Ames said. Eleven of the carcasses were being shipped to the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisc., for examination and toxicology tests. A preliminary necropsy has revealed that the livers of two of the mammals were discolored. Ellen Faurot-Daniels, a spokeswoman for the group, Friends of the Sea Otter, said such a result indicates poisoning and that biologists are treating the deaths as "highly unusual." "The fishermen have a conflict with the sea lions," she said. "Maybe the poison was aimed at them and the sea otters just got in the way." The sea otter has been listed as threatened on the Endangered Species Act list with 2,400 living along a 250-mile span of the California coast, but has been making a slow, steady comeback. However, Faurot-Daniels said the spring count found a noticable dropoff this year. "We were already concerned about the otter," she said. "There had been a pretty steady 5 percent growth of the herd until this year when the spring count found less than a 1 percent growth rate. So instead of 100 to 115 animals joining the population we had a mere 18 this year and now we've lost 13. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 08:32:31 -0400 From: Sunil Gupta Subject: Dolphin Assisted Therapy Symposium - Inaugural Event - International Symposium on Dolphin Assisted Therapy September 8-10 of 1995 Cancun, Mexico Hosted by Dolphin Discovery and the AquaThought Foundation ... A meeting of those who are involved in research, methodology development, and facilitation of therapy in human dolphin interaction... The first of its kind, this symposium has been organized to provide a venue for shared research, cooperative development, ongoing communication, and fundamental organization of the field. It will establish an expanding network for sharing research, protocols, theories and opinions, as well as launch cooperative projects. Additionally, a peer review journal will be established to provide a venue for participating researchers to publish their findings. Schedule of Events: Friday, Sept. 8th, 6 - 8pm: Welcome Party at the President's Retreat - Casa Maya Saturday, Sept. 9th, 9am-5pm: Symposium Presentations at Melia Turquesa Hotel I. Introduction - Mayor of Cancun, Carlos Cardenia II. Observations in Applied Therapy and Interaction - presented by dolphin interaction facilitators and dolphin assisted therapists. III. Dolphin Research Programs - quantifiable physiological effects of dolphin interaction on human biological states. IV. Related Research - related neurological studies, vibrational technology, virtual reality applications for the handicapped. V. Conclusions - establishment of Board, Peer Review Journal, Internet Site Sunday, Sept. 10th, 8:30am-5pm: Dolphin Swims Ferry departs from Dolphin Discovery's Cancun office at Playa Langosta and arrives in Dolphin Discovery's Isla Mujeres site. Symposium participants will enjoy swimming with six female bottlenose dolphins, a buffet lunch, and conversing with the diverse and talented group members. ----------------------------------------------------------------- As Dolphin Discovery has subsidized much of the costs associated with this inaugural event, we are able to provide the entire 3 day symposium agenda for only $130.00 USD (US dollars). For this inaugural event we are limiting attendance. If you would like the unique opportunity to help shape the future of dolphin research, please register immediately. Contact Information: For information pertaining to reservations please call Melody Boyd, at Isco in Ft. Lauderdale: (800) 607-8080 9am - 6pm EST (305) 485-5400 for those outside of US & Canada For information pertaining to symposium content call Donna Brewer of Dolphin Discovery, symposium organizer, in Isla Mujeres by phone or fax: 011-52-98-770596 You may also relay a message to Donna through the Cancun office: 011-52-98-830779 You may phone or fax David Cole of the AquaThought Foundation in Los Angeles, California: (310) 316-4563 or email to Aqua(\)netcom.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- Prices and Information The 3 day symposium package is $130 USD (US dollars) includes Friday - Welcome Party Saturday - Symposium admission One copy of the proceedings Danish/coffee/tea service Lunch Sunday - Ferry ride to and from Isla Mujeres One dolphin swim Buffet lunch A whole lot of fun! Symposium participants will receive the discounted price of $82.50 (tax included) per room, per night, at the Melia Turquesa, a 5-star beach front hotel. Round trip airport transfers are available for $14.00 USD per person. Registration Form Your name:________________________________________________________ Occupation:_______________________________________________________ Names of additional members of your party:_______________________ __________________________________________________________________ Your address:_____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Phone:___________________________________________________________ Fax:_____________________________________________________________ Symposium package number of people ______ x $130.00 = $ ______ Hotel room - Melia Turquesa number of nights ______ x $82.50 = $ ______ The above room rate is for single or double occupancy, a third adult may share the room for an additional $27.50 per night. Third person number of nights ______ x $27.50 = $ _______ Round trip airport transfer number of people ______ x $14.00 = $ ______ Total Amount Due $ _______ Method of payment: Check:______ Credit card acct.number:______________________________________ Mastercard ___ Visa ___ American Express ___ Your name as appears on credit card: ______________________________________________ Expiration date:________________ Please mail or FAX your completed registration form according to the information below. People registering by FAX must pay by credit card. FAX to (305) 730-9647 MAIL the form along with a check (if you are not paying by credit card) payable in US dollars and drawn on a US bank to: ISCO 3363 W. Commercial Blvd. Suite 202 Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 33309 ****************************************************************** **** Payment must be received by August 6, 1995 **** **** Cancellation refunds vary according to date cancelled. **** ****************************************************************** Note: Please verify with your travel agent that the Mexican departure tax is included on your airline ticket. If not, plan to have $12 USD (or the peso equivalent) per person in cash and correct change when you are departing from the Cancun airport on your return trip home. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 10:52:37 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info. Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Polar Bear Conservation. On July 27, 1995, Russian and Alaskan Inuit leaders, meeting in Nome, Alaska, agreed to conservation measures to better protect polar bears in the Chukchi Sea between Alaska and Russia. This agreement will assist negotiations between U.S. and Russian officials scheduled for Sept. 1995. [Assoc Press] . Sea Otter Deaths. In mid-July 1995, discovery of 11 dead sea otters along the Monterey Harbor shore prompted an investigation by California Dept. of Fish and Game biologists. At least 2 otters were believed to have died from poisoning. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 19:02:59 -0400 From: Delphinus(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Killer Whales in captivity (?) For information on all captivity statistics call Jerye Mooney at (310) 830-4952, fax (310) 549-0634. Keiko is being cared for by the Free Willy Foundation (Earth Island Institute). His interim home, a five million gallon pool at the Oregon Coast Aquarium is being constructed as we speak. Keiko is scheduled to be transfered from Mexico City to Oregon in early December. Rehabilitation should take a year or so, then he goes to a sea pen in Iceland for eventual release back to his family in southern Iceland. Vocal and DNA analysis will begin in October in Iceland to locate Keiko's family. This is no pipe dream. This is reality. The Marine Mammal Fund will be producing a one-hour special on Keiko's story for the Discovery Channel. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 18:29:09 -0400 From: Samneph(\)aol.com Subject: sea otter die off Does anyone have specific information on the recent deaths of 28 sea otters in the Monterey County area? For example, potential causes of death or risks to the sea otter population as a whole or bird species? Please respond to email address samneph(\)aol.com. Thank you, Karen Purves, M.A. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 12:25:51 -0400 From: "Richard L. Wallace" Subject: E. Hoyt's Whalewatching Report In-Reply-To: <199507250337.AA01261(\)minerva.cis.yale.edu> I would greatly appreciate a quick hand from anyone who can provide me with the address and/or ordering information for Erich Hoyt's most recent report on global whalewatching. Thanks much. Richard L. Wallace School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 30 Jul 1995 13:29:05 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: including names and e-mail addresses with MARMAM submissions Greetings, Several subscribers to MARMAM have noted that mail they receive appears to come directly from the MARMAM listserv, and does not include information on the original senders e-mail address or name. All future submissions to the list should include both the senders name and e-mail address. Submissions that do not include such information may be returned to the sender with a request that the message be resubmitted with that information. Robin Baird, MARMAM co-editor ========================================================================= Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Research Group Box 6244 Victoria, B.C. V8P 5L5 Canada Phone (604) 380-1925 Fax (604) 380-1206 e-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca ========================================================================= ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 14:55:12 EDT From: "Nina, Young" Subject: Appropriation Alert IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NEEDED TO SAVE IMPORTANT FUNDS FOR MARINE MAMMAL RESEARCH!!! Action Alert: Action is needed now to restore funding for marine conservation programs. Please contact your Representative in Congress today. Last week the House Appropriations Committee slashed funding for marine conservation programs vital to our nation's living marine resources. In the fiscal year 1996 Commerce, State, Justice Appropriations bill (HR 2076) the committee cut $62 million from programs within National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's budget essential to the protection of ocean and coastal ecosystems. The full House of Representatives is scheduled to take up the bill tomorrow. Congressman Alan B. Mollohan of West Virginia will offer a floor amendment to restore this funding. Please contact your Representative by phone, fax or Email and urge them to support the Mollohan NOAA Amendment to HR 2076, the Commerce, State, Justice Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 1996 to restore funding for marine conservation programs. This amendment will restore crucial funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's economically important coastal and ocean stewardship programs. The Amendment will restore funding to the FY 1995 level for sustainable fisheries, protection of marine mammals, threatened and endangered species and ocean and coastal ecosystems. The Amendment will restore: - $37.2 Million to the National Marine Fisheries Service for work to restore and sustain the Nation's marine fisheries and implement the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. - $9.5 Million to grants to the states for the development and implementation of Coastal Zone Management programs vital to the protection of coastal ecosystems and the long-term economic viability of our coastal communities. - $3 Million to the National Marine Sanctuary Program for the protection of the Nation's most outstanding marine ecosystems. - $4.5 Million to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab. - $8 Million for multi-disciplinary fisheries ecosystem and habitat studies to gather information essential to the sound management of our Nation's living marine resources. THESE BUDGET CUTS SHOULD BE THE CONCERN OF EVERY MARINE MAMMAL SCIENTIST IS THE UNITED STATES! BUDGET CUTS AS DEEP AT THOSE PROPOSED WILL HINDER YOUR ABILITY TO GET A FEDERAL PERMIT AND FUNDS TO CONDUCT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON MARINE MAMMALS. PLEASE ACT NOW!!! The Mollohan Amendment is vital to the protection of our marine environment and its living resources. Please urge your Representative in Congress to support it today! If you have question or comments contact: Nina Young Marine Mammalogist Center for Marine Conservation (202) 857-3276 youngn(\)dccmc.mhs.compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 30 Jul 1995 18:38:09 -0300 From: Irene Drelichman Subject: Southern Right Whales in Argentina I've just read on today's newpaper that the goverment of Chubut (Argentina) has made a law to give more protection to Southern Right Whales in the Valdes Peninsula (that's to say that they won't let ships enter that area). The problem here is that the goverment doesn't want neither to forbid the continuos whale-watching nor to restrict it because is the biggest income of the region. Is there any similar situation in other countries? Irene Drelichman ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 13:13:32 BST From: John Dineley Subject: captive release ==================================== Re: Captive Release Anne Doncaster states: >Yes manatees are endangered but does that not raise >the question of why aquaria are breeding non-endangered >species? The breeding of non-endangered species in aquaria allows for knowledge to be acquired that may be of benefit to a related endangered species. Such knowledge could also be applied to the study species itself if it were to become endangered in the future. It, likewise, ensures that captive populations are self-sustaining and animals, generally, do not have to be collected from the wild. Further, the breeding and conservation of endangered species are not the only role that is undertaken by a modern zoo and/or aquarium, education and recreation are also important functions. This would, obviously, involve the display of non-endangered species. >My understanding is that aquaria do not meet any >accepted principles of captive breeding programmes. I am very puzzled by this statement. The author is clearly not aware of the structured breeding programmes undertaken by many zoos and aquaria, i.e. the IUCN's captive breeding specialist group for marine mammals and the creation of "stud books" for co-ordinated breeding in zoos and aquaria. >The multi-billion dollar aquaria industry has a vested >interest irrespective of what science says, in opposing the >release of captive dolphins. This argument could be turned around and it could be asserted that the multi-million dollar animal-rights industry has a vested interest in seeing animals released back to the wild and aquaria closed. >The animal rights industry has always argued that holding >dolphins in captivity is morally wrong. Recently, the >concept of release has attracted significant contributions >from members of the public who agree. History is littered with factions and groups who believe they are morally right and wish to see their beliefs forced onto others. However, while everyone has the right to express an opinion, they do not have the right to dictate how others behave just because they do not comply with a particular faction or groups moral beliefs. As regards issues of animal welfare, these must be dictated by scientific evaluation and assessment by qualified experts, not by subjective perceptions of "morality". >I'm not sure how important the evaluations are to the >dolphins but the two release projects with which I have >some familiarity, Keiko and the Florida Dolphin Project, >incorporate programmes to prepare the animals before the >release takes place and to track the >animals after release........ >Re risk to wild populations, none of the releases, including >dolphins "lost" by the US navy, have been shown to have >caused any harm to wild populations. Nor have I seen any >assessment of how risky the process might be for wild >populations. It seems clear that the author has done little or no research into this issue. I would suggest a start would be to acquire a copy of the following reports and read them: REINTRODUCTION TO THE WILD AS AN OPTION FOR MANAGING NAVY MARINE MAMMALS by R.L.Brill and W.A.Friedl. Technical report 1549, October 1993. NCCOSC, San Diego, California. TRANSLOCATION OF LIVING ORGANISMS. IUCN Position Statement. Sept.4, 1987. published by: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Avenue du Mont-Blanc, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland. WELFARE GUIDE-LINES FOR THE REINTRODUCTION OF CAPTIVE BRED MAMMALS TO THE WILD (1992) published by: Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, 8 Hamilton Close, South Mimms, Potters Bar, HERTS. EN6 3QD. United Kingdom. ===================================== John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom Email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ====================================== ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 08:29:32 -0400 From: "Stephen Best by way of Stephen Best " Subject: Re: Earth Quest is looking to film field research in Canada In sci.environment, irishg(\)io.org (George Irish) wrote: Earth Quest is a new half-hour documentary series, being produced for The Discovery Channel, Canada, by Owl TV (Toronto) and Marathon Productions (France), about scientists whose discoveries may help us understand and perhaps better protect our planet. Earth Quest will follow these researchers as they set out on different journeys of discovery - whether it be climbing glaciers, hovering over rain forests or exploring the ocean depths. Earth Quest is not a doom and gloom environmental series, but one that exudes wonder, adventure and hope. We are looking for new and interesting field projects in the natural sciences or environmental studies that are ongoing or planned for the next 12 months (until summer 96) within Canada. The kinds of research projects we would like to film will involve: an expedition, or team project using new and innovative technology / techniques a remote/visually interesting location gaining new knowledge of a previously little-known subject or area physical, mental or emotional challenges on the part of the researchers cross-disciplinary research studying different aspects of a single environment or broader context implications for ecological/environmental concerns To discuss a planned or ongoing project, or for further information, please contact: George Irish Researcher, Earth Quest Tel: (416) 533-9658 Fax: (416) 588-7156 E-mail: irishg(\)io.org ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 13:58:00 -0500 From: Robert M Chambers Subject: Re: "Vote Buying" I am simply an individual lay person with an interest in marime mammals. As such, I have been following with interest the dialogue between subscribers of MARMAM regarding the IWC and whaling nations. I would request Mr. Macnow to provide specific information of a list of the "environmental" groups to whom he referred in his message of Tuesday, 25 July and other messages as having recruited countries for the purpose of supporting a whaling moratorium. I am not interested in a list of groups whose policy opposes commercial whaling; I wish to know the names of those groups who, it is claimed or alleged, provided monies to influence the voting or the representation at IWC meetings. Mr. Macnow, I would appreciate a response; I would prefer it be done by means of MARMAM but acknowledge same if you insist via E-mail. Robert M. Chambers 6323 Royal Ridge Dr. San Antonio, TX 78239 E-mail: rmsi(\)texas.net ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 13:36:50 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: new publication on sound and marine mammals Although I have not seen it myself, the following new publication may be of interest to those involved in the debate on the effects of underwater sounds on marine mammals. Marine mammals and noise. 1995. Edited by W.J. Richardson, D.H. Thomson, C.R. Green, Jr., and C.I. Malme. Academic Press, Inc. San Diego. 450 pp. $64.95 U.S. It can be ordered from Academic Press, Book Marketing Department, 525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495, USA. Toll-free in Canada and the U.S. 1-800-321-5068 Robin ======================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Research Group Department of Biology Box 6244 University of Victoria Victoria, B.C. Box 1700, MS 7094 V8P 5L5 Canada Victoria, B.C. Phone (604) 380-1925 V8W 2Y2 Canada Fax (604) 380-1206 e-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca ======================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 14:42:22 -0700 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: Southern Right Whales in Argentina As Coordinator of the Right Whale Research & Conservation Project in Brazil, I have my own concerns regarding whalewatching that targets this species. The problem in Valdes, so far as I know, is that many new tour companies with political links were authorized to operate in a previously small-scalwhalewatching area, mear Puerto Piramides. In Southern Brasil, where right whales are spotted sometimes as close as 60 feet from shore, what we are trying to do is to foster the concept of shore-based whalewatching. With the sponsorship of the Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society, leaflets and posters about the whales are being distributed at local communities and for tourists; lectures are being given at major schools and fishermen co-ops; and interpretive signs are being erected in the twelve best whale lookouts. Besides, we have engaged the support of several owners of local hostels and related businesses, who are becoming aware that shore-based whalewatching will be extremely beneficial for them. At the same time, we are working closely with enforcement authorities to ensure that any boat-based tour operations stay clear from the whales, as Brazilian regulations require, and we are also working within the government to strenghten these regulations even more. We agree with Roger Payne that whalewatching should be allowed in order to provide people with the unqiue experience of being "with the whales"; however, abuses based on government irresponsibility or corruptiuon, as has happened in Valdes, should not be tolerated. We in Brazil have promoted the idea that right whales are a shared heritage that all South Atlantic nations must protect. We hope that Argentina will correct the situation and maintain its former leadership in the protection of this species. Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. - International Wildlife Coalition/Brasil iwcbr(\)ax.apc.org ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 15:11:49 PDT From: Eric Chapman Subject: request for grad school info ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am writing this in hope of receiving information concerning graduate school. I am currently a senior at Oklahoma State University majoring in zoology. I have experience working with bottlenose dolphins. I would like to enter a graduate program concentrating on marine mammals. Specifically, I am interested in marine mammals using echolocation to debilitate their prey. However, my options are still open and I would like to receive all information available. Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated. My e-mail address is (isiah(\)osuunx.ucc.okstate.edu). Any paper information can be mailed to: Eric Chapman 616 W. 3rd #A Stillwater, OK 74074 Sincerely, Eric E. Chapman ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 15:13:00 PDT From: Phil Clapham Subject: Politics ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Mr Macnow: Thanks for the love letter. I have no intention of denying the realities of politics on either side, and nowhere will you find any statement to that effect from my pen (incidentally, I am quite free to do this since, contrary to your intimations, I do not represent either a government or any NGO). Allow me to be more blunt. You wish to hear me deny that this sort of thing goes on from the "other side"? You won't - it does. If an organization or nation adopts certain strategies to further their own ends, it is not illogical to assume that their opponents will have to resort to similar tactics to be effective. I was simply pointing out that denying that this sort of thing goes on, anywhere, is extremely naive. Welcome to the real world. Now how about you? I want to hear YOU deny, flatly and unequivocally, that Japan's economic development money and other subsidies have absolutely no political motivation and are not given with any consider- ation to furthering its whaling policy. That, for example, the fisheries money that your employers poured into Bequia was given with not the slightest thought to a whaling connection? Hello? Still out there? It seems to me that you've painted yourself into a corner, old chum. Either you deny it, which would be pretty amusing since it's tantamount to stating that all the bad guys do this but we don't. Or you admit it, in which case you've effectively confessed to what your message pointedly terms - what was it again? - "gross immorality". By the way, perhaps you'd get around to responding to queries from myself and others some months ago requesting details of the Japanese minke whale genetics studies. You know, the ones that you summarized without realizing that they appeared to demonstrate what some of your opponents have been saying for some time? Phil Clapham ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 15:14:33 PDT From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Canadian seal science?? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- A report by the Science Branch, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Center, DFO ("Report on the Status of Harp Seals in the Northwest Atlantic") was sent to MARMAM recently by Stephen Best. I requested, and just received copies of the three research documents cited at the end of the report: "Model estimates of harp seal numbers at age for the Northwest Atlantic"; "Predation of Atlantic cod, Capelin, and Arctic cod by Harp Seals in Atlantic Canada";and "Pup production of Harp Seals, Phoca groenlandica, in the Northwest Atlantic during 1994". Now this seems to be the "science" that according to Brian Tobin and the some of the media, "proves" that harp seal populations have increased significantly and that harp seals are impeding the recovery of groundfish stocks. I understand that ICES and NAFO will be reviewing the documents at an international meeting this Fall. Each report carries the warning: "Not to be cited without permission of the authors" and the following statement: This series documents the scientific basis for the evaluation of fisheries resources in Atlantic Canada. As such, it addresses the issues of the day in the time frames required and the documents it contains are not intended as definitive statements on the subjects addressed but rather as progress reports on ongoing investigations. Could some of the scientists on MARMAM please comment on whether this is standard procedure? Anne D Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 15:16:13 PDT From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: captive release ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >==================================== > >Re: Captive Release, John Dinely writes: > >The breeding of non-endangered species in aquaria allows >for knowledge to be acquired that may be of benefit to a >related endangered species. Such knowledge could also be >applied to the study species itself if it were to become >endangered in the future. It, likewise, ensures that captive >populations are self-sustaining and animals, generally, do >not have to be collected from the wild. I thought that captive breeding programmes that met Species Survival criteria would: only engage in the captive breeding of critically endangered species; and then only as a last resort after every alternative had to be rejected. > >I am very puzzled by this statement. The author is clearly >not aware of the structured breeding programmes >undertaken by many zoos and aquaria, i.e. the IUCN's >captive breeding specialist group for marine mammals and >the creation of "stud books" for co-ordinated breeding in >zoos and aquaria. > > >This argument could be turned around and it could be >asserted that the multi-million dollar animal-rights industry >has a vested interest in seeing animals released back to the >wild and aquaria closed. The animal rights organizations will not receive funds for release. They have to raise money for release projects. > >History is littered with factions and groups who believe they >are morally right and wish to see their beliefs forced onto >others. However, while everyone has the right to express an >opinion, they do not have the right to dictate how others >behave just because they do not comply with a particular >faction or groups moral beliefs. Perhaps you are a moral relativist. Many countries, with the support of the public, took action against S. Africa's government. Was this unacceptable? > >As regards issues of animal welfare, these must be dictated >by scientific evaluation and assessment by qualified experts, >not by subjective perceptions of "morality". Scientists have a role to play but a moral decision underlies any ultimate decision on the acceptable treatment of animals. For example, is the moral standard to be applied to animals the same as the standard that would be applied to humans? If not, how is the lesser standard determined? >It seems clear that the author has done little or no research >into this issue. > I am certainly not an expert in the area but I am reasonably familiar with the arguments pro and anti release. While there are some scientists on each side, it should be noted that the humane movement is virtually unanimous in supporting release and ending the capture and display of marine mammals. Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 15:17:25 PDT From: "David S. Eitelbach" Subject: Re: "Vote Buying" ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- At 01:58 PM 7/31/95 -0500, Robert M Chambers wrote: >I am simply an individual lay person with an interest in marime mammals. >As such, I have been following with interest the dialogue between >subscribers of MARMAM regarding the IWC and whaling nations. I >would request Mr. Macnow to provide specific information of a list of the >"environmental" groups to whom he referred in his message of Tuesday, >25 July and other messages as >having recruited countries for the purpose of supporting a whaling >moratorium. I am not interested in a list of groups whose policy opposes >commercial whaling; I wish to know the names of those groups who, it is >claimed or alleged, provided monies to influence the voting or the >representation at IWC meetings. Mr. Macnow, I would appreciate a >response; >I would prefer it be done by means of MARMAM but acknowledge same if >you >insist via E-mail. > >Robert M. Chambers >6323 Royal Ridge Dr. >San Antonio, TX 78239 >E-mail: rmsi(\)texas.net Mr. Chambers, I don't speak for Mr. Macnow and I don't have a "list of groups", but here is one reference someone (not Mr. Macnow) pointed me toward that talks disturbingly about Greenpeace doing what you refer to: ------------------------------------------------------------- DIALOG(R)File 647:Magazine ASAP(TM) (c) 1995 Information Access Co. All rts. reserv. The not so peaceful world of Greenpeace. (international environmental organization) (column) Spencer, Leslie Forbes v148 p174(7) Nov 11, 1991 <=========== from here SOURCE FILE: MI File 47 ISSN: 0015-6914 illustration; photograph; portrait ARTICLE TYPE: column ABSTRACT: The public image of Greenpeace, the international organization of environmental activists, has been tarnished. Allegations of misuse of donations and unethical political tactics have belied the group's reputation as heroic defenders of the environment. CAPTIONS: Matti Wuori. (portrait) NAMED PEOPLE: McTaggart, David--Selection, appointment, resignation, etc.; Wuori, Matti--Selection, appointment, resignation, etc. DESCRIPTORS: Greenpeace--Management; Environmental movement-- Investigations --------------------------------------------------------- The article says in part (BTW, McTaggart used to run Greenpeace): "The commission was formed in 1946 in a treaty among whaling nations to prevent the overhunting of whales. The most closely affected nations were Japan, Iceland, the Soviet Union and Norway, but membership in the commission was open to any country that was willing to pay an annual fee of roughtly $20,000 to $30,000 plus the cost of sending its representative to meetings. According to Francisco Palacio, a former Greenpeace consultant on marine mammals, he and McTaggart, working with their friends, came up with a way to bend the commission to the Greenpeace view that there should be an outright ban on whaling. "The whale savers targeted poor nations plus some small, newly independent ones like Antigua and St. Lucia. They drafted the required membership documents for submission to the U.S. State Department. They assigned themselves or their friends as the scientists and commissioners to represent these nations at the whaling commission. For instance, Palacio, a Colombian citizen based in Miami, arranged to be the commissioner from St. Lucia. The commissioner from Antigua was Palacio's friend and lawyer, Richard Baron, also from Miami. McTaggart's friend Paul Gouin, a Moroccan-born French expatriate living in Nassau, Bahamas, served as commissioner from Panama. According to Palacio, the Greepeace-inspired commissioners enjoyed an annual all-expenses-paid ten-day trip with a $300-per-diem perk to attend commission meetings. Palacio says the group paid to fly a U.N. ambassador hom to talk his government into going along with the plan. "Between 1978 and 1982, Palacio says, the operation added at least half a dozen new member countries to the commission's membership to achieve the three-fourths majority necessary for a moratorium on commercial whaling, which passed in 1982. "This project cost millions, says Palacio, including the commission membership payments picked up on behalf of cooperating members. "In membership fees the payments amounted to about $150,000 [a year], and then we had all the grease money throughout the years," says Palacio. The Frenchman Gouin, then in his 30s, was the angel, funneling the funds through a Miami-based "foundation" called the Sea Life Resources Institute. Where did Gouin get that kind of money? >From trading investments, he says." END QUOTED MATERIAL from Forbes, v148 p174(7) Nov 11, 1991, written by Leslie Spencer. Bracketed material _inside_ the quoted material was not inserted by me, but, presumably, by _Forbes_ magazine. ---------------------------------------------------------- -- David S. Eitelbach dseitel(\)crl.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 21:43:56 -0400 From: TMMC(\)aol.com Subject: position available POSITION AVAILABLE: The Marine Mammal Center has an opening for a part-time (20 hrs/wk) Marine Biologist. The position will be available September 1st. The job requires research experience with pinnipeds in the areas of physiology, causes of stranding, and related areas. Duties will include designing research projects, collaboration with ongoing projects, presentation and publication of original research, management of interns, comment letter writing, and general administration relating to requests for information. Applicants should have strong personal management skills. The successful applicant will have a graduate degree or equivalent experience. TMMC is located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area of the Marin Headlands, just north of San Francisco. There is no public transportation to TMMC. You must have a vehicle or arrange for a carpool to access the work site. Send resume, 3 references, and a cover letter to: Science Director The Marine Mammal Center Marin Headlands, GGNRA Sausalito, CA 94965 or TMMC(\)aol.com with "attn: Sci. Dir." in subject line APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN AUGUST 14, 1995. No phone calls please. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Aug 1995 13:24:23 +0200 From: Gianni Pavan Subject: New Web Site on Marine Mammals acoustics To widen the knowledge on marine mammals acoustics and to stimulate the sharing of information on current research projects (including the development of methods and instruments), a new web site has been set up by the "Centro Interdisciplinare di Bioacustica" at the University of Pavia (Italy). The address is http://www.unipv.it/~webcib/welcome.html Some pages are still under development and all your suggestions, hints, and critics too, are welcome. Gianni Pavan ----------------------------------------------- Gianni PAVAN Centro Interdisciplinare di Bioacustica Universit=E0 di Pavia Via Taramelli 24 27100 PAVIA ITALIA Phone/Fax +39-382-525234 Email gpavan(\)telnetwork.it (MIME compliant) Web Site http://www.unipv.it/~webcib/welcome.html (pages under= construction) ----------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Aug 1995 15:01:05 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Marine Mammal Career Guide Careers in Marine Mammal Science The Society for Marine Mammalogy has produced a brochure entitled 'Strategies for Pursuing a Career in Marine Mammal Science'. The brochure covers a variety of careers involving marine mammals, academic considerations and lists a large number of sources for general information on marine mammals and internships involving marine mammals. Single copies of the brochure are available from Allen Press P.O. Box 1897 Lawrence, KS 66044-8897. Telephone: 800-627-0629 Cost is US$1.50 for students; US$3.00 for non-students. Individuals joining the Society for Marine Mammalogy will receive a copy of the career guide and a copy of the most recent membership directory. ------ Note: This document is formatted at 12 characters/inch. THE SOCIETY FOR MARINE MAMMALOGY APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP Name:________________________________________________________________________ Address:______________________________________________________________________ City:_____________________ State:______ Country:_____________________________ Postal Code:________________ E-mail:_________________________________________ Phone:______________________ Fax:____________________ Position/Affiliation/Occupation:______________________________________________ Highest Degree:_________________ in __________________________________________ Marine mammal research activities /responsibilities /interests:_____________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Membership Category Requested (check one) / / FULL Member - Dues $75 U.S./calendar year. Open to professionals in natural science in the management, husbandry, conservation, or training of marine mammals and to graduate students in these fields. / / EMERITUS Member - Dues $50 U.S./calendar year. An Emeritus Member is any member who has retired from a professional career and is older than 60 years of age, or is older than 65 years of age and has been a Full Member of the Society for one or more years. Emeritus Members qualify for all the privileges of Full membership. / / STUDENT Member - Dues $50 U.S./calendar year. Open to anyone actively enrolled in a degree-granting institution of higher education - may not serve as officer or committee member but receives the journal and has all other membership privileges. Note: graduate students qualify for either Full or Student membership and may choose between them. Student membership requires proof of full-time student status. / / ASSOCIATE Member - Dues $70 U.S./calendar year. Open to anyone interested in the aims of the Society - same privileges as Student Member. / / INSTITUTIONAL Member - Dues $100 U.S./calendar year. Open to any organization or institution - receives all publications and notices of the Society, but may not vote. / / LIFE Member - Dues $1200 U.S. or four payments of $350 U.S. ______________________________________________________________________________ Membership is for a calendar year. New member recieve all back issues of MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE published during the year in which they join. Members renewing after 1 January, but prior to 1 June, add a handling charge of $2.50 U.S. for back issues. Members renewing after 1 June add a handling charge of $5.00 U.S. for back issues for that calendar year. Add $15.00 U.S. for air mail delivery outside of North America. All dues are payable in U.S. currency. Dues Enclosed $____________U.S. VISA or MasterCard Account No.__________________________ Exp. Date__________ Signature ________________________________________ Date ________________________________ Send to: Dr. Glenn VanBlaricom, SMM Membership Chair, Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Fisheries, WH-10, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 U.S.A. Telephone: 206-543-6475 Fax: 206-685-7471 / / I do NOT want my name included in the membership directly (published biennially). ------ end of file ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Aug 1995 14:05:00 PDT From: Ken Peterson Subject: Sea otter mortalities A 27 July posting on the marine mammal bitnet discussion page purporting to be a United Press International story about Monterey Bay sea otter mortalities contains several innacuracies and is not, according to the UPI reporter in San Francisco, the article released by that bureau. The article appears to have interminged quotes and attributions between the aquarium Stranding Coordinator and a spokesperson for another organization, giving the impression the aquarium believes some of the sea otters were poisoned. This is not the case, and toxicological tests have found no indication of poison, either natural or man-made, in any otters to date. Yours in the interest of accurate information. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 14:07:03 EST From: Tony Preen Organization: Tropical Env Studies and Geography Subject: dugong gillnet deaths Near-shore gill net fisheries in northern Australia are under scrutiny following recent deaths of dugongs in two important areas. The following are two recent press releases; one from conservation groups and one from management agencies. FISHERIES SLAMMED OVER ALARMING RATE OF DUGONG DEATHS Brisbane 24th July 1995: Conservationists today called on the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage (QDEH) and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) to take strong action on reports that alarming numbers of dugongs are drowning in commercial gill net fisheries in northern Australia. "In the last three weeks alone at least 30 dugongs have drowned in the Sir Edward Pellew Group of islands on the south-west of the Gulf of Carpentaria in gill nets that were set for barramundi. This situation is unacceptable and cannot continue", said Di Tarte of the Australian Marine Conservation Society. Dugongs are listed internationally as being vulnerable to extinction, and Australia is fortunate to have the largest populations. The Sir Edward Pellew islands and Shoalwater Bay provide important feeding habitat for dugongs. Fishing practices in Shoalwater Bay - namely gill netting - are suspected of being the primary cause of the massive decline in the populations of dugongs from 750 animals in 1987 to around 400 in 1994. Acting Chair of the GBRMPA, Dr Wendy Craik today declared the dugong deaths to be 'ecologically unsustainable'. GBRMPA and QDEH must now put their words into action and place an immediate ban on the use of gill nets in Shoalwater Bay. This is the only way to immediately stem this alarming rate of dugong deaths", said Robbie Kelman, Marine Mammal Campaigner, Greenpeace Australia. "To protect dugongs in the south-west Gulf, a marine protected area should be declared, which would include a ban on gill net fishing. Joint management with the traditional owners of the area would provide the necessary surveillance and enforcement of fishing regulations", said Richard Ledgar, Northern Territory Environment Centre. Commercial gill net operators must also develop a code of practice to minimise dugong deaths wherever they are occurring. It is not known how many dugongs drown in gill nets each year, but considering there area over 1000 licensed gill net operators in Queensland, and the recent mortalities in the Gulf and at Shoalwater bay, the number of deaths is likely to be high. At Shoalwater Bay, on the central Queensland coast, dugongs have recently been found tied to mangrove trees or with their bellies slit open to release the buoyant guts: obvious efforts by fishers to conceal the carcasses. Along with evidence from southern Queensland, where in late 1993, the tails were chopped off live dugongs apparently caught in gill nets, it appears some commercial fishers have a long way to go. We are calling upon GBRMPA and QDEH to take urgent action, and keep the public updated on the outcomes of any inquires and prosecutions", Di Tarte said. MARINE PARK AUTHORITY CONCERNED OVER DUGONG DEATHS IN SHOALWATER BAY July 24 1995. The GBRMPA and the QDEH, today expressed concern over reported dugong deaths in Shoalwater Bay, north of Rockhampton. Reports have detailed several sightings of dugong corpses in the intertidal areas of the Bay. The animals are believed to be the victims of certain types of commercial netting activities carried out in parts of Shoalwater Bay. In response to the reports, the GBMRPA along with the QDEH, Boating and Fisheries Patrol in consultation with Queensland Fish Management Authority, have stepped up surveillance in the area. Meanwhile, the agencies and the fishing industry, will be reviewing crabbing and netting practices and policy relating to current activities in the Bay. A recent meeting of the GBRMPA Dugong management group, expressed serious concerns about the large decline in the marine park dugong population south of Cooktown. Action Chair if the GBRMPA, Wendy Craik and the QDEH Regional Director, Bill Fisher, said today that any dugong deaths in the Marine Park were viewed with grave concern. "Any unnatural deaths of the dugong in Shoalwater Bay in particular, was ecologically unsustainable and therefor alarming" said Dr. Craik. These comments were supported by Queensland Commecial Fishermen's Organisation (QCFO) president, Ted Loveday who said the QCFO was committed to supporting any resolutions to problems relating to the fishing industry. All the agencies involved were currently working to resolve the situation and prevent a ny further dugong deaths in the region. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 09:29:39 -0700 From: Jaap v/d Toorn Subject: Re: CAPTIVE BORN MANATEES RELEASED TO THE WILD In-Reply-To: from "Anne Doncaster" at Jul 25, 95 10:50:47 pm Anne Doncaster writes: > I'm not sure how important the evaluations are to the dolphins but > the two release projects with which I have some familiarity, Keiko > and the Florida Dolphin Project,incorporate programmes to prepare > the animals before the release takes place and to track the > animals after release. > If "evaluation" refers to the follow-up I mentioned, there are 2 very obvious reasons why that is important: - for the animals being released, it is important, since there is then an opportunity to intervene, should it become clear they cannot make it on their own after all. That's why I have mentioned in an earlier posting, that a release project should be ready to recapture the released animals, should their well-being dictate that. - for animals that might be candidates for release in future attempts, such a follow-up can lead to adjustments in the preparation process, giving them better chances of survival. There is not a great deal of experience with releasing cetaceans after an extended period in captivity, so anything new we can learn from a release will help others down the line. > > Re risk to wild populations, none of the releases, including > dolphins "lost" by the US navy, have been shown to have caused > any harm to wild populations. Nor have I seen any assessment > of how risky the process might be for wild populations. Which is exactly the point I was trying to make. There are 2 potential risks that need to be assessed: - the risk of introduction diseases. This can be prevented by implementing proper quarantine procedures prior to introducing the animals to the open water at the release location. This risk is typically a short term issue. - the risks involved in introducing foreign genetic material into the local gene pool. This is a long term issue and the effects can only be assessed after several generations. The only way to avoid this is releasing the animals back into the population they were originally captured from. Since as you already indicated no proper assessment has been made of the risks, the so-called non-native releases put populations at risk. > If the > benefits for released individuals are significant, would this > justify a small risk to their wild counterparts? This raises of course a very interesting question: how do you assess the benifits to the individual? That might be quite a task, because when you release an animal, a whole range of parameters will change (food supply, social context, range of movement etc.) Some will increase (which is not necessarily the same as improve, because in order to make that statement you need to know how they perceive that increase), some will decrease (availability of food), so what is the net effect of that whole range of changes? At this point, I would not dare make a guess. Jaap -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn jaap(\)tfs.com 73064.2662(\)compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 09:54:48 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: NSW: PENALTY TOO "SEVERE" FOR ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- NSW: PENALTY TOO "SEVERE" FOR STANDING ON WHALE, COURT SYDNEY, July 31 AAP - Two men charged after one of them allegedly stood on a southern right whale were facing an "extraordinarily severe" penalty with a possible jail term of two years and a fine of up to $100,000, their lawyer said today. Defence counsel Malcolm Ramage also attacked the 1974 National Parks and Wildlife Act the men were charged under as "disastrous" because of its "draconian consequences" when he appeared for the men in the Land and Environment Court in Sydney today. Andrew John Curven and Anthony James O'Connor, both of Bermagui, have been charged with approaching a marine mammal closer than 30 metres under the Act. Curven was also charged with interfering with the marine mammal after allegedly standing on the whale, the court was told. The incident occurred on July 2 last year in Bermagui Harbour, on the NSW south coast. Mr Curven came to state-wide attention when he appeared in a widely-published photograph standing on the back of a whale. It was believed to be one of the first cases in which people have been charged with interfering with whales. Mr Ramage said both men faced the same penalty under the charges but he said to interfere with the whale seemed far worse than approaching it. Mr Ramage said interference with the whale also must interrupt in some way the animal's physical and mental well-being. He said just touching the whale was not enough to be called interference. The penalty for the act was a fine of $100,000, two years imprisonment or both. Justice Talbot reserved his decision on the case. Earlier, counsel for the National Parks and Wildlife, Ms Elizabeth Fullerton, closed the prosecution case. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 09:56:17 PDT From: Marine Mailing List Subject: Marine mammal postgrad. ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am enquiring about information with regard to opportunities in Marine Mammalogy to do postgraduate research. I am graduating in June 1996. I am currently studying the endangered Saimaa Ringed Seal of E. Finland but I am based at Aberdeen University, Scotland. My web page is currently under construction but will contain links to environmental issues and Marine subjects (and of course Marine Mammals) Anyone who could help with additional interesting links and/or information on postgraduate opportunities, would be gratefully received. Christina Bellamy email: tina(\)eisbahn.ucg.ie ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 09:57:08 PDT From: John Dineley Subject: captive release ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ==================================== From: John Dineley (S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk) Subject: CAPTIVE RELEASE >Anne Doncaster states: >I thought that captive breeding programmes that met >Species Survival criteria would: only engage in the captive >breeding of critically endangered species; and then only as >a last resort after every alternative had to be rejected. I am unsure where she has obtained this quote. The CBSG News (newsletter of the Captive Breeding Specialist Group, SPECIES SURVIVAL COMMISSION, World Conservation Union) states that their mission statement goals are thus: 1. Organise a global network of people and resources. 2. Collect, analyse and distribute information. 3. Develop global captive breeding programs. 4. Integrate management programs for captive and wild populations. As I pointed out, breeding endanger species is not the only "raison d'etre" of zoos or aquaria. Therefore, citing this in isolation does not give a true picture of the role of a modem zoo or aquarium. >The animal rights organizations will not receive funds for >release. They have to raise money for release projects. Animal-rights group would, no doubt, raise (receive?) funds from the public by fund raising campaigns including merchandising, etc. If zoo or aquariums involve themselves in such projects they raise money from their paying guests and campaigning. I can not see a great deal of difference in these situations. Further, animal-rights personnel, generally, get paid wages, rent offices, etc. They operate, for all intends and purposes, as a commercial organisation. If this is not the case, this statement would seem to suggest that animal-rights groups may not be able to guarantee consistent management of funding for such projects. This begs the question: where would this leave the unfortunate animals if the money ran out in the middle of a animal-rights release project? >Perhaps you are a moral relativist. Many countries, with >the support of the public, took action against S. Africa's >government. Was this unacceptable? With respect, anyone who endeavours to compare the real suffering of those exposed to apartheid and other human- rights abuses with that of alleged suffering of dolphins and whale in captivity is not taking this debate seriously. >I am certainly not an expert in the area but I am reasonably >familiar with the arguments pro and anti release. If the author is not prepare to obtain and read the papers I suggested in my previous posting that is her prerogative. However, I believe this action will leave this person (and the organisation she represents) at a disadvantage when debating this issue in a wider forum. Finally, I think the key to the problem why this debate can not be resolved (and thus goes around in circles boring all Marmamers who have no interest in this issue to death) is that: (a) animal-rights groups consider that captive cetaceans invariably suffer in zoos and aquaria. Therefore, zoos and aquaria are "wrong", they must be closed, and the animals suffering ended by release back to the wild; (b) zoos and aquaria do not believe that their animals suffer and can see no reason to expose them to the risk of pointless "welfare" releases back to the wild. The only way to resolve this is by continued objective scientific research. Not by either side believing they, some how, hold the higher moral ground on the issue. ==================================== John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom fax: 01234-342387 email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ===================================== ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 10:10:50 PDT From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: Sea otter mortalities ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The NewsClip forwarded on to BITNET was verbatim as it was posted by UPn (United Press International, US & World division) on its newswire on 7/25. Although I'm not an expert on how the newswires are run, I think that the people responsible for feeding the newswires build upon newsstories by getting additional, more up-to-date quotes and information. This appears to be an internal UPI problem if inaccurate information is posted after a story is originally posted by the author. ______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________ Subject: Sea otter mortalities Author: Marine Mammals Research and Conservation Discussion at ~smtp Date: 8/2/95 12:05 AM A 27 July posting on the marine mammal bitnet discussion page purporting to be a United Press International story about Monterey Bay sea otter mortalities contains several innacuracies and is not, according to the UPI reporter in San Francisco, the article released by that bureau. The article appears to have interminged quotes and attributions between the aquarium Stranding Coordinator and a spokesperson for another organization, giving the impression the aquarium believes some of the sea otters were poisoned. This is not the case, and toxicological tests have found no indication of poison, either natural or man-made, in any otters to date. Yours in the interest of accurate information. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 12:41:17 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: H.R. 2076 An update on the Commerce Appropriations Bill H.R. 2076: As Nina Young pointed out a few days ago, Representative Alan Mollohan (D-WV) introduced an amendment on the floor on July 25 to restore NOAA/NMFS funding to FY95 levels. On July 26, after some discussion and debate, an amendment to the amendment (don't you just love Congress?) was offered by Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY) to restore $20 million of the $37 million in cuts to NMFS programs (less than FY95 levels, but more than half of what was to be cut -- $14 million was also restored to other NOAA programs in the Rogers amendment). All of the restored funds were offset by additional cuts to the NOAA Fleet Modernization Program, to contributions made to international organizations, and to the Patent and Trademark Office. The exact details of how the restored funds were to be distributed was not reported in the Congressional Record. This amended amendment was a compromise worked out by Mollohan and Rogers and was approved by floor vote. Those who spoke in favor of the marine programs that will benefit by this amendment were Rep. Patsy Mink (D-HI), who in particular asked for the Hawaiian monk seal and sea turtle programs to be saved (I do not know whether they will receive any substantial amount of the restored funds and I welcome anyone who knows more to post their information to MARMAM); Rep. Gerry Studds (D-MA); Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT); Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA); Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA); Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA); Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA); Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD); Rep. Andrea Seastrand (R-CA); and Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA). If you have a moment, I think a letter or a phone call (again, the Hill switchboard is 202/224-3121 and the House zip code is 20515) thanking these individuals, especially Reps. Mollohan and Rogers, for their support for the marine environment would be appropriate. The bill is now in the Senate. It will first be dealt with in subcommittee, so letters to those individuals listed in the first action alert are still needed, with an updated request to keep the restored funds and to ensure that those programs that you support in particular (for instance, the right whale, monk seal, and sea turtle recovery programs, the marine sanctuary program, and the Marine Mammal Commission) are adequately funded. Clearly NOAA/NMFS will take cuts, but the point now is to keep those cuts as minimal as possible and to ensure the survival of valuable programs, even if at greatly reduced budgets. It would be nice if the Senate would restore even more of the funds -- say to FY95 levels, as in the original Mollohan amendment. Thanks for all of your help -- let's keep the Senate on course! Naomi Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 3 Aug 1995 19:54:39 -0400 From: Phocid(\)aol.com Subject: Thiaminase I have a question regarding thiamine deficiency caused by thiaminase in fish. A number of sources said that thiaminase exists naturally in many species of marine and freshwater fishes. Other sources seem to infer that the thiaminase is a result of freezing the fish. Could someone please clarify this for me. Thank you, Jeff Lederman ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 4 Aug 1995 01:03:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Dolphin Ban Dolphin Ban By H. JOSEF HEBERT Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- Four Republican congressmen introduced legislation Thursday to lift the tuna import ban, which is aimed at protecting dolphins, and to end the "dolphin safe" labeling requirement on canned tuna products. The import restrictions have hurt the tuna industry in southern California and Mexico. All four lawmakers are from the San Diego area. Environmentalists immediately denounced the legislation as leading to the death of thousands of dolphins. Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., said lifting the import ban "would wipe out decades of protection for dolphins being killed in the tuna industry." Congress five years ago imposed a ban on importing tuna caught in parts of the eastern Pacific Ocean because fishermen were not taking precautions to protect dolphins that get into the tuna nets. At the same time, Congress in a separate law enacted standards that must be followed if a tuna canning company uses the "dolphin safe" label on its cans to assure that dolphins are being protected. The proposed legislation would end the import ban and the labeling requirement, said Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif., one of the bill's four sponsors. "Lifting this ban will help revitalize our crippled fishing industry," said Cunningham. He said that it will produce new jobs both in southern California and in Mexico, where fishermen also have been affected because they send much of their catch to the United States. But the legislation brought a sharp rebuke from environmentalists. "It is an outrageous plan to gut the Marine Mammal Protection Act and sacrifice thousands of dolphins," said David Phillips, executive director of Earth Island Institute. Researchers at the Institute near San Francisco have estimated that the import ban and the tuna canning industry's "dolphin safe" marketing policies have significantly reduced the number of dolphins killed in tuna nets. According to the Institute, the number of dolphins killed by tuna fishermen has declined from more than 130,000 in 1986 to less than 25,000 in recent years. But Cunningham argued that in recent years a series of agreements between Mexico and the United States and the use of new fishing methods by the industry make the import ban unnecessary. He said the prohibitions have "displaced about 4,000 workers associated with the fishing industry." The other sponsors of the bill are Reps. Brian Bilbray, Duncan Hunter and Ron Packard. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 4 Aug 1995 10:03:06 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am shortening the summary to include only new items added since my last posting. However, I will post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. This is the longer version for the first Friday of August 1995. NOTE: There will be no summary next week!! I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: New info and changes since 7/28/95 are bracketed {...}. . Marine Mammals . Polar Bear Conservation. On July 27, 1995, Russian and Alaskan Inuit leaders, meeting in Nome, Alaska, agreed to conservation measures to better protect polar bears in the Chukchi Sea between Alaska and Russia. This agreement will assist negotiations between U.S. and Russian officials scheduled for Sept. 1995. [Assoc Press] . Sea Otter Deaths. In mid-July 1995, discovery of 11 dead sea otters along the Monterey Harbor shore prompted an investigation by California Dept. of Fish and Game biologists. At least 2 otters were believed to have died from poisoning. {In late July 1995, biologists announced that initial tests indicate d that manmade poisons were not at fault for the observed deaths.} [Assoc Press] . British Boycott Canadian Salmon over Seal Cull. On July 18, 1995, British environmentalists associated with the International Fund for Animal Welfare urged British citizens to boycott Canadian salmon to protest the Canadian seal cull. [Reuters] . ATOC Permits. In mid-July 1995, permits for Scripps Institution of Oceanography to test the effects of underwater sound on marine mammals offshore of California were approved by NMFS and NOAA's Sanctuaries and Reserves Division; sound transmissions are expected to begin in October 1995; Hawaii's Dept. of Land and Natural Resources has scheduled a public hearing for later in July to consider a permit application for activities in the Kauai area. [Assoc Press] . Makah Net Gray Whale Incidentally. On July 16, 1995, Makah fishermen found a gray whale incidentally entangled in salmon nets offshore of Neah Bay, WA; Makah officials notified NMFS and tribal members harvested the whale for food. On July 17, 1995, NMFS officials indicated Makah fishermen had acted legally in using the entangled gray whale. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 4 Aug 1995 09:50:47 PDT From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: CAPTIVE BORN MANATEES RELEASED TO THE WILD ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Re: the planned release of captive-born manatees -- I support this effort to release these manatees, but not perhaps for the same reasons the public display industry does (I understand the industry supports this release because they perceive it as a positive step toward enhancing the species' chances of survival). For myself, I see it as an excellent example of a project that contributes toward the general development of successful release protocols for both long-term captive and captive-born marine mammals. I look forward to the publication of this study in a peer-reviewed journal. However, a couple of points strike me as interesting re: what Jaap van der Toorn wrote a few days ago: >- the release is an attempt to support a threatened population. This > is not an issue with bottlenose dolphins (or killer whales for that > matter). This is true. However, the industry has stated in the past that captive-breeding of marine mammals in general is justified largely by its potential contribution to the enhancement of currently or future endangered or threatened species. That is, they have claimed that captive-breeding of Tursiops is largely justified because either Tursiops populations may become endangered in the future, or other closely related species may either already be endangered or become so in the future -- and any information gained regarding the successful husbandry of one species may be applicable to closely related species. I don't particularly argue with any of that reasoning, but it does beg the question of why the industry so often opposes proposed release projects of long-term captive dolphins *AND* why they themselves do not pursue more research into rehabilitation and reintroduction of dolphins. For instance, one might ask why innovative and well-endowed marine mammal facilities did not attempt to acquire some of the surplus Navy dolphins that were available last year, in order to pursue the development of rehab and release protocols and technology, considering their own belief that such research might prove useful to the enhancement of, say, river dolphins or harbor porpoise or Hector's dolphin or whatever. > With the release of dolphins, the individual well-being is actually > the key issue (and threats to the population they will be released > into have come into this picture as secondary issues (introduction of > foreign genetic material and/or introduction of diseases)). I may be reading this incorrectly (and forgive me if I am), but it seems to me that Jaap is suggesting here that threats to the wild population are issues only with dolphin releases. I would think, of course, that they are also serious issues in manatee releases -- or the release of any species, whether long-term captive or captive-born, into the wild. In fact, one might argue that it is highly problematic to release into the wild individuals of a highly endangered species, such as manatees, if the danger of disease transmission is such a big risk. For instance, if a released dolphin introduced a virulent pathogen that, in a worst case scenario, wiped out a local or even regional population, at least the species as a whole would not be extinct (a scenario, BTW, that I strongly believe can be reasonably guarded against, for both endangered and non-endangered species). What I guess I am trying to say here is that the risk, if one believes it to be significant, of disease transmission in a reintroduction of an endangered species, compared to a non-endangered species, has potentially devastating species-level, rather than just individual or local, ramifications (and I believe John Dineley mentioned this issue in his posting regarding the recommendations of the IUCN, which include reintroducing individuals only in areas where the species has been extirpated, thus avoiding the disease transmission risk). Yet the industry whole-heartedly supports the release of these manatees, while generally and consistently opposing or neglecting the pursuit of dolphin releases, which they themselves suggest could have benefits to currently or future endangered cetacean species. The logical connection between these two positions continues to elude me. Of course, the industry undoubtedly believes that the disease transmission risk is reasonably mitigated in the former case, but if it is mitigable for manatees, it should be mitigable for dolphins and this argument for opposing dolphin releases becomes moot. As I stated above, my reason for supporting the manatee release project is not primarily because I think it will enhance the survival of the species. I think, in fact, that captive-breeding of manatees and the release of progeny are premature. The real risk to the survival of manatees is not an abnormally low recruitment rate (the numbers and distribution of manatees still seem to support a fairly healthy reproductive rate), but of course abnormal sources of mortality. Breeding manatees in captivity and releasing them have an element of futility to them at this time, frankly, because it could be seen as just producing more targets for ever more speed boats to aim at (and Jaap also alluded to this)! It seems to me that the money being spent on this reintroduction project, purely from the manatee as a species' point of view, would be better spent on lobbying to either control population growth in Florida or to enact and enforce stronger laws to control speed boat behavior and proliferation or BOTH (if in fact either is possible). If in fact the manatee's habitat cannot be preserved, captive breeding and release of progeny have NO real conservation value at all -- although of course they would continue to have public relations value. In cases of species where populations have fallen to such low levels that reproduction in the wild is no longer enough to maintain numbers, then captive breeding, if habitat is still available, has direct species-survival value (and of course, it also has such value in the effort to reintroduce a species where it has been locally extirpated). But in the cases of species where reproduction is not the issue, but habitat loss is, conservation funds seem best directed at habitat preservation or enhancement rather than captive breeding. This seems to be the case for manatees. I would very much like to see the public display industry lobbying on Capitol Hill right now to stop some of the devastating proposals to dismantle environmental protections. For instance, to my knowledge (and I would truly welcome being told I was wrong) no one representing the public display industry is lobbying to keep the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge closed to oil and gas exploration, although legislation has been proposed that would open it to such damaging activities, thus putting at significant risk some of the most important habitat in Alaska to denning polar bears (as well as many other species). The HSUS and other animal protection and environmental organizations are lobbying to defeat this and other proposals to exploit what remains of our true wilderness -- with their influence and credibility on the Hill, the AZA or the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums could do a great deal of good right now on this front. At this point, such lobbing on behalf of manatees and manatee habitat, at the federal, state, and local level, would be much more useful to the survival of the species than the release of even dozens of captive-born animals. Naomi Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 10:31:54 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Florida manatee visits New Jer ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Florida manatee visits New Jersey ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (UPI) -- An unusual summer visitor has joined the throngs of tourists at the Jersey Shore -- a manatee that travelled more than 1,000 miles from Jacksonville, Fla. The same manatee got as far as the Chesapeake last year and was transported back to Florida, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday. "His migration pattern has been a real mystery to our biologists," Angela Graziano of the fish and wildlife office in Pleasantville said. She said that unusually warm water and a good food supply could explain at least some of the solo journey. The 3-meter, 12-hundred pound manatee, a male believed to be between 20 and 30 years old, has been spotted several times recently near Atlantic City. Graziano said manatees are an endangered species and anyone who sights the animal should stay out of its way and should refrain from feeding it, getting in the water with it or trying to touch it. The manatee was captured in the Chester River in Maryland on Oct. 1 and released in protected waters in Florida with a satellite tag. It was retagged in January. Graziano said the manatee moved north with other members of its species to the Florida-Georgia border in early May but then left the others behind for a speedy northward trek, travelling more than 500 miles in 19 days to Virginia. She described manatees as very social animals who normally stay in their own waters, moving a few miles north in the summer as the weather gets warmer. But this one appears to be a lone wolf -- or manatee. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 10:32:49 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: GALA PREMIERE MAY HELP FREE RE ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- GALA PREMIERE MAY HELP FREE REAL-LIFE WILLY By Jackie Burdon, Showbusiness Correspondent, PA News The gala premiere of the follow-up to children's film Free Willy was held tonight in aid of charity -- to help free the star of the first film. Free Willy touched hearts with a story of a boy who fights to return a captive but friendly killer whale to his ocean home. But there was anger when it was learned that the real-life star Keiko still languished in a pool in Mexico. Now the sequel Free Willy 2 has been made without using any whale stars -- just shots from the wild and realistic-looking full sized models. The gala charity premiere at the MGM Shaftesbury Avenue will raise money for the Free Willy -- Keiko Foundation. Set up by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, the foundation needs to raise a further 10 million US dollars, or 6 million, to rehabilitate him. Film makers Warner Bros donated the first two million dollars or 1.2 million to the project. Keiko, who has spent 15 years in captivity, is underweight and has growths on his pectoral fins. A purpose-built two million gallon tank is being built for him in Oregon. It is hoped to fly him there in January next year and feed him 300lb of fish a day to build up his strength. Meanwhile killer whale experts are scanning the waters off Iceland to try to find the family he was taken from at the age of two so they can be reunited. Anyone wanting to send donations can do so by post to PWKF Appeal, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Freepost SN 863, Bath, BA1 2AX. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 10:33:37 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: WA: DOLPHIN FOUND TO HAVE DIED ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- WA: DOLPHIN FOUND TO HAVE DIED FROM STINGRAY BARB PERTH, Aug 3 AAP - An autopsy on a dolphin found dead last week at the popular West Australian tourist site of Monkey Mia found an unexpected cause of death - a stingray barb. Holey Fin, one of Monkey Mia's oldest and best known wild dolphins, was believed to have died from problems associated with old age. But the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) said today an autopsy had revealed she died as a result of a stingray barb. The barb entered her lower right side, lodged in tissue surrounding her heart, causing haemorrhaging and infection. "She could have been carrying the barb for two or three weeks," CALM wildlife officer Peter Lambert said in a statement. "That would explain the noticeable deterioration in her health just before she died." Mr Lambert said there was little evidence of the sting from the outside of the dolphin's body. The entry hole was closed up and there were no obvious lacerations. Holey Fin, who was believed to be more than 35 when she died, was one of a group of about half a dozen wild dolphins which regularly came into the shore at Monkey Mia in the Shark Bay region to interact with humans. The phenomenon attracts thousands of Australian and overseas tourists to the Shark Bay region, 830km north of Perth, each year. Mr Lambert said the stingray must have flicked its barbed tail with some force to bury it so deeply in the dolphin. "The barb, which is covered in slimy tissue and can transfer venom into the wound, doesn't usually break off inside the victim," he said. "We'll never know exactly how it happened, but it is certainly a very unusual cause of death." ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 10:36:52 PDT From: Mike Barnard Subject: Aids in Dolphins? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I take this conference for a friend of mine who doesn't have internet access. He has asked me to send this message to you all. I'm Mike Barnard, and my email address is: mikebarnard(\)mistral.co.uk His message is... Some samples taken from Black Sea Tursiops have been sent from the Ukraine to someone in Canada for testing recently. I understand the result to show that Aids(HIV) and another unknown virus have been isolated. Can anyone help with any information? Can you confirm it, refute it, or have you any other helpful information? Thanks. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 14:28:43 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: polar bear ecology To MARMAM: I am looking for a good, fairly recent book on the ecology of polar bears. Popular books about polar bears abound, but I am wondering if there are any more technical titles out there, that summarize scientific knowledge about polar bear natural history, physiology, reproductive biology, behavioral ecology, etc. I would appreciate any information about recent polar bear literature, including any journal publications or web sites. Please reply directly to me at my e-mail address. Thanks. Naomi Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 7 Aug 1995 10:20:21 SAST-2 Reply-To: y(\)UVVM.uvic.ca From: "SAVAGE, C, CANDIDA, SVGCAN001" Subject: address needed Dear Readers I am trying to get a contact name for the curator of the Dolphin Research Centre in Florida (Florida keys?) as well as a postal address and e-mail address for the centre. If anyone can help me, please could you forward the above address to me at:- CSAVAGE(\)botzoo.uct.ac.za Thank you very much Candida Savage ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 9 Aug 1995 12:49:33 BST From: John Dineley Subject: Polar Bears research ==================================== re: Naomi Rose request for information on Polar Bears I very interesting publication has recently been produced called THE WELFARE AND MANAGEMENT OF BEARS IN ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS by Alison Ames. It is not a very large document but contains an extensive reference section which included research on polar bears (wild and captive). Further information from: Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFWA), 8 Hamilton Close, South MImms, Potters Bar, Herts., EN6 3QD United Kingdom Tel: 01707-658202 Fax: 01707-649279 ================================== John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ================================== ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 9 Aug 1995 17:13:27 EDT From: "Nina, Young" Subject: NOAA Appropriations Dear U.S. Marine Mammal Scientists: As some of you may know, now is a particularly vulnerable time for the budgets for the science programs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Marine Mammal Commission. As scientists, it is important that we voice our support for the programs that seek to conserve and manage our nation's living marine resources. Attached is a letter that is currently being circulated to several professional societies (e.g. Society for Conservation Biology, International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine, and others) for their endorsement. Because the Society for Marine Mammalogy has a policy of not endorsing such letters or resolutions, I am requesting that individual marine mammal scientists consider supporting these programs by endorsing this letter. Please consider it and if you are willing to do so, send an email to my address with your name, title, and affiliation. Thank you in advance for your attention to this issue. Respectfully submitted, Nina M. Young Marine Mammalogist Center for Marine Conservation youngn(\)dccmc.mhs.compuserve.com Dear Senator : The undersigned professional societies urge you to restore appropriations for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's coastal and ocean stewardship programs. Our memberships strongly believe that sound resource management and conservation depend upon reliable science. Good science is crucial to carrying out the agency's management responsibilities. Whether in conducting population assessments, predicting resource trends, recovering threatened and endangered species, monitoring pollution and water quality, devising mitigation and restoration techniques, or increasing our understanding of species composition and the physical and chemical relationships within coastal and marine ecosystems, science provides the data for decision-making on resource management. As the population increases and more people crowd along the shore and make greater demands on coastal lands and waters, we will have to increasingly rely on science that responds to management concerns. To that end we request that you use your position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to restore FY 1996 funding for NOAA/NMFS and the Marine Mammal Commission at the level of the President's budget request. The programs that are of particular importance are: National Marine Fisheries Service's Information Collection and Analyses ($121.8 Million)--Marine mammal research; Protected species research; Right whale research; Gear entanglement studies; Hawaiian monk seals; Steller sea lion recovery plan; Hawaiian sea turtles; and Atlantic bluefin tuna research. Protected Species Management ($36.3 Million)--Protected Species Management; Tissue bank and stranding network; ESA listing and status review; Driftnet Act implementation; Marine Mammal Protection Act; Endangered Species Act recovery plan; Fishery observer training; and East Coast observers. Other Programs--Fisheries Management Programs ($16.8 Million); Pacific tuna management ($2 Million); Habitat Conservation ($10.7 Million); Enforcement and Surveillance ($18.4 Million). Marine Mammal Commission ($1.425 million)-- The Marine Mammal Commission's work is key to the effective implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the development of sound Federal policies concerning marine mammal conservation. Protected Species Management and Marine Resource Information Collection and Analyses and the Marine Mammal Commission: The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) gives NMFS the responsibility to conserve and manage marine mammals in U.S. waters. At least 35 species of marine mammals, including whales, seals, dolphins, porpoises, and manatees, are found in U.S. waters of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. At least 50 marine mammal species, including sea lions, walrus, polar bears, and sea otters, occur in U.S. waters of the Pacific. Even the President's budget does not provide sufficient research funds to assess marine mammal populations, implement provisions of the MMPA to prohibit the intentional shooting and accidental drowning of marine mammals in commercial fishing operations, and research into fishing gear and technologies that reduce the accidental mortality of marine mammals in commercial fishing gear. The proposed budget is insufficient to implement other provisions of the MMPA as well. For example, Title IV, the Marine Mammal Health Stranding and Response Act has been historically underfunded; nevertheless, unexplained die-offs of marine mammals have continued on almost an annual basis along the United States coastline. NMFS's response to these die-offs is hampered because, to date, no funds have been appropriated to the Emergency Response Fund. Without the necessary funds NMFS is powerless to determine the cause of these die-offs of marine mammals--animals that are potential indicators of the overall health of the marine environment. Similarly, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) gives NMFS the duty to conserve and manage threatened and endangered marine species, including the six threatened and endangered species of sea turtles occurring in U.S. waters. Current funding levels are impacting NMFS' ability to implement it's own Biological Opinion with respect to the shrimp fishery and endangered sea turtles. Funding is needed to increase observer coverage, improving monitoring for strandings of dead turtles and enforcement of the Turtle Excluder Device regulations. Further, current funding is inadequate for NMFS to develop and implement recovery programs for all depleted, threatened, or endangered species or to develop proactive measures to avoid the need for future listings under the Endangered Species Act. Further, enforcement funds are not adequate to cover the enforcement of both the MMPA and the ESA. Therefore, we support the President's budget request for enforcement. Implementation of the new regulations prohibiting the intentional shooting of marine mammals, as well as increased enforcement of existing regulations such as turtle excluder device requirements, necessitate enhancing NMFS's enforcement capabilities. Finally, the Marine Mammal Commission is a science-based advisory organization, not directly charged with implementation of Federal policy. Throughout its history it has been looked to and trusted for sound counsel for resolving differences among interests concerned with marine mammal management. With its extremely modest budget the Commission has made a very significant contribution to sound science and conservation of marine mammals in the United States and worldwide. We believe that Congress's support of these programs is necessary to achieve the goals and objectives of recovering protected species, and to move toward fully implementing the MMPA and the ESA. Fishery Management Programs: NMFS calculates that 28 percent of 231 U.S. fish stocks are overutilized, 31 percent are fully utilized, and the status of 29 percent is unknown. At current funding levels, NMFS lacks the resources to fully implement existing Fishery Management Plans (FMP's) or to develop and implement new FMP's to reduce and prevent overfishing. Fisheries management funding is inadequate and is costing the Nation dearly. In New England, inadequate management has driven one of the world's most productive groundfisheries to near extinction. In the Gulf of Mexico, bycatch in shrimp trawls threatens the viability of other commercial and recreational fisheries. On the Pacific Coast, salmon stocks are in serious decline, with several already on the endangered species list. The depletion of our fisheries deprives Americans today and tomorrow of an affordable and sustainable food source, costs jobs, undermines community stability, and imperils marine ecosystems. NMFS estimates that fully recovered fisheries could result in $2.9 billion to fisheres, $16 billion to the economy, and 200,000 in jobs. We strongly support the President's request of $339.4 million to build sustainable fisheries. This funding will assist NMFS in addressing the problems of insufficient data, provide for additional assessment of the status of fishery resources, and allow NMFS to begin addressing the backlog of management and conservation requirements under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Our Nation is largely and increasingly a coastal one. Nearly fifty percent of the population currently resides along the coast--by the year 2010, experts predict that nearly three-fourths of Americans will live within an hour's drive of the coast. It is important that Congress responds to the needs of coastal communities for sustainable resource-based jobs and economic activity, and protection of life and property along our shores. Coastal economies rely on a healthy ocean and abundant life within it. Living marine resources are extremely important to our Nation. In 1993, U.S. commercial fishers earned more than $3 billion in revenue from fish and shellfish, and had a total impact on the economy of about $38.1 billion. More than 80 percent of their catch was used for human food. Commercial fisheries in the U.S. support over 300,000 jobs. Approximately 17 million U.S. recreational fishers took over 52 million saltwater fishing trips along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts in 1992. The conservation of marine mammals and endangered marine species provide abundant recreational opportunities to millions of Americans annually. More than 5.4 million people participate in whale-watching every year, generating more than $504.3 million in direct and indirect revenues. Coastal regions are also important to the Nation's economic prosperity for their seaports, and for their contribution to recreation and tourism, amounting to between $8 and $12 billion annually. But all this economic activity is dependent on abundant resources, healthy habitats, and water quality safe for fish and for recreation. Our nation needs sound resource management based on science if we, as a nation, are to have healthy and abundant ocean resources. We believe funding NOAA/NMFS and the Marine Mammal Commission at the level of the President's budget request at least recognizes those needs and is a necessary investment. We urge your support in voting to restore these vital funds. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 9 Aug 1995 16:54:45 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: Missing MARMAM messages August 8/9 Greetings, There was a minor problem with the University of Victoria computing system on August 8th and 9th, and several messages which had been submitted to the MARMAM list were deleted (as well as everything else in my personal mailbox). If you submitted something to the list during that time, and have not seen it appear yet, please resubmit it to: marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca Robin Baird, MARMAM co-editor ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Aug 1995 08:22:22 BST From: John Dineley Subject: Captivity/Captive Release Debate From: John Dineley (S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk) Subject: Captive Release Anne Doncaster recently wrote: >This does not answer my question. I do not believe that >the Captive Breeding Specialist Group suggested the >captive breeding of non-endangered species or that such >breeding would benefit critically endangered species. As I stated in a pervious mailing, there are other roles for zoos and aquaria as well as the breeding of endangered species. I do not subscribe the erroneous view that zoos and aquariums are only exist to breed endangered species. Therefore, it is legitimate for non-endangered animals to be exhibited. Further, are you suggesting that the maintenance of non- endangered species for educational and research should not be self-sustained by captive breeding and that establishments should replenish stocks by capturing from the wild? Actually, the used of a non-threatened species to "test-bed" a semi-captive environment is being used in China involving cetaceans i.e. the use of finless porpoises in a habitat that, if it proves sustainable, will be used in a river dolphin conservation project. >Your point was that people should not impose their moral >values on others. My point is that we often do this, even at >the national level. I think what remains is to determine >when, if ever the imposition of one's values is acceptable. >Would it be acceptable to interfere with someone who was >abusing his/her child? wife? dog? People should be free to do what they wish provided that do not do harm to others. I think that a neat, if not simplistic, axiom to live by. Am I taking a philosophical view point by adopting this stance? Probably. My argument, as regards the anti-captive debate, is that I do not believe that animals in zoos and aquariums need suffer by being in captive environments (some may do, but this is due to bad management). By basing animal welfare on opinion (morality?) the animal-rights movement may make a lot of assumptions that suffering is generally occurring when it is not and, likewise, may make assumptions that suffering is not occurring when indeed it is. This is why I am a strong supporter of trying to make objective, scientific judgements on these matters. It may not be a "perfect" tool and scientific facts may only be considered "provisional" but it is better than assumptions determined by dogma. >You seem to have an antipathy to both animal rights and >philosophy. They are apparently boring, whereas the >defence of science and the aquarium industry are not. >This suggests something of a bias. Animal rights? I have very strong support for animal welfare. I do not know what animal-rights is even after reading Peter Singer. When is see a rabbit stand out-side my place of employment demanding better pay and conditions for myself I may subscribe to this belief :-) Philosophy? I quite like the views of Popper, and I cannot recall having stated I am against philosophy. What I find objectionable is moral self-righteousness. I feel "moral" arguments are sometime used simply to cloud a debate and detract from the real issue. The question that has to be answered is: are captive animals suffering unnecessary in our zoos and aquariums. An issue that can only be unravelled by objective scientific research. >No-one can determine your affiliation from your post office >box. Would you mind letting MARMAMers know? I think I did this when I posted some information up sometime ago re: the ICS wanting input on research into the welfare of captive cetaceans. However, I will basically repeat it: I do not currently have an affiliation to anyone. I am presently taking time out from full time employment and have just successfully finished my first year at university studying psychology with biology for a BSc (hons). Prior to this, I spent twenty-three years working with marine mammals (dolphins, seal and sea lions) involving public display, breeding, rescue and rehabilitation. I still do part- time consultant work with marine mammals. ================================= John Dineley, Cert.H.E., PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ================================== ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Aug 1995 13:11:04 -0400 From: "Richard L. Wallace" Subject: Whaling Review Recommendations? In-Reply-To: <199508101515.AA01048(\)minerva.cis.yale.edu> Greetings all, I am looking for recommendations for recent (within the past year +/-) reviews of activities concerning the IWC and whaling and research whaling activities that have taken place both under the auspices of the IWC and otherwise. I am teaching a course this fall on non-biological (socio-economic, policy, organizational, values) aspects of the conservation of biological diversity, and would like to provide my students with a good, international whaling policy-oriented review of recent whaling-related activities, but have come up short in my search for suitable documents. Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated. Thanks much, Richard L. Wallace School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University 205 Prospect Street, Sage Hall New Haven, CT 06511 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Aug 1995 12:21:56 PDT From: Ernesto Vazquez Subject: fin whale Anyone who works with photoidentification of Fin whales: We are interested in the proportion of photographed individuals that have parasites and the length of time that the parasites persist. Please respond with any information to: LENRIQUEZ(\)CALAFIA.UABCS.MX Thanks. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 9 Aug 1995 19:55:36 -0700 From: "Joan M. Goddard" Subject: makah whaling discussion Over the past few months that I have been watching the discussion of Makah whaling, I have been dismayed at the number of postings containing hearsay and loosely-drawn assumptions. Jose Palazzo said on June 19, "There was a widespread rumour in the hallways that the Makah claim to whaling rights had more to do with the 'tribal leaders' links with timber sales to Japan than any legitimate tradition. As to reaffirm this hypothesis, the Makah representative was attended frequently by wildlife-consumption lobbyists." Merrit Clifton, editor of Animal People, said on July 18, "(Dan Greene) is known to have close links with the Norwegian and Japanese whaling industries as well as the 'wide use'leaders in the US via the Makah tribe's heavy involvement in logging." In the same posting, Clifton, reporting on the death of a gray whale from entanglement in a Makah fish net, referred to 'fragmentary reports we've been receiving from Friends of Animals and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society....we're told that Greene was aware the young whale was drowning a day earlier and did nothing to save her....the whale was immediately butchered, and the remains distributed among the 2,300-odd members of the Macaw tribe, some of whom are expected to surreptitiously sell some of the meat." I was disturbedd by Phoebe Wray's innuendo in her June 10 statement, "I am not so sympathetic with any people who manipulate cultural expressions for profit or for some selfish end." She offered no clarification. To get persepective on the Makah whaling issue, I travelled to Neah Bay, on the Makah reservation, on July 20. In three days of interviewing I found nothing to support the statements quoted above. I will be posting a report shortly, once I am sure I have quoted people accurately .( I had to convince them I was not representing the media, and from what I have seen in the press, their concerns were justified.) In the meantime I am submitting the text of a brief history of native whaling on the Pacific Coast as it was published in the Victoria Times-Colonist on July 23. It is based on the established authorities with additional material from my own research as a whaling historian. I will be glad to supply a list of references upon request. Joan Goddard 3974 Lexington Ave. Victoria, BC V8N 3Z6 Canada phone (604) 477-7827 E-mail ul149(\)freenet.victoria.bc.ca ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Aug 1995 10:09:45 -0700 From: genex(\)pinc.com Subject: Native Whaling --=====================_808074147==_ This file is being sent in ASCII from Joan Goddard at ul149(\)freenet.victoria.bc.ca --=====================_808074147==_ To marmam...the following is the text of an article I prepared for the Victoria Times-Colonist. It is based on the established authorities on native whaling an d some additional research of my own. I will be glad to furnish references upon request. Joan Goddard E-mail ul149(\)freenet.victoria.bc.ca WHALES AND WEST-COAST NATIVES Published in the Islander, Victoria Times-Colonist July 23, 1995 Joan Goddard "How could they?!" The reaction might have been expected when the Makah Nation at Neah Bay, Washington quietly inquired about the possibility of resuming a tra ditional whale hunt in early May. The alarm sounded even louder when Vancouver I sland's Nuu-chah-nulth laid traditional whaling on the table for recognition in current treaty negotiations a few weeks later. Killing whales has been viewed world-wide with increasing concern for over sixty years. When the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling was ena cted in 1946, the world's whale populations were declining as a result of too mu ch killing. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has made special allowances for subsi stence whaling by "aboriginals" such as American, Canadian and Greenland native s whose ancestors hunted whales for thousands of years. Along with acknowledgem ent of their need for meat is the recognition that the hunt is tightly interwove n with native culture. The Makah plan to ask the International Whaling Commission for approval to hunt up to five gray whales per year for subsistence and ceremonial purposes. This w ould instill in their young people, they claim, the traditional values which hav e held their people together over the centuries, and would augment their diet. The United States guaranteed them the right to whaling and sealing on their usua l and accustomed grounds in a treaty signed in 1855. To understand the importance of whaling to these west-coast native people, one n eeds to look at their history. The Makah of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula and the Nuu-chah-nulth of Vanc ouver Island's west coast were at one time a single cultural group. Only in rec ent history were they separated by an arbitrary international boundary between t he United States and Canada. They shared a marine-based way of life for thousan ds of years, hunting humpback and gray whales migrating close to shore along the Pacific Coast. Not only did whales provide tons of meat; their blubber eaten fresh or rendered into oil was highly prized. The bone, baleen, gut, and sinew from their carcasse s were utilized in numbers of ingenious ways. Whale oil was a unit measurement f or wealth. It was used as bride price, for potlatch gifts and for trade with ot her tribes and the later white traders. Whale hunting had a spiritual context every bit as important as the economic co ntext. The success of a whale hunter depended on his spiritual preparation which required months of prayer, bathing and fasting. The hunter was seen not only as strong and daring; he was honoured for a relationship with the spirits that w ould permit him to kill a whale. Only certain chiefs and their kin had the honour of hunting whales; an honour pa ssed down within families. It was accompanied by private ownership of secret ri tuals and songs. While published accounts have given us a general idea of how the native hunt wa s conducted, elders are still filling in the details from a rich oral tradition, according to Hereditary Chief Tom Happynook (Mexsis), great-grandson of the Ohi aht whaling chief, Mexsis. A whaling expedition required a 35-foot cedar dugout canoe with paddles pointed to cut the water silently. The chief was positioned in the bow with his 16-foot harpoon shaft tipped with a mussel-shell harpoon. At the stern sat an experien ced older relative as steersman. His job was to signal to the chief the right mo ment to throw the harpoon into the whale, and eventually to kill it with his lan ce. In between, seated two on a thwart, were men who had each a specific job. The six- to nine-man crew could paddle with such strength that the canoe might g o as fast as 7 knots. (An excited whale can swim at 15 to 25 knots.) On the bot tom of the canoe lay twenty or more sealskin floats which had been soaked the ni ght before the voyage and laid flat. These, each with a length of cedar bark li ne attached, were blown up by one of the crew on the way to the hunting grounds. Once a whale was located, the canoe approached silently from behind, coming up t o within three feet of its left side. The hunter stood poised with his harpoon shaft overhead for the exact moment to throw. Timing was critical....the whale 's head should be submerged at the beginning of a dive, but the tail flukes must also be underwater. Otherwise the canoe would be thrashed and broken up when t he animal reacted to the hit. The steersman watched and gave the signal. The moment the harpoon was plunged into the whale the paddlers backwatered furio usly. As many as a dozen floats tied onto the harpoon line were tossed overboard . These slowed the whale, kept it from sinking, and provided a marker when he s urfaced. Since the harpoon line was not fast to the canoe, the whale swam off a nd had to be pursued. More harpoons with floats were darted into him by other c anoes standing by. In order to assure that the whale would not sink, more than 20 sealskin floats might be pinned into it. Pursuing the harpooned whale, the crews began singing the chief's songs and sha king rattles to persuade it to swim towards the village. They cut the whale's fl ipper tendons with their knife-sharp paddles. Then, using the paddle tips like prods, they flanked the whale as it weakened, urging it shoreward. As the exhau sted whale became quiet, a fatal thrust with the lance was made just behind the left fin. Then it was one man's job to dive into the water with a knife and rope and lace the jaws shut so that when the towing began, the gaping mouth would no t fill with water and create drag. It could take hours, sometimes days, to tow the whale home. The whale was anchored in front of the village to await high tide, and then pull ed as far up the beach as possible to be cut up. The "saddle" piece, carefully m easured around the dorsal fin or hump, was removed first for ceremonial purposes and given to the chief. Then the blubber and meat were distributed according to strict protocol. The skeleton was left on the beach to be picked over later fo r useful bone. Celebration over the successful hunt could last for days. European and American whaling ships almost eradicated the gray whales after thei r calving lagoons were discovered on the coast of Mexico in 1846. Those whales that escaped encountered shore-based whalers along the California coast as they headed on their annual spring migration north to Alaska and Siberia. But the whi te man's commercial hunt for gray whales ended by 1880. The gray whales had beco me so few that for the next few decades scientists really believed they had beco me extinct. An international agreement in 1946 protected the slowly recovering gray whales. Now their numbers are believed to have returned to the level that existed before commercial hunting. The United States government has removed them from its endangered species list. Though there were still humpback whales to hunt, the disappearance of the gray w hales must have been a major factor in the West Coast natives' reduced whaling in the latter part of the 19th century. At about the time the gray whales disappeared, an alternative occupation appeare d with the advent of pelagic sealing. The natives had always hunted seals in the ir canoes for meat, oil and skins. In the 1860's and 70's white schooner captain s began recruiting them with their canoes to hunt migrating fur seals on six- to nine-month voyages extending from California to Bering Sea and even to Russia a nd Japan. For the west coast natives, pelagic sealing was to become a major occ upation. It was the first opportunity native people had had to earn money, a lot of money by the standards of the day. But there was a down side. They were awa y too long to be able to whale, hunt and fish. In 1897 the US government forbade sealing by Americans and the Makah were forced to give up. It was a step toward the 1911 closure of fur sealing in the North Pacific. Some Makah returned to whaling, continuing on a limited basis through the first decade of the 20th century. On Vancouver Island, native crews continued sealing on Canadian schooners at lea st through 1908. When pelagic sealing ended with the Treaty of Washington in 191 1, 861 natives were among the Canadian sealers who claimed loss of income from t he closure. Some said they had made up to $500 per season at fur sealing. The tr eaty did allow native sealers, both American and Canadian, to continue sealing f rom shore in their traditional way, using canoes and spears. When the sealing cruises ended, BC natives found work in the fishing industry. W hile the men fished or worked on the wharves, their wives worked in the cannerie s. Again traditional food gathering had become secondary. They were now entrenc hed in a cash economy. Generations have passed since native hunters went out into the Pacific Ocean in dugout canoes to hunt whales. But there are old people who remember hunts as lat e as 1945: hunts to prove they could still do it. Bill Happynook, son of Chief Mexsis, was a member of the crew when they brought the last whale into Dodger's Cove in 1928. It had been almost twenty years since the Ohiaht had killed a wh ale. With wonder still in his voice he recalled in a 1989 interview, "So much meat!" --=====================_808074147==_-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Aug 1995 12:31:46 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Marine Mammal Conference - XI Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Notice to Potential Registrants Please read the registration form carefully with respect to what is INCLUDED in the category that you are registering in. For example, Full Member and Non-Member registration fees INCLUDE both the OPENING RECEPTION on 14 December and the BANQUET on 18 December. The Student registrtion fee INCLUDES the opening reception but NOT the banquet. EXTRA tickets are available for both functions. If you have any questions, please contact me BEFORE you fill out the registration form. Dan Odell Conference Chair ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Aug 1995 12:43:33 -0700 From: genex(\)pinc.com Subject: Nean Bay Report --=====================_808169764==_ The following file is sent in Ascii from Joan Goddard at ul149(\)freenet.victoria.bc.ca --=====================_808169764==_ Dear marmamers...The following is a report of my visit to Neah Bay on the Makah reservation, Washington, USA July 20-22, 1995 to inquire into the Makah interest in a resumption of whaling. The Makah reservation is at the tip of the Olympic Peninsula which thrusts out i nto the Pacific Ocean and marks the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Afte r a ferry ride from Victoria, on Vancouver Island, I drove for two hours along 70 miles of paved two-lane road, much of it winding over a flank of the Olympic Mountains at speeds posted as low as 15 mph. Empty log trucks snarled their com pression brakes behind me, eager to get back for another load; and there were fe w places to pull aside to let them pass. At last the now-famous museum that hous es the archaeological treasures of the ancient whaling village of Ozette loomed through the fog and I suddenly realized I was there. Ahead a village straggled along the wide crescent beach of Neah Bay, facing Vancouver Island across the St rait of Juan de Fuca. Four blocks of houses and trailers were compressed between dense forest and the sea. Signs of the fishery which supports the people were e verywhere. Neah Bay, the seat of tribal government with a population of about 1,800, a nd three small ancient villages house the resident population of the approximate ly 2,300 enrolled Makah. The tribe's 27,000 acres represent a small fraction of their original territory. The rest was given away in an 1855 treaty with the Un ited States that retained among certain rights, the right to continue whaling. W hen he came to negotiate the treaty, Governor Stevens promised that if the tribe signed the treaty, the government would send them kettles to render whale oil a nd barrels to store it in. (Traditionally they had rendered out oil in kerfed wo oden boxes by dropping hot stones into the water that contained the blubber. Oi l had been stored in bags made from the stomachs of sea lions.) I spent three days talking to anybody I could corner including families eating h amburgers in the restaurant that faces the fish wharf; fishermen; bright and che ery elders; professional social workers; a wood carver; Meredith Heilman, in ch arge of the Makah Forestry Enterprise; tribal chairman Hubert Markishtum and vi ce-chairman, Dean Parker; fisheries biologist Denise Dailey; and Dan Greene, Dir ector of Makah Fisheries Management. (Dan is the young man Phoebe Wray spoke to during the IWC meeting in Dublin.) I was received graciously by everyone and bel ieve their answers to my questions were open and honest. Dan Greene's quiet manner belies the tremendous energy he expends in managing th e Makah fisheries, which every week involves two day-trips (each requiring nine hours of driving over that road and beyond) into Seattle during the current salm on quota meetings, and fielding the continual media calls about Makah whaling pl ans. After hours he goes out in the bay to tend traditional set nets in order to support a family of six children, the oldest of whom will go to college next ye ar. Working the nets takes about four hours daily. He has served two terms (tota lling six years) on the Makah Tribal Council, during which time he was Tribal Ch airman one year and Vice-Chairman another. Neah Bay had become newsworthy on July 16 when a gray whale drowned after becomi ng entangled in a set net designed to catch chinook salmon. By sheer coincidence the net belonged to Dan Greene, the spokesman for the Makah bid to once again c atch gray whales. Dan was awakened Sunday morning by a federal fisheries biologist from Seattle w ho had discovered the dead whale. It was 27 feet long, a 2 to 3-year-old female. Although many grays have been accidentally caught in Makah set nets over the ye ars, this is the first one that the Makah have been allowed by the US government to utilize. It was clear from my conversation with Dan Greene and the federal biologist that Dan was unaware of it until it was reported to him. The totally ruined net was valued at $2,000. It had been anchored within the ba y in such a way that whales could swim between it and another net along their fa vourite feeding route. (Gray whales take feed from the bottom and graze small cr ustaceans from the kelp forests that abound in the bay.) Over the years, Dan h ad already lost three other nets to whale entanglement, and had tried to avoid f urther losses. He ran me out to the site in his boat (it was just one or two mi nutes out from the dock). Four other grays were grazing the kelp as we drifted q uietly around. Every year more grays stay all summer in the shallow bay instead of going north, I was told. This year they are in record numbers. The US Nation al Marine and Fisheries Service is developing "pingers" to put on the nets to s care the whales off. Dan waited that Sunday for high tide before towing the whale and net to a beach. By five pm a crowd of over 100 Makah had gathered on the beach with whatever kn ives they could find. Before the whale was pulled ashore several minutes were d evoted to traditional songs and drumming. In keeping with tradition, the saddle piece was cut from the whale's back for special ceremonial use. Dan said the blu bber and meat (which was still very fresh) were all removed within three hours a nd taken home by those with room in their freezers, to be held for later redistr ibution. The skeleton will eventually be placed in the Makah Cultural Museum. Nobody who had tried eating the whale meat expressed dislike. Some were very e nthusiastic. Every cook seemed to have tried a different way of preparing it. Ni nety-six-year-old Isabelle Ides cut some up and hung it in her smokehouse "like my mother used to do," she said. "I ate the last whale that was caught, you know ," she reported with a grin, remembering the famous whale hunt in 1909 that was photographed by Asahel Curtis. "I was only nine years old, and I was too busy pl aying down the beach to watch when it was brought in." She remembers some of th e preparation, however. "I watched them soak the sealskin floats in the creek s o they would be soft for blowing up in the canoe on the way out." Some people had tried eating raw blubber and found it quite palatable. They are waiting to render it into oil while they accumulate enough large kettles and st orage vessels. (I wonder if Governor Stevens' offer is still good?!) The old peo ple are eager to use it as a condiment the way whale and seal oil were tradition ally used. All the Makah still use seal oil like melted butter into which they dip other foods such as fish or potatoes. The butcher in the general store, a non-native married to a Makah, told me he wa sn't worried about losing the trade of whale meat consumers. He had a lot of N ew York steaks in his case selling for $6.69 per pound. They were for the visit ing sport fishermen who cook in their campers. The natives, he said could only afford hamburger for spaghetti sauce and chili. There wasn't any in his case. I asked people if they thought the Makah should return to whaling. While they w ere not agreed on the method they all said yes. Tribal Chairman Markishtum told me that they had called a general dinner meeting of the tribe to discuss the wha ling idea and there had been just one dissident, a 72-year-old woman. (The peopl e the Seattle groups claim to be talking to clearly do not represent the tribe.) Markishtum said the tribe's aim is to reaffirm their treaty right to use their resources. The 1855 treaty stated, "The right of taking fish and of whaling or s ealing at usual and accustomed grounds and stations is further secured to said I ndians...." They plan to take up to five whales a year for ceremonial and subsis tence use. I was assured that the hunt would comply with all Federal laws, and n o whale products would be exported. I was told repeatedly that they had always expected to go back to whaling once t he whales were plentiful enough; that it was only because the whales had become scarce that they had stopped. I find support for this in James G. Swan's Indians of Cape Flattery, 1869, in which he noted, "I infer that formerly the Indians w ere more successful in killing whales than they have been of late years.....I ha ve not noticed any marked activity among them, and when they do go out, they rar ely take a prize....the blubber and flesh serve for food." Anthropologist Ann R enker, who wrote the Makah chapter in the Smithsonian Handbook of the American I ndian, Vol. 7, states that prior to European contact, whale products may have pr ovided over 80% of Makah subsistence. Greg Colfax, an artist, said he felt the whale hunt would strengthen their sense of community because it could only be done with the cooperation of many people. That was confirmed for him on July 16, he said, as people worked together on th e whale. His wife Linda, mental health coordinator for the neighboring Quilieute tribe, was not worried that using new hunting techniques would negate some of t he traditions. Traditions can evolve over time and still have cultural value, s he said. While she feels that whales should not be killed in a painful way, she still supports the plan. When I told the tribal chairman and Dan Greene that they were suspected by certa in subscribers to marmam of being in collusion with the Japanese, they looked my stified. They have had no contact with Japanese. Apparently Dan is guilty by a ssociation because he was seen talking to some in Dublin. The Makah are a self-governing tribe and have managed to support their community services through sale of their timber via a broker in Port Angeles who finds th e buyers. Their Forestry Enterprise subcontracts the cutting, yarding and haulin g of their trees through outside logging companies. In addition to domestic pulp mills and sawmills, three Pacific Rim countries buy their logs through the brok er: China, Korea and Japan. The Makah are not dependent on the Japanese market, and certainly, their logs meet a very small amount of those countries' requireme nts. They cut an average of only 9 million board feet per year, though their allowabl e annual cut would be 12 million. Their forest management is designed to harvest timber at a sustainable rate while protecting water, fisheries, soil, scenery, wilderness and species diversity (quoting from the " Mission of Makah Foresty En terprise".) Of course their forests are clear-cut. There are cut-blocks on the reservation m ountains, as there are all over the Pacific Northwest, in all stages of regrowth from new to dense mature second growth. The forests have been successfully repl anted. Modifications of the clear-cutting method are being implemented by the Ma kah which utilize new knowledge of fish and wildlife requirements. Almost no Makah work in the forest industry off the reservation as they once did . The big companies no longer are cutting on the Olympic Peninsula. Those that do log have mechanized to the degree that a lot of jobs have been eliminated. T he result is seasonal unemployment rates among the Makah of over 50%. The sense of community is noticeable in Neah Bay. Funerals, I was told, are att ended by everybody in town. The general store closes for two hours; the schools are let out. There is a fund to which people contribute do the degree that the bereaved family is in need. Townspeople supply the food and serve it at the fu neral gathering. In keeping with tribal tradition, memorial dinners are held for the deceased a f ew years after their death. Perhaps strongest of their surviving traditions is t he naming ceremony. This is a gathering at which the tribal members are witness es to the giving of a traditional name to a person. The sense of identity, dig nity and validation which derives from this custom remain with the person throug h life. The names, owned within families, are passed down through the generatio ns and are carefully guarded. Each person upon whom the name is bestowed has th e responsibility to keep it clean and untarnished for the one to whom it will be passed on next. There is a resurgence of pride in these Makah names as there i s a renewed interest in their language. When I called on 96-year-old Isabelle Ides at her cottage on Sooes Beach, she wa s weaving a basket. The design depicted an old Makah legend about the little ma n, Kwati, who was swallowed by a whale, canoe and all. She related the story to me with the facility of one who has told it a thousand times. She laughed and sa id that if she had known she was going to live so long she would have tried to r emember more. There is no doubt that the Makah people expect to go whaling again. John McCarty , a 61-year-old fisherman told me, "We gave up most of our land in the treaty s o we could keep the use of the ocean which gave us what was important to our liv es." He added, "To us the whale is a symbol." I hope this report will give you some background for the news from Neah Bay. Joan Goddard --=====================_808169764==_-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Aug 1995 14:35:50 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: NSW: MAN FOUND TO HAVE INTERFE ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- NSW: MAN FOUND TO HAVE INTERFERED WITH WHALE SYDNEY, Aug 8 AAP - A judge today found a man had interfered with a marine animal when he scrambled onto a southern right whale last year in Bermagui Harbour on the New South Wales south coast. But Justice Robert Talbot dismissed another charge against the man and his friend relating to approaching a marine mammal closer than 30 metres contrary to the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974. In the Land and Environment Court hearing last month, Andrew John Curven had denied both offences, while Anthony James O'Connor denied the approach offence - the only matter with which he was charged. While finding the interference charge proven against Curven, the judge deferred entering a conviction or imposing a penalty until he heard further submissions on a date to be fixed. Justice Talbot found that on July 2 last year the friends, from Bermagui, were wearing wet suits when they entered the water where the whale had been seen milling. "There can be no doubt from their own testimony that they entered the water for the purpose of having a swim with the whale and if possible to take photographs from the water, close up," he said. Witnesses saw Curven in a position over the front part of the whale while its head was under the water and as the mammal rose, Curven was lifted on its back. While Curven was on the whale, O'Connor remained nearby within touching distance of its tail. The judge said he accepted that Curven scrambled, rather than climbed, onto the whale's back. "This action was a spontaneous reaction to the opportunity which was presented to him. "He accepted the opportunity voluntarily and enthusiastically participated in the encounter even to the point of raising his arm and calling out 'yahoo' as an exclamation of his achievement." He rejected Curven's claim that the contact was at the behest of the whale. In dismissing the other charge, the judge said the southern right whale was not referred to by that name in the table attached to the relevant regulation. "The court cannot be satisfied on the evidence before it that the whale identified as a southern right whale at Bermagui on 2 July 1994 is a member of any family or species referred to in the Table to the Regulations." ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Aug 1995 14:41:05 PDT From: "Nina, Young" Subject: ESA Appropriations ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED BY U.S. CITIZENS!!! Your help is needed today to save Endangered Species Act funding!!! Call your Senators and any others you have contacts with. The Capitol Switchboard # is 202/224-3121. Today the Senate is expected to debate the FY96 Interior Appropriations bill which came out of committee with most funds for Endangered Species Act activities deleted. Senator Reid (D - NV) is expected to offer a floor amendment that would restore $8.6 million to bolster pre-lisitng activities, Section 7 consultations and recovery plans and actions. The Amendment has bipartisan support from Senators Chafee (R -RI), Latuenberg (D - NJ) and Lieberman (D - CT). The money would be taken from the Bureau of Mines, which the President's budget had zeroed out but the Committee gave $132 million to, clearly they have the money to spare. Please call now and ask your Senator to support the Reid amendment to the Interior Appropriations Bill. Thank you. Nina Young Marine Mammalogist Center for Marine Conservation youngn(\)dccmc.mhs.compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 12 Aug 1995 11:35:32 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: M M Conference - students STUDENTS registering for the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals at the student registration rate must include with their conference registration form a photocopy of their student ID or other document that indicates their status as a student. A student registration can not be processed without documentation of student status. Daniel K. Odell Conference Chair ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 12 Aug 1995 15:37:43 PDT From: dprice Subject: Volunteer Dolphin Research Opportunities ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Fellow Marmamers: Lou Herman, his dedicated staff, and hundreds of EarthCorps volunteers have been communicating with dolphins for years. In the process they've learned more than anyone else about the intelligence and linguistic prowess of these fun-loving, social animals. There's no end to the insights - and the thrill. and the project just got better.... Earthwatch is pleased to announce the addition of one week teams to it's Dolphin Intelligence program which runs year round. Exploring Dolphin Intelligence Drs. Louis Herman & Adam Pack, Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory, University of Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii-Unraveling the mysteries of dolphins includes understanding their intellectual abilities. Researchers at KBMML have been mapping out the intellectual characteristics and competencies of dolphins for over 20 years through carefully designed behavioral experiments carried out within a highly supportive, stimulating social environment. Groundbreaking studies have been conducted on dolphin vision and hearing, mimicry, competencies for language comprehension, and interpretation of television scenes. EarthCorps volunteers, as have many before them, can help continue these studies. This year, team members will assist in studies designed to explore the extent and sophistication of dolphin-human communication, dolphin perception through echolocation, and dolphin concept formation. Field Conditions: Dolphins are exceptionally social animals that love to play and work with humans. Volunteers help carry out daily studies with the laboratory's four resident dolphins-Akeakamai, Phoenix, Elele, and Hiapo. Team members assist experimenters and trainers, manipulate apparatuses, enter data into computers, prepare the dolphins' food, and interact closely with the dolphins in play sessions. Home is a short beach walk away at an ocean-facing condominium. Related interests: animal behavior, communication, cognition. 1995 AND 1996 TEAMS: One-, two-, and four-week teams year-round; STAGING AREA: Honolulu, Hawaii; PROJECT COST: $370,975; YOUR SHARE: $1,295 (all one-week teams); $2,195 (two-week teams January-June); $2,995 (four-week teams January-June); $2,595 (two-week teams June-September); $3,695 (four-week teams June-September) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 12 Aug 1995 15:39:45 PDT From: CAN-SMMHM(\)immedia.ca Subject: Killer Whale Research Request ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ---------- At the Sidney Museum, we recently received a letter from an interesting young girl who is looking for information for her school project. The assignment is on the breathing of Orcas and we thought that we would pass on her letter to as many marine mammal researchers as possible. Here is her letter: Dear Friends in Orca Research, My name is Katie Chapman, and I am in the 3rd grade in Evergreen Colorado. For this yearAEs science fair project, I am trying to answer this question, oDo Orca whales in the wild breath more frequently than Orcas in captivity?o. I have been to Sea World in San Diego, Marine World Africa U.S.A., in Vallejo California, and I am going to the Vancouver Aquarium in Vancouver B.C., around August 4. I measure for 2 minutes and for 5 minutes how many times the Orcas breath. I also find out the air and water temperature, the salinity , and the ph of the water. I also ask how many gallons of water the tanks hold, the sex, and size of the whales that I am studying. I should probably ask about more stuff, but I donAEt know what to ask. I need to study whales in the wild, and this is where you can help me. My mom says that she canAEt get me out on the water for more than maybe 2 days. I know that I wonAEt be able to measure enough whales in 2 days. If you are out on the water and you spot a pod of whales would you please measure some for me? If they are a boy or a girl, where you saw them and when. I also need to know what they were doing when you saw them, the air and water temperature, and if you can, the ph, and salinity of the water. If you canAEt do the last things that is o.k. too. I just need as much help as I can get. If you know what pod of whales you are looking at, and if you know what the whales name or number that would be good information too. If you donAEt go into the water to study the whales, maybe I could write to you and get an interview. Would that be o.k.? Please write back to me. I want to take care of animals around the world when I grow up and my Mom say that this is a good way to learn about them. Last year I studied how birds fly, and I won my division at my school and at the regionals too. The judges said that my project was the best at the science fair. I want to do just as well this year too. Please write to me, Katie Chapman, at 80 Rose Hip Lane, Evergreen, Colorado, 80439. My phone number is 303-674- 8671. Thank you very much!!!! If anyone wishes to respond electronically to us at the Sidney Museum we will forward any information on to Ms. Chapman. Sidney Museum: Marine Mammal & Historical 2440 Sidney Ave. Sidney B.C. V8L 1Y7 Canada (604) 656-1322 (604) 655-4508 Fax e-mail: can-smmhm(\)immedia.ca ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 12 Aug 1995 15:40:39 PDT From: Terry Hardie Subject: THIEVES STEAL ORCA SKULL FROM DOC SHED ROOF ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 09-Aug-95 11:20 am Regular National THIEVES STEAL ORCA SKULL FROM DOC SHED ROOF Blenheim, Aug 9 - The skull of an orca found dead in the Marlborough Sounds last July has been stolen from the Conservation Department. The large skull, which was left to bleach on the top of a shed in DOC's workshop yard, was taken four weeks ago, DOC Picton Field Centre manager Roy Grose said. It looks something like a large cow's skull with a big eye socket. It is 1m long, 900mm across and 700mm deep, weighing between 30kg and 40kg, Mr Grose said. A large axle bone like a bull joint is at the back of the skull where the head pivots on the body. It would probably have taken two men to move it off the shed. The jaw bone, more sought after by carvers, was left behind. The theft was disappointing considering the effort made to keep the head intact for scientific research, Mr Grose said. The dead 6.4m male killer whale was found floating near Allports Island in Queen Charlotte Sound in early July. The head was removed and kept in a cage near Allports Island for marine life to eat away the flesh. The head was then brought to the surface where it was water blasted and cleaned up. The bleaching process was to get rid of the smell. NZPA BLE lh cf ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 14 Aug 1995 11:00:18 -0230 From: "Sean Todd, Whale Research Group" Subject: High quality recordings of cetacean vox Fellow Marmamers, A colleague of mine is looking for high quality (ie DAT) recordings of whale/dolphin vocalizations for possible inclusion in a series of 'new age' style cds. Top of the list of course are recordings of humpback whales, but vocalizations from most species would probably be acceptable. He has suggested that some payment for recordings may be possible. Interested parties should contact me via email (*not* to this list) so that I can forward further details. ============================== Sean Todd Whale Research Group Memorial University, NFLD., Canada, A1B 3X9. stodd(\)kean.ucs.mun.ca "The art of flying is achieved mainly by knowing how to avoid the ground" ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 15:11:36 -0400 Reply-To: Robert Kenney From: Robert Kenney Subject: Howard E. Winn, 1926-1995 TO: The marine mammal community Professor Howard Elliott Winn, 69, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Sunday, August 13, at his home in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. He was stricken while in the gardens which were his passion. Howard was hired as full Professor of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island in 1965, and was granted tenure and appointed Professor of Zoology in 1967. He came to Rhode Island from ten years at the University of Maryland, where he was Professor of Zoology. He earned a B.A. in biology from Bowdoin College in 1948, and went on to graduate study in zoology at the University of Michigan, where he earned an M.S. in 1950 and Ph.D. in 1955. During his academic career at Maryland and Rhode Island, he was major professor for 22 master's students and 27 doctoral students, and currently was supervising seven graduate students, with an eighth scheduled to begin study in September. Many of his former students had been planning a surprise party for the spring of 1996 to celebrate both his 70th birthday and his many contributions to science. Howard authored over 120 scientific publications during his career. His first papers, based on research conducted while a Bowdoin undergraduate, were on the birds of Kent Island in the Bay of Fundy, and he originally intended to study ornithology at Michigan. His graduate studies turned to ichthyology, however, and much of his early research was on the behavior, ecology, and communication of fishes. He made a number of significant contributions to the science of fish behavior, and served as the president of the Animal Behavior Society in 1966. His research on the acoustic communication of fishes led to similar studies of the acoustics of marine mammals, and he did some of the pioneering work on the study of humpback whale song. The acoustics research soon expanded into wide-ranging studies of marine mammals, and he became an internationally recognized authority on whale biology. He was scientific director of the Cetacean and Turtle Assessment Program, a landmark study in 1978-1982 of the whales, dolphins, and sea turtles off the northeastern United States. Much of his whale research over the last 15 years focused on the right whale, the world's most endangered whale species. He was the lead investigator of the South Channel Ocean Productivity Experiment, a large program which significantly advanced our understanding of right whale habitat requirements, and served as a member of the national right whale recovery team. In more recent years he had returned in part to his scientific "roots" and was conducting a continuing study of the ecology and behavior of coral reef fishes in Belize, Central America. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, August 18th, at the Kingston Congregational Church in Kingston, Rhode Island. Howard is survived by his wife, Susan L. Hammen-Winn, and four sons. Condolences may be sent to the family at 1545 Boston Neck Road, North Kingstown, RI 02852. In lieu of flowers, donations toward a fund to plant a memorial garden on the Narragansett Bay Campus may be sent in care of the Dean's Office, URI Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI 02882-1197. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Robert D. Kenney, Ph.D. rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu | | University of Rhode Island | | Graduate School of Oceanography TEL: (401) 792-6664 | | Box 41, Bay Campus FAX: (401) 792-6497 | | Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, U.S.A | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 18:05:08 EST From: Dan DenDanto Organization: College of the Atlantic Subject: Re: fin whale Ernesto, I direct the efforts of the North Atlantic Finback Whale Catalogue which contains over 23,000 records of 850 photo-identified fin whales from 13 years. Whales in the Catalogue, mostly from the Gulf of Maine and Gulf of St. Lawrence, are recognized frequently with scars from lamprey. These are white circular scars with a diameter of approximately 12cm ussally trailed by a more pale ribbon like scar. The primary circle is caused by the attachment of the parasite and the ribbon is a scrap of diatoms caused by the lamprey sliding aft before it falls off. We have only one photogaph of a fin whale with a lamprey on it, but are sure from this photograph that this is the organisim that make these types of scars. Lamprey scars may persist on the animals for 1 to 3 years. The Catalogue contains photos of fin whales with penella, however there are no resightings of these ectoparasites. A discussion of ectoparasites from data compiled in this Catalogue was presented at Ninth Biennial of the Biology of Marine Mammals in Chicago, IL (1991) by Beverly Agler titled " The Value of Scars for the Photo-idenification of Individual Fin Whales" , and was also published by the University of Maine as part of Beverly's Master's thesis. Beverly now works for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Migratory Birds, in Ancorage Alaska. She may be of help in you study. Good Luck Daniel DenDanto Project Director North Atlantic Finback Whale Catalogue 105 Eden Street BarHarbor, Maine 04609 (207) 288-5644 or E mail - DDD(\) Ecology.COA.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 17:41:04 +0000 From: Johann Sigurjonsson Subject: message to marmam Dear Robin; Many thanks for your initiative to distribute material to marine mammal scientists, which I find most useful. I have made use of your digest service which avoids you being disturbed by messages that are not of primary importance for your daily activities although you are interested to keep updated what is going on in this field of interest. This is very important because at my lab the email system has been for quite a long time a very important communication media. Most of the time I find what is on the marmam net of some use (at least for somebody), although I have usually try to skip lengthy debates on ATOC, loaded political issues, etc. I have learned to skip these quickly and I am not in a position to say whether they are of good quality or not. I mention this because several times I have read some comments or "news" about Keiko, the captive killer whale that featured in the recent movie Free Willy. Several times I have heard that the animal was to be freed into the wild where it originated, i.e. off the coast of Iceland. Since in most cases this has been presented as for pleasure rather than seriously, I have not bothered to interfer. However, on 8 August a message entitled "GALA PREMIERE MAY HELP FREE REAL-LIFE WILLY" indicates that a serious fund raising campaign is being initiated in the US with the ultimate goal to release the animal into the sea off Iceland. Or as it reads, first "the foundation needs to raise a further 10 million US dollars, or 6 million, to rehabilitate him" (i.e. Keiko). And later: "Meanwhile killer whale experts are scanning the waters off Iceland to try to find the family he was taken from at the age of two so they can be reunited". Since I have been involved in providing scientific advice to the government of Iceland for a number of years on killer whales and other issues, I feel obliged to offer the following statement in conjunction with the above mamrmam message: The government of Iceland has repeatedly decided in recent years not to permit re-introduction of killer whales into Icelandic waters that have been subjected to animal life in distant parts of the world for a prolonged periods of time. This due mainly to two reasons: a. because such a re-introduction could lead to transfer of "foreign" bacterias or other infectious agents with unknown consequences for the local ecosystem or individual animals b. because of the uncertainity regarding how an animal that has been kept in captivity for most of its life would survive in the wild. Also, it seems strange to me the statement that "killer whale experts are scanning the waters off Iceland", because anyone conducting research on killer whales off Iceland needs permit to do so. To my knowledge the appropriate authorities in Iceland have not been contacted nor have they issued any permits to conduct such studies. I would appreciate if you please could distribute this message on the marmam network for the sake of those who prefer sticking to facts rather than unreliable news. Best wishes, Johann Johann Sigurjonsson Internet : johann(\)hafro.is Hafrannsoknastofnunin Telephone: +354 552 0240 Marine Research Institute (direct line) 552 6533 Skulagata 4, P.O. Box 1390, 121 Reykjavik, Fax: +354 562 3790 Iceland ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 16 Aug 1995 09:11:22 -0400 From: Robert Kenney Subject: Update: Howard Winn Fund In regard to donations toward the fund to plant a garden on the University of Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Campus as a memorial to Professor Howard Winn, checks should be made out to "Howard E. Winn Memorial Fund" or "URI Foundation" and should be sent to the attention of Jane Miner. Thanks. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Robert D. Kenney, Ph.D. rkenney(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu | | University of Rhode Island | | Graduate School of Oceanography TEL: (401) 792-6664 | | Box 41, Bay Campus FAX: (401) 792-6497 | | Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, U.S.A | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 16 Aug 1995 11:27:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Wayward Manatee Wayward Manatee By BRIGITTE GREENBERG Associated Press Writer STRATFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A wayward manatee wandering north became the first of its species known to reach New England, marine experts said Tuesday. The animal has astounded marine biologists, who for the first time have documented a member of this endangered species moving beyond America's mid-Atlantic states. The manatee, also known as a sea cow, was spotted swimming and resting on the industrial shores of New Haven on Saturday. "We have never documented a manatee sighting north of the Chesapeake Bay," said Jim Reid of the National Biological Service. Up to 2,000 manatees live along the United States, most off the Florida coast. Some migrate as far north as the Carolinas in the summer, but they usually stick to southern seas because they cannot live long in temperatures below 65 degrees. This manatee, nicknamed Chessie, first shocked scientists last year when it was spotted in Virginia's Chesapeake Bay. Worried that it would die when the water turned cold, rescuers trapped it, and airlifted it back to Florida, attaching a radio beacon to its tail at that time. But once again, the 10-foot, 1,200-pound manatee has spent its summer moving north. It has traveled up to 20 to 30 miles per day, stopping periodically to rest and feed. Scientists are not sure what they will do if it does not turn around soon. The temperature of local waters has been in the upper 70s, Reid said. "Once Chessie reaches cold water or the weather turns slightly cooler, we hope that he will make his own decision to return south," Reid said. Scientists declined to say where exactly Chessie is for fear of drawing unwanted attention from people. Manatees are vegetarians who have no natural predators, but their numbers have plummeted because they are often struck and killed by the boats that frequent Florida waterways. They need to surface to breathe. They do not tend to be social creatures, often traveling alone. Yet Reid said he was not sure why Chessie traveled this far north. "The long distance and his persistent move north is what puts him outside of the normal population," Reid said. "Maybe he is a more curious and intrepid individual than others in the population." ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 17 Aug 1995 15:47:44 EST Reply-To: CDM(\)VETMED1.VETMED.UFL.EDU From: Chris Marshall Organization: U of F College of Vet. Med. Subject: Capture Myopathy Greetings I am currently reading on the topic of capture myopathy/exertional rhabdomyolysis in wildlife. Other commonly used names includes transport stress and capture stress. I am especially interested in this phenomenon in marine mammals. I am aware of certain papers concerning capture myopathy in duogongs: Heinsohn, G.E., Marsh, H. and A.V. Spain. 1976. Extreme risk of morality to dugongs from netting operations. Aust.J. Wildl. Res. 3:117-121. Anderson, P.K. 1981. The behavior of of the dugong (Dugong dugon) in relation to conservation and management. Bul. Mar. Sc 640-647.. Marsh, H. and P.K. Anderson. 1983. Probable susceptibility of dugongs to capture stress Biol. Conserv. 25:1-3. O'Shea, T.J., and G.B. Rathbun. 1985. Tolerance of West Indian manatees to capture and handling. Biol. Conserv. 33:335-349. and I am also aware of a few papers on cetaceans: Colgrove, G.S. 1978. Suspected transportation-associated myopathy in a dolphin. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 173:1121-1123. St. Aubin, D.J. and J.R. Geraci. 1988. Capture and handling stress supresses circulating levels of T4 and T3 in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). I would be grateful for any suggestions in finding additional sources regarding capture myopathy in marine mammals as well as personal experiences. Thank you for your assistance. Christopher Marshall Department of Physiological Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine Marine Mammal Studies Box 100144JHMHC University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32610-0144Email:CDM(\)VETMED1.VETMED.UFL.EDU ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 17 Aug 1995 15:24:00 EDT From: Save the Manatee Club Subject: Research Opportunity Save the Manatee Club (SMC) is issuing a request for proposals from researchers interested in conducting aerial surveys to determine manatee abundance and distribution in west Volusia and Brevard Counties, Florida over the next two years. Interested parties should call or e-mail Patti Thompson at SMC for further information. Phone: (800) 432-5646. E-mail: manatee(\)america.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 17 Aug 1995 22:55:09 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: killer whale calves (fwd) Forwarded message: Dear Marmamers, I am interested in some basic information on captive killer whale mothers and calves that is not published in the literature. Specifically, I would like to know what position calves swim in with their mothers during the first few years of life (alongside, underneath, etc.). If you, or someone you know of, has observed captive mothers and calves, please contact me through c/o the e-mail address listed below, or at my university address. Thank you. Janet Mann Dept. of Psychology Georgetown University Washington DC 20057 c/o rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 17 Aug 1995 16:29:52 -0700 From: Jan Roletto Subject: Marine Mammal Workshop Marine Mammal Research in the Sanctuaries Workshop, at the Biennial Conference If you are conducting or are planning to conduct marine mammal research in one or several of the National Marine Sanctuaries, you will want to attend this workshop. The workshop is scheduled for the afternoon of 14 December, Clarion Plaza Hotel, Orlando Florida, just prior to the Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Time begin is 2 p.m. and will end by 5 p.m., in time to go to the opening reception. Representatives from the following National Marine Sanctuaries will be present: Olympic Coast, Gulf of the Farallones, Cordell Bank, Channel Islands, Fagatelle Bay (American Samoa), Stellwagen Bank, Gray Reef, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale, Monterey Bay, and Sanctuaries Headquarters The purpose of the workshop is to bring together National Marine Sanctuary Managers and Research Coordinators with marine mammalogists who are conducting research within the Sanctuaries. We will discuss potential multi-Sanctuary projects, sources of funding for multi-Sanctuary projects, services and equipment for researchers through the Sanctuaries, consolidating small levels of funding, help in funding and support for writing up data, publishing documents in Technical Memoranda, and letters of support. We are all working with fewer funds and the goal of this workshop is to find areas where the National Marine Sanctuary Program can be of financial and in-kind support, especially for projects that occur within more than one Sanctuary or are for long term monitoring projects. If you are interested in attending the workshop, please RSVP with Jan Roletto, GFNMS Research Coordinator. Address: GFNMS, Ft. Mason, Bldg. 201, San Francisco, CA 94123; tel. # (415) 556-3509. The agenda for the workshop will include participation from attending researchers, so please come prepared to promote your research ideas and be open to a variety of funding sources such as, in kind funding, small financial support, and joint sanctuary funding. Purpose of the Workshop (acquaint marine mammal researchers with managers of the Sanctuary program and encourage marine mammal research aimed at management goals) by Jan Roletto - 5 min. Introductions of Managers or reps. from each sanctuary and SRD rep. - 5 min. ea. Review location and boundary (a map large enough for the room to see and handouts would be good to provide), unique resources, any specific topics or research projects the Manager is interested in hearing about, potential sources for funding and in-kind support, future projects that may be jointly funded through multiple sanctuaries, future marine mammal research, regulations specific to marine mammal protection (possibly permits), SRD representative should report on background, purpose and function of the Sanctuary Program Introductions from researchers - 5-10 min. ea., this could take 60-90 minutes depending on how many researchers participate. Review research areas of interest, location of work, species of interest, overview of recently completed and in-progress work, state if their work is being presented (oral or poster) at the conference. Researchers should have an idea of various levels of budgets, equipment needs, staffing needs. Be prepared to answer the following questions. If a project could only be partially funded could you proceed with the project? Could you use less staff, borrowed equipment, free vessel time, low levels of funding from multiple sources or sanctuaries? Do you have a specific need to complete a project that may be linked with education of the general public or children, i.e. printing costs, World Wide Web costs, costs for conversion to CD-ROM so that your information about your project can be electronically distributed. Is your project in association with Sea Grant funding? Also be prepared to distribute written materials i.e. maps, abstract of your proposed work, budget, and any other information you think a Sanctuary Manager may want. Break-out Groups - 30 or so minutes Managers and researchers discuss potential projects in the sanctuaries and potential sources of funding. Rapporteurs will be sought to help document this portion of the workshop. Re-group - 30 minutes Discuss projects which could occur in two or more sanctuaries and funding sources. Recap of the workshop - 15 minutes 5 p.m. Adjourn and off to the reception. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Aug 1995 08:50:27 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Polar Bear Lawsuit. In July 1995, a former defense radar station employee filed suit in U.S. District Court (Anchorage, AK) seeking a minimum of $1 million in damages from a Nov. 1993 polar bear attack at a facility west of Prudhoe Bay, AK, claiming the Federal Government was negligent in not making the installation more bear-proof. [Assoc Press] . Manatee in Northern Waters. In mid-August 1995, a Florida manatee was reported in New England waters offshore of Connecticut for the first time. This is the same animal that wandered as far north as Chesapeake Bay in 1994. [Assoc Press] . Namibia Seal Cull. On Aug. 14, 1995, Namibia began its annual seal cull; officials anticipated killing about 19,000 seals, including 13,200 pups. [Reuters] . Monk Seal Deaths. On Aug. 16, 1995, NMFS officials announced that two Hawaiian monk seals had died during captivity and testing during July 1995. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Aug 1995 08:42:01 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: news clip Canada to protect polar bear and other wildlife OTTAWA (Reuter) - What would the Arctic be without the polar bear? The lumbering white giant is one of 244 species in Canada which the federal government has identified as at risk -- yet unprotected by national law. Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Sheila Copps released Thursday a legislative proposal which for the first time would protect endangered species on federal lands or waters under federal authority. "Canadians overwhelmingly support the need for protection of endangered species," Copps stated. She said Ottawa would work with the provinces and territories to ensure a national, coordinated approach to protecting the species. Among the 244 species are creatures like the whooping crane, the sea otter and the burrowing owl and plants ranging from pink milkwort to slender bush clover. They are at risk because of such factors as the loss of habitats, overharvesting, toxic pollution and climate change. The proposed legislation, on which Copps is seeking comment, would help prevent wild species from becoming extinct and mandate the recovery of species where possible. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Aug 1995 20:32:17 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: WHALE RESCUE UNDERWAY AT FRASER ISLAND 18-Aug-95 12:26 am Regular International WHALE RESCUE UNDERWAY AT FRASER ISLAND Maryborough, Qld, Aug 17 AAP - Rescuers tonight were battling to save the life of a whale that stranded itself on Fraser Island today. The 4.5-metre humpback whale was stranded about half a kilometre north of Wathumba Creek, at the northern end of the island. Acting manager for Great Sandy Region Lachlan Fullerton said four Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH) staff were with the whale to keep it wet and stop it stressing. Mr Fullerton said the department's vessel Yarralee was due at the site tonight with four staff on board to assess the situation and formulate a strategy to release the mammal. ``It has signs of shark bites. There are a lot of puncture marks over the whale's body,'' he said. Experts at Seaworld on the Gold Coast had been contacted for advice and a police vessel was also on its way to the whale to collect blood samples and return them to the mainland for analysis. ``We want to see if the animal is suffering any disease,'' Mr Fullerton said. AAP jc ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Aug 1995 14:46:49 -0400 From: Eleanor Dickens Subject: request for information In Galveston Chris Clark reported on his work with the military tracking whales in the Atlantic. Have there been any published reports of this work? If so, I would appreciate receiving references so that I can access the material. Please send responses to: edickens(\)agate.net Thank you!! ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 18 Aug 1995 19:35:19 -0400 From: BLem(\)aol.com Subject: Internet Marine Mammal Resources Dear MARMAM subscribers, Is anyone aware of index of Marine Mammal Internet Resources? (Web sites, other list services etc...) I'm in the process of trying to put together a comprehensive list of available resources dealing strictly with marine mammal issues on the Internet. Any information concerning new sites, sites "under construction" or perhaps obscure sites would be most helpful. I have been doing a great deal of searching on my own, but I'm sure I've missed something (The Web has become an awfully big place...) Thanks in advance, Bill Lemus San Diego, CA ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 19 Aug 1995 10:16:00 BST From: John Dineley Subject: Obtaining a copy of the MMIR ===================================== From: John Dineley (S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk) Subject: MMIR Could anyone let me have information on how one would obtain a copy of the most recent Marine Mammal Inventory Report? Thanks John ===================================== John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom MK40 2JD. ====================================== ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 19 Aug 1995 13:20:09 +0200 From: Frode Skarstein Subject: Re: Internet Marine Mammal Resources At 01:35 8/19/95, BLem(\)aol.com wrote: >Dear MARMAM subscribers, > Is anyone aware of index of Marine Mammal Internet Resources? (Web sites, >other list services etc...) I'm in the process of trying to put together a >comprehensive list of available resources dealing strictly with marine mammal >issues on the Internet. Any information concerning new sites, sites "under >construction" or perhaps obscure sites would be most helpful. I have been >doing a great deal of searching on my own, but I'm sure I've missed something >(The Web has become an awfully big place...) > >Thanks in advance, > >Bill Lemus >San Diego, CA Try the http://tirpitz.ibg.uit.no/wwww/ss.html for whaling and whale related inf o. Also, at the same site, try http://tirpitz.ibg.uit.no/wwww/internet.html for a listing of places to get marine mammal info on the net. Sincerely, Frode Skarstein Frode Skarstein, Department of Ecology/Zoology, University of Tromsoe. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 19 Aug 1995 18:00:05 -0400 From: NAMMACETA(\)aol.com Subject: Prof. Howard Winn Anyone wishing to share a short story, quote, anecdote about Howard Winn for the upcoming North Atlantic Marine Mammal Association Newsletter (Namma News) may do so by replying to nammaceta(\)aol.com or fax 207-361-2823. Thanks very much......Scott Mercer, editor ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 19 Aug 1995 16:20:50 -0400 From: NAMMACETA(\)aol.com Subject: brier island blues Carl Haycock at Brier Island Ocean Study, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia has confirmed the sighting of 2 B. musculus in the lower Bay of Fundy on Saturday 19 August. He believes these are the first two blue whales seen in the Bay of Fundy. Interested parties should contact Carl at 902-839-2960. Video footage was taken. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 20 Aug 1995 15:43:28 -0400 From: Dolphintlf(\)aol.com Subject: Cetacean Web sites At 01:35 8/19/95, BLem(\)aol.com wrote: >Dear MARMAM subscribers, > Is anyone aware of index of Marine Mammal Internet Resources? >(Web sites, other list services etc...) I'm in the process of trying to >put together a comprehensive list of available resources dealing >strictly with marine mammal issues on the Internet. Any information >concerning new sites, sites "under construction" or perhaps >obscure sites would be most helpful. I have been doing a great deal >of searching on my own, but I'm sure I've missed something (The >Web has become an awfully big place...) > >Thanks in advance, >Bill Lemus >San Diego, CA Dear Bill, Following is my list of Web sites for cetaceans (ranges from scientific info to New Age mythology). I've not been able to access all of them, and some may no longer exist, but perhaps you will find something of use. Once your marine mammal index is completed, please let us know. Best regards, Trisha Lamb Feuerstein dolphintlf(\)aol.com ______________________________________________________ CETACEAN WEB SITES GENERAL Whale Watching Web http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/ Cetacean fiction and non-fiction bibliographies: http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/literature/ fic_main.html The Dolphin Page http://wjh-www.harvard.edu/~furmansk/dolphin.html Wesley R. Elsberry http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec.html Dr. Roger Payne's Whale Conservation Institute http://www.tiac.net/users/rhobson/wciweb.html Marine Mammal Page accessible through: http::/www.phoenix.net/~mark Sea World http://www.bev.net/education/SeaWorld/ Deb Cochrane's page http://www.io.com/~phil or http://io.com/phil Superdan's Dolphin Page http://att2.cs.mankato.msus.edu/~superdan/ Orca page http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/Projects/Orcas-SW/ William Megill's page Coastal Ecosystems Research Foundation http://www.bcu.ubc.ca/~megill/cerf/cerf_hp.html http://www.bcu.ubc.ca/~megill/res_orgs_hp.html Phil's Whalepage http://www.io.com/~phil or http://io.com/phil You can also reach it through http://www.efn.org/~brideb Chris Sturtivant's page http://info.lut.ac.uk/departments/el/research/bioacoustics/ index.html WhaleNet http://whale.simmons.edu gopher://whale.simmons.edu Marine Mammal Research http:/www.wta/com/eckerd Marine Mammal Acoustics http://www.unipv.it/~webcib/welcome.html Marine Life http://longwood.cs.ucf.edu/~MidLink/marine.life.html AquaThought Foundation http://access.digex.net/~sunilg Dolphin Awareness Center http://www.riv.nl/totem/ Dolphin Within Society http://www.usyd.edu.au/~okx/home.htm The Dolphin Spirit page http://www.protree.com/spirit/dolphins.html The Dolphin Alliance page http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/ahimsa/tda/index.html The Sea Shepherds http://envirolink.org/orgs/seashep/seashep.html Whale Adoption Project http://www.webcom.com/~iwcwww/whale_adoption/waphome.html Key West, Captain Vicki dolphin excursion http://www.swcp.com/synth/keywest/ Species under the phylum chordata, large section on marine mammals http://cuh.com Links to sites with useful information on wildlife and conservation issues, focusing on birds and marine mammals. http://metro.turnpike.net/S/sam2/index.html CAREER INFORMATION "Strategies for Careers in Marine Mammal Science," The Society for Marine Mammalogy http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/mmstrat.html MISCELLANEOUS Children's dolphin story http://www.packet.net/schoolhouse/grin/welcome.html Synergis ezine, mid August, whales supposedly figure in it http://www.singnet.com.sg/~edmonds/content.html There's an eco-gopher at UVa you can use to search for keywords, like "whale", via Katie: http://gopher://ecosys.drdr.virginia.edu:70 WHALING The Tirpitz Whaling Web Page (info on whales, some whale research, whaling and links to other www marine mammal sources) http://tirpitz.ibg.uit.no/WWWW/ss.html Native Whaling http://tirpitz.ibg.uit.no/wwww/NEWS/native.html International treaty regulating whaling "Very detailed, but very enlightening discussion about the legalities and interpretations of the international treaty that regulates whaling" http://www.webcom.com/~iwcwww/whale_adoption/ waphome.html#iwc_debate IMAGES and SOUNDS Images: http://www.phoenix.net/~mark http://www.bev.net:80/education/SeaWorld/ http://www.actwin.com/fish/pictures/smithsonian.html http://www.holli.com/Personal/jkiss/ http://info.lut.ac.uk/departments/el/research/bioacoustics/ dolphins/dpics.html http://www.swcp.com/synth/keywest/dolphinimages.html http://www.alias.com:80/Product/library/jpgs/angel/ http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/gnomic/delphine.html (The text is in german. But the pictures are international) http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary/images/orcas.gif http://www.lexis-nexis.com/~gary/images/humpback.gif http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/Projects/Orcas-SW/ http://www.panix.com/~zz/dolphin.jpg http://i-2000.com/art/page7.html (poster) http://www.innet.net/brussels-arts/ISDM.html http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/tmmsn.html http://www.aloha.com:80/~craven/hamms.html http://www.bcu.ubc.ca/~megill/cerf/cerf_hp.html http://tirpitz.ibg.uit.no/wwww/news/porpoise.html The following newsgroup has also been suggested as a possible source of images: alt.binaries.pictures.animals Sounds: http://info.lut.ac.uk/departments/el/research/bioacoustics/ dolphins/dlphhome.html http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/Projects/Orcas-SW/ http://wjh-www.harvard.edu/~furmansk/dolphin.html">The Dolphin Page http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/Projects/Orcas-SW/">Orcas at SeaWorld http://info.lut.ac.uk/departments/el/research/bioacoustics/index.html http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/songs.html" http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/intersp/ The Dolphin Page will give you links to most of these and is the place to start. HUMANS AS MARINE MAMMALS http://www.aloha.com:80/~craven/hamms.html ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 09:15:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: Bibliography It isn't Windows-based (unless the latest versions are), but PAPYRUS is a wonderfully flexible, cheap and easy-to-use bibliographic database program which allows one to create bibliographies in any format and import them with minimal effort into various Word-processing programs. The Int Whaling Commission database is in Papyrus, as is Bill Perrin's huge (30,000+ refs) database on marine mammals at the Southwest Fisheries Center in California. Hopefully someone can provide the address of where to get Papyrus (I don't have it to hand). Phil Clapham clapham(\)simnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 09:38:32 PDT From: John Dineley Subject: Captive Orcas ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ==================================== From: John Dineley (S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk) Subject: captive orcas British terrestrial television will be showing a documentary on orcas (killer whales) this coming Wednesday (August 16) on ITV at 19.00. The documentary is one of a series entitled "Predators". A trailer shown this week to promote the forthcoming documentary stated: >"there is strong evidence that captive whales suffer >considerable stress which leads to physical and mental >illness.." Are any MARMAMers aware of any published (peer-review) research on this matter? John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ==================================== ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 09:39:22 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: U.S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- U.S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE CHESSIE BRIEFING SET The wandering Florida manatee dubbed Chessie will be the subject of a press briefing on Tuesday, Aug. 15, at 11:30 a.m. on the beach off Oak Bluff Avenue, adjacent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge in Stratford, Conn. Video feeds of Chessie and operation of the radio tracking system used to locate him will be available from CNN one time only beginning at 11 a.m. Broadcast media should bring equipment and be set up to accept the feed no later than 11 a.m. If additional information about the video feed is required, contact CNN at 212-714-7820. Still photographs of Chessie will be available to reporters at the press briefing. At 11:30 a.m., a biologist with the National Biological Service will be available to discuss manatees, their status as an endangered species, and the history of this particular manatee, who has traveled more than 1,500 miles from his native home in Florida to the coast of Connecticut. The radio tracking system will also be explained. The manatee's condition remains good, and he has been seen feeding along the coast of Connecticut, including at the site where the press briefing is scheduled. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff will discuss efforts to protect and enhance wetland habitats such as those used recently by Chessie. CONTACT: Linda Taylor, 410-353-2314, or Kathy Reshetiloff, 410-573-4582, both for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 09:39:54 PDT From: ScottGnagy(\)aol.com Subject: Re: ATOC ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I realize that I am risking making cannon-fodder out of myself, but I will ask it anyway...I have lost track of the ATOC project over my summer break, and I would like to know what the project's status currently is? Thank you, Scott A. Gnagy p.s. - Be gentle with me, it is an innocent question :-) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 09:40:42 PDT From: Leslie Strom Subject: Re: Internet Marine Mammal Resources ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Bill Lemus: Very glad you're doing this net resource thing, as information is very hard to come by. As evidence, here's all I have on marine mammal net sites, and it's sparse. Every time I try this one it won't connect, but it might be worth a try anyway: Dolphin program http://www.teleport.com/~crawford/WDP/WDPMain.html And this one you probably already have... it has some nice pictures and plenty of categories and lots of information, but not too many outside links last time I checked. Busch Gardens' site appears to be targeting school children and prefers to avoid controversy (it's their site, so they can avoid what they want, I guess!). http://www.bev.net/education/SeaWorld By the way, I've been lurking a few days; glad to be here. Thanks to whoever posted the article about the manatee who is travelling far north; I heard a piece on National Public Radio about him a few days ago and wanted to know more. ___________________________________________ Leslie Strom / Wide Angle Productions / Seattle lstrom(\)halcyon.com "Start slow, then taper off." - marathoner Walt Stack, 1908-1995 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 09:41:16 PDT From: pam keim Subject: Address for J. Mooney, please ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Marmam list, Does anyone on the list have Jerye Mooney's mailing address? If so, it would be greatly appreciated. Please e-mail me privately. Thanks in advance. Yours Truly, Ivy Keim Ivy Keim ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 09:42:00 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: NSW: WHALES AT ENTRANCE TO THE ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- NSW: WHALES AT ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOUR SYDNEY, Aug 19 AAP - Two Southern Right whales were at the entrance of Sydney Harbour this afternoon after swimming down the coast from Broken Bay, a water police spokesman said. A spokesman for Sydney Water Police confirmed that the two whales, believed to be an adult and a juvenile, were between South Head and North Head. Earlier sightings of the pair since yesterday drew crowds at Broken Bay, near Palm Beach, and at Manly's North Head. A spokesman for ORRCA (Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia) said the whales were swimming along the eastern coast as part of their normal migration pattern. By law, whales must not be approached in the water and a Broken Bay Water Police launch reported no problems with surfers, swimmers or boat owners as the whales frolicked off the beach. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 11:52:53 EDT From: Vicki Portway Subject: Re: Bibliography The latest Papyrus 7.0 (DOS) supports Word for Windows 6.0, and WordPerfect for Windows 6.1. It's $99. Address: Research Software Design 2718 SW Kelly St, Suite 181 Portland, OR 97201 (503) 796-1368 Or, you can e-mail Dave Goldman for more info or a demo. The Bibliographic Programs Page on the World-Wide-Web lists a number of programs giving general info and detailed reviews. It can be found at http://www.peinet.pe.ca:2080/Chorus/Mega/m001.html. Hope this helps. Vicki Portway vportway(\)ceps.nasm.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 13:38:26 -0700 From: Mike Sofen Subject: Hydrophones Sea Systems Corp currently has the Model 200K/B hydrophone available for immediate shipment. These hydrophones have the following specs: * 50Hz to 30KHz response * -170 db re 1v/uPa sensitivity * bombproof construction utilizing piezo polymers and high tech elastomeric resins. The Model 200K has a 20 foot cable, the 200B has a 35 foot cable. Both units come with a control/battery box (on/off/volume pot, 2 - 1/4" headphone jacks, battery clips, water resistant), a pair of decent over the ear headphones, a waterproof carry sack, and a manual. Cost is $250 for the 200K, $270 for the 200B. Custom versions (cable types, lengths, custom bandwidths) are also available. email me at seasys(\)pacificrim.net for more info, or fax to (360) 378-3864, or call (360) 378-3163. Thanks for your time. Mike Sofen ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 00:20:09 +0000 Reply-To: root(\)salonio.ba.ar From: root(\)salonio.ba.ar Organization: Lucio Salonio Subject: Whale watching in Antartica To anybody who can help with ideas, In Argentina we are putting forward a WHALE - WATCHING PROGRAME for ANTARTICA AND THE SOUTERN ATLANTIC that will include some type of tagging and possibly GIS following. We would be interested in trying out some satelite w atching. If anybody is or knows of someone who would be working on something similar please mail me. It would be very nice to share ideas. root(\)salonio.ba.ar lucio salonio ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 01:37:13 CET Reply-To: Broekema(\)inter.nl.net From: Jan Willem Broekema Subject: FTP site on marine mammals (FWD) I am starting an FTP, Gopher and WWW server about whales and marine mammals in general. Biology, history, mythology, research, dolphinariums, whaling, etc. I am looking for people who want to contribute information to it, preferably with high quality and with sources. The FTP area will open in a few days and gopher and WWW will follow later. I have room for tens of MB to begin with and hundreds later if I can find high quality material. If you have more, then you can donate a disk first ;-) I am also looking for mailing lists about marine mammal research. (Preferably without "kill the norwegians" flamewars. ) If there are no such mailing lists I might start one. -- -- Magnus Redin Lysator Academic Computer Society redin(\)lysator.liu.se Mail: Magnus redin, Rydsv{gen 240C26, 582 51 LINK|PING, SWEDEN Phone: Sweden (0)13 260046 (answering machine) and (0)120 13706 (By the way: the FTP-site is on ftp.lysator.liu.se in the directory marine-mammals. JW) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 10:11:00 EDT From: "Baker, Susan" Subject: Conference roommates I have agreed to act as a coordinator for anyone who is in search of roommate(s) for the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Orlando in December. If anyone is in search of a roommate for that conference, please email me directly your name, sex, dates you'll be at the conference, any other information you feel would be helpful in matching you up with a roommate (if you smoke for example), and very importantly, your contact information. If and when I find a match(s) I will email all parties the respective contact information and you will take it from there. Please email me your requests. I must have all requests by November 3rd. Thank you, Susan Baker sxb(\)cu.nih.gov ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 23 Aug 1995 07:02:02 -0800 From: Leslie Strom Subject: North Atlantic/Azores I am currently working on pre-production research for a documentary about the Azores. Even though I spent four years there in the early 60s, I am finding that getting information from or about the islands is very difficult. (I have a current phone book, which has been the most useful thing yet.) The islands seem largely overlooked except by NATO. The US military community is being considerably downsized, and the University of the Acores has an internet server that I can't get a rise out of. The islands are remote enough to only be a popular destination for trans-atlantic sailors. I'm going back there for a month this spring. I have several marine mammal related questions. Years ago whaling was a common practise, as were mass pilot whale strandings. Does anyone out there know of active cetacean research going on in the Azores? Also, any contact with anyone at University of Acores would be very welcome. Thanks in advance, and long live the internet! ___________________________________________ Leslie Strom / Wide Angle Productions / Seattle lstrom(\)halcyon.com "Start slow, then taper off." - marathoner Walt Stack, 1908-1995 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 21:42:06 +0000 Reply-To: root(\)salonio.ba.ar From: root(\)salonio.ba.ar Organization: Lucio Salonio Subject: Whale watching in Antartica To anybody who can help with ideas, In Argentina we are putting forward a WHALE - WATCHING PROGRAME for ANTARTICA AND THE SOUTERN ATLANTIC that will include some type of tagging and possibly GIS following. We would be interested in trying out some satelite w atching. If anybody is or knows of someone who would be working on something similar please mail me. It would be very nice to share ideas. Our main goal are observations on the EUBALAENA AUSTRALIS on its way to its breeding places in the south atlantic. All hints will be very welcome. The National Comision for Space Activities, (environment observations) root(\)salonio.ba.ar lucio salonio ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 20:31:15 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Canada's proposed ESA I am amazed that no-one has commented on Canada's proposed Endangered Species Act, which, according to media reports, will cover 4% of Canada's wildlife. Considering that Canada has no federal legislation to protect marine mammals and their habitats, no legislation to meet its obligations under CITES, and, as far as I'm aware, no legislation to meet its obligations to biological diversity, shouldn't MARMAMers be interested? Anne Doncaster ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 23 Aug 1995 08:33:33 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: RIGHT WHALE BREEDING GROUND DISCOVERED 22-Aug-95 11:50 am Regular National RIGHT WHALE BREEDING GROUND DISCOVERED Wellington, Aug 22 - The Department of Conservation has discovered new breeding grounds of the highly endangered southern right whale in New Zealand waters. More than 96 whales were discovered recently in the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands by DOC biologists. Conservation Minister Denis Marshall said the area could be the biggest breeding ground in the world. Right whales were hunted extensively last century and were so named because they were seen as the ``right'' whales to kill. NZPA WEP bt ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 13:01:00 EDT From: "Baker, Susan" Subject: Conference roommates I have agreed to act as a coordinator for anyone who is in search of roommate(s) for the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Orlando in December. If anyone is in search of a roommate for that conference, please email me directly your name, sex, dates you'll be at the conference, any other information you feel would be helplful in matching you up with a roommate (if you smoke for example), and very importantly, your contact information. If and when I find a match(s) I will email all parties the respective contact information and you will take it from there. Please email me your requests. I must have all requests by November 3rd. Thank you. Susan Baker sxb(\)cu.nih.gov ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 23 Aug 1995 09:25:46 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: For sale: books (fwd) from ecs-list Forwarded message: >From ecs-all-request(\)mailbase.ac.uk Mon Aug 21 16:14:47 1995 Original-Sender: From: "Jan Willem Broekema" To: ECS-all(\)mailbase.ac.uk Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 01:06:44 CET Subject: For sale: books Reply-To: Broekema(\)inter.nl.net I do have information on available old prints of books and articles, about once every quarter. I was wondering if somebody else might be interested as well. For example: - Eschricht DF, 1844-1848. Undersoegelser over Hvaldyre I-V. 5 Vols Kopenhavn. Priced at Dfl 1250,= - Matthews LH (ed), 1968. The Whale, London. Dfl 90,=. - Owen R, 1866?. On some Indian Cetacea collected by Walter Elliot, London. Dfl 190,=. - Slijper EJ, 1958. Walvissen, Amsterdam. Dfl. 135,=. - Utrecht WL van, 1965. On the Growth of the Baleen Plate of the Fin and the Blue Whale, Amsterdam. Dfl. 40,=. Prices excluding VAT, P&P, shipping and handling. The Dfl is about US$ 0.66 or DM 0.90. Members of the EU have to pay VAT on books according to EU rules. All of them are used, but mostly in a (very) good state. If you feel that this kind of information is useful, let us know. If you think it is certainly not, please let us know also. If you have the same kind of offers (but on whales & dolphins only!), do send us a description. Jan Willem ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 23 Aug 1995 15:37:24 -0700 From: Robin Baird Subject: Symposium on the Role of Marine Mammals (Fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 23 Aug 1995 13:55:28 -0230 (NDT) From: STENSON(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca Below is the preliminary list of papers for the upcomming Symposium on the Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem. The meeting will be held in Dartmouth (Halifax) Nova Scotia, Canada. If you are interested in attending please contact the NAFO Secretartiate at : Phone +1 902 469-9105 or Fax +1 902 469-5729 The Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem Hosted by NAFO Scientific Council and ICES 6-8 September 1995 Session 1: Environmental, spatial and temporal influences on life history Oral Presentations: *Schneider, D. The spatial dynamics of large marine organisms. Griffin, R.B. An investigation of relationships between delphind distribution and copepod abundances. Joiris, C.R. Ecological role of marine mammals and seabirds in polar ecosystems Margues, F., J. Horne and J. Lien. Evaluating the influence of biological and physical processes on North Atlantic Humpback whale distributions. Mills, L.R. Stenella frontalis and Tursiops truncatus in the Gulf of Mexico. Moses, E. and J.T. Finn. Using geographical information systems to describe asso ciations between right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) distribution and sea-surface t emperature and bathymetry on the Scotian Shelf. Nilssen, K.T., Grotnes, P.E. Haug, T. and V. Potelov. Seasonal variation in condition of adult Barents Sea harp seals Phoca groenlandica). Roux, J-P. Warm events and seal mortalities: The Southeast Atlantic connection. Tynan, C.T. Characterization of oceanographic habitat of resident and migratory species of cetaceans in the Southern Ocean between 82-115oE. Sjare, R., D. Chabot and G. Stenson. Declines in the reproductive potential and body condition of northwest Atlantic harp seals: Response to a changing marine environm ent? Posters: Belyaev, V.A. Role of Dall Porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli, True, 1885) in the ecosystem of the north western Pacific subarctic front. Borggaard, D. J. Lien, S. Todd, P. Stevick and P. Hennebury. Long-term effects o f underwater noise associated with industrial activity on cetaceans in Trinity Bay, N ewfoundland. Hauksson, E. and V. Bogason. Occurrences of harp seal (Phoca groenlandica), hood ed seal (Cystophora cistata), bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) and ringed seal (Phoca hispida) in coastal waters of Iceland, in the period 1989-1994. Margues, F., J. Lien, D.E. Sergeant and R. Seton. Changes in sightings, strandin gs and fishing gear entrapments of Arctic species of cetaceans in Newfoundland waters: a response to changes in ice conditions? Moore, S.E. and D.P. DeMaster. Cetacean habitats in the Alaskan Arctic. Seton, R. and J. Lien. The historical pattern of ice entrapments of blue whales in Newfoundland. Session 2: Foraging strategies and energetic considerations Oral Presentations: Haug, T. U. Lindstr~m, K.T. Nilssen and H.J. Skaug. On the variation in size and individual composition of minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, meals. Iverson, S. Principles of fatty acid signature analysis and its use in studying foraging ecology and diets of marine mammals. Skaug, H.J., H. Gj~s ter, T. Haug, U. Lindstr~m and K.T. Nilssen. Do minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata exhibit particular prey preferences? Todd, S., P. Ostrom, J. Lien and J. Abrajano. Use of stable isotope ratios 13C t o determine diet in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Vikingsson, G.A. Feeding of fin whales off Iceland: diurnal variation and feeding rates. Posters: Boyle, G. An operant method of investigating prey selection in seals. Goodyear, J. TBA Hassani, S., L. Antoine and V. Ridoux. A comparative approach to the diets of dolphins, tunas, sharks and other large oceanic predators sampled in the French tu na driftnet fishery of the North-East Atlantic. Haug, T. U. Lindstr~m, K.T. Nilssen, I. R~ttingen and H.J. Skaug. Diet and food availability for Northeast Atlantic minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata. Hauksson, E. and V. Bogason. Comparative studies on food and feeding habits of g rey seals (Halichoerus grypus), common seals (Phoca vitulina), harp seals (Phoca g roenlandica) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) in coastal waters of Iceland. Lawson, J.W. and G.B. Stenson. A comparison of nearshore and offshore diets of h arp seals in the waters of Newfoundland, Canada. Sigurj"nsson, BJ., G. V!kingsson, S.D. Halld"rsson. Food and feeding habits of ha rbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) off Iceland. Waring, G.T. and J.T. Finn. Cetacean trophic interactions off the Northeast USA inferred from spacial and temporal co-distribution patterns. Session 3: Marine mammal- fisheries interactions Oral Presentations: *Butterworth, D.S. On modelling approaches for evaluating seal-fishery interacti ons: intitiatives in South Africa and for the Antarctic. Crespo, E.A., S.N. Pedraza, S.L. Dans, M.K. Alonso, L.M. Reyes, N.A. Garcia, M. Coscarella, Y.Adri and C.M. Schiavini. Direct and indirect effets of the highseas fisheries on the marine mmammal populations in the northern and central Patagonian coast. David, J.H.M., J-P. Roux and W.H. Costhuizen. Consumption and diet of the Cape Fur Seal and possible competition with fisheries in the Benguela ecosystem. Earle, M. Scientific analysis of proposals to cull marine mammals for purposes of fisheries management. Hauksson, E. Age selection of cod by grey and common seals in Icelandic waters and possible effects of predation on cod recruitment. Kenney, R.D., G.P.Scott, T.J. Thompson and H.E. Winn. Estimates of prey consumption and trophic impacts of cetaceans in the northeast U.S. Continental shelf Eco system. Lien, J., C. Hood, D. Pitman, D. Borggaard and C. Richter. Field tests of acoustic devices on groundfish gillnets: assessment of effectiveness in reducing harbour por poise by-catch. Mohn, R. and W.D. Bowen. Grey seal predation on Eastern Scotian Shelf cod: consumption, predation mortality, and potential impacts. Shima, M., A.B. Hollowed and G.R. Van Blaricom. Comparing pinniped-fishery inter actions in two ecosystems. Sinclair, A., R. A. Myers and J. Hutchings. Seal predation: Is there evidence of increased mortality on juvenile cod. Stenson, G.B., M.O. Hammill, and J.W. Lawson. Consumption of Atlantic cod, capel in and Arctic cod by harp seals in Atlantic Canada. Trites, A.W., D. Pauly and V. Christensen. Competition between fisheries and marine mammals for prey and primary production in the Pacific Ocean. Poster: Barros, N.B. and D. H. Adams. Fishery interactions with apex predators in the Indian River Lagoon System, Florida. Blaylock, R.A. and L.J. Hansen. The effects of commercial fishing activity on coastal bottlenose dolphin distribution, behaviour, and mortality patterns. Couperus, A.S. Interactions between Dutch midwater trawlers and Atlantic whites ded dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus) southwest of Ireland. Fertl, D. and S. Leatherwood. A review of cetacean interactions with trawls. Furtado-Neto, M.A., T.T. Alves-Junior, F.J.C. Avila, J.A. Oliveira and C. Monteira-Neto. Impact of fisheries on populations of small cetaceans in Ceara, Brazil. Hammill, M.O., C. Lyderson, K. Kovacs and B. Sjare. Fish consumption by hooded seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Measures, L. N. Helmiths of beluga, Delphinapterus leucas. ~lafsd"ttir, D. and E. Hauksson. Anadakid (Nematoda) infections in Icelandic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). Richter, C. and H. van Doninck. A comparison of spatial and temporal surfacing p atterns in harbour porpoise observed in the wild and captivity. Sigurj"nsson, J. and G.A. Vikingsson. Estimation of food consumption by cetaceans in Icelandic and adjacent waters. Session 4: Theoretical considerations on the role of apex predators and multispecies models Oral Presentations: *Harwood, J. and P. Rohani. Assessing the relationship between apex predators and fisheries: where do we go from here? Bogstad, B., K.H. Hauge and O. Ultang. MULTISPEC - A multispecies model for fish and marine mammals in the Barents Sea. Merrick, R.L. Current and historical roles of apex level predators in the Bering Seal Ecosystem. Shelton, P.A., W.G. Warren and G.B. Stenson. Quantifying some of the major sources of uncertainty associated with estimates of harp seal prey consumption. Stef nsson, G., J. Sigurj"nsson and G. V!kingsson. On dynamic interactions betwe en some fish resources and cetaceans off Iceland based on a simulation model. * Keynote address ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 11:30:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: U-Cal General enquiry: I have heard that the University of California is planning to open a new campus near Monterey in the near future. Can anyone give me details of when, and whether they will be dealing with marine mammals at this site? A contact person/number/email at UC would be appreciated. Pls respond directly to me. Thanks. Phil Clapham clapham(\)simnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 03:16:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE A U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE ANNOUNCES CHESSIE UPDATE HADLEY, Mass., Aug. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Biologists who have been tracking Chessie the manatee yesterday recovered the radio transmitter used to locate him, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Biological Service. Chessie lost the transmitter Tuesday in Connecticut waters when it became entangled and safely broke free at its designed weak link. The 1,200-pound mammal on his second annual northern trek has traveled from Florida up the Atlantic coast to as far north as Rhode Island. "The transmitter has a weak leak in the tether designed to release itself, thus protecting the animal from injury," said NBS biologist Jim Reid. "We had anticipated that the tag might break free, but we are happy that we had the opportunity to monitor this 2,000-mile move during the past two months." Chessie had traveled more than 90 miles west along the Rhode Island and Connecticut coastline from his most northernlocation at Point Judith, R.I., before the transmitter detached and was recovered in new Haven, Conn. This reversal of his movement pattern suggests that he has begun his return migration to Florida. "This is not unexpected and has happened before to Chessie and other radio-tracked manatees," according to Bob Turner, manatee coordinator for FWS in Jacksonville, Fla. "Chessie is healthy and has plenty of time to return to warmer waters before winter sets in. Time is on his side." Given Chessie's good health and previous track record, the Services' biologists believe that he will continue south and see no need to rescue him at this time. They ask that the public continue to support this endangered species. Manatees are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, making it illegal to harm or harass these marine animals. There are approximately 1,800 Florida Manatees in existence. Boaters and swimmers encountering Chessie are reminded not to approach the animal. The public can help best by reporting sightings to the marine mammal stranding network in their area: -- New York: Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation, Inc., 516-369-9829 -- Connecticut/Rhode Island: Mystic Marinelife Aquarium, 203-536-9631 -- New Jersey: Marine Mammal Stranding Center, 609-266-0538 -- Maryland/Delaware/Virginia: National Aquarium in Baltimore, 410-576-8723. This year Chessie left Florida on June 13 and arrived in New York Harbor on Aug. 6. Last Autumn he ventured as far north as Chesapeake bay. He was dubbed Chessie and monitored until late September, when cooling temperatures prompted biologists to remove Chessie from Maryland waters and airlift him home to Florida. -0- 8/24/95 /CONTACT: Linda Taylor of U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 410-573-4550/ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 26 Aug 1995 17:33:41 -0700 From: Pacific Center For International Studies Subject: Manuscripts Sought For Occasional Paper Series Call For Manuscripts The Pacific Center For International Studies, a US-based non-profit think tank which focuses on international environmental law and policy issues, seeks manuscripts for possible publication in the Center's International Environmental Law Occasional Paper Series. Publications in this series are widely distributed to international and national policymakers, academic institutions and non-governmental organizations. The Center is particularly interested in papers in the following categories: international wildlife law, biodiversity preservation, climate change and desertification. Higher priority will be given to manuscripts of 6000-10,000 words that have been prepared on a Windows-based word processing program. Any generally accepted citation style may be utilized. Finished manuscripts or topic ideas may be submitted to the following address: William Burns, Director, Pacific Center For International Studies, 33 University Square, Ste. 184, Madison, WI 53715, USA. We can also be reached by phone/fax at: (608) 256-6312, or on the Internet: PCIS(\)ix.netcom.com. William C. Burns Canadian Office: Director, Pacific Center For International Studies 2446 Bank Street: Suite 408 33 University Square, Suite 184, Madison, WI 53715-1042, USA. Ottawa, Ontario K1V 1A8 Phone: (608) 256-6312 Phone: (613) 738-2078 Fax: (608) 256-6312 Fax: (613) 739-1276 E-mail: PCIS(\)ix.netcom.com E-mail: BK191(\)freenet.carleton.ca "The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not hating them, but to be indifferent to them. That's the essence of inhumanity." George Bernard Shaw Center affiliations: Union of Concerned Scientists, Sound Science Initiative The EarthAction Network The Galapagos Coalition Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 27 Aug 1995 20:25:16 -0400 Reply-To: "Mark B. Wise" From: "Mark B. Wise" Subject: Marine Mammals in Palau? Greetings all, I will be leaving for the Republic of Palau this coming Thursday or Friday for up to 9 months and was wondering if anyone knows what species of marine mammals inhabit the surrounding waters. Thanks!!! Mark Wise -- Two roads diverged in a yellow wood... One's own self conquer is better than all other people conquered; not even a god could change into defeat the victory of a man who has vanquished himself. from the Dhammapada Mark Wise-mbw(\)po.cwru.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 28 Aug 1995 20:56:17 +1000 From: Graham Clarke Subject: IWC 47th AGM Results REPORT ON THE 47th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE IWC. (Prepared by Greenpeace) The results at a glance: The commercial whaling mortorium continues. 1. The Commission passed a strong resolution calling on Norway to "halt immediately all whaling activities". 2. Strong resolutions were passed to make it more difficult to justify "scientific" whaling and to discourage "scientific" whaling in sanctuaries. 3. An attempt by Japan to use pollution research as a justification for catching whales in the Southern Ocean was defeated. 4. A request by Japan for an "intrim" coastal quota of 50 Minke whales in the North Pacific was defeated. 5. Japan's attempt to have the IWC seek an outside opinion on the legality of having established the Southern Ocean Sanctuary was defeated but it will remain on the agenda for next year. (From information supplied by Greenpeace - Sydney, Australia) As the full summary is over 10 pages it will not be submitted here, however, someone wishing a more detailed explanation of the points listed above may email me stating which aspect (or the whole) you wish returned. ------------------------------------------------------- Graham_Clarke - "WHALES IN DANGER" Information Service ------------------------------------------------------- Sydney - AUSTRALIA - EMail: ------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 28 Aug 1995 14:46:07 +0200 From: Frode Skarstein Subject: announcing Tirpitz; the WWW source of whaling info. Hi all! Given all the recent additions to the site, I would like to reannounce the Tirpitz source of whaling info: Through the use of in-depth pro/anti/'neutral'-whaling texts, pictures, links and video clips, the Tirpitz site tries to present objective or at least balanced info on the heated subject of whaling. The Tirpitz whaling info site has recently been greatly expanded and among others, it now sports the following features: --- News page: Keep updated with the latest developments within whaling and whale related issues. --- Literature section: In depth and hopefully balanced texts dealing with various issues around whaling. --- A clickable world map: Who is whaling what and where? --- Organizations: Descriptions of various organizations dealing with whales and whaling/marine mammals. --- Internet links: Page with various pointers and links to sources of further whaling information on the WWW. You can add your own favorite links. --- A guestbook: Leave your opinion on the site and tell us why whaling should end/continue. --- A FAQ on whaling. A propaganda site? You be the judge, and be sure to leave your opinion in the Guestbook. Sincerely, Frode Skarstein, maintainer of Tirpitz. PS! If you feel like contributing with pro/anti/'neutral'-whaling material, contact us. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 28 Aug 1995 08:26:54 -0800 From: s8qn(\)uvvm.uvic.ca Subject: E-mail address needed If anyone knows it, could someone please send me the e-mail address for the Whale and Conservation Society of England ? Mark Deeley "DNA works in mysterious ways" West Coast Sea Lion Research University of Victoria Dawkins mdeeley(\)sol.uvic.ca Phone/Fax: 1-604-592-5356 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 28 Aug 1995 09:53:55 -1000 From: Suchi Subject: Hawaiian Spinner dolphins tagged? This past summer off the Waianae coast of Oahu near Yokohama, two Hawaiian spinner dolphins were seen with what appeared to be tags on their dorsal fins. The dolphins were seen on different days. One tag was yellow, the other was orange. No numbers were visible. No pictures were taken. The tags were roughly half dollar size. Can anyone out there help me track down the source of the tags? I am aware that Sea Life Park did some tagging in the 70's and 80's, but haven't been able to find specific records of the tagging (only that 2 or 3 animals were tagged). I've spoken with Ken Norris, and he wasn't able to help. Thanks for any leads. I am sure the individual who tagged them would be very interested to hear they are still around. Suchi Psarakos, Earthtrust (808) 259-8264 suchi(\)mael.soest.hawaii.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 28 Aug 1995 20:15:30 -0400 From: Sclymene(\)aol.com Subject: Wanted: Marine mammal books/journals To MARMAM subscribers, I am interested in purchasing copies of books, reprints, and journals on marine mammals. I am most interested in older, obscure monographs on small cetaceans (such as those by J. E. Gray, F. W. True, etc.). I am also interested in getting copies of the following journals: Investigations on Cetacea, Cetology, and Aquatic Mammals. Please let me know if you have any leads for me. Thanks, Tom Jefferson Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Ocean Park Corporation Aberdeen, Hong Kong (852) 2873-8319 (ph.) (852) 2553-8302 (FAX) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Aug 1995 18:23:48 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: Re: Whale at Fraser Island In-Reply-To: <199508270020.RAA27238(\)vifa1.freenet.victoria.bc.ca> As A followup to the press release I posted on Aug 17, here is some further information I obtained from The Department of Environment and Heritage in Maryborough: I spoke to Steve Rowe there who is the District Ranger and he told me that the whale was in fact a Minke whale, and he estimated it to weigh about 1.2 tonnes. It measured about 4.4 meters in length. He said that the marks on it's body were most likely caused by cookie cutter sharks. They got the whale into a sling around 12:30 am on the 18th August, and managed to get it into waste deep water. Around 1:15 am, after helping it regain it's equilibrium, they released it. A few days later, a local whale watching team spotted the whale again - It appeared to be in good health. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 29 Aug 1995 21:18:00 PDT From: Bonnie Ferguson Subject: Researcher exiled from Venezuela Does anyone know of the outcome of the efforts made by the researcher that goes by the name of "Romero"? He was the crusader who was charged with treason in Venezuela. From his dedicated actions we are now more knowledgeable about the slaughter of dolphins for shark bate in that region. Last reports were many threats were made on his life and he fled the country and was heard of in Florida, U.S.A. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Aug 1995 11:21:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: QLD: WHALE RELEASED EAST OF BR QLD: WHALE RELEASED EAST OF BRIBIE ISLAND BRISBANE, Aug 30 AAP - A five-metre minke whale has been released at sea north of Brisbane after being found stranded on mudflats yesterday afternoon. A spokeswoman for Environment and Heritage Minister Tom Barton said the whale was towed in a special harness pontoon to a point near Bribie Island and released shortly before 1200 AEST. The whale appeared to be in good condition and was last seen heading out to sea, the spokeswoman said. Lee Harris, district manager of Moreton Bay Marine Park, said the minke was rescued from mudflats at the mouth of the Pine River just north of Brisbane. Marine experts examined the whale but found no signs of serious injury. It was placed in the floating harness, especially built by Gold Coast marine park Sea World for rescuing marine animals, and towed to nearby Clontarf for the night. Early this morning, a Seaworld research and rescue vessel towed the mammal slowly out to sea and released it. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Aug 1995 12:57:57 -1000 From: Suchi Subject: Tagged Dolphins : CORRECTION With regards to my recent request for information on tagged dolphins off the coast of Oahu: I was mistaken in reporting that Sea Life Park was involved in any taggings. In fact, Sea Life Park has never participated in any tagging program. Thank you to those who have responded, I will be following up on the leads you all have provided. Suchi Psarakos Earthtrust suchi(\)mael.soest.hawaii.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 09:31:56 -0400 From: sirenia(\)nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu Subject: ABSTRACT -- Dominance, Size, & Mating Success Haley, Michael P., Charles J. Deutsch, and Burney J. Le Boeuf. 1994. Size, dominance and copulatory success in male northern elephant seals, Mirounga angustirostris. Animal Behaviour vol. 48 (no. 6, Dec): 1249-1260. Abstract The relationship between size, dominance and copulatory success was investigated in male northern elephant seals to determine the importance of size in male intra-sexual competition for mates. The study was conducted over four breeding seasons at the Ano Nuevo rookery in central California. Mass was estimated using a photogrammetrical technique in three seasons and measured directly in one. Copulatory success was positively correlated with size (mass and length). This correlation was mediated through the positive effect of size on dominance rank; variation in arrival mass, for example, accounted for 29-44% of the variation in dominance. Copulatory success was positively correlated with dominance rank for mid- to high-ranking males, but not for low-ranking males, which obtained few copulations. Copulatory success was not significantly correlated with size when the effect of dominance was removed statistically. These results support the hypothesis that male reproductive success in this species is principally determined by dominance rank, which, in turn, is affected by male size. However, they also suggest that large size is just one of a number of important factors that affect the outcome of male intra-sexual competition and hence, reproductive success. For reprints please write to: Dr. Michael Haley Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory P. O. Box 35 Discovery Bay, St. Ann Jamaica, West Indies OR to: Dr. Charles Deutsch Sirenia Project National Biological Service 412 NE 16th Ave., Rm. 250 Gainesville, Florida 32601 USA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 11:28:52 -0500 From: Alexandre Novaes Zerbini Subject: Crabeater seal in Brazil Dear Marmamers, Last February, a crabeater seal LOBODON CARCINOPHAGUS was observed alive and in apparently good health conditions near Rio Grande (32oS), southern Brazil. Records of this species in low latitudes of eastern South America are very occasional. I would like to ask if someone could provide me with some information or literature on the occurence of crabeater seals in lower latitudes from other parts of the world. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you very much for your attention Best regards Alexandre Zerbini R. Prof. Miguel Calmon 32 Sao Paulo - SP 05655-060 Brazil phone/fax: 0055 11 843.6221 e.mail: azerbini(\)usp.br ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 03:25:23 +0200 From: peterle(\)muc.de Subject: Searching for Investigations on Cetacea Hello all MARMAM subscribers, I am very direly in search of copies of Investigations on Cetacea If anyone can help I would be incredibly grateful! Thank you very much. Peter Zimmer Vordeerissstrasse 8 D-81825 Munich, Germany TEL:+(89)426594 FAX:+(89)4271210 e-mail: peterle(\)muc.de ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 10:15:51 PDT From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Appropriations bill HR 2076 ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Latest update -- the Commerce appropriations bill, HR 2076, is scheduled for mark-up in the Senate appropriations subcommittee on September 7 (it will go the the full committee probably no later than early the next week). Therefore, letters and phone calls to subcommittee members are needed now, urging them to restore funding levels for NOAA/NMFS to those requested by the President for FY 1996. Much funding was already restored by the House, as I reported earlier, thanks to the efforts of Rep. Mollohan (D-WV), but certain programs, and the Marine Mammal Commission, have still had their budgets drastically slashed (and certain programs, such as the Hawaiian monk seal and right whale programs, may still be eliminated). Members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, etc.: Phil Gramm (R-TX) -- chairman Ted Stevens (R-AK) Mark Hatfield (R-OR) -- chairman of the full Appropriations Committee Pete Domenici (R-NM) Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Judd Gregg (R-NH) Ernest Hollings (D-SC) -- ranking minority member Daniel Inouye (D-HI) Dale Bumpers (D-AR) Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) Robert Kerrey (D-NE) Once again, the Capitol switchboard is 202/224-3121 and the address for Senators is: The Honorable whoever U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator whoever: -------------------- Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 10:16:23 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Growing Maine seal population ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Growing Maine seal population raises questions By Allan Dowd TENANTS HARBOR, Maine (Reuter) - When a hooded seal nearly the size of a pick-up truck wandered onto a highway in this coastal community it did more than tie up traffic. The animal's appearance dramatized the recent growth of Maine's seal population and the arrival of species not normally found on the state's rocky shores. The population of Harbor seals in Maine has doubled in the past decade to more than 28,000, but marine mammal experts admit they are not sure why the animals are doing so well. "What's exciting or disturbing, depending on who you talk to, is that we've (also) seen more Gray seals, and once in a while we're seeing a few 'ice' seals," said James Gilbert, a University of Maine wildlife professor. Gray seals and ice seals, whose varieties include harp, hooded and ringed seals, have traditionally stayed closer to the Arctic, making their homes in Newfoundland and around the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Experts say the population of Harbor seals is not only increasing; females are also having pups at an earlier age, increasing the number of young seals in the herd. "This is an indication of a very healthy population," Gilbert said. Maine, with its rocky coast and numerous coastal islands, provides an ideal home for seals, which spend much of their time in the water but rest and breed on ledges. Much of the speculation about the cause of the seals' success centers on the collapse of stocks of groundfish such as cod, haddock and flounder because of overfishing in the North Atlantic. Depletion of the groundfish has allowed the stocks of other "non-commercial" fish species to multiply and provided the seals with a food supply they did have to compete for with fishermen. "They're very opportunistic," Gilbert said. "They're just as smart as dogs or coyotes." Others believe Canadian seals that were more dependent on groundfish have been forced south by a lack of food, but officials there contend the herds are doing well. "There is certainly no indication that they have left," said Jean Hache, a senior advisor to the Department of Oceans and Fisheries in Ottawa. Canada conducted its annual harvest of seal pups in April and is hoping for increased exports of pelts despite protests from international animal rights groups. Federal law makes it illegal to kill seals in the United States and the animals' protected status has angered Maine's aquaculture industry, which blames them for millions of dollars in losses each year. "They won't give us the right to protect our equipment and our product and they won't recompense us if we do lose it," complained Frank Ayers, who raises salmon in pens in the waters off Eastport. Conservationists contend that "fish farms" such as Ayers' can be protected by non-lethal means and a federal task force is now studying the issue. Gilbert doubts the number of seals have reached historic highs yet, since this period of population growth follows several decades in which the size of the herd had declined. Wildlife experts also acknowledge they do not know how long the seal herds will continue to grow. "At this stage in the game we've not seen any slowing down in the rate of increase in the population size so we don't know where that plateau is," Gilbert said. As the seal population grows, officials admit that conflicts between the animals and their human neighbors will likely increase as well. "More and more ledges are going to be occupied by seals in the summertime and we'll have more potential for conflict with the fisheries and more disturbances by boat people looking at the seals," Gilbert said. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 10:17:03 PDT From: Tremblay Roland Subject: L.N. Measures adress In-Reply-To: <199508232238.SAA19462(\)eole.ERE.UMontreal.CA> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Is Mr or Mrs L.N. Measures out there? Or does anyone know the persons E-mail adress? I would like to get in touch. He or she gives a talk on beluga helminths at the upcoming Symposium on the role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem, in Darthmouth NS this september. Thanks. Roland Tremblay tremblr(\)ere.umontreal. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 10:17:33 PDT From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Re: Symposium on the Role of Marine Mammals (Fwd) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >---------- Forwarded message ---------- >Date: Wed, 23 Aug 1995 13:55:28 -0230 (NDT) >From: STENSON(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca > > >Below is the preliminary list of papers for the upcomming Symposium on >the Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem. The meeting will be held in >Dartmouth (Halifax) Nova Scotia, Canada. If you are interested in attending >please contact the NAFO Secretartiate at : > Phone +1 902 469-9105 or Fax +1 902 469-5729 For those of us who can not attend, could someone advise as to how we could obtain copies of the papers? Thank you, Anne Doncaster > Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 10:17:58 PDT From: Terry Hardie Subject: RIDE ON RIGHT WHALE COSTS MAN $500 ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- 24-Aug-95 03:41 pm Regular International RIDE ON RIGHT WHALE COSTS MAN $500 Sydney, Aug 24 AAP - A New South Wales south coast man, fined $A500 ($NZ575) for the ride of his life on the back of a southern right whale, today stuck to his argument that it takes two to tango. Andrew Curven denied that he ``scrambled'' on the back of a whale at Bermagui Harbour on June 2 last year, maintaining it was the whale's idea to surface under him. However the Land and Environment Court found him guilty of interfering with a marine animal and today fined the 29-year-old unemployed fisherman from Burmagui. ``I'm a bit disappointed. I still stand by the fact that you can't swim with a whale unless it wants to swim with you,'' Mr Curven said outside court. ``It alone will initiate the contact and it alone will control the amount of interaction it will have with a human being.'' Curven's advice to anyone contemplating interfering with a whale was ``obviously, don't do it''. AAP mel ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 10:18:29 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Manatee breaks records by trip ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Manatee breaks records by trip up coast By Carol Vinzant NEW YORK (Reuter) - He glided silently underwater past the Statue of Liberty and Coney Island and headed north to Rhode Island, where cold waters could threaten his life. Chessie, who has gone where no manatee ever went before, is one daring sea cow and has won the admiration of scientists who have been tracking his every twist and turn. Weighing in at 1,250 pounds and as long as a row boat, Chessie also has animal protection services worried that he may have to be airlifted home to Florida unless he starts backtracking. Manatees are an endangered species and normally live in Florida, rarely venturing north of Georgia, but Chessie has travelled up the intercoastal waterway -- a series of rivers, canals and bays along the Atlantic coast. "Chessie is just a traveling man," said Linda Taylor of the Chesapeake Bay field office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where Chessie was first spotted last year. Wildlife officials grew alarmed when Chessie, oblivious to an autumn chill that threatened his life, did not swim home, and they airlifted him back south in a Coast Guard airplane. But this weekend, back again, he swam as far north as Point Judith, Rhode Isand at the western edge of Narragansett Bay and then doubled back 35 miles, said Jim Reid of the National Biological Service. Chessie has backtracked before so the next few days will tell if he is returning home or just resting, Reid said. Scientists hope the cold waters will persuade him to go home on his own this time, but they are ready for another airlift if needed. Chessie was in waters with temperatures below 70 recently and Reid said manatees cannot survive for extended times in temperatures below 65). Chessie's entire journey this year is being tracked by satellite by means of a tag tied to his tail last year. The transmitter, designed to fall off if it gets entangled, attracted the attention of two boys in Connecticut last week. Fearing the device would snare the walrus-like creature, they helped lead him out of the docking area. "He's had a good trip," said Taylor, noting that the wanderer has visited Ocean City in Maryland, Atlantic City in New Jersey and such famed New York tourist attractions as the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Coney Island. Sightings of the manatee are catch-as-catch-can because wildlife officials do not disclose his exact location, fearing it would attract harassment. But that has not stopped towns along the way from announcing Chessie's arrival with glee. "It's really been fascinating how welcome he's been and how respectful people are," Taylor said. Although manatees like people -- some come to docks to drink water from hoses -- the gentle vegetarians are boat-shy. Destruction of feeding grounds, locks and boat propellers pose the greatest risks to the endangered creatures, scientists say. So many manatees have propeller scars on their backs that researchers use the marks to identify them. Scientists are not sure how many manatees existed at their peak but estimate about 2,000 are left, said Cathy Beck of the Biological Service's Sirenia Project, which has cataloged about 1,000 scarred manatees. "Very often there are a half dozen scars or more and the tail is mutilated," Beck said. "Chessie has a very little gray scar on his back. I don't know how he traveled so far and got marked so little. He's a very wise animal." Chessie probably learned where to swim from his mother, researchers say, so he may have been swimming the same route for many of his 30 to 50 years. That might explain reports of a Loch Ness monster in Chesapeake Bay, said Patricia Fisher of the Wildlife Service. Manatees were sited in Chesapeake Bay until the 1700s, Reid said, but were probably discouraged by poor water quality. Reid credits wildlife reserves and the Clean Water Act with providing Chessie with places to stop, rest and eat along his journey. Until the 1940s, manatees were still poached and eaten, despite being protected, Reid said. Varieties of manatees are found in the Caribbean, the Amazon River and West Africa, but in the United States they live in the wild only in Florida. A species that could withstand the cold lived near Alaska at one time but was hunted to extinction in the 1800s. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 10:19:57 PDT From: Anne Doncaster Subject: seals don't eat all the fish ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Canada's national newspaper, "The Globe and Mail" published an article today quoting a new paper by researchers at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada and the US National Marine Fisheries Service and published in US science journal "Science". According to the lead reseach scientist, Ransom Myers, (DFO, Canada) "there are two messages in the research. Decimated fish populations like the northern cod will recover if fishing is cut down. . . and what happened to the (East Coast) fish stocks had nothing to do with the environment, nothing to do with seals. It is simply overfishing." The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Brian Tobin, is convening a second sealing forum in St. John's Newfoundland at the end of September, or early October to discuss seal management. One of the concerns of the Minister is that seals are eating all the fish! Anne Doncaster Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 10:21:21 PDT From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Canada's proposed ESA ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- In the mid-1970s, Canada became a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Thus, Canada assumed, on behalf of all Canadians, an obligation to the international community that included an undertaking to enact federal legislation to implement the Convention. Canada has yet to meet that obligation. In 1992, Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. To meet Canada's obligations under this Convention, the federal government is in the process of developing a federal endangered species act. "The Canadian Endangered Species Protection Act: A Legislative Proposal" (LP), is now available and the Minister of the Environment, the Honourable Sheila Copps, is asking for public comment prior to developing a draft bill to be introduced to the House of Commons. In the foreword to the LP, Sheila Copps states: "I am proud that the federal government is getting its own house in order. . . . The Government of Canada is saying 'no more' - no more extinction of species in Canada because of human activity and no more delay." The Introduction to the LP is even more eloquent: It states that the Red Book committed a Liberal government to a "vision of a society that protects the long-term health and diversity of all species on the planet." Wow! Do we need a reality check? I have read the LP. The text makes it clear that not only is Canada not committed to all species on the planet, we are not even committed to the vast majority of species in Canada. As a non-lawyer and non-biologist I think, reduced to its bottom line, Canada's proposed "national" endangered species legislation will proffer protection, (if every vested interest in Canada agrees) to the minute fraction of Canadian wildlife inhabiting federal lands and waters, and virtually no protection to wildlife habitat. I would submit that the LP for The Canadian Endangered Species Protection Act does not meet either Canada's international obligations to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity or the needs of endangered, threatened and vulnerable species in Canada. I hope MARMAMers will get a copy of the proposed legislation and comment. Anne D Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Aug 1995 07:50:05 -0400 From: AnmlPeople(\)aol.com Subject: Sealing their doom (Reprinted from ANIMAL PEOPLE, September 1995.) SEALING THEIR DOOM Whale sanctuary may be seals' last safe harbor GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE, QUEBEC--The Canadian government got the word about cod stocks on June 29, and it wasn't good. Having allowed northern cod to be fished to commercial extinction before cutting quotas and cracking down on foreign dragnetters, Canada may have lost the greater portion of its Atlantic fishery until at least a decade into the 21st century, if not forever. Scrambing to shift the blame, and hoping to revive the global market for seal pelts by way of tossing a bone to frustrated fishers, Canadian fisheries minister Brian Tobin claimed that evening on the CBC Prime Time News that, "Whatever the role seals have played in the collapse of groundfish stocks, seals are playing a far more important and significant role in preventing, in slowing down, a recovery." Newswires around the world duly noted that, as Reuters put it, "Canadian scientists reported to the advisory Fisheries Resource Conservation Council that stocks of northern cod and other groundfish species showed no signs of recovery or rebuilding yet, despite three years of fishing bans. The report noted that the Atlantic seal population had doubled to 4.8 million since the 1970s, and suggested that harp and grey seals were hampering the recovery of the stocks." Objected biologist Hal Whitehead of Dalhousie University via the MARMAM online forum, "If seals, who eat young cod, were affecting the populations, then there should have been changes in the survival rates of young cod as the seal population grew over the past 15 years or so. But there is no sign of this. The rationale for increasing the seal hunt is clearly political," Whitehead charged. "Fishermen in these parts have a general (but not universal) dislike of seals, they vote, and their attitudes are generally reflected by the local and national media. However, even if seals do affect cod stocks, the stocks are now so low that to make any substantial change to the impact of seals on cod, around 70% of the seals would have to be killed." Added Stephen Best of the International Wildlife Coalition, "I can't find anything in this report or anything in any reputable, peer-reviewed paper or study anywhere in the world on any marine mammal fisheries interaction that would support the minister's statement." The document in question is Report on the Status of Harp Seals in the Northwest Atlantic, authored by Garry Stenson of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans office in St. John's, Newfoundland. Stenson reported that during the final decade of the offshore seal hunt, 1972-1982, the quota was set at 175,000 a year, as kills averaged 172,000 a year. When the offshore hunt was suspended in 1983, due to global protest, the quota was actually boosted to 186,000/year, but retrieved kills averaged circa 50,000/year through 1991; rose to 67,700 in 1992; fell to 26,900 in 1993; and shot up again to 61,200 in 1994. Last winter the Canadian and several provincial governments put bounties on seals to increase the slaughter, but 1995 kill figures have not yet been released. As mammals often do under intense hunting pressure, Atlantic Canadian harp seals accelerated their reproductive rate by breeding earlier and more often. "Approximately 90% of the mature females were pregnant in the early 1980s," Stenson wrote, "but only 70% were during the early 1990s. The age at which females become sexually mature has also changed. In the early 1980s the average age at which they matured was 4.6 years; in the early 1990s it was 5.3 years." Acknowledged Stenson, "The recent reproductive data provides evidence that the pregnancy rates of seals since the late 1980s were lower than those used in the previous harp seal model to estimate the 1990 population. Incorporating these new reproductive data into the current model has a major influence on our estimate of 1990 population. The estimate increased (from 3.1 million) to 4.1 million," within a claimed confidence interval of 3.6 to 4.3 million. Stenson did not explain how exactly the discovery of a pregnancy rate 22% lower than previously projected could result in a higher estimate of the seal population. Added to this nonsequiteur, Stenson wrote that, "In recent years the population has grown at about 1% per year." In other words, assuming Stenson's estimate of 4.1 million seals in 1990 is accurate despite the likelihood that it isn't, the maximum seal population now should be 4.26 million, more than half a million below the 4.8 million claimed. Somehow, Stenson asserts, "Total prey consumption by harp seals in the northwest Atlantic has increased from 3.6 million tonnes in 1981 to 6.9 million tonnes in 1994." Thus, using Stenson's own population figures, the seals went from eating between 2.0 and 2.4 tonnes of fish apiece per year 15 years ago, to eating just 1.4 tonnes apiece now. Perhaps malnutrition could explain today's later maturation and lower rate of pregnancy. But such a severe drop in food intake should mean that the harp seal population, far from continuing to grow, should soon crash. However, the most definitive estimate of harp seal fish consumption to date, produced by David Lavigne of the University of Guelph in 1985, figured that if harp seals ate nothing but fish, the richest food in their diet, they would eat only 0.9 tonnes apiece per year. This, incidentally, was about 10% of the estimate of per capita harp seal fish consumption then being bandied about by the fishing industry and many politicians. Last year off Newfoundland, according to Stenson, the seals ate 1.2 million tonnes of Arctic cod and 88,000 tonne of Atlantic cod. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, they gobbled down 54,000 tonnes of Atlantic cod and 20,000 tonnes of Arctic cod, though consumption of both cod species combined came to just 16% of their capelin consumption. Altogether, Atlantic Canadian harp seals are said to have eaten 1.4 million metric tonnes of cod in 1994. That's a number sure to infuriate unemployed Canadian fisher-folk, who were told earlier this year by Scott Parsons, assistant deputy minister for science with the Department of Fisheries, that there were just 400,000 tonnes of cod left in their waters as of 1990, and that this had declined to a mere 2,700 tonnes by the end of 1994. Comparing Parsons' numbers with Stenson's, the seals apparently ate 3.5 times as many cod as existed. Although Parsons' retroactive estimate of the 1990 cod population may be right, back in 1991, when Canada set the cod quota at 190,000 tonnes, the official population estimate was 1.1 million tonnes; and when only 153,000 tonnes of cod were landed, the population estimate was revised downward to 780,000 tonnes. Based on this figure, which Parsons retroactively guesses was twice too high, the 1992 cod quota was set at 120,000 tonnes. Thus, if the 1990 cod population was indeed only 400,000 tonnes, at least two-thirds of the decline since then was caused not by seals but by excessive catches allowed by the Canadian government. GULF OF PERCEPTION About a third of the Atlantic Canadian seal population is born in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Stenson reported. For five days, July 5-9, ANIMAL PEOPLE combed the lower Gulf of St. Lawrence seeking seals and whales, from St. Simeon to Godbout on the north shore within purported seal summer territory, and from Matane right around the Gaspe peninsula to Matapedia on the south shore, before cutting inland to Mt. Joli and driving down the south shore, in sight of the water almost to Levis. Along the way we spent 17 hours on the water in two motorized rubber rafts called Zodiacs; a launch we hired to explore the Saguenay River fjord; a large whale-watching cruiser; the ferry from Baie Ste. Catherine to Tadousac, which we took six times; and the much larger ferry from Godbout to Matane. Although Canada didn't admit to the presence of whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence until 1979, perhaps to avoid pressure to protect them, it hosts more whales of more species each summer than anywhere but the Arctic, including the only belugas outside the Arctic circle; sperm whales each spring in their only venture into coastal waters; blue whales; fin whales; minkes; and several species of dolphin. As anticipated, we saw whales and dolphins from every craft but the Baie Ste. Catherine/Tadousac ferry--both inside and well beyond the Canadian National Marine Sanctuary, which extends from St. Simeon to Escoumins and up the Saguenay as far as belugas go, to the north; the southern boundary is midway in the St. Lawrence. We saw minke whales lunge-feeding at the confluence of the Saguenay and the St. Lawrence, breaching like humpbacks-- a behavior minkes exhibit nowhere else. Off Grand Bergeron, fin whales twice cruised beneath our Zodiac. A beluga popped up beside us, almost within reach, while on the Saguenay, off limits to whale-watching craft, we saw half a dozen or more belugas form an undulating line across Baie Ste. Marguerite. Dolphins dotted the waters between Godbout and Matane so plentifully that regular passengers were blase about the the sight. On each voyage, we saw more cetaceans than in all our many previous whale-watches combined. Harp seals were abundant within the sanctuary. Elsewhere, we had just one certain sighting of a seal of any species, and one "maybe." "We have seen more harp seals this year than in previous seasons," said California marine mammology student Christina Tombach, spending her third summer at Ned Lynas' Centre ORES d'Etudes Cotiere whale research station near Grand Bergeron. "We have confirmed sightings of groups of 30 to 50 individuals. Harbor seal numbers seem marginally down in the St. Lawrence to date, but this could just be due to cyclical changes. The weather has been extremely warm this year, and might affect migrations. But numbers don't seem that drastically changed. Grey seals usually come later in the season, and we are beginning to see more of them. Your lack of sightings," she concluded, "is probably due to timing. The feed density and location varies with the tides and weather, and the seals follow the feed." That might explain why we saw no seals from Escoumins to Godbout and no seals from Matane to Matapedia, but it doesn't explain why there were seals everywhere within the marine sanctuary, yet practically none anywhere else, along nearly 600 miles of coast between the sanctuary and their other purported locations. Nor does it explain why there were no seals in the rugged coves of the beak of the Gaspe, precisely where the Canadian wildlife officers we asked assured us there would be seals. There were plentiful fish, all right, who attracted diving birds by the score, and so many whales we had only to scan the water to see a spout, but nary a seal along the whole five miles of some of the most ideal haulout habitat one could imagine. TRUTHS SELF-EVIDENT Among the most noted scientists to study the interactions of seals and fish in the Gulf of St. Lawrence without direct involvement in the controversy is W. Nigel Bonner, who retired in 1988 after 35 years with the Seals Research Unit of the British Natural Environment Research Council. Wrote Bonner in The Natural History of Seals (1990), "It seems self-evident that if seals eat fish, and there are a lot of seals, there will be fewer fish. In fact, it is exceedingly difficult to find convincing examples that fish-eating marine mammals have affected the abundance of a fish stock...The seemingly self-evident proposition that more seals mean fewer fish is not actually soundly based. One should ask: Fewer than what? In an undisturbed system, seals and their prey will have evolved together to form a complicated web of feeding relationships. Seals who feed on fish usually take a variety, some of which may themselves be fish predators. If one species becomes scarce, the seals may switch to another, allowing a recovery of the depleted species. Such relationships will have been built up over thousands of generations, and are not easily susceptible to the simple modeling that is implied by the fisherman's argument." Possibly because of widespread awareness of that inexactitude, Stenson's report and two companion reports he used for background carried the precautionary note that, "This series...addresses the issues of the day in the time frames required and the documents it contains are not intended as definitive statements of the subjects addressed but rather as progress reports on ongoing investigations." Apparently Tobin didn't read the disclaimer. --Merritt Clifton (ANIMAL PEOPLE is a nonprofit monthly newspaper providing independent professional coverage of all the news about animal protection, from animal rescue to zoological conservation. If you give to help animals, you'll especially want our annual report on how each leading group spends donations ($2.00). Subscriptions, U.S. or foreign, are $18/year, $30/2 years, or $40/three years, to POB 205, Shushan, NY 12873. We'll send a free sample issue to anyone who provides a postal address.) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 30 Aug 1995 22:52:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Ex-Soviet navy dolphins underg Ex-Soviet navy dolphins undergo military conversion By Lida Poletz SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine (Reuter) - Diana, a Black Sea dolphin, tows a child around a net cage at a base where the Soviet navy once trained the mammals to patrol for enemy frogmen. Chattering at the dockside in anticipation of a herring being tossed her way, Diana now has a much more benign mission. She provides "dolphin therapy" for children with neurotic disorders. Dozens of dolphins used to be part of a top-secret division at the Soviet navy's Black Sea headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the secrecy fell away. So did the once-abundant military financing that kept it afloat. Now under the jurisdiction of Ukraine's cash-strapped government, the "oceanarium" is scrabbling for money to pay salaries and feed the dolphins. "We're going through something like military conversion -- trying to find some civil use for the dolphins. We used to have the Soviet navy behind us, but now we're just a poor government organization," said trainer Anton Pugovkin, who has worked with the dolphins for nearly 20 years. "We're close to the edge right now. If something doesn't change, we'll have to sell the dolphins to a circus." At the height of the program, a stable of up to 70 dolphins fanned out to search for lost mines and torpedoes in the Black Sea. Fitted with special vests and flares, they were also trained to scour strategic ports for enemy frogmen. Scientists at the base studied dolphins' behavior, breathing, diving and acoustical abilities for future application. The trainers scoff at suggestions that the dolphins were trained to mine enemy ships or kill frogmen. "In theory, a dolphin is smart enough to learn to drop a nuclear bomb," Pugovkin said. "But they're certainly not strong enough to carry a mine, even if we wanted them to." The new Ukrainian navy has no money to pay for dolphin reconnaissance missionsof expensive weapons lost during testing at sea. The Black Sea Fleet, under Russian command but disputed between Ukraine and Moscow, has also given the mammals no military assignments. Diana, one of the six dolphins left, has been trained to help children afflicted with phobias, neuroses, nightmares and bedwetting -- some as young as two years old. She glides up to swimmers, offering her smooth dorsal fin as a handle, and gently guides them around her 30 square foot net cage. "We don't know why this therapy works," said doctor Ludmila Lukina. "We don't want to make supernatural claims and we haven't been able to prove what it is about the treatments -- the dolphins themselves, the sea, or the sun. But it works." Lukina has studied dolphins for nearly two decades, and says the oceanarium has complied a huge databank of research. "Unfortunately we haven't had any serious contact with anyone from the outside, because the (Soviet) Defense Ministry forbade it. Everything we did here was top secret," she said. The five other male dolphins -- and three sea lions -- are in training -- but for what, even their trainers are unsure. With time on their hands, they teach the dolphins circus tricks. Their offices are decked with dolphin finds from the sea bottom -- ancient pottery, shells and British wine bottles dating from the Crimean War. Captain Valery Kulagin, who heads the Ukrainian naval division which officially runs the oceanarium, is laying the project's financial hopes on contracts with the government or commercial organizations. As in many factories, schools and organizations in Ukraine, the workers at the oceanarium often go months without getting paid. All but seven of the 20 trainers have left for other work, mostly to circuses and commercial training. Hardest hit have been the dolphins themselves. Last year, a year-old dolphin born at the oceanarium starved to death because there was no money to buy enough fish. Kulagin says the dolphins could help Ukraine prospect for oil and gas in the Black Sea basin. Fitted with tracking equipment, they could survey the terrain of the ocean floor. Another possible project is investigating the 1,000 or so ships sunk in the Black Sea during World War II -- many of which still contain oil and weapons. A third priority is conservation. Fifteen wild dolphins, recently captured, are held in a netted area for "domestication." They are taught to eat thawed frozen fish -- about 22 pounds daily -- to learn to depend on humans for their survival. "We've had dolphins born here, we know how to work with them, feed them," he said. "Domestication -- getting them to be like cats or dogs -- could be the answer to save the dolphins, because the ecology of the Black Sea is worsening very fast." Up to two million dolphins used to live in the sea 50 years ago. Now there are just tens of thousands, he said. The Black Sea monk seal, once common in the waterssurrounded by Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and Romania, has died out. A seaside circus in Sevastopol closed its dolphin act this summer because all the animals had either died or were ill. "Next year, I'd like to create an ecological park here. People could look at the dolphins, swim with them -- it would be like environmental tourism," Kulagin said. "Do you think people will come here? Will tourists from America and Britain come?" ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 19:12:29 -0700 From: "Deborah M. Fine" Subject: Cardiology I'm trying to find information on the purkinje systems of cetaceans and pinnipeds. I have read that the purkinje systems are proposed to have complete penetration from endocardium to epicardium, as in horses, which results in nearly instantaneous depolarization of the myocardium. Can anyone direct me to a reference that shows this to be true, or not true for that matter? Thank you very much. Deb Fine ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 11:16:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Japanese whale expert eats his Japanese whale expert eats his research By Sebastian Moffett TOKYO, Aug 31 (Reuter) - A mini-scandal broke out in Japan on Thursday over a Japanese whale researcher who ate -- sashimi-style -- some of his research. With eyes of world conservationists always on Japan because of its aggressive record of whale hunting, the indelicate meal was an embarrassment at the least in an era when there is an international ban on commercial whaling. The tale of Kazuo Yamamura and the whale started on the high seas when he made a radio call from his office on land to a research vessel hunting minke whales in the northwest Pacific. Japanese news reports said Yamamura ordered crewmen on the ship to put aside some slices of a harpooned whale for him and not log what they had done with the delicacy. The scientist told Reuters he made the call but denies he asked the crewmen not to log the meat. "I called the ship and asked them to save me some if they had any to spare. Ididn't tell them not to log it but in the end it might not have got logged," he said. Yamamura was no ordinary caller. He was a director of the Institute of Cetacean Research, entrusted by the government to hunt whales, supposedly for research purposes only. On August 23, the meat appeared on the table as six plates of sashimi -- raw fish or meat -- at a party Yamamura gave at the Tokyo University of Fisheries. The press learned of the meal and Yamamura was harpooned. "It was a very small amount, just a bit left over -- hardly anything compared to the 300 tonnes of whale we hunt a year," said Takeji Ai, general manager of the institute. "You shouldn't exaggerate it," he told Reuters. Japan says it keeps strict tabs on meat from the whales it hunts -- about 300 minkes annually since 1987 -- because of an International Whaling Commission resolution calling for tight inventory management to back up the ban on hunting. Officially Japan hunts whales for population studies, but environmentalists say it is thinly disguised commercial whaling, as most of the meat, an expensive delicacy, ends up in restaurants. Commercial whaling has been banned worldwide since 1985 by the International Whaling Commission, and most countries want a ban on Japanese-style research whaling too. Environmental protection groups seized on Yamamura's gaffe. They said Japan could not afford to be slack in its control of whale meat, even if the amount was relatively small. "It's not a question of quantity," said Shinichi Hanawa, assistant director of the World Wide Fund for Nature Japan. "The world is looking at what Japan is doing and it looks unclear," he told Reuters. Yamamura told Reuters his motive for serving up his own research was that "I wanted to give normal people a chance to eat whale meat." "Some might say it was a careless thing to do and maybe it was," he told Kyodo news service. The institute plans no disciplinary action against Yamamura. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 09:51:20 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U. S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am shortening the summary to include only new items added since my last posting. However, I will post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. This is the longer version for the first Friday of September 1995. I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: New info and changes since 8/18/95 are bracketed {...}. Marine Mammals . {Japanese Research Whaling. On Aug. 22, 1995, the Japanese research whaling fleet returned to Tokyo from the Northwest Pacific after having killed 100 minke whales for scientific research.} [Dow Jones News] . Polar Bear Lawsuit. In July 1995, a former defense radar station employee filed suit in U.S. District Court (Anchorage, AK) seeking a minimum of $1 million in damages from a Nov. 1993 polar bear attack at a facility west of Prudhoe Bay, AK, claiming the Federal Government was negligent in not making the installation more bear-proof. [Assoc Press] . Manatee in Northern Waters. In mid-August 1995, a Florida manatee was reported in New England waters offshore of Connecticut for the first time. This is the same animal that wandered as far north as the Chesapeake Bay in 1994. {On Aug. 24, 1995, U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials reported that the radio attached to the manatee had become entangled, fallen off, and been retrieved 90 miles west of Point Judith, RI. The manatee was reported to have begun moving back toward the south, and was seen off the coast of New York on Aug. 26-27.} [Assoc Press] . Namibia Seal Cull. On Aug. 14, 1995, Namibia began its annual seal cull; officials anticipated killing about 19,000 seals, including 13,200 pups. [Reuters] . Monk Seal Deaths. On Aug. 16, 1995, NMFS officials announced that two Hawaiian monk seals had died during captivity and testing during July 1995. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 13:36:15 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Marine Mammal Conference - students Students registering for the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology are reminded that they MUST enclose proof of student status WITH their conference registration forms. Proof of student status may be in the form of a photocopy of the student's ID or other written documents verifying student status. A student registration CANNOT be processed until we have proper documentation of student status. A late fee may be assessed if documentation is not postmarked by 1 November. ALL Conference registrations POSTMARKED after 1 November will be assessed a US$25.00 late fee. If you need further clarification or have a problem providing the required information, please contact me now. Don't wait until you show up at the conference. Dan Odell Conference Chair ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 11:13:58 -0700 From: Pinniped Strandings Subject: e-mail address Hello MARMAMers, I am trying to track down Dr. Andy Reed's new e-mail address. If anyone knows it would you please forward it to me? I know he just started a position in Beaufort, NC at the Duke Marine Lab. I have his old e-mail address from WHOI and have tried to contact him at that address, but have received no response. Thanks in advance! Wendy Dunlap pinniped(\)pwa.acusd.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 23:57:35 -0400 From: Dolphintlf(\)aol.com Subject: Cetacean bibliographies Dear MARMAMers, Updated versions of the cetacean fiction and nonfiction bibliographies I sent to several of you a few months ago are now available. The fiction bibliography contains twenty new book titles and a new short-story section--my thanks to Frank Glover for the latter. The nonfiction bibliography has more than doubled in length, and now contains over 200 titles. The emphasis in the latter is on descriptive, natural history, and popular titles, but a selection of scientific texts is also included. The bibliographies are located at: http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/literature/fic_main.html Suggestions for additions are always welcome, and my thanks go to all of you who have submitted additions for the current update. Best regards, Trisha Lamb Feuerstein dolphintlf(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 02:39:11 -0400 From: Dolphintlf(\)aol.com Subject: Chinese pink and baiji dolphins Dear MARMAMers, I received the following message today and sent Ms. Leavitt all the information I've saved from MARMAM regarding the pink and baiji dolphins. I referred her to Chris Parsons for further information on the pink dolphin, but was unable to provide her a contact for information on the baiji (although Chris will probably be able to do so). Can anyone provide further help? Thank you, Trisha Lamb Feuerstein dolphintlf(\)aol.com [Begin forwarded message] Subject: Request for more info Date: 95-08-30 16:37:46 EDT From: Nadine_N._Leavitt(\)EAP.VOA.GOV To: Dolphintlf(\)AOL.COM Importance: high Greetings -- I read the info you provide on the 9Net, and I have two questions. 1. I work for the Voice of America9s China Branch as an Information Specialist. This means that I provide information to editors and reporters for use in their broadcasts to China (actually, Asia in general). I would like for us to do some programs on the plight of the pink dolphin in the waters around Hong Kong and the plight of the Baiji dolphin in the Yangtze River. Do you have any information you could pass on to me? Of particular interest would be the names and phone numbers of experts who could be interviewed. Thanks for your attention to this memo -- Nadine Nigel Leavitt [End forwarded message] ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Sep 1995 15:45:44 -0400 From: Liz8462(\)aol.com Subject: Beluga whales I am looking for an email address for either the St. Lawrence National Institue of Ecotoxicology or Pierre Beland. I need information on his(Beland's) research with the St. Lawrence belugas. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Please reply to me directly. Thanks, Liz Mitchell Liz8462(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 15:12:56 -0500 From: Marcos Cesar de Oliveira Santos ib - bie 7600 Subject: Re: Epimeletic behaviour In-Reply-To: On Mon, 28 Aug 1995, Marcos Cesar de Oliveira Santos ib - bie 7600 wrote: > > Dear marmamers, > > I am looking forward some good references about epimeletic behaviour in > cetaceans. Could you help me to find some? > > Thanks for your attention. Greetings, > > Marcos Cesar > Universidade de Sao Paulo - Brazil > e-mail code: marcosos(\)usp.br > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 14:57:31 -800 Reply-To: jnollman(\)pacificrim.net From: jnollman Organization: Interspecies Subject: The Rhode Island Manatee Regarding the many reports about the manatee swimming toward Rhode Island. There are many accounts from fishermen and explorers before 1800 of a Sirenian species inhabiting the waters off Maine and Nova Scotia. Farley Mowat documents an account of a skull of a mammal thought to be a Manatee found in these waters. This animal, is, of course, as extinct as the Steller Sea Cow. Whether it was an actual manatee or a near relation I do not know. For all those interested in this subject I highly recommend Mowat's Sea of Slaughter, and the Dover book, America as Seen By the First Explorers. ______ Jim Nollman Interspecies Communication Inc. jnollman(\)pacificrim.net Interspecies Homepage at: http://www.physics.helsinki.fi /~lauhakan/whale/intersp/homepage ____________________ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Sep 1995 21:18:57 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: Canada's proposed ESA I would submit that the LP for The Canadian Endangered Species >Protection Act does not meet either Canada's international obligations >to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity or the needs >of endangered, threatened and vulnerable species in Canada. > >I hope MARMAMers will get a copy of the proposed legislation and comment. > >Anne D I agree with Anne (and not just because we both are part of the same organization!). The LP ignores every recommendation made for it by an across-the-board task force of citizen groups, including undustry. I have submitted the following letter to the Toronto Star which sums up my views: Calling Environment Minister Sheila Copps's approach to Canada's proposed Endangered Species Act "exceedingly cautious" is putting it very mildly indeed. "Panic-stricken" might be closer to the mark. Although the Act would give legal status to COSEWIC, the unofficial body that has prepared Canada's endangered species list up to now, listing a species will not require the federal government, or anyone else, to do one thing to protect it. All it requires is that a Response Statement be prepared - but this statement may conclude that "no effort will be made to recover the species." The Act mandates nothing to protect habitat, the most critical factor needed to save endangered species. It does not even make it an offense to deliberately kill a listed species. Instead it merely "allows for" the making of regulations to this effect - should the government feel like doing so. Worse still, the Act allows for exemptions from any prohibitions that might be made for "lawful activities that incidentally harm a federally listed species" - activities that might include clear-cut logging, strip-mining, or paving over critical habitat to build shopping malls or golf courses. Perhaps Ms. Copps feels that mandatory actions are not the way to go - but the proposal does not even contain incentives for government and the private sector to cooperate in protecting endangered species, something that was unanimously recommended by a federally-convened Task Force consisting of representatives of every viewpoint from animal rights groups to industry representatives. In short, this proposal calls for practically nothing that cannot already be done under existing laws. It looks as though Ms. Copps has been snowed by bureaucrats within her Ministry that plainly think the best plan for dealing with her wish to give Canada an Endangered Species Act is to make the right noises, but avoid taking any worthwhile action. She should be firmly reminded that the rest of Canada will not be fooled by, or satisfied with, something that calls itself a bold move, but merely puts a smiley face on existing, and wholly inadequate, policy. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)inforamp.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Sep 1995 18:25:09 +0800 From: Mr Stephen Leatherwood Subject: Re: Manatee breaks records by trip In-Reply-To: <199509011731.BAA07811(\)hk.super.net> I have just tuned back in after some days away and found the notes on Chessie. It might be interesting for the manatee trackers to contact authorities at the Marine Fisheries Institute in Reykjavik. During one of my research trips to Iceland, I believe in 1987, there was talk (and a newspaper article) of a manatee on the Westman Island coast. I do not have my journals with me in Hong Kong, but if Johann Sigurjonsson is unable to provide information on this report I will ask friends in San Diego to search out the appropriate journal and provide at least my notes on the subject. While Chessie's odessy is a spectacular one, and my point is minor, it might be interesting just for the record to find out if this is, in fact, the most northerly record. Stephen Leatherwood Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Ocean Park, Aberdeen, Hong Kong , On Fri, 1 Sep 1995 r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > Manatee breaks records by trip up coast > > By Carol Vinzant > NEW YORK (Reuter) - He glided silently underwater past the > Statue of Liberty and Coney Island and headed north to Rhode > Island, where cold waters could threaten his life. > Chessie, who has gone where no manatee ever went before, is > one daring sea cow and has won the admiration of scientists who > have been tracking his every twist and turn. Weighing in at > 1,250 pounds and as long as a row boat, Chessie also has animal > protection services worried that he may have to be airlifted > home to Florida unless he starts backtracking. > Manatees are an endangered species and normally live in > Florida, rarely venturing north of Georgia, but Chessie has > travelled up the intercoastal waterway -- a series of rivers, > canals and bays along the Atlantic coast. > "Chessie is just a traveling man," said Linda Taylor of > the Chesapeake Bay field office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife > Service, where Chessie was first spotted last year. Wildlife > officials grew alarmed when Chessie, oblivious to an autumn > chill that threatened his life, did not swim home, and they > airlifted him back south in a Coast Guard airplane. > But this weekend, back again, he swam as far north as Point > Judith, Rhode Isand at the western edge of Narragansett Bay and > then doubled back 35 miles, said Jim Reid of the National > Biological Service. Chessie has backtracked before so the next > few days will tell if he is returning home or just resting, Reid > said. > Scientists hope the cold waters will persuade him to go home > on his own this time, but they are ready for another airlift if > needed. Chessie was in waters with temperatures below 70 > recently and Reid said manatees cannot survive for extended > times in temperatures below 65). > Chessie's entire journey this year is being tracked by > satellite by means of a tag tied to his tail last year. The > transmitter, designed to fall off if it gets entangled, > attracted the attention of two boys in Connecticut last week. > Fearing the device would snare the walrus-like creature, they > helped lead him out of the docking area. > "He's had a good trip," said Taylor, noting that the > wanderer has visited Ocean City in Maryland, Atlantic City in > New Jersey and such famed New York tourist attractions as the > Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Coney Island. > Sightings of the manatee are catch-as-catch-can because > wildlife officials do not disclose his exact location, fearing > it would attract harassment. But that has not stopped towns > along the way from announcing Chessie's arrival with glee. > "It's really been fascinating how welcome he's been and > how respectful people are," Taylor said. > Although manatees like people -- some come to docks to drink > water from hoses -- the gentle vegetarians are boat-shy. > Destruction of feeding grounds, locks and boat propellers > pose the greatest risks to the endangered creatures, scientists > say. So many manatees have propeller scars on their backs that > researchers use the marks to identify them. > Scientists are not sure how many manatees existed at their > peak but estimate about 2,000 are left, said Cathy Beck of the > Biological Service's Sirenia Project, which has cataloged about > 1,000 scarred manatees. > "Very often there are a half dozen scars or more and the > tail is mutilated," Beck said. "Chessie has a very little gray > scar on his back. I don't know how he traveled so far and got > marked so little. He's a very wise animal." > Chessie probably learned where to swim from his mother, > researchers say, so he may have been swimming the same route for > many of his 30 to 50 years. That might explain reports of a Loch > Ness monster in Chesapeake Bay, said Patricia Fisher of the > Wildlife Service. > Manatees were sited in Chesapeake Bay until the 1700s, Reid > said, but were probably discouraged by poor water quality. Reid > credits wildlife reserves and the Clean Water Act with providing > Chessie with places to stop, rest and eat along his journey. > Until the 1940s, manatees were still poached and eaten, despite > being protected, Reid said. > Varieties of manatees are found in the Caribbean, the Amazon > River and West Africa, but in the United States they live in the > wild only in Florida. A species that could withstand the cold > lived near Alaska at one time but was hunted to extinction in > the 1800s. > ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Sep 1995 14:12:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Peru-Dolphin Steak Peru-Dolphin Steak By LYNN F. MONAHAN Associated Press Writer CERRO AZUL, Peru (AP) -- The morning fog clings to the nearby wharf as Alejandro Francia picks small silvery fish out of a fine green net and tosses them into the bow of a dory beached on the sand. The 60-year-old fisherman bemoans the scant catch of pejerrey and a recent government crackdown on killing dolphins off the Peruvian coast and selling dolphin meat in local markets. "It's wrong for the government to ban the fishing of sea pork," he says, using the local term for dolphin meat. "That's what the people here live on." Until earlier this year dolphin was common fare in seafood restaurants along the coast and in many homes. Fresh meat was served like steak, and dried meat, called muchame, was offered as an appetizer. Now fishermen don't even want to talk about dolphin because of pressure from authorities trying to stop the illegal fishing. But that doesn't mean the slaughter has stopped. Fishermen say dolphins routinely killed in their nets are now just dumped overboard. Experts say at least 50 dolphins a day are killed off Peru. The killing of dolphins and the sale of their meat has been illegal in Peru since 1990, but until a few months ago the law was roundly ignored. That was until psychologist Olga Rey de Michell became incensed by the slaughter of these intelligent marine mammals. She launched her own campaign to enforce the law and change the Peruvian palate. "They take great advantage of the dolphins' tendency to get close to the boats and play in the waves they make," Rey de Michell said. The fishermen then harpoon or club the animals, she said. Rey de Michell has taken her campaign to the Ministry of Fisheries to get the laws enforced, to the municipalities to get them to pull the licenses of restaurants serving dolphin, and to schools to win the hearts and minds of the children. The Peruvian Center for Cetacean Studies said that of 46 species of dolphins and porpoises in the world, 18 are found in Peru, including two species of fresh-water dolphins in the Amazon River. The term cetaceans includes dolphins, porpoises and whales. Joanna Alfaro, a biologist at the center, said the four species most often taken by Peruvian fishing boats are the dusky, common and bottle-nose dolphins and the Burmeister porpoise, the only porpoise found in Peruvian waters. Porpoise have blunt snouts and spade-shaped teeth, while dolphin have beaklike snouts and sharp, conical teeth. Worldwide, a half million dolphins a year are killed by fishermen, mostly from being caught in the nets of tuna fishing boats, according to a report by the International Whaling Commision. Although Peru's fleet fishes for shark and ray, not tuna, the demand for dolphin meat has spurred the hunt for the sea mammals locally, Alfaro said. Fishermen say dolphins are killed accidentally in their nets and they are only using the meat of animals that are already dead. "It's wrong to put restrictions on dolphins because sometimes two or three dolphins a day get caught in the nets but no fish," said fisherman Francisco Quispe in Cerro Azul, a fishing village about 90 miles south of Lima. "At least by selling the dolphin meat we could cover the cost of going out to sea," he said. The custom of eating dolphin is only 15 to 20 years old in Peru, one of only about a half dozen counties where it is eaten, Rey de Michell said. Among the others are Japan, China, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, she said. The taste for dolphin was brought to Peru by Italian immigrants who prized muchame, a delicacy now eaten by upper-class Peruvians, she said. Fresh dolphin meat is consumed by the lower classes, which picked up the habit after muchame became popular, she said. "It didn't start from hunger. It didn't start from some demand by the lower classes. But now the market is obviously established," she said. On the surface the campaign that started early this yearseems to be having some effect: Muchame and dolphin steak no longer appear on the menus of local restaurants. But Nina Pardo, the campaign assistant director, said the market is still there. Fishermen now bring in butchered dolphin in black plastic bags, and restaurants use code names, such as "pork soup," to let clients know they have dolphin, she said. Although there are no data on the number of dolphins found off Peru, the impact on the dolphins is obvious to researchers, Pardo said. "Before, it was easy to find them just going out to sea. But it is more and more difficult to find dolphins and the number is smaller all the time," she said. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Sep 1995 14:12:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Seal Migration Seal Migration By JOE UNGARO Associated Press Writer HAMPTON BAYS, N.Y. (AP) -- Melvin Moss cut the engine on his 55-foot commercial fishing boat when he saw what he thought was a black Labrador swim across the bow. It wasn't a dog, though. It was a seal. That sighting 12 years ago was the first seal Moss had ever encountered in the waters he works off Long Island. Now, seals are so common that Moss sees them on a daily basis. Seals are moving south. They have been migrating over the past few years through New England, New York, New Jersey and now as far south as the Carolinas. The presence of the cuddly looking but wild carnivores in waters off some of the world's most populated shoreline has not created big problems yet. But scientists, conservationists, fishermen and government officials all worry about the potential impact on people, the fishing industry and the ecosystem. "I'm very concerned," said Sam Sadove, a marine mammalogist who is research director of the Okeanos Research Institute, located in this village on Long Island's Shinnecock Bay. "One hundred to 150 years ago, seals were numerous but the (human) population in the New York metropolitan area was much less. There was not a great risk for negative conflict," Sadove said. "But we now have a wildlife species repopulating the same area in numbers that existed 150 years ago but you have millions more people." Specifically, Sadove says he worries about seals biting humans and seals spreading such diseases as rabies to dogs. Reasons offered for the southward migration of seals range from overpopulation waters to depletion of fish stocks on which they feed to a reduction in natural predators such as sharks. Many of the seals seen in East Coast waters are harbor seals returning to areas where they were once common. Harbor seals now inhabit waters from Greenland in the summer to the Carolinas in the winter. Ice seals -- a class which includes hooded, harp and ring seals -- havealso increased over the last four or five years. And gray seals, which usually live north of Cape Cod, have occasionally been sighted off Long Island. "We now have pupping on Long Island, which we didn't have in the past," Sadove said. "We might have historically, but not in the recent years." The move south "may be a function of population growth," said Dean Wilkinson, national marine mammals stranding coordinator with the National Marine Fisheries Service. "It used to be fairly unusual to get a hooded or harp seal stranding but we are seeing more and more every year." Seals strand themselves because they are suffering from disease, exhaustion or injuries. Wilkinson said harbor seal strandings have been recorded as far south as North Carolina, where there were about eight cases last year. Strandings used to be so rare that his department did not keep records on them. Wilkinson credits the population growth to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Prior to its passage,seals were regularly shot for bounties because they were competing with fisherman for the same fish. Sadove gives partial credit to the end of baby seal clubbing. Until about seven years ago, between 200,000 to 400,000 baby harp seals where killed each year in Newfoundland and Labrador for their fur. Harp seals have not moved as far south as other varieties but they compete for the same fish and might push other species south. "In theory, 200,000 more baby seals are getting a chance at reproducing that weren't a few years ago," Sadove said. "Because of age, sexual maturity, it takes a three to four years to show. That's one explanation." Michael Sutton, vice president of the World Wildlife Fund, believes a more important reason is expansion of shark fishing over the last few years. Shark meat is sold, the skin makes good leather and the fins are very popular in Asia. "Sharks are their principal predators," Sutton said. "A lot of us suspect it may be the removal of seal predators that is responsible for the increasing seal population." The increase in seals can be compared to the burgeoning deer population in areas where their primary predators -- wolves and bear -- have been eliminated, Sutton said. In addition, the overfishing of northern fisheries may have forced some seals south in search of food. He is concerned that the increasing seal population will cause problems with fishermen, who are competing for the same fish. "If the seal population continues to increase, you could easily run into problems with fishermen. We need to have the government ... take a look at how the fishing industry is affecting the seal population," Sutton said. In fact, a federal task force has been authorized to study the interaction between seals and fish in the Gulf of Maine. Moss, who is president of the Shinnecock Fishermen's Cooperative on Long Island, said he hasn't heard any colleagues complaining about seals, but he is concerned: "They're going to havean effect. They eat the same stuff we catch." Another potential problem is with beachgoers. Seven people received minor bites from seals on Long Island beaches last year, Sadove said. All seals spend most of their time in the water but "haul out" from time to time. Haul out sites are generally areas that are inaccessible or difficult for people to reach but convenient to a good fishing hole. However, in densely populated areas, remote sites may be hard to find. "They are occupying all of Long Island now. And they are not just seasonal anymore," Sadove said. "They are aggressive and in the summertime, when people are on the beaches, there is the potential for problems." Seals look cute and cuddly with an expressive dog-like face and torpedo-shaped body but they are bigger and stronger than dogs. Harbor seals can grow to more than 5 feet and weigh more than 330 pounds. Gray seals can reach 700 pounds and more than 9 feet. "People should watch them from a distance. They are wild animals and they have the fight-or-flight mentality," Sadove said. He is also concerned that diseases carried by seals can spread to people or other animals, including dogs, which have fought with beached seals on Long Island. In Europe, a rabies epidemic spread from seals to dogs, he said. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Sep 1995 22:11:05 -0230 From: STENSON(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca In a recent posting, AnmlPeople(\)caol.com submitted a reprint from their magazine call 'Sealing their Doom'. Unfortunately, the author of this article misunderstood or incorrectly quoted a number of aspects of the 'Report on the Status of Harp Seals in the Northwest Atlantic' which I prepared. This report is a brief summary of a number of documents which are referenced in the report. If the author(s) wish to understand the work which has taken place, perhaps reading the original studies would help. In the meantime, however, I will try to correct some of the specific points raised. The article states that the quota was 175,000 between 1972-1982 and that it was raised to 186,000 after the offshore hunt ended in 1983. The first quotas were set in 1971 at 245,00 and flucuated between a minumum of 126,000 in 1976 and 186,000 in the early 1980's. The 175,00 was near the average quota for the time period and the quota has remained at 186,000 since 1982 (before the offshore hunt ended). Since 1983, catches have flucuated from 19,000 in 1985 to 94,000 in 1988. In the last five years, the commercial catches continued to flucuate but the average is similar the 1983-1990 average (~50,000). The author is not clear how a decline in the estimated reproductive rates in the late 1980's resulted in an increased total population. Harp seal populations are estimated from a model which incorporates estimates of the number of pups born (determined by aerial surveys or mark-recapture experiments), reproductive rates of females, and catch statistics. A decline in female reproductive rates raises the total population estimate since it requires more females to produce a given number of pups (which is estimated independently). The author also quotes the report as saying that the population is growing at 1% and therefore should be lower than the 1994 estimate of 4.8 million. In fact, the report states that the population is growing at approximately 5% (not 1%). The rate at which the population is growing has changed over time; the 5% is from a comparision of the 1993 and 1994 estimates of total population. The article also states that "assuming Stenson's estimate ....in 1990 is accurate despite the likelihood that it isn't". If there are some data which indicates that this estimate is not accurate I would appreciate learning about it. A dislike of the result, however, is not a reason for rejecting the estimate. The article continues to state that "using Stenson's own population figures" per capita consumption has declined fropm 2 - 2.4 tonnes of fish in 1981 to 1.4 tonnes in 1994. I am not sure which figures the author is refering to. The amount of prey (fish and invertebrates) consummed by a individual was estimated from energy requirements based on body weight and the costs of activity and growth. Total consumption estimated by mulitplying up by population size later. Therefore the amount of prey consummed by a seal of a given size does not change in this model; any change in the average consumption is due to a different age structure of the population. In fact, this has changed very little since 1981 when the population was estimated to be 2.5 million (not the 1.5 -1.8 million implied by the author) and 1994. In bioenergetics models such as the ones Dave Lavigne and I constructed, the energy requirements of the animal are estimated and then it is assumed that they are met. The exact amount of food consumed will depend upon the energy content of the prey. The author is correct in referencing the study done by Dr. Lavigne to state that if seals ate only faty fish the amount consumed would be lower than our estimate. However, the same study also states that if the diet included prey with lower energy content, the amount consumed would be greater. Our estimate is based upon the composition of the diet observed since 1982 in Newfoundland. The author stated that the amount of cod estimated to have been consumed is 3.5 times greater than the amount of cod that existed (based upon assessments by the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans). It should be remembered that these assessments are based upon offshore surveys of cod which are 3 years of age or older while harp seals eat mainly 1 and 2 year old cod, often in inshore areas. I have discussed this differnce with assessment scientists and they all agree that there are no current estimates of the number of 1 and 2 year old cod in inshore areas. Therefore, the consumption estimates and abundance estimates referred to are not comparable. Finally, the article states that about a third of the harp seal population is born in the Gulf. Traditionally this is true although the proportion can vary from less than 20% to greater than 40% among years. Births occur in late February and early March. Although some harp seals remain in the Gulf throughout the summer (as seen by the author), the majority have left for the summer feedng grounds in the Arctic by early July when the whale surveys described occurred. I hope this will clear up some of the misunderstandings which may occur from this article. In order to have a rational discussion of the sceintific merits of the any research, it is important that the reports of that research are correct. Garry Stenson ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Sep 1995 09:49:19 PDT From: Garry Stenson Subject: NAFO/ICES Marine Mammal Symposium Recently, Anne Doncaster asked about obtaining copies of the papers being presented at the upcomming Symposium on the Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem which is being held in Dartmouth, N.S. Canada Sept 6-8/95. The NAFO Secretariate has compiled a book of abstracts for all presentations and will be issuing a number of the papers as NAFO SCR Documents. I do not know how the Secretariate will be distributing these but if anyone is interested, they can contact the Secretariate at 1 - 902 469-9105 (phone) or 1 - 902 469 5729 (fax) to ask. Also, all papers are eligible for inclusion in the Journal of NW Atlantic Fisheries Science, assumming they pass peer review. It is anticipated that this issue will be available within the year. Garry Stenson Science Branch Phone: +1 709 772 5598 Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans Fax: +1 709 772 3207 St. John's, Newfoundland Canada stenson(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 19:30:54 -0300 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Proposed Cetacean Protection Rules/Brazil Dear MARMAMers, As you know, the Brazilian Government has established in December 1994 a federal working group to help devise a national Action Plan for the conservation of aquatic mammals AND to advise IBAMA, the federal environmental authority, on matters related to these animals. Among other issues, the group felt that there is urgent need to reconsider the regulations in place regarding the prevention of harassment of cetaceans(direct take is already forbidden by Federal Law 7643 of 1987 and these additional regulations are mandated by the law). In order to initiate discussion of the substance of these new regulations, the International Wildlife Coalition/Brasil has proposed a draft "Portaria" (Edict) with such regulations, based mainly on the existing international experience and rules adopted by other countries. This text is currently under review by other Working Group members and will hopefully be considered in an upcomingt meeting of the Group. In order to improve this proposal, I'm posting the draft text here and will very much welcome any comments, criticism or input that anyone may wish to contribute. Such contributions may reach us directly either at iwcbr(\)ax.apc.org or through snailmail at PO Box 5087, 88040-970 Florianopolis, SC, BRASIL. Also, we'll be more than happy to detail or explain any of the specifics that are contained in this draft for discussion [texts in brackets [] are explanatory notes only]. Thank you! Jose Truda Palazzo Jr., President, IWC/BRASIL PROPOSED REGULATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF CETACEANS IN BRAZILIAN WATERS - FIRST DRAFT - SEPTEMBER 1995 Article 1 - The following rules are adopted in order to prevent the intentional harassment of cetaceans found in Brazilian jurisdictional waters according to Federal Law 7.643 of December 18, 1987. Article 2 - It is forbidden to all vessels operating in Brazilian jurisdictional waters: a) approach any specimen of whale (Mysticete cetaceans and the sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus) with the engine on, at a distance less than 100 meters from the nearest animal; b) turn engine on while at less than 50 meters from any whale; c) chase any whale with the vessel's engine on, for more than 30 minutes, even when respecting the distances established above; d) interrupt the path of cetacean(s) of any species, or try to direct or change this path; e) intentionally penetrate into a group of cetaceans of any species, dividing or disrupting it; f) produce excessive noise, such as music, percussion of any kind, or any other than those generated by the vessel's normal operation, when less than 300 meters from any cetacean; g) dispose of any debris, substances or materials of any kind when less than 500 meters of any cetacean, in addition to all other legal prohibitions on pollutant disposal. Article 3 - It is forbidden to swim or dive, with or without supporting equipment, alongsidse whales of any species. Article 4 - It is forbidden to approach any Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena australis) with commercial tour vessels to less than 300 meters of any specimen. Article 5 - When commercial tour vessels operate inside Conservation Areas [parks, reserves, etc.] where cetaceans regularly occur, the Management of such an Area will determine: a) the registry of all vessels that regularly operate in the Conservation Area, recording the vessel's Navy registration, name, size, propulsion type and passenger capacity, as well as data and address on its responsible person or persons; b) the maximum number of vessels which operation will be allowed inside the Conservation Area simultaneously; c) wherever there are known areas where cetaceans concentrate or regularly utilize, the authorized route(s) for vessel transit inside or near such areas. Article 6 - For the operation of commercial tour vessels inside Conservation Areas where cetaceans regularly occur, it is mandatory to provide the tourists, on a permanent basis, with interpretive information on such animals and their conservation needs. Article 7 - For the purpose of applying these rules, "commercial tour vessel" is a vessel that carries passengers for touristic purposes upon payment of a fee. Article 8 - It is forbidden for any aircraft to approach any cetaceans in altitudes below 100 meters above sea level. Article 9 - IBAMA [the Brazilian Federal Environmental Authority], upon advice from the Special Working Group on Marine Mammals established by the Edict 2097 from December 20, 1994, may allow in exceptional and restricted circumstances the approach of cetaceans by vessels and aircraft disregarding the rules of Articles 2 and 8, exclusively for scientific purposes. Article 10 - Infractions of the rules established in this Edict will be punished according to Law 7643 of December 18, 1987 [seizure of vessel and 2 to 5 years imprisonment] and other applying legal penalties. Article 11 - This Edict enters into force in the date of its publication, revoking Edict no. 2306 of November 22, 1990 [the previous regulations against cetacean harassment]. ooooooo-------ooooooo Thanks again for reading all this and please share your comments with us! ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 08:57:23 -0600 From: Andrew Schiro Subject: pilot whales and long-lines Dear Marmamer's I am looking for any information about pilot whales interacting with/stealing long-line catches. I have done a literature search and come back empty. I know this behavior has been observed for false killer whales, bottlenose dolphins, rough-toothed dolphins, and killer whales. I would be grateful for any suggested references on this behavior, particularly information regarding pilot whales. Thanks, Andrew Schiro Marine Mammal Research Program Texas A&M University at Galveston 4700 Avenue U, Bldg 303 Galveston, TX 77551 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 11:41:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Four feared dead in Arctic aft Four feared dead in Arctic after whale hits boat (Updates with details, names of missing, pvs Clyde River) VANCOUVER (Reuter) - Rescuers searched Tuesday without success for the bodies of four Americans presumed dead after a whale overturned their boat in frigid Arctic waters, Canadian police said. The three men and one woman from Laramie, Wyoming, were returning from an expedition when their boat capsized last Friday about 36 miles north of Clyde River on the east coast of Baffin Island. Police said a large bowhead whale caused the 18-foot boat to overturn. Their local guide, who was wearing a survival suit, managed to swim ashore Monday and was in stable condition. "The four members of the expedition were overcome by Arctic waters....It is suspected there are no other survivors," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement Tuesday. During the search, one other body was seen in the area but rescuers were unable to retrieve it, police said. The Americans were wearing life jackets. The missing people were identified as Sharon Kava, Bradley Humphrey, Mike Moe and Dan Moe. Their trip to the Barnes ice cap was sponsored by the Wyoming Alpine Club. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 01:18:48 -0400 From: Phocid(\)aol.com Subject: Oregon whale There is a small dead whale on a beach in southern Oregon. I don't know whales very well and have no books with me. It is a 6 1/2 to 7 meter long baleen whale on its back. It is just about black everywhere except for a white chin patch. Tail fluke is about 140 centimeters across and the baleen is 8 to 20 centimeters to the gum line. The underside of the lower jaw has three grooves. From what I can see of the upper jaw it is very slender. The whale is a male. Is this a young bowhead? If so, isn't Bandon Oregon fairly far south? I shot a lot of pictures if they are of any importance to anyone. Jeff Lederman ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 09:42:28 +0100 From: waldau(\)vax.ox.ac.uk Subject: River Dolphins I am seeking references which will help identify the historic range of the river dolphins of South and East Asia. For example, I would like to review articles which assess how far up the rivers these dolphins might have ranged. Lyall Watson in his Sea Guide to Whales of the World (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1981) notes that the Indus river dolphin was once "widespread throughout all the slower-moving parts of all 3,200 km (2,000 miles) of the Indus system." (Page 153.) Similarly, he writes that the Ganges River dolphin "was once found in all parts of the Ganges, Karnaphuli and Brahmaputra river systems, from the deltas right up into the foothills of the Himalayas." (Page 150). Finally, he also comments that the Yangtze River dolphins also ranged at least a thousand kilometers from the mouth of the river (page 155). Can anyone point me to more specific sources for the purpose of confirming and expanding on this kind of information? Thanks, Paul Waldau University of Oxford paul.waldau(\)christ-church.ox.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 13:33:19 -0400 From: Palacios1(\)aol.com Subject: References on Epimeletic Behavior An excellent review of epimeletic behavior in Cetacea (with earlier references in the Literature Cited) is provided in the classic paper: Caldwell, M.C., and D.K. Caldwell. 1966. Epimeletic (care-giving) behavior in Cetacea. Pages 755-789 in K.S. Norris, ed. Whales, dolphins and porpoises. University of California Press, Berkeley. Other useful references are: Connor, R.C., and K.S. Norris. 1982. Are dolphins reciprocal altruists? American Naturalist 119(3):358-374. Norris, K.S., and T.P. Dohl. 1980. The structure and functions of cetacean schools. Pages 211-261 in L.M. Herman, ed. Cetacean behavior: mechanisms and functions. John Wiley & Sons, New York. A summary of delphinid (plus beluga and harbor porpoise) species carrying dead calves (is it really epimeletic?) is provided in: Fetl, D., and A. Schiro. 1994. Carrying of dead calves by free-ranging Texas bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic Mammals 20(1):53-56. The Risso's dolphin was recently added to this list (Palacios and Day, in press). A related reference is: Ridgway, S., T. Kamolnick, M. Reddy and C. Curry. 1995. Orphan-induced lactation in Tursiops and analysis of collected milk. Marine Mammal Science 11(2):172-182. Other references have appeared in Pilleri's Investigations on Cetacea (including Platanistidae) vols. 1-25, the last one being: Felix, F. 1994. A case of epimeletic behaviour in a wild bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus in the Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Investigations on Cetacea 25:227-234. Daniel M. Palacios c/o Whale Conservation Institute 191 Weston Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 12:07:59 PDT From: Dan Costa Subject: US-Mexico Research I am part of a National Academy of Sciences Ocean Sciences panel that is reviewing opportunities for enhancing research between the USA and Mexico. I would like to compile a list of people and projects that are collaborations between US and Mexican researchers or US researchers working in Mexico. If possible I would like to receive a short summary about the research along with comments about problems faced, potential solutions or other suggestions that could improve collaboration between US and Mexican scientists. PLEASE SEND YOUR RESPONSE DIRECTLY TO ME AT: costa(\)biology.ucsc.edu Thanks Dan Costa ============================================================================ Daniel P. Costa Ph.D. e-mail: costa(\)biology.ucsc.edu Professor and Associate Chair of Biology Earth & Marine Science Bldg Rm A316 University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064 Voice (408) 459-2786: FAX (408) 459-4882 ============================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 19:27:12 -0400 From: Phocid(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Oregon whale The tide has rolled the whale a bit, and it is looking very much like a Grey. Thank you for the replies. J. Lederman ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 10:29:37 +0800 From: Mr Stephen Leatherwood Subject: Re: Oregon whale In-Reply-To: <199509061727.BAA13914(\)hk.super.net> Dear Jeff Lederman, There are a number of books which might help. Try Leatherwood and Reeves (1983) Sierra Club Handbook of Whales and Dolhins, Leatherwood et al. (1988) Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises of the Eastern North Pacific and Adjacent Arctic (Dover Books), or Jefferson, Leatherwood and Webber. 1993. Marine Mammals of the World (FAO). I suspect you will find all these books on the shelf at OSU Marine Science Center, Newport, Dr. Bruce Mate. Failing the above, you could fax me your clearest photographs and I will have a go at identifying your beast. No guarantees, however, without my having examined the specimen. What color is the baleen? Good luck, Stephen Leatherwood Fax:852-2553-8302 On Wed, 6 Sep 1995 Phocid(\)aol.com wrote: > There is a small dead whale on a beach in southern Oregon. I don't know > whales very well and have no books with me. It is a 6 1/2 to 7 meter long > baleen whale on its back. It is just about black everywhere except for a > white chin patch. Tail fluke is about 140 centimeters across and the baleen > is 8 to 20 centimeters to the gum line. The underside of the lower jaw has > three grooves. From what I can see of the upper jaw it is very slender. The > whale is a male. Is this a young bowhead? If so, isn't Bandon Oregon fairly > far south? I shot a lot of pictures if they are of any importance to anyone. > > Jeff Lederman > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 00:01:59 -0400 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: River Dolphins > > >I am seeking references which will help identify the historic range of the >river dolphins of South and East Asia.... > >Can anyone point me to more specific sources for the purpose of >confirming and expanding on this kind of information? > >Thanks, > >Paul Waldau Discussion and extensive references can be found in Klinowska, ed. 1991: Dolphins, Porpoises and Whales of the World: the IUCN Red Data Book. That ought to be a good place to start, with historic citations for both Platanista species. If you can't find this (IUCN should stock it, or if you want a copy try the Natural History Book Service on the Web) let me know. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)inforamp.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 08:01:44 -0700 From: Kees Camphuysen To: marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca From: (Kees Camphuysen) camphuys(\)nioz.nl Subject: Help! Dear Marine Mammal Discussion Group First of all, thank you to everybody who responded on my request for information on Sperm Whale strandings earlier this year. I received a fax from a ship yesterday about a sighting of Common Dolphins off Ireland among which one individual was apparently tagged with some text (big white letters) on the side. I have never heard about people writing text on cetaceans and have no idea what to do with this report. Anybody who has been writing on dolphins, or who is aware of others doing so, is welcome to reply so I could give the information to him or her. It sounded quite odd to me, but anyway. Awaiting an answer from cyberspace, Yours sincerely, Kees Camphuysen Netherlands Institute for Sea Research P.O. Box 59 1790 AB Den Burg Texel The Netherlands tel + 31 2220 69488 fax + 31 2220 19674 e-mail camphuys(\)nioz.nl home tel + 31 2220 18744 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 13:31:14 -0400 From: Palacios1(\)aol.com Subject: Re: pilot whales and long-lines This might be of general interest, so I'm posting a copy to the list. I'm not aware of references on pilot whales and long-lines, but since you ask for other suggested references, I can contribute with the following one: Oporto, J. A. and L. Brieva. 1994. Nace una nueva actividad pesquera en el sur de Chile, nace un nuevo conflicto de interaccion con mamiferos marinos. Page 125 (abstract) in A. Ximenez and P.C. Simoes-Lopes, eds. Anais da 6a Reuniao de Trabalho de Especialistas em Mamiferos Aquaticos da America do Sul. 24-28 October 1994, Florianopolis, Brasil. It's the abstract of a presentation during the last Meeting of Specialists on Aquatic Mammals of South America. It reports the interaction (stealing) between sperm whales and the long-line fishery for Southern Cod? (Dissostichus eleginoides) off southern Chile. Daniel M. Palacios c/o Whale Conservation Institute 191 Weston Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 E-Mail: Palacios1(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 13:34:49 -0400 From: Palacios1(\)aol.com Subject: References on Epimeletic Behavior [re-sent] Apologies if there is any duplication, but there are some problems with the Brazilian address of the original request and some others with this list. ------------- An excellent review of epimeletic behavior in Cetacea (with earlier references in the Literature Cited) is provided in the classic paper: Caldwell, M.C., and D.K. Caldwell. 1966. Epimeletic (care-giving) behavior in Cetacea. Pages 755-789 in K.S. Norris, ed. Whales, dolphins and porpoises. University of California Press, Berkeley. Other useful references are: Connor, R.C., and K.S. Norris. 1982. Are dolphins reciprocal altruists? American Naturalist 119(3):358-374. Norris, K.S., and T.P. Dohl. 1980. The structure and functions of cetacean schools. Pages 211-261 in L.M. Herman, ed. Cetacean behavior: mechanisms and functions. John Wiley & Sons, New York. A summary of delphinid (plus beluga and harbor porpoise) species carrying dead calves (is it really epimeletic?) is provided in: Fetl, D., and A. Schiro. 1994. Carrying of dead calves by free-ranging Texas bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic Mammals 20(1):53-56. The Risso's dolphin was recently added to this list (Palacios and Day, in press). A related reference is: Ridgway, S., T. Kamolnick, M. Reddy and C. Curry. 1995. Orphan-induced lactation in Tursiops and analysis of collected milk. Marine Mammal Science 11(2):172-182. Other references have appeared in Pilleri's Investigations on Cetacea (including Platanistidae) vols. 1-25, the last one being: Felix, F. 1994. A case of epimeletic behaviour in a wild bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus in the Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Investigations on Cetacea 25:227-234. Daniel M. Palacios c/o Whale Conservation Institute 191 Weston Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 E-Mail: Palacios1(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 09:15:41 +0100 From: alasdair(\)stams.strath.ac.uk Subject: Sealion hair - info request. Hello, This is a request for information. I'm currently working on seal energetics for my PhD. Could anybody out there give me an idea of how 'hairy' a California sealion is. Ideally I would like values for the diameter of individual hairs and the number of hairs per unit area. At the least; an idea of how hairy they are relative to a common/harbor seal. Direct information or suggested sources would be very welcome. PLEASE REPLY DIRECT TO: alasdair(\)stams.strath.ac.uk Thank you kindly. Alasdair Hind. Dept. Statistics and Modelling Science, University of Strathclyde, Livingstone Tower, Richmond St, Glasgow. Scotland. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 13:40:48 BST From: John Dineley Subject: "Into The Blue" dolphin reintroduction ==================================== REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. Rocky, Missie and Silver "Into The Blue" bottlenose dolphin reintroduction September 10, is the anniversary of the release of three ex- captive bottlenose dolphins into the waters off the Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos in 1991. I have been trying to research the ultimate, long-term fate of these animals. It appears that this is unknown. Although it is known one animal, Silver, had to have medical treatment and food supplementation two weeks after his release back to the wild. Do any Marmamers have any reliable information on the past or current status of these animals. John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ====================================== ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 22:19:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Bill would reform species act Bill would reform species act By REX NUTTING WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- A bill to reform the Endangered Species Act was introduced Thursday by a bipartisan group of congressmen seeking to bring "common sense" into wildlife preservation by balancing economic and environmental interests. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt said the proposal would effectively repeal the law. One of the chief sponsors of the legislation is Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif. "No landowner wants to endanger species," he said. "We're just trying in inject some common sense." Another sponsor, Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, said, "We must do a better job of managing our wildlife to keep them from reaching 'threatened' or 'endangered' status." Young said the current act has not saved one species in 22 years. The proposal would require compensation for the lost use of private property, establish biodiversity reserves on some public lands to provide critical habitat for threatened species and give private landowners incentives to help preserve habitat. The bill would also reform the way species are listed or removed from protected status and give states more responsibility to implement the act. The bill would repeal the Supreme Court's Sweet Home decision, which banned the destruction of privately owned habitat of endangered species. The bill would also remove restrictions on the incidental killing of non-fish species, such as whales and turtles, in the territorial waters of the United States. "We now have a situation where the needs of blue-eyed salamanders and blind spiders take precedence over the needs of American families," said Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas. The proposal was embraced by a chorus of business, labor and property-rights groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition and the National Association of Home Builders. "This bill is good for both species and people," said Endangered Species Coordinating Council, which represents mining, forestry, manufacturing, fishing and agriculture companies and unions. "People have not been part of the ESA equation," said Bill Hubbell, president of the Woodworkers Division of the Machinists and Aerospace Workers union. "If we do not refine the ESA, the next listing will be the American timber-dependent worker." On the other hand, many environmental groups immediately denounced the proposal. "We already know this bill would spell extinction for grizzlies and gray wolves," said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club. "This bill is very similar to legislation that was introduced by Sen. Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) and we know for a fact that his bill was drafted by industry groups," Pope said. "This bill is an industry wish list," Pope said. Legislation doesn't get much worse than this," said Jon Roush, president of the Wilderness Society. "What the sponsors have cooked up is the equivalent of book burning." The Humane Society ofAmerica said the bill would remove protections for endangered animals and plants imported into the United States. "This bill ignores the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences and other scientists and strips away basic protections for endangered species' habitat," said Rep. George Miller, D-Calif. Babbitt said if Noah had operated under the Pombo-Young rules, "he wouldn't have needed an ark. He could have fit all the animals he was allowed to save in a canoe." ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 14:16:19 -0400 From: Regan Andreas Subject: Florida manatee In-Reply-To: <199509090635.CAA17045(\)atlas.acpub.duke.edu> I am a Duke Undergrad. currently attending the Duke Univ. Marine Lab and doing an independent research project on Marine Mammal Policy and the Florida Manatee. I am concentrating on a number of things including: the current status of the species and population, the human behaviors that are affecting the animal, and the laws and policies relating to the animal and those affecting the manatees. I am also trying to contact any interest groups that are involved in the conservation of the manatees. I would greatly appreciate any help in obtaining this information, including addresses of relative parties. Thank you for your time. Please reply directly to me. randreas(\)acpub.duke.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 17:03:58 -0400 From: Hal Caswell Subject: individual catalog data I am trying to accumulate a list of ongoing or planned studies that are generating individual identification catalogs for populations, particularly of species of conservation concern. The two such studies that I am most familiar with are the photographic ID catalog of North Atlantic Right Whales maintained at the New England Aquarium, and the similar catalog for Killer Whales started by the late Michael Bigg. If you know of similar cataloging efforts, for any species (not limited to marine mammals), please send me what information you have. A reference to a publication describing the catalog would be particularly useful. Thanks. If there is enough interest, I will post the results. Hal Caswell Biology Dept. Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst. Woods Hole MA 02543 hcaswell(\)whoi.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 15:22:57 -0600 From: Michelle Berman Subject: Re: Manatee research > > > > I am looking to do some manatee research and I am tring to get in touch > > with Tom O'Shea. If anyone knows and address or an email I am wondering > > if he has any current projects. > > Also, if anyone can direct me towards people or facilities > > involved in genetic research on manatees I would greatly appriciate it. > > You can send them to me at: mberman(\)colostate.edu > > One more thing; I am also looking for Terry Hoornbeck at Moss > > Landing. I tried to mail you three times and they keep coming back. > > > > Thanking everyone in advance, > > Michelle Berman > > mberman(\)colostate.edu > > 1021 W. Mulberry > > Ft.Collins, CO 80521 > > > > ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1995 13:16:41 -0400 From: Virginia Marine Science Museum Subject: Re: individual catalog data In-Reply-To: <199509112111.RAA09709(\)larry.infi.net> There are several groups collecting dorsal fin photographs of coastal Tursiops along the Atlantic coast of the US. Several of the catalogs include coastal migratory Tursiops which are listed as depleted by NMFS. We have 6 years of photo-id data from Va Beach, VA at the Virginia Marine Science Museum. Our catalog includes photographs of 350-400 identifiable dolphins . We have also been collecting dorsal fin and fluke photos of humpback whales that appear off our coast Jan-March. Our Mn photo catalog was started in 1992. To date we have approx 30 whales. Most of our Mn ID shots are dorsal fins, since the whales are in shallow water and do not present their flukes. Hope this helps, Sue Barco *********************************************************************** Virginia Marine Science Museum 717 General Booth Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23451 Internet> vmsm(\)infi.net | PHONE> (804) 437-4949 | FAX> (804) 437-4976 Please use the name of the intended recipient at VMSM _as_the_subject_ This allows our mail handling software to route the mail at VMSM *********************************************************************** On Mon, 11 Sep 1995, Hal Caswell wrote: > > > I am trying to accumulate a list of ongoing or planned studies > that are generating individual identification catalogs for > populations, particularly of species of conservation concern. > > The two such studies that I am most familiar with are the > photographic ID catalog of North Atlantic Right Whales maintained > at the New England Aquarium, and the similar catalog for > Killer Whales started by the late Michael Bigg. > > If you know of similar cataloging efforts, for any species (not > limited to marine mammals), please send me what information you > have. A reference to a publication describing the catalog > would be particularly useful. > > Thanks. If there is enough interest, I will post the results. > > Hal Caswell > Biology Dept. > Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst. > Woods Hole MA 02543 > > hcaswell(\)whoi.edu > ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1995 14:24:22 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Tuna/dolphin -- HR 2179 To all interested marine mammal researchers: The attached statement regarding the practice of chasing and setting nets on dolphins in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) tuna fishery is being circulated for sign-ons. The primary sponsor of this effort is The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), but the statement stands alone and signing it will not imply that signers are affiliated with The HSUS or any other political entity or position. The ultimate goal is to distribute this statement to appropriate members of Congress and their staffs, to make them aware that there are those in the scientific community who do not consider the mitigation measures of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) to be sufficient to protect the long-term well-being and recovery of affected dolphin stocks. The Mexican and Venezuelan governments, as well as the American Tuna Association, have been lobbying hard on Capitol Hill this past summer to overturn the "dolphin-safe" laws passed in 1992 and to lift the U.S. tuna embargoes of nations using dolphin unsafe fishing methods. These laws, the International Dolphin Conservation Act and the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act, prohibit the chasing and setting of nets on dolphins in the ETP and the sale in the U.S. of tuna caught with these methods. HR 2179, a bill introduced by Rep. Randy ("Duke") Cunningham (R-CA), will lift the restrictions on setting on dolphins, will lift all tuna embargoes, and will in fact repeal Marine Mammal Protection Act requirements to employ mitigation measures (thus leaving it entirely to the non-binding IATTC regime to oversee the use of these measures in the ETP). HR 2179 clearly must be defeated to ensure the continued protection and recovery of affected dolphin stocks in the ETP. The U.S. must not weaken its own effective environmental laws because of any challenges under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) or the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The attached statement may prove an invaluable tool in convincing the majority of Congress that the "dolphin-safe" laws must remain intact and enforced. Thank you very much for your consideration of this statement. If you have any questions or you wish to sign on, please contact me as soon as possible at the addresses or numbers listed below [if signing on, please indicate exactly how you wish to be listed (name, titles, degrees, employment affiliation, etc.)]: Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. The Humane Society of the U.S. 2100 L St. NW Washington, D.C. 20037 ph: 301/258-3048 fax: 301/258-3080 Internet address: hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com --------------------------------- SCIENTISTS' STATEMENT REGARDING THE SETTING OF NETS ON DOLPHINS IN THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC OCEAN The undersigned marine mammal researchers wish to express their concern about the practice of setting purse seine nets on schools of dolphins (in order to trap the tuna swimming below the school) in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) tuna fishery. In the early 1970s, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service developed various mitigation measures to reduce the observed mortality (e.g. drowning) of dolphins in seine nets, including the practice of "backing down." Once a net is drawn closed around a dolphin school, the vessel reverses direction, dropping the far side of the net below the surface and offering an escape channel for the entrapped dolphins. This and other measures were subsequently adopted by the foreign fleet under the administration of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). Tuna fishers and the IATTC consider released dolphins to be "unharmed" and they both consider backing down an adequate mitigation measure to avoid dolphin mortality. However, even when employing this procedure, setting nets on dolphins entails a prolonged chase with high-speed power boats and an often extensive delay while the net is circled around the school. The chase and encirclement are highly stressful events for the dolphins and evidence is mounting that their physiological responses to this stress may cause 1) mortality never observed by IATTC observers, who are carried on board all seiners (deaths may occur during the chase and after the back-down) and 2) cumulative long-term effects that may delay sexual maturation and reduce the reproductive success for those individual dolphins released but repeatedly chased and encircled or otherwise harassed by purse seine vessels over time. Two of the dolphin populations in the ETP (eastern spinner dolphins and northeastern offshore spotted dolphins) have been listed as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act as a direct result of the estimated mortality they have suffered in decades of interactions with the tuna fishery -- they have been reduced to an estimated 44% and 23% respectively of their historical population sizes. These populations continue to be chased and encircled by non-U.S. vessels under the current IATTC regime. These practices may restrict the ability of these populations to recover to their optimum sustainable population levels. Setting on dolphins with mitigation may reduce but not altogether halt observed mortality, but unobserved mortality and long-term negative effects must be taken into account. We urge that every effort should be made to prohibit all vessels in the ETP from chasing and setting nets on dolphins, as required under current U.S. law. 9/95 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995 12:29:21 EDT From: Leslie Ward Subject: Marine Mammal Conference Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals At the upcoming conference there will be a marine mammal book fair in the vendor area. All attendees will receive 20% off list price on books, however the conference committee needs interested individuals to send suggestions for a book list. Brad Weigle of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is a member of the conference committee and has taken the responsibility of coordinating this effort, so please send your suggestions directly to Brad's email address: brad(\)manatee.fmri.usf.edu Any of you who are authors of marine mammal books and are willing to conduct book signings of one hour duration, please let Brad know of your interest so that copies of your book can be made available. Please respond by October 2, 1995, so that your suggestions for the book fair can be evaluated and ordered. Thank you and see you in Orlando! ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995 16:09:48 -0500 From: Wil Burns Subject: International Wildlife Law Conference: Call For Speakers Call For Speakers Apologies at the outset for cross-listings; we are seeking to "cast our net" as wide as possible. =20 The American Society of International Law=92s Wildlife Special Interest Section, the Pacific Center For International Studies and the Georgetown International Environmental Law Review are sponsoring a one day conference on the future of international wildlife law, entitled =93International Wildlife Law: Preserving Biodiversity In The 21st Century.=94 The= conference will take place in Washington DC on March 27, 1996, one day prior to the opening of the American Society of International Law=92s annual convention. = =20 We are currently seeking speakers for the following panels. Speakers will have the option of preparing longer papers for publication in a law review symposium on the conference: =B7 Convention On International Trade In Endangered Species =B7 Law Of The Sea And The Conservation Of Marine Species =B7 International Convention For The Regulation Of Whaling Inquiries can be directed to my attention. We also are amassing a mailing list for those interested in obtaining more information about attending the conference. Please contact me at the address below. Thank you. William C. Burns =09 Director, Pacific Center For International Studies =09 33 University Square, Suite 184, Madison, WI 53715-1042 USA =09 Phone: (608) 256-6312 =09 Fax: (608) 256-6312 =09 E-mail: wcburns1(\)students.wisc.edu =09 Canadian Office: 2446 Bank Street: Suite 408 Ottawa, Ontario K1V 1A8 CANADA Phone: (613) 738-2078 Fax: (613) 739-1276 E-mail: BK191(\)freenet.carleton.ca Center affiliations: Union of Concerned Scientists, Sound Science Initiative The EarthAction Network The Galapagos Coalition Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Sep 1995 00:03:16 +0200 From: SALM Rodney Subject: sperm wh. stranding/mar mamm reintrod. A 12 metre female sperm whale recently washed up dead on the Kenya coast. The Kenya Wildlife Service has a chunk of meat & blubber in the deep freeze & wants to know if anyone can use some before they discard it. Please respond to me (rvs(\)earo.iucn.ch) or directly to KWS by fax: George Wamukoya 25411227774. On a separate issue, the IUCN Reintroduction Specialist Group would like to compile info on marine mammal reintroductions. If anyone has direct experience with this & would be willing to be listed as a potential contact for the RSG, please send your contact details via email to awf.nrb(\)tt.gn.apc.org (or through me if easier). Rod Salm Marine & Coastal Conservation Coordinator IUCN - The World Conservation Union Eastern Africa Regional Office PO Box 68200, Nairobi, Kenya Fax: 2542890615 Phone: 2542890605/12 email: rvs(\)earo.iucn.ch ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Sep 1995 10:44:37 -0500 From: Wil Burns Subject: International Wildlife Law Conference: Call For Speakers A slight revision to the notice sent out a few days ago about next year's ASIL/PCIS/GIELJ international wildlife law conference in DC. We have decided to widen the scope of the second panel from "Law of the Sea And The Conservation Of Marine Species" to "International Marine Regimes And The Conservation Of Marine Species," thus encompassing any regime which focuses on the protection of marine species. =20 Proposals for presentations on any of the three panels should be submitted in the form of an abstract, sent to my attention via fax or e-mail. We envision that each speaker will have 15-20 minutes to make their presentation, followed by a fifteen minute critique by a commentator. = Thanks. Call For Speakers Apologies at the outset for cross-listings; we are seeking to "cast our net" as wide as possible. =20 The American Society of International Law=92s Wildlife Special Interest Section, the Pacific Center For International Studies and the Georgetown International Environmental Law Review are sponsoring a one day conference on the future of international wildlife law, entitled =93International Wildlife Law: Preserving Biodiversity In The 21st Century.=94 The= conference will take place in Washington DC on March 27, 1996, one day prior to the opening of the American Society of International Law=92s annual convention. = =20 We are currently seeking speakers for the following panels. Speakers will have the option of preparing longer papers for publication in a law review symposium on the conference: =B7 Convention On International Trade In Endangered Species =B7 Law Of The Sea And The Conservation Of Marine Species =B7 International Convention For The Regulation Of Whaling Inquiries can be directed to my attention. We also are amassing a mailing list for those interested in obtaining more information about attending the conference. Please contact me at the address below. Thank you. William C. Burns =09 Director, Pacific Center For International Studies =09 33 University Square, Suite 184, Madison, WI 53715-1042 USA =09 Phone: (608) 256-6312 =09 Fax: (608) 256-6312 =09 E-mail: wcburns1(\)students.wisc.edu =09 Canadian Office: 2446 Bank Street: Suite 408 Ottawa, Ontario K1V 1A8 CANADA Phone: (613) 738-2078 Fax: (613) 739-1276 E-mail: BK191(\)freenet.carleton.ca Center affiliations: Union of Concerned Scientists, Sound Science Initiative The EarthAction Network The Galapagos Coalition Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Sep 1995 08:56:48 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff MARMAM Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on marine mammal and fisheries public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Killing Sea Lions Recommended. On Sept. 8, 1995, a Federal sea lion advisory task force tentatively recommended that NMFS allow the State of Washington to kill sea lions at Ballard Locks (WA) to protect migrating steelhead trout. After the recommendation is finalized by the task force (anticipated by late September), NMFS must consider the recommendation which, if accepted, will likely be challenged in court. [Assoc Press] . Manatee in Northern Waters. On Sept. 8-9, 1995, the manatee was observed along the New Jersey coast as it continued to swim southward. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Sep 1995 12:53:01 +0200 From: "Giovanni Bearzi - VET.FAK" Subject: craniometry Dear marmamers, I'm working on a thesis on Adriatic bottlenose dolphin craniometry, in order to investigate no metrical variability within the Adriatic community, as well as epigenetical features. I'm also interested in age determination by acid atching. I would be grateful if somebody could provide me with a list of basic literature, or the addresses of some people working in this field. Thanks for your help, Sandra Pribanic Faculty of Biology University of Zagreb Barcev trg 7 10000 Zagreb - Croatia e-mail messages could be send to the following address: giovanni.bearzi(\)public.srce.hr ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Sep 1995 13:55:58 ADT From: Hal Whitehead/Lindy Weilgart Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: Re: ATOC Date sent: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 09:39:54 -0700 (PDT) From: ScottGnagy(\)aol.com Subject: Re: ATOC Forwarded to: HWHITEHEAD(\)KILCOM1.UCIS.DAL.CA To: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM Send reply to: Marine Mammals Research and Conservation Discussion ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I realize that I am risking making cannon-fodder out of myself, but I will ask it anyway...I have lost track of the ATOC project over my summer break, and I would like to know what the project's status currently is? Thank you, Scott A. Gnagy p.s. - Be gentle with me, it is an innocent question :-) Just returned recently to find this message. It may already have been answered but in case it hasn't, I am aware of the following: ATOC Hawaii is stalled by a contested hearing process before the State of Hawaii's Board of Land and Natural Resources. The delay is likely to extend to Dec. 22, at least. The cable for the Hawaii source was laid illegally and free of charge by the Navy, before the necessary permits had been obtained. There is some precedence for requiring the cable be removed, as it was laid without permit, before further action and decisions go forward. ATOC California has been granted a scientific research permit by NMFS and received permission by the Calif. Coastal Commission. Several environmental organizations reached a settlement with Scripps (ATOC), but others are reportedly pursuing litigation. Some environmental organizations are concerned that, although the 18 mos. - 2 yr. ATOC program, by agreement was forced to shift its focus to the study of the effects of ATOC noise on marine mammals (ATOC's Marine Mammal Research Program) rather than merely climate-related transmissions (ATOC proper), there is evidence that there are not enough funds available anymore to do a sufficient MMRP. Lindy Weilgart ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Sep 1995 16:56:51 -0700 From: Robin Baird Subject: information about deformation in cetaceans (fwd) Forwarded message: Date: Thu, 14 Sep 95 11:00:21 EST From: RMARCIN(\)VMREDIPN.IPN.MX Subject: information about deformation in cetaceans Greetings, I am working on my Master Degree, collecting data behavior on Bottlenose Dolphins, in the harbor of La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico. We regulary see one dolphin that it has a big hump between the melon and dorsal fin. We don't know if it is desease like cancer, column deformation or somethingto genetic level. I would like to know if there are any references about this topics in Bottlenose Dolphin or any others cetaceans. We have black and white photographs if needed. Thank you very much, Rocio Marcin Medina Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR) Instituto Politecnico Nacional Apdo. Postal 592 La Paz, B.C.S., C.P.23000 Mexico E-mail: Rmarcin(\)vmredipn.ipn.mx ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 18:11:10 -0400 From: Wende Evans Subject: Orca Dorsal Fin Research Hello Fellow Marmamers, I wanted to thank everyone for their replies to my questionaire on the dorsal fin of the killer whale. So far the responses have been interesting. Most of the thoughts are in line with my thinking, but all of you have given me great direction in my research. Again, if there is anyone interested in filling out a questionaire that has not done so, please feel free th contact me through email. The finding from my research through the questionaire and other literature and personal reviews will hopefully be completed before the end of this year. Anyone with ideas about the causitive agents to the flaccid fin syndrome or anyone with documented research are encouraged to get in touch with me. Again, Thank you Marmamers for all of your quick responses and hard work. Sincerely, Wende Evans evansw(\)ocean.nova.edu NSU Oceanographic Center Ft. Lauderdale, FL ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 17 Sep 1995 13:49:14 -0700 From: Albert Pizzo Subject: Re: Orca Dorsal Fin Research In-Reply-To: <199509170049.RAA26948(\)mail2.netcom.com> from "Wende Evans" at Sep 7, 95 06:11:10 pm Hi, I have a theory. In humans we see several phenomenum which may be significant in evaluation ORCAS. One is that the skeletal bones are weakened by prolonged rest which promotes osteoporosis. To strengthen the bones it requires frequent weight bearing exercise to challenge the bones to strengthen themselves. Also of course the nutrition needs to be optimal to repair the bones. Another instance involves Wolfes Law, which states that undo pressure on bones in one area for example a tooth causes erosion of the bone and deposition on an opposite area. I know that the fin of an Orca is mostly cartilage. My theory is that in captivity the Orca does not have to swim against as much resistance or when it is diving the force against the fin is much greater, and therefore the lack of deep dives against great resistance is at the cause of lack of stimulus to promote stronger cartilage. Also swimming great distances against powerful tides is an added stimulus for a healthy dorsal fin. THe lack of the above factors may be responsible for the abnormal dorsal fin growth.> > Albert Pizzo pizzo(\)netcom.com PS Perhaps this theory is "old hat" in which case--NEVER MIND! Hello Fellow Marmamers, > I wanted to thank everyone for their replies to my questionaire > on the dorsal fin of the killer whale. So far the responses have been > interesting. Most of the thoughts are in line with my thinking, but all > of you have given me great direction in my research. Again, if there is > anyone interested in filling out a questionaire that has not done so, > please feel free th contact me through email. > The finding from my research through the questionaire and other > literature and personal reviews will hopefully be completed before the > end of this year. Anyone with ideas about the causitive agents to the > flaccid fin syndrome or anyone with documented research are encouraged to > get in touch with me. Again, Thank you Marmamers for all of your quick > responses and hard work. > > Sincerely, > > Wende Evans > evansw(\)ocean.nova.edu > NSU Oceanographic Center > Ft. Lauderdale, FL > ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Sep 1995 15:14:22 PDT From: Robin Baird Subject: References on Jarman's (1974) "typical" group size? Greetings, I'm preparing a note on the use of Jarman's (1974) "typical" group size as a measure of grouping tendencies in cetaceans. I know of only two uses of this measure in studies of cetaceans: Michaud et al. (1993) and Baird (1994). If anyone knows of any other reports or publications on cetaceans which have undertaken analyses of "typical" group size, I would appreciate getting citations to use as examples. Thanks very much, Robin ====================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Research Group Department of Biology Box 6244 University of Victoria Victoria, B.C. Box 1700, MS 7094 V8P 5L5 Canada Victoria, B.C. Phone (604) 380-1925 V8W 2Y2 Canada Fax (604) 380-1206 e-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca ====================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 15:07:01 +0100 From: David Borchers Subject: Job Vacancy Job Vacancy U N I V E R S I T Y O F S T A N D R E W S School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences Research Unit for Wildlife Population Assessment Statistician (Research Assistant 1B) ______________________________________________________ A graduate is required to work on the development of integrated database/abundance estimation software for the analysis of data from sightings surveys of whales. The work involves primarily software development but could include a substantial component of statistical analysis, depending on the interests and qualifications of the successful applicant. The post is initially for one year, and would suit a new BSc or MSc graduate in either computer science or in statistics but with substantial experience or training in computer programming. Experience in using databases (Paradox in particular) and/or Fortran would be an advantage. The successful applicant will form part of an active and international research group in the Statistics Division within the School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences. The Division comprises 13 academic and research staff and was awarded a research rating of 4 by the UFC in the last research assessment. The Wildlife Population Assessment Research Group (WPARG) was set up by Steve Buckland in 1993, following his appointment to the Chair in Statistics at St Andrews. Following an expansion in its interests and activities, it is now the Statistical Ecology Group at St Andrews (SEGSTA), part of which is the Research Unit for Wildlife Population Assessment (RUWPA). The Unit's activities, funded by several international and government agencies, centre on the development of population assessment methods, population management models and spatial models for animal abundance. Salary will be at an appropriate point on the 1B scale for research staff (14317-15986 pounds) or, for an exceptional candidate, on the 1A scale (14317-21519 pounds). Application forms and further particulars of the post are available from the Head of Personnel Services, University of St Andrews, College Gate, North Street, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9AJ, Tel: 01334 462565 (out of hours: 01334 462571), Fax: 01334 462570, Email: vck(\)st-andrews.ac.uk, to whom completed application forms, accompanied by a cv and letter of application, should be returned to arrive no later than 6 October 1995. Please quote Ref. No. VK/AMC1832. Interviews are planned for early November. Please note that application forms should be obtained from and returned to the Personnel Services Department at the above address. However, if you wish to discuss details of the post in more depth, please contact either Prof Steve Buckland directly on 01334 463787 (e-mail steve(\)dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk) or David Borchers on 01334 463806 (email dlb(\)dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk). The University's mission is the expansion of knowledge through excellence in research, teaching and learning. The University operates Equal Opportunities and No-Smoking Policies. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 11:37:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: FED: LEGISLATION PROPOSED TO R FED: LEGISLATION PROPOSED TO REGULATE WHALE WATCHING CANBERRA, Sept 18 AAP - Restricting whale watching tours in sensitive breeding areas, accrediting tour operators and developing a code of practice for whale-based tourism were among proposals released today by the federal Australian Nature Conservation Agency (ANCA). More than 100 recommendations and issues have emerged from a national conference last July which for the first time drew together representatives of the tourism industry, government and marine researchers to discuss whale watching tourism. ANCA chief executive Peter Bridgewater said there was a need to work quickly to develop an ecologically sustainable whale-based tourism industry in Australia. "The report sets out the key proposals for the future direction of whale watching in Australia in an attempt to find the best balance between growing tourism demand and the urgent need to protect whales and other cetaceans," Dr Bridgewater said in a statement.Whale watching has grown dramatically since the late 1980s, with operations now established in 65 countries and island territories. Last year, an estimated 5.4 million people worldwide spent more than $700 million on this kind of ecotourism. In Australia, whale watchers increased 12.8 per cent between 1991 and 1994, with more than 500,000 participants last year, generating as much as $70 million a year in direct and associated spending, such as accommodation. The July conference has proposed Commonwealth regulations and complementary state legislation to protect whales and dolphins, prevent disruption to their habitats and ensure appropriate behaviour by tourists and tour operators near whales and dolphins. Other proposals to emerge from the July conference include: Undertaking a national inventory to identify the whale-based tourism industry and raise its profile. Establishing a national association to address industry standards. Conducting more research on whales, and develop guidelines for tour boats which have minimal impact on whales. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 07:50:16 -0700 From: Kees Camphuysen To: marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.ca From: (Kees Camphuysen) camphuys(\)nioz.nl Subject: some more help! Dear Marine Mammal Discussion Group On the 7th of September this year, I have mailed a message with the following contents: "I received a fax from a ship yesterday about a sighting of Common Dolphins off Ireland among which one individual was apparently tagged with some text (big white letters) on the side. I have never heard about people writing text on cetaceans and have no idea what to do with this report. Anybody who has been writing on dolphins, or who is aware of others doing so, is welcome to reply so I could give the information to him or her. It sounded quite odd to me, but anyway. Awaiting an answer from cyberspace..." Nobody replied..., or in fact, several people replied by showing interest in my research institute, but none of them with an answer leading in the direction to the solution of my problem. Is the tagging specialist somewhere in the world not interested? Is this sighting perhaps just crap, and if so who could tell me? Is there anybody who would know whether or not one could 'write' on dolphins? The white letters said NYK or NWK, the observer was not quite sure. I would be interested to either positive ('yes, I have heard about such tags') or negative ('no such tags do not exist') answers. Yours sincerely, Kees Camphuysen Netherlands Institute for Sea Research P.O. Box 59 1790 AB Den Burg Texel The Netherlands tel + 31 2220 69488 fax + 31 2220 19674 e-mail camphuys(\)nioz.nl home tel + 31 2220 18744 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Sep 1995 13:35:35 -0800 From: Susie Pike Subject: FWD>>ATOC status Reply to: FWD>>ATOC status The following is a copy of the reply to the following question from the ATOC Project Office. =================================================== Date sent: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 09:39:54 -0700 (PDT) From: ScottGnagy(\)aol.com Subject: Re: ATOC To: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM Send reply to: Marine Mammals Research and Conservation Discussion ----------------------------Original message-------------------- I realize that I am risking making cannon-fodder out of myself, but I will ask it anyway...I have lost track of the ATOC project over my summer break, and I would like to know what the project's status currently is? Thank you, Scott A. Gnagy p.s. - Be gentle with me, it is an innocent question :-) -------------------------------------------------- Date: 9/7/95 12:51 PM From: Andrew Forbes, ATOC Program Manager Dear Scott, I don't know whether you got any replies via the MARMAM bulletin board to your request for an update on the status of ATOC, but in case you didn't, I am providing the following brief synopsis. In June we received approval from the California Coastal Commission to proceed with the ATOC project. They concluded that the project is consistent with the California Coastal Zone Management Plan, and they issued us with a Coastal Development Permit to allow placement of a cable to power the source, from Pillar Point out towards Pioneer Seamount, where the source will be located. The National Marine Fisheries Service approved, in July, our application for a Scientific Research Permit to conduct the marine mammal research program at Pioneer Seamount. Also in July, the Sanctuaries & Reserves Division of NOAA granted ATOC a permit to conduct research activities (i.e. laying of cable) in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Since receiving these approvals, we have proceeded with preparations to install an acoustic source at Pioneer Seamount and cable it to shore at Pillar Point. Preliminary work is expected to start in early October, and the main installation is planned for late October/early November. In Hawaii, ATOC's CDUA (Conservation District Use Application) is still under consideration by the Department of Land and Natural Resources. There currently is no firm date for commencement of ATOC transmissions and resumption of the marine mammal research program off Kauai. Please let me know if you have any more specific questions. Regards, Andrew Forbes ATOC Program Manager ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 13:26:27 PDT From: Regan Andreas Subject: HELP In-Reply-To: <199509071501.LAA06242(\)mercury.acpub.duke.edu> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am a Duke undergraduate student at the Duke Univ. Marine Lab currently doing an independent research project on Marine Mammal policy and the Florida Manatee. If anyone has any suggestions on who I could contact for further information on their current status, policies directly affecting the manatees, the governmental stand on the issue, or anything else you can think of, please let me know. I would also appreciate the addresses of any agencies or interest groups which are involved with the Florida manatee. Thank you. Please respond directly to me: randreas(\)acpub.duke.edu Regan Andreas 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd. Beaufort, NC 38516 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 13:27:34 PDT From: John Dineley Subject: Keiko Release Plans ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ===================================== From: John Dineley (S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk) Keiko Release Plan Do any Marmamers know how I can obtain a copy of the rehabilitation and release plans for Keiko? ===================================== John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom ====================================== ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 13:28:16 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: EARTHWATCH REDESIGNS WEB SITE ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- EARTHWATCH REDESIGNS WEB SITE WATERTOWN, Mass., Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- EARTHWATCH has announced significant changes to its World Wide Web site. The revised EARTHWATCH Homepage can be reached at http://www.earthwatch.org. The EARTHWATCH Web site describes 150 cultural and environmental research expeditions, ranging from saving sea turtles in St. Croix to building solar ovens in Indonesia. A nonprofit organization founded in 1972, EARTHWATCH offers the public unique opportunities to assist noted scientists on these one-to-three week field research projects worldwide. The site now offers readers quick and easy ways to sort through the expedition catalogue, searching for projects according to their personal needs and interests. Expeditions are categorized by time of year, geographic location, subject matter, and issues of interest. New features include: -- Expedition of the Week highlights a new project each week -- Comments from past expedition members provide first-hand accounts -- Expedition prices, in response to requests from Web users, are now easy to find -- History and Mission offers background on the organization and an overview of important research results Web users can learn about and sign-up for expeditions including an investigation of dolphin intelligence in Hawaii, a survey of glaciers in Patagonia, and an excavation of an Irish castle. Participants, who need no special skills, support the research and cover food and lodging expenses with tax-deductible contributions ranging from $600 to $2,400. The EARTHWATCH World Wide Web site debuted in March, 1995. -0- 9/12/95 /CONTACT: Shepley Metcalf of EARTHWATCH, 617-926-8200, ext. 135/ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 13:28:51 PDT From: Stephen Best Subject: BOGIE & BACALL COME HOME ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dolphin Alliance P.O. Box 510273 Melbourne Beach, FL 32951 Phone (407) 951-1301 FAX (407) 724-5121 UPDATE BOGIE & BACALL COME HOME Welcome Home Project Field Report September 12, 1995 The once-captive dolphins Bogie and Bacall were transported from Sugarloaf Lodge on August 31 and September 1, 1995, respectively. They are now adjusting beautifully to their lagoon pen attached to island BC38 in the Indian River near Melbourne, Florida. BC38 is an official display facility licensed by APHIS to the Dolphin Alliance and is located just 400 yards from Bogie and Bacall's original capture site. Following Bogie's arrival, there was initial concern when she took 3 lbs. of fish and then refused food for 3 days. There has been a steady increase in her appetite since then and we are happy to report that both dolphins are eating in excess of 15 lbs. daily. Following initial blood tests taken by project veterinarian, Dr. George Baker, when the dolphins were enroute to Melbourne, antibiotics were prescribed for Bogie and Bacall due to a bacterium they picked up prior to transport. Dr. Baker just completed an on-site inspection today and will be visiting again in two weeks for additional blood sampling and tests. Preliminary results look good; Dr. Baker was happy with the dolphins' peppy behavior and our set-up at the island lagoon site. Most exciting has been the incredible number of visits to Bogie and Bacall's pen by free ranging dolphins, often in groups, sometimes singly. We are monitoring what we believe is communication between Bogie and Bacall and their long, lost dolphin friends using both video and hydrophones/tape recorder. While we cannot scientifically justify our beliefs, we feel that a review of these tapes by bioacoustic experts will confirm what everyone of us on the Welcome Home team "already know in our hearts" -- Bogie and Bacall are being recognized by the area wild dolphins. The excitement level displayed by many of the dolphin visitors to the Welcome Home pen is unlike anything I have witnessed in twenty years of watching dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon. The first phase of our work is to monitor Bogie and Bacall while they acclimate to their new temporary enclosure and while our team develops initial feeding, behavior documentation and dolphin care procedures. Beginning in October, work will intensify on our much improved, multi-faceted research proposal and release permit application to NMFS. We have been given an opportunity to set up a basic, flexible protocol for reintroduction to the wild of formerly captive performing dolphins. All of us consider this a gift straight from heaven and, with the support of the dolphin freedom community, I know we will succeed in securing federal approval of our request to release Bogie and Bacall into the wild. Joe Roberts, Welcome Home Project Director ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 13:29:40 PDT From: Keith Ronald Subject: Re: L.N. Measures adress ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Ms Measures is at the Canada Fisheries and Oceans Station at Mount Jolie , Quebec.o Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor, Marine Mammals and Environmental Studies. On Fri, 1 Sep 1995, Tremblay Roland wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > Is Mr or Mrs L.N. Measures out there? Or does anyone know the persons E-mail > adress? > I would like to get in touch. He or she gives a talk on beluga helminths > at the upcoming Symposium on the role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem, > in Darthmouth NS this september. > > Thanks. > > Roland Tremblay > tremblr(\)ere.umontreal. > ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 13:32:23 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Obituary - Frederick Ulmer ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Obituary - Frederick Ulmer The Philadelphia Inquirer - 09/14/95 Frederick A. Ulmer Jr., 79 a self-taught naturalist who became the Philadelphia Zoo's first curator of mammals and was the first person in the world to successfully breed cheetahs in captivity, died yesterday at the Stapeley nursing home in Germantown. A Philadelphia native and a long-time Roxborough resident, he once told a newspaper interviewer he could not remember a time when he wasn't fascinated by animals. Before he was old enough to go to school, he said, an uncle took him to see the animals at the Philadelphia Zoo. Mr. Ulmer also wrote a number of scientific articles. "He was self-taught," marveled Ted Daeschler, a vertebrate biologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences who became friends with Mr. Ulmer while he was volunteering at the academy during the past eight years. "He did not have any advanced degrees whatsoever but was just a consummate naturalist." "He was a real pioneer in the zoo industry," agreed Karl Kranz, the zoo's current vice president of animal management. Kranz, who came to the Philadelphia Zoo a decade ago from the National Zoo in Washington, said he immediately sought out Mr. Ulmer even though he had retired from the zoo in 1973. "He was well-known in the zoo literature," Kranz said. Mr. Ulmer grew up in Southwest Philadelphia and graduated from West Philadelphia High School with honors. He used to ride his bicycle to the Academy of Natural Sciences, where he became a favorite of some of the scientists, said Daeschler. At the age of 19, Mr. Ulmer joined the academy staff at a modest salary and became assistant curator of mammals. He participated in the academy's expedition to Sumatra and Indonesia in 1939, where he amassed a large collection of mammals. He started night school at Temple University, but his college education was cut short by World War II. He served with the U.S. Army for nearly five years as a first sergeant with the medical department. He spent two of those years on a hospital train in Europe. After the war, Mr. Ulmer brought a large collection of animals from the London Zoo to the Philadelphia Zoo and was asked to join the zoo staff. He became the zoo's first curator of mammals and held that post for 27 years. It was duing that period that Mr. Ulmer stunned biologists around the world by successfully breeding the first cheetah in captivity. Biologists had believed it could not be done. But the cheetah produced a litter of three cubs on March 24, 1956, at the zoo. He later said zoo officials around the world initially doubted him and suspected that the female cheetah had been pregnant when she was captured in the wild and brought to the zoo. But any lingering doubts vanished the next year when the same cheetah gave birth to two more cubs. "He felt it was a combination of luck and having some particularly good animals," said Kranz. "That was one of his biggest accomplishments, but by no means his only one." Mr. Ulmer wound up taking many baby zoo animals who had been rejected by their mothers home to Roxborough. "It seems I always had a baby bottle in my hand feeding someone," Mr. Ulmer told a Philadelphia Daily News reporter when he retired. "I raised all kinds of animals. I lost count of how many, maybe 50." He described his wife, Kathryn, as "a very tolerant woman." "I had animals in my kitchen with their noses in things when I was cooking," the former Kathryn A. Schweitzer, his wife of 53 years, recalled yesterday. Mr. Ulmer is credited with being the first man in America to wean a polar bear--in 1959. He weaned another one 1965. He kept the bears in a child's playpen. His breadth of interest and knowledge in wildlife extended to birds, whales, fish and snakes. He wrote more than a hundred articles on mammals for scientific and popular journals. Other scientists paid tribute to his accomplishments by naming four newly discovered species after him, including "ulmeri" as part of their scientific names. Mr. Ulmer had been a member of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club since 1939. "He knew the birds of this area as well as anyone," Daeschler said. "At the museum, he would contribute to the bird research areas." Mr. Ulmer also was a regular contributor to the letters-to-the-editor section of The Inquirer, often chiding the paper for misidentifying animals in photographs and making errors in reporting on wildlife. When the northern right whale wandered up the Delaware River last fall, Mr. Ulmer wrote a letter that provided a short history of whale activity in the Delaware. Mr. Ulmer maintained ties with the Academy of Natural Sciences, and served as a research associate in its Department of Mammals while he was at the zoo. For a while, he rejoined the academy staff, and he later spent eight years as a volunteer. He was a regular there until April. Daeschler met Mr. Ulmer whilehe was volunteering in the mammal department, the very department where he had worked in the 1930s and early 1940s when much of the collection was being established. "As a volunteer, he knew this research collection better than I could ever hope to," Daeschler said. "As far as I'm concerned, he was teaching me the whole time." In addition to his wife, Mr. Ulmer is survived by two daughters, Christine Lindenmuth and Kathleen S. Ulmer; two grandchildren; a brother, John Leeds Ulmer; and a sister, Ruth Morris. A memorial service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Koller Funeral Home, 6835 Ridge Ave. Obituary by Martha Woodall, Inquirer staff writer. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 13:49:16 PDT From: jreiden(\)smtplink.mssm.edu Subject: Re: craniometry ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Sandra: Try James Mead at the Smithsonian Institution, WQashington, D.C., e-mail: MEAD.J(\)SIMNHY.SI.EDU. Dr. Mead has done much research on the skull of cetaceans. Good Luck, Joy Reidenberg, Ph.D. jreiden(\)smtplink.mssm.edu Dear marmamers, I'm working on a thesis on Adriatic bottlenose dolphin craniometry, in order to investigate no metrical variability within the Adriatic community, as well as epigenetical features. I'm also interested in age determination by acid atching. I would be grateful if somebody could provide me with a list of basic literature, or the addresses of some people working in this field. Thanks for your help, Sandra Pribanic Faculty of Biology University of Zagreb Barcev trg 7 10000 Zagreb - Croatia e-mail messages could be send to the following address: giovanni.bearzi(\)public.srce.hr The following is an attached File item from cc:Mail. It contains information that had to be encoded to ensure successful transmission through various mail systems. To decode the file use the UUDECODE program. --------------------------------- Cut Here --------------------------------- begin 644 RFC822.TXT M4F5C96EV960Z(&9R;VT(\)559632Y55FEC+D-!(&)Y('-M='!L:6YK+FUS2!55E9-+E5624,N0T$(\)*$Q-86EL#0H(\)5C$N M,60O,2XW9BD(\)=VET:"!"4TU44"!I9"`S,3(\)U.R!&FE`<'5B;&EC M+G-R8V4N:'(^#0I3=6)J96-T.B`(\)("`(\)(&-R86YI;VUE=')Y#0I8+51O.B`(\) M("`(\)("`(\)(&UA Subject: Behavior changes in wild dolphin when interacting with humans Dear Marmam'ers, I am trying to find any information or anyone doing any studies on how human interaction with wild dolphins effects their behavior. In particular, I'm looking for any information that shows specific characteristics that dolphins display when they get to the point of being "harrassed" - IE, is there any behavior wild dolphins exhibit when they've just had enough? Any leads/feedback on this subject would be greatly appretiated. Terry Hardie terry(\)bytes.gen.nz ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 10:04:00 BST From: John Dineley Subject: Re: Behavior changes in wild dolphin when interacting with humans ==================================== I am a member of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association and have just received the latest conference abstracts which may contain a paper that would be of interest to you. Samuels & Spradlin, A Quantitative Behavioral Study of Bottlenose Dolphins in Swim Programs. This paper is soon to be published in Marine Mammal Science (volume 11,no. 4, October 1995). Although, dealing with captive animals it may be of interest. Are you aware of the work published by Bloom etal relating to a wild "friendly" dolphin called "Freddy" ? Most of this data was published in Aquatic Mammals. You could try contacting Chris Sturtivant (c.sturtivant(\)lut.ac.uk) who was involved in some of this work for further references. Also published in Aquatic Mammals is a paper relating to the wild "friendly" dolphin Jojo in the Caribbean: St. John, P. Educating a Wild Dolphin. Vol. 17, No. 1, Spring 1991 For a general over-view of this area I would suggest reference to: Lockyer, C. Review of Incidents Involving Wild, Sociable Dolphins, World-wide. Chapter 18 in Leatherwood and Reeves, The Bottlenose Dolphin (1990) Academic Press. best wishes, JD ========================= John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford, MK40 2JD United Kingdom Telephone/FAX: 01234-342387 ========================= ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 13:16:52 +0100 Reply-To: Dag Vongraven From: Dag Vongraven Subject: Length-age relation To all ECSers: I'm looking for references dealing with the problems associated with using length and different mass parameters as a measure of age in cetaceans. Any help will be appreciated. This request is also posted on MARMAM. Dag Vongraven Dept. of Zoology University of Trondheim - AVH N-7055 Dragvoll Tel: +47 73 596030 Fax: +47 73 591309 E-mail: dag.vongraven(\)avh.unit.no ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 17:29:59 +0100 From: "D.W.Naish" Subject: Re: ENIGMATIC WHALES.. Dear marmam-members, I am new to this list and, while I have enjoyed what I have so far read, regret that I won't be staying here for too long, as the research on whales I am presently engaged in won't be lasting forever (and I already have enough trouble with the lists to which I am already subscribed). I am here appealing for any help you might be able to give me. There have been approximately 12 whale species of which I am aware that have been seen, often by reliable zoologists and even cetologists, but are as yet unknown from specimens. Some have even been photographed or filmed. If marmam members are aware of any such sightings, I would be extremely grateful if any details could be passed on to me. Most such creatures have been reported in relatively old literature, but new animals continue to come to light. Early this year, for example (or possibly last year, I can't remember), a South American river dolphin with a serrated dorsal ridge was seen and photographed (it probably does not represent a new species, but perhaps an injured ir deformed individual, IMHO). I have also recently heard about an unusual 'long beaked dolphin' seen in Vietnamese waters last year. Any info on these, and other cases, would be gratefully received. I would be particularly enthusiastic about eye-witness accounts that have not yet been reported in the literature. Thanks very much for your time and any assistance. This material is for a popular article in a magazine, and anyone that helps me is guaranteed a mention in the acknowledgements. Thanks. DARREN NAISH dwn194(\)soton.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 17:19:28 +0059 From: "Jane Reed (Genetics)" Subject: marine mammal respirometry Greetings! I would be interested to hear from folk who have measured gas exchange and other respiratory variables from cetaceans, particularly the smaller dolphins and whales. I'm aiming to measure the gas exchange variables from harbour porpoise, and would like to know what sort of masks other people have used for this kind of work. I have used open-flow respirometry and also mask systems on grey and harbour seals; however I think these will need some adaptations to be used for cetaceans. Please reply to my email address below, cheers jane ***************************** Dr. J Z Reed Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, England UK. Phone: (0)1223 333971 Fax: (0)1223 333992 email: jzr(\)mole.bio.cam.ac.uk ***************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 10:15:37 EDT From: Brent Hall <73577.310(\)compuserve.com> Subject: CSI New WWW Page The Cetacean Society International now has a page on the World Wide Web. CSI is an all volunteer, non-profit, tax-exempt conservation, education, and research organization based in the USA, with volunteer representatives in 26 countries around the world. We are dedicated to the preservation and protection of all cetaceans and the marine environment on a global basis. For more information about CSI and the most recent edition of our quarterly newsletter, "Whales Alive!", look at our Web page at: http://elfnet1a.elfi.com/csihome.html Thank you. Brent Hall 73577.310(\)compuserve.com Cetacean Society International P.O. Box 953 Georgetown, CT 06829 U.S.A. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 15:12:00 EDT From: Davis Wright Tremaine Subject: H.R. 2179, International Dolphin Conservation Act Amts Message from Naomi Rose of Humane Society re: tuna/dolphin bill (H.R. 2179) was mischaracterization of legislation. Contrary to her claims, bill will implement strict IATTC regulations and ensure that other countries follow suit, if they wish to sell tuna in U.S. Current embargoes (which cannot be lifted even where dolphin mortality is biologically insignificant) would be exchanged for one that requires participation in IATTC Dolphin Conservation Program. Nearly all provisions of bill supported by Clinton Administration as solution to trade confrontation and recognition of solving dolphin mortality problem. Humane Society takes an irrational no-take of dolphins position that will lead to harm of tuna stocks and substantial bycatch of other marine animals, including endangered turtles. All environmental groups are merely seeking to preserve doctrinal purity and fund-raising ability. Marine mammal researchers should base their views on science and unbiased fact-gathering not emotion. Reply to Davis Wright Tremaine (Bud Walsh) at DAVIS(\)allware.com. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 16:13:00 EDT From: "Baker, Susan" Subject: Conference roommates This is a repeat of a previous message for those who may have missed it. I have agreed to act as a coordinator for anyone who is in search of roommate(s) for the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Orlando in December. If anyone is in search of a roommate for that conference, please email me directly your name, sex, dates you'll be at the conference, any other information you feel would be helpful in matching you up with a roommate (if you smoke for example), and very importantly, your contact information. If and when I find a match(s) I will email all parties the respective contact information and you will take it from there. Please email me your requests. I must have all requests by November 3rd. Thank you, Susan Baker sxb(\)cu.nih.gov (301)435-0661 (office phone if necessary) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 23:59:40 +0200 From: "Giovanni Bearzi - VET.FAK" Subject: tursiops acoustics Dear Marmamers I'm writing a thesis on the acoustical behavior of the bottlenose dolphin in the Northern Adriatic Sea. We recorded a wide range of different dolphin sounds during all kinds of behavioral categories. I'm interested in comparing our findings with other acoustic research. If you are investigating on a similar subject or if you know anyone who has information on related activities (eg. sounds during feeding) please let us know. Thank's a lot for your help. Sylvan Oehen Adriatic Dolphin Project Podjavori 13, 51551 Veli Losinj, Croatia Tel/fax ++385 51 236348 e-mail: giovanni.bearzi(\)public.srce.hr Zoological Museum University of Zurich e-mail: ennio(\)zool.unizh.ch ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 14:56:19 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: H.R. 2179, International Dolphin Conservation Act Amts Davis Wright Tremaine (on behalf of Bud Walsh) wrote: > >Message from Naomi Rose of Humane Society re: tuna/dolphin bill (H.R. 2179) >was mischaracterization of legislation. Contrary to her claims, bill will >implement strict IATTC regulations and ensure that other countries follow >suit, if they wish to sell tuna in U.S. Nothing in the cover letter attached to the "Scientist's Statement" disputes what Mr. Tremaine states above. The cover letter agrees that the IATTC regulations will govern the ETP fishery. However, contrary to MR. TREMAINE'S implications, I repeat that the IATTC regulations (the La Jolla Agreement) are NON-BINDING. All penalties are merely recommendations and have so far not been enforceable in practice (in fact, some IATTC nations state they cannot implement the recommended penalties because of national legislative conflicts). In addition, HR 2179 merely states that all nations that sell tuna in the U.S. must "participate" in the IATTC -- that does not mean that these nations must abide by the La Jolla Agreement (the IATTC regulations). In fact, it does not mean anything in effect -- for instance, Norway "participates" in the International Whaling Commission, but continues to whale in violation of the IWC ban. >Current embargoes (which cannot be >lifted even where dolphin mortality is biologically insignificant) would be >exchanged for one that requires participation in IATTC Dolphin Conservation >Program. Again, note that Mr. Tremaine says "participation," which is absolutely accurate (the bill uses this specific term) -- and the legal meaning of "participate" is very weak. Nearly all provisions of bill supported by Clinton Administration >as solution to trade confrontation and recognition of solving dolphin >mortality problem. To my knowledge, the Clinton Administration's position on HR 2179 has yet to be made clear. I would welcome Mr. Tremaine posting a written statement verifying the Administration's position -- I would be very interested to see it. It is true that the Administration wishes to solve the trade confrontation problem, but I would say that is FAR from wishing to solve the dolphin mortality problem. Humane Society takes an irrational no-take of dolphins >position that will lead to harm of tuna stocks and substantial bycatch of >other marine animals, including endangered turtles. I invite anyone who wishes to learn of our detailed position on this issue, which both acknowledges the complexity of the issue and is by no means irrational, to request a copy of our analysis of HR 2179, in which we address both the issues of potential harm to tuna stocks and the non-dolphin bycatch problem. I have also responded to an e-mail, sent directly to me, asking several civil questions concerning the tuna stock and bycatch concerns and would be happy to forward my response to anyone who is interested. All environmental >groups are merely seeking to preserve doctrinal purity and fund-raising >ability. It is interesting that Mr. Tremaine did not state with whom he is affiliated. Again, the cover letter I posted made it very clear who was sponsoring the statement, so that no one who chose to sign the statement would be misled. I do not know who Mr. Tremaine is affiliated with but Bud Walsh is a spokesperson for the American Tunaboat Owner's Coalition. Marine mammal researchers should base their views on science and >unbiased fact-gathering not emotion. No one on MARMAM would dispute the above statement, I am sure. The statement posted by HSUS is non-partisan, and non-political, for that matter. By itself, it doesn't even make mention of HR 2179. It is a statement, to be signed by those with expertise in marine mammal biology, expressing concern about the effects of chasing and setting purse seine nets on dolphins. I welcome questions from anyone who may wish additional information before signing, such as what work this statement and its assertions are based on. FYI, the relevant work is being produced by scientists with NMFS' Southwest Fisheries Science Center. The cover letter, which was clearly partisan, again so as not to mislead anyone, never suggested that anyone should sign on who was not completely confident that the statement was founded on anything but "unbiased fact-gathering" rather than merely a political or emotional position. Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Sep 1995 08:26:03 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract - cetacean skull/phylogeny Dear Marmam and ECS mail list subscribers: As a courtesy, the following is a summary of an article recently published in Aquatic Mammals 21(2). Apologies for cross-mailing to those folks that subscribe to both discussion groups. I have supplied the author's address to which reprint requests should be directed. Aquatic Mammals is published three times a year by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. Subscription requests should be directed to the editor: Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, USA. FAX (808) 247-5831, email: nachtig(\)nosc.mil __________________________________________________________________ Klima, M. 1995. Cetacean phylogeny and systematics based on the morphogenesis of the nasal skull. Aquatic Mammals 21(2): 79-89. (Zentrum der Morphologie, Klinikum der J.W. Goethe-Universitat, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60590 Frankfurt, FRG) The morphogenesis of the nasal skull of the cetaceans indicates that the traditional division of the order Cetacea into two suborders, the toothed whales (Odontoceti) and the baleen whales (Mysteiceti), is phylogenetically not substantiated. The following conclusions can be drawn on the basis of the presented study. The whales are of a monophyletic origin, with all the extant forms being closely related. The sperm whales are, however, distinct from other odontocetes, with which they are traditionally associated, and seem to be more closely related to the baleen whales. The embryological findings presented here are remarkably consistent with a recent molecular phylogenetic analysis. According the morphogenesis of the naskal skull the following almost equivalent groupings, which may be considered superfamilies, can be distinguished within the order Cetacea: Balaenopteroidea, Physeteroidea, and Delphinoidea. However, no representatives of the families Ziphiidae and Platanistidae were available for the present study. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Sep 1995 08:34:35 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract - harbor porpoise ecology As a courtesy, the following is an abstract of an article recently published in Aquatic Mammals 21(2). Apologies for cross-mailing to those folks that subscribe to both discussion groups. I have supplied the author's address to which reprint requests should be directed. Aquatic Mammals is published three times a year by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. Subscription requests should be directed to the editor: Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, USA. FAX (808) 247-5831, email: nachtig(\)nosc.mil __________________________________________________________________ Sekiguchi, K. 1995. Occurrence, behavior and feeding habits of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) at Pajaro Dunes, Monterey Bay, California. Aquatic Mammals 21(2): 91-103. (Whale Unit, c/o South African Museum, P.O. Box 61, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa) From September 1984 to November 1985, sightings of 1594 groups of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) were made from a high vantage point at Pajaro Dunes, Monterey Bay, California, in a total of 761 hours of observations. Porpoises were seen within 300 m of the shore, mostly between 0700 and 1000 hr., apparently feeding nearshore. The number and size of porpoise groups sighted were greater in July, August and September than in other months of the year. Significantly more porpoise groups were present nearshore during flood tide than ebb tide. Variations in both the number and size of groups seen may have been related to food availability. Nine stomachs of harbor porpoises collected in the Monterey Bay area from 1985 to 1986 were used for feeding habit analysis. Two families of cephalopods and twelve families of fishes were found. Northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) had the highest index of relative importance, spotted cusk eel (Chilara taylori) was second, and rockfish (Sebastes spp.) was third, but market squid (Loligo opalescens) had the highest percentage of frequency of occurrence. Harbor porpoises in Monterey Bay appear to change their diet seasonally. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Sep 1995 09:04:10 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract - geographic variation/Tursiops/Chinese waters As a courtesy, the following is a summary of an article recently published in Aquatic Mammals 21(2). Apologies for cross-mailing to those folks that subscribe to both discussion groups. I have supplied the author's address to which reprint requests should be directed. Aquatic Mammals is published three times a year by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. Subscription requests should be directed to the editor: Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, USA. FAX (808) 247-5831, email: nachtig(\)nosc.mil __________________________________________________________________ Gao, A., K. Zhou, and Y. Wang. 1995. Geographical variation in morphology of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in Chinese waters. Aquatic Mammals 21(2): 121-135. (Dept of Biology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, P.R. China) Sixty-three bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) from Chinese waters were examined in the study and 34 were aged. The adults of the northern form were much larger than that of the southern form in body size. After the effect of body lenth was removed in the covariance analysis, the beak, flipper and dorsal fin were relatively larger in the southern form than those in the northern form. In the cranial measurements, covariance analysis with condylobasal length as covariate demonstrated that 8 length measurement were smaller, while 9 width/height measurements were larger in the northern form than those in the southern. It may greatly result from the elongation of the beak or rostrum of the skull. The southern form had more teeth than the northern, and the northern form had more vertebra than the southern. Because of the large overlap in the external and skeletal characters, we could not find a criterion to separate the two forms clearly except the adult body size. The two forms could be correctly distinguished by stepwise discriminant analysis with a group of external or skull measurements. But we could not separate the two forms by using a few external or skull characters. Although the variation between the two forms could be demonstrated by factor analysis, it was not great enough to separate the two forms completely. The northern/southern variation in bottlenose dolphin in Chinese waters seemend no larger than that among the three populations of finless porpoise. The differences between the larger northern and smaller southern forms in Chinese waters was similar to the differences between the larger offshore and smaller inshore forms in South African waters and in the Northwest Atlantic. So far, no data are available regarding the relationship among the Chinese smaller and larger forms and those from other waters. We do not have sufficient evidence to assign the two forms in Chinese waters to two different species. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Sep 1995 10:01:53 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract - lone Tursiops/humans/Belize As a courtesy, the following is a summary of an article recently published in Aquatic Mammals 21(2). Apologies for cross-mailing to those folks that subscribe to both discussion groups. I have supplied the author's address to which reprint requests should be directed. Aquatic Mammals is published three times a year by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. Subscription requests should be directed to the editor: Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, USA. FAX (808) 247-5831, email: nachtig(\)nosc.mil __________________________________________________________________ *Dudzinski, K.M., T.G. Frohoff, and N.L. Crane. 1995. Behavior of a lone female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with humans off the coast of Belize. Aquatic Mammals 21(2): 149-153. (*Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 4700 Avenue U, Galveston, TX 77551, USA) For at least eight years, a lone female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) named 'Pita', has frequented the waters surrounding Northern Two Cay, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, in Belize. She has actively sought human contact for the past four to five years. This study investigated the history of her interactions with humans and documented her behavior nearby humans. There are some concerns for the well-being of both the dolphin and the people with whom she interacts. Specific concerns include an increase in the number of people seeking interaction with this dolphin, and a need for official guidelines or regulations governing these encounters. We have analyzed both underwater and surface video recordings and conducted interviews with people who have interacted with this dolphin. Pita exhibited sexual behavior towards objects, such as anchor lines, and occasionally towards swimmers. She sometimes touched swimmers or postured near swimmers. Pita has directed aggression towards people, especially those attempting to leave the water. Several people have been injured when Pita blocked them or hit them with her rostrum as they attempted to leave the water. Many human visitors remain naive, and somewhat over-zealous, and continue with attempts to ride her, touch her body in sensitive areas (including the genitals and blowhole), and generally appear to excite her into potentially aggressive and harmful behavior. Pita is unusual in that the majority of lone dolphins that interact with humans world-wide have been male. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Sep 1995 08:46:54 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract - cardiac structure in ringed and harped seals As a courtesy, the following is a summary of an article recently published in Aquatic Mammals 21(2). Apologies for cross-mailing to those folks that subscribe to both discussion groups. I have supplied the author's address to which reprint requests should be directed. Aquatic Mammals is published three times a year by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. Subscription requests should be directed to the editor: Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, USA. FAX (808) 247-5831, email: nachtig(\)nosc.mil __________________________________________________________________ Pfeiffer, C.J. and V.S. Viers. 1995. Cardiac ultrastructure in the ringed seal, Phoca hispida and harp seal, Phoca groenlandica. Aquatic Mammals 21(2): 109-119. (Dept of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA, 24061-0442) The present data describe for the first time a number of the cardiac ultrastructural features in the ringed seal (Phoca hispida) and harp seal (Phoca groenlandica). By light micropsy, the ringed seal and harp seal hearts closely resembled the hearts of similar-sized terrestrial mammals, but at the ultrastructural level, several distinctive features were observed. The fine structure of myoctye Z, H, I and A bands and M lines was conventional, and a well-developed transverse tubular system was present in the cardiac muscle. Unusual features included enlarged cytoplasmic reserviors of glycogen in ventricular myocytes, sacculations of the mitochondrial cristae (ringed seal), and a thickened endocardium. The transverse tubules, which showed much pinocytotic activity, traversed the glycogen reservoirs and extensively invested vascular elements within the cardiac muscle. Electron dense endocrine granules were observed in some cardiomyocytes, and these appeared similar to atrial natriuretic polypeptide granules reported in other species. Capillary endothelial cells demostrated typical high levels of pinocytotic activity. Generally, the hearts of these seals were morphologically similar to those of non-diving. terrestrial mammals, but their blunt gross configuration and enlarged stores of subcellular glycogen appear to be adaptations to diving and in this respect are similar to features reported in cetacean hearts. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 10:35:07 MDT From: "PAM J. STACEY" Subject: help with lit citations In the process of writing a conservation action plan for Irrawaddy dolphins, I've come across three referenes with incomplete citations. These are: Witkamp or Witkemp 1932 Norman and Fraser 1947 Bartlett 1895 Can anyone provide me with the full citations for any of these?ate Thanks in advance for your help! Pam J. Stacey stacp(\)augustana.ab.ca ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Sep 1995 17:29:23 EDT From: DSCH7386(\)URIACC.URI.EDU Subject: manatees and boat speed limit laws I am researching a paper on Coastal Zone Law, in which I wish to explore any legal challenges to the emerging boating speed limit laws, in Fla. (or elsewhere Manatees range.) If anyone is aware of court cases that have challenged (and hopefully supported the existance) of boating speed limits, please let me know. Any source materials you may be able to suggest, concerned with a State's right / responsibility to enact speed limit laws over coastal Federal navigational waterways, would be greatly appreciated. I can be contacted at the above e-mail address, at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate Marine Affairs Program. Many Thanks! Daniel S. Schwartz dsch7386(\)uriacc.uri.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Sep 1995 10:38:24 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff -- 9/22/95 Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammals public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Humpback Whale Sanctuary Expansion. On Sept. 25, 1995, a series of Statewide workshops will begin on the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary's draft environmental impact statement and management plan. The draft plan proposes no new regulations but does expand Sanctuary boundaries to include waters off the Big Island of Hawaii. On Sept. 19, 1995, the Hawaii County Council's Planning Committee voted 5-2 to urge Governor Cayetano to oppose expansion of the Sanctuary boundary to include Big Island waters. [Assoc Press] . Australian Whale Watching Legislation. On Sept. 18, 1995, Australia's Nature Conservation Agency released proposed Commonwealth regulations and complementary State legislation to better protect whales, including provisions to restrict whale watching tours in whale breeding areas, accredit tour operators, and develop a code of practice for whale-based tourism. [Australia Assoc Press] . Killing Sea Lions Recommended. On Sept. 8, 1995, the Ballard Locks Pinniped Fisheries Task Force tentatively concurred with its previous recommendation that NMFS allow the State of Washington to kill sea lions at Ballard Locks (WA) to protect migrating steelhead trout only if non-lethal capture of certain identified sea lions is not feasible or practical. After thi s recommendation is finalized by the task force (anticipated by late September), NMFS will consider the recommendation. If lethal removal is approved by NMFS, such a decision will likely be challenged in court. [Assoc Press, personal communication] . Manatee in Northern Waters. On Sept. 21, 1995, the manatee was spotted in lower Chesapeake Bay, on its migration south. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Sep 1995 11:11:27 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Correction -- Info Summary to U.S. Congress and Staff -- 9/22/95 My apologies -- Instead of the heading "Killing Sea Lions Recommended" on one item in today's summary, the corrected title should read "Ballard Locks Sea Lions." While I altered the text to reflect modified information, I had neglected to alter the item's title. I regret any confusion this might have caused. Gene Buck, gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Sep 1995 10:04:00 EDT From: "Baker, Susan" Subject: Conference roommates Please note the following disclaimer: The Marine Mammal Conference roommate matching I have volunteered to do is NOT sanctioned by either the Society for Marine Mammalogy or The Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. It is just something that I thought would be helpful, especially to my fellow students and our limited budgets. Any roommate matching requests may still be sent to me until November 3rd. I will put people in contact with each other. Susan Baker sxb(\)cu.nih.gov ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Sep 1995 10:08:03 -0700 From: mscott(\)iattc.ucsd.edu Subject: Miss Manners, mett MARMAM After monitoring the discussion about the Humane Society's statement on the tuna-dolphin issue, I felt that I should briefly leave my bleacher seat to offer a couple of introductions. Firstly, Naomi Rose was wondering about the affiliation of the mysterious "Davis Wright Tremaine". DWT is, in this case, is several whos, but mainly a what. It is the name of the law firm that, I believe, Mr. Walsh, was claiming as his affiliation. Secondly, the evidence by unnamed scientists with NMFS' Southwest Fisheries Science Center cited by Naomi Rose is, I assume, an in press manuscript by Al Myrick and Peter Perkins. Before I retire back to the bleachers with my Miss Manners Merit Badge in Social Introductions, I would suggest that we should be cautious about endorsing a study that has yet to be published. If a policy maker was presented this statement and found out that few, if any, of the signers had even read the evidence cited, I think the statement and its sponsors would be discredited. Having read the manuscript, I would recommend that the scientific community be given an opportunity to scrutinize the paper when it is published and carefully assess the data, Myrick's interpretations of the data, and the counterarguments before being asked to take sides in what promises to be a very controversial issue. Michael Scott IATTC ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 09:19:34 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: MINKE WHALE HUNTING AND HARVESTING GETS INDUSTRY BACKING 22-Sep-95 06:00 pm Regular National MINKE whale HUNTING AND HARVESTING GETS INDUSTRY BACKING Wellington, Sept 22, AP - Fishing industry leaders from major fishing countries, including New Zealand, have agreed to back a Japanese proposal to resume commercial hunting and harvest of the Minke WHALE next year. The agreement comes after a meeting of the International Coalition of Fisheries Associations at Nelson over the past four days. The Coalition's decision to support Japan comes despite an international moratorium which bans all commercial whaling under the auspices of the International Whaling Commission. The Coalition represents fishers who catch 40 percent of the worldwide annual fish harvest, estimated at 100-million tonnes. New Zealand Fishing Industry Association president Vaughan Wilkinson said today there is a sustainable (harvesting) base in smaller WHALE species like the Minke, and this is acknowledged by the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission, the body which controls world whaling. The Minke population can certainly sustain a certain level of harvest, Wilkinson said. He claimed environmental lobbyists have hijacked the (whaling) convention which aimed to preserve and manage WHALE populations -- not to stop utilisation of whales world-wide. It was not a convention for preservation of whales and prohibition of their harvest, he said. The result of the hijack was to ignore the rights of Japan and Norway to harvest whales in their own waters or international waters. Mr Wilkinson said the International Whaling Commission has continued to refuse Japan the right to indigenous traditional native whaling around Japan. The Commission should return to its primary task of how to conserve and manage WHALE stocks rather than prohibition and conservation by this hijack of the convention. Mr Wilkinson warned such actions put at risk the willingness of nations in future to enter into international agreements, and will work to the detriment of marine populations. He confirmed Japan Fisheries Association president Hiroya Sano would ask for the right to resume commercial whaling when the IWC meets next May in Aberdeen, Scotland. Sano claimed there are a certain number of Minke whales which can be taken without endangering any stocks of whales at all. According to the provisions of the International Whaling Convention, if it's possible to take Minke whales without endangering any Minke WHALE stocks...Contracting governments should be allowed to reconvene the commercial whaling. The world's largest Minke WHALE populations live in the Southern Ocean wHALE Sanctuary, established by international agreement, below 40 degrees South. It is a vast marine sanctuary, set up to provide whales with a protected breeding and living area in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters. Major confrontations between Japanese whalers and environmentalists have taken place in this region in the past, prior to the moratorium on commercial whaling. Japan and Norway have continued so-called scientific whaling in the area, taking up to three hundred Minke whales a year, despite international anger at their actions. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Sep 1995 21:46:23 -0400 From: Pam/Ivy Keim Subject: Study of Killer Whales Dear Listmembers; I am very interested in the study of Killer Whales. I have been researching them for many years, however, living on the Prairies of Canada makes it rather difficult to study them "up close". Does anyone have any suggestions on reading materials or where any information can be obtained? I've pretty much exhausted the libraries of this small city that I live in. However, this library will bring in books from other places. Are there any listmembers who are currently doing "hands-on" studies of Killer Whales who would be interested in communicating with me? Yours Truly, Ivy Keim ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Sep 1995 21:41:34 EDT From: "Dennis L. Kelly" <73042.1163(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM Orange Coast College (Costa Mesa, California) announces: Day-Long Marine Mammal Symposium Title: "Marine Mammal Encounter" A public seven-hour Marine Mammal Symposium will be hosted by Orange Coast College's student campus club, the Marine Mammal Research Group, on Saturday, October 21. The event, sponsored by the Pacific Mutual Foundation, runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Orange Coast College Science Hall. Registration fee is $3 per person prior to Oct. 14. After Oct. 14, a $5 per-person fee will be charged. For registration information, phone (714) 536-2102. The symposium will focus on conservation issues affecting the marine mammal habitat, specific species of marine mammals, and protection of marine mammals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. A group of marine scientists will be on hand to discuss the results of their research into the lives of marine mammals. Lecture speakers and topics include: "Why are Bottlenose Dolphins Prime Candidates for a Behavioral Study?" - by Dr. R.H. DeFran a bottlenose dolphin expert and professor at San Diego State University; "Why are more Killer Whales than usual currently found off southern California's coast?" - by Alisa Schulman of the American Cetacean Society/Los Angeles and San Pedro High School; "What are Beaked whales?" - by Dr. John Heyning, a scientist with the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History; "How does the Marine Mammal Protection Act affect you?" - by Irma Lagomarsino, a marine biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service; and "Will Sound Waves in the ocean harm Marine Mammals?" - by Dr. Andrew Forbes, a marine biology professor at U.C. San Diego's Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Orange Coast College has the largest undergraduate marine science program of any community college in the nation. Approximately 1,400 students enroll in marine science classes each semester. Classes include "Marine Science", "Coastal Oceanography", "Marine Mammals", "Marine Biology", "Mariculture", and "Marine Aquariums". Students in the Marine Mammal Research Group student club actually conduct research along the southern California coast. To register or for additional information write: Marine Science Department Orange Coast College 2701 Fairview Rd. Costa Mesa, Ca. 92628 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 12:24:51 BST From: John Dineley Subject: Into The Blue Dolphin Release 1991 ========================================== I have had very little success in my request to Marmam to help gain any further information on the current status of three bottlenose dolphins released in the Caribbean in 1991. However, over the last couple of years I have been able to collate the following basic information that some Marmam subscribers may be interested in. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- CARIBBEAN DOLPHIN RELEASE BASIC INFORMATION This dolphin release project was called INTO THE BLUE and operated by a consortium of animal welfare and animal rights groups and organisations including: the Born Free Foundation (UK), Bellerive Foundation (Switzerland) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). The three dolphins released were bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). "Rocky" caught in the Florida Panhandle in 1971 and maintained at Marineland in Morecambe in the north of England; "Missie" caught off Biloxi, Texas in 1969 and maintained at Brighton Aquarium in the south of England; "Silver" believed to have been caught waters of Taiwan in 1978 and also housed at Brighton Aquarium. They were moved to the Islands of Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean to a conch farm owned by Chuck Hess - founder of the islands local environment concern group: PRIDE (Foundation for the Preservation of reefs and Islands from Degradation and Exploitation). The conch farm lagoon was made available by Chuck Hess to the groups to serve as a rehabilitation centre prior to the release of the animals. Here they were to learn how to eat live fish, etc. "Rocky" was transported to the conch farm lagoon from the UK on February 11, 1991; "Missie" and "Silver" on March 19, 1991. The animals were moved from the conch farm to a floating sea-pen off West Caicos Island on September 7, 1991. They were released from this to the wild at 1.30.pm on Tuesday, September 10, 1991. All three animals had "freeze branding" on their dorsal fins. The three animals were seen a day after release at this location. However "Missie" and "Rocky" have not been seen since this time by project staff; all sightings after this point were second hand by fisherman and tourists "Silver" was seen after the release from September 16 - 29 by project staff. He appeared to have some weight lost and health problems (an infection on his rostrum) and was given both food (a total of sixty pounds) and antibiotics by project staff in the wild over this period. He was also associating with a wild "friendly" dolphin that swam in this area called "Jojo". After this time all "Silver"s sightings were also second-hand by tourists and fishermen. A photographic competition for local Turks and Caicos fisherman in January 1992, with a $500 cash prize, failed to produce photographic evidence of the animals continuing to survive in the wild. The ultimate fate of these animals seems to remain unknown. Two television documentaries were made about the project. One was shown on the Discovery Channel in Europe in August 1993 and entitled "Dolphins: Home to the Sea". The second was called "Into The Blue" and shown on terrestrial television in the UK on BBC2, July 9, 1992. This second documentary was the subject of complaints by myself and two others to the UK's Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC). This upheld six of twelve complaints against the programme in areas regarding the general welfare of animals kept in aquaria and the ultimate fate of the release animals. A full copy of this adjudication can be obtained by a written request with an stamped addressed envelope or International Reply Coupon to the BCC at: The Broadcasting Complaints Commission, PO BOX 333, London, SW1W OBQ, United Kingdom. If anyone has further information on the fate of these animals I would be interested to hear from them. ====================================== John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom Email: S058145(\)vax2.luton.ac.uk ======================================= ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 20:49:27 +0200 From: Dag Vongraven Subject: Length-age relation II Hi again MARMAM! My original request to this list concerning references addressing the transformation of animals' length/mass (cetaceans in particular) to age might have given a notion that I wasn't aware of the obvious elementary problems associated with such transformations. Well, I am, but I still would like those of you that know of any work that might help me, to give me a notice. The reason for such a request is that in order to utilise old catch data for something possibly useful, I need the best estimation of confidence limits I can get, and I haven't so far stumbled over any work that have had any potential to really help me. For your information, the species I'm working with is killer whale. Doesn't Sea World have a regime of monitoring morphometrics in their growing whales? If some of you at Sea World is out there in virtual space, reading this, would you consider sharing some of this information with me, or would that be impossible? Even if the number of individuals you have brought up is small, it's better than nothing. This might be of some importance for considerations regarding the status of free-living Norwegian killer whales, which have been photoidentified for close to 10 years by now. Hope to hear from some of you - references, data or general information! Dag Vongraven Department of Zoology University of Trondheim - AVH 7055 Dragvoll, Norway Tel: +47 73 596030 Fax: +47 73 591309 E-mail: dag.vongraven(\)avh.unit.no (No attachments please) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 19:43:40 -0500 From: "SCHAEFBAUER, MELINDA K" Subject: stranded bottlenose dolphins Marmamers - I am currently doing sea turtle/shorebird research on Cape San Blas, FL (NW Florida). In less than a week, two bottlenose dolphins have washed ashore (dead). Is anyone doing research on strandings in the Gulf of Mexico? I have taken some basic measurements on both animals (one is a calf and the other is an adult). If this information can be of use to anyone, please email me directly. Could their deaths be a result of a current red tide? Thanks. ---Melinda Schaefbauer Univ. of Florida ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 01:51:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: DOLPHINS IN MYSTERY DISEASE PE DOLPHINS IN MYSTERY DISEASE PERIL By John Clark, PA News The world's most northerly bottle-nosed dolphins are under threat from a mystery disease, according to scientists. The dolphins, which swim in the Moray Firth in north east Scotland, are affected by an unusual skin disease. Most of the 130 animals have developed black spots, white rings and swelling while others have formed humps and deformed fins. Dr Ben Wilson of Aberdeen University has studied the dolphins for almost seven years. "They are swimming in a cocktail of chemicals of human origin any one of which could be the cause," he said. Unusual skin patterns on the dolphins were noticed six years ago but could have been there much longer. Dr Phillip Hammond of the government's Sea Mammal Research Unit at Cambridge said he feared the disease could mean the extinction of the Moray Firth dolphins. The population was so small that even a small decrease in numbers could render the colony unviable. Anyone discovering a dead dolphin has been asked to call the Scottish Strandings Unit at Inverness on 01463 243030. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 01:52:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: SA: LABOR TO INTRODUCE BILL FO SA: LABOR TO INTRODUCE BILL FOR BIGGER WHALE SANCTUARY ADELAIDE, Sept 23 AAP - The South Australian Labor opposition is calling on the state's Democrats to support a bill to create a larger, permanent whale sanctuary as part of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park. State Opposition Leader Mike Rann said shadow environment minister Terry Roberts would introduce a bill into the Upper House next week to create a 552 sq km sanctuary off South Australia's far west coast. The sanctuary zone would cover the Southern Right Whales' breeding and calving grounds in the Bight. Mr Rann said the sanctuary he was proposing had been suggested by the government's own experts in a report by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), but had been rejected by Premier Dean Brown. "The opposition has been forced to introduce this bill because of the government's failure to provide adequate protection to these magnificent creatures within its plans for the Great Australian Bight Marine Park," he said. But a spokesman for Mr Brown said the government had already introduced a 175 sq km sanctuary at the beginning of this year, to be protected for twelve months while an inquiry was held to determine whether the zone should be extended. "The former Labor government talked about sanctuary zones at the head of the Bight for years, and never did anything about it," he said. The spokesman said Mr Brown had not outrightly rejected SARDI's proposals, but was waiting for the outcome of the review before determining the size of the sanctuary zone and types of access. Mr Rann said Mr Brown's temporary sanctuary zone failed to protect an entire breeding area at the Merdayerrah Sandpatch, near the West Australian border, and the whales' migratory route to that spot. "Labor will move this bill to try to guarantee real and permanent protection for our whales and sea lions," he said. "Then Mr Brown will have to decide whether he's fair dinkum about protecting these whales by the time this Bill comes to a vote in the House of Assembly." ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 17:50:50 +1000 From: Graham Clarke Subject: Whaling Journal I am forwarding this message in the hope that someone may be able to help Terry as I cannot. -----------------forward message---------------------------------------------- >From: Terryaw(\)aol.com >Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 18:05:35 -0400 >To: gclarke(\)magna.com.au >Subject: whaling > >My father-in-law was one of nine American seamen (along with 307 Norwegian >seamen) who sailed on the last Anartic whaling expedition in 1938. He kept a >journal of this expedition, including 100+ photographs, which proved >violations of the International Whaling Laws. He voluntarily testified at >the Congressional hearings of the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, >whose ruling ended all U.S. whaling in 1939. In his journal, the reader sees >and lives the daily life aboard the last American flag whale factory and its >chaser boats. Are you aware of anyone that might be interested in publishing >this journal? >email response to terryaw(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 08:54:28 EST From: Dean Wilkinson Subject: Stranded Tursiops My apology for using the general bulletin board for response when the individual asked for a direct E-mail response, but there was no address. Melinda: We do want the details on the Tursiops stranded for a variety of reasons. First, the baseline information is important for detection of unusual events. Second stranding network members in that area have found morbillivirus in Tursiops and, depending on condition on the carcasses, may have wanted to sample the carcass. For future reference, if you do not know who the stranding network members in an area are, you may contact the Florida Marine Patrol, and they will contact them. Dean Wilkinson E-mail address-- Dean_Wilkinson(\)ccgate.ssp.nmfs.gov ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 16:29:38 -0400 From: Wende Evans Subject: Re: Flaccid Fin Syndrome - Orcinus orca In-Reply-To: Dear Marmamers, Below is the questionaire I referred to in the last message I sent out to you about the Orca Dorsal Fin Research that I am currently working on. Those that responded to my note have been sent a copy of this directly. Anyone else who would like to fill this out, please feel free. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Wende Evans evansw(\)ocean.nova.edu NSU Oceanographic Center Ft. Lauderdale, FL > I am a Marine Biology Master's candidate at Nova Southeastern > University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I am researching a condition in > Orcinus orca known as flaccid fin syndrome (FFS) i.e. the aparent loss of > rigidity in the dorsal fin of orcas. I am looking into the causitive > agents along with the environmental factors that play a role in this > condition. I have compiled a questionaire that I hope Marmamers will > take a few minutes to fill out. The results of this questionaire along > with my findings will be posted on Marmam. > > I. Your experience with Orcinus Orca: > ___ intense field study (more than five years (\) published on orcas) > ___ first-hand observations (less than five years experience) > ___ major research (without actual field observations) > ___ observations of orcas in the wild while studing other marine > animals (e.g. sea-lion depravation) > ___ minor research (without actual field study) > ___ observations in aquaria, casual ___, 1 to 4 years ___, five or more > years ___ > > II. Knoweledge of FFS: > ___ intense study (researched the condition with field observations) > ___ research study - published articles on FFS (please provide list > of references) > ___ first-hand observations (without explicit research on the condition) > ___ wild encounters while studying other marine animals > ___ observations in aquaria > > III. Brief definition of FFS as you have seen it. > > > > > > > IV. Which causitive agents do you think play an important role in FFS? > ___ environment > ___ captivity > ___ wild/open ocean > ___ fitness of the animal > ___ genetics/heredity > ___ sickenss/injury > ___ age of the animal > ___ feeding habits > ___ water quality > ___ temperature > ___ salinity > ___ temperature of the collagenous tissue (composing the fin) > ___ variation in diet > ___ periods of fasting and reproduction > ___ other underlying causitive agents (please specify) > > > V. Documented research on FFS - from IV above, were your choices based on > heresay or documented proof? (please list articles if available) > > > > > VI. Other comments on the condition of FFS in Orcinus orca. > > > > > > Thank you for taking time to fill out this questionaire. If you have > further information that may be helpful to my research, it would be > appreciated. Again, thank you for your input on this project and I will > be posting the results of the questionaire when I have collected the > various inputs. > > Wende Evans > 3369 College Ave. > Davie, FL, 33314, USA > (305) 452-6615 > evansw(\)ocean.nova.edu > NSU Oceanographic Center > Ft. Lauderdale, FL > > ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 14:38:02 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Re: Miss Manners, mett MARMAM I thank Michael Scott for his clarification of the "Davis Wright Tremaine" identity. I also thank him for identifying the researchers I mentioned in my rebuttal e-mail. However, I myself did not identify them or their paper(s) for a reason. In response to Mr. Scott's comment below: >I would suggest that we should be cautious about endorsing a study that >has yet to be published. ..I would like to point something out (again) -- the statement I have posted for sign-ons is NOT an endorsement of this in-press paper (which, incidentally, is in galleys and will be published momentarily) or of any political position. Part of the statement refers to this research and other research published by Al Myrick and his colleagues, but the gist of the statement isn't endorsing any papers in particular. It is meant to serve as and is written in terms that express a professional opinion by those with expertise in dolphin biology (the entire thing was written with due caution for the speculative nature of the opinion). I do not feel that the position expressed in the statement -- that repeatedly chasing and encircling dolphins in the ETP MAY have long-term effects that MAY inhibit the ability of depleted populations to recover to OSP -- requires any support other than intuitive common sense from those who are familiar with dolphin biology. Those who don't share the conclusion the statement draws are free not to sign on -- those that do share it and choose to sign on hardly risk being discredited, because educated speculation or hypothesizing is the start of any good and progressive science. The hypothesis, of course, must be tested, and this one is going through that process and, as enumerated in the statement, the results so far support the statement. Incidentally, the statement is really just asking that precautionary principles be applied in the ETP -- there is evidence (whether one finds it compelling or not, it is there in the peer-reviewed scientific literature) that dolphins MAY be harmed when chased and encircled. There is NO complementary evidence that they are NOT harmed -- at best, one could say, as perhaps Mr. Scott is, that there is no compelling evidence that harm does occur. Yet, in sound wildlife management (which is all too often not followed), the burden should always be on the users (here, the tuna fishers) to show that what they do (chase and encircle dolphins) is NOT harmful -- the burden should not be on the oversight body (here, the IATTC, or the environmental community, or NMFS, or whoever) to show that there IS harm. And in fact, what evidence there is in the case of the ETP seems to show that there IS harm, not that there is NOT. It is a global problem that users too often get away with saying that, because there is no definitive proof that their exploitative activity (whatever it may be) is harmful (even if wildlife experts or common sense generally agree that it could be), they should then be allowed to continue their activity until harm IS proved. One would think that the world's collapsing fisheries and deforestation and so on would have long since cured humans of this incredibly profligate style of resource management. Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 15:21:17 -0800 From: earthisland(\)earthisland.org Organization: Earth Island Subject: HR 2179 Immediate Release Contact: David Phillips September 25, 1995 Mark J. Palmer Mark Berman (415) 788-3666 Thirty-six Environmental Groups Denounce New Federal Bill to Allow Killing of Dolphins Urge President Clinton to Oppose H.R.2179 San Francisco, CA. Thirty-six national environmental and animal orgnaizations have signed a letter to President Bill Clinton condemning new legislation in Congress that would repeal current dolphin protection legislation. With a combined membership of more than six million people, the groups urged President Clinton to 3reject Congressional House efforts to gut the dolphin protection provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.2 Groups signing the letter include Earth Island Institute, Humane Society of the United States, Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), as well as many other concerned group who have worked for dolphin protection for over two decades. Congressman Randy 3Duke2 Cunningham (R-Escondido) has introduced H.R. 2179, legislation that would lift federal bans on import and sale of tuna caught by methods that drown dolphins, as well as substantially raise dolphin kill quotas for U.S. and foreign tuna fleets. 3Repealing the current labeling law would enable any tuna producer to market its tuna as dolphin-safe9 regardless of the number of dolphins killed in the protection of tuna,2 the letter continues. 3Repealing the labeling law could permit tuna canners to engage in consumer fraud, undermine consumer (more) confidence in canned tuna and undermine public confidence in your Administration.2 In the past three decades, American tuna fishermen slaughtered more than 6 million dolphins by setting purse seine nets around schools of dolphins in order to catch the tuna that swim beneath. In 1972, Congress passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which set a U.S. goal of reducing dolphin deaths to zero. While the U.S. fleet improved its record, foreign fleets from Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, and other countries soon began slaughtering dolphins by use of this technique. In response to a campaign spearheaded by Earth Island Institute, American tuna manufacturers on Earth Day 1990 declared that they would no longer sell any tuna caught by killing dolphins. Congress shortly passed the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act, which defined 3dolphin safe2 in strict terms that prevented dolphin deaths by fishermen, and later passed the International Dolphin Conservation Act, which banned imports of tuna to the U.S. from countries that still allowed fishermen to drown dolphins and banned sale of dolphin-deadly tuna in the U.S. Rep. Cunningham9s new legislation would repeal the federal 3dolphin safe2 definition and allow foreign countries to flood the U.S. market with tuna caught by setting nets 3on dolphin.2 His legislation would further set an international dolphin death quota at 55,000 dolphins a year, even though last year only about 4,000 dolphins were known to be killed in international waters. Dolphin deaths world-wide have been reduced by 96% due to protective laws in the United States and Europe. United States fishermen are now 100% dolphin safe. United States tuna manufacturers, including Starkist, Bumble Bee, Pan Pacific, and Chicken of the Sea, all refuse to sell tuna caught by killing dolphins. But Congressman Duke Cunningham9s legislation would undercut dolphin conservation and glut U.S. markets with tuna caught by foreign fishermen, who just do not care about dolphins. 3This is only the beginning of our campaign to protect dolphins,2 stated Mark J. Palmer, Associate Project Director of Earth Island Institute9s Dolphin Project. 3We plan a national grassroots effort to stop Congress from turning back the clock on dolphin protections. The American voters won9t stand by while Congress allows dolphins to drown by the hundreds of thousands!2 * * * * * * * Earth Island Institute is a nonprofit environmental protection organization that has been active in marine mammal conservation since 1984. The International Marine Mammal Project, a project of Earth Island Institute, works to protect whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals around the world. VIDEO AVAILABLE: Broadcast quality video of dolphins available. -- --------------------------------------- Common "(\)earthisland.org" email accounts: baikalwatch, uhp, gsmith, dbrower, sea turtle, marinemammal, ... Example. This is Urban Habitat's email address: "uhp(\)earthisland.org" --------------------------------------- address: 300 Broadway #28; San Francisco, CA 94133 fax: USA 415-788-7324 phone: 415-788-3666 WorldWideWeb: http://www.earthisland.org/ei/ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 09:07:30 PDT From: Garcia Hartmann Subject: Dr. Lynnah's address ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am looking for the snail or e-mail address of Dr. Lynnah, who according to a Spanish newspaper article works "in a marine laboratory in San Diego". Can anybody help me? Thank you for your time, Manuel Garcia Hartmann ha005ha(\)rs1-hrz.uni-duisburg.de ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 09:08:00 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: EARTHWATCH OFFERS FALL DOLPHIN ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- EARTHWATCH OFFERS FALL DOLPHIN AND SEA TURTLE EXPEDI BOSTON, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Earthwatch, a nonprofit organization, is seeking travelers to join one-to-two week field research expeditions this fall. Noted scientists need help on five dolphin studies and two sea turtle conservation projects around the world. Dolphin enthusiasts can: -- work with a world-renowned researcher in Hawaii studying the cognitive abilities of four bottlenose dolphins -- help assess how popular 'swim with the dolphins' tourist programs affect the dusky dolphins in New Zealand -- photograph and videotape dolphins in Monterey Bay, California to gather crucial data on their community -- join a long-running study of dolphin health and society in Sarasota Bay, Florida -- track and census dolphins and whales for a critical inventory of marine mammal life in the Bahamas Sea turtle lovers can: -- conduct nighttime beach patrols in Bahia, Brazil, protecting and excavating nests as part of the largest sea-turtle conservation program in the world -- help monitor the nesting success and investigate the migrations of leatherback turtles in Costa Rica In 1972 Earthwatch pioneered its unique program of inviting the public to actively support field researchers worldwide by making investments of both time and money. To date, over 40,000 people have funded and worked on important scientific expeditions, helping to save endangered species and habitats, foster public health, and document cultural heritage. No special skills are needed to join an expedition. Participants of all ages (16+) and professions are trained in the field in teams of five to ten. Marine expedition prices range from $995 to $2,500 and cover food and lodging expenses; these team member contributions are generally tax-deductible. To join an expedition, contact Earthwatch at 800-776-0188 or on the World Wide Web at http://www.earthwatch.org. -0- 9/20/95 /CONTACT: Shepley Metcalf of Earthwatch, 617-926-8200, ext 135/ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 09:08:56 PDT From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Studds Statement on Young-Pombo Bill ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The following statement was delivered to the House Resources Committee on Wednesday, Sept. 2o, in relation to the Young-Pombo bill to revise the US Endangered Species Act. STATEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN GERRY E. STUDDS ON HR 2275 September 20,1995 I would have liked to come here today to say that the bill before us represented a genuine effort to reform the Endangered Species Act. I can not. I wish I could tell you that this committee had undertaken something resembling an honest review of the statute. It has not. I had hoped that our proceedings might value science over anecdote, that we could all concede that matters as important and complex as this Act have shades of gray - or at the very least, we could show common respect to witnesses who actually might have differing views. We did not. I believe Members of this committee know that I am not given to shrill accusation. And given my decades-long friendship with the gentleman from Alaska, and our remarkable history of working cooperatively to reconcile our considerable differences, I scoured this bill for redeeming qualities. I can find none. As we convene this hearing, let us at least be clear about our intentions. This legislation constitutes, in substance, an outright repeal of the Endangered Species Act. If the subtext of the debate pits science against politics, then we now know who wins. This bill barely gives lip service to the overwhelming weight of testimony from respected scientists. Rather, it validates uncritically the pseudo-science purchased and packaged for us by special interests, which are aching to resume timbering on salmon streams and -- believe It or not --to require the United States government to seek permission from the likes of Muammar Khadhafi to protect threatened gazelles. We set out to heal an ailing Endangered Species Act. Instead, HR 2275 amputates its key provisions, then decapitates it. I am saddened to have to conclude that the results of our work over the past many months are as discouraging as the way in which we conducted that work - and I emphasize the word saddened. We have a long tradition in this institution of approaching this matter consistent with the huge bipartisan majorities in both Houses that originally sent this law to the White House, where President Richard Nixon signed it into law. That broad understanding and appreciation across the nation for the basic premises of this statute rest on the kind of comity and reflection that have now fled the scene. I hope we don't have to wait too long for their return. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)inforamp.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 09:10:56 PDT From: Chris Parsons Subject: Re: ENIGMATIC WHALES.. In-Reply-To: <199509201649.AAA15353(\)hk.super.net> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- On Wed, 20 Sep 1995, D.W.Naish wrote: > Dear marmamers..... >......There have been approximately 12 whale species of which I am aware that have > been seen, often by reliable zoologists and even cetologists, but are as yet > unknown from specimens. Some have even been photographed or filmed. If marmam > members are aware of any such sightings, I would be extremely grateful if any > details could be passed on to me. Most such creatures have been reported in > relatively old literature, but new animals continue to come to light. Early > this year, for example (or possibly last year, I can't remember), a South > American river dolphin with a serrated dorsal ridge was seen and photographed > (it probably does not represent a new species, but perhaps an injured ir > deformed individual, IMHO). I have also recently heard about an unusual 'long > beaked dolphin' seen in Vietnamese waters last year...... This long-beaked dolphin is most probably Delphinus capensis or tropicalis (if D. tropicalis is eventually made a species). If it was pink or white it might even be Sousa chinensis. Tom Jefferson has just completed a checklist for small cetaceans in Vietnam and if you want more information try faxing him: Hong Kong (852) 28140179 Yours, Chris Parsons ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 09:12:03 PDT From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: Search for trapped whale suspe ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Search for trapped whale suspended in South Africa CAPE TOWN, Sept 21 (Reuter) - The South African navy suspended on Thursday a search for a whale caught in a piece of netting, but an environmentalist said the animal probably was not in immediate danger. Navy spokesman Lieutenant Susan McCarthy said three navy boats quartered False Bay, east of Cape Town, throughout Thursday without sighting the southern right whale entanged in a piece of anchovy net. "They saw 11 whales, but not that one. The boats have come back for today, but we have a big yacht race going on in the bay so we will have boats around and as soon as we see her, we'll try again to clear the net," she said. Environmentalist Nan Rice said the greatest immediate danger was that the net might become hooked on rocks and trap the whale underwater. "I don't think the whale is in any immediately danger. They come up here to court and mate, not to eat. They can go for a very long time without food," Rice said. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 14:41:07 -0400 From: Steve Swartz Subject: Canadian marine mammal meeting Did anyone attend the marine mammals and the environment meeting held last month in Halifox, NS? And if they did attend, what were the key issues and points arising from the meeting? Is a report available? Thanks ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1995 21:48:12 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: XIth Marine Mammal Conference Repeat Announcement The Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals will be held from 14-18 December 1995 at the Clarion Plaza Hotel, Orlando, Florida, USA. It is sponsored by The Society for Marine Mammalogy and hosted by Sea World and the Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute. The deadline for submitting abstracts WAS 15 July 1995. The deadline renewing Society membership (non-student) in order to register at the Conference at 'member' rates WAS 1 September 1995. Conference fees are as follows: Full/Associate/Emeritus/Institutional Members -US$95.00; non-members: US$175.00; students: US$35.00. All registration categories include the opening reception at Sea World of Florida on 14 December. Student registration fee DOES NOT include the closing banquet (US$40.00). Non-member registration fee DOES NOT include membership in the Society. The POSTMARK DEADLINE for receipt of conference registration fees without incurring the US$25.00 late fee is 1 November 1995. Visa and Mastercard accounts will be accepted for payment of mailed/faxed registration forms. Credit cards WILL NOT be accepted for on-site registration. Students MUST INCLUDE a photocopy of a valid student ID with mailed/faxed registration. Students registering at the conference hotel MUST show a valid student ID or other proof of student status. For a conference registration package, email your postal address to the Conference Chair. DO NOT 'Reply' to this message. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel K. Odell Chair, Conference Committee Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Society for Marine Mammalogy Orlando, Florida, USA - 14-18 December 1995 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 27 Sep 1995 13:53:15 -0400 From: Geoffrey Patton Subject: Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN) conference announcement Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN) conference announcement: Tampa Marriott Hotel, Tampa, FL on November 28-29, 1995. MARFIN promotes and endorses programs which seek to optimize economic and social benefits from marine fishery resources through cooperative efforts that evoke the best research and management talents of the Southeast Region. The annual MARFIN conference provides a forum designed to accomplish the following criteria: - Stimulate the free interchange of ideas among participants; - Provide for the rapid distribution of the results of MARFIN projects to managers, researchers, industry and other interested groups and individuals; - Encourage other investigators to become involved in the MARFIN program. Please direct inquiries to: Ellie Roche Ellie_Roche(\)ccgate.ssp.nmfs.gov National Marine Fisheries Service 9721 Executive Center Dr., N. St. Petersburg, FL 33702 (813) 570-5324 Do NOT direct inquiries/responses to MARMAM. Submitted by: Geoffrey W. Patton, Doctoral Candidate Dept. of Pathology, College of Medicine University of South Florida MDC Box 11 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 gpatton(\)com1.med.usf.edu (813) 974-0540 (e-mail normally checked at least daily) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Sep 1995 09:48:29 -0400 From: Linae Boehme Subject: Baby whale strands on St. Pete Beach September 27, 1995 The Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is caring for a stranded dwarf sperm whale, Kogia simus, which came ashore Wednesday near the Don CeSAR Hotel on St. Petersburg Beach, FL. A larger whale, presumed to be the calf's mother, was sighted in shallow waters at 11:00 a.m. EDT. At noon, workers in near the 3200 block (of Gulf Blvd. for those of you who know the area) observed the larger whale in distress, either "inking" or exuding bodily fluids into the water. It them swam away to the north and shortly after, the calf was seen upon the beach. St. Pete Beach police and beachgoers held the small whale until the CMA stranding team arrived. They administered a mild sedative and then transported the calf to Dr. Goldston at the Animal Hospital of St. Petersburg. After initial examination, the 45 pound, male calf was brought to CMA where it received first aid for superficial cuts and was fed whale calf formula. CMA scientists can only speculate as to the reason the calf separated from its mother and came ashore. Staff and volunteers will maintain a 24-hour watch on the whale calf throughout the night and until its condition is stable. If you have any questions, please email me directly and I will try to find the answer for you. Linae Boehme CMA Volunteer -- ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Linae Boehme "There's a litte bit of fruitcake + + linae(\)kelvin.marine.usf.edu left in everyone of us" -J. Buffett + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Sep 1995 11:05:00 EST encountered. These usernames are not presently supported. From: Phil Clapham Subject: M Mouse WANTED: RENT-A-KID(S) FOR ORLANDO We are a small (but growing) group of people who will be attending the 11th Biennial in Orlando, and who have decided to indulge our sense of the absurd by visiting Disney World on December 14th. Somehow, the idea of Marine Mammalogists Meet M. Mouse is just too good to pass up. However, since a visit to Disney World without a child in tow is unthinkable (it's a Rule), we need someone to loan us their kid(s) for the day. Well, okay - you can come too. Applicants (kids, not parents) should be REASONABLY well behaved (making fun of Disney cheerleaders OK, throwing spitballs at them not), and should not be beyond the age at which they can be genuinely enthused at the idea of meeting Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Cinderella, Snow White, up to 7 (c.v. 2.34) dwarves, and a variety of other cartoon characters come to, um, life (?) Cynical older children and junior high school kids afflicted with PHP (Pubescent Hormone Poisoning) need not apply. Sense of humor/irony/the absurd on part of applicant's parents very helpful. No pay, but group will underwrite cost of as many ice creams, candy bars and other sugar-saturated confections as the child can consume before he/she is cut off by his/her parents (or throws up, whichever comes first). Young kids preferred, multiple children welcome (no gang members, please). Phil Clapham clapham(\)simnh.si.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Sep 1995 11:29:25 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract - feeding program Earlier this week, you received the following post. I have been asked by the editor of Aquatic Mammals to work up an abstract/summary for the article, since one was not published with it. ****** As a courtesy, the following is a summary of an article recently published in Aquatic Mammals 21(2). Apologies for cross-mailing to those folks that subscribe to both discussion groups. I have supplied the author's address to which reprint requests should be directed. Aquatic Mammals is published three times a year by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. Subscription requests should be directed to the editor: Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, USA. FAX (808) 247-5831, email: nachtig(\)nosc.mil __________________________________________________________________ Orams, M.B. 1995. Development and management of a feeding program for wild bottlenose dolphins at Tangalooma, Australia. Aquatic Mammals 21(2): 137-147. (School of Marine Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia) Until recently, the only reported case of a group of wild cetaceans regularly interacting with, and fed by humans in a shallow water, near-shore environment was at Monkey Mia in Western Australia. Recently, however, a gorup of inshore bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) regularly accept fish from humans at Tangalooma, a tourist resort on the wetern shore of Moreton Island in South-eastern Queensland, Australia. A feeding program, initiated by the resort, is not actively managed and promoted as a tourist attraction. This paper briefly reviews the long record of human interaction with dolphins on Moreton Bay and details the development of this dolphin feeding program. In addition, observations of the dolphins which frequent this feeding are discussed and the management regime established to control the feeding is outlined. This paper provides an accurate description of the development and management of an unusual program where wild dolphins are regularly fed by humans. It also provides a basis for debate over the ethics of such feeding programs. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Sep 1995 11:41:36 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract - swimming support Earlier this week, you received the following post. I have been asked by the editor of Aquatic Mammals to work up an abstract/summary for the article, since one was not published with it. ****** As a courtesy, the following is a summary of an article recently published in Aquatic Mammals 21(2). Apologies for cross-mailing to those folks that subscribe to both discussion groups. I have supplied the author's address to which reprint requests should be directed. Aquatic Mammals is published three times a year by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. Subscription requests should be directed to the editor: Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, USA. FAX (808) 247-5831, email: nachtig(\)nosc.mil __________________________________________________________________ *Kastelein, R.A., T. Dokter, and J. Hilgenkamp. 1995. A swimming support for dolphins underoing veterinary care. Aquatic Mammals 21(2): 155-159. (*Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park, Strandboulevard-oost 1, 3841 AB Harderwijk, Holland) Most stranded dolphins which arrive at rehabilitation centres cannot swim independently. To improve the care of animals in rehabilitation, the Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park developed a dolphin swimming support in cooperation with the stainless steel company Sercon. Design of the support is presented. The support has been used for rehabilitation of four harbour porpoises and three white-beaked dolphins. The support has many advantages: (1) the blowhole is always above the water's surface; (2) the body is submerged as much as possible, thus preventing dehydration and over-heating; (3) the dolphin cannot collide with or swim along the pool wall, therefore preventing damage to the animal; (4) the dolphin can move its tail, thus preventing stiffness; (5) the animal's back is cooled and moisturized by the water from the showers; (6) as the dolphin moves, fresh waters enters between the skin and hammock; (7) when the dolphin is too weak to move its tail, the current in the pool will make the support go around slowly, creating a dynamic, more natural, situation; (8) the dolphin moves its tail to move around, which may be psychologically advantageous as the animal has some control over its surroundings; (9) stress to the dolphin is reduced because handling can be minimized; and (10) fewer people are needed to treat the dolphin, which is especially useful at night. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Sep 1995 11:58:11 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract - spinner dolphins Earlier this week, you received the following post. I have been asked by the editor of Aquatic Mammals to work up an abstract/summary for the article, since one was not published with it. ****** As a courtesy, the following is a summary of an article recently published in Aquatic Mammals 21(2). Apologies for cross-mailing to those folks that subscribe to both discussion groups. I have supplied the author's address to which reprint requests should be directed. Aquatic Mammals is published three times a year by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. Subscription requests should be directed to the editor: Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, USA. FAX (808) 247-5831, email: nachtig(\)nosc.mil __________________________________________________________________ *Secchi, E.R. and S. Siciliano. 1995. Comments on the southern range of the spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) in the Western South Atlantic. Aquatic Mammals 21(2): 105-108. (*Museu Oceanografico 'Prof. Eliezer de Carvalho Rios' CP 379 Rio Grande, RS, 96200-970, Brazil) Spinner dolphins, Stenella longirostris, are found in tropical, subtropical and, less frequently, warm temperate waters, but very little is still known about their distribution in the South Atlantic Ocean. Information about sightings of cetaceans was obtained from August 1987 to August 1991 during nine cruises aboard tuna longlining vessels. These vessels operate regularly seaward of the southern Brazil slope (between 26 and 35 degrees S) from March to Novemeber. A confirmed observation of S. longirostris as far south as Parana State (25 35'S) leads us to suggest that, in the Southwest Atlantic, the movements of spinner dolphins southward may be influenced by the warm Brail Current. Spinner dolphins may feed in the same feeding grounds of tuna and tuna-like fishes, using the influence of the Brazil Current to disperse themselves away from more tropical regions, without incurring great heat losses and thus, minimizing energy expenditure. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Sep 1995 10:12:56 PDT From: Ellen Hines Subject: orange-coast conference Could someone send me the announcement for the Orange Coast College conference again? I'd like to go, but a computer glitch lost the info. Thanks, Ellen Hines SDSU Geography ehines(\)typhoon.sdsu.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 27 Sep 1995 17:30:08 +1200 From: Terry Hardie Subject: NORTHLAND DOLPHINS STUDY CLAIMED TO BE WORLD FIRST 27-Sep-95 12:15 pm Regular National NORTHLAND DOLPHINS STUDY CLAIMED TO BE WORLD FIRST Whangarei, Sept 27 -- Bay of Islands dolphins are starring in ground-breaking international research on the effects of commercial swim-with-dolphins operations. The 12-month study -- claimed to be a world first -- monitored encounters of bottlenose and common dolphins with commercial swim-with-DOLPHIN tours in the region from March last year. The study was carried out by Auckland University school of biological sciences lecturer Scott Baker and Master of Science student Rochelle Constan. It was funded by levies paid by the area's commercial operators to the Department of Conservation. The pair recorded operators' success in finding and swimming with the mammals, the number and length of encounters, and if dolphins were avoiding or approaching the vessels and swimmers. They found the average bottlenose dolphins POD numbered 13.8 but common DOLPHIN pods sighted frequently contained 30 to 100 mammals. Photographs of dorsal fin nicks and scars allowed the researchers to individually identify 265 bottlenose dolphins but common dolphins were ``too numerous and indistinct'' for this. Over 12 months 179 pods of dolphins were encountered during 156 trips on commercial swim-with-DOLPHIN boats with 123 of those encounters with bottlenose dolphins and 56 with common. Operators had an 86 percent success rate in finding dolphins with at least one swim attempted on 37 percent of encounters. The likelihood of swimming with bottlenose dolphins was 41 percent compared with 27 percent for common. As boats approached from a distance of 400m to 100m, 32 percent of bottlenose and 52 percent of common dolphins changed their behaviour. Twenty-three percent of bottlenose and 43 percent of common approached to bowride an operator's boat. Four percent of bottlenose dolphins dived to avoid the boat, which was not noted among the common. The researchers said avoidance reactions were probably underestimated due to the limitations of assessing behaviour from a boat which was the potential source of disturbance itself. Preliminary observations suggested some individual animals or social groups were more ``friendly'' than others. The study also found that feeding bottlenose and resting common dolphins were the least likely to approach boats, evidence which supported the current ban on approaching such mammals. The researchers said their work had raised a number of questions, such as where the bottlenose dolphins went when not in the area. Some Bay of Islands' dolphins had been spotted in the Whangarei and Tutukaka areas but that was probably not the full extent of their range. NZPA WRA rwb ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 29 Sep 1995 10:50:38 +1200 From: Rob.Mattlin(\)vuw.ac.nz Subject: Hooker's sea lions We have available broadcast quality Hi-8 video footage with sound of Hooker's seal lion (PHOCARCTOS HOOKERI) bulls, cows and pups. It includes research footage of capture, tracking, etc., as well as footage of other sub-Antarctic wildlife and location shots filmed during the 1994-95 austral summer at the Auckland Islands, New Zealand. If interested, please contact us directly. Thanks. Joe Franetic tel: + 64 25 470-387 Pam Gross tel: + 64 4 473-7623 PO Box 11-753 fax: + 64 4 499-5554 Manners Street e-mail: mattlin(\)matai.vuw.ac.nz Wellington New Zealand ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 29 Sep 1995 09:46:24 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff -- 9/29/95 Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Steller Sea Lion ESA Status. In late September 1995, a Federal scientist announced at a Seattle, WA, meeting of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council that the Federal recovery plan team for the Steller sea lion has recommended that the subpopulation of this species in western Alaska be redesignated as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act. This would upgrade protection from its current listing as "threatened" and was thought necessary due to low pup survival. [Assoc Press] . Minke Whale Commercial Harvest Plans. In mid-September 1995, the International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA), meeting in Nelson, New Zealand, agreed to support a Japanese proposal to resume commercial whaling for minke whales. ICFA officials reported that Japan will ask the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to allow the resumption of commercial whaling at the May 1996 IWC meeting in Aberdeen, Scotland. The ICFA represents fishermen who harvest about 40% of the world fisheries catch. [Assoc Press New Zealand] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Sep 1995 12:26:38 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: abstract - Belize, friendly dolphin I have been asked to repost this abstract. Pardons to those reading it for the second or third time.... As a courtesy, the following is a summary of an article recently published in Aquatic Mammals 21(2). Apologies for cross-mailing to those folks that subscribe to both discussion groups. I have supplied the author's address to which reprint requests should be directed. Aquatic Mammals is published three times a year by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals. Subscription requests should be directed to the editor: Paul Nachtigall, Hawaii Institute of Marine biology, P.O. Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, USA. FAX (808) 247-5831, email: nachtig(\)nosc.mil __________________________________________________________________ *Dudzinski, K.M., T.G. Frohoff, and N.L. Crane. 1995. Behavior of a lone female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with humans off the coast of Belize. Aquatic Mammals 21(2): 149-153. (*Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University at Galveston, 4700 Avenue U, Galveston, TX 77551, USA) For at least eight years, a lone female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) named 'Pita', has frequented the waters surrounding Northern Two Cay, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, in Belize. She has actively sought human contact for the past four to five years. This study investigated the history of her interactions with humans and documented her behavior nearby humans. There are some concerns for the well-being of both the dolphin and the people with whom she interacts. Specific concerns include an increase in the number of people seeking interaction with this dolphin, and a need for official guidelines or regulations governing these encounters. We have analyzed both underwater and surface video recordings and conducted interviews with people who have interacted with this dolphin. Pita exhibited sexual behavior towards objects, such as anchor lines, and occasionally towards swimmers. She sometimes touched swimmers or postured near swimmers. Pita has directed aggression towards people, especially those attempting to leave the water. Several people have been injured when Pita blocked them or hit them with her rostrum as they attempted to leave the water. Many human visitors remain naive, and somewhat over-zealous, and continue with attempts to ride her, touch her body in sensitive areas (including the genitals and blowhole), and generally appear to excite her into potentially aggressive and harmful behavior. Pita is unusual in that the majority of lone dolphins that interact with humans world-wide have been male. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 08:54:29 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Soc. Marine Mammalogy Newsletter TO: SMM members The latest issue of the SMM newsletter contains a questionnaire about the use of electronic media by the Society. Instructions are to mail or fax the questionnarie back to D. K. Odell. The fax number is INCORRECT. The correct fax number is: +407-345-5397. Dan Odell ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 08:58:35 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Marine Mammal Conference - XI REMINDER - Late Fee Now is the time to send in your registration form if you have been putting it off. 1 November 1995 is the POSTMARK DEADLINE for registration forms in order to avoid the US$25.00 late fee. ALL registration forms postmarked or faxed AFTER 1 November will be charged the LATE FEE. Students - don't forget to include a photocopy of your student ID with your conference registration form. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel K. Odell Chair, Conference Committee Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Society for Marine Mammalogy Orlando, Florida, USA - 14-18 December 1995 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 13:00:08 -0400 From: Linae Boehme Subject: Kogia update Saturday, September 30, 1995 A second dwarf sperm whale, Kogia simus, has stranded on a Pinellas county beach and is receiving care at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The large whale beached itself near Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs late Saturday morning; although the whale is a mature female, there is no known link between this stranding and that of a baby dwarf sperm whale which stranded on St. Petersburg Beach Wednesday and died late Thursday. This whale is nine feet long and weighs 320 pounds. Observers to the stranding said the animal was in obvious distress, thrashing far up onto the sand. Other than superficial scratches incurred in the beaching, there were no signs of injury or illness. A darkish liquid, probably "ink," was exuded from the underside of the animal. Stranded animals have an extremely poor chance of survival. Clearwater Marine Aquarium staff and volunteers are maintaining a 24-hour watch on the whale and providing immedtiate critical care. ------------- As always, if you have any questions, I will try to seek the answers. Linae Boehme CMA Volunteer -- ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Linae Boehme "There's a litte bit of fruitcake + + linae(\)kelvin.marine.usf.edu left in everyone of us" -J. Buffett + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 11:08:38 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Marine Mammal Conference - XI Reminder - SMM memberships 1 September 1995 WAS the postmark and fax deadline for joining or rejoining the Society for Marine Mammalogy for calendar year 1995 in order to register for the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals at the MEMBER rate of US$95.00. While you still may submit a membership application/renewal for 1995 in order to obtain the Journal, it is TOO LATE to join/renew to obtain the MEMBER registration rate for the Conference. The non-member registration fee is US$175.00. The late fee of US$25.00 applies to ALL conference registrations not faxed (credit cards only) or postmarked on or before 1 November 1995. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel K. Odell Chair, Conference Committee Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Society for Marine Mammalogy Orlando, Florida, USA - 14-18 December 1995 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 12:54:26 -0400 From: Wayne Stobo Subject: Looking for Timothy Ragen Does anyone have the e-mail address and/or phone number of Timothy Ragen of NMFS. please forward any information directly to my e-mail address, not through Marmam. Thanks, Wayne Stobo -- Dr. Wayne Stobo (w_stobo(\)bionet.bio.ns.ca) Marine Fish Division Bedford Institute of Oceanography P.O. Box 1006 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada B2Y 4A2 902-426-3316 (voice) 902-426-1506 (FAX) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Oct 1995 15:37:47 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Second Sealing Forum, Newfoundland Sorry this is a rather long post. Sealing Forum, Newfoundland, Canada, Oct.2, 1995 Report by Anne Doncaster, International Wildlife Coalition, Canada The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) held its second sealing forum in St. John's, Newfoundland on October 2, 1995. This was a follow-up to the February, 1995 forum to continue the discussion of the 1996 management of the seal hunt. Prior to the forum, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Brian Tobin, had indicated that growing seal populations had to be controlled as they were impeding the recovery of the east coast ground fishery. There were suggestions from some segments of government and the sealing industry that large ships might be introduced to the hunt (as Mother ships) so that larger numbers of seals could be taken, and that the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of seals would be significantly increased above the current level of 186,000. Since the end of the commercial whitecoat hunt in 1983, approximately 57,000 seals a year have been taken in the hunt. DFO published three progress reports on seal populations and the amount of fish eaten by seals on Canada's east coast. Although the reports did not conclude that an increase in seals and the amount of fish they ate were related to the recovery of groundfish, the reports were used by Mr. Tobin as the basis for his statement that seals had to be controlled so that groundfish could recover. The progress reports were reviewed at a recent meeting in Halifax. The reviewers drew three conclusions: seals consume fish; seal populations are robust and, as long as large numbers of females are not taken, the TAC could be increased; and the impact of predation on the ground fishery is just beginning to be assessed. The forum demonstrated that there are serious differences of opinion among the sealers, the most significant being between the faction that supports a landsmen's hunt and the faction that wants to reintroduce an offshore hunt with large ships. The majority of sealers appeared to support a landsmen's hunt with no change in the TAC unless markets became available for an expanded hunt. There was virtual consensus that there should be no foreign participation in the hunt. The animal welfare/protectionist organizations at the forum all recommended a TAC of zero. They opposed the killing of seals and pointed out the impossibility of ensuring a humane kill and the enforcement of regulations. DFO said that a zero quota was not an option as departmental policy supported a seal "fishery". Although the Canadian Sealers Association announced that the sealing industry was poised to "take off", the forum made it clear that a significantly increased commercial hunt faced serious problems. The sealing industry identified lack of money and the animal rights movement as the major impediments to the development of a large, commercial hunt. The only new element introduced at the forum was the participation of native people. Inuit sealers had not been present in February and indicated that their interests were not included by the DFO and Atlantic sealing industry. The Inuit wanted to be recognized as part of the sealing industry and to have their needs addressed. Mr. W. A. Rowat, Deputy Minister of DFO acted as the Chair of the forum and summed up at the end of the meeting. He stated that there was general agreement that seals were a marine resource that should be harvested like anything else, that a TAC of zero or 500,000 seals did not conform to DFO policy; and that foreigners should not participate in the hunt. He stated that there was no consensus on an offshore hunt. Mr. Rowat warned the sealers that with the economic constraints facing governments, vast amounts of money for the sealing industry are just not there. He concluded by saying that DFO would consider the views expressed at the forum and announce its policy decisions for the 1996 seal fishery in approximately one month's time. It appears that the sealers have made no progress in developing their industry. The industry has, arguably, insurmountable inherent problems in terms of: reliable delivery of products; product quality; high costs; low market prices for products; market resistance to products derived from seals; and lack of market interest in most seal products (with the exception of male sex organs). Furthermore, due to government cut-backs, the requests for huge infusions of funds will almost certainly not be met. And finally, the industry realizes that the anti-sealing protest is, and will remain, a serious and costly problem. In addition, the fact that native people are requesting full participation in the Canadian sealing industry will mean that what the industry already considers totally inadequate resources will have to be stretched to meet the needs of Inuit sealers. Although it is probable that sealing will continue at much the same level in the 1996 season, that is a take of about 57,000 seals, it is unlikely that the industry is in any position to "take off" now or in the foreseeable future. However, the anti-sealing organizations stated that they will continue to campaign to ensure that sealing is not revitalized and in the hope that sealing will eventually be phased out. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Oct 1995 17:34:45 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: MOROCCAN SARDINE FISHERMEN NET BLUE WHALE 06-Oct-95 08:36 am Regular International MOROCCAN SARDINE FISHERMEN NET BLUE whale Rabat, Oct 5 Reuter - Moroccan fishermen trawling for sardines in the Atlantic netted instead a 12-tonne blue WHALE, the Moroccan news agency MAP said on Thursday. At 13m long the WHALE dwarfed the 11m trawler, which was off the Western Saharan port of Tarfaya. MAP quoted the captain as saying the WHALE failed to free itself from the net despite a struggle of more than 12 hours. It was not immediately known if the WHALE survived. MAP quoted a marine scientist as saying blue whales were rarely seen in Moroccan waters. Reuter cm ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Oct 1995 13:24:27 +0800 From: Chris Parsons Subject: References on Epimeletic Behavior In-Reply-To: <199508180620.AA28914(\)hk.super.net> Dear Marmammers Last month there was a request for references on epimeletic behaviour. We have one documented example in Hong Kong, when a Humpbacked dolphin (Sousa chinensis) was seen with a dead calf. The adult pushed the calf and carried it on it's snout. When boats approached, the adult appeared seemed to be trying to pull the calf underwater. This pair was first seen on 16 June 1994 and was resighted, still carrying the calf, on 22 June 1994. This is mentioned in: Parsons, E.C.M. 1995. (in press). The mortality and conservation of small cetaceans in Hong Kong's territorial waters. Proceedings of the Symposium on the Small Cetaceans of S.E.Asia (ed. W. Perrin), UNEP: Bangkok. Chris Parsons ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Oct 1995 12:23:22 -0500 From: sdwartz(\)umslvma.umsl.edu Subject: Marine Mammal Science 11(4) Contents MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE Volume 11, No. 4 OCTOBER 1995 Life in the fast lane: the life history of harbor porpoises from the Gulf of Maine. ANDREW J. READ AND ALETA A. HOHN 423-440 Morbillivirus infection in manatees. P=C1DRAIG J. DUIGNAN, CAROL HOUSE, MICHAEL T.=20 WALSH, TERRY CAMPBELL, GREGORY D. BOSSART, NOEL=20 DUFFY, PETER J. FERNANDES, BERT K. RIMA, SCOTT=20 WRIGHT AND JOSEPH R. GERACI 441-451 Satellite-monitored movements and dive behavior of=20 a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in Tampa Bay, Florida. BRUCE R. MATE, KELLY A. ROSSBACH, SHARON L.=20 NIEUKIRK, RANDALL S. WELLS, A. BLAIR IRVINE, MICHAEL D. SCOTT AND ANDREW J. READ 452-463 Apparent bottom feeding by humpback whales on Stellwagen Bank. JAMES H. W. HAIN, SARA L. ELLIS, ROBERT D.=20 KENNEY, PHILLIP J. CLAPHAM, BELINDA K. GRAY, MASON T. WEINRICH AND IVAR G. BABB 464-479 Body temperature in the newborn southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina, at Macquarie Island. G. J. LITTLE 480-490 The click-sounds of narwhals (Monodon monoceros) in Ingelfield Bay, Northwest Greenland. LEE A. MILLER, JOHN PRISTED, BERTEL M=D8HL AND=20 ANNEMARIE SURLYKKE 491-502 Low frequency narrow-band sounds produced by=20 bottlenose dolphins. KEN W. SCHULTZ, DOUGLAS H. CATO, PETER J.=20 CORKERON AND M. M. BRYDEN 503-509 Acclimation to captivity: a quantitative estimate based on survival of bottlenose dolphins and=20 California sea lions. ROBERT J. SMALL AND DOUGLAS P. DEMASTER 510-519 Quantitative behavioral study of bottlenose dolphins in Swim-With-Dolphin programs in the United States. AMY SAMUELS AND TREVOR R. SPRADLIN 520-544 Study of vitamin A supplementation in captive=20 northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) and its effect on serum vitamin E. LISA M. MAZZARO, J. LAWRENCE DUNN, HAROLD C.=20 FURR AND RICHARD M. CLARK 545-553 NOTES First records of humpback whales including calves at Golfo Dulce and Isla del Coco, Costa Rica, suggesting geographical overlap of northern and southern hemisphere populations. ALEJANDRO ACEVEDO AND MARI A. SMULTEA 554-559 An encounter with recently wounded sperm whales=20 (Physeter macrocephalus). SUSAN DUFAULT AND HAL WHITEHEAD 560-563 Notes on the biology of the Clymene dolphin (Stellena clymene) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. THOMAS A. JEFFERSON, DANIEL K. ODELL, AND=20 KATHLEEN T. PRUNIER 564-572 Occurrence of bottlenose whales in waters of=20 Isla Guadalupe, Mexico. JUAN-PABLO GALLO-REYNOSO AND ANA-LUISA=20 FIGUEROA-CARRANZA 573-574 Stomach contents of a southern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon planifrons, stranded at Heard Island. DAVID J. SLIP, GEOFFREY J. MOORE AND=20 KEN GREEN 575-583 Rapid entry of D-glucose into erythrocytes from=20 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). JAMES D. CRAIK, CHRISTOPHER I. CHEESEMAN AND JAMES D. YOUNG 584-589 SCIENTIFIC CORRESPONDENCE MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE AND U.S. NAVY SHIP SHOCK=20 TRIALS Sam H. Ridgway, Sue E. Moore 590-593 A RISSO'S DOLPHIN (GRAMPUS GRISEUS) CARRYING A DEAD CALF Daniel M. Palacios and David Day 593-594 ERRATUM 595 MEMORIES William Nigel Bonner 596-598 Murray L. Johnson 599-600 INDEX 601-607 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Dr. Douglas Wartzok Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Dean of the Graduate School University of Missouri - St. Louis St. Louis, MO 63121-4499 314-516-5898 (Phone) 314-516-6759 (Fax) sdwartz(\)umslvma.umsl.edu (e-mail) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Oct 1995 09:44:44 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 10/6/95 (LONG) -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am shortening the summary to include only new items added since my last posting. However, I will post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. This is the longer version for the first Friday in October 1995. I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: New info and changes since 9/29/95 are bracketed {...}. . Marine Mammals . {Round Island Walrus Hunt. In early October 1995, Bristol Bay, AK, Natives returned to hunt walrus on Round Island for the first time in 35 years. Round Island, a traditional hunting area, was designated a State wildlife sanctuary in 1960. After petitioning the State to allow Native harvest, the State game board approved a hunt allowing 10 walrus to be killed.} [Assoc Press] . {ATOC Challenge. On Sept. 22, 1995, a California Superior Court judge refused to hear a petition by the Great Whales Foundation that the CA Coastal Commission be forced to reverse its approval of the ATOC program. The judge gave the Foundation a month to amend their petition to protect whales.} [Greenwire] . {Norwegian Seal Hunting Suit. On Oct. 2, 1995, sixteen Norwegian seal hunters began legal proceedings for libel against a Swedish television channel for a Feb. 1989 airing of a controversial film on hunting baby seals. The hunters seek approximately $382,000 in damages, claiming the film was a falsification and, after an international outcry, caused Norway to halt the hunt.} [Reuters] . {Tuna-Dolphin Proposal. On Oct. 3, 1995, delegates from 11 tuna-exporting nations began meetings in Panama to seek a means to end U.S. "dolphin-safe" sanctions on importing tuna captured by surrounding dolphins. On Oct. 4, 1995, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) scheduled the signing of an agreement, referred to as the "Panama Declaration," with five environmental groups that will result in coordinated efforts to change U.S. law to allow such imports. A draft agreement was initially agreed to by the five environmental groups -- Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, Center for Marine Conservation, National Wildlife Federation, and Environmental Defense Fund -- at meetings with Latin American government representatives in Huatulco, Mexico, on Sept. 27, 1995. On Oct. 4, 1995, eleven tuna-exporting Nations, meeting in Panama, signed a "Declaration of Panama" agreeing to place legal limits of 5,000 dolphins or fewer killed per year during tuna seining if the United States agreed to lift it s embargo on importing tuna caught by surrounding dolphins; the United States also signed this Declaration. The House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively scheduled a hearing on H.R. 2179, the International Dolphin Conservation Act Amendments of 1995, for Oct. 26, 1995.} [Dow Jones News, Assoc Press, personal communication, press release from the five environmental groups] . {Seal Management Forum. On Oct. 2, 1995, Canada's Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) held a second forum on East Coast seal management in St. John's, Newfoundland, to consider various management options to increase the harvest of east coast seals.} [DFO press release] . Steller Sea Lion ESA Status. In late September 1995, a Federal scientist announced at a Seattle, WA, meeting of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council that the Federal recovery plan team for the Steller sea lion has recommended that the subpopulation of this species in western Alaska be redesignated as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act. This would upgrade protection from its current listing as "threatened" and was thought necessary due to low pup survival. [Assoc Press] . Minke Whale Commercial Harvest Plans. In mid-September 1995, the International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA), meeting in Nelson, New Zealand, agreed to support a Japanese proposal to resume commercial whaling for minke whales. ICFA officials reported that Japan will ask the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to allow the resumption of commercial whaling at the May 1996 IWC meeting in Aberdeen, Scotland. The ICFA represents fishermen who harvest about 40% of the world fisheries catch. [Assoc Press New Zealand] . Humpback Whale Sanctuary Expansion. On Sept. 25, 1995, a series of Statewide workshops will begin on the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary's draft environmental impact statement and management plan. The draft plan proposes no new regulations but does expand Sanctuary boundaries to include waters off the Big Island of Hawaii. On Sept. 19, 1995, the Hawaii County Council's Planning Committee voted 5-2 to urge Governor Cayetano to oppose expansion of the Sanctuary boundary to include Big Island waters. {On Oct. 4, 1995, the Hawaii County Council voted 8-1 approving a resolution to urge Governor Cayetano to request that the Sanctuary not be expanded to include waters off the Big Island, but that a 1994 Statewide Hawaii Ocean Resources Management Plan be implemented.} [Assoc Press] . Australian Whale Watching Legislation. On Sept. 18, 1995, Australia's Nature Conservation Agency released proposed Commonwealth regulations and complementary State legislation to better protect whales, including provisions to restrict whale watching tours in whale breeding areas, accredit tour operators, and develop a code of practice for whale-based tourism. [Australia Assoc Press] . Ballard Locks Sea Lions. On Sept. 8, 1995, the Ballard Locks Pinniped Fisheries Task Force tentatively concurred with its previous recommendation that NMFS allow the State of Washington to kill sea lions at Ballard Locks (WA) to protect migrating steelhead trout only if non-lethal capture of certain identified sea lions is not feasible or practical. After thi s recommendation is finalized by the task force (anticipated by late September), NMFS will consider the recommendation. If lethal removal is approved by NMFS, such a decision will likely be challenged in court. [Assoc Press, personal communication] . Manatee in Northern Waters. On Sept. 8-9, 1995, the manatee was observed along the New Jersey coast as it continued to swim southward. On Sept. 21, 1995, the manatee was spotted in the lower Chesapeake Bay. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 12:15:48 +0100 From: patho(\)stat.fmv.ulg.ac.be Subject: Sperm whales symposium Dear MARMAM members, Please find enclosed announcement for sperm whales symposium The North Sea sperm whales, one year after Scientific symposium Koksijde, Casino 16-18 November 1995 One year after the stranding of twenty two sperm whales on different North Sea beaches, the Management Unit of the Mathematical Models of the North Sea and the Federal Office for scientific, technical and cultural affairs, in collaboration with the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, the Municipality of Koksijde and several scientific institutes, organise an international symposium on the biology of sperm whales and the practical aspects of research management in whale strandings. It will be held on 16-18 November at the Casino of Koksijde, the seaside resort where on 18 November 1994 three of the 'Belgian' sperm whales stranded. Registration should be done using the form enclosed with this letter. You are registered as soon as the registration fee of 2500 BEF (for students: 1500 BEF) is paid. The fee includes two luncheons, the coffeebreaks and the meeting documents. You can pay by depositing the registration fee with the "Caisse Generale d' Epargne et de Retraite (CGER) on bank account no. 001/166048-13 of the IHE Patrimonium with the reference 'Whale symposium', or by including with your registration form a Eurocheque to the name of 'IHE Patrimonium'. If you need accommodation you can book a hotel room at: Hotel APOSTROFF (2000 BEF/night, incl. breakfast; with the reference 'Whale symposium') Lejeunelaan 38 B-8670 Koksijde tel. +32.(0).58.52.06.09 fax.+32.(0).58.52.07.09 or any other hotel; for information on other hotels, please contact: Tourist information service Koksijde tel.+32.(0).58.52.15.15 fax.+32.(0).58.52.25.77 You can reach Koksijde by public transport: from Brussels, by train to Ostend (approx. 1h30'), and from Ostend by tram (approx. 20 km). For additional information, please contact: Mr. J. Schoofs Federal office for scientific, technical and cultural affairs Wetenschapsstraat 8 B-1040 Brussels Belgium tel. +32.(0).2.238.36.12 fax.+32.(0).2.230.59.12 Registration form (Since the number of participants is limited, we urge you to register as soon as possible) Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . First Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Telephone: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fax: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-mail: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paid: 2500 BEF / 1500 BEF (please include a copy of a valid student card). Way of payment: Eurocheque included / bank deposit (include certificate). Please send to: Mr. J. Schoofs Federal Office for scientific, technical and cultural affairs Wetenschapsstraat 8 B-1040 Brussels Belgium Programme (simultaneous translation to English will be available) 16 November (registration from 9.00 a.m.): Session 1 (chairperson Mr. Tys): 1. W.De Smet (B): "Vijf eeuwen strandingen van potvissen aan de Vlaamse kust" 2. Peter Evans (UK): "Introduction to sperm whales in the North Atlantic" 3. Cassandra Phillips (WWF): "Toxic pollution and cetaceans" Coffeebreak 4. Mark Simmonds (UK): "The meaning of cetacean strandings?" 5. David Wells (UK): "Patterns of contaminants in cetaceans stranded around the Scottish coast" Lunch Session 2 (chairperson Mr. Coignoul): 6. Richard Lambertsen (USA): "Natural disease problems in the sperm whale" 7. Thierry Jauniaux (B): "Pathological investigations on sperm whales stranded on the Belgian and Dutch coasts" 8. Robin Law (UK): "Metals and chlorobiphenyls in tissues of sperm whales and other cetacea species exploiting similar diets" Coffeebreak 9. Claude Joiris (B): "Toxicological investigation of the sperm whales stranded in Belgium: organic contaminants" 10. Jean-Marie Bouquegneau (B): "Toxicological investigation of the sperm whales stranded in Belgium: inorganic contaminants" 17 November: 11. Christina Lockyer (UK): "Behaviour, feeding of sperm whales" Session 3 (chairperson Mr. De Putter): 12. Thierry Jacques (B): "Science and conservation in whale strandings: the role of the public authorities" 13. Jan Tavernier (B): "Cetacean strandings: the technical control on-site" Coffeebreak 14. Chris Smeenk (NL): "Sperm whale strandings in the North Sea: historical data and patterns" 15. Jeanine Tassijns (B): "De ophaling en verwerking van dierlijk afval in het Vlaamse gewest" 16. Luc Noel (B): "The work of the media in whale strandings" Lunch Session 4: debate: "The causes of sperm whale strandings in the North Sea" Moderators: Walter Roggeman, Freddy Coignoul; foreign observer: Richard Lambertsen Participants: M.Simmonds, P.Evans, C.Smeenk, C.Lockyer, C.Joiris 17. Opening statement by one of the moderators 18. Debate 19. Conclusion by the foreign observor Closing address by the Hon. Y.Ylieff, Federal Minister of Science Policy. Opening of the exhibits to the public, refreshments, press conference. 18 November: Exhibits open to the public till midday. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 16:34:02 -0700 From: Jan Roletto Subject: ann to res and con discussion 10 October 1995 To: all researchers attending the Biennial Conference From: Jan Roletto, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary subject: Marine Mammal Research in the Sanctuaries Workshop If you are conducting or are planning to conduct marine mammal research in one or several of the National Marine Sanctuaries, you will want to attend this workshop. The workshop is scheduled for the afternoon of 14 December, Clarion Plaza Hotel, Orlando Florida, just prior to the Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Time begin is 2 p.m. and will end by 5 p.m., in time to go to the opening reception. Representatives from the following National Marine Sanctuaries will be present: Stellwagen Bank (New England), Fagatelle Bay (American Samoa), Gray's Reef (off of Georgia), Olympic Coast (Washington), Gulf of the Farallones, Monterey Bay, Cordell Bank (central California), Channel Islands, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale, Florida Keys (Key Largo), and representatives from Sanctuaries and Reserves Division (SRD) headquarters. The purpose of the workshop is to bring together National Marine Sanctuary Managers and Research Coordinators with marine mammalogists who are conducting research within the Sanctuaries. We will discuss potential multi-Sanctuary projects, sources of funding for multi-Sanctuary projects, services and equipment for researchers through the Sanctuaries, consolidating small levels of funding, help in funding and support for writing up data, publishing documents in Technical Memoranda, and letters of support. We are all working with fewer funds and the goal of this workshop is to find areas where the National Marine Sanctuary Program can be of financial and in-kind support, especially for projects that occur within more than one Sanctuary or are for long term monitoring projects. If you are interested in attending the workshop, please RSVP with Jan Roletto, GFNMS Research Coordinator. Address: GFNMS, Ft. Mason, Bldg. 201, San Francisco, CA 94123; tel. # (415) 556-3509. Rapporteurs shall record the workshop. Agenda Purpose of the Workshop (acquaint marine mammal researchers with managers of the Sanctuary program and encourage marine mammal research aimed at management goals) - 5 min. Introductions of Managers or reps. from each sanctuary and SRD rep. - 5 min. ea. Review location and boundary, unique resources, any specific topics or research projects the Manager is interested in hearing about, potential sources for funding and in-kind support, future projects that may be jointly funded through multiple sanctuaries, future marine mammal research, regulations specific to marine mammal protection (possibly permits), SRD representative shall report on background, purpose and function of the National Marine Sanctuary Program. Maps and handouts shall be available. Introductions from researchers - 5-10 min. ea. (This could take 60-90 minutes depending on how many researchers participate. We expect about 30 to 50 researchers to attend. More time shall be allowed if less researchers participate.) Review research areas of interest, location of work, species of interest, overview of recently completed and in-progress work, researchers should state if their work is being presented at the conference (oral or poster). Researchers should have an idea of various levels of budgets, equipment needs, and staffing needs. Be prepared to answer the following questions: If a project could only be partially funded, could you proceed with the project? Could you use less staff, borrowed equipment, free vessel time, low levels of funding from multiple sources or sanctuaries? Do you have a specific need to complete a project that may be linked with education of the general public or children, i.e. printing costs, World Wide Web costs, costs for conversion to CD-ROM so that your information about your project can be electronically distributed. Is your project in association with Sea Grant funding? Break-out Groups - 30 or so minutes Managers and researchers discuss potential projects in the sanctuaries and potential sources of funding. Re-group - 30 minutes Discuss projects that could occur in two or more sanctuaries and funding sources. Recap of the workshop - 15 minutes Remember that you can contact workshop participants throughout the Conference. Many of the Sanctuary Mangers will be available throughout the Conference. A list of who shall be available will be provided. 5 p.m. Adjourn and off to the reception. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 10:24:07 -0700 From: "R.H. Defran" Subject: CBL WWW site The Cetacean Behavior Laboratory at San Diego State University is pleased to call attentions to its recently completed World Wide Web site: http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/CBL/CBLHome.html. Our Web site provides information about the following topics: Director, Research, Graduate Study, Internship Information, Publications, Graduate Students, Recent Abstracts, CBL Photo Album. We invite interested MarMam'rs to give us a browse (best viewed with Netscape) and to pass our WWW address on to potential graduate and internship applicants. We have included links in our Web site to the TAMU/TAMUG Marine Mammal Research Program as well as to NMFS. Suggestions for other links or comments about our site should be forwarded to Webmaster John Day . Those interested in obtaining more information about our Graduate and Internship programs should correspond directly with R.H. Defran (me), preferably by email . Thanks to Dave Lewis (who is definitely linked to Jennifer Lewis) and to John Day (who is linked to the night) for their generous construction efforts in bringing our WWW site online. Looking forward to renewing old acquaintances and making new ones in Orlando. R.H. Defran Cetacean Behavior Laboratory Department of Psychology San Diego State University San Diego, CA 92182 Phone:(619) 594-5649 office Fax: (619) 594-1332 Psych. Dept. internet: WWW: http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/CBL/CBLHome.html ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 08:09:27 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: report available Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) Reports and Studies No. 55 The GESAMP Working Group on "Indicators of Ecosystem Health" which was established by GESAMP following a proposal from the members at its 22nd session has published the report adopted by GESAMP at its 24th session (New York, 21-25 March 1994). The working group was jointly sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Maritime Organisation of the United Nations (IMO), the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNES-CO), the International Atomic Energy (IAEA) and the United Nations Assembly (UN). The report, which is available in English from any of the sponsoring Agencies, gives a framework of how appropriate techniques can be used to detect and assess the physical, chemical and biological impacts on marine ecosystems. For more information contact: UNEP, Regional office for Europe, Palais des nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland. Telephone (22) 979-9111. Telefax: (22) 797-3420. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 03:59:32 PDT From: Garry Stenson Subject: Canadian Marine Mammal Symposium Recently, a request for information concerning the results of the NAFO/ICES Symposium on the Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem was posted. Attached is a summary of the discussions held at the meeting. There was very good attendance and ~50 papers on a wide variety of topics. The participants I talked to seemed to enjoy the meeting, finding it very useful. All presenters were invited to submitted papers for publication. Approx. 25 or so papers have been submitted and will be send out for peer review within the next few weeks. It is anticipated that they will be published in a special issue of the J. Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Science within the year. If any presentors read this and still wish to submitt a paper please contact on the co-convenors as soon as possible. REPORT OF THE NAFO/ICES SYMPOSIUM ON THE ROLE OF MARINE MAMMALS IN THE ECOSYSTEM The following report was prepared by the co-convenors with the assistance of the session Chairs. Introduction The Symposium on the "Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem" was co-sponsored by the NAFO Scientific Council and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) with G. B. Stenson (Canada) and J. Sigurj=A2nsson (Iceland) as co-convenors. It was held 6-8 September 1995 at the Holiday Inn, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. The aim of the Symposium was to attract scientists from relevant disciplines with expertise in different geographical areas to address the question of the role of mammals in the marine ecosystem. The three day Symposium was divided into four theme sessions: (1) Environmental, spatial and temporal influences on life histories (Chair: T. Haug, Norway), (2) Foraging strategies and energetic considerations in the diet (Chair: I. McLaren, Canada), (3) Marine mammal - fisheries interactions (Chair: W. D. Bowen, Canada), and (4) Theoretical considerations on the role of apex predators and multispecies models (Chair: G. A. Vikingsson, Iceland). Each session consisted of a keynote address, followed by contributed oral presentations and an extended general discussion. Poster presentations were displayed throughout the Symposium in addition to specific poster sessions. The Symposium was attended by 113 participants from 16 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Denmark (Greenland), France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States of America). In total, 30 oral and 21 poster contributions were presented. A list of contributions and participants is included at the end of this report. Papers presented at the Symposium will be considered for publication in the Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Science. Thematic Considerations Following is a brief summary of the presentations and of discussions that took place at the end of the respective theme sessions. Environmental, Spatial and Temporal Influences on Life History Seven oral and four poster presentations were presented on the relationships between environmental, spatial, temporal factors and life history parameters. The session began with a keynote address (Symposium paper 1.1) entitled "The Spatial Dynamics of Large Marine Organisms" presented by D. Schneider (Canada) who illustrated that the distribution and spatial dynamics of large marine organisms in relation to physical environment may be more productively investigated by testing hypotheses in relation to well defined models than by direct correlation with physical measurements such as temperatures, salinity, or depth. Correlations may, however, be useful in identifying potential hypothesis for testing. Biological and physical processes need to be examined over a large variety of scales which may not be similar for all disciplines or objectives. Several contributions addressed the physical and biological characteristics of the habitats of marine mammals. Correlations between cetacean distribution data and physical and biological parameters were demonstrated (1.7, 1.8, 1.15) and the potential of using detailed habitat analyses to predict potential areas of occurrence of the same species was shown (1.9). Dimensionless ratios of various scales were used to determine changes in distribution (1.10). Apparent changes in the distribution of various species of marine mammals have been observed (1.3, 1.12, 1.13, 1.14) which may be related to changes in environmental conditions, sighting effort, or other factors. Changes in the reproduction potential and body condition of harp seals in the Northwest Atlantic have been observed, which may be related to changes in seal population size, prey availability or an interaction between them (1.3). The occurrence of significant seasonal variation in body condition of Barents Sea harp seals was considered to be of importance in evaluation of the ecological role of the species (1.4). The general discussion focused on two main issues. The first was related to the correlation between marine mammals and the scale of observations. The scale at which a marine mammal and fisheries scientists operate may not be comparable and information about prey abundance are often collected for assessment purposes which may not always fulfil the requirements needed for evaluation of marine mammal ecology. Therefore, correlation must often be made to physical or oceanographic factors which do not vary within a short time frame. The second major topic of the discussion was the question of density dependent changes in populations of marine mammals. Although changes in morphology and reproduction parameters have been demonstrated for a number of species, such as the Northwest Atlantic harp seals, it was not clear that they have been proven to be due to classical density dependent processes. The cause of these changes becomes important if we wish to predict future changes in the population. Foraging Strategies and Energetic Consideration Six oral and seven poster contributions were presented on the theme of this session. The keynote address (2.1) entitled "Approaches to the quantification of the energetic requirements of marine mammal populations and their impact on marine ecosystems" was presented by G. A. J. Worthy (USA). Although the relative frequencies of food items in the diet can often be established, estimates of consumption required for determining the role and impacts of marine mammals require a variety of approaches for estimating metabolic demand to quantify and apportion prey items. Recent information on the energetic requirements of a variety of species indicate that assuming energy requirements based upon generalized mammalian relationships with body mass (the "Kleiber line") may not be appropriate for all marine mammals. New techniques of estimating diet, such as fatty acid signature analysis and stable isotope ratios, were presented and their applicability to answer different types of questions were discussed (2.2, 2.3). A number of presentations extended traditional dietary analysis beyond the usual mere enumeration of stomach contents. Using data from the stomachs contents of fin whales off Iceland (2.4), a diel rhythm in feeding was identified and the average daily intake estimated. Recent studies provide new insights into various aspects of the foraging behaviour of Northeast Atlantic minke whales; comparison of prey consumed to estimated prey abundance obtained from resource surveys using qualitative and quantitative statistics suggests that minke whales exhibit prey selection (2.5, 2.9) while examination of the stomach contents lead to the hypothesis that the meal size varies according to the spatial distribution of the prey (2.6). Also, large and small minke whales appear to exploit the same resources in given areas, although whale size and prey type influence meal size (2.6). An example of the use of spatial and temporal patterns in the distribution of prey and predator to identify potential interactions was presented (2.13) as well as a method of investigating prey selection in captive seals (2.7). Information on the diet of a number of species in areas which were previously unknown were presented (2.9, 2.10, 2.12) along with comparisons of the diet of co-existing predators (2.8, 2.11), or the same predator in different geographical areas (2.11). The general discussion focused upon the usefulness of fatty acid signature analysis and stable isotope ratios for determining diets. It was noted that these methods are not intended to replace traditional techniques, but rather provide additional tools to answer specific questions. However, in order for these techniques to be useful, adequate baseline data from the potential prey species in the ecosystem must be obtained.=0CMarine Mammal-Fisheries Interactions A total of 12 oral and 10 poster contributions addressing issues of marine mammal - fisheries interactions were presented. The keynote paper (3.1) entitled "On modelling approaches for evaluating seal-fishery interactions: initiatives in South Africa and for the Antarctic" was presented by D. Butterworth (South Africa). It reviewed recent modelling studies of the Benguela Current and Southern Ocean ecosystems. Perhaps the most important results of these studies is the recognition that realistic models of the interactions between marine mammal populations and fisheries must account for the major interactions affecting the system, while at the same time simplifying the system to the point where analyses are tractable. Associated with this process is the need for the development of a risk assessment framework within which the probabilities and consequences of different outcomes may be evaluated. Several presentations provided information that showed strong geographic and seasonal variation in the composition of the diets of pinnipeds and cetaceans. These data coupled with information on mammal abundance, individual energy requirements, and prey energy content were used to estimate the biomass of prey consumed by harp seals in the Northwest Atlantic (3.5), hooded seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (3.18), Cape fur seals in the Benguela ecosystem (3.2), cetaceans along the northeastern continental shelf of the United States (3.8), in waters around and adjacent to Iceland (3.22), and off the coast of Patagonia, Argentina (3.10). In all areas, marine mammals consumed large amounts of biomass, often equal to or greater than that taken by commercial fisheries, but the species consumed were a mixture of commercial and non-commercial prey. Estimates of consumption by harp seals in Atlantic Canada (3.5) illustrate the importance of understanding how diet data are incorporated into the model since changes can result in substantially different estimates. A study of estimated consumption of Atlantic cod by grey seals on the Eastern Scotian Shelf, Canada (3.4), emphasized the need for a better understanding of the functional form of seal predation, the level of natural mortality on young cod, and the sources and relationships among other components of natural mortality before the impact of seals on prey populations could be assessed. A significant change in the age distribution of cod in the diet of seals off Iceland and concurrent declines in the size of seal stocks was observed (3.3). To determine if there was evidence of increasing juvenile mortality consistent with predictions based upon predation by seals, mortality was estimated from research vessel surveys for several Northwest Atlantic cod stocks (3.6). Although no trends were detected, the ability of the tests to detect such changes given the variability of the survey data was debated. The potential competition between marine mammals and fisheries for prey and primary productivity in the Pacific Ocean was examined using a steady state model (3.9). Although data for many species of the marine mammals included can only be approximated as order of magnitude, the study indicated that marine mammals likely consume three times as much food (commercial and non- commercial species) as that taken by fisheries. Another study (3.7) suggested that comparison of different ecosystems, such as the Bering Sea and Barents Sea, might yield insights as to the nature of the ecological interactions between pinnipeds and fisheries. Operational interactions between marine mammals and fisheries were discussed in six presentations. Mortalities or injuries to cetaceans due to interactions with fishing gear were document for the US Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico (3.14), and the waters of the continental slope southwest of Ireland (3.15). A review of documented interactions between cetaceans and trawlers was presented (3.16) along with a study of gear damage and depredation due to apex predators in eastern Florida, USA (3.13). Preliminary results of the use of acoustic devices to reduce the incidental catch of harbour porpoise in groundfish gillnets (3.12) are encouraging. A study of surfacing patterns in captive and wild harbour porpoise (3.21) may provide behavioural data related to the incidental capture of porpoise in fishing gear. Still another form of interaction was illustrated by two presentations describing the parasitic fauna of beluga in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada (3.19) and grey seals in Iceland (3.20). Parasites may be an important cause of mortality in beluga and a useful tool for identifying stock identity while parasitic loads in grey seals may have an impact on the parasitic burdens of commercially important fish species.=0C A framework developed by the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Marine Mammal Action Plan coordinated by UNEP for the scientific evaluation of programs to cull marine mammals to benefit fisheries (3.11) was presented for discussion. The general discussion focused on the fact that the results of models designed to determine impact of marine mammals on fisheries are imprecise in most situations. Therefore, we should consider developing robust models which provide us with information on the direction and the order of magnitude of the impact. The ability of the model to distinguish among alternative scenarios must be considered. It was also noted that several studies indicate that consumption of fish resources by other predators such as predatory fish or seabirds may be important in some ecosystems. Theoretical Considerations on the Role of Apex Predators and Multispecies Models Five oral contributions considered theoretical considerations on the role apex predators and the use of multispecies models. The keynote address (4.1) entitled "Assessing the relationship between apex predators and fisheries: where do we go from here?" was delivered by J. Harwood (UK). Examples of marine mammal - fisheries interactions and methods for studying these were presented. Recent studies of grey seals off the coast of England (UK) show great "patchiness" in foraging behaviour. Therefore, it is necessary to study all of the interacting components, including the marine mammals, the prey species and the fisheries, at a finer scale than has been done previously. In order to develop dynamic models of interactions, information on the functional relationship between marine mammals and their prey, other predators, and fishermen are required. An example of a method for quantifying sources of uncertainty for each of the components involved in estimating prey consumption of harp seals was presented (4.2) indicating considerable uncertainty in the estimates of consumption due to variability in the diet samples. Such calculations are important in identifying research needs and for evaluating alternative management options. Alternative hypothesis proposed to explain declines in Stellar sea lions and seabirds, and increases in groundfish in the Bering Sea were described and evaluated (4.4). These changes could have been caused by changes in the environment, competition with commercial fisheries, or direct competition between sea lions and gadids for food. Multispecies interactions in the Barents Sea were explored by using a simulation model (4.3). Sensitivity of the model to food preferences and stock sizes of harp seals and minke whales, and the relative importance of these two species to the main fish predator, cod, was described. Off Iceland, the potential interactions among three piscivorous baleen whales and their principal prey were explored using a multispecies simulation model (4.5). The results indicated that baleen whales may have significant direct and/or indirect long-term impacts on the prey species. The general discussion dealt with specific aspects of the analysis presented and restated many of the common themes of previous discussions. The concern that multispecies models should take into account uncertainties in the inputs was emphasized. Summary Throughout the Symposium, reoccurring themes became evident. The basic premise of the symposium that a variety of biological and physical components in the ecosystem must be considered in order to determine the role of marine mammals and the need to include scientists from various disciplines, was emphasized. It is also evident that marine mammals must be considered on a variety of spatial and temporal scales and that their role may vary among them. The scales at which marine mammals are studied are often not compatible with the information available from other disciplines and this can only be resolved through cooperative studies with other disciplines. With respect to marine mammal - fisheries interactions, studies should take into account potential secondary interactions such as other predators or prey, which may result in conclusions which are counter-intuitive. However, in many cases it may not be possible to quantify the interactions precisely and therefore, models incorporating uncertainties in the inputs must be robust and yet capable of identifying the magnitude and direction of competitive interactions within the system. Contributions to the Symposium Theme Session 1: Environmental, Spatial and Temporal Influences of Life History Oral Presentations 1.1 D. C. Schneider. The Spatial Dynamics of Large Marine Organisms. 1.3 B. Sjare, D. Chabot and G. Stenson. Declines in the Reproductive Potential and Body Condition of Harp Seals: Response to a Changing Marine Environment? 1.4 K. T. Nilssen, P. E. Grotnes, T. Haug and V. Potelov. Seasonal Variation in Condition of Adult Barents Sea Harp Seals, Phoca groenlandica. 1.7 R. B. Griffin. An Investigation of Relationships Between Delphinid Distributions and Copepod Abundances. 1.8 C. T. Tynan. Characterization of Oceanographic Habitat of Resident and Migratory Species of Cetaceans in the Southern Ocean Between 82-115=F8E. 1.9 E. Moses and J. T. Finn. Using Geographic Information Systems to Describe Associations Between Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) Distribution and Sea-surface Temperature and Bathymetry on the Scotian Shelf. 1.10 F. Margues, J. K. Horne and J. Lien. Evaluating the Influence of Biological and Physical Processes on North Atlantic Humpback Whale Distribution. Poster Presentations 1.12 D. Borggaard, J. Lien, S. Todd, P. Stevick and P. Hennebury. Long-term Effects of Underwater Noise Associated with Industrial Activity on Cetaceans in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. 1.13 E. Hauksson and V. Bogason. Occurrences of Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica), Hooded Seal (Cystophora cristata), Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus) and Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida) in Coastal Waters of Iceland, in the Period 1989-1994. 1.14 F. Marques, J. Lien, D. E. Sergeant and R. Seton. Changes in Sightings, Strandings and Fishing Gear Entrapments of Arctic Species of Cetaceans in Newfoundland Waters: A response to Changes in Ice Conditions? 1.15 S. E. Moore and D. P. DeMaster. Cetacean Habitats in the Alaskan Arctic. Theme Session 2: Foraging Strategies and Energetic Considerations Oral Presentations 2.1 G. A. J. Worthy. Approaches to the Quantification of the Energetic Requirements of Marine Mammal Populations and Their Impact on Marine Ecosystems. 2.2 S. J. Iverson. Principles of Fatty Acid Signature Analysis and its Use in Studying Foraging Ecology and Diets of Marine Mammals. 2.3 S. Todd, P. Ostram, J. Lien and J. Abrajano. Use of the Stable Isotope Ratio =EB13C to Determine Diet in Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).=0C2.4 G. Vikingsson. Feeding of Fin Whales Off Iceland: Diurnal Variation and Feeding Rates. 2.5 H. J. Skaug, H. Gj=FEs=91ter, T. Haug, U. Lindstr=FEm and K. T. Nilssen. Do Minke Whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, Exhibit Particular Prey Preferences? 2.6 T. Haug, U. Lindstr=FEm, K. T. Nilssen and H. J. Skaug. On the Variation in Size and Individual Composition of Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata Meals. Poster Presentations 2.7 G. Boyle. An Operant Method of Investigating Prey Selection in Seals. 2.8 S. Hassani, L. Antoine and V. Ridoux. A Comparative Approach to the Diets of Dolphins, Tunas, Sharks and Other Large Oceanic Predators Sampled in the French Tuna Driftnet Fishery of the North-East Atlantic. 2.9 T. Haug, U. Lindstr=FEm, K. T. Nilssen, I. R=FEttingen and H. J. Skaug. Diet and Food Availability for Northeast Atlantic Minke Whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata. 2.10 E. Hauksson and V. Bogason. Comparative Studies on Food and Feeding Habits of Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus), Common Seals (Phoca vitulina), Harp Seals (Phoca groenlandica), and Hooded Seals (Cystophora cristata) in Coastal Waters of Iceland. 2.11 J. W. Lawson and G. B. Stenson. Diet of Newfoundland Harp Seals: Nearshore and Offshore Contrasts. 2.12 J. Sigurj=A2nsson, G. A. Vikingsson and S. D. Halld=A2rsson. Food and Feeding Habits of Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) off the Southwestern Coast of Iceland. 2.13 G. T. Waring and J. T. Finn. Cetacean Trophic Interactions off the Northeast USA Inferred From Spatial and Temporal Co-distribution Patterns. Theme Session 3: Marine Mammal - Fisheries Interactions 3.1 D. S. Butterworth. On Modelling Approaches for Evaluating Seal-Fishery Interactions: Initiatives in South Africa and for the Antarctic. 3.2 J. H. M. David, J.-P. Roux and W. K. Oosthuizen. Consumption and Diet of the Cape Fur Seal and Possible Competition With Fisheries in the Benguela Ecosystem. 3.3 E. Hauksson. Age Selection of Cod (Gadus morhua) by Grey (Halichoerus grypus) and Common (Phoca vitulina) seals, in Icelandic Waters, and Possible Effects of the Predation on the Cod Recruitment. 3.4 R. Mohn and W. D. Bowen. Grey Seal Predation on Eastern Scotian Shelf Cod: Consumption, Predation Mortality, and Potential Impacts. 3.5 G. B. Stenson, M. O. Hammill and J. W. Lawson. Predation of Atlantic Cod, Capelin and Arctic cod by Harp Seals in Atlantic Canada. 3.6 A. Sinclair, R. A. Myers and J. Hutchings. Seal Predation: Is There Evidence of Increased Mortality on Cod. 3.7 M. Shima, A. B. Hollowed and G. R. Van Blaricom. Comparing Pinniped-Fishery Interactions in Two Ecosystems. 3.8 R. D. Kenney, G. P. Scott, T. J. Thompson and H. E. Winn. Estimates of Prey Consumption and Trophic Impacts of Cetaceans in the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Ecosystem. 3.9 A. W. Trites, D. Pauly and V. Christensen. Competition Between Fisheries and Marine Mammals for Prey and Primary Production in the Pacific Ocean. 3.10 E. A. Crespo, S. N. Pedraza, S. L. Dans, M. K. Alonso, L. M. Reyes, N. A. Garcia, M. Coscarella, Y. Adri and C. M. Schiavini. Direct and Indirect Effects of the High Seas Fisheries on the Marine Mammal Populations in the Northern and Central Patagonian Coast. 3.11 M. Earle (J. Harwood). Scientific Analysis of Proposals to Cull Marine Mammals for Purposes of Fisheries Management. 3.12 J. Lien, C. Hood, D. Pitman, D. Borggaard and C. Richter. Field Tests of Acoustic Devices on Groundfish Gillnets: Assessment of Effectiveness in Reducing Harbour Porpoise By-Catch. Poster Presentations 3.13 N. B. Barros and D. H. Adams. Fishery Interactions with Apex Predators in the Indian River Lagoon System, Florida. 3.14 R. A. Blaylock and L. J. Hansen. The Effects of Commercial Fishing Activity on Coastal Bottlenose Dolphin Distribution Behavior, and Mortality Patterns. 3.15 A. S. Couperus. Interactions Between Dutch Midwater Trawlers and Atlantic White-sided Dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus) Southwest of Ireland. 3.16 D. Fertl and S. Leatherwood. A Review of Cetacean Interactions With Trawls. 3.18 M. O. Hammill, C. Lydersen, K. Kovacs and B. Sjare. Fish Consumption by Hooded Seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 3.19 L. N. Measures. Helminths of Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas. 3.20 D. =FElafsd=A2ttir and E. Hauksson. Anisakid (Nematoda) Infections in Icelandic Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus). 3.21 C. Richter and H. Van Doninck. A Comparison of Spatial and Temporal Surfacing Patterns in Harbour Porpoise Observed in the Wild and In Captivity. 3.22 J. Sigurj=A2nsson and G. Vikingsson. Estimation of Food Consumption by Cetaceans in Icelandic and Adjacent Waters. 3.23 S. S. Wallace and J. Conway. Developing a System of Integrated Management for the Protection and Conservation of Endangered Marine Mammals. Theme Session 4. Theoretical Considerations on the Role of Apex Predators and Multispecies Models Oral Presentations 4.1 J. Harwood and P. Rohani. Assessing the Relationship Between Apex Predators and Fisheries: Where Do We Go From Here? 4.2 P. A. Shelton, W. G. Warren and G. B. Stenson. Quantifying Some of the Major Sources of Uncertainty Associated with Estimates of Harp Seal Prey Consumption. 4.3 B. Bogstad, K. H. Hauge and =FE. Ulltang. MULTISPEC - A Multispecies Model for Fish and Marine Mammals in the Barents Sea. 4.4 R. L. Merrick. Current and Historical Roles of Apex Predators in the Bering Sea Ecosystem . 4.5 G. Stef=A0nsson, J. Sigurjonsson and G. A. Vikingsson. On Dynamic Interactions Between Some Fish Resources and Cetaceans off Iceland Based on a Simulation Model. Co-conveners: J. Sigurj=A2nsson G. B. Stenson Marine Research Institute Science Branch Skulagata 4 Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans P. O. Box 1390 P. O. Box 5667 121-Reykjavik St. John's, Newfoundland ICELAND CANADA A1C 5X1 Phone: +354-5520240 1-709-772-5598 Fax: +354-5623790 1-709-772-3207 E-mail: johann(\)hafro.is stenson(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca Garry Stenson Science Branch Phone: +1 709 772 5598 Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans Fax: +1 709 772 3207 St. John's, Newfoundland Canada stenson(\)nflorc.nwafc.nf.ca ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 07:00:17 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: news clip - tuna/dolphin 10/05/95 Dolphin Kills By ERIC NUNEZ Associated Press Writer PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) -- Tuna-catching countries have agreed to place legal limits on dolphin kills if the United States lifts an embargo that has hurt their fishing industries. Twelve countries, including the United States, signed the "Declaration of Panama" on Wednesday. Several major environmental groups welcomed the declaration, which was also signed by Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, Belize, France, Spain, Peru and Vanuatu. Others have argued the effort would not go far enough to protect dolphins. The declaration commits fishing countries to take legal action to hold dolphin kills to 5,000 a year or less if the United States lifts the embargo imposed in 1991 on tuna from several countries whose fishing led to massive dolphin slaughters on the Pacific coast. Some 423,000 dolphins were killed by tuna fishermen in 1972, according to the Center for Marine Conservation in the United States. That was the year Congress first moved to limit dolphin kills by U.S. fishermen under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Later laws applied restrictions to tuna imported into the country. Representatives of Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama said their countries have lost $100 million in export revenues since the 1991 boycott was imposed. They claim they already have made huge strides and cut dolphin kills to 3,600 by 1994. Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund and the National Wildlife Federation were among the groups supporting the declaration. But others have decried it. On Monday, Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Joseph Biden, D-Del., and Reps. George Miller, D-Calif. and Gerry E. Studds, D-Mass., released an open letter to President Clinton expressing "grave concern" over the measure. They complained it would let foreign companies use a "dolphin safe" label even if their practices continued to endanger dolphin populations and said it "is nothing short of consumer fraud." Several House Republicans are backing the measure to repeal the tuna import restrictions. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 06:57:16 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: fishery interaction - news clip I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has some thoughts as to whether a blue whale was involved or not. Thanks! (Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov) ______________________________________________________________________ 10/05/95 Moroccan sardine fishermen net blue whale RABAT, Morocco (Reuter) - Moroccan fishermen trawling for sardines in the Atlantic netted instead a 12-tonne blue whale, the Moroccan news agency MAP said Thursday. At 43 ft. long the whale dwarfed the 36-ft. trawler, which was off the Western Saharan port of Tarfaya. MAP quoted the captain as saying the whale failed to free itself from the net despite a struggle of more than 12 hours. It was not immediately known if the whale survived. MAP quoted a marine scientist as saying blue whales were rarely seen in Moroccan waters. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 14:15:56 -0800 From: earthisland(\)igc.apc.org Organization: Earth Island Institute Subject: Ban wild dolphin feeding Mr. Lee Elliott Protected Species Division Texas Parks and Wildlife 6300 Ocean Drive, Campus Box 317 Corpus Christi, Texas 78412 Dear Mr. Elliott: We are writing with serious concern over possible efforts to persuade Texas public officials to condone the feeding of wild marine mammals . Recently, the Earth Island Institute (EII) received correspondence and information from Erv Strong of the Dolphin Connection in Corpus Christi, Texas, proposing that Christi Bay, and possibly surrounding estuaries, be designated as a marine park in which human feeding of wild dolphins could occur. Mr. Strong is promoting this concept as an alternative to captive viewing of marine mammals and describes these activities as >=voluntary human / dolphin interactive programs. Although we fully support the protection and preservation of coastal and estuarine habitat that could result from such a marine reserve, we are adamantly opposed to the feeding of marine mammals in the wild. Not only is the feeding of marine mammals in the wild illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq) (MMPA), it is blatantly negligent with regard to the well being and health of marine mammals, and is in no way a viable alternative to captivity. The unnecessary death and often gross vandalism of wild California sea lions and dolphins habituated to human handouts and opportunistic feeding from fishing vessels is an all too common event that our organizations continually struggle against. The social traits that make these marine mammals so attractive to the public display industry are the same characteristics that easily habituate them to expect human handouts and behave like their captive counterparts by begging for food for the amusement of some well-intentioned human. Unfortunately, marine mammals in the wild cannot discriminate between the well intentioned and the bad or dangerous, and are left vulnerable to circumstances that often prove fatal. Therefore, although our memberships are committed to phasing out the practice of keeping marine mammals captive, feeding marine mammals in the wild contradicts the fundamental principals of protecting these animals from harm and preserving their wild nature against unnecessary perversities imposed on them by humans. After careful review of the information provided by Mr. Strong, along with an examination of his documented efforts over the years to force a change in law to allow feeding in Corpus Christi, Mr. Strong demonstrates a minimal level of knowledge about marine mammals and a general lack of concern for the welfare of the animals he has influenced in Christi Bay. For instance, Mr. Strongpis repeated reference to >=feral<= dolphins in Christi Bay is confusing. Because dolphins are not domesticated creatures left to fend for themselves in the wild, i.e.feral, no such animal exists. After identifying various inconsistencies in his arguments, we felt it was important to present you with our views on this matter in the event that Mr. Strong provides you with similar information. Fundamentally, Mr. Strong claims that there is little or no evidence to show that feeding wild marine mammals alters their behaviors in ways that prove to be injurious. However, the facts dramatically contradict this position. For example, in correspondence to EII, Mr. Strong discusses an appellate court case which upheld the prohibition against his commercial feeding operations. Mr. Strong references an incident submitted as evidence in that case in which two teenagers attempted to, in his words, >=snag dolphins<= off a pier in Florida. Not only was that incident only one of many documented in the court proceedings, but the prevalence of line fishermen attempting to hook dolphins continues to be a serious and frequent threat to habituated dolphins in Florida. Mr. Strongpis attempt to downplay the relevance of this evidence and human vandalism against dolphins conditioned to accepting handouts is a misrepresentation of the facts. In addition, Mr. Strong refers to a total of 38 dolphins as having been identified by his feeding operations over the last eight years by what he describes as >=facial recognition<=. He acknowledges that this part of the dolphinpis anatomy is most often present when the animals are >=...observing humans above-water... and or soliciting food.<= This discussion appears to inadvertently document the changed behavior of dolphins in Christi Bay that may prove to be injurious. Unhabituated wild dolphins rarely present their heads above water. We are further disturbed by the fact that, by all descriptions from Mr. Strong, his operations appear to have encouraged these animals to frequent inner waters known for high levels of contamination as well as marina boat traffic. These examples serve to suggest an insensitivity to the general health and welfare of these animals, particularly of any juveniles which may be involved. The change in behavior among dolphins in Corpus Christi may also be viewed in a video sent to EII by Mr. Strong in which dolphins are observed, nose to propeller, chasing a boat that is moving at high speed. Although an aware and concerned boater might know never to abruptly slow in such circumstances, much less solicit chase in the first place, not all boats are operated by accomplished individuals who have the health and welfare of marine mammals in mind. The accompaniment of rock and roll music to this portion of the video would seem to indicate a total disregard or lack of awareness as to the significant danger posed to the dolphins in this film. Lastly, Mr. Strong attempts to suggest that his concepts are supported by a study recently issued by the Australian government regarding the survival of provisioned dolphins at Monkey Mia in Shark Bay, Australia. Monkey Mia is a well known tourist attraction in Australia in which a small pod of resident female dolphins swim in shore to be fed by tourists on the beach. It was long thought by Monkey Mia officials that feeding operations had no impact on the dolphinspi health due to the quality of food provided and the controlled number of feedings allowed each day. However, in recent years the government has been pressed to reassess the feeding of these dolphins and evaluate any impacts the program may be having on the health of these dolphins outside the boundaries of Monkey Mia. Contrary to Mr. Strongpis suggestions, the evidence dramatically illustrates that, although one may be able to control the actions of people on a beach, it is extremely difficult to control human actions in open water and impossible to control the actions of wild marine mammals. As history and logic would predict, when scheduled feedings were not occurring on the beach, the provisioned dolphins would beg from boats outside park boundaries. Although the adults appear to be surviving, of the 20 calves born since feeding operations began, only 5 have survived. The report suggests a variety of reasons for this dramatic mortality level, including a lack of learned foraging skills, starvation, dependency on human handouts, and an increased vulnerability to predators, boating accidents, vandalism by humans and possibly disease transmission. Many of these same concerns were cited by the court in its decision to uphold the prohibitions against feeding wild marine mammals issued under the MMPA and its statutory mandate to protect marine mammals and their populations. In April of this year, the Australian government banned all feeding from boats, all feeding of juvenile dolphins, and proposed plans to increase the level of marine enforcement. It is questionable whether or not tourists and the public will be able to discern all juveniles from adults, much less be prevented from feeding them. However, the tremendous economic success of Monkey Mia may have played a role in the governmentpis decision to opt for the unenforceable and maintain lucrative beach feedings. In closing, Mr. Strongpis arguments are illogical at best and disingenuous at worst. Although we fully support efforts to provide educational alternatives to the viewing of captive marine mammals, there is no justifiable reason to feed wild marine mammals other than to entice their close approach and performance for human amusement -- the occurrence of which invalidates any educational appreciation of these creatures in their >=natural<= habitat. Further, the feeding of marine mammals is in direct violation of the protections Congress has afforded marine mammals in this country and the goal of eliminating the incidental deaths of marine mammals attributable to interactions with vessels and humans. In addition, it seems germane to point out that on the weekend of June 16, NMFS law enforcement was notified that a woman in a small boat was approached by wild dolphins in south Florida waters. These dolphins were actually exhibiting begging behavior. The woman took a fish in her mouth and held it over the side for one of the dolphins. One not only grabbed the fish, it also bit off the womanpis nose at the same time. It is just these sorts of negative interactions that will occur more frequently if feeding wild dolphins is allowed. Whether or not Christi Bay is designated as a marine reserve, commercial cruises that provide an opportunity to observe marine mammals in their natural environment from a safe and respectful distance is a legal and responsible option for Mr. Strong and the state of Texas to explore. We would strongly support such activities and would be more than happy to provide our assistance and experience in such matters. Thank you for taking the time to review our concerns. Should you have any questions or wish to discuss this matter further, please feel free to contact us at either number below. This letter is to be filed into the permanent public record of Mr. Strong/Dolphin Connection at Texas Parks and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service, and Marine Mammal Commission. Sincerely, Mark Berman Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Earth Island Institute The Humane Society of the U.S. 415-788-3666 301-258-3048 c.c.: Rolland Schmitten, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Dr. William Fox, National Marine Fisheries Service Ann Terbush, National Marine Fisheries Service John Twiss, Marine Mammal Commission Honorable Solomon Ortiz, U.S. House of Representatives Honorable Todd Hunter, State House of Representatives -- http://www.earthisland.org/ei/ email: earthisland(\)earthisland.org phone: 415-788-3666 300 Broadway #28 SF, CA 94133 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 17:44:57 AST9ADT From: Kurt Byers Subject: Sea otter rehab book The University of Alaska Press has just published "Emergency Care and Rehabilitation of Oiled Sea Otters," edited by Terrie M. Williams and Randall W. Davis, with contributions from 27 other experts. The book is divided into three main sections: Care and Handling of Oiled Sea Otters, Logistical Considerations for Large Oil Spills, and Other Marine Mammals. The book discusses how to capture, test, treat, and release sea otters victimized by oil spills. Also covers rehab facility design, volunteer training, and personnel safety. Cloth cover, ISBN 0-912006-77-3, $45.95. Paper cover, ISBN 0-912006-78-1, $29.95. Approx. 300 pages, 8 1/2" X 11", color and b/w photos. Illustrations, tables, sample forms. Contact: University of Alaska Press, P.O. Box 756240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240, USA. Telephone (907) 474-6389, fax (907) 474-5502. Kurt Byers, Communications Manager University of Alaska Sea Grant College Program (907) 474-6702 fnkmb1(\)aurora.alaska.edu ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 07:02:19 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: epimeletic behavior - need more info It would be extremely helpful if people would please put email addresses with their postings (esp if the subject merits further discussion with the person making the posting). Please keep in mind that there are some computer servers that somehow strip information of the sender from a posting made to a discussion group. Thanks! Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: References on Epimeletic Behavior Author: Marine Mammals Research and Conservation Discussion at ~smtp Date: 10/11/95 1:47 PM Dear Marmammers Last month there was a request for references on epimeletic behaviour. We have one documented example in Hong Kong, when a Humpbacked dolphin (Sousa chinensis) was seen with a dead calf. The adult pushed the calf and carried it on it's snout. When boats approached, the adult appeared seemed to be trying to pull the calf underwater. This pair was first seen on 16 June 1994 and was resighted, still carrying the calf, on 22 June 1994. This is mentioned in: Parsons, E.C.M. 1995. (in press). The mortality and conservation of small cetaceans in Hong Kong's territorial waters. Proceedings of the Symposium on the Small Cetaceans of S.E.Asia (ed. W. Perrin), UNEP: Bangkok. Chris Parsons ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 13:48:20 -0700 From: Frederick Sharpe Subject: Re: whales and seine nets In-Reply-To: <199510112041.NAA14183(\)ferrari.sfu.ca> from "Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov" at Oct 11, 95 08:09:27 am Dear Marmammers, As part of a study on cooperative foraging humpback whales in southeast Alaska, I am investigating interactions between whales and commericalBseine nets. I am putting together a questionnaire to send to the seine vessel opperators. This survey will draw on experiences of fisherman to develope methods for minimizing net strikes with humpbacks. Rather than attempting to quantify the extent of the net strikes (which would be difficult with a volunteer survey) I would like to focus on techniques for avoiding collisions. Does any one out there have experience with surveys designed to sample fishing communities? Any insights would be appreciated. Fred Sharpe Simon Fraser University fsharpe(\)sfu.ca ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 10:20:50 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: MM conference -UPDATE REMINDER No. 1 - 1 November is the postmark deadline for submitting COMPLETE conference registration forms without incurring the US$25.00 LATE FEE. REMINDER No. 2 - Please READ the registration form before filling it out. Pay particular attention concerning the items INCLUDED in the fee for a given registration category. FULL and NON-MEMBER registrations include both the opening reception AND the closing banquet. Don't order ADDITIONAL tickets unless you really want to. STUDENT registrtion includes the opening reception but NOT the closing banquet. REMINDER No. 3 - Students MUST include a photocopy of a valid student ID card or other proof of status. The fact that a copy may have been sent with an abstract is not adequate. The Conference Committee needs a copy too. INFO - The PROGRAM COMMITTEE has mailed, emailed or faxed all acceptance letters. If you have not heard in a few days, contact the PROGRAM COMMITTEE, Brent Stewart directly. As soon as I have the full list of presentations (tentatively, I should have it on 13 October), the Conference Committee will also be able to answer some questions about presentations. SPECIAL PRESENTATION NEEDS - Each main meeting room will be outfitted with a SINGLE 35mm slide projector. Carousels will be provided. If you need special equipment needs (e.g. video projector) contact the Conference Committee (D.K. Odell) directly. Individuals requiring video monitors for poster presentations are responsible for providing it on their own. The Conference Committee will provide information on local suppliers and costs. Depending on needs, the Conference Committee MAY be able to arrange a discounted equipment rental fee. In either case, the poster authors are responsible for the rental fees. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel K. Odell phone: 407-363-2662; fax: +407-345-5397 Chair, Conference Committee Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Society for Marine Mammalogy Orlando, Florida, USA - 14-18 December 1995 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 09:49:33 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 10/13/95 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Chinese White-Fin Dolphin. On Oct. 10, 1995, Chinese authorities announced that the number of freshwater white-fin dolphins in the Yangtze River had plunged to only about 130 animals, and expressed fear that this species could be extinct within 25 years. [Reuters] . ATOC. On Oct. 6, 1995, NMFS approved the permit application by Scripps Institute of Oceanography for operation of the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) sound source near the island of Kauai, Hawaii. [Assoc Press, Greenwire] . Tuna-Dolphin. On Oct. 10, 1995, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. Government acted legally by halting the tuna seine fishery in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean on Feb. 7, 1994, when it appeared that dolphin mortality quotas would be exceeded. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 13:16:35 +0100 From: James Hrynyshyn Subject: Dolphin Project Europe Newsletter web site For those interested in the work of the Dolphin Project Europe, and Ric O'Barry in particular, a web site is available with the latest issue of the group's newsletter. The URL is: http://www.achilles.net/~jamesh/dolphin/ Contact e-mail is: WIEJA(\)rulcri.LeidenUniv.NL Cheers ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 21:43:31 +1300 From: Terry Hardie Subject: Discontinuation of News Feeds Dear MARMAM'ers, I am writing to tell you all that due to copyright issues, I have been asked to stop distributing the Press releases I have been distributing on the list for the last little while. I know many of you have found this a very valuable resource, especially for news regarding Marine Mammals in New Zealand. Even though I won't be able to post these press releases to the list, if there is any news that comes through that I think is of particular interest, I will post a short summary of it to the list. If you have any questions, please feel to e-mail me. Terry ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 14:42:04 -0400 From: AROELL(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Second Sealing Forum, Newfoundland Great detailed report from Anne Doncaster. I agree with her on the probability of the catch for 1996 staying around 60,000 seals because the CSA wants more money to "develope markets" and it dis not seem to receive a favorable response from DFO during the Forum. One thing that remains in my mind, however, is that Minister Tobin, during a press conference in the Magdalen Islands on June 26, 1995, committed DFO to a larger hunt by saying that he was convinced that the kill figures should be increased (based on the population study, that the full quota should be taken and that the government would do everything it can to ensure that the whole quota will be taken. Exactly what that means will become clear in the next few months. Annemieke Roell Seal Team International Fund for Animal Welfare ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 10:43:00 -0230 From: "Sean Todd, Whale Research Group" Subject: email address for W.W.L. Au Hi, Could someone please send me Whit Au's email address posted here a few days ago...? I accidentally erased it and its not in the Society's directory. Thanks ============================== Sean Todd Whale Research Group Memorial University, NFLD., Canada, A1B 3X9. stodd(\)kean.ucs.mun.ca "The art of flying is achieved mainly by knowing how to avoid the ground" ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 12:09:53 -0500 From: Michael Williamson Subject: Meetings at Conference/OrlandoD (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 8:06:54 -0400 (EDT) From: Michael Williamson To: marmam(\)uvvm.uvic.edu Cc: williams(\)whale.simmons.edu Subject: Meetings at Conference/Orlando I would like to announce that there will be a meeting in the evening to discuss two projects. 1) The R&D of the FINNS project which is the development of software being developed by Nichols Research Corp. which will enable researchers to digitized and identify humpback flukes with computer assisted software. After this softeare is developed it can be adjusted for use with other species--blue whales, dolphin dorsals, orca, etc. 2) The WhaleNet project-- This is a program funded by the National Science Foundation to use research information, data, and collaboration to enhance interest in science and math education via the internet. We now have contacts in 32 countries and an impressive list of affiliate organizations and individuals. See how you can participate and find a valuable use for "some" of the data that is gather dust -- participate in an exciting educational program for the next generation of "biologists." If you want more information of either of these programs please contact me. Michael Williamson WhaleNet/Wheelock College email: williams(\)whale.simmons.edu WhaleNet http://whale.simmons.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 15:25:00 EDT From: "Baker, Susan" Subject: Conference roommates This is a repeat of a previous message for those who may have missed it. I have agreed to act as a coordinator for anyone who is in search of roommate(s) for the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Orlando in December. If anyone is in search of a roommate for that conference, please email me directly your name, sex, dates you'll be at the conference, how many roommates you desire (1, 2 or 3), any other information you feel would be helpful in matching you up with a roommate (if you smoke for example), and very importantly, your contact information. If and when I find a match(s) I will email all parties the respective contact informaiton and you will take it from there. I must have all requests by November 3rd. Hotel reservations at Clarion Plaza are due by November 15. Please note the following disclaimer: The Marine Mammal Conference roommate matching I have volunteered to do is NOT sanctioned by either the Society for Marine Mammalogy or The Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. It is just something that I thought would be helpful, especially to my fellow students and our limited budgets. Susan Baker sxb(\)cu.nih.gov ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 13:33:00 -0300 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: 10/6/95 (LONG) -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Would anyone please have a copy of the proposed new Australian regulations for the protection of cetaceans released for comments last September? We would very much appreciate obtaining it either through our private e-mail or snailmail{ to help in our current drafting of the new Brazilian whalewatching regulations. Thank you! Jose Palazzo Jr., International Wildlife Coalition/Brasil iwcbr(\)ax.apc.org PO Box 5087, 88040-970 Florianopolis, SC, Brasil ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 14 Oct 1995 18:00:06 -0300 From: "Jose Truda Palazzo Jr. (Pres.Dir. Nacional)" Subject: Re: news clip - tuna/dolphin As a South American, and knowing how much cheating goes on regarding official " limitrs", " quotas" and the like, I too view the " Panama Declaration" on the tuna-dolphin issue not with concern, but with laugh. Unless there is some sort of rigorous INTERNATIONAL AND INDEPENDENT (eg not only governments) observer scheme, it will be just one more scam. I hope Americans won't buy it and will keep the embargo on dolphin-unsafe tuna standing. By the way, Brazilian tuna companies are currently striving to have their product certified as dolphin safe. Any relaxation of the embargo now would cripple our own domestic efforts to have high conservation standards adopted in Brazilian fihseries regarding marine mammals. Please keep it up! Jose Palazzo, International Wildlife Coalition/Brazil ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 15 Oct 1995 16:28:46 -0700 From: Ann Bowles Subject: Acoustical Society of America Short Course on Marine Mammal Bioacoustics MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT Acoustical Society of America Short Course Marine Mammal Bioacoustics 12-13 December 1995, Clarion Hotel, Orlando, FL I am writing as one of the organizers of a two-day short course that may be of interest to marmam readers. The course is entitled Marine Mammal Bioacoustics and will be held on December 12 and 13, 1995, in Orlando, Florida, immediately preceding the Marine Mammal Society Meetings. A syllabus for the meeting and registration information are available on request, or over the Internet at http://www.cardiffsw.com/bas.html. For further information you can also call the ASA at (516)-576-2360, FAX (516)-349-7669, write 500 Sunnyside Blvd., Woodbury, NY 11797, or e-mail Elaine Moran at elaine(\)pinet.aip.org. Course goals The short course has been organized by the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) in cooperation with the Society for Marine Mammalogy. The ASA regularly carries out short-courses and tutorials on topics in acoustics and noise abatement taught by leading experts in their fields. The primary goal of the course is to acquaint participants with the basics of marine mammal bioacoustics, including marine mammal communication, sound perception, and responses to natural and human-made sounds in the ocean.The short course is intended for individuals with a science background but without specialized knowledge, including scientists in other fields, teachers, science writers, and wildlife managers. A panel of reviewers with diverse interests will comment on the course materials before they are finalized to insure that the materials are both understandable and unbiased. Controversial topics will be saved for a panel discussion at the end of the meeting. Hotel Reservations A limited number of hotel rooms have been reserved at conference rates ($68/night single or double; $83/night triple, $98/night quadruple) for the short course. These rooms will be available until 27 November or until completely booked. Reservations can be made by calling Clarion Hotels at 800-221-2222, the Clarion Plaza Hotel in Orlando at 407-352-9700, or by FAX at 407-352-9710. Course Contents and Speakers Introduction to the Acoustical Society of America (Dr. Charles Schmid, Executive Director, ASA) Introduction to acoustics and psychoacoustics (Dr. William Yost, Parmly Hearing Institute) Introduction to underwater acoustics, Part I (Dr. James Miller, University of Rhode Island) Introduction to underwater acoustics, Part II (Dr. James Miller, University of Rhode Island) Sonar of dolphins (Dr. Whitlow Au, University of Hawaii) Measurement and analysis of social sounds (Dr. Peter Tyack, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) Automated recognition of marine mammal calls (Dr. David Mellinger, Cornell University) Acoustical techniques to measure and track marine mammals (Dr. Christopher Clark, Cornell University) Effects of noise on marine mammals (Dr. John R. Richardson, LGL environmental research associates) Auditory anatomy and hearing loss (Dr. Darlene Ketten, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary) Responses of marine mammals to disturbance (Bernd W|rsig, Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University) Predicting effects and the need for standards (Ann Bowles, Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute) Regulating impacts on marine mammals (Nina Young, Center for Marine Conservation) Panel discussion Organizing/Review Committee Dr. Whitlow Au, ASA Co-chair, Animal Bioacoustics Dr. Ann Bowles, ASA Co-chair, Animal Bioacoustics Dr. William Evans, past NOAA director (1986-1989), NRC Committee Member Dr. Charles Schmid, ASA Executive Director Dr. Jeanette Thomas, President, Society for Marine Mammalogy Dr. James Miller, Underwater Acoustics Technical Committee Member Dr. Robert Gisiner, Office of Naval Research Dr. Christopher Clark, Bioacoustics Laboratory, Cornell University Dr. Robert Hoffman, Marine Mammal Commission ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Oct 1995 10:29:33 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: whalemeat toxin link in Faroese (reported by Peter Jones, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Aug. 1995) Mercury levels in the kidneys and livers of the Faroese are roughly ten times that of the Norwegians living in Bergen. This startling revelation was made in a recent World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Marine Update (No. 20, May 1995) which links the elevated levels with the consumption of whalemeat by the islanders. The Faroese regularly eat the meat of the long-finned pilot whale, which they catch by driving the whales ashore. The whalemeat forms an important part of the islander's diet, with consumption between 1970 and 1984 ranging from 82 to 555 g week ^-1. The problem is that pilot whales are carnviorous, feeding on squid, pelagic fish and crustaceans. Being at the top of the marine food web, they are liable to accumulate both toxic metals and organic chemicals. According to the WWF report, researchers have found that pilot whales from the North Atlantic have up to seven times the amount of PCBs and other chemicals that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) consider safe. Mercury exposure is not the only danger coming from the consumption of whale meat. Whilst mercury exposure from eating pilot whale exceeds WHO levels by a factor of four, cadmimum levels are also exceeded by a factor of two. Elevated levels of the pesticides lindane and dieldrin and DDE as well as PCBs have all been found in the Faroese. The predicament of the Faroese serves to draw attention to problems from pollution facing whale populations as a whole. The WWF report suggests that even if all the world's whaling fleets wre mothballed tomorrow, the future of many whale species would still remain in doubt as a result of toxic pollution and other environmental threats such as global warming, drift nets, toxic algal blooms etc. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Oct 1995 20:16:35 GMT From: h94jd(\)alpha2.luton.ac.uk Subject: UK Porpoise Rescue PORPOISE RESCUE IN UK Local television news in the east of England has reported that a female porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) has been taken to the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (RSPCA) Norfolk Wildlife Hospital after stranding in The Wash on the east of England coast. The hospital, which has a specialist unit for seal rescue and rehabilitation, is currently housing the animal in a large, collapsible tank. The hospital hopes it will be successful in rehabilitating and eventually releasing this animal back to sea. NOTE In Holland, the Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park has been successful rehabilitation and releasing a number of cetacean, including porpoises, since the construction of a dedicated standing unit in the late nineteen-eighties. ======================================== John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD Email: H94JD(\)alpha2.luton.ac.uk ======================================== ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Oct 1995 16:19:38 -0400 From: Constance Russell Subject: Whalewatching as environmental education Hello all: I am gearing up for my doctoral dissertation research on the educational aspects of whalewatching. I am currently arranging field sites and hope to participate in whalewatching expeditions on the West coast of Canada, the St. Lawrence River and possibly also on the East coast of Canada. Ideally, I would like to investigate different types of whalewatching, including (but not limited to) those run by traditional tour operators, First Nations groups, unemployed or underemployed fisherfolk, and scientists using tourism to partially fund their research. If anyone could recomment potential research sites or people to contact, I would greatly appreciate it. Also, if anyone is aware of similar research, I would like to hear about that as well. Please respond to me privately unless you think your response would be of interest to the entire list. Thanks, in advance, for your assistance. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Constance L. Russell E-mail: crussell(\)oise.on.ca Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V6 CANADA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Oct 1995 10:23:55 -0600 From: Jane Austin Subject: Wildlife telemetry forum PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT FORUM ON WILDLIFE TELEMETRY: INNOVATIONS, EVALUATIONS, AND RESEARCH NEEDS This is a forum for research biologists and telemetry engineers to discuss new technologies in wildlife telemetry, field evaluations of equipment and techniques, and the directions that future developments should take to meet wildlife research needs. Anticipated topics include (i) transmitting and receiving systems (e.g., satellite and encoded transmitters, passive transponders, GPS units, automated data loggers); (ii) transmitter attachment techniques (methods and evaluations); (iii) collection of physiological and environmental data; (iv) data processing and analyses; and (v) directions for future telemetry development. The forum will feature discussion sessions and hands-on demonstrations; it will include topic overviews by invited speakers and submitted presentations. This will be an opportunity to share information on failures, problems, and successes. The forum will be held 21-23 September 1997 at Snowmass, Colorado, in association with the 1997 Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society. For further information, contact Dr. Jane Austin (jane_austin(\)nbs.gov) or Dr. Pamela Pietz (pam_pietz(\)nbs.gov), National Biological Service, Northern Prairie Science Center, Jamestown, ND 58401; phone 701-252- 5363, FAX 701-252-4217. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Oct 1995 15:21:04 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: book available The following books might be of interest to some people. They are available thru Donald E. Hahn Books (apologies to those of you who already get the catalog). Phone 520-634-5016. Refer to the item number that I include with the book. You can use VISA, Mastercard or American Express. Please do not email me about trying to locate other books, thanks. 1365. Dierauf, L.A. (ed). 1990. CRC Handbook of marine mammal medicine: health, disease, and rehabilitation. $57 1403. Perrin, W.F. et al. 1984. IWC Special Issue: Reproduction in Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises. $39 1406. Pryor and Norris. 1991. Dolphin Societies: Discoveries and Puzzles. $35 1409. Riedman, M.L. and J.A. Estes. 1990. The sea otter (Enhyra lutris): behavior, ecology, and natural history. $13 1419. Slijper, E.J. 1958 (1962 translated from Dutch). Whales. (out of print) $35 1434. Wood, F.G. 1973. Marine mammals and man: the NAVY's porpoises and sea lions. $19 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 15 Oct 1995 07:42:48 +0000 From: gomercic(\)olimp.irb.hr Subject: Re: craniometry Prof. Dr. Hrvoje Gomercic Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb 10000 ZAGREB, Heinzelova 55, CROATIA Phone: 385 1 23 90 250; Fax: 385 1 214 697 E-mail: gomercic(\)olimp.irb.hr Zagreb, 15 October 1995 Dear Sandra and others MARMAMers, At the Central Library of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagr eb, Croatia (10000 Zagreb, Heinzelova 55) you can find two Diploma Theses of int erest for you with subject on craniometry of dolphins from the Adriatic Sea. Bel ow you can find Stimac, S.: Craniometrical characteristics of the dolphins (Delphinidae) from th e Adriatic Sea. Diploma Thesis. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Zagreb, 1995. (3 9+7 pages, 31 figures, 18 references; mentor: Prof. Dr. Hrvoje Gomercic) SUMMARY: ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Oct 1995 19:37:35 -0500 From: Wil Burns Subject: International Wildlife Law Conference International Wildlife Law Conference Announcement "International Wildlife Law: Preserving Biodiversity In The 21st Century." Sponsors: The American Society of International Law; the Pacific Center For International Studies; the Georgetown International Environmental Law Review; Detroit College of Law - Michigan State University. Overarching theme: the legal and political efficacy of wildlife treaty regimes and means to improve the effectiveness of said regimes in the future. Date: Tuesday, March 26, 1996. Time: 9:00am - 6:00pm, informal reception to follow. Location: ANA Hotel, Washington, DC Panels: 1. The Convention On International Trade In Endangered Species 2. The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling 3. Marine conservation regimes Speakers and respondents will represent the governmental, nonprofit and academic sectors, including the following: The Center For International Environmental Law, the University of Maine Marine Law Institute, the Japanese Whaling Association, the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund and the University of Mississippi School of Law. Registration fees: $50.00, $25.00 for students. Please make out checks to "Detroit College of Law - Michigan State University." Registration may be effectuated by filling out the form that follows and remitting registration materials and payment to: Wil Burns, Pacific Center For International Studies, 33 University Square, Suite 184, Madison, WI 53715. For further information, contact me via phone or e-mail. Registration Form: "International Wildlife Law: Preserving Biodiversity In The 21st Century" ANA Hotel, March 26, 1996 Name: Organizational Affiliation: Address: City, State, Zip: Business Phone: Home Phone: Fax: E-mail address: Classification: _____ Student ($25.00) _______ Non-Student ($50.00). Checks should be made out to "Detroit College of Law-Michigan State University." Wil Burns, Pacific Center For International Studies, 33 University Square, Suite 184, Madison, WI 53715. Phone/fax: (608) 256-6312; E-mail: pcis(\)igc.apc.org William C. Burns Director, Pacific Center For International Studies 33 University Square, Suite 184, Madison, WI 53715-1042 USA Phone: (608) 256-6312 Fax: (608) 256-6312 E-mail: wcburns1(\)students.wisc.edu Canadian Office: 2446 Bank Street: Suite 408 Ottawa, Ontario K1V 1A8 CANADA Phone: (613) 738-2078 Fax: (613) 739-1276 E-mail: BK191(\)freenet.carleton.ca Center affiliations: Union of Concerned Scientists, Sound Science Initiative The EarthAction Network The Galapagos Coalition Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 10:44:20 -0700 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Tuna/dolphin Dear Marmam'ers: As you may recall, I posted a "scientists' statement" several weeks ago regarding the tuna/dolphin situation in the ETP. At that time, a bill, H.R. 2179, had been introduced that would have had grave consequences for the dolphins in the ETP tuna fishery. The bill is still in sub-committee and appears to have stalled there, as it was universally disliked by the animal protection and environmental communities and many members of Congress. However, two weeks ago five environmental non-governmental organizations (Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, National Wildlife Federation, Environmental Defense Fund, and the Center for Marine Conservation), the U.S. State Department, and representatives of several Latin American and European nations signed the "Panama Declaration," a compromise proposition to H.R. 2179 that addresses the trade concerns of the involved nations. The HSUS is extremely disturbed by this declaration for several reasons, not the least of which is that it was negotiated without including or even informing The HSUS (which has been involved in the tuna/dolphin issue for over 20 years), other long-time involved dolphin conservation organizations, tuna processors, or Congressional staff leaders on this issue. Some of the five above-named NGOs have in fact only recently become involved in the tuna/dolphin issue. The Panama Declaration essentially states the following: The five named NGOs would support efforts to amend the dolphin-safe laws to revise the current dolphin-safe definition. The current definition is no setting nets on dolphins -- the revised definition would be no observed mortality in a set (that is, setting nets on dolphins would once again become the standard method of fishing for tuna in the ETP). The U.S. fleet would once again be allowed to set nets on dolphins (the current law makes it illegal for U.S. citizens to set nets on dolphins), with a goal of no observed dolphin kills per set. The five NGOs would also support efforts to lift the embargoes on tuna from nations whose fishing methods are dolphin-unsafe. The five NGOs would offer their support in exchange for, most notably, making the La Jolla Agreement binding (the mitigation regime which is currently non-binding), initiating steps for any IATTC non-member nations (notably Mexico) to join the IATTC, and capping the dolphin mortality limit for the ETP fishery at 5000, with a goal of achieving an annual mortality limit of 0.1% of minimum estimated abundance for each stock of dolphins in the ETP by the year 2001. There are two major problems with the Panama Declaration. One, a per set definition of dolphin-safe will be extremely difficult if not impossible to enforce or accurately monitor. Once the tuna is loaded into the hold, a dolphin-safe set could become intermingled with a dolphin-unsafe set from the same vessel at several different points along the way to the cannery. In addition, sets that have been in good faith certified as zero-mortality sets by on-board IATTC observers have later been found to have caused dolphin deaths. However, the second problem in many ways outweighs the potential monitoring and enforcement problem, because it is an undeniable given. Hundreds of thousands of dolphins in the ETP will once again be routinely chased and encircled by nets, with the en masse return of the U.S. fleet to the ETP and the resumption by many other nations and vessels that have been fishing dolphin-safe in the ETP of the practice of setting nets on dolphins. The two most seriously impacted stocks of dolphins, the depleted northeastern spotted and eastern spinner dolphins, will be hard put if not completely unable to recover to OSP if this happens. IF THE ONLY CONCERN FOR MARINE MAMMAL CONSERVATION IS THE OBVIOUS AND OBSERVED MORTALITY OF DOLPHINS, THE PANAMA DECLARATION MAY SEEM LIKE A REASONABLE COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE CONSERVATION COMMUNITY AND THE NATIONS CURRENTLY EMBARGOED BY U.S. LAW. IF, HOWEVER, THE CONCERN IS THE TRUE RECOVERY OF DOLPHIN STOCKS THAT HAVE SUFFERED YEARS OF INDISCRIMINATE SLAUGHTER, THEN THE PANAMA DECLARATION IS A TERRIBLE MISTAKE. The HSUS sincerely believes that the two depleted stocks will not only not recover, but will continue to decline, if the practice of setting nets on dolphins, even with mitigation, is once again allowed across the board in the ETP. Unfortunately, it will take years to find out whether The HSUS or the five NGOs got it right -- once again, the precautionary principle seems warranted. I am once again posting the scientists' statement, along with the current list of sign-ons. If any of the current signers wish to remove their names with these new developments, I feel it is only fair to offer this opportunity to do so -- please contact me directly to let me know. However, I also once again appeal to MARMAM subscribers to add their names to the list, to make the statement as effective a tool as possible on Capitol Hill as The HSUS tries to prevent the Panama Declaration from being turned into a substitute bill for H.R. 2179. I again emphasize that signing the statement in no way affiliates you with The HSUS or implies an endorsement of our policies. The HSUS will of course be the distributor of the statement to key Congressional offices, but the language of the statement itself is non-partisan. Thank you. Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the U.S. 2100 L St. NW Washington, D.C. 20037 ph: 301/258-3048 fax: 301/258-3080 Internet address: hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com --------------------------------- SCIENTISTS' STATEMENT REGARDING THE SETTING OF NETS ON DOLPHINS IN THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC OCEAN The undersigned marine mammal researchers wish to express their concern about the practice of setting purse seine nets on schools of dolphins (in order to trap the tuna swimming below the school) in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) tuna fishery. In the early 1970s, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service developed various mitigation measures to reduce the observed mortality (e.g. drowning) of dolphins in seine nets, including the practice of "backing down." Once a net is drawn closed around a dolphin school, the vessel reverses direction, dropping the far side of the net below the surface and offering an escape channel for the entrapped dolphins. This and other measures were subsequently adopted by the foreign fleet under the administration of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). Tuna fishers and the IATTC consider released dolphins to be "unharmed" and they both consider backing down an adequate mitigation measure to avoid dolphin mortality. However, even when employing this procedure, setting nets on dolphins entails a prolonged chase with high-speed power boats and an often extensive delay while the net is circled around the school. The chase and encirclement are highly stressful events for the dolphins and evidence is mounting that their physiological responses to this stress may cause 1) mortality never observed by IATTC observers, who are carried on board all seiners (deaths may occur during the chase and after the back-down) and 2) cumulative long-term effects that may delay sexual maturation and reduce the reproductive success for those individual dolphins released but repeatedly chased and encircled or otherwise harassed by purse seine vessels over time. Two of the dolphin populations in the ETP (eastern spinner dolphins and northeastern offshore spotted dolphins) have been listed as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act as a direct result of the estimated mortality they have suffered in decades of interactions with the tuna fishery -- they have been reduced to an estimated 44% and 23% respectively of their historical population sizes. These populations continue to be chased and encircled by non-U.S. vessels under the current IATTC regime. These practices may restrict the ability of these populations to recover to their optimum sustainable population levels. Setting on dolphins with mitigation may reduce but not altogether halt observed mortality, but unobserved mortality and long-term negative effects must be taken into account. We urge that every effort should be made to prohibit all vessels in the ETP from chasing and setting nets on dolphins, as required under current U.S. law. 9/95 On behalf of: James Stephen Leatherwood, Chairman IUCN/SSC Cetacean Specialist Group Albert C. Myrick, Jr., Ph.D. Research Associate Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History University of California, San Diego Walter Clinton, Ph.D. Seattle, Washington Lisa T. Ballance, Ph.D. San Diego, California Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Washington, D.C. Alastair Watson, Ph.D. Cetacean Scientist and Teacher Oklahoma State University Dennis Kelly, Professor of Marine Biology Director, The Coastal Dolphin Survey Project Orange Coast College, California Rebecca Donaldson, Ph.D. Candidate Murdoch University, Western Australia Gwen Lowe, Ph.D. Candidate University of Hawaii Susan L. McAlear Baker, Ph.D. Candidate Chesapeake Bay Dolphin Project Carol Howard, Ph.D. Candidate University of California, Santa Cruz Toni Frohoff, Ph.D. Candidate The Union Institute Sarah Mesnick, Ph.D. Candidate University of Arizona Spencer Lynn, M.S. Research Associate Texas A&M University K. Kristine Grimm, Master's Degree Candidate Western Illinois University Leslie A. Leone, Master's Degree Candidate SRS Technologies Senior Environmental Research Specialist, Marine Biology Deanna Clement, Master's Degree Candidate Florida Institute of Technology Maureen Koneval, Master's Degree Candidate University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 15:02:45 -0400 From: DUNNL(\)aol.com Subject: EXTERNSHIP AT MYSTIC AQUARIUM EXTERNSHIP/RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY Mystic Marinelife Aquarium's Department of Research and Veterinary Services offers an externship/research opportunity to qualified veterinary students. Our goal in offering this program is to familiarize 3rd or 4th year veterinary students with the day to day husbandry and medical problems of a very diverse group of aquatic animals and to provide an opportunity for these students to prepare a report on data collected from animals and/or material in our collections which can be used to advance our knowledge of the animals in our care and if appropriate be considered for publication or presentation in an appropriate forum. Some past examples of student projects include studies on the morphometrics gross and histopathology of the winter flounder; pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin in harbor seals; comparison of vitamin D kinetics in African blackfooted penguins maintained in natural Vs artificial lighting; trials with of vecuronium for mydriasis in blackfooted penguins; and comparison of hematologic data on seven species of marine mammals obtained by three different standardized techniques. As is clear from this abbreviated list the topics vary greatly and their choice is influenced somewhat by the interests of aquarium staff, the student's faculty advisor at his/her home institution, and of course the particular interests and talents of the student. We encourage students to pick a home institution faculty advisor who has an interest in some discipline which could profit from this type of collaboration. Some current research interests of our staff include: reproduction/contraception in marine mammals; marine mammal endocrinology; clinical medicine of aquatic animals; marine mammal physiology; pharmacokinetics in fish, penguins and marine mammals; clinical pathology of aquatic animals; and osteology of marine mammals. We maintain professional relationships with the pathology group at the University of Connecticut, the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island as well as scientific staff members of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals World Medical Research Center. All of these institutions are within an hours drive of the aquarium. Prior to investing a lot of time in planning a study we suggest that the interested students contact us to determine whether a proposed study is feasible. We suggest that the student be prepared to spend four to eight weeks at MMA . While funds are available, we can provide a small number of students with a stipend of up to $500 to help defray the cost of travel, housing and research expendables.Our Education Department Intern/Extern coordinator can assist in locating suitable housing. For additional information please contact: J. Lawrence Dunn VMD Staff Veterinarian DUNNL(\)AOL.COM 860-572-5955 Ext. 103 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 15:02:36 -0800 From: Kurt Byers Subject: MMPA effects Recent changes in the Marine Mammal Protection Act will affect commercial fishermen and Native subsistence harvesters. The University of Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program has just published a 15-page overview of what the effects might be. Articles include: 1. How 1994 amendments will affect Native communities, by Polly Wheeler, Alaska Sea Otter Commission; 2. Concerns about how the amended MMPA will affect Native users, by Carl Hild, Indigenous People's Council for Marine Mammals; 3. An example of tribal-federal co-management, by Dolly Garza, Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program; 4. MMPA and effects on Alaska commercial fishermen, by Denby Lloyd, Chief Resource Analyst, Aleutians East Borough, Alaska Scientific Review Group; 5. Status of Steller sea lions, harbor seals, and northern fur seals, by Lloyd Lowry, Marine Mammals Coordinator, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and Thomas Loughlin, Alaska Ecosystem Program Leader, Natinal Marine Mammal Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries Service; and 6. Who's in charge? a chart that outlines state and federal agency management responsibilities. Booklet includes a 17" X 22" poster with line drawings of each species of Alaska marine mammal, each accompanied by notes on range, habitat, abundance, status, food, and size. $3.00 for booklet and poster. Send request to address below. Ask for the September 1995 "Alaska's Marine Resources" booklet. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 17:13:57 EST From: Vicki Cornish Subject: NMFS MMPA Bulletin The National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources publishes the "MMPA Bulletin" -- a bi-monthly update of regulations and other activities involving implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Each issue includes one or two in-depth articles on a subject of general interest and several short articles that summarize ongoing projects or upcoming events. Past MMPA Bulletin issues have featured the following activities: The Marine Mammal Protection Act is Amended (Sept 1994) NMFS Developing Regulations to Implement the "Fish Fix" (Nov 1994) NMFS Recognizes Treaty Rights of Pacific Northwest (Nov 1994) NMFS Issues General Authorization for Scientific Research (Nov 1994) Washington State Request to Remove Sea Lions at Ballard Locks has been Approved (Feb 1995) Prohibition on Intentional Lethal Takes in Effect (Feb 1995) Marine Mammals and Gillnets (Feb 1995) NMFS Preparing to Establish Take Reduction Teams (Apr/May 1995) Proposed Marine Mammal-Fishery Interaction Regulations Published (Jun/Jul 1995) New Guidelines Proposed for the Zero Mortality Goal (Jun/Jul 1995) Highlights of the September/October 1995 issue of the Bulletin include the following: Negligible Impact Findings Made for Three ESA-Listed Marine Mammal Stocks Flipper's Myth Proves Harmful (feeding dolphins in the wild) California Sea Lion ("Herchel") Conflict with Wild Steelhead If you are interested in receiving the September/October issue of the MMPA Bulletin and/or future issues, send us an e-mail or call us and we'll be happy to add you to our mailing list. Editors: Vicki Cornish 301/713-2322 Vicki_Cornish(\)ccgate.ssp.nmfs.gov Laurel Bryant 301/713-2289 Laurel_Bryant(\)ccgate.ssp.nmfs.gov Office of Protected Resources 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Oct 1995 09:14:11 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 10/20/95 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . PCBs in San Francisco Bay Seals. In mid-October 1995, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a four-year study by Earth Island Institute and California State Univ. researchers found PCB concentrations in San Francisco Bay harbor seals to be twice the concentration known to damage immune and reproductive systems. [Greenwire] . Free Willy. On Oct. 17, 1995, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, and Reino Aventura announced that the target date of Jan. 7, 1996, has been set for moving Keiko from Reino Aventura in Mexico to new facilities at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. [Assoc Press] . Morbillivirus in the Pacific. On Oct. 17, 1995, an NMFS biologist announced that morbillivirus had been detected for the first time in a Pacific marine mammal. The potentially highly contagious virus was found in a common dolphin, which beached itself near Marina Del Rey, CA, on Aug. 21, 1995. Several marine mammal facilities along the Pacific coast have stopped accepting stranded cetaceans until the nature of the threat can be determined. [Assoc Press] . Seismic Survey and Whales. On Oct. 12, 1995, NMFS approved a permit for Exxon Corp. to conduct a 45-day seismic survey using air guns off the California coast. Subsequently, environmental group attorneys met with Exxon officials to discuss possibly stronger safeguards for whales and other marine mammals. [Assoc Press] . Steller Sea Lion ESA Listing Modification. On Oct. 4, 1995, NMFS proposed changing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing of the Steller sea lion to list two distinct population segments. The population west of Cape Suckling, Alaska, would be listed as endangered (formerly the population was listed as threatened in this area), while the population east of this point woul d continue to be listed as threatened. [Fed. Register] . Tuna-Dolphin. The House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans postponed, until further notice, a hearing scheduled for Oct. 26, 1995, on H.R. 2179, the International Dolphin Conservation Act Amendments of 1995. [personal communication] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 12:40:22 CST From: Danielle Newman Subject: Re: Acoustical Society of America Short Course on Marine Mammal Bioacoustics Dear Marmamers, I am currently applying for a grant to research acoustics in cetaceans and would like to know if anyone has any information about hydrophones-prices, models, companies that sell them etc. Anything you can tell me would be very much appreciated. Danielle Newman "Newm9083(\)uwwvax.uww.edu" ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 21 Oct 1995 09:47:20 -0700 From: Alan Macnow Subject: BLUE WHALE RESEARCH FROM: Alan Macnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association The publication AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY this week reported that Japanese researchers will track the migratory patterns and assoc- iated ecological information from blue whales via a space satellite. The project, scheduled to begin with the launch of a polar orbiting space satellite in 1997, is part of a program undertaken by the International Whaling Commission designed to collect data which will assist in the recovery of the depleted Antarctic blue whale population. The $2-million ecological project is under development by NEC Corp. and Japan's Chiba Institute of Technology. It was was presented at the recent International Astronautical Federation (IAF) congress in Oslo. Blue whales can reach 100 ft. in length and weigh 130 metric tons. They are the largest animals on Earth. But almost nothing is known about their migratory patterns, current population numbers, and day to day habits. The satellite information collection system will use sensors attached to 50-100 blue whales to gather needed data. Data from the sensor system will be transmitted to a 50-kg. (110-lb.) Whale Ecology Observation Satellite (WEOS) that will be launched into polar orbit as a piggyback payload on a Japanese H-2 or Chinese Long March missile. The system is being designed to transmit from a whale's back for 2-3 years, long enough to obtain data across a full migratory cycle, ac- cording to Dr. Tomonao Hayashi, a researcher at the Chiba Institute and professor emeritus at ISAS, Japan's space science agency. He pre- sented the plan along with another project official, Takeshi Orii, who heads NEC's Space Systems Development Div. According to the magazine reporting on the technology, one unusual aspect of the project is the way the satellite system on the whales will generate electrical power for 2-3 years. A kinetic power generation system developed by the Seiko Epsom watch company will be used in the unit. The swimming motion of the whale will continually cycle a mechanical system that will charge a battery to power the 5-w. satellite receiver/transmitter system. The system is similar to that used on Seiko's self-winding wristwatches. As the whale swims, its attached system will periodically record the physiological parameters of the animal and other information such as the water temperature. When the whale comes to the surface to breathe, a pressure sensor will tell the system that it is on the surface and thus able to communicate with U.S. Air Force GPS satellites and its Japanese relay satellite. The system will automatically calculate the whale's position by acquiring data from two or three GPS spacecraft and then transmit the location and other data to the Japanese Whale Ecology spacecraft when it flies overhead. On each orbit the satellite will obtain data from numerous whales swimming under its ground track. The spacecraft will be commanded dai- ly to dump its recorded data when it flies over a Japanese ground sta- tion. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 22 Oct 1995 16:32:30 GMT From: h94jd(\)alpha2.luton.ac.uk Subject: Strandings Information ========================= I recently had a couple of request for basic text relating to protocols for rescue and rehabilitation of marine mammals. I have suggested Geraci and Lounsbury's "Marine Mammals Ashore: A Field Guide To Strandings". This is published by Texas A&M Sea Publications (PO BOX 1675, Galveston, Texas 77553-1675, USA). Perhaps other Marmam subscribes have useful texts they could recommend? I am also trying to compile a data base of facilities in the UK that are involved in marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation. Any help on this matter would be gratefully received. John Dineley ========================= John Dineley PO BOX 153 Bedford MK40 2JD United Kingdom ========================= ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 22 Oct 1995 18:16:39 -0700 From: Leslie Strom Subject: Hydrophones >Dear Marmamers, >I am currently applying for a grant to research acoustics in cetaceans and >would like to know if anyone has any information about hydrophones-prices, >models, companies that sell them etc. Anything you can tell me would be >very much appreciated. > >Danielle Newman >"Newm9083(\)uwwvax.uww.edu" Give Mike Sofen a try; he sells a couple models for $250-275 and can accomodate custom orders: seasys(\)pacificrim.net ___________________________________________ Leslie Strom / Wide Angle Productions / Seattle lstrom(\)halcyon.com "Start slow, then taper off." - marathoner Walt Stack, 1908-1995 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 11:33:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: OREGON COAST AQUARIUM: KEIKO'S OREGON COAST AQUARIUM: KEIKO'S ARRIVAL DATE SET FOR NEWPORT, Ore., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Oregon Coast Aquarium: Keiko, the killer whale star of "Free Willy" and "Free Willy 2," will move into his brand-new home at the Oregon Coast Aquarium on January 7, 1996, barring any unforeseen complications. The target date was released jointly today by the Aquarium, the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation and Reino Aventura, Keiko's current home in Mexico City. "By locking in a target arrival date, we are moving this project another giant step ahead," says Dave Phillips, president of the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation. "This is an extraordinary time in the history of an extraordinary project, and it's thanks, in large part, to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and all the people around the world who've donated their time and money to make this possible. Keiko's new two-million-gallon pool is already 85 percent complete. The $7.3 million facility has been under construction at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport since February. The pool is nearly four times larger than Keiko's current pool at the Mexico City amusement park, and will feature not only cold, clean natural sea water but adjustable water currents, a changeable underwater curtain of air bubbles and water jets, and an underwater rocky "rubbing beach" to provide Keiko with acoustic variety as well as a place to scratch. The new facility is 150 feet long, 75 feet wide and 25 feet deep. Already in hand at the Oregon Coast Aquarium and Reino Aventura are the government permits necessary to relocate Keiko in the United States. Three permits are required, in all: an export permit from the Mexican government, an import/display permit from the US government, and a permit in compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES), an international agreement that governs traffic in a number of endangered and non-endangered animal species. The Aquarium is currently interviewing experienced marine mammologists to take care of Keiko. Three full-time positions will be filled by early December. In addition, two of Keiko's Mexican keepers will join the Aquarium staff for several months to ease the transition. "Having Keiko's trainers here will help both our staff and Keiko," says Phyllis Bell, president of the Oregon Coast Aquarium. "For one thing, Keiko responds to commands in Spanish. We'll have to either retrain our staff to speak Spanish, too, or teach Keiko to recognize English." The trainers will also help their Oregon Coast Aquarium counterparts interpret Keiko's behaviors and idiosyncrasies. In the meantime, Keiko continues to live in a small pool in Mexico City, where he performs in shows. His medical condition is stable. He is roughly a ton underweight, suffers from skin lesions caused by a papilloma virus, has worn down teeth, and a fallen dorsal fin. Fundraising continues both for the pool's completion and for Keiko's first two years of care, including his veterinary care, food, staff and transportation to Oregon from Mexico City. Roughly $6.5 million has been raised. The project's goal is $8.5 million. Donations are welcome, and can be made to the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, care of the Oregon Coast Aquarium, 2820 S.E. Ferry Slip Road, Newport, OR 97365. More information is also available by calling 1-800-4-WHALES or 1-503-867-3474. The Oregon Coast Aquarium was first approached about providing a home for Keiko in May 1994. Earth Island Institute, an environmental advocacy group in San Francisco, was charged with finding Keiko a suitable rehabilitation site. The Institute identified four main criteria that would guide its selection: the chosen facility must not have performing animals, must have an educational mission, must have an ample supply of cold, clean, natural sea water, and must have the room for a sizable expansion. After a year and a half of searching, the Oregon Coast Aquarium was the one facility in the country identified by the Institute as successfully meeting all these criteria. The Aquarium deliberated over its decision to accept Keiko and the new rehabilitation facility until it was satisfied that the rehabilitation facility would offer visitors a unique educational opportunity. The Aquarium's mission is to educate the general public in an entertaining way about the abundant resources of the Oregon coast, and orcas are often found off Oregon's shores. The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a private, nonprofit, educational facility that is now in its fourth year of operation. In addition to the new rehabilitation facility, the facility is currently planning an expansion that will complete exhibits on freshwater streams, estuaries and upland forests -0- 10/17/95 /CONTACT: Diane Hammond, PR Officer, Oregon Coast Aquarium, 503-867-3474, ext. 5224; or David Phillips, President, Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, 415-788-3666/ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 11:34:00 UTC From: r.mallon1(\)genie.geis.com Subject: AIRLIFT OF DOLPHIN SCHEDULED T AIRLIFT OF DOLPHIN SCHEDULED TODAY SARASOTA, Fla., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coast Guard C130 airlift of an ailing bottlenose dolphin is still scheduled for today, October 20, 1995. The Coast Guard will utilize a routine training flight to carry out this rescue mission. The dolphin, named Benny, will be transported from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) laboratory in Beaufort, North Carolina to Mote Marine Laboratory's Ann and Alfred Goldstein Marine Mammal Center in an effort to rehabilitate and eventually release him back into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Since his stranding on September 18, Benny has made some improvements but his condition remains critical. He is believed to be suffering from a variety of problems including persistent infections and gastrointestinal problems which limit his ability to dive. "Benny has received excellent care at the NMFS lab but they are not equipped to treat marine mammals. If he is to recover fully and go back to the wild, he must receive that care at a mammal facility such as Mote's," explained Jay Gorzelany, head of Mote's Marine Mammal Stranding team. Arrival time at Sarasota-Bradenton Airport is expected at 12:30 p.m. today. Updates will be available via World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.marinelab.sarasota.fl.us/ . -0- 10/20/95 /CONTACT: Virginia Haley, Mote Marine Laboratory, 941-388-4441/ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 23 Oct 1995 11:08:40 -0800 From: Kurt Byers Subject: Address for MMPA pub. The mailing address was missing from the notice lat week about the 15-page publication from the University of Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program on the effects of the amended Marine Mammal Protection Act. You can order via email and be billed later by sending your request to: FYPUBS(\)aurora.alaska.edu Or if you prefer to pay in advance, send a $3.00 check made out to University of Alaska to: UAF Sea Grant Publications, P.O. Box 755040, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5040. You can also order by fax, (907) 474-6285, or phone, (907) 474-6707. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 13:13:59 SAST-2 From: John Cooper Subject: request for information Dear marine mammalogists I have to review protocols for persons (not only tourists) landing on islands with seal colonies, covering such matters as minimum approach distances for different species, party sizes, general behaviour, quarantine, safety, no-go areas, notices and fencing, etc. Any references that could be e-mailed me will be greatly appreciated. In return, I promise to collate them and post back to MARMAM so all subscribers can print them out if wished. Kind regards and thanks in advance John +-------------------------------------------------------+ | John Cooper Seabird-l Co-manager | | | | Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology | | University of Cape Town | | Rondebosch 7700 | | South Africa | | | | jcooper(\)botzoo.uct.ac.za | | | | Fax: +27-21-650-3295 | | Phone: +27-21-650-3294 | | | | "Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no | | longer despair for the future of the human race" | | | | H.G. Wells | +-------------------------------------------------------+ +-------------------------------------------------------+ | John Cooper Seabird-l Co-manager | | | | Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology | | University of Cape Town | | Rondebosch 7700 | | South Africa | | | | jcooper(\)botzoo.uct.ac.za | | | | Fax: +27-21-650-3295 | | Phone: +27-21-650-3294 | | | | "Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no | | longer despair for the future of the human race" | | | | H.G. Wells | +-------------------------------------------------------+ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Oct 1995 07:03:45 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: article There is an article in the November issue of _Natural History_ by Bill Amos entitled "Blood Relations" that might interest people who do not subscribe to the journal. The article is is about the Faeroese pilot whale drive and "a geneticist contemplates the kinship of whales and the culture of whaling". ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Oct 1995 13:45:12 -0400 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Job Announcement JOB ANNOUNCEMENT GENERAL AND MARINE BIOLOGY The Department of Biology at the University of Central Florida invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level starting August, 1996. We seek an individual to teach a large introductory biology course for majors. We are interested in individuals with research specialization in marine biology, especially the physiological or behavioral ecology of marine animals. The successful candidate will be expected to establish an active, externally funded research program and will teach at theundergraduate and graduate levels and direct MS graduate students in his/herarea of specialization. A Ph.D. and postdoctoral experience or equivalent are required. Candidates should submit a curriculum vitae; names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three professional references; and statements of research and teaching interests to: Dr. Llewellyn M. Ehrhart Biology Search Committee Chair Department of Biology University of Central Florida Orlando, FL 32816-2368. Submissions must be postmarked by January 2 , 1996. Florida law dictates that all application materials and selection procedures are available for public review. The University of Central Florida is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. -------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Oct 1995 16:33:01 -0400 From: Pamala Wilson Subject: Sea World of Florida Symposium Sea World of Florida Symposium: Vanishing Florida Saturday, February 10, 1996 Join us as we explore current scientific data on Florida environmental management and ecological issues. Topics include the Kissimmee River Restoration Project, Florida's coral reefs, Florida's sea turtles, the Florida manatee, and Florida's wetlands. Please contact Sea World of Florida's Education Department at (407) 363-2380 or (800) 406-2244 for more information about the symposium. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 26 Oct 1995 15:36:23 -0700 From: Toni or Jim Frohoff Subject: Re: Object manipulation using flippers In-Reply-To: <199510231521.IAA29623(\)mail5> If anyone knows of any references which refer to delphinid object manipulation using flippers, I would be grateful to receive them. Thanks, Toni Frohoff ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dolphin Data Base Email:frohoff(\)netcom.com 321 High School Rd, NE #374 Bainbridge Isl, WA 98110 FAX: 206-842-0296 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 17:21:14 -0700 From: Brent Stewart Subject: Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Attention those planning to attend the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Orlando, 14-18 December. The following is Part One of a Three Part message concerning the Biennial Conference. Part One is a Program update. Parts Two and Three are daily summaries of the Conference Program. Program Update for the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals from the Program Committee Brent S. Stewart, Program Chair; W. Don Bowen; Ann E. Bowles; Thomas Loughlin; Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara; Daniel K. Odell; Philip H. Thorson; Pamela K. Yochem Program Structure The organization of oral and poster presentations and daily events was determined primarily from the responses to a questionnaire that was circulated to all members of the Society for Marine Mammalogy following the Tenth Biennial Conference in Galveston in 1993. Eighty- two percent of those members who responded to the questionnaire (211) favored single (8%) or double concurrent (74%) Oral presentation sessions over triple concurrent sessions (18%). Additionally, 81% favored dedicated time for Poster presentations with no competing conference events. For independently proposed and organized symposia, 63% favored double concurrent symposia. Taking these instructions from the SMM membership, the Program Committee constructed the schedule for the four-day Conference allowing for 152 Oral Presentations (15 minutes each) and approximately 800 Poster presentations (with exclusive, attended showing during a 1.5 hour session and 1/2 hour coffee break and additional unattended showing of 14 hours for the first 3 days and 7 hours on the final day). In addition, the structure allowed for four invited speakers to give oral plenary papers during the opening morning of the Conference and four (double concurrent) evening symposia. Program Organization and Final Determination of Agenda With additional input and advice from SMM Board of Governors, a general plenary theme of "Perspectives on Marine Mammals in a Changing World" was developed and four speakers were identified and requested to develop a regionally-oriented paper for oral presentation. The resulting plenary presentations are: "Relationships between polar bears, ringed seals and ecological variability" by Ian Stirling "Can coastal marine mammals survive in tropical waters? Dugongs in Australia as a case study" by Helene Marsh "Marine habitat trends in Florida: A worldwide perspective" by Kenneth Haddad "Marine mammals in the Southern Ocean: Indicators of ecosystem variability" by Ian Boyd Four proposals for evening symposia were submitted to the Program Committee for consideration and subsequently approved. The symposia are as follows (the first two will occur concurrently from 2000 to 2200 hours on 15 December and the latter two concurrently from 2000 to 2200 hours on 17 December): "Development of diving in pinnipeds" chaired by Michael Castellini "The role of science in conservation and management" chaired by Sharon Young "Critical thinking for effective scientific communication" chaired by Herbert Roitblatt and Thomas Jackson "Health and environmental risk assessment" chaired by Larry Hansen and Randy Wells Attendance/participation in the interactive workshop/symposium by Roitblatt/Jackson will be limited. Those wishing to attend should contact the Program Chairperson (Dr. Brent S. Stewart; email address: bstewart(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu) with their interests. "The workshop is intended to facilitate discussion of vexing policy issues in marine mammal science by identifying tools that have been found useful in discussing strongly held positions. These tools include mechanisms for identifying assumptions, clarifying questions, evaluating inferences and their evidence, and identifying fallacious reasoning" (H. Roiblatt & T. Jackson). Active participation in the workshop is a requirement for attendance with attendees expected to exercise the tools described. The workshop will NOT be a forum for simply raising controversial or vexing issues for debate or discussion. We received 758 abstract submissions (including plenaries and symposia), representing 1382 authors in 32 countries, for presentation at the Eleventh Biennial Conference. This was a 21% increase from the 10th Biennial Conference in 1993. The first abstracts were received on 23 June and a handful more prior to the postmark deadline of 15 July. Approximately 85% of submitted abstracts were postmarked the day before or on the postmark deadline date of 15 July and all abstracts were not received until 20 August. Sorting of most abstracts into topic areas and reviewers was completed on 10 August and abstracts were sent out for review on 12-14 August. All reviews were received by 25 September; the Oral and Poster presentation schedule was finalized on 29-30 September and notices of presentation forum and time were emailed, faxed or mailed to authors between 3 and 10 October. On 12 October, the Program and Abstract Proceedings were delivered to the Conference Chairperson for subsequent delivery to the contracted printer. Oral presentation slots were requested by 450 of the submitting authors (exclusive of plenaries and symposia). To select 152 of those for oral presentation the program committee contacted a diverse group (nationality, gender, subject expertise) of 165 SMM members to request that they serve as volunteer peer reviewers of the abstracts; 125 members agreed to volunteer and reviews were received from 86. Each abstract was reviewed by at least three volunteer peer reviewers with expertise in the abstract's subject area. The reviewers assigned numerical ranks (40 point total possible; 10 points for each criterion) solely for abstract format and content and research approach and significance. The average of the reviewers' scores was then used to determine the abstract's relative rank against other abstracts in the particular topic or subtopic area. The number of oral slots allotted for each topic or sub-topic area was proportional to the number submitted in that area. The oral slots in each topic session were then filled in order of average review rank. All abstracts submitted for 'Poster Presentation Only' were reviewed generally for content, format, research approach and significance but numerical ranks were not assigned. Rather, we attempted to accommodate all Poster submissions that satisfied the general submission (deadline submission date, etc.) and basic abstract review criteria. Note for Poster paper presenters: You will be assigned a specific station for displaying your poster. Those station assignments will be displayed each day on a Master List at several locations in the two poster rooms and in the registration area. Your poster should be up by 0800 on your scheduled presentation day and must be taken down by midnight the same day except for the last day of the conference when all posters must be taken down by 1700 hours to allow for banquet setup. Note for Oral paper presenters: Please locate your Session Chairperson by 0800 hrs on the day that you are scheduled to present to let her/him know that you are present and still intend to present and to make any last minute requests for assistance. The Session Charipersons will strictly enforce the time limit to ensure that all speakers have a full 15 minutes for their presentations; that 15 minutes includes your introduction by the Chairperson, your presentation and questions. Program Evaluation A questionnaire will be circulated again following the Eleventh Biennial Conference that will solicit feedback from SMM members on the structure and organization of the conference program. The response to that questionnaire will be central to planning the Twelfth Biennial Conference in Monaco in early 1998. If the growth trend of the SMM continues we expect a further increase in abstract submissions then. Options for encouraging and enhancing communication of research results at future conferences may include a limited number of invited speakers with most of the conference dedicated to poster presentations, a practice that many other scientific societies have adopted. Other options would be to increase the number of concurrent sessions to allow more oral presentations or add additional days to the conference. Accommodation of all 450 abstracts submitted for oral presentation this year would have required six concurrent sessions if the conference were held to 4 days or 12 days of conference if double concurrent sessions were to be maintained. Your evaluation and feedback on the Eleventh Biennial Conference will guide the evolution of future conference structure. Brent S. Stewart, Ph.D. Program Chair Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute 2595 Ingraham Street San Diego, CA 92109 email: bstewart(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu and Boalt Hall School of Law University of California Berkeley, California email: bstewart(\)uclink2.berkeley.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 17:30:17 -0700 From: Brent Stewart Subject: Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals >From the Program Committee: The following is Part Two of a Three Part message regarding the Biennial Marine Mammal Conference. CONFERENCE SCIENCE PROGRAM ORAL PRESENTATIONS FRIDAY, 15 DECEMBER 1995 BALLROOM B/C/D OPENING REMARKS 0800 INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS DANIEL ODELL CONFERENCE CHAIR BRENT STEWART PROGRAM CHAIR WELCOMING ADDRESS JEANETTE THOMAS, PRESIDENT SOCIETY FOR MARINE MAMMALOGY PLENARY SESSION: PERSPECTIVES ON MARINE MAMMALS IN A CHANGING WORLD 0830 RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN POLAR BEARS, RINGED SEALS, AND ECOLOGICAL VARIABILITY STIRLING, I. 0855 CAN COASTAL MARINE MAMMALS SURVIVE IN TROPICAL WATERS? DUGONGS IN AUSTRALIA AS A CASE STUDY MARSH, H. 0920 MARINE HABITAT TRENDS IN FLORIDA: A WORLDWIDE PERSPECTIVE HADDAD, K.D. 0945 MARINE MAMMALS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN: INDICATORS OF ECOSYSTEM VARIABILITY BOYD, I.L. 1010 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION ROOMS 3, 4, 5, 6 ECOLOGY I, II, III IMMUNOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY HEALTH AND DISEASE 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM B HEALTH AND TOXICOLOGY CHAIR: PAM YOCHEM 1330 SHORT-TERM FASTING DOES NOT AGGRAVATE IMMUNOSUPPRESSION IN HARBOUR SEALS WITH HIGH BODY BURDENS OF ORGANOCHLORINES DE SWART, R.L., ROSS, P.S., TIMMERMAN, H.H., LIEM, A.K.D., BROUWER, A., VAN LOVEREN, H., REIJNDERS, P.J.H., VOS, J.G., OSTERHAUS, A.D.M.E. 1345 PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HARBOR SEAL (PHOCA VITULINA) C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (C-RP) FUNKE, C., KING, D.P., HANNI, K., FERRICK, D.A., STOTT, J.L. 1400 PHOCINE INTERLEUKIN 2: SEQUENCE AND CROSS-SPECIES REACTIVITY SHODA, L.K.M., BROWN, W.C., RICE-FICHT, A.C. 1415 SEQUENCE VARIATION AT THE MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX LOCUS DQB IN CETACEA MURRAY, B.W., WHITE, B.N. 1430 GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES IN ORGANOCHLORINE AND HEAVY METAL CONTAMINANTS IN WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC HARBOUR PORPOISES, (PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) JOHNSTON, D.W., WESTGATE, A.J. 1445 CYTOCHROMES P450 AND THE METABOLISM AND EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS IN MARINE MAMMALS STEGEMAN, J.J., WHITE, R.D., MILLER, C., MOORE, M.J., SCHLEZINGER, J.J., HAHN, M.E., GOKSOYR, A. 1500 CONSERVATION OF STRUCTURE IN BELUGA ARYL HYDROCARBON RECEPTOR JENSEN, B.A., HAHN, M.E. 1515 A BIOPSY MARKER FOR CIRCULATING COPLANAR HYDROCARBONS IN CETACEA MOORE, M.J., MILLER, C.A., WEISBROD, A.V., SHEA, D.S., STEGEMAN, J.J. 1530 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY I CHAIR: JOHN BENGTSON 1330 MILK FATTY ACID SIGNATURES INDICATE BOTH MAJOR AND MINOR SHIFTS IN FORAGING ECOLOGY OF LACTATING ANTARCTIC FUR SEALS IVERSON, S.J., ARNOULD, J.P.Y., BOYD, I.L. 1345 STABLE ISOTOPIC ASSESSMENT OF TROPHIC RELATIONSHIPS AMONG CETACEANS FROM THE NORTH PACIFIC TRANSITION ZONE (NPTZ) AND THE CALIFORNIA COAST PILICHOWSKI, K.A., OSTROM, P.H., GOULD, P.J. 1400 THE MAP TRACKING SYSTEM OLIVER, G.W. 1415 USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO CREATE A PREDICTIVE MODEL OF NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE (EUBALAENA GLACIALIS) DISTRIBUTION BASED ON SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND BATHYMETRY MOSES, E., FINN, J.T. 1430 MOVEMENTS OF TAGGED JUVENILE STELLER SEA LIONS IN THE KAMCHATKA REGION BURKANOV, V.N., VERTYANKIN, V.V., MAMAEV, E.G. 1445 DIVING BEHAVIOR AND MOVEMENT PATTERNS OF AN ATLANTIC SPOTTED DOLPHIN (STENELLA FRONTALIS) OBTAINED BY SATELLITE TELEMETRY WORTHY, G.A.J., DAVIS, R.W. 1500 THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER SURVEY DESIGN -A CASE STUDY USING HARBOR PORPOISE AERIAL SURVEY DATA BENSON, S.R., FORNEY, K.A., HARVEY, J.T. 1515 SEASONAL MOVEMENTS AND HABITAT UTILIZATION OF CRABEATER SEALS BENGTSON, J.L., BOVENG, P.L. 1530 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM B HEALTH AND TOXICOLOGY CHAIR: DONALD KING 1600 MORBILLIVIRUS INFECTION IN BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS: EVIDENCE FOR RECURRENT EPIZOOTICS DUIGNAN, P.J., HOUSE, C., ODELL, D.K., WELLS, R.S., HANSEN, L., WALSH, M., RIMA, B.K., GERACI, J.R. 1615 STRAINS OF MORBILLIVIRUS THAT CAUSED 1987 TO 1988 U.S. EAST COAST AND 1993 TO 1994 GULF OF MEXICO BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN EPIZOOTICS DETERMINED BY GENETIC SEQUENCING TSAI, M.M., KRAFFT, A.E., LICHY, J.H., SCHULMAN, F.Y., LIPSCOMB, T.P., TAUBENBERGER, J.K. 1630 EPIDEMIOLOGY OF POXVIRUS IN SMALL CETACEANS FROM PERU VAN BRESSEM,M.-F., VAN WAEREBEEK, K. 1645 CYCLICAL OUTBREAKS OF LEPTOSPIROSIS IN CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS (ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS) MORGAN, L., GULLAND, F. 1700 CLONING, SEQUENCING AND EXPRESSION OF HARBOR SEAL (PHOCA VITULINA), KILLER WHALE (ORCINUS ORCA) AND SOUTHERN SEA OTTER (ENHYDRA LUTRIS) INTERLEUKIN 6 (IL-6) KING, D.P., HERRMAN, J., HANNI, K., STOTT, J.L., FERRICK, D.A. 1715 SERUM ENZYMES AND POST-WEANING SURVIVAL OF SEA OTTERS IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA BALLACHEY, B.E., GOODSON, N.J., DOROFF, A.M. BODKIN, J.L. 1730 DIFFUSE PULMONARY ANGIOPROLIFERATIVE DISEASE, "ANGIOMATOSIS" IN THE BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN, TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS COWAN, D.F., TURNBULL, B.S. 1745 FORESTOMACH ACIDITY OF TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS JENSEN, E., BONN, W., BEELER, M., RIDGWAY, S. 1800 BUSINESS MEETING 1900 DINNER BREAK BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY II CHAIR: GIUSEPPE NOTARBARTOLO DI SCIARA 1600 MOVEMENT AND STOCK STRUCTURE OF BLUE WHALES IN THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC CALAMBOKIDIS, J., SEARS, R., STEIGER, G.H., EVENSON, J. 1615 FORAGING ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR OF BLUE AND FIN WHALES CROLL, D.A., DEMER, D., HEWITT, R., TERSHY, B., HAYES, S., GENDRON, D., URBAN, J. 1630 DIVE BEHAVIOR AND THE QUESTION OF FOOD LIMITATION IN RIGHT WHALES GOODYEAR, J.D. 1645 GRAY WHALE (ESCHRICTIUS ROBUSTUS) HABITAT UTILIZATION AND PREY SPECIES OFF VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. DARLING, J.D., KEOGH, K.E., STEEVES, T. 1700 FORAGING ECOLOGY OF NW ATLANTIC LONG-FINNED PILOT WHALES GANNON, D.P., READ, A.J., CRADDOCK, J.E., FRISTRUP, K.M., MEAD, J.G. 1715 A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL RESOURCE UTILIZATION PARADIGM FOR RIGHT WHALES IN CAPE COD BAY GOLDMAN, L.A., MAYO, C., LYMAN, E., MARX, M. 1730 MANATEE GRAZING EFFECTS ON SEAGRASS BIOMASS AND SPECIES DIVERSITY LEFEBVRE, L.W., PROVANCHA, J.A., KENWORTHY, W.J., LANGTIMM, C.A. 1745 FORAGING BEHAVIOR OF AN EQUILIBRIUM DENSITY SEA OTTER POPULATION WATT, J.P., GELATT, T.S., SINIFF, D.B., ESTES, J.A. 1800 BUSINESS MEETING 1900 DINNER BREAK BALLROOM B SYMPOSIUM I DEVELOPMENT OF DIVING IN PINNIPEDS CHAIR: MICHAEL CASTELLINI 2000 DEVELOPMENT OF CARDIO-RESPIRATORY CONTROL NECESSARY FOR DIVING IN SEAL PUPS CASTELLINI, M.A. 2020 THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIVING IN JUVENILE HARBOUR SEALS CORPE, H.M., THOMPSON, P.M., MACKAY, A. , TOLLIT, D.J., REID, R.J. 2040 THE DEVELOPMENT OF FORAGING PATTERNS IN PHOCIDS: THE FIRST FORAGING TRIPS IN SPECIES WITH NO OBVIOUS PARENTAL INPUT FEDAK, M.A., MCCONNELL, B.J., ROHANI, P. 2100 DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECTS OF DIVING IN GALAPAGOS FUR SEALS HORNING, M. 2120 PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL DETERMINANTS OF THE AEROBIC DIVE LIMIT IN WEDDELL SEAL PUPS MOSS, J.M., CASTELLINI, M.A. 2140 DEVELOPMENT OF DIVING IN THE NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL (MIROUNGA ANGUSTIROSTRIS) THORSON, P.H. BALLROOM C/D SYMPOSIUM II THE ROLE OF SCIENCE IN CONSERVATION AND MANANGEMENT CHAIR: SHARON YOUNG 2000 SEALS, SCIENCE AND POLITICS LAVIGNE, D.M. 2020 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND RIVER DOLPHIN CONSERVATION IN ASIA REEVES, R.R. 2040 SACRIFICING FOR THE COMMON GOOD: IS U.S. MARINE MAMMAL POLICY ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL AGENDA? STEUER, K.L. 2100 ASCOBANS PROGRESS ON CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SMALL CETACEANS OF THE NORTH AND BALTIC SEAS HEIMLICH-BORAN, S., LOCKYER, C. 2120 PORPOISES, PINGERS AND POLITICS: MANAGEMENT FAILURE IN THE GULF OF MAINE READ, A.J. SATURDAY, 16 DECEMBER 1995 BALLROOM B CONSERVATION I CHAIR: PHILIP HAMMOND 0800 THE INCREASE IN SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES OFF SOUTH AFRICA, 1969-1993 BEST, P.B., UNDERHILL, L.G. 0815 STATUS OF DOLPHIN STOCKS AFFECTED BY TUNA PURSE-SEINE FISHERY IN THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC: A 36-YEAR SUMMARY GERRODETTE, T., WADE, P.R. 0830 ABUNDANCE OF BLUE AND HUMPBACK WHALES IN CALIFORNIA A COMPARISON OF MARK-RECAPTURE AND LINE-TRANSECT ESTIMATES BARLOW, J., CALAMBOKIDIS, J. 0845 COMPARISON OF WALRUS HARVEST ESTIMATES BURN, D.M. 0900 COMPETITION BETWEEN FISHERIES AND MARINE MAMMALS FOR PREY AND PRIMARY PRODUCTION IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN TRITES, A.W., PAULY, D., CHRISTENSEN, V. 0915 BOTO AND TUCUXI: COMPARATIVE STUDY IN BOTH PRISTINE AND HUMAN IMPACTED RIVERINE HABITATS OF THE PERUVIAN AMAZON HENNINGSEN, T., DEL BUSTOS, R., WONG YAU, D. 0930 MONITORING THE RECOVERY OF HARBOR SEALS AFTER THE EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA FROST, K.J., VER HOEF, J., LOWRY, L.F. 0945 HARBOUR PORPOISES IN THE NORTH SEA AND ADJACENT WATERS: HOW MANY IS ENOUGH? HAMMOND, P.S. 1000 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION ROOMS 3, 4, 5, 6 ECOLOGY IV, V BEHAVIOR I, II CONSERVATION I, II TAXONOMY/PHYLOGENY/EVOLUTION 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY III CO-CHAIRS: DON BOWEN AND DAGMAR FERTL 0800 STABLE ISOTOPES IN MUSCLE OF EAST FLORIDA BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS: IMPLICATIONS FOR STOCK IFFERENTIATION BARROS, N.B., OSTROM, P.H., ODELL, D.K. 0815 DIET COMPOSITION BASED ON FATTY ACID SIGNATURES: CAPTIVE FEEDING EXPERIMENTS ON HARP SEALS AND GREY SEALS KIRSCH, P.E., IVERSON, S.J., BOWEN, W.D. 0830 THE USE OF ISOTOPE RATIOS IN FORAGING STUDIES OF HUMPBACK WHALES TODD, S., OSTROM, P., LIEN, J. 0845 ISOTOPE RATIOS AS INDICATORS OF FEEDING BY RIGHT WHALES, BRYDE'S WHALES AND PYGMY RIGHT WHALES IN SOUTH AFRICAN WATERS SCHELL, D.M., BEST, P.B. 0900 MICROSATELLITE MARKERS ALLOW SPECIES DISCRIMINATION FROM FAECAL SAMPLES OF GREY AND HARBOUR SEALS REED, J.Z., TOLLIT, D.J. 0915 RATE OF PASSAGE OF DIGESTA IN TWO SPECIES OF OTARIID SEALS BRYDEN, M.M., BODLEY, K., MERCER, J.R. 0930 GREY SEAL PREDATION ON COD: CONSUMPTION, PREDATION MORTALITY, AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS MOHN, R., BOWEN, W.D. 0945 A MODEL OF FISH CONSUMPTION BY HARP SEALS, PHOCA GROENLANDICA, IN ATLANTIC CANADA STENSON, G.B., SHELTON, P.A., LAWSON, J.W., HAMMILL, M.O. 1000 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM B CONSERVATION II CHAIR: WILLIAM GILMARTIN 1300 A SUMMARY OF THE 1995 U.S. MARINE MAMMAL STOCK ASSESSMENTS, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF A SIMULATION STUDY USED TO SET POTENTIAL BIOLOGICAL REMOVAL LEVELS WADE, P.R. 1315 FINS, FLUKES, AND FEDS DISMANTLING MARINE CONSERVATION YOUNG, N.M. 1330 INCORPORATING ABORIGINAL NEED INTO PBR-MANAGEMENT: A SPECIES-SPECIFIC APPLICATION DE MASTER, D.P., HILL, P.S. 1345 REPRODUCTIVE RECOVERY AND PCBs IN BALTIC SEAL POPULATIONS MATTSON, M., HELLE, E. 1400 A FIELD TEST OF THE USE OF ACOUSTIC ALARMS TO REDUCE INCIDENTAL MORTALITY OF HARBOR PORPOISE IN GILLNETS KRAUS, S., READ, A., ANDERSON, E., BALDWIN, K., SOLOW, A., SPRADLIN, T., WILLIAMSON, J. 1415 ACCLIMATION TO CAPTIVITY: A QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATE BASED ON SURVIVAL OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS AND CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS SMALL, R.J., DEMASTER, D.P. 1430 CAPTIVE MANATEE RELEASES AND MONITORING ALONG FLORIDA'S EAST COAST BONDE, R.K., REID, J.P., TYSON, S.L., EASTON, D.E. 1445 MANAGING THE SEX RATIO IN ENDANGERED HAWAIIAN MONK SEALS (MONACHUS SCHAUINSLANDI) TO ENCOURAGE RECOVERY GILMARTIN, W.G., RAGEN, T.J. 1500 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY IV CO-CHAIRS: TOM LOUGHLIN AND RICK SMITH 1300 UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS OF POPULATION GROWTH RATE AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BY-CATCH MORTALITY IN NORTHWEST ATLANTIC HARBOR PORPOISE (PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) CASWELL, H., BRAULT, S., READ, A., SMITH, T. 1315 CONSERVING BELUGA POPULATIONS BY ALTERING CATCH COMPOSITION: RESULTS FROM SPREADSHEET MODELLING KINGSLEY, M.C.S., RICHARD, P.R., INNES, S. 1330 EFFECTS OF LIFE HISTORY VARIABILITY ON RATE OF INCREASE IN LONG-FINNED PILOT WHALES SANDERS-REED, C., BRAULT, S. 1345 POPULATION STRUCTURE AND HABITAT USE OF THE LACS DES LOUPS MARINS HARBOUR SEAL (PHOCA VITULINA MELLONAE) SMITH, R.J. 1400 INCREASED REPRODUCTION WITH AGE FOR FEMALE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE HUMPBACK WHALES (MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE). STRALEY, J., AMOS, W., CLAPHAM, P., GABRIELE, C. 1415 ESTIMATING CALIFORNIA SEA LION PUP MORTALITY RATE WITH CAPTURE-RECAPTURE SURVEYS LAAKE, J.L., MELIN, S.R., DELONG, R.L. 1430 THE USE OF AUTOMATED PATTERN MATCHING IN A DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY OF GREY SEALS HIBY, L., LOVELL, P., WATKINS, J. 1445 HOW TO PHOTO-IDENTIFY A HUMPBACK WHALE (MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE) CALF FOLLOWING WEANING: FLUKES MAY NOT BE THE BEST WAY! ANDERSON, S.K., SHARP, C.C., BLACKMER, A.L., WEINRICH, M.T. 1500 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM B BEHAVIOR I CHAIR: BERND WURSIG 1530 THE HYDRODYNAMIC EFFECTS OF LARGE VESSELS ON RIGHT WHALES KNOWLTON, A.R., KORSMEYER, F.T., KERWIN, J.E., WU, H., HYNES, B. 1545 AN ACOUSTIC BROOM? EFFECTS OF HIGH AMPLITUDE ACOUSTIC DEVICES, USED AS SEAL DETERRENTS, ON LARGE CETACEANS LIEN, J., MORETE, M., BROWN, N., HENNEBURY, P., BUTLER, K. 1600 HUMPBACK WHALE BEHAVIOR AND VESSEL EFFECTS FROM THE 1994 HAWAII SHORE-BASED ATOC BASELINE STUDY FRANKEL, A.S., SMULTEA, M.A., GABRIELE, C.M., KIECKHEFER, T.R., CLARK, C.W. 1615 A TRAFFIC LIGHT FOR (CETACEAN) STRESS BEAMISH, P. 1630 WILD DOLPHINS PUSHING TOURISTS AROUND: CAN THEY BE CONTROLLED? ORAMS, M.B. 1645 SWIM-WITH-DOLPHIN PROGRAMS; MONITORING RESULTS AND NEEDS WURSIG, B., BARR, K., CONSTANTINE, R., DUDZINSKI, K., FOREST, A., YIN, S. 1700 FILM NIGHT AT SEA WORLD BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY V CHAIR: CHIP DEUTSCH 1530 STUDIES OF THE BOTO, INIA GEOFFRENSIS, IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON DA SILVA, V.M.F., MARTIN, A.R. 1545 DISTRIBUTION SHIFTS OF BOTTLENOSE AND SPOTTED DOLPHINS IN A TROPICAL EMBAYMENT: HABITAT-SHARING AND INTER-SPECIFIC AVOIDANCE ACEVEDO-GUTIERREZ, A., BURKHART, S. 1600 SEASONAL CHANGES IN ACTIVITY AND HABITAT USE BY BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) IN SARASOTA BAY, FLORIDA WAPLES, D.M., WELLS, R.S., COSTA, D.P., WORTHY, G.A.J. 1615 ABUNDANCE, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSERVATION OF MANATEES IN THE BANANA RIVER, FLORIDA, 1977-1995 PROVANCHA, J.A., PROVANCHA, M.J., REDDICK, R.A. 1630 LOCAL ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) IN THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA BARCO, S.G., PABST, D.A., SWINGLE, W.M., MCLELLAN, W.A. 1645 MANATEE (TRICHECHUS MANATUS) MOVEMENTS AND SPATIAL USE PATTERNS ALONG THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA DEUTSCH, C.J., REID, J.P., BONDE, R.K., KOCHMAN, H.I. 1900 VIDEO NIGHT AT SEA WORLD Brent S. Stewart, Ph.D. Program Chair Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute 2595 Ingraham Street San Diego, CA 92109 email: bstewart(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu and Boalt Hall School of Law University of California Berkeley, California email: bstewart(\)uclink2.berkeley.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 17:36:08 -0700 From: Brent Stewart Subject: Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals >From the Program Committee: The following is Part Three of a Three Part message regarding the Biennial Marine Mammal Conference Conference Science Program (continued) SUNDAY, 17 DECEMBER 1995 BALLROOM B BEHAVIOR II CHAIR: IAN BOYD 0800 FORAGING BEHAVIOUR BY BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS SP.) IN SHARK BAY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA: BEACHING FOR A MEAL BERGGREN, P. 0815 HARBOR SEAL HANDLING AND INGESTING OF DIFFERENT PREY SIZES AND SPECIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR PREY SELECTIVITY AND PREY HARD PART RECOVERY COTTRELL, P.E. 0830 SIRENIAN FEEDING BEHAVIOR: A COMPARISON OF MANATEE AND DUGONG FEEDING MECHANICS MARSHALL, C.D., REEP, R.L. 0845 THE BUBBLE HELIX: SONAR STUDIES OF FEEDING HUMPBACK WHALES SHARPE, F.A., DILL, L.M. 0900 TRANSLOCATION OF HARBOUR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA): A DEMONSTRATION OF HOMING ABILITY AND SITE FIDELITY OLESIUK, P.F., SMITH, T.G., HORONOWITSCH, G. ELLIS, G.M. 0915 DETERMINING THE PRECISE TIMING AND LOCATION OF FORAGING BY STELLER SEA LIONS ANDREWS, R.D., CALKINS, D.G. 0930 USING STOMACH TEMPERATURE TO ESTIMATE MEAL SIZE IN CAPTIVE AND FREE RANGING HARBOUR SEALS BEKKBY, T., BJORGE, A.J., THOMPSON, D. 0945 BALANCING OXYGEN USE AND GAIN DURING THE DIVE CYCLE: A BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH BOYD, I.L. 1000 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION ROOMS 3, 4, 5, 6 ECOLOGY V, VI, VII BEHAVIOR II, III PHYSIOLOGY AND ENERGETICS I POPULATION GENETICS 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY VI CHAIR: BRUCE ACKERMAN 0800 CORRECTING MINIMUM POPULATION COUNTS TO ESTIMATE THE TRUE ABUNDANCE OF HARBOR SEALS IN WASHINGTON AND OREGON, 1991-1993 HUBER, H.R., JEFFRIES, S.J., BROWN, R.F., DELONG, R.L. 0815 ESTIMATES OF HUMPBACK WHALE ABUNDANCE OFF KAUAI, 1989 TO 1993, INDICATE NON-RANDOM MIXING AMONG THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS CERCHIO, S. 0830 GRAY WHALE CALF SIGHTINGS COLLECTED BY THE NATIONAL MARINE MAMMAL LABORATORY DURING SOUTHBOUND MIGRATIONS, 1952-95 SHELDEN, K.E.W., RUGH, D.J., BOEVE, S.A. 0845 THERMAL IMAGE SURVEYS OF HARBOUR SEALS IN SCOTLAND DUCK, C.D., HIBY, A.R., HALL, A.J., WARD, A.J. 0900 MEASUREMENTS OF CALIFORNIA GRAY WHALES DAY/NIGHT MIGRATION PATTERNS WITH INFRARED SENSORS DONAHUE, M.A., PERRYMAN, W.L., LAAKE, J.L. 0915 SEASONALITY IN HAUL-OUT BEHAVIOR AND BIOLOGICAL EVENTS IN THE MONK SEAL (MONACHUS MONACHUS) COLONY OF CABO BLANCO AGUILAR, A., GAZO, M., GONZALEZ, L.M., GRAU, E., BORRELL, A. 0930 AERIAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND PHOTO-IDENTIFICATION OF BLUE WHALES (BALAENOPTERA MUSCULUS) IN THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS-1994 GILPATRICK, J.W., PERRYMAN, W.L., MORGAN, S.L. 0945 AGE-STRUCTURED POPULATION MODELS FOR FLORIDA MANATEES ACKERMAN, B.B., WRIGHT, S.D. 1000 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM B BEHAVIOR III CO-CHAIRS: DARYL BONESS AND KATHLEEN DUDZINSKY 1330 NATAL ATTRACTION AND IMPRINTING IN WILD BOTTLENSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS): THE BABYSITTING MYTH MANN, J. 1345 SIGNATURE WHISTLE DEVELOPMENT IN FREE-RANGING BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS SAYIGH, L.S., TYACK, P.L., WELLS, R.S., SAMUELS, A. 1400 VIOLENT DOLPHIN-PORPOISE INTERACTIONS: FUN, FEAR, FOOD OR FREAKS? WILSON, B., ROSS, H.M., THOMPSON, P.M., REID, R.J. 1415 DOES BODY MASS AFFECT AQUATIC BEHAVIOUR OF HARBOUR SEAL (PHOCA VITULINA) MALES DURING THE MATING SEASON? COLTMAN, D.W., BOWEN, W.D., BONESS, D.J. 1430 MODELS OF MATERNAL INVESTMENT IN PHOCID SEALS THOMPSON, D., FEDAK, M.A. 1445 REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR OF HARBOR SEAL MALES AT SEA BONESS, D.J., BOWEN, W.D., MARSHALL. G., BUHLEIER, B. 1500 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY VII CHAIR: GLENN VAN BLARICOM 1330 PREDICTIVE SPATIAL MODELS OF MARINE MAMMAL DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE IN THE GULF OF THE FARALLONES, CALIFORNIA, 1985-92 ALLEN, S.G., AINLEY, D.G. 1345 SCALE OF DISTRIBUTION OF FIN AND HUMPBACK WHALES IN THE GULF OF ALASKA STERN, S.J., DAHLHEIM, M.E., BRAHAM, H. 1400 CETACEAN HABITAT PARTITIONING ALONG THE CONTINENTAL SLOPE IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO DAVIS, R.W., FARGION, G., MAY, N., HANSEN, L., MULLIN, K., SCHROEDER, S. 1415 HABITAT INFLUENCES ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF FLORIDA MANATEE IN THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON, FLORIDA FLAMM, R.O., WARD, L., WEIGLE, B.L. 1430 SCALE-DEPENDENT CORRELATIONS OF SPERM WHALE DISTRIBUTION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES AND PRODUCTIVITY IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC JAQUET, N., WHITEHEAD., H. 1445 CONFIGURATION AND VARIATION OF KELP FORESTS OCCUPIED BY SEA OTTERS OFF BIG SUR, CALIFORNIA VANBLARICOM, G.R., FOSTER, M.S. 1500 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM B TAXONOMY/PHYLOGENY/EVOLUTION CO-CHAIRS: ANALISA BERTA AND LIANNE POSTMA 1530 MITOCHONDRIAL SYSTEMATICS OF THE DELPHINIDAE LEDUC, R.G., DIZON, A.E., PERRIN, W.F. 1545 MICROSATELLITESCLOUDS IN FRONT OF THE SILVER LINING AMOS, W. 1600 DEVELOPMENT AND HOMOLOGIES OF HEAD STRIPES IN THE DELPHINOIDS PERRIN, W.F. 1615 SPERM WHALES ARE ODONTOCETES; ANALYSIS OF THE MORPHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE HEYNING, J.E. 1630 THE AETIOCETIDAE: PRIMITIVE OLIGOCENE TOOTHED MYSTICETES BARNES, L.G., KIMURA, M., FURUSAWA, H., AWAMURA, H.S, GONZALEZ-BARBA, G. 1645 WHY PHYLOGENIES MATTER: CASE STUDIES OF PHOCID EVOLUTION BERTA, A.A 1700 BUSINESS MEETING 1900 DINNER BREAK BALLROOM C/D PHYSIOLOGY/ENERGETICS I CHAIR: SARA IVERSON 1530 ADAPTATIONS TO PROLONGED FASTING IN ELEPHANT SEAL PUPS PLASMA CHEMISTRY AND BODY MASS LOSS REA, L.D., CASTELLINI, M.A. 1545 UREA TURNOVER IN LACTATING NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS CROCKER, D.E., WILLIAMS, J.D., COSTA, D.P., LE BOEUF, B.J. 1600 GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE IN LACTATING NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS WEBB, P.M., CROCKER, D.E., COSTA, D.P., LE BOEUF, B.J. 1615 OSMOREGULATORY ENDOCRINOLOGY OF FREE RANGING AND CAPTIVE WEST INDIAN MANATEES (TRICHECHUS MANATUS) ORTIZ, R.M., WORTHY, G.A.J., MACKENZIE, D.S. 1630 TEMPERATURE REGULATION OF SEAL REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS ROMMEL, S., EARLY, G., WYMAN, B. 1645 BODY COMPOSITION AND WATER KINETICS OF RECENTLY WEANED HARBOUR SEAL PUPS: DOES SIZE MATTER? MUELBERT, M.M.C., BOWEN, W.D., IVERSON, S.J. 1700 BUSINESS MEETING 1900 DINNER BREAK BALLROOM B SYMPOSIUM /WORKSHOP III CRITICAL THINKING FOR EFFECTIVE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION CO-CHAIRS: HERBERT ROITBLATT AND THOMAS JACKSON 2000 INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP BALLROOM C/D SYMPOSIUM IV HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT CO-CHAIRS: LARRY HANSEN AND RANDY WELLS 2000 BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT HANSEN, L.J., WELLS, R.S. 2020 A MODEL FOR ASSESSING THE RELATIVE HEALTH OF DOLPHIN POPULATIONS SWEENEY, J.C., WELLS, R.S., TOWNSEND, F., CASPER, D., HANSEN, L.J. 2040 ASSESSMENT OF THE HEALTH OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN POPULATIONS IN SARASOTA BAY, FL AND MATAGORDA BAY, TX WELLS, R.S., RHINEHART, H.L., SWEENEY, J., OWNSEND, F., CASPER, D. 2100 CHLORINATED HYDROCARBON CONTAMINANTS AND SELECTED HEALTH PARAMETERS IN BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS REIF, J.S., HANSEN, L., GALLOWAY, S., MITCHUM, G. 2120 LEVELS OF ORGANOHALOGEN COMPOUNDS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO HEALTH SCORES IN BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) FROM THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA VEDDER, J.M., JARMAN, W.M., WELLS, R.S., COSTA, D.P. 2140 DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND EVALUATION OF WILD TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS IN MATAGORDA BAY, TEXAS STONE, L.R., RHINEHART, H. MONDAY, 18 DECEMBER 1995 BALLROOM B POPULATION GENETICS CHAIR: BARBARA TAYLOR AND BARBARA CURRY 0800 MOLECULAR GENETIC IDENTIFICATION OF WHALE AND DOLPHIN PRODUCTS PURCHASED IN JAPAN AND KOREA BAKER, C.S., CIPRIANO, F., PALUMBI, S.R. 0815 GENETIC MARKERS FOR HARBOR PORPOISE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN THE NORTHWEST ATLANTIC ROSEL, P.E., KOCHER, T.D. 0830 GENETIC SUBSTRUCTURE OF THE PACIFIC HARBOR SEAL (PHOCA VITULINA RICHARDSI) OFF WASHINGTON, OREGON AND CALIFORNIA. LAMONT, M.M. 0845 HAVE SPERM WHALES GONE THROUGH A BOTTLENECK? LYRHOLM, T., LEIMAR, O., GYLLENSTEN, U. 0900 FORAGING SPECIALIZATIONS AND THE EVOLUTION OF POPULATION GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION IN DELPHINID CETACEANS HOELZEL, A.R., POTTER, C., DAHLHEIM, M. 0915 LOW GENETIC VARIABILITY IN MONK SEALS: CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS KRETZMANN, M.B., MEYER, A., COSTA, D.P. 093 MHC DIVERSITY IN THE HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL ARMSTRONG, P.S. 0945 POWER ANALYSIS OF GENETIC DATA TO DEFINE POPULATION STRUCTURE TAYLOR, B.L., CHIVERS, S.J., DIZON, A.E. 1000 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION ROOM 3, 4, 5, 6 MORPHOLOGY/DEVELOPMENT I, II ACOUSTICS I, II PHYSIOLOGY AND ENERGETICS II 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM C/D PHYSIOLOGY AND ENERGETICS II CHAIR: TERRIE WILLIAMS 0800 BEHAVIOUR AND MASS CHANGES DURING BREEDING IN MALE SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS AT SOUTH GEORGIA ARNBOM, T., MODIG, A., BOYD, I.L., FEDAK, M.A. 0815 SEMEN CHARACTERISTICS AND CRYOPRESERVATION OF THE PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN YOSHIOKA, M., TOBAYAMA, T., INOUE, S. OHARA, S., AIDA, K. 0830 MITOCHONDRIAL DENSITIES OF SKELETAL MUSCLES IN PINNIPEDS: A KEY TO AEROBIC CAPACITY KANATOUS, S.B., DAVIS, R.W., COWAN, D.F. 0845 THE CARDIOVASCULAR ADJUSTMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH SWIMMING AND DIVING IN THE FREE-RANGING ANTARCTIC FUR SEAL BEVAN, R.M., BUTLER, P.J., BOYD, I.L., WOAKES, A.J. 0900 MUSCLE OXYGENATION AND BLOOD FLOW DURING NAIVE AND TRAINED SUBMERSIONS IN THE HARBOR SEAL, PHOCA VITULINA JOBSIS, P.D., PONGANIS, P.J. 0915 SPLENIC CONTRACTION, CATECHOLAMINE RELEASE, AND BLOOD VOLUME REDISTRIBUTION DURING VOLUNTARY DIVING OF THE WEDDELL SEAL HURFORD, W.E., HOCHACHKA, P.W., LIGGINS, G.C., SCHNEIDER, R.C., GUYTON, G.P., STANEK, K.S., ZAPOL, D.G., ZAPOL, W.M. 0930 THE AEROBIC SUBMERSION LIMIT OF LAKE BAIKAL SEALS PONGANIS, P.J., KOOYMAN, G.L., BARANOV, E.A., THORSON, P.H., STEWART, B.S. 0945 SWIMMING ENERGETICS OF MARINE MAMMALS: TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS IN WETSUITS? WILLIAMS, T.M. 1000 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM B MORPHOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT I CHAIR: DARLENE KETTEN AND HEATHER KOOPMAN 1330 TOPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND REGIONAL SPECIALIZATION OF FUNCTION OF THE BLUBBER OF THE HARBOUR PORPOISE (PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) KOOPMAN, H.N., GASKIN, D.E. 1345 MANEUVERABILITY AND FLOW CONTROL BASED ON HYDRODYNAMIC DESIGN OF THE HUMPBACK WHALE FLIPPER FISH, F.E. 1400 ANATOMICAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS A FUNCTION FOR THE LARYNX OF HUMPBACK WHALES (MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE) IN SOUND GENERATION AND BUBBLE CLOUD PRODUCTION REIDENBERG, J.S., LAITMAN, J.T. 1415 FUNCTIONAL MORPHOLOGY OF DOLPHIN BLUBBER PABST, D.A., MCLELLAN, W.A., GOSLINE, J.G., PIERMARINI, P.M. 1430 WALRUS TUSKS USED IN FEEDING? NEW EVIDENCE FROM AN EXTINCT CETACEAN DOMNING, D.P., MUIZON, C.DE 1445 APOCALYPTIC HEARING: AGING, INJURY, DISEASE, AND NOISE IN MARINE MAMMAL EARS KETTEN, D.R., RIDGWAY, S.H., EARLY, G. 1500 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM C/D ACOUSTICS I CHAIR: CHRIS CLARK 1330 THE ACOUSTIC BEHAVIOUR OF THE LEOPARD SEAL, HYDRURGA LEPTONYX ROGERS, T.L. 1345 EFFECTS OF BOAT NOISE ON THE SINGING BEHAVIOR OF HUMPBACK WHALES (MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE) NORRIS, T.F. 1400 THE KILLER WHALE (ORCINUS ORCA) ADUITORY SYSTEM ASSESSED WITH EVOKED POTENTIALS:CLICK RATES AND AUDIOGRAMS SZYMANSKI, M.D., SUPIN, A.Y., BAIN, D.E., HENRY, K.R. 1415 DOLPHIN WHISTLE REPERTOIRES REVISITED MCCOWAN, B., REISS, D. 1430 THE EFFECTS OF THE ATOC SIGNALS ON DOLPHINS AND SMALL WHALES AU, W.W.L., NACHTIGALL, P.E., PAWLOSKI, J.L. 1445 AN OVERVIEW OF THE ATOC-MARINE MAMMAL RESEARCH PROGRAM (ATOC-MMRP) CLARK, C.W. 1500 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM B MORPHOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT II CHAIR: ANN PABST 1530 GROWTH OF HARBOUR PORPOISES(PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) IN SWEDISH WATERS KULL, M., BERGGREN, P. 1545 MILK CONSUMPTION AND GROWTH EFFICIENCY IN ANTARCTIC FUR SEAL (ARCTOCEPHALUS GAZELLA) PUPS ARNOULD, J.P.Y. 1600 GROWTH PARAMETERS OF CAPTIVE BORN KILLER WHALES (ORCINUS ORCA) CLARK, S.T., ODELL, D.K., LACINAK, C.T. 1615 GROWTH AND CONDITION INDICES OF NORTHERN FUR SEAL PUPS ON BERING ISLAND, RUSSIA BOLTNEV, A.I., YORK, A.E., ANTONELIS, G. 1800 NO-HOST RECEPTION 1900 BANQUET BALLROOM C/D ACOUSTICS II CHAIR: PAUL NACHTIGALL 1530 UNDERWATER HEARING ABILITIES OF THE WEST INDIAN MANATEE GERSTEIN, E., GERSTEIN, L., FORSYTHE, S.,BLUE, J. 1545 HEARING AND ECHOLOCATION IN A PYGMY SPERM WHALE KOGIA CARDER, D., RIDGWAY, S.H., WHITAKER, B., GERACI, J. 1600 DEEP HEARING AND SONAR STUDIES OF CONDITIONED WHITE WHALES DELPHINAPTERUS LEUCAS RIDGWAY, S.H., CARDER, D.A. 1615 LOW FREQUENCY HEARING THRESHOLDS OF PSEUDORCA CRASSIDENS AND GRAMPUS GRISEUS NACHTIGALL, P.E., AU, W.W.L., PAWLOSKI, J.L. 1800 NO-HOST RECEPTION 1900 BANQUET 2100 DANCING Brent S. Stewart, Ph.D. Program Chair Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute 2595 Ingraham Street San Diego, CA 92109 email: bstewart(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu and Boalt Hall School of Law University of California Berkeley, California email: bstewart(\)uclink2.berkeley.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 15:26:47 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: whale watching Erich Hoyt has asked me to post the following: For a free list of whale watching reports and booklets plus other cetacean books and conservation reports available by mail order, contact: The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) Alexander House James Street West Bath, Avon BA1 2BT England FAX 00 44 1225 480097 or contact WDCS through e-mail INTERNET:100417.1464(\)compuserve.com or directly via compuserve on 100417,1464 JUST ASK FOR THE LATEST "WDCS BOOKLIST" and include your land-based address (self addressed envelopes appreciated) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 12:06:54 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 10/27/95 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Seal Hunt Re-examination. At an Oct. 19-20, 1995, North Atlantic Fisheries Ministers Conference in St. John's, Newfoundland, ministers from both sides of the Atlantic agreed to re-examine bans prohibiting the marketing of seal products. [Reuters] . Seismic Survey and Whales. On Oct. 18, 1995, Exxon and environmental groups agreed to a compromise providing protection for an additional 25 marine mammal species as well as expanded acoustic monitoring safeguards during a 45-day seismic survey using air guns off the California coast. [Assoc Press, Greenwire] . Tuna-Dolphin. The House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans postponed a hearing scheduled for Oct. 26, 1995, on H.R. 2179, the International Dolphin Conservation Act Amendments of 1995, and tentatively scheduled a hearing for Nov. 16, 1995, on a bill to be introduced to implement the Panama Declaration on tuna/dolphin conservation. [personal communication] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 11:37:49 JST From: Tomio Miyashita Subject: dolphin therapy Dear MARMAM member, One Japanese university student selected 'dolphin therapy' as a graduation thesis. If you know the bibliograpies about this topic, please make reference to me. Tomio Miyashita, National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries, miyachan(\)enyo.affrc.go.jp ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 15:51:55 +1000 From: Janet Slater Subject: morbillivirus in Australia Dear marmamers In Gene Bucks recent update note, he mentioned the record of = morbillivirus turning up in a common dolphin in the Pacific. For interest, a form of morbillivirus, called equine morbillivirus, = killed a horse and it's trainer here in Queensland Australia in August = 1994. It was found that the virus was new to science. In the first cases, = it attacked the respiratory system and liquified the lungs of the = victims. Yesterday,October 23, another man died of the same virus,presumably = caught again from a horse. However, the picture is by no means certain = with regard to transmission, the extent of carrier mammals (now it is = believed cats and dogs may carry this new virus), or virulence. I don't know if there is any connection here with the Californian finding;= if the same virus is involved or if this Australian form has the = potential to infect marine mammals, but I thought someone might be = interested in this news. Janet Slater, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority: Fax (61) 077 = 726093 ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 29 Oct 1995 17:05:52 -0500 From: Olwen Huxley Subject: Individual Whale Sighting Info In-Reply-To: <199510280215.WAA572138(\)acs-mail.bu.edu> Hello all: I am considering embarking on a small-scale mapping project using ARC/INFO (a geographical informations system software package) to map sightings of individual whales either off the West or East coast during a five or ten year period, whichever will work best (I am working under deadline). If anyone knows of a database which already exists, I would really appreciate it if you could tell me how to access it. I know that some conservation and research organizations keep records of repeated sightings of the same whale, some with photos of flukes and other identifying marks, but I cannot remember who they were. Any info will be useful at this point. I need to know what I am getting myself into. Thanks Olwen Huxley Center for Energy and Environmental Studies Boston University ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Oct 1995 12:14:03 -0500 From: Tokitae(\)aol.com Subject: pilot whale/tursiops strandings Dear MARMAMers I would appreciate any information on recent short-finned pilot whale strandings (live or fresh dead) on the east coast of the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico. Also, I am looking for evidence of the cetacean morbillivirus in ANY recently stranded cetacean. I will be using this information is a study being conducted re: the live stranding of 4 short-finned pilot whales in Big Pine Key, Floirda. In addition, does anyone have updates on "Benny", the Tursiops that stranded in Beaufort, North Carolina and then was transfered to Mote via USCG C130 aircratf? Please EMAIL to: Tokitae(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Oct 1995 12:51:00 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: National Geo article For those who don't have subscriptions to National Geographic, you might want to borrow a friend's November issue. An article by Hal Whitehead "The realm of the elusive sperm whale" appears, with photos by Flip Nicklin. The feature article in this issue might also be of interest to some, it is entitled "Diminishing returns" and is about the exploitation of the ocean's bounty. Happy reading. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 30 Oct 1995 17:13:34 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Marine Mammal Conference - Update 1. Late fees - 1 November is the deadline for receipt of faxed conference registration forms with payment by credit card AND 1 November is the POSTMARK date the must be on registration forms submitted by mail. The late fee is US$25.00. 2. Attention STUDENTS Please, please, please read the instructions on the conference registration form. INCLUDE a photocopy of your student ID card with your faxed or mailed confence registration form. You conference registration can not be fully processed until your student status is verified. Failure to provide proof of student status in a timely fashion may result in a late fee being charged. That is, don't wait until the conference to show us your ID. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel K. Odell Chair, Conference Committee Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Society for Marine Mammalogy Orlando, Florida, USA - 14-18 December 1995 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 11:59:36 GMT From: Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara Subject: Are blue sharks dolphin predators? Dear colleagues Being in the process of completing a study of the socio-ecology of a community of bottlenose dolphins in the Northern Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea), we would like to include in the discussion a comment concerning the possible role of predation in the shaping of the community's social structure. Although in that area white sharks are known to occur occasionally, the region is mostly known to ichthyologists as a nursery area for blue sharks, which certainly are the predominant epipelagic shark species there. However, I must confess my absolute ignorance concerning published (or unpublished, but circumstantiated) evidence of Prionace's predation on any dolphin species. Scavenging occurrences would also help, as well as occurrences in which it was not possible to discriminate between scavenging and predation. I would greatly appreciate receiving comments or information on this subject. Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara *********************************************** Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara Tethys Research Institute viale G.B. Gadio 2, I-20121 Milano, Italy tel. (+39-2) 72001947 - fax (+39-2) 29401987 email: gnstri(\)imiucca.csi.unimi.it *********************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 12:44:31 -0500 From: Deborah McCutchen Subject: Grey Whale Slide I was wondering if anyone on the Marmam Network had a good slide of a Grey whale they would be willing to let me use for a series of talks to four high schools in Massachusetts. The photographer would be credited of course, and I would pay for dupes and mailing (and return of the slide). The talks are aimed at environmental classes, covering several species of cetacean and current scientific studies in the hopes of inspiring further interest in the sciences. I just discovered one of the classes is going to be doing a fieldtrip to see this particular species and would love to include it in the discussion. Thanks if you can help, please respond to: debs(\)crocker.com or deb.mccutchen(\)stonebow.otago.ac.nz ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 10:58:27 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Infected dolphin found in Paci SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A highly contagious virus responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Atlantic and Mediterranean dolphins has been detected for the first time in a Pacific marine mammal, biologists say. The infected common dolphin beached itself Aug. 21 near Marina Del Rey and was taken to Sea World for rehabilitation. Routine blood tests performed prior to its scheduled release showed the presence of morbillivirus, which attacks the immune system. "We didn't release it back into the wild for fear of contaminating all the other animals out there," said Joe Cordaro, a wildlife biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Long Beach. Researchers do not know how the dolphin caught the virus, whether it is common -- but so far undetected -- in the Pacific and how it is transmitted between dolphins. And it's unclear what will happen to the female common dolphin, which has so far shown no symptoms of disease and remains in captivity at Sea World. More tests will determine whether it was shedding the virus. The virus, which is related to distemper in dogs and measles in humans, threatens only dolphins and some types of whales. Other varieties affect sea lions, Cordaro said. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 19:23:26 -0500 From: BLem(\)aol.com Subject: Internet Marine Mammal Resource List --PART.BOUNDARY.0.18962.emout06.mail.aol.com.815185332 MARMAM, Several months back I posted a message requesting information on Internet Marine Mammal Resources. I would like to thank all the individuals who wrote to me with all their very helpful information. Attached is a "comprehensive" list of World Wide Web sites pertaining to or including information about, marine mammals. The list is comprised mostly of homepages, being that a list of every subdirectory with marine mammal sounds and pictures would be too overwhelming. The "Descriptions" come from the Web pages themselves whenever possible. Undoubtedly, I probably missed a few pages here and there, and if I did, please let me know and I will add them to updated lists. The table was created in "Microsoft Access", then output to ASCII Text. It is best viewed in landscape with no word wrapping (Windows "Notepad" works fine). I hope this index is helpful to the subscribership and if you have any comments or questions, feel free to write to my E-mail address. Thanks. Bill Lemus BLem(\)aol.com San Diego, CA --PART.BOUNDARY.0.18962.emout06.mail.aol.com.815185332 name="MARINE_M.TXT" -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Site | = URL | Descript= ion | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | "About Marine Mammals" | http://www.marine= lab.sarasota.fl.us/WMARINE.HTM | Natural history document b= y Dwight Davis. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | "Animals and Marine Mammals" | http://www.io.com= /~phil/ | General marine mammal link= s. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | "Hot Topics" by Mark Miller | http://www.phoeni= x.net/~mark | Links to other marine mamm= al sites. General | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | American Zoo and Aquarium Association | http://www.ccilin= k.com/aza.html | AZA homepage. Links to oth= er zoos/aquaria. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Animal Rights Resource Site | http://envirolink= =2Eorg/arrs/ | Animal rights issues (in= cludes marine mammals.) | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Animal Rights Resource Site (other interesting | http://envirolink= =2Eorg/arrs/sites.html | Links to other sites (se= e "Marine Life Sites".) | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Antarctica and its Environment | http://icair.iac.= org.nz/visitor.html | Traveler's information on = Antarctica. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | AquaThought Foundation | http://access.dig= ex.net:80/~sunilg/ | Human-dolphin interaction = research. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Biology of Harbour Porpoises | http://biome.bio.= dfo.ca/bio/hed/brodie/porpoise.html | Natural history document b= y Paul Brodie | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Brain of the Florida Manatee, The | http://www.neurop= hys.wisc.edu/brain/MANATEE.HTML | Information and images of = the manatee brain. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Brookfield Zoo, Chicago Zoological Society | http://nuinfo.nwu= =2Eedu/ev-chi/parks/zoo/brookfield.html | Brookfield Zoo homepage.= General information. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Center for Whale Research, The | http://www.halcyo= n.com/clearnts/cwr/welcome.html | CWR homepage. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Centro Interdisciplinare di Bioacustica | http://ipv512.uni= pv.it/~webcib/ | Bioacoustics. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Cetacean Society International | http://elfnet1a.e= lfi.com/csihome.html | CSI homepage. Link to "Wha= les Alive" | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Cetecean Behavior Laboratory | http://www.sci.sd= su.edu/CBL/CBLHome.html | From San Diego State Unive= rsity. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Channelings/Lightwork/Sirians: The Dolphin | http://zeta.cs.ad= fa.oz.au/Spirit/dolphins.html | New age information. Image= s and text. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Charlotte, The Vermont Whale | http://www.uvm.ed= u/whale/whalehome.html | "An Electronic Museum". = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Clearwater Marine Science Center | http://www.wta.co= m/cmsc | CMSC homepage. Tampa Bay, = FL | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Coastal Ecosystems Research Foundation | http://www.bcu.ub= c.ca/~megill/cerf/cerf_hp.html | Ecologocal research throug= h eco-tourism. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Consortium of Aquariums, Universities and Zoos | http://www.fhcrc.= org/~ialwww/CAUZ/CAUZ.html | Zoo/aquaria and university= database. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Dancing Dolphin Press | http://maui.net/~= jstark/dolphin1.html | "Human-dolphin" publicatio= ns. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Directory of Aquaria | http://www.actwin= =2Ecom/fish/public.html | Links to aquaria with ho= mepages. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Dolphin images (Synthmedia Ltd.) | http://www.swcp.c= om/synth/keywest/dophinimages.html | Random dolphin images. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Dolphin Island Greenware | http://www.ping.b= e/~ping1081/index.html | Enviromental awareness hom= epage. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Dolphin Project Europe | http://www.achill= es.net/~jamesh/dolphin/ | = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Dolphins Within Society | http://www.usyd.e= du.au/~okx/dolphins/dolphins.htm | Dolphin facilitated therap= y. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Earthwatch | http://gaia.earth= watch.org/ | Environmental research hom= epage. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Enoshima Aquarium | http://ap-a.cc.af= frc.go.jp/~mtoyokaw/enoshima.html | The Enoshima Aquarium home= page. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Eurosquid Marine Mammal Homepage | http://www.abdn.a= c.uk/~nhi104/seals/marmamm.html | Projects and publication i= nformation. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Facts About Federal Wildlife Laws | http://www.fws.go= v/wildlaws.html | Protection laws (see "Mari= ne Mammals") | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Florida Aquarium | http://www.sptime= s.com/aquarium/default.html | The Florida Aquarium's hom= epage. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Friends of the Sea Otter | http://infomanage= =2Ecom/mbk/mbkfos.html | Introductory information= on FSO. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | International Dolphin Project | http://www.enviro= link.org/arrs/ahimsa/idp/index.html | Captive dolphin release is= sues. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | International Fund for Animal Welfare | http://www.easyne= t.co.uk/ifaw/home.HTM | I.F.A.W. homepage. Animal = welfare issues. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | International Marine Mammal Project (Earth Island) | http://www.earthi= sland.org/ei/immp.html | Environmental awareness an= d protection. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | International Wildlife Coalition | http://www.webcom= =2Ecom/~iwcwww/ | Animal "advocacy" organi= zation. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Interpsecies Communication Inc. | http://www.3dsite= =2Ecom/3dsite/ic/index.html | Human-animal communicati= ons (incl. cetacean). | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals (1994) | http://www.wcmc.o= rg.uk/data/database/rl_anml_combo.html | Taxa/geographic loc. searc= h database. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Literature on Strandings | http://www.ccsr.u= iuc.edu/~gmk/Projects/Orcas-SW/Misc/ | Information and related li= terature on | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Literature on Strandings (URL con't) | StrandLit.html = | = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Manitoba Animal Rights Coalition WAIS search engine | http://envirolink= =2Eorg/cgi-bin/wwwwaism | EnviroWeb search engine.= | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Marine Mammal Center, The | http://www.spider= web.com/tmmc/ | TMMC homepage. General inf= ormation. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Marine Mammal Information Server | http://elpc54136.= lut.ac.uk | Links, resources and sound= samples. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Marine Mammal Protection Act | http://ash.lab.r1= =2Efws.gov:80/./cargo/mmp.html | Basic text of M.M.P.A. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Marine Mammal Research Program | http://www.rtis.c= om/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/mmrp.html | Texas A&M marine mammal re= search | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Marine World Africa USA | http://www.freeru= n.com/napavalley/outdoor/marinewo/ | General information. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Marine World Africa USA ( URL cont'd) | marinewo.html = | = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Monterey Bay Aquarium | http://www.usw.np= s.navy.mil/millercw/aq/index.html | Monterey Bay Aquarium's ho= mepage. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Mote Marine Laboratory | http://www.marine= lab.sarasota.fl.us/ | Detailed info on Mote Mari= ne Lab. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | National Marine Fisheries Service | http://kingfish.s= sp.nmfs.gov/home-page.html | Links to news, publication= s, facilities and | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | National Oceanographic Data Center | http://www.nodc.n= oaa.gov/ | Oceanic data information c= enter. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Natural History Book Service (Marine mammals) | http://www.nhbs.c= o.uk/booknet/sull.html | Booklisting and ordering. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | http://www.usc.ed= u/lacmnh/departments/birdsmammals/ | Section of Birds and Mamma= ls | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | NetVet-Marine Mammals | http://netvet.wus= tl.edu/marine.htm | From the "Electronic Zoo".= Internet links. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | New England Aquarium | http://ftp.std.co= m/homepages/std/otherent.html | Visitor information. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and | http://www-orca.n= os.noaa.gov | NOAA's Internet informatio= n service. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Okeanos | http://www.goodie= s.com/Okeanos/aquarium.htm | Okeanos aquarium and resea= rch foundation. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Orcas at Sea World, San Diego, CA | http://www.ccsr.u= iuc.edu/~gmk/Projects/Orcas-SW/ | Acoustic case study of Sea= World orcas. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Orcinus Orca | http://www.slip.n= et/~oyafuso/orcinusorca.html | General information and im= ages. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Protected Marine Species Research and Information | http://www.rtis.c= om/nat/user/elsberry/marspec.html | Marine mammal links. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Research Resources Internet Links | http://www.calaca= demy.org/reslinks.html | Links to research resource= s. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Researching Orca (Ingrid Visser) | http://hmul.hmu.a= uckland.ac.nz:80/4107CC3A/Corca | Miscellaneous orca informa= tion. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History | http://www.rain.o= rg/~inverts/ | General info. Links to pub= lications and events. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Save the Manatee Club | http://www.sateln= et.org.:80/manatee/ | Florida manatee conservati= on information. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Sea World/Busch Gardens | http://www.bev.ne= t/education/SeaWorld/homepage.html | Includes "Animal Informati= on Database". | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Seattle Aquarium | http://www.eskimo= =2Ecom/~mjohnson/aquarium.html | Visitor information. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Shedd Aquarium | http://www.nwu.ed= u/ev-chi/musgal/shedd/shedd.html | Visitor information. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Sierra Club Policy: Marine Mammals | http://www.sierra= club.org/policy/653.html | Text of Sierra Club's mari= ne mammal policy. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Signal Processing Research Group | http://info.lut.a= c.uk/departments/el/research/bioacoustics/ | Loughborough Univ. of Tech= nology (C. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Signal Processing Research Group (URL cont'd) | index.html = | = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | State of Florida. Dept. of Environmental Protection | http://www.dep.st= ate.fl.us | Florida D.E.P. homepage. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Stephen Birch Aquarium Museum; UCSD | http://aqua.ucsd.= edu | Aquarium info. Links to Sc= ripps Inst. Library | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Strategies for pursuing a career in m. mammal | http://www.rtis.c= om/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/mmstrat.html | Society for Marine Mammalo= gy's brochure. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Tennessee Aquarium | http://www.tennis= =2Eorg/ | Tennessee Aquarium in Ch= attanooga (homepage.) | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network | http://www.rtis.c= om/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/tmmsn.html | T.M.M.S.N. info. General s= tranding info as | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | The Dolphin Alliance | http://envirolink= =2Eorg/arrs/ahimsa/tda/tda_info.html | Cetacean rights and envi= ronmental protection. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | The DOLPHINatic | http://www.geopag= es.com/siliconValley/1270/ | "Barbara's Homepage", link= s to other sites. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | The National Association of Marine Laboratories | http://www.mbl.ed= u/html/NAML/NAML.html | Marine laboratories forum.= Contains listing. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Tirpitz Whaling Page | http://tirpitz.ib= g.uit.no/wwww/ss.html | Whaling and whale related = information. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | http://internet.e= r.usgs.gov/doi/fish-wildlife-service.html | Links to Dept. of Interior= and UFWS server. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Universal Dolphin Awareness Center | http://www.riv.nl= /totem | Miscellaneous dolphin info= and related links. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Vancouver Aquarium | http://www.bendte= ch.com/attractions/vanaquarium/ | Visitor information. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Veterinary Medicine (Biosciences) | http://netvet.wus= tl.edu/vetmed.htm | Information and links to v= et issues (from | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Waikiki Aquarium | http://www.mic.ha= waii.edu/aquarium/ | Aquarium homepage. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Web Lift | http://ucmp1.berk= eley.edu/taxaform.html | Searchable taxon database= . | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Whale Adoption Program (Int'l Wildlife Coalition) | http://www.webcom= =2Ecom/~iwcwww/whale_adoption/ | General whale informatio= n. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Whale Adoption Program (URL cont'd) | waphome.html = | = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Whale Conservation Institute | http://www.tiac.n= et/users/rhobson/wciweb.html | Dr. Roger Payne's W.C.I. h= omepage. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Whale Information Network | http://www.macmed= ia.com.au/whales/whale6.html | Southern Australian cetace= an conservation. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Whale Watch and Sportfish in Beautiful Hawaii | http://www.canusa= =2Ecom/whales/ | Tourist information. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Whale Watching Web | http://www.physic= s.helsinki.fi/whale/ | Whale watching links and c= etacean info. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Whale Watching. New Brunswick, Canada | http://www.csi.nb= =2Eca/tourism/page1.html | Tourist guide. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | WhaleNet | http://whale.simm= ons.edu | WhaleNet educational netw= ork. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Wildlife and Conservation Links | http://metro.turn= pike.net/S/sam2/index.html | General animal and conserv= ation Internet links. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | http://www.whoi.e= du/ | Woods Hole homepage. = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- | ZooNet | http://wwwmindspr= ing.com/~zoonet/ | Information and multimedia= samples on Zoos. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------------- --PART.BOUNDARY.0.18962.emout06.mail.aol.com.815185332-- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 15:04:00 BDB From: Andre Barreto Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: Pontoporia rehabilitation Dear Marmamers, we found yesterday a very young Pontoporia blainvillei that stranded alive near Rio Grande, RS, Brazil. It is less than 1 metre long and still has the vibrissae in its rostrum. It was installed in a children pool of 1500 litres and is swimming well. We have in our team a veterinarian (Ana Andrade) and she administered a broad spectrum antibiotic to avoid any oportunistic infection due to debilitation. It is being fed milk by a nursing bottle and seems to be enjoying it. It sucks strongly and this night had around 100ml of milk. We are using a recipe of milk used for manatees, because it was the only one we could find at the moment. WE HAVE NO PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH DOLPHIN REHABILITATION. We gladly accept any hint that you out there in the Net might have, specially regarding to milk. Does anyone have a recipe of milk used for dolphins? And what is the usual amount that they take in a day? It appears to be healthy, appart from a small wound over the right eye. It swims well and is feeding naturally, so we have hope that it will survive. Thanks for your help. See you in the Net, Andre S. Barreto | Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinhos | Depto. de Oceanografia - FURG /posasb(\)brfurg.bitnet\ | C.P. 474 Rio Grande RS \posasb(\)super.furg.br/ | 96201-900 | Brasil __________________________|_____________________________________ | "Problems worthy of attack, show their value hitting back" | |________________________________________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 22:50:33 -0500 From: Roberto Pardo Subject: whale-watching sanctuaries In-Reply-To: <9510201751.AA01898(\)sol.UVic.CA> DEAR MARMAMers The Scientific Committee of Colombian Underwater Federation, FEDECAS is an NGO that work on Environmental Education and now work in a proposal to create a Coastal-marine protected area in Malaga bay (Colombian Pacific coast) to protect an important population of Humpback whales that come to breeding and mate in our warm waters. Also we started the past year a whale-watching programs from july until october near to Malaga bay. We are very interested in obtain some information relate to create Sanctuaries or Marine Parks to protect the whales and information about Whale-watching regulations. We really appreciate if someone send information about this topics. Thank you very much to all for the help and support. Cordially, Roberto Pardo Angel Marine Biologist Director of Scientific Committee FEDECAS P.O. Box 26513 FAX 57-2-5580150 e-mail: ropardo(\)biomarina.univalle.edu.co Cali, Colombia. South America. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 23:54:20 -0500 From: BLem(\)aol.com Subject: Re-posting of M. Mammal Weblist MARMAM, It is my understanding that many have had difficulty with either the "viewability" and/or downloading of the Marine Mammal Web list I posted on 31 October. Due to these difficulties, I am re-posting the list (sans site descriptions) within this E-mail. Unfortunately in exporting this file from the original software to ASCII, alphabetization was lost (why, I'm not sure). I apologize for any inconvenience. Once again, comments and questions concerning the list are welcomed. Bill Lemus San Diego, CA (\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\)(\) Marine Mammal Related Web Sites ---------------------------------------------------- Antarctica and its Environment http://icair.iac.org.nz/visitor.html Charlotte, The Vermont Whale http://www.uvm.edu/whale/whalehome.html National Oceanographic Data Center http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/ The National Association of Marine Laboratories http://www.mbl.edu/html/NAML/NAML.html Whale Watching. New Brunswick, Canada http://www.csi.nb.ca/tourism/page1.html Researching Orca (Ingrid Visser) http://hmul.hmu.auckland.ac.nz:80/4107CC3A/Corca Monterey Bay Aquarium http://www.usw.nps.navy.mil/millercw/aq/index.html Friends of the Sea Otter http://infomanage.com/mbk/mbkfos.html Universal Dolphin Awareness Center http://www.riv.nl/totem Cetacean Society International http://elfnet1a.elfi.com/csihome.html Orcas at Sea World, San Diego, CA http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/Projects/Orcas-SW/ National Marine Fisheries Service http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/home-page.html "Hot Topics" by Mark Miller http://www.phoenix.net/~mark "Animals and Marine Mammals" http://www.io.com/~phil/ Dolphin Island Greenware http://www.ping.be/~ping1081/index.html Clearwater Marine Science Center http://www.wta.com/cmsc Coastal Ecosystems Research Foundation http://www.bcu.ubc.ca/~megill/cerf/cerf_hp.html Consortium of Aquariums, Universities and Zoos http://www.fhcrc.org/~ialwww/CAUZ/CAUZ.html Brookfield Zoo, Chicago Zoological Society http://nuinfo.nwu.edu/ev-chi/parks/zoo/brookfield.html Wildlife and Conservation Links http://metro.turnpike.net/S/sam2/index.html State of Florida. Dept. of Environmental Protection http://www.dep.state.fl.us Protected Marine Species Research and Information http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec.html Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/tmmsn.html Marine Mammal Research Program http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/mmrp.html ZooNet http://wwwmindspring.com/~zoonet/ Strategies for pursuing a career in m. mammal science http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/mmstrat.html WhaleNet http://whale.simmons.edu Whale Conservation Institute http://www.tiac.net/users/rhobson/wciweb.html Marine Mammal Information Server http://elpc54136.lut.ac.uk Centro Interdisciplinare di Bioacustica http://ipv512.unipv.it/~webcib/ Vancouver Aquarium http://www.bendtech.com/attractions/vanaquarium/ Marine Mammal Protection Act http://ash.lab.r1.fws.gov:80/./cargo/mmp.html International Fund for Animal Welfare http://www.easynet.co.uk/ifaw/home.HTM Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History http://www.rain.org/~inverts/ Stephen Birch Aquarium Museum; UCSD http://aqua.ucsd.edu Whale Information Network http://www.macmedia.com.au/whales/whale6.html U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service http://internet.er.usgs.gov/doi/fish-wildlife-service.html Save the Manatee Club http://www.satelnet.org.:80/manatee/ International Wildlife Coalition http://www.webcom.com/~iwcwww/ Whale Watching Web http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/ Animal Rights Resource Site (other interesting sites) http://envirolink.org/arrs/sites.html Animal Rights Resource Site http://envirolink.org/arrs/ Manitoba Animal Rights Coalition WAIS search engine http://envirolink.org/cgi-bin/wwwwaism Earthwatch http://gaia.earthwatch.org/ Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution http://www.whoi.edu/ Sea World/Busch Gardens http://www.bev.net/education/SeaWorld/homepage.html Channelings/Lightwork/Sirians: The Dolphin http://zeta.cs.adfa.oz.au/Spirit/dolphins.html The Dolphin Alliance http://envirolink.org/arrs/ahimsa/tda/tda_info.html International Dolphin Project http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/ahimsa/idp/index.html The DOLPHINatic http://www.geopages.com/siliconValley/1270/ AquaThought Foundation http://access.digex.net:80/~sunilg/ American Zoo and Aquarium Association http://www.ccilink.com/aza.html IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals (1994) http://www.wcmc.org.uk/data/database/rl_anml_combo.html Web Lift http://ucmp1.berkeley.edu/taxaform.html Natural History Book Service (Marine mammals) http://www.nhbs.co.uk/booknet/sull.html Okeanos http://www.goodies.com/Okeanos/aquarium.htm Facts About Federal Wildlife Laws http://www.fws.gov/wildlaws.html Directory of Aquaria http://www.actwin.com/fish/public.html International Marine Mammal Project (Earth Island) http://www.earthisland.org/ei/immp.html Waikiki Aquarium http://www.mic.hawaii.edu/aquarium/ Tennessee Aquarium http://www.tennis.org/ Shedd Aquarium http://www.nwu.edu/ev-chi/musgal/shedd/shedd.html Florida Aquarium http://www.sptimes.com/aquarium/default.html Enoshima Aquarium http://ap-a.cc.affrc.go.jp/~mtoyokaw/enoshima.html Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County http://www.usc.edu/lacmnh/departments/birdsmammals/ NetVet-Marine Mammals http://netvet.wustl.edu/marine.htm Marine Mammal Center, The http://www.spiderweb.com/tmmc/ Marine World Africa USA http://www.freerun.com/napavalley/outdoor/marinewo/marinewo.html Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assesment http://www-orca.nos.noaa.gov Brain of the Florida Manatee, The http://www.neurophys.wisc.edu/brain/MANATEE.HTML Dancing Dolphin Press http://maui.net/~jstark/dolphin1.html Dolphin images (Synthmedia Ltd.) http://www.swcp.com/synth/keywest/dophinimages.html Dolphins Within Society http://www.usyd.edu.au/~okx/dolphins/dolphins.htm Whale Adoption Program (Int'l Wildlife Coalition) http://www.webcom.com/~iwcwww/whale_adoption/waphome.html Tirpitz Whaling Page http://tirpitz.ibg.uit.no/wwww/ss.html Literature on Strandings http://www.ccsr.uiuc.edu/~gmk/Projects/Orcas-SW/Misc/StrandLit.html Signal Processing Research Group http://info.lut.ac.uk/departments/el/research/bioacoustics/index.html Seattle Aquarium http://www.eskimo.com/~mjohnson/aquarium.html New England Aquarium http://ftp.std.com/homepages/std/otherent.html Biology of Harbour Porpoises http://biome.bio.dfo.ca/bio/hed/brodie/porpoise.html "About Marine Mammals" http://www.marinelab.sarasota.fl.us/WMARINE.HTM Eurosquid Marine Mammal Homepage http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~nhi104/seals/marmamm.html Sierra Club Policy: Marine Mammals http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/653.html Veterinary Medicine (Biosciences) http://netvet.wustl.edu/vetmed.htm Whale Watch and Sportfish in Beautiful Hawaii http://www.canusa.com/whales/ Research Resources Internet Links http://www.calacademy.org/reslinks.html Center for Whale Research, The http://www.halcyon.com/clearnts/cwr/welcome.html Orcinus Orca http://www.slip.net/~oyafuso/orcinusorca.html Interpsecies Communication Inc. http://www.3dsite.com/3dsite/ic/index.html Dolphin Project Europe http://www.achilles.net/~jamesh/dolphin/ Cetecean Behavior Laboratory http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/CBL/CBLHome.html Mote Marine Laboratory http://www.marinelab.sarasota.fl.us/ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Nov 1995 09:44:03 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Japan-Whaling Japan-Whaling TOKYO (AP) -- A Japanese whaling fleet left port today for the Antarctic, where it plans to catch about 400 minke whales for research purposes, 100 more than last year. The International Whaling Commission voted to ban commercial whaling in 1986, but left each nation the option of carrying out research whaling. Japan has conducted a hunt every year since then. Japan, the world's largest consumer of whale meat, says the research is needed to accurately gauge whale populations and migrations, but critics say the program is an attempt to keep its whaling industry alive. In May, Tokyo submitted to the IWC a report on plans to raise the catch quota to 400, with the hunting area expanded. "The new catch quota is apparently intended to boost whale meat supplies," said Junko Sakurai of the environmental group Greenpeace, which opposes whaling. Takanori Ohashi of the Fisheries Agency denied the charge, saying the increased catch is a result of expanding research.After being examined, the whale carcasses are distributed to wholesalers and restaurants for sale across Japan. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Nov 1995 15:58:09 -0500 From: Keith Ronald Subject: Re: whale-watching sanctuaries Try 1. International Union for Nature and Natural Resources, Gland , Switzerland. 2. WWF,Toronto, Canada, attention Mr. Monty Hummel KR Keith Ronald (kronald(\)alpha.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor, Marine Mammals and Environmental Studies. On Wed, 1 Nov 1995, Roberto Pardo wrote: > > DEAR MARMAMers > > The Scientific Committee of Colombian Underwater Federation, FEDECAS is an > NGO that > work on Environmental Education and now work in a proposal to create a > Coastal-marine protected area in Malaga bay (Colombian Pacific coast) to > protect an important population of Humpback whales that come to breeding > and mate in our warm waters. Also we started the past year a > whale-watching programs from july until october near to Malaga bay. > > We are very interested in obtain some information relate to create > Sanctuaries or Marine Parks to protect the whales and information about > Whale-watching regulations. We really appreciate if someone send > information about this topics. > > Thank you very much to all for the help and support. > > Cordially, > > Roberto Pardo Angel > Marine Biologist > Director of Scientific Committee > FEDECAS > P.O. Box 26513 > FAX 57-2-5580150 > e-mail: ropardo(\)biomarina.univalle.edu.co > Cali, Colombia. South America. > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 05:44:33 -0500 From: Bruce Wyman Subject: Marine Mammal Weblist update The New England Aquarium's website is actually at It's been up for about three weeks, but I've been waiting for the major search engines and such to catalog it before announcing it here and the other mailing lists. Anyway, stop by, take a look. It's a pretty good sized site. Send feedback as to what you would like to more of. Bruce Wyman | "I like reality. | PGP key bw(\)tiac.net | It tastes of bread." | available bdw(\)bronze.lcs.mit.edu | -J. Aliyoueh | ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 09:09:00 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 11-3-95 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am shortening the summary to include only new items added since my last posting. However, I will post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. Today's is the longer posting for the first Friday in November 1995. I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: New info and changes since 10/27/95 are bracketed {...}. Marine Mammals . {Japanese Whaling Fleet Departs. On Nov. 2, 1995, the Japanese whaling fleet of five ships departed from three Japanese ports for the Antarctic , intending to catch a total of more than 400 minke whales for scientific research before returning in April 1996.} [Assoc Press, Dow Jones news] . {Wandering Manatees. On Oct. 25, 1995, employees of Texas' Central Power and Light Company reported seeing at least one wandering manatee at the Flour Bluff power station off the Laguna Madre. On Oct. 26, 1995, a manatee was reported at a fishing pier at the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station. Other sightings have been reported from the West Galveston Bay and Port Mansfield areas. Marine scientists suggest that tropical storms could have caused Mexican manatees to stray northward.} [Assoc Press] . Seal Hunt Re-examination. At an Oct. 19-20, 1995, North Atlantic Fisheries Ministers Conference in St. John's, Newfoundland, ministers from both sides of the Atlantic agreed to re-examine bans prohibiting the marketing of seal products. [Reuters] . PCBs in San Francisco Bay Seals. In mid-October 1995, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a four-year study by Earth Island Institute and California State Univ. researchers found PCB concentrations in San Francisco Bay harbor seals to be twice the concentration known to damage immune and reproductive systems. [Greenwire] . Free Willy. On Oct. 17, 1995, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, and Reino Aventura announced that the target date of Jan. 7, 1996, has been set for moving Keiko from Reino Aventura in Mexico to new facilities at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. [Assoc Press] . Morbillivirus in the Pacific. On Oct. 17, 1995, an NMFS biologist announced that morbillivirus had been detected for the first time in a Pacific marine mammal. The potentially highly contagious virus was found in a common dolphin, which beached itself near Marina Del Rey, CA, on Aug. 21, 1995. Several marine mammal facilities along the Pacific coast have stopped accepting stranded cetaceans until the nature of the threat can be determined. [Assoc Press] . Seismic Survey and Whales. On Oct. 12, 1995, NMFS approved a permit for Exxon Corp. to conduct a 45-day seismic survey using air guns off the California coast. Subsequently, environmental group attorneys met with Exxon officials to discuss possibly stronger safeguards for whales and other marine mammals. On Oct. 18, 1995, Exxon and environmental groups agreed to a compromise providing protection for an additional 25 marine mammal species as well as expanded acoustic monitoring safeguards. [Assoc Press, Greenwire] . Chinese White-Fin Dolphin. On Oct. 10, 1995, Chinese authorities announced that the number of freshwater white-fin dolphins in the Yangtze River had plunged to only about 130 animals, and expressed fear that this species could be extinct within 25 years. [Reuters] . Steller Sea Lion ESA Listing Modification. On Oct. 4, 1995, NMFS proposed changing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing of the Steller sea lion to list two distinct population segments. The population west of Cape Suckling, Alaska, would be listed as endangered (formerly the population was listed as threatened in this area), while the population east of this point would continue to be listed as threatened. [Fed. Register] . Round Island Walrus Hunt. In early October 1995, Bristol Bay, AK, Natives returned to hunt walrus on Round Island for the first time in 35 years. Round Island, a traditional hunting area, was designated a State wildlife sanctuary in 1960. After petitioning the State to allow Native harvest, the State game board approved a hunt allowing 10 walrus to be killed. [Assoc Press] . ATOC. On Oct. 6, 1995, NMFS approved the permit application by Scripps Institute of Oceanography for operation of the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) sound source near the island of Kauai, Hawaii. [Assoc Press, Greenwire] . Tuna-Dolphin. On Oct. 10, 1995, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. Government acted legally by halting the tuna seine fishery in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean on Feb. 7, 1994, when it appeared that dolphin mortality quotas would be exceeded. The House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans postponed, until further notice, a hearing scheduled for Oct. 26, 1995, on H.R. 2179, the International Dolphin Conservation Act Amendments of 1995, and tentatively scheduled a hearing for Nov. 16, 1995, on a bill to be introduced to implement the Panama Declaration on tuna/dolphin conservation. [Dow Jones News, Assoc Press, personal communication, press release from the five environmental groups] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 07:56:56 -0800 From: "R. Mitchell, Political Science, U of O" Subject: Internet whale resources Bill Lem's nice list of Internet Marine Mammal Resources is now available as a web page for those of you interested and web accessible. If you have suggested added references, please send them to me and cc them to Bill (blem(\)aol.com). The URL for the page is: http://oregon.uoregon.edu/~rmitchel/whale.html If you are interested in enviro resources more generally, go to: http://oregon.uoregon.edu/~rmitchel/envresource.html These are basic HTML docs, nothing fancy since I assume people are using this for research. Hope this helps, Ron ---------------------------- Ronald Mitchell, Asst. Prof. Department of Political Science 1284 University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-1284 Tel: 503-346-4880 Fax: 503-346-4860 Email: rmitchel(\)oregon.uoregon.edu WWW: http://oregon.uoregon.edu/~rmitchel/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 20:26:43 +0800 From: Etienne Douaze Subject: Info on EAAM and IMATA Dear Marmamers: I would like to join EAAM and IMATA. Could someone please give me the contact addresses for these two associations ? Thanks in advance for your time and effort, Etienne. ============================================================================ Etienne Douaze Dolphin Study Group Tel: (65) 772 30 48 Zoology Department Fax: (65) 779 24 86 National University of Singapore Email: zoode(\)leonis.nus.sg 10, Kent Ridge Crescent Singapore 119 073 ============================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 17:16:41 EST From: William Rossiter <71322.1637(\)compuserve.com> Subject: morbillivirus and us The scientific community has responded well to the increasing impact of morbilliviral events, with research, papers, meetings, an increasing amount of data, and an excellent tissue bank. Assuming that the research activity is more than an interest in a phenomenon, that scientists have a personal and professional concern about increasing evidence of human impact, what is to be done with all the data and evidence? As the mass die-offs and unusual mortalities increase, do you feel like something more should be done? Why not get involved and do it yourself, along with others? This is a plea by Cetacean Society International, a small non-profit organization based in the U.S., for invididual participation by knowledgeable and concerned scientists to help identify the probable or potential initiators and vectors of what ultimately ends up as a morbilliviral event. We are not the scientists, chemists, agencies, courts, or media, but we are the public. We offer a venue to use your experiences, data, evidence, theories, thoughts, and perhaps finger-pointing, to identify a clear example of a source of whatever it is that initiates the chain. Define the problem as "point source determination"; establishing the impact, identifying the precursor at a molecular level, and following trace or signature molecules to the source.. We need a good example to act to stop it, to set an example for other sources to motivate change, perhaps to initiate legislation or litigation. Enormous sums of money can be wasted on surveys and studies that will perhaps miss what you already know or suspect from your own experience. This is not a duplicative effort, it is a search or survey of a resource library; MARMAM members. CSI has worked hard to be considered an objective, moderate, useful conservation organization. We have neither time nor inclination to develop this movement to its potential, but someone has to try to start it. Please trust that we will respect your time, privacy, and vunerability. We are hoping that MARMAM can reach people who can help, and who are willing to act as well as study. If you know of others, particularly those with skills and experience outside of cetology,please get them involved. How bad will the evidence be in ten years? How much more difficult will it be to act effectively then? Please get involved now, as you can. If you have read this far and can answer the following questions, please do: For the benefit of those on MARMAM, or those who need a concise, expert description for the interested public, what does morbillivus do to individual cetaceans or populations, and is it a significant threat? Where does morbillivirus come from in the natural course of events, and is human impact increasing its occurance? What forms of human impact precipitate or enhance a potential morbilliviral outbreak, and what can be done about it? What can you, can we, do about it? For confidentiality or specifics please respond to William Rossiter, <71322.1637(\)compuserve.com>. Thanks, William W. Rossiter President/CSI ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 10:00:17 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: Position for marine mammalogist (fwd) Forwarded message: > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Tue, 17 Oct 1995 13:46:01 -0700 (PDT) > From: Timothy Lawlor > Cc: Jeffrey Jacobsen > Subject: Position for marine mammalogist > > Tenure track position in marine mammalogy and mammalogy available > beginning 21 August 1996. Requires Ph.D. at time of appointment. > Candidate must have background in mammalogy and marine mammalogy, with > emphasis in ecology, systematics, morphology, genetics, or behavior of > marine mammals. Primary responsibilities are to teach courses in > mammalogy and marine mammalogy, to share teaching assignments in other > areas related to candidate's training and experience, to advise > undergraduate and graduate students, and to conduct research. Deadline > for application is 10 January 1996. For more > information, telephone (707) 826-4410 or fax (707) 826-3201, or write > Mammalogy Search Committee > Dept. Biological Sciences > Humboldt State University > Arcata, CA 95521 > > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 10:00:23 -0800 From: Jaap van der Toorn Subject: Re: Info on EAAM and IMATA In-Reply-To: from "Etienne Douaze" at Nov 1, 95 08:26:43 pm Etienne Douaze wrote: > I would like to join EAAM and IMATA. > Could someone please give me the contact addresses for these two associations ? Sure, here they are, Euopean Association for Aquatic Mammals c/o F.J. Engelsma (treasurer/secretary) P.O.Box 58 3910 AB Rhenen the Netherlands Internation Marine Animal Trainers Association 1720 South Shores Road San Diego, CA 92109 United States of America See you at future conferences. Regards, Jaap -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaap van der Toorn jaap(\)tfs.com 73064.2662(\)compuserve.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 15:52:47 -0800 From: Jan Roletto Subject: Update on Marine Mammal Research in the Sanctuaries Workshop 1 November 1995 To: all researchers attending the Biennial Conference From: Jan Roletto, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary subject: Update on Marine Mammal Research in the Sanctuaries Workshop If you are conducting or are planning to conduct marine mammal research in one or several of the National Marine Sanctuaries, you will want to attend this workshop. The workshop is scheduled for the afternoon of 14 December, Clarion Plaza Hotel, Orlando Florida, just prior to the Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Time begin is 2 p.m. and will end by 5 p.m., in time to go to the opening reception. Representatives from the following National Marine Sanctuaries will be present: Stellwagen Bank (New England), Fagatelle Bay (American Samoa), Gray's Reef (off of Georgia), Olympic Coast (Washington), proposed sanctuary for Puget Sound (Washington), Gulf of the Farallones, Monterey Bay, Cordell Bank (central California), Channel Islands, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale, Florida Keys (Key Largo), and representatives from Sanctuaries and Reserves Division (SRD) headquarters. PLEASE NOTE THAT REPRESENTATIVES FROM FLORIDA KEYS AND PUGET SOUND HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE WORKSHOP. The purpose of the workshop is to bring together National Marine Sanctuary Managers and Research Coordinators with marine mammalogists who are conducting research within the Sanctuaries. We will discuss potential multi-Sanctuary projects, sources of funding for multi-Sanctuary projects, services and equipment for researchers through the Sanctuaries, consolidating small levels of funding, help in funding and support for writing up data, publishing documents in Technical Memoranda, and letters of support. We are all working with fewer funds and the goal of this workshop is to find areas where the National Marine Sanctuary Program can be of financial and in-kind support, especially for projects that occur within more than one Sanctuary or are for long term monitoring projects. If you are interested in attending the workshop, please RSVP with Jan Roletto, GFNMS Research Coordinator. Address: GFNMS, Ft. Mason, Bldg. 201, San Francisco, CA 94123; tel. # (415) 556-3509. Rapporteurs shall record the workshop. Information shall be mailed (snail mail) to interested researchers mid-November. Information shall include a list of participants, agenda items, suggestions for what to bring and present to sanctuary representatives, meeting room location, audio visual aids available. Agenda Purpose of the Workshop (acquaint marine mammal researchers with managers of the Sanctuary program and encourage marine mammal research aimed at management goals) - 5 min. Introductions of Managers or reps. from each sanctuary and SRD rep. - 5 min. ea. Review location and boundary, unique resources, any specific topics or research projects the Manager is interested in hearing about, potential sources for funding and in-kind support, future projects that may be jointly funded through multiple sanctuaries, future marine mammal research, regulations specific to marine mammal protection (possibly permits), SRD representative shall report on background, purpose and function of the National Marine Sanctuary Program. Maps and handouts shall be available. Introductions from researchers - 5-10 min. ea. (This could take 60-90 minutes depending on how many researchers participate. We expect about 30 to 50 researchers to attend. More time shall be allowed if less researchers participate.) Review research areas of interest, location of work, species of interest, overview of recently completed and in-progress work, researchers should state if their work is being presented at the conference (oral or poster). Researchers should have an idea of various levels of budgets, equipment needs, and staffing needs. Be prepared to answer the following questions: If a project could only be partially funded, could you proceed with the project? Could you use less staff, borrowed equipment, free vessel time, low levels of funding from multiple sources or sanctuaries? Do you have a specific need to complete a project that may be linked with education of the general public or children, i.e. printing costs, World Wide Web costs, costs for conversion to CD-ROM so that your information about your project can be electronically distributed. Is your project in association with Sea Grant funding? Break-out Groups - 30 or so minutes Managers and researchers discuss potential projects in the sanctuaries and potential sources of funding. Re-group - 30 minutes Discuss projects that could occur in two or more sanctuaries and funding sources. Recap of the workshop - 15 minutes Remember that you can contact workshop participants throughout the Conference. Many of the Sanctuary Mangers will be available throughout the Conference. A list of who shall be available will be provided. 5 p.m. Adjourn and off to the reception. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 21:46:47 -0500 From: HugeRhino(\)aol.com Subject: gray whale census VOLUNTEERS SPOT WHALES FOR SCIENCE Los Angeles, California: Breaching whales within a stone throw of the beach. Dolphins in the thousands frolicking in mile long columns. Killer whales slowly swimming just under the surface, their high dorsal fins undulating through the air. Is it Hawaii? Patagonia? Some far off wild land? No, its Los Angeles' own San Pedro Channel viewed from the Point Vicente Interpretative Center in Rancho Palos Verdes. Each Year dozens of dedicated volunteer researchers use this spectacular viewing platform to count and record migrating gray whales on their journey to and from feeding grounds in the Arctic and breeding lagoons in Baja. For over a dozen years, the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Cetacean Society, a nonprofit whale conservation and information organization, has been conducting a census on the near shore migration of the Pacific Gray whale. From December to May, dawn till dusk, volunteer whale spotters scan the ocean for the telltale blows of the whales to record their passage by Los Angeles. The information gathered is used by researchers to study the come-back of the first whale taken off the endangered species list. During peak weeks, they may sight from 50 to 100 of these 40-foot barnacle-encrusted cetaceans (whales and dolphins) a day. They also record sightings of the over twenty other species of marine mammals that can be found in L.A. waters. A partial list of other marine mammals seen from Point Vicente include the blue, fin, sperm and minke whale; common, bottlenose whitesided and Rissos dolphin; killer whale and false killer whale; California sea lion, and the elephant and harbor seal. And because of their constant vigil during the whale watch season, the volunteers have, on occasion, assisted boats and planes in distress, and even helped rescue a young gray whale entangled in a lobster trap line by using telephones and emergency radios to call for help and to guide rescuers to the scene. Unlike most research projects, the census actively recruits whale spotters from the general public. Amongst the occupations represented by volunteers from past years were airline pilots, teachers, nurses, aerospace workers, movie industry professionals, students and retirees. Some volunteer for a day, some throughout the entire migrations season. A few even come from out of state. The only requirement is an interest in whales and a pair of binoculars. # # # Hugh T. Ryono HugeRhino(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Nov 1995 12:31:12 +0800 From: Mr Stephen Leatherwood Subject: Re: 11-3-95 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff In-Reply-To: <199511031643.AAA26436(\)hk.super.net> Dear Gene Buck, Thank you for your update of 3 November, which I read with interest as always. This note is to point out that our Govt. is hopelessly out of date on the status of the "Chinese white-fin dolphin," if what they are referring to is the Yangtze River dolphin or baiji. I know of noone who calles it by the name in the report, or ever has. There are no truly reliable numbers on the size of baiji populations. The published estimates indicate a decline from 400 or so in the late 1970s to 300 or so in the mid 1980s to an estimated 120 or so in 1993. However, the first carefully planned and coordinated survey of teh species' entire range (about 1800 km, from Shanghai to Yichang) was conducted in late 1994 and early 1995 by the Institute of Hydrobiology, Ocean Park Conservation Foundation and IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group. That survey, employing a large vessel in mid channel and one smaller vessels along each shore, resulted in sightings of only 5 baiji. Even accounting for animals missed because of availability and perception bias, it is difficult to conclude from this that the population is more than a few dozen animals. For example, on recent surveys of portions of the Amazon and tributaries in Peru, we estimated that no more than about 30 percent of animals were missed, even under the worst of circumstances. During the yangtze surveys there were many many sightings of finless porpoises (the final estimate of numnbers was over 2,500), so there is no evidence thatn we missed a significant number of baiji. >From all evidence, I conclude that the baiji numbers fewere than 100, perhaps as few as a few dozen. This makes them the most critically endangered of all cetaceans. As we concluded at the meeting of the Asian River Dolhin Committee in December 1994, and reiterated at the UNEP meeting in Philippenes in June of 1995, it is difficult to find any reasonable scenario in which this species can survive very long into the next century. This is not being taken passively. An eleventh hour effort is underway to capture as many of the remaining dolphins as possible and move them into Shi Shou Seminatural Reserve, a 2X20 km oxbow of the Yangtze. There are no guarantees, but we are trying. We are preparing several publications on the problems and the efforts underway or planned to solve them. I will advise mar mammers when those reports are available, and where. Thanks, again, for your helpful summaries. Steve Leatherwood IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Ocean Park Aberdeen Hong Kong On Fri, 3 Nov 1995, Gene Buck wrote: > Marmam Group: > > I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on > fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection > of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the > U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased publi c > policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary > by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my > objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and > should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am > unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new > items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary > for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new > information. > > In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am > shortening the summary to include only new items added since my last > posting. However, I will post the entire summary once each month on the first > Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or > wish the more complete format. Today's is the longer posting for the first > Friday in November 1995. > > I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be > directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on > this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. > > To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to > Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, > news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. > Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for > deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your > assistance in this matter. > > Gene Buck > Congressional Research Service - ENR > Library of Congress > Washington, DC 20540-7450 > > e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov > > > Summary follows: > > New info and changes since 10/27/95 are bracketed {...}. > > Marine Mammals > . > {Japanese Whaling Fleet Departs. On Nov. 2, 1995, the Japanese > whaling fleet of five ships departed from three Japanese ports for the Antarct ic > , > intending to catch a total of more than 400 minke whales for scientific > research before returning in April 1996.} [Assoc Press, Dow Jones news] > . > {Wandering Manatees. On Oct. 25, 1995, employees of Texas' > Central Power and Light Company reported seeing at least one wandering > manatee at the Flour Bluff power station off the Laguna Madre. On Oct. 26, > 1995, a manatee was reported at a fishing pier at the Corpus Christi Naval Air > Station. Other sightings have been reported from the West Galveston Bay > and Port Mansfield areas. Marine scientists suggest that tropical storms > could have caused Mexican manatees to stray northward.} [Assoc Press] > . > Seal Hunt Re-examination. At an Oct. 19-20, 1995, North Atlantic > Fisheries Ministers Conference in St. John's, Newfoundland, ministers from > both sides of the Atlantic agreed to re-examine bans prohibiting the marketing > of seal products. [Reuters] > . > PCBs in San Francisco Bay Seals. In mid-October 1995, the San > Francisco Chronicle reported that a four-year study by Earth Island Institute > and California State Univ. researchers found PCB concentrations in San > Francisco Bay harbor seals to be twice the concentration known to damage > immune and reproductive systems. [Greenwire] > . > Free Willy. On Oct. 17, 1995, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the Free > Willy-Keiko Foundation, and Reino Aventura announced that the target date of > Jan. 7, 1996, has been set for moving Keiko from Reino Aventura in Mexico to > new facilities at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. [Assoc Press] > . > Morbillivirus in the Pacific. On Oct. 17, 1995, an NMFS biologist > announced that morbillivirus had been detected for the first time in a Pacific > marine mammal. The potentially highly contagious virus was found in a > common dolphin, which beached itself near Marina Del Rey, CA, on Aug. 21, > 1995. Several marine mammal facilities along the Pacific coast have stopped > accepting stranded cetaceans until the nature of the threat can be determined. > [Assoc Press] > . > Seismic Survey and Whales. On Oct. 12, 1995, NMFS approved a > permit for Exxon Corp. to conduct a 45-day seismic survey using air guns off > the California coast. Subsequently, environmental group attorneys met with > Exxon officials to discuss possibly stronger safeguards for whales and other > marine mammals. On Oct. 18, 1995, Exxon and environmental groups agreed > to a compromise providing protection for an additional 25 marine mammal > species as well as expanded acoustic monitoring safeguards. [Assoc Press, > Greenwire] > . > Chinese White-Fin Dolphin. On Oct. 10, 1995, Chinese authorities > announced that the number of freshwater white-fin dolphins in the Yangtze > River had plunged to only about 130 animals, and expressed fear that this > species could be extinct within 25 years. [Reuters] > . > Steller Sea Lion ESA Listing Modification. On Oct. 4, 1995, NMFS > proposed changing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing of the Steller > sea lion to list two distinct population segments. The population west of Cap e > Suckling, Alaska, would be listed as endangered (formerly the population was > listed as threatened in this area), > while the population east of this point would > continue to be listed as threatened. [Fed. Register] > . > Round Island Walrus Hunt. In early October 1995, Bristol Bay, AK, > Natives returned to hunt walrus on Round Island for the first time in 35 years . > Round Island, a traditional hunting area, was designated a State wildlife > sanctuary in 1960. After petitioning the State to allow Native harvest, the > State game board approved a hunt allowing 10 walrus to be killed. [Assoc > Press] > . > ATOC. On Oct. 6, 1995, NMFS approved the permit application by > Scripps Institute of Oceanography for operation of the Acoustic Thermometry > of Ocean Climate (ATOC) sound source near the island of Kauai, Hawaii. > [Assoc Press, Greenwire] > . > Tuna-Dolphin. On Oct. 10, 1995, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals > ruled that the U.S. Government acted legally by halting the tuna seine fishery > in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean on Feb. 7, 1994, when it appeared that > dolphin mortality quotas would be exceeded. The House Resources > Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans postponed, until further > notice, a hearing scheduled for Oct. 26, 1995, on H.R. 2179, the International > Dolphin Conservation Act Amendments of 1995, and tentatively scheduled a > hearing for Nov. 16, 1995, on a bill to be introduced to implement the Panama > Declaration on tuna/dolphin conservation. [Dow Jones News, Assoc Press, > personal communication, press release from the five environmental groups] > . > Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and > information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the > various news items. > ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Nov 1995 00:35:06 +0900 From: Hiroko Wada Subject: Whale watch & land developement Dear Marmamers, On behalf of friends who organize Bryde's whale watch in Ogata, Japan, I would like to have any information on the relation between land developement and whale movement. The whales used to come close to the shore of Ogata, a quiet small agricultural and fishing town.Six years ago people started whale watch buisiness. Ogata is currently under the process of developement to become a modern tourist town. The dirt from the developed hill has changed the color of the sea since last year. Now Bryde's whales are leaving the shore of Ogata where they used to be 'settled', and have moved to offshore or other place. Other facter that people in Ogata suspect is rapid increase of the whale watch boats (small fishing baots), which sometimes cause traffic jam around whales. My friends in Ogata want to have the whales come back. They are anxious to know any similar examples. I would appreciate, on behalf of my friends, if anyone could give me suggestion. Thank you. Hiroko Wada Sapporo, Japan e-mail humpback(\)aqu.bekkoame.or.jp Tel & Fax 011-81-11-642-8052 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Nov 1995 13:00:09 +0100 From: Michel Goujon Subject: Diurnal behavior of dolphins Dear colleagues, I am currently working on a PhD thesis dealing with common and striped dolphins incidental catches by driftneters in the north east Atlantic. Fishing occurs during the night and the early morning. It is difficult to find out when the dolphins were caught, and I am wondering whether they are caught by night or by day at the same rate. I was not able to get a clear idea from all what I red on the day/night activities of dolphins. It looks to me it depends also on the ocean where lives the population. Could you share with me your knowledge on the day/night activity of common and striped dolphins? You can send your message through Marmam or directly to me. Thank you very much. Sincerely, Michel Goujon Michel Goujon ~ ~ <>< ~ ~ ~ ~ <>< ~ ~ <>< ~ ~ <>< ~ <>< ~ ~ ~ ~ ( ) Laboratoire Halieutique de l'ENSAR ( 65, rue de St Brieuc - F-35042 Rennes cedex ) Tel: 99 28 75 32 Fax: 99 28 75 35 ( Email: mgoujon(\)ifremer.fr ) URL: http://rennes.inra.fr/halieute/michel/michel.html ( ---------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Nov 1995 23:04:23 -0500 From: BJM2(\)aol.com Subject: Request for Information Dear Marmammers: I am looking for information, specifically a contact number, on the company that sells SoundMorph software. Does anyone know of this software or any other software that can do precise and extensive manipulation of signals for playback? Thanks in advance! Brenda McCowan bjm2(\)aol.com bjmccowan(\)ucdavis.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 13:12:11 +0001 Reply-To: "Joanna Bond (Genetics)" From: "Joanna Bond (Genetics)" Subject: Sperm Whale Symposium, Koksijde I will be attending the above symposium and was wondering if anyone from the UK was planning on driving to Ramsgate to catch the Ostende ferry. If you are driving and would be interested in taking a paying passenger, from the London/Cambridge area, could you please reply to me directly. Thanks in advance. Jo Bond ---------------------------- Molecular Ecology Group. University of Cambridge, Department Of Genetics, Downing Site, CAMBRIDGE CB2 3EH Tel: 01223 333971 FAX NUMBER: 01223 333992 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 14:47:08 BDB From: Andre Barreto Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: Pontoporia update First of all I would like to thank to everyone who helped. Your advice was very useful! Thanks to all that sent milk formulas and adresses of people to contact. Your help arrived just in time (thanks to the Net!). For those of you that missed the beginning of the story, I will give a summary of what happened up to now. We found on tuesday morning (31/10) a young Pontoporia blainvillei that stranded alive near here, Rio Grande, south of Brazil. We brought it to our facilities and put it into a plastic swimming pool (1500 l) with brackish water, because we didn't have salt water available at the moment. It was swimming well and apart from a small cut over the right eye it seemed to be healthy. Its skin was a bit wrinkled, but otherwise was in good condition. That night we started to feed it by a nursing bottle with a mixture of powder milk, milk butter and water. It accepted well and in 24 hours ingested aprox. 240 ml. It was also given a broad spectrum antibiotic to avoid any infection. On wedsneday we changed it to salt water and continued to feed it with the same mixture. As its skin was getting more wrinkled we assumed that it was getting dehydrated and decided to give its milk diluted with physiological solution instead of water. Up to friday (3/11) its behaviour hasn't changed, it swims all the time, plays with a thermometer that is floating on the pool and seems to enjoy human contact. The wrinkling of the skin hasn't changed, for better or worse. We moved it to a bigger pool (3000 l) filled with salted fresh water (25 ppt). We received lots of milk formulas and finally decided to use one that was used by Mundo Marino, an aquarium in Argentina that has been keeping a Pontoporia for 8 months. I don't have the formula at hand, but if any of you want it e-mail me that I will post it. Based on blood tests we noticed that it wasn't feeding well through the nursing bottle and decided to use a probe (catheter?) to force feed it. We are using a filter to clean the water but we plan to change the water to new, clean, sea water today. The wrinkling of the skin is getting better, but not as quick as we wished. We are still giving it antibiotics and from the blood tests it doesn't have any infections. All this work is being done by a team composed of the staff of the Marine Mammal Laboratory of FURG (University of Rio Grande) and from the Oceanographic Museum of Rio Grande. We thank to everyone for the help. Andre S. Barreto | Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinhos | Depto. de Oceanografia - FURG /posasb(\)brfurg.bitnet\ | C.P. 474 Rio Grande RS \posasb(\)super.furg.br/ | 96201-900 fax: +55 532 30-2126 | Brasil __________________________|_____________________________________ | "Problems worthy of attack, show their value hitting back" | |________________________________________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Nov 1995 10:09:17 BDB From: Andre Barreto Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: Correction Just a minor correction. On my last message I said that we were using a milk formula used by the Mundo Marino in Argentina. I changed things. The institution that has a POntoporia in captivity is THE AQUARIUM, also in Argentina. They've been keeping theirs for 8 months, if I'm not mistaken, and had been giving the formula that we are using. Sorry for the confusion. Andre S. Barreto | Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinhos | Depto. de Oceanografia - FURG /posasb(\)brfurg.bitnet\ | C.P. 474 Rio Grande RS \posasb(\)super.furg.br/ | 96201-900 fax: +55 532 30-2126 | Brasil __________________________|_____________________________________ | "Problems worthy of attack, show their value hitting back" | |________________________________________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Nov 1995 08:42:57 -0500 From: Delphin(\)aol.com Subject: Marine mammal Web list... Well, I did it. I took the list of marine mammal sites that has been making the rounds on MARMAM, cleaned it up, converted it to html, and put it up on the Whale Conservation Institute's webpage. Now you only have to remember one URL rather than many! Mind you, it's only a list; no descriptions as of yet. That might be the next project. And of course the Whale Conservation Institute is not responsible for the content of the webpages included in said list. The URL for the Whale Conservation Institute Webpage is: http://www.tiac.net/users/rhobson/wciweb.html To get to the list, go to the WCI update page (Rick remembers that he needs to update the update page), and then click the link there for the links page! If anyone discovers new resources, please email me with the URL and I will see that it's included on the list. -Rick Hobson Whale Conservation Institute ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 11:12:19 -0800 From: Forsyth Kineon Subject: Misuse of Science? (fwd) Here is an article which I recieved from another list serve, which I thought might be of interest to MARMAMers. Copyright The American Reporter - all rights reserved http://www.newshare.com/Reporter/today.html JAPAN TARGETS WHALES WITH SCIENCE by Craig Arfman American Reporter Correspondent NEW PLYMOUTH, N.Z. -- While continuing to kill whales this year inside the internationally-declared Antartic whale sanctuary, allegedly for "scientific" purposes, Japan now plans to extend its science program by firing harpoons carrying radio transmitters into dozens of blue whales, reports The Observer, a leading British newspaper. Each harpoon will be connected to a football-sized electronic float containing a recorder, a radio transmitter and a small computer, the Observer report said. Japan plans to launch a 50kg whale ecology observation satellite in 1997. The satellite will receive signals monitoring the animals' health indicators such as temperature and blood pressure, plus track the whales' numbers. Data will be automatically transmitted when the whale surfaces for air. "We should gain a great deal of important scientific information from the project, but the days of doing research for its own sake have long gone. The results have a clear objective - to help Japan when it starts whale hunting again", Roy Gamble, secretary of the International Whaling Commission, told The Observer. Commercial whaling was outlawed in 1985. Conservationists say meat from whales killed for so-called scientific purposes is sold commercially. Japan is not alone in what many see as a cynical misuse of science. Earlier this year, Norway announced plans to allow 2,600 baby seals to be killed for "scientific" purposes. Some of the pups were to be clubbed to death in the traditional way. - Craig Arfman New Plymouth, New Zealand c.arfman(\)taranaki.ac.nz ************************************************************************* Forsyth P. Kineon, Master's Candidate \ / School of Marine Affairs _\/____ /\ / | University of Washington / \__/ / Box 355685 | o / Seattle, Washington, 98195 \____\ \_______/ (w) 206/526-6316, (fax) 206/526-6615 \/ (e-mail) forsythk(\)u.washington.edu ************************************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Nov 1995 11:02:31 EST From: RCOLTEN(\)SIVM.SI.EDU Subject: Pinniped Osteology November 8, 1995 Please Post the Following Notice on Marmamm As part of my post-doctoral research, I am seeking information on pinniped osteology and osteological collections. An important aspect of this research is the aging and differentiation of Otarids from osteological material. I am particularly interested in the following information: 1. References on aging Otarids from skeletal remains. 2. Information on ages of epiphyseal fusion in pinnipeds. 3. Locations of collections of complete Otarid skeletons, including both cranial and post-cranial elements. 4. Locations of collections of Otarid skeletons of known age, either through tagging or other methods. My ultimate objectives are twofold. First, to develop a general skeletal chronology of Otarids so that the approximate age of the individual can be determined from either cranial or post-cranial skeletal elements. Second, to apply these methods to collections of archaeological pinniped remains in order to gain insight into population structure and seasonality of prehistoric Native American seal hunting. I am particularly interested in Otarids because they are the most common pinnipeds in the western North American archaeological collections I am studying. Please send replies to Roger Colten by e-mail or conventional mail. My e-mail address is: RCOLTEN(\)SIVM.SI.EDU My mailing address is: Dr. Roger Colten, Department of Anthropology, NMNH MRC 112, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560.] ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 17:21:19 -0800 From: Dan Costa Subject: Re: Behavioral Ecology Position University of California, Santa Cruz BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY Assistant Professor The Biology Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor in Behavioral ecology. We seek a biologist who will apply modern experimental approaches in behavioral ecology. We especially encourage applicants whose research emphasizes evolutionary processes, the interface between behavior and physiology and who can take advantage of the extraordinary terrestrial and/or marine environments of Central California. Laboratory space will be provided in a newly constructed research facility located on our 2000-acre campus at the edge of a redwood forest overlooking Monterey Bay. The successful candidate will be expected to establish an active, externally funded research program, and participate in graduate and undergraduate training in the areas of behavioral ecology, ecology and evolution. UCSC has a strong tradition of- field research and teaching in behavioral ecology; the appointee will be expected to maintain and expand that tradition. Current UCSC faculty, students and researchers work on a variety of local animals, as well as animals in habitats ranging from the tropics to polar regions. UCSC is located on Monterey Bay at the center of the nation's largest National Marine Sanctuary that protects one of the world's richest temperate marine biota=92s. The successful candidate will have= access to resources of the Institute of Marine Sciences, the Long Marine Laboratory, the Monterey Bay Regional Studies Program, the A=F1o Nuevo= Island, Landels-Hill Big Creek, Younger Lagoon, and Hastings Natural Reserves. Available facilities include modern laboratories with access to electron microscopy, computer, molecular systematics, vivarium and analytical laboratories, research vessels and the Long Marine Laboratory five miles from campus with facilities suitable for holding marine mammals, birds, fish and invertebrates. UCSC is committed to the development of strong programs in ecology, physiology, and evolution. Beside the Biology department, colleagues can be found in allied programs in Marine Sciences, Environmental Studies, the Institute of Marine Sciences and the Predatory Bird Group. Other research and teaching institutions within approximately one hour's drive include Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley, Moss Landing Marine Laboratory, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and Hopkins Marine Laboratory.=20 RANK: Assistant Professor MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Ph.D. or equivalent in Biology or a related field, postdoctoral research experience preferred, and demonstrated or potential aptitude for university teaching. POSITION AVAILABLE: Fall 1996. APPLY TO: Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a brief description of research and teaching interests and copies of reprints, and arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent to: Behavioral Ecology Search Committee Department of Biology 225 Sinsheimer Laboratories University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064=09 Please refer to provision #503 in your reply. CLOSING DATE: December 1,1995 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D Daniel P. Costa Ph.D. e-mail: costa(\)biology.ucsc.edu Professor and Associate Chair of Biology Earth & Marine Science Bldg Rm A316 University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064 Voice (408) 459-2786: FAX (408) 459-4882= =20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Nov 1995 08:24:48 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Conference Schedule Document On 10/27/95 Brent Stewart, , posted the schedule for the upcomming Society for Marine Mammalogy Conference. I have taken those files and converted them into a multi-column Microsoft Word document, making it easier to compare concurrent sessions. The file has been ZIPed to reduce its size and is available from one of my web sites... http://users.aol.com/adrcnet The file will be ftp transfered to you when you double-click on it's bullet item. Or you can do the ftp transfer yourself from... ftp://users.aol.com/adrcnet/smm95.zip Remember to UNZIP the file before trying to view it. And feel free to distribute it to anyone else who might be interested. Rich Mallon-Day ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Nov 1995 08:25:39 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Sea Lions-DDT Sea Lions-DDT By JANE E. ALLEN AP Science Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Two decades after DDT dumping ended in Southern California waters, sea lions have dramatically lower levels of the pesticide and their population has more than doubled. The huge decline of the pesticide in the sea lions' fatty tissue represents the greatest reduction observed in any animal population, according to researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. California sea lions once had the highest body fat concentrations of DDT of any marine mammal ever studied by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. DDT, a powerful pesticide that causes premature births in sea lions, has been banned in this country since 1972. Montrose Chemical Co., once the nation's largest DDT producer, dumped the pesticide off the Palos Verdes Peninsula from 1947 to 1971. From 1975 to 1993 the sea lion population at San Nicolas, San Miguel, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz islands increased from 12,000 to 28,000. Sea lions migrate each year to the Channel Islands for a breeding season from May to August and feast from a food chain contaminated by DDT. In 1970, the sea lions' blubber showed an average level of DDT -- and its more dangerous byproduct DDE -- of 760 parts per million. Blubber samples taken in 1988-92 showed levels had fallen to 5.2 parts per million, according to the findings published this month in Britain's Marine Pollution Bulletin. The dumping, however, left an estimated 100 tons of DDT-contaminated sediments on the ocean floor and lingering effects of the pesticide remain unknown. "We're not out of the woods," said lead study author Patricia Lieberg-Clark, a wildlife biologist at the environmental consulting firm BioSystems Analysis Inc. "There still is that DDT deposit that's sitting there in San Pedro Channel that will continue to be churned up for God knows how long." The study was funded by the Institute of Marine Science at UC Santa Cruz and the National Science Foundation. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Nov 1995 11:02:08 BDB From: Andre Barreto Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: Pontoporia: the last update Unfortunately, the baby Pontoporia died yesterday at 5:30 pm. It started to show signs of deterioration of its health on the afternoon of tuesday (7/11). It was breathing with difficulty and stopped to swim. After getting in touch with The Aquarium in Mar del Plata, Argentina, we discovered that theirs Pontoporia had also suffered something similar, but had recovered. We started to use the same treatment that they used but after 48 hours the animal died. Although initially we thought that it was some problem related to the liver, based on the results of the blood tests, the preliminary authopsy (sp?) showed that it might have been some problem in the lungs. Tissue samples will be sent to pathologists to see the exact cause of death. Again I thank to everyone that helped. Even if the dolphin have died, with the advices that you sent to us and the experience that we acquired, we feel confident that on the future we will be more able to help other dolphins. Thanks a lot. I will compile the milk formulas that were sent to us and post it to Marmam. Save it and keep it at hand, you might need it sometime, as we needed. Andre S. Barreto | Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinhos | Depto. de Oceanografia - FURG /posasb(\)brfurg.bitnet\ | C.P. 474 Rio Grande RS \posasb(\)super.furg.br/ | 96201-900 | Brasil __________________________|_____________________________________ | "Problems worthy of attack, show their value hitting back" | |________________________________________________________________| ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Nov 1995 10:02:29 -0500 From: REllis6950(\)aol.com Subject: multiple subscribers of list marmam >From the International Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol 42, p. 236: "This richly and beautifully illustrated book by a writer-artist is a real treasure and also a moving tribute to the whale. The introduction, 13 chapters and afterword consitute a well-written book. There are sections on the man-whale relationships and encounters, history of early whaling, weaponds used in whale hunting, Antarctic fortunes and whaling outside the Antarctic, the frightful slaughter of the whales in the 1960s, the 1982 moratorium and its consequences, the so-called scientific research whaling, the disgraceful role of some nations in this cruel excercise. The 300 photographs, paintings, drawings and maps show the turbulent and controversial history of man's attititude to these mammals. It is difficult to put aside the book without reading it al at one sitting. A truly memorable addition to the "whale" literature; in fact, a unique contribution to the topic. For autographed and incribed copies of my 1991 "Men and Whales," send check for $40.00 (list price of the book is $40; I will cover postage) to Richard Ellis, 17 East 16th Street, New York, NY 10003. Be sure to include your snail mail address; it's hard to send a 542-page book via e-mail. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Nov 1995 15:45:45 PST From: shores(\)interramp.com Subject: beaching of whales near Pt Rayes Does anyone out there know of recent (this week) beaching of humpback whales near Pt Rayes, CA ? ------------------------------------- Name: Lee Shores 11/09/95 15:45:45 shores(\)interramp.com (Lee Shores) ------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Nov 1995 13:28:42 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 11/9/95 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammals public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . ATOC Study Begins. On Nov. 7, 1995, Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists were to begin the first sound transmissions in the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) program, to study how the sound transmissions might affect marine mammals. [New York Times via Greenwire] . Bering Sea Ecosystem Meeting. On Nov. 2-3, 1995, scientists and Native Alaskans met to coordinate future Bering Sea ecosystem research, as directed by 1994 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. [Assoc Press] . DDT Declines in California sea lions. On Nov. 7, 1995, University of California scientists commented on their report in the November 1995 issue of Marine Pollution Bulletin documenting studies showing DDT and related DDE in the blubber of California sea lions declined from about 760 parts per million in 1970 to about 5.2 parts per million in 1988-1992 samples. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Nov 1995 10:27:33 -0800 From: ACCESO Subject: CONFERENCE: OCEANS/MARINE POLICY **This conference announcement contains information in both Spanish and English** (Anuncio puesto por el Centro Regional del IOI para America Latina y el Caribe, 9 de noviembre de 1995 Posting by the IOI Regional Operational Center for Latin America, November 9, 1995) CONFERENCIA ANUAL DEL INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DEL OCEANO 3 al 7 de diciembre, 1995 Costa Rica Del 3 al 7 de diciembre, Costa Rica sera nuevamente el centro del mundo, o mas bien de los mares, con ocasion de celebrarse en Puntarenas la XXIII Conferencia del Instituto Internacional del Oceano, conocido con las siglas IOI. Ha correspondido al Centro Regional del IOI para America Latina y el Caribe, con sede en la Universidad Nacional, la organizacion de este conclave que bajo el titulo "Pacem in maribus", "Paz en los mares", reunira a representantes de todo el mundo, para buscar nuevas contribuciones de los gobiernos y las leyes que regulan los oceanos, a la agenda por la paz propuesta por la Secretaria General de las Naciones Unidas. Durante los dias 8 y 9 de diciembre, los participantes latinoamericanos tendran la oportunidad de permanecer en Puntarenas, por cuenta del centro operativo del IOI, con el fin de llevar a cabo la asi denominada audiencia regional para Latinoamerica y el Caribe de la Comision Independiente de los Oceanos y los Mares, cuya plenaria se llevara a cabo en Japon, a mediados del mismo mes. La hospitalidad costarricense, y de manera particular la puntarenense, espera a los investigadores y especialistas que vienen desde los mas diversos lugares con el afan de intercambiar conocimientos y experiencias en favor del desarrollo sostenible de lo que se considera el futuro de la humanidad: los recursos marinos. El IOI y la Universidad Nacional le invitan a mantenerse informado acerca de tan importante evento. Los interesados pueden comunicarse por estos medios: Centro Regional del IOI para America Latina y el Caribe TELEFONO: (506) 277-3594 FAX: (506) 260-2546 E-MAIL: gechever(\)irazu.una.ac.cr Apartado 86-3000 Heredia, Costa Rica THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL OCEAN INSTITUTE December 3th to 7th Costa Rica Once again Costa Rica will be the center of the World, or better to say, the center of the seas, because, from December 3th to 7th, it will take place in Puntarenas (the main Costa Rican port on the Pacific coast), the Annual Conference of the International Ocean Institute (IOI). This Conference has been organized by the IOI Regional Operational Center for Latin America (IOI-Costa Rica- Universidad Nacional) under the title "Pacem in Maribus", "Peace on the Oceans". This Conference will meet delegates from around the World looking for contributions of Ocean Governance and the Law of the Sea in order to support the implementation of the UN Secretary General's "Agenda for Peace". During the 8th and 9th of December, the Latin American participants will be hosted by the IOI-Costa Rica regional center, in order to work on the so-called "Hearings for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Independent World Commission for the Oceans and the Seas", leading to the World Commission plenary in Japan sometime in December of this year. Costa Rican hospitality awaits researchers and oceans specialists who will be arriving from several countries and corners of the world, in order to share their knowledge and experience in favor of the sustainable development of marine resources, and as such, of the future of mankind. People interested in this IOI Conference can contact the organizers through these means: IOI Regional Operational Center for Latin America PHONE: (506) 277-3594 FAX: (506) 260-2546 E-MAIL: gechever(\)irazu.una.ac.cr PO BOX: Apartado 86-3000 Heredia, Costa Rica ******************* Conference Posting November 9, 1995 by Fundacion Acceso acceso(\)igc.apc.org ******************* ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Nov 1995 19:36:47 -0900 From: Kurt Byers Subject: Bering Sea Ecosystem meeting > Bering Sea Ecosystem Meeting. On Nov. 2-3, 1995, scientists and >Native Alaskans met to coordinate future Bering Sea ecosystem research, as >directed by 1994 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. [Assoc >Press] Unversity of Alaska Sea Grant helped coordinate the Bering Sea meeting mentioned in Gene Buck's Friday report to the MARMAM group. If anyone wants further information about the meeting, contact Brenda Baxter, FNBRB(\)aurora.alaska.edu She can direct you to the principal players. Kurt Byers, Communications Manager University of Alaska Sea Grant College Program P.O. Box 755040 Fairbanks, AK 99775-5040 Telephone (907) 474-6702, Fax (907) 474-6285 email: FNKMB1(\)aurora.alaska.edu WWW URL: http://info.alaska.edu:70/0h/UA/UA_Fairbanks/SeaGrant/home.html ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 11:28:15 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: XIth Marine Mammal Conference - update Update - XI Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals 1. We have had almost 1200 individuals pre-register to date. 2. We have exceeded our room booking requirements at the Conference hotel. This is extremely important for booking future conference space. We thank everyone who has booked at the Clarion Plaza Hotel. 3. Since all of the rooms at the Clarion have been booked, new bookings are being referred to the Quality Inn Plaza which is next door to the Clarion Plaza. This should be done automatically by the Clarion Plaza reservations desk. However, the phone number for the Quality Inn Plaza is 1-800-999-8585. 4. Please pre-register. Even though the late fee is now in effect, onsite registration lines will be eased if everyone pre-registers. While we will attempt to make the onsite processes as speedy as possible, it is almost a certainty that those who choose to register onsite will have to wait on line. 5. We thank all of the students who are including a copy of their student ID card with their registration. While the text on the initial registration form was not perfectly clear on this matter, inclusion of ID with the registration form will eliminate the need for students to wait in the 'incomplete file' line at the hotel. 6. IMPORTANT REMINDER Credit cards WILL NOT be accepted for onsite registration or for purchases of conference memorabilia (t-shirts, etc). We will gladly accept CASH and CHECKS drawn on U.S. banks. There is an ATM machine in the conference hotel lobby. Dan Odell Conference Chair ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 13:10:33 -0500 From: "Richard L. Wallace" Subject: Recent Whaling Articles In August I posted a request for information on recent publications on whaling. Here is a list of the citations that I received in response to that request. Cheers, Rich Wallace School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University DOCUMENTS ON RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN GLOBAL WHALING Freeman, M.M.R. and U.P. Kreuter, eds. 1994. Elephants and whales: resources for whom? Gordon and Breach Publishers, Basel, Switzerland. 321 pp. Holt, S. 1993. Resignation of the chairman of the Scientific Committee of the IWC: a commentary. IFAW/IOI Technical Briefing 93:9. International Fund for Animal Welfare, East Sussex, England. 19 pp. Holt, S. 1994. Norway's War on the little leviathan of the North Atlantic. IFAW Technical Briefing 94:3. International Fund for Animal Welfare, Sussex, England. 28 pp. Holt, S.J. 1995. Creating confidence. Marine Pollution Bulletin. International Fund for Animal Welfare. 1994. Commercial whaling: a corrupt industry. IFAW Technical Briefing 94:6. International Fund for Animal Welfare, Sussex, England. 17 pp. International Fund for Animal Welfare. 1994. Implications of revelations of Soviet under-reporting of Antarctic whale catches. IFAW Technical Briefing 94:7. International Fund for Animal Welfare, Sussex, England. 11 pp. International Fund for Animal Welfare. 1994. How many minke whales in the Northeast Atlantic? IFAW Technical Briefing 94:8. International Fund for Animal Welfare, Sussex, England. 8 pp. International Fund for Animal Welfare. 1994. Comment on a proposal by the government of Norway to downlist the minke whales from the Northeast Atlantic from CITES Appendix I to Appendix II. IFAW Technical Briefing 94:9. International Fund for Animal Welfare, Sussex, England. 9 pp. Kemf, E. and C. Phillips. 1995. Whales in the wild. 1995 WWF Species Status Report. World Wide Fund for Nature, Gland. 24 pp. Phillips, C. 1993. The Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. WWF International Discussion Paper. World Wide Fund for Nature, Gland. 16 pp. Pacific Center for International Studies. 1994. The International Whaling Commission and the regulation of small cetaceans: the critical agenda for the 1990s. International Wildlife Law Occasional Paper Series No. 5. The Pacific Cetner for International Studies, Madison, Wisconsin. 36 pp. Pacific Center for International Studies. 1994. The International Whaling Commission in the 1990s: problems and prospects. International Wildlife Law Occasional Paper Series No. 6. The Pacific Cetner for International Studies, Madison, Wisconsin. 37 pp. Stoett, P.J. 1993. International politics and the protection of great whales. Environemntal Politics 2(2):277-303. WWF, IFAW, Greenpeace. 1995. Report of a Workshop to Outline a Programme of Non-Lethal Whale Research in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. World Wide Fund for Nature, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Greenpeace. 21 pp. Young, O.R., M.M.R. Freeman, G. Osherenko, R.R. Anderson, R.A. Caufield, R.L. Friedheim, S.J. Langdon, M. Ris, and P.J. Usher. 1994. Subsistence, sustainability, and sea mammals: reconstructing the international whaling regime. Ocean and Coastal Management 23:117-127. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 18:30:45 -0800 From: Brent Scott Stewart Subject: Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals (fwd) To new subscribers to MARMAM or those who may have missed the earlier posting, I am repeating the three-part program update. A brief version of the daily schedule is scheduled to appear later this month in the Newsletter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy. Brent Stewart ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 17:21:14 -0700 From: Brent Stewart To: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM Subject: Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Attention those planning to attend the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Orlando, 14-18 December. The following is Part One of a Three Part message concerning the Biennial Conference. Part One is a Program update. Parts Two and Three are daily summaries of the Conference Program. Program Update for the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals from the Program Committee Brent S. Stewart, Program Chair; W. Don Bowen; Ann E. Bowles; Thomas Loughlin; Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara; Daniel K. Odell; Philip H. Thorson; Pamela K. Yochem Program Structure The organization of oral and poster presentations and daily events was determined primarily from the responses to a questionnaire that was circulated to all members of the Society for Marine Mammalogy following the Tenth Biennial Conference in Galveston in 1993. Eighty- two percent of those members who responded to the questionnaire (211) favored single (8%) or double concurrent (74%) Oral presentation sessions over triple concurrent sessions (18%). Additionally, 81% favored dedicated time for Poster presentations with no competing conference events. For independently proposed and organized symposia, 63% favored double concurrent symposia. Taking these instructions from the SMM membership, the Program Committee constructed the schedule for the four-day Conference allowing for 152 Oral Presentations (15 minutes each) and approximately 800 Poster presentations (with exclusive, attended showing during a 1.5 hour session and 1/2 hour coffee break and additional unattended showing of 14 hours for the first 3 days and 7 hours on the final day). In addition, the structure allowed for four invited speakers to give oral plenary papers during the opening morning of the Conference and four (double concurrent) evening symposia. Program Organization and Final Determination of Agenda With additional input and advice from SMM Board of Governors, a general plenary theme of "Perspectives on Marine Mammals in a Changing World" was developed and four speakers were identified and requested to develop a regionally-oriented paper for oral presentation. The resulting plenary presentations are: "Relationships between polar bears, ringed seals and ecological variability" by Ian Stirling "Can coastal marine mammals survive in tropical waters? Dugongs in Australia as a case study" by Helene Marsh "Marine habitat trends in Florida: A worldwide perspective" by Kenneth Haddad "Marine mammals in the Southern Ocean: Indicators of ecosystem variability" by Ian Boyd Four proposals for evening symposia were submitted to the Program Committee for consideration and subsequently approved. The symposia are as follows (the first two will occur concurrently from 2000 to 2200 hours on 15 December and the latter two concurrently from 2000 to 2200 hours on 17 December): "Development of diving in pinnipeds" chaired by Michael Castellini "The role of science in conservation and management" chaired by Sharon Young "Critical thinking for effective scientific communication" chaired by Herbert Roitblatt and Thomas Jackson "Health and environmental risk assessment" chaired by Larry Hansen and Randy Wells Attendance/participation in the interactive workshop/symposium by Roitblatt/Jackson will be limited. Those wishing to attend should contact the Program Chairperson (Dr. Brent S. Stewart; email address: bstewart(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu) with their interests. "The workshop is intended to facilitate discussion of vexing policy issues in marine mammal science by identifying tools that have been found useful in discussing strongly held positions. These tools include mechanisms for identifying assumptions, clarifying questions, evaluating inferences and their evidence, and identifying fallacious reasoning" (H. Roiblatt & T. Jackson). Active participation in the workshop is a requirement for attendance with attendees expected to exercise the tools described. The workshop will NOT be a forum for simply raising controversial or vexing issues for debate or discussion. We received 758 abstract submissions (including plenaries and symposia), representing 1382 authors in 32 countries, for presentation at the Eleventh Biennial Conference. This was a 21% increase from the 10th Biennial Conference in 1993. The first abstracts were received on 23 June and a handful more prior to the postmark deadline of 15 July. Approximately 85% of submitted abstracts were postmarked the day before or on the postmark deadline date of 15 July and all abstracts were not received until 20 August. Sorting of most abstracts into topic areas and reviewers was completed on 10 August and abstracts were sent out for review on 12-14 August. All reviews were received by 25 September; the Oral and Poster presentation schedule was finalized on 29-30 September and notices of presentation forum and time were emailed, faxed or mailed to authors between 3 and 10 October. On 12 October, the Program and Abstract Proceedings were delivered to the Conference Chairperson for subsequent delivery to the contracted printer. Oral presentation slots were requested by 450 of the submitting authors (exclusive of plenaries and symposia). To select 152 of those for oral presentation the program committee contacted a diverse group (nationality, gender, subject expertise) of 165 SMM members to request that they serve as volunteer peer reviewers of the abstracts; 125 members agreed to volunteer and reviews were received from 86. Each abstract was reviewed by at least three volunteer peer reviewers with expertise in the abstract's subject area. The reviewers assigned numerical ranks (40 point total possible; 10 points for each criterion) solely for abstract format and content and research approach and significance. The average of the reviewers' scores was then used to determine the abstract's relative rank against other abstracts in the particular topic or subtopic area. The number of oral slots allotted for each topic or sub-topic area was proportional to the number submitted in that area. The oral slots in each topic session were then filled in order of average review rank. All abstracts submitted for 'Poster Presentation Only' were reviewed generally for content, format, research approach and significance but numerical ranks were not assigned. Rather, we attempted to accommodate all Poster submissions that satisfied the general submission (deadline submission date, etc.) and basic abstract review criteria. Note for Poster paper presenters: You will be assigned a specific station for displaying your poster. Those station assignments will be displayed each day on a Master List at several locations in the two poster rooms and in the registration area. Your poster should be up by 0800 on your scheduled presentation day and must be taken down by midnight the same day except for the last day of the conference when all posters must be taken down by 1700 hours to allow for banquet setup. Note for Oral paper presenters: Please locate your Session Chairperson by 0800 hrs on the day that you are scheduled to present to let her/him know that you are present and still intend to present and to make any last minute requests for assistance. The Session Charipersons will strictly enforce the time limit to ensure that all speakers have a full 15 minutes for their presentations; that 15 minutes includes your introduction by the Chairperson, your presentation and questions. Program Evaluation A questionnaire will be circulated again following the Eleventh Biennial Conference that will solicit feedback from SMM members on the structure and organization of the conference program. The response to that questionnaire will be central to planning the Twelfth Biennial Conference in Monaco in early 1998. If the growth trend of the SMM continues we expect a further increase in abstract submissions then. Options for encouraging and enhancing communication of research results at future conferences may include a limited number of invited speakers with most of the conference dedicated to poster presentations, a practice that many other scientific societies have adopted. Other options would be to increase the number of concurrent sessions to allow more oral presentations or add additional days to the conference. Accommodation of all 450 abstracts submitted for oral presentation this year would have required six concurrent sessions if the conference were held to 4 days or 12 days of conference if double concurrent sessions were to be maintained. Your evaluation and feedback on the Eleventh Biennial Conference will guide the evolution of future conference structure. Brent S. Stewart, Ph.D. Program Chair Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute 2595 Ingraham Street San Diego, CA 92109 email: bstewart(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu and Boalt Hall School of Law University of California Berkeley, California email: bstewart(\)uclink2.berkeley.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 18:31:48 -0800 From: Brent Scott Stewart Subject: Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 17:30:17 -0700 From: Brent Stewart To: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM Subject: Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals >From the Program Committee: The following is Part Two of a Three Part message regarding the Biennial Marine Mammal Conference. CONFERENCE SCIENCE PROGRAM ORAL PRESENTATIONS FRIDAY, 15 DECEMBER 1995 BALLROOM B/C/D OPENING REMARKS 0800 INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS DANIEL ODELL CONFERENCE CHAIR BRENT STEWART PROGRAM CHAIR WELCOMING ADDRESS JEANETTE THOMAS, PRESIDENT SOCIETY FOR MARINE MAMMALOGY PLENARY SESSION: PERSPECTIVES ON MARINE MAMMALS IN A CHANGING WORLD 0830 RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN POLAR BEARS, RINGED SEALS, AND ECOLOGICAL VARIABILITY STIRLING, I. 0855 CAN COASTAL MARINE MAMMALS SURVIVE IN TROPICAL WATERS? DUGONGS IN AUSTRALIA AS A CASE STUDY MARSH, H. 0920 MARINE HABITAT TRENDS IN FLORIDA: A WORLDWIDE PERSPECTIVE HADDAD, K.D. 0945 MARINE MAMMALS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN: INDICATORS OF ECOSYSTEM VARIABILITY BOYD, I.L. 1010 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION ROOMS 3, 4, 5, 6 ECOLOGY I, II, III IMMUNOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY HEALTH AND DISEASE 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM B HEALTH AND TOXICOLOGY CHAIR: PAM YOCHEM 1330 SHORT-TERM FASTING DOES NOT AGGRAVATE IMMUNOSUPPRESSION IN HARBOUR SEALS WITH HIGH BODY BURDENS OF ORGANOCHLORINES DE SWART, R.L., ROSS, P.S., TIMMERMAN, H.H., LIEM, A.K.D., BROUWER, A., VAN LOVEREN, H., REIJNDERS, P.J.H., VOS, J.G., OSTERHAUS, A.D.M.E. 1345 PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HARBOR SEAL (PHOCA VITULINA) C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (C-RP) FUNKE, C., KING, D.P., HANNI, K., FERRICK, D.A., STOTT, J.L. 1400 PHOCINE INTERLEUKIN 2: SEQUENCE AND CROSS-SPECIES REACTIVITY SHODA, L.K.M., BROWN, W.C., RICE-FICHT, A.C. 1415 SEQUENCE VARIATION AT THE MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX LOCUS DQB IN CETACEA MURRAY, B.W., WHITE, B.N. 1430 GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES IN ORGANOCHLORINE AND HEAVY METAL CONTAMINANTS IN WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC HARBOUR PORPOISES, (PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) JOHNSTON, D.W., WESTGATE, A.J. 1445 CYTOCHROMES P450 AND THE METABOLISM AND EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS IN MARINE MAMMALS STEGEMAN, J.J., WHITE, R.D., MILLER, C., MOORE, M.J., SCHLEZINGER, J.J., HAHN, M.E., GOKSOYR, A. 1500 CONSERVATION OF STRUCTURE IN BELUGA ARYL HYDROCARBON RECEPTOR JENSEN, B.A., HAHN, M.E. 1515 A BIOPSY MARKER FOR CIRCULATING COPLANAR HYDROCARBONS IN CETACEA MOORE, M.J., MILLER, C.A., WEISBROD, A.V., SHEA, D.S., STEGEMAN, J.J. 1530 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY I CHAIR: JOHN BENGTSON 1330 MILK FATTY ACID SIGNATURES INDICATE BOTH MAJOR AND MINOR SHIFTS IN FORAGING ECOLOGY OF LACTATING ANTARCTIC FUR SEALS IVERSON, S.J., ARNOULD, J.P.Y., BOYD, I.L. 1345 STABLE ISOTOPIC ASSESSMENT OF TROPHIC RELATIONSHIPS AMONG CETACEANS FROM THE NORTH PACIFIC TRANSITION ZONE (NPTZ) AND THE CALIFORNIA COAST PILICHOWSKI, K.A., OSTROM, P.H., GOULD, P.J. 1400 THE MAP TRACKING SYSTEM OLIVER, G.W. 1415 USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO CREATE A PREDICTIVE MODEL OF NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE (EUBALAENA GLACIALIS) DISTRIBUTION BASED ON SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND BATHYMETRY MOSES, E., FINN, J.T. 1430 MOVEMENTS OF TAGGED JUVENILE STELLER SEA LIONS IN THE KAMCHATKA REGION BURKANOV, V.N., VERTYANKIN, V.V., MAMAEV, E.G. 1445 DIVING BEHAVIOR AND MOVEMENT PATTERNS OF AN ATLANTIC SPOTTED DOLPHIN (STENELLA FRONTALIS) OBTAINED BY SATELLITE TELEMETRY WORTHY, G.A.J., DAVIS, R.W. 1500 THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER SURVEY DESIGN -A CASE STUDY USING HARBOR PORPOISE AERIAL SURVEY DATA BENSON, S.R., FORNEY, K.A., HARVEY, J.T. 1515 SEASONAL MOVEMENTS AND HABITAT UTILIZATION OF CRABEATER SEALS BENGTSON, J.L., BOVENG, P.L. 1530 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM B HEALTH AND TOXICOLOGY CHAIR: DONALD KING 1600 MORBILLIVIRUS INFECTION IN BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS: EVIDENCE FOR RECURRENT EPIZOOTICS DUIGNAN, P.J., HOUSE, C., ODELL, D.K., WELLS, R.S., HANSEN, L., WALSH, M., RIMA, B.K., GERACI, J.R. 1615 STRAINS OF MORBILLIVIRUS THAT CAUSED 1987 TO 1988 U.S. EAST COAST AND 1993 TO 1994 GULF OF MEXICO BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN EPIZOOTICS DETERMINED BY GENETIC SEQUENCING TSAI, M.M., KRAFFT, A.E., LICHY, J.H., SCHULMAN, F.Y., LIPSCOMB, T.P., TAUBENBERGER, J.K. 1630 EPIDEMIOLOGY OF POXVIRUS IN SMALL CETACEANS FROM PERU VAN BRESSEM,M.-F., VAN WAEREBEEK, K. 1645 CYCLICAL OUTBREAKS OF LEPTOSPIROSIS IN CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS (ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS) MORGAN, L., GULLAND, F. 1700 CLONING, SEQUENCING AND EXPRESSION OF HARBOR SEAL (PHOCA VITULINA), KILLER WHALE (ORCINUS ORCA) AND SOUTHERN SEA OTTER (ENHYDRA LUTRIS) INTERLEUKIN 6 (IL-6) KING, D.P., HERRMAN, J., HANNI, K., STOTT, J.L., FERRICK, D.A. 1715 SERUM ENZYMES AND POST-WEANING SURVIVAL OF SEA OTTERS IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA BALLACHEY, B.E., GOODSON, N.J., DOROFF, A.M. BODKIN, J.L. 1730 DIFFUSE PULMONARY ANGIOPROLIFERATIVE DISEASE, "ANGIOMATOSIS" IN THE BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN, TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS COWAN, D.F., TURNBULL, B.S. 1745 FORESTOMACH ACIDITY OF TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS JENSEN, E., BONN, W., BEELER, M., RIDGWAY, S. 1800 BUSINESS MEETING 1900 DINNER BREAK BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY II CHAIR: GIUSEPPE NOTARBARTOLO DI SCIARA 1600 MOVEMENT AND STOCK STRUCTURE OF BLUE WHALES IN THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC CALAMBOKIDIS, J., SEARS, R., STEIGER, G.H., EVENSON, J. 1615 FORAGING ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR OF BLUE AND FIN WHALES CROLL, D.A., DEMER, D., HEWITT, R., TERSHY, B., HAYES, S., GENDRON, D., URBAN, J. 1630 DIVE BEHAVIOR AND THE QUESTION OF FOOD LIMITATION IN RIGHT WHALES GOODYEAR, J.D. 1645 GRAY WHALE (ESCHRICTIUS ROBUSTUS) HABITAT UTILIZATION AND PREY SPECIES OFF VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. DARLING, J.D., KEOGH, K.E., STEEVES, T. 1700 FORAGING ECOLOGY OF NW ATLANTIC LONG-FINNED PILOT WHALES GANNON, D.P., READ, A.J., CRADDOCK, J.E., FRISTRUP, K.M., MEAD, J.G. 1715 A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL RESOURCE UTILIZATION PARADIGM FOR RIGHT WHALES IN CAPE COD BAY GOLDMAN, L.A., MAYO, C., LYMAN, E., MARX, M. 1730 MANATEE GRAZING EFFECTS ON SEAGRASS BIOMASS AND SPECIES DIVERSITY LEFEBVRE, L.W., PROVANCHA, J.A., KENWORTHY, W.J., LANGTIMM, C.A. 1745 FORAGING BEHAVIOR OF AN EQUILIBRIUM DENSITY SEA OTTER POPULATION WATT, J.P., GELATT, T.S., SINIFF, D.B., ESTES, J.A. 1800 BUSINESS MEETING 1900 DINNER BREAK BALLROOM B SYMPOSIUM I DEVELOPMENT OF DIVING IN PINNIPEDS CHAIR: MICHAEL CASTELLINI 2000 DEVELOPMENT OF CARDIO-RESPIRATORY CONTROL NECESSARY FOR DIVING IN SEAL PUPS CASTELLINI, M.A. 2020 THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIVING IN JUVENILE HARBOUR SEALS CORPE, H.M., THOMPSON, P.M., MACKAY, A. , TOLLIT, D.J., REID, R.J. 2040 THE DEVELOPMENT OF FORAGING PATTERNS IN PHOCIDS: THE FIRST FORAGING TRIPS IN SPECIES WITH NO OBVIOUS PARENTAL INPUT FEDAK, M.A., MCCONNELL, B.J., ROHANI, P. 2100 DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECTS OF DIVING IN GALAPAGOS FUR SEALS HORNING, M. 2120 PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL DETERMINANTS OF THE AEROBIC DIVE LIMIT IN WEDDELL SEAL PUPS MOSS, J.M., CASTELLINI, M.A. 2140 DEVELOPMENT OF DIVING IN THE NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL (MIROUNGA ANGUSTIROSTRIS) THORSON, P.H. BALLROOM C/D SYMPOSIUM II THE ROLE OF SCIENCE IN CONSERVATION AND MANANGEMENT CHAIR: SHARON YOUNG 2000 SEALS, SCIENCE AND POLITICS LAVIGNE, D.M. 2020 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND RIVER DOLPHIN CONSERVATION IN ASIA REEVES, R.R. 2040 SACRIFICING FOR THE COMMON GOOD: IS U.S. MARINE MAMMAL POLICY ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL AGENDA? STEUER, K.L. 2100 ASCOBANS PROGRESS ON CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SMALL CETACEANS OF THE NORTH AND BALTIC SEAS HEIMLICH-BORAN, S., LOCKYER, C. 2120 PORPOISES, PINGERS AND POLITICS: MANAGEMENT FAILURE IN THE GULF OF MAINE READ, A.J. SATURDAY, 16 DECEMBER 1995 BALLROOM B CONSERVATION I CHAIR: PHILIP HAMMOND 0800 THE INCREASE IN SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES OFF SOUTH AFRICA, 1969-1993 BEST, P.B., UNDERHILL, L.G. 0815 STATUS OF DOLPHIN STOCKS AFFECTED BY TUNA PURSE-SEINE FISHERY IN THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC: A 36-YEAR SUMMARY GERRODETTE, T., WADE, P.R. 0830 ABUNDANCE OF BLUE AND HUMPBACK WHALES IN CALIFORNIA A COMPARISON OF MARK-RECAPTURE AND LINE-TRANSECT ESTIMATES BARLOW, J., CALAMBOKIDIS, J. 0845 COMPARISON OF WALRUS HARVEST ESTIMATES BURN, D.M. 0900 COMPETITION BETWEEN FISHERIES AND MARINE MAMMALS FOR PREY AND PRIMARY PRODUCTION IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN TRITES, A.W., PAULY, D., CHRISTENSEN, V. 0915 BOTO AND TUCUXI: COMPARATIVE STUDY IN BOTH PRISTINE AND HUMAN IMPACTED RIVERINE HABITATS OF THE PERUVIAN AMAZON HENNINGSEN, T., DEL BUSTOS, R., WONG YAU, D. 0930 MONITORING THE RECOVERY OF HARBOR SEALS AFTER THE EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA FROST, K.J., VER HOEF, J., LOWRY, L.F. 0945 HARBOUR PORPOISES IN THE NORTH SEA AND ADJACENT WATERS: HOW MANY IS ENOUGH? HAMMOND, P.S. 1000 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION ROOMS 3, 4, 5, 6 ECOLOGY IV, V BEHAVIOR I, II CONSERVATION I, II TAXONOMY/PHYLOGENY/EVOLUTION 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY III CO-CHAIRS: DON BOWEN AND DAGMAR FERTL 0800 STABLE ISOTOPES IN MUSCLE OF EAST FLORIDA BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS: IMPLICATIONS FOR STOCK IFFERENTIATION BARROS, N.B., OSTROM, P.H., ODELL, D.K. 0815 DIET COMPOSITION BASED ON FATTY ACID SIGNATURES: CAPTIVE FEEDING EXPERIMENTS ON HARP SEALS AND GREY SEALS KIRSCH, P.E., IVERSON, S.J., BOWEN, W.D. 0830 THE USE OF ISOTOPE RATIOS IN FORAGING STUDIES OF HUMPBACK WHALES TODD, S., OSTROM, P., LIEN, J. 0845 ISOTOPE RATIOS AS INDICATORS OF FEEDING BY RIGHT WHALES, BRYDE'S WHALES AND PYGMY RIGHT WHALES IN SOUTH AFRICAN WATERS SCHELL, D.M., BEST, P.B. 0900 MICROSATELLITE MARKERS ALLOW SPECIES DISCRIMINATION FROM FAECAL SAMPLES OF GREY AND HARBOUR SEALS REED, J.Z., TOLLIT, D.J. 0915 RATE OF PASSAGE OF DIGESTA IN TWO SPECIES OF OTARIID SEALS BRYDEN, M.M., BODLEY, K., MERCER, J.R. 0930 GREY SEAL PREDATION ON COD: CONSUMPTION, PREDATION MORTALITY, AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS MOHN, R., BOWEN, W.D. 0945 A MODEL OF FISH CONSUMPTION BY HARP SEALS, PHOCA GROENLANDICA, IN ATLANTIC CANADA STENSON, G.B., SHELTON, P.A., LAWSON, J.W., HAMMILL, M.O. 1000 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM B CONSERVATION II CHAIR: WILLIAM GILMARTIN 1300 A SUMMARY OF THE 1995 U.S. MARINE MAMMAL STOCK ASSESSMENTS, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF A SIMULATION STUDY USED TO SET POTENTIAL BIOLOGICAL REMOVAL LEVELS WADE, P.R. 1315 FINS, FLUKES, AND FEDS DISMANTLING MARINE CONSERVATION YOUNG, N.M. 1330 INCORPORATING ABORIGINAL NEED INTO PBR-MANAGEMENT: A SPECIES-SPECIFIC APPLICATION DE MASTER, D.P., HILL, P.S. 1345 REPRODUCTIVE RECOVERY AND PCBs IN BALTIC SEAL POPULATIONS MATTSON, M., HELLE, E. 1400 A FIELD TEST OF THE USE OF ACOUSTIC ALARMS TO REDUCE INCIDENTAL MORTALITY OF HARBOR PORPOISE IN GILLNETS KRAUS, S., READ, A., ANDERSON, E., BALDWIN, K., SOLOW, A., SPRADLIN, T., WILLIAMSON, J. 1415 ACCLIMATION TO CAPTIVITY: A QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATE BASED ON SURVIVAL OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS AND CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS SMALL, R.J., DEMASTER, D.P. 1430 CAPTIVE MANATEE RELEASES AND MONITORING ALONG FLORIDA'S EAST COAST BONDE, R.K., REID, J.P., TYSON, S.L., EASTON, D.E. 1445 MANAGING THE SEX RATIO IN ENDANGERED HAWAIIAN MONK SEALS (MONACHUS SCHAUINSLANDI) TO ENCOURAGE RECOVERY GILMARTIN, W.G., RAGEN, T.J. 1500 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY IV CO-CHAIRS: TOM LOUGHLIN AND RICK SMITH 1300 UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS OF POPULATION GROWTH RATE AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BY-CATCH MORTALITY IN NORTHWEST ATLANTIC HARBOR PORPOISE (PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) CASWELL, H., BRAULT, S., READ, A., SMITH, T. 1315 CONSERVING BELUGA POPULATIONS BY ALTERING CATCH COMPOSITION: RESULTS FROM SPREADSHEET MODELLING KINGSLEY, M.C.S., RICHARD, P.R., INNES, S. 1330 EFFECTS OF LIFE HISTORY VARIABILITY ON RATE OF INCREASE IN LONG-FINNED PILOT WHALES SANDERS-REED, C., BRAULT, S. 1345 POPULATION STRUCTURE AND HABITAT USE OF THE LACS DES LOUPS MARINS HARBOUR SEAL (PHOCA VITULINA MELLONAE) SMITH, R.J. 1400 INCREASED REPRODUCTION WITH AGE FOR FEMALE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE HUMPBACK WHALES (MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE). STRALEY, J., AMOS, W., CLAPHAM, P., GABRIELE, C. 1415 ESTIMATING CALIFORNIA SEA LION PUP MORTALITY RATE WITH CAPTURE-RECAPTURE SURVEYS LAAKE, J.L., MELIN, S.R., DELONG, R.L. 1430 THE USE OF AUTOMATED PATTERN MATCHING IN A DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY OF GREY SEALS HIBY, L., LOVELL, P., WATKINS, J. 1445 HOW TO PHOTO-IDENTIFY A HUMPBACK WHALE (MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE) CALF FOLLOWING WEANING: FLUKES MAY NOT BE THE BEST WAY! ANDERSON, S.K., SHARP, C.C., BLACKMER, A.L., WEINRICH, M.T. 1500 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM B BEHAVIOR I CHAIR: BERND WURSIG 1530 THE HYDRODYNAMIC EFFECTS OF LARGE VESSELS ON RIGHT WHALES KNOWLTON, A.R., KORSMEYER, F.T., KERWIN, J.E., WU, H., HYNES, B. 1545 AN ACOUSTIC BROOM? EFFECTS OF HIGH AMPLITUDE ACOUSTIC DEVICES, USED AS SEAL DETERRENTS, ON LARGE CETACEANS LIEN, J., MORETE, M., BROWN, N., HENNEBURY, P., BUTLER, K. 1600 HUMPBACK WHALE BEHAVIOR AND VESSEL EFFECTS FROM THE 1994 HAWAII SHORE-BASED ATOC BASELINE STUDY FRANKEL, A.S., SMULTEA, M.A., GABRIELE, C.M., KIECKHEFER, T.R., CLARK, C.W. 1615 A TRAFFIC LIGHT FOR (CETACEAN) STRESS BEAMISH, P. 1630 WILD DOLPHINS PUSHING TOURISTS AROUND: CAN THEY BE CONTROLLED? ORAMS, M.B. 1645 SWIM-WITH-DOLPHIN PROGRAMS; MONITORING RESULTS AND NEEDS WURSIG, B., BARR, K., CONSTANTINE, R., DUDZINSKI, K., FOREST, A., YIN, S. 1700 FILM NIGHT AT SEA WORLD BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY V CHAIR: CHIP DEUTSCH 1530 STUDIES OF THE BOTO, INIA GEOFFRENSIS, IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON DA SILVA, V.M.F., MARTIN, A.R. 1545 DISTRIBUTION SHIFTS OF BOTTLENOSE AND SPOTTED DOLPHINS IN A TROPICAL EMBAYMENT: HABITAT-SHARING AND INTER-SPECIFIC AVOIDANCE ACEVEDO-GUTIERREZ, A., BURKHART, S. 1600 SEASONAL CHANGES IN ACTIVITY AND HABITAT USE BY BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) IN SARASOTA BAY, FLORIDA WAPLES, D.M., WELLS, R.S., COSTA, D.P., WORTHY, G.A.J. 1615 ABUNDANCE, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSERVATION OF MANATEES IN THE BANANA RIVER, FLORIDA, 1977-1995 PROVANCHA, J.A., PROVANCHA, M.J., REDDICK, R.A. 1630 LOCAL ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) IN THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA BARCO, S.G., PABST, D.A., SWINGLE, W.M., MCLELLAN, W.A. 1645 MANATEE (TRICHECHUS MANATUS) MOVEMENTS AND SPATIAL USE PATTERNS ALONG THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA DEUTSCH, C.J., REID, J.P., BONDE, R.K., KOCHMAN, H.I. 1900 VIDEO NIGHT AT SEA WORLD Brent S. Stewart, Ph.D. Program Chair Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute 2595 Ingraham Street San Diego, CA 92109 email: bstewart(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu and Boalt Hall School of Law University of California Berkeley, California email: bstewart(\)uclink2.berkeley.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 18:32:47 -0800 From: Brent Scott Stewart Subject: Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 17:36:08 -0700 From: Brent Stewart To: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM Subject: Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals >From the Program Committee: The following is Part Three of a Three Part message regarding the Biennial Marine Mammal Conference Conference Science Program (continued) SUNDAY, 17 DECEMBER 1995 BALLROOM B BEHAVIOR II CHAIR: IAN BOYD 0800 FORAGING BEHAVIOUR BY BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS SP.) IN SHARK BAY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA: BEACHING FOR A MEAL BERGGREN, P. 0815 HARBOR SEAL HANDLING AND INGESTING OF DIFFERENT PREY SIZES AND SPECIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR PREY SELECTIVITY AND PREY HARD PART RECOVERY COTTRELL, P.E. 0830 SIRENIAN FEEDING BEHAVIOR: A COMPARISON OF MANATEE AND DUGONG FEEDING MECHANICS MARSHALL, C.D., REEP, R.L. 0845 THE BUBBLE HELIX: SONAR STUDIES OF FEEDING HUMPBACK WHALES SHARPE, F.A., DILL, L.M. 0900 TRANSLOCATION OF HARBOUR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA): A DEMONSTRATION OF HOMING ABILITY AND SITE FIDELITY OLESIUK, P.F., SMITH, T.G., HORONOWITSCH, G. ELLIS, G.M. 0915 DETERMINING THE PRECISE TIMING AND LOCATION OF FORAGING BY STELLER SEA LIONS ANDREWS, R.D., CALKINS, D.G. 0930 USING STOMACH TEMPERATURE TO ESTIMATE MEAL SIZE IN CAPTIVE AND FREE RANGING HARBOUR SEALS BEKKBY, T., BJORGE, A.J., THOMPSON, D. 0945 BALANCING OXYGEN USE AND GAIN DURING THE DIVE CYCLE: A BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH BOYD, I.L. 1000 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION ROOMS 3, 4, 5, 6 ECOLOGY V, VI, VII BEHAVIOR II, III PHYSIOLOGY AND ENERGETICS I POPULATION GENETICS 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY VI CHAIR: BRUCE ACKERMAN 0800 CORRECTING MINIMUM POPULATION COUNTS TO ESTIMATE THE TRUE ABUNDANCE OF HARBOR SEALS IN WASHINGTON AND OREGON, 1991-1993 HUBER, H.R., JEFFRIES, S.J., BROWN, R.F., DELONG, R.L. 0815 ESTIMATES OF HUMPBACK WHALE ABUNDANCE OFF KAUAI, 1989 TO 1993, INDICATE NON-RANDOM MIXING AMONG THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS CERCHIO, S. 0830 GRAY WHALE CALF SIGHTINGS COLLECTED BY THE NATIONAL MARINE MAMMAL LABORATORY DURING SOUTHBOUND MIGRATIONS, 1952-95 SHELDEN, K.E.W., RUGH, D.J., BOEVE, S.A. 0845 THERMAL IMAGE SURVEYS OF HARBOUR SEALS IN SCOTLAND DUCK, C.D., HIBY, A.R., HALL, A.J., WARD, A.J. 0900 MEASUREMENTS OF CALIFORNIA GRAY WHALES DAY/NIGHT MIGRATION PATTERNS WITH INFRARED SENSORS DONAHUE, M.A., PERRYMAN, W.L., LAAKE, J.L. 0915 SEASONALITY IN HAUL-OUT BEHAVIOR AND BIOLOGICAL EVENTS IN THE MONK SEAL (MONACHUS MONACHUS) COLONY OF CABO BLANCO AGUILAR, A., GAZO, M., GONZALEZ, L.M., GRAU, E., BORRELL, A. 0930 AERIAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND PHOTO-IDENTIFICATION OF BLUE WHALES (BALAENOPTERA MUSCULUS) IN THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS-1994 GILPATRICK, J.W., PERRYMAN, W.L., MORGAN, S.L. 0945 AGE-STRUCTURED POPULATION MODELS FOR FLORIDA MANATEES ACKERMAN, B.B., WRIGHT, S.D. 1000 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM B BEHAVIOR III CO-CHAIRS: DARYL BONESS AND KATHLEEN DUDZINSKY 1330 NATAL ATTRACTION AND IMPRINTING IN WILD BOTTLENSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS): THE BABYSITTING MYTH MANN, J. 1345 SIGNATURE WHISTLE DEVELOPMENT IN FREE-RANGING BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS SAYIGH, L.S., TYACK, P.L., WELLS, R.S., SAMUELS, A. 1400 VIOLENT DOLPHIN-PORPOISE INTERACTIONS: FUN, FEAR, FOOD OR FREAKS? WILSON, B., ROSS, H.M., THOMPSON, P.M., REID, R.J. 1415 DOES BODY MASS AFFECT AQUATIC BEHAVIOUR OF HARBOUR SEAL (PHOCA VITULINA) MALES DURING THE MATING SEASON? COLTMAN, D.W., BOWEN, W.D., BONESS, D.J. 1430 MODELS OF MATERNAL INVESTMENT IN PHOCID SEALS THOMPSON, D., FEDAK, M.A. 1445 REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR OF HARBOR SEAL MALES AT SEA BONESS, D.J., BOWEN, W.D., MARSHALL. G., BUHLEIER, B. 1500 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM C/D ECOLOGY VII CHAIR: GLENN VAN BLARICOM 1330 PREDICTIVE SPATIAL MODELS OF MARINE MAMMAL DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE IN THE GULF OF THE FARALLONES, CALIFORNIA, 1985-92 ALLEN, S.G., AINLEY, D.G. 1345 SCALE OF DISTRIBUTION OF FIN AND HUMPBACK WHALES IN THE GULF OF ALASKA STERN, S.J., DAHLHEIM, M.E., BRAHAM, H. 1400 CETACEAN HABITAT PARTITIONING ALONG THE CONTINENTAL SLOPE IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO DAVIS, R.W., FARGION, G., MAY, N., HANSEN, L., MULLIN, K., SCHROEDER, S. 1415 HABITAT INFLUENCES ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF FLORIDA MANATEE IN THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON, FLORIDA FLAMM, R.O., WARD, L., WEIGLE, B.L. 1430 SCALE-DEPENDENT CORRELATIONS OF SPERM WHALE DISTRIBUTION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES AND PRODUCTIVITY IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC JAQUET, N., WHITEHEAD., H. 1445 CONFIGURATION AND VARIATION OF KELP FORESTS OCCUPIED BY SEA OTTERS OFF BIG SUR, CALIFORNIA VANBLARICOM, G.R., FOSTER, M.S. 1500 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM B TAXONOMY/PHYLOGENY/EVOLUTION CO-CHAIRS: ANALISA BERTA AND LIANNE POSTMA 1530 MITOCHONDRIAL SYSTEMATICS OF THE DELPHINIDAE LEDUC, R.G., DIZON, A.E., PERRIN, W.F. 1545 MICROSATELLITESCLOUDS IN FRONT OF THE SILVER LINING AMOS, W. 1600 DEVELOPMENT AND HOMOLOGIES OF HEAD STRIPES IN THE DELPHINOIDS PERRIN, W.F. 1615 SPERM WHALES ARE ODONTOCETES; ANALYSIS OF THE MORPHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE HEYNING, J.E. 1630 THE AETIOCETIDAE: PRIMITIVE OLIGOCENE TOOTHED MYSTICETES BARNES, L.G., KIMURA, M., FURUSAWA, H., AWAMURA, H.S, GONZALEZ-BARBA, G. 1645 WHY PHYLOGENIES MATTER: CASE STUDIES OF PHOCID EVOLUTION BERTA, A.A 1700 BUSINESS MEETING 1900 DINNER BREAK BALLROOM C/D PHYSIOLOGY/ENERGETICS I CHAIR: SARA IVERSON 1530 ADAPTATIONS TO PROLONGED FASTING IN ELEPHANT SEAL PUPS PLASMA CHEMISTRY AND BODY MASS LOSS REA, L.D., CASTELLINI, M.A. 1545 UREA TURNOVER IN LACTATING NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS CROCKER, D.E., WILLIAMS, J.D., COSTA, D.P., LE BOEUF, B.J. 1600 GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE IN LACTATING NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS WEBB, P.M., CROCKER, D.E., COSTA, D.P., LE BOEUF, B.J. 1615 OSMOREGULATORY ENDOCRINOLOGY OF FREE RANGING AND CAPTIVE WEST INDIAN MANATEES (TRICHECHUS MANATUS) ORTIZ, R.M., WORTHY, G.A.J., MACKENZIE, D.S. 1630 TEMPERATURE REGULATION OF SEAL REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS ROMMEL, S., EARLY, G., WYMAN, B. 1645 BODY COMPOSITION AND WATER KINETICS OF RECENTLY WEANED HARBOUR SEAL PUPS: DOES SIZE MATTER? MUELBERT, M.M.C., BOWEN, W.D., IVERSON, S.J. 1700 BUSINESS MEETING 1900 DINNER BREAK BALLROOM B SYMPOSIUM /WORKSHOP III CRITICAL THINKING FOR EFFECTIVE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION CO-CHAIRS: HERBERT ROITBLATT AND THOMAS JACKSON 2000 INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP BALLROOM C/D SYMPOSIUM IV HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT CO-CHAIRS: LARRY HANSEN AND RANDY WELLS 2000 BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT HANSEN, L.J., WELLS, R.S. 2020 A MODEL FOR ASSESSING THE RELATIVE HEALTH OF DOLPHIN POPULATIONS SWEENEY, J.C., WELLS, R.S., TOWNSEND, F., CASPER, D., HANSEN, L.J. 2040 ASSESSMENT OF THE HEALTH OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN POPULATIONS IN SARASOTA BAY, FL AND MATAGORDA BAY, TX WELLS, R.S., RHINEHART, H.L., SWEENEY, J., OWNSEND, F., CASPER, D. 2100 CHLORINATED HYDROCARBON CONTAMINANTS AND SELECTED HEALTH PARAMETERS IN BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS REIF, J.S., HANSEN, L., GALLOWAY, S., MITCHUM, G. 2120 LEVELS OF ORGANOHALOGEN COMPOUNDS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO HEALTH SCORES IN BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) FROM THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA VEDDER, J.M., JARMAN, W.M., WELLS, R.S., COSTA, D.P. 2140 DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND EVALUATION OF WILD TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS IN MATAGORDA BAY, TEXAS STONE, L.R., RHINEHART, H. MONDAY, 18 DECEMBER 1995 BALLROOM B POPULATION GENETICS CHAIR: BARBARA TAYLOR AND BARBARA CURRY 0800 MOLECULAR GENETIC IDENTIFICATION OF WHALE AND DOLPHIN PRODUCTS PURCHASED IN JAPAN AND KOREA BAKER, C.S., CIPRIANO, F., PALUMBI, S.R. 0815 GENETIC MARKERS FOR HARBOR PORPOISE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN THE NORTHWEST ATLANTIC ROSEL, P.E., KOCHER, T.D. 0830 GENETIC SUBSTRUCTURE OF THE PACIFIC HARBOR SEAL (PHOCA VITULINA RICHARDSI) OFF WASHINGTON, OREGON AND CALIFORNIA. LAMONT, M.M. 0845 HAVE SPERM WHALES GONE THROUGH A BOTTLENECK? LYRHOLM, T., LEIMAR, O., GYLLENSTEN, U. 0900 FORAGING SPECIALIZATIONS AND THE EVOLUTION OF POPULATION GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION IN DELPHINID CETACEANS HOELZEL, A.R., POTTER, C., DAHLHEIM, M. 0915 LOW GENETIC VARIABILITY IN MONK SEALS: CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS KRETZMANN, M.B., MEYER, A., COSTA, D.P. 093 MHC DIVERSITY IN THE HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL ARMSTRONG, P.S. 0945 POWER ANALYSIS OF GENETIC DATA TO DEFINE POPULATION STRUCTURE TAYLOR, B.L., CHIVERS, S.J., DIZON, A.E. 1000 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION ROOM 3, 4, 5, 6 MORPHOLOGY/DEVELOPMENT I, II ACOUSTICS I, II PHYSIOLOGY AND ENERGETICS II 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM C/D PHYSIOLOGY AND ENERGETICS II CHAIR: TERRIE WILLIAMS 0800 BEHAVIOUR AND MASS CHANGES DURING BREEDING IN MALE SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS AT SOUTH GEORGIA ARNBOM, T., MODIG, A., BOYD, I.L., FEDAK, M.A. 0815 SEMEN CHARACTERISTICS AND CRYOPRESERVATION OF THE PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN YOSHIOKA, M., TOBAYAMA, T., INOUE, S. OHARA, S., AIDA, K. 0830 MITOCHONDRIAL DENSITIES OF SKELETAL MUSCLES IN PINNIPEDS: A KEY TO AEROBIC CAPACITY KANATOUS, S.B., DAVIS, R.W., COWAN, D.F. 0845 THE CARDIOVASCULAR ADJUSTMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH SWIMMING AND DIVING IN THE FREE-RANGING ANTARCTIC FUR SEAL BEVAN, R.M., BUTLER, P.J., BOYD, I.L., WOAKES, A.J. 0900 MUSCLE OXYGENATION AND BLOOD FLOW DURING NAIVE AND TRAINED SUBMERSIONS IN THE HARBOR SEAL, PHOCA VITULINA JOBSIS, P.D., PONGANIS, P.J. 0915 SPLENIC CONTRACTION, CATECHOLAMINE RELEASE, AND BLOOD VOLUME REDISTRIBUTION DURING VOLUNTARY DIVING OF THE WEDDELL SEAL HURFORD, W.E., HOCHACHKA, P.W., LIGGINS, G.C., SCHNEIDER, R.C., GUYTON, G.P., STANEK, K.S., ZAPOL, D.G., ZAPOL, W.M. 0930 THE AEROBIC SUBMERSION LIMIT OF LAKE BAIKAL SEALS PONGANIS, P.J., KOOYMAN, G.L., BARANOV, E.A., THORSON, P.H., STEWART, B.S. 0945 SWIMMING ENERGETICS OF MARINE MAMMALS: TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS IN WETSUITS? WILLIAMS, T.M. 1000 COFFEE BREAK 1030 POSTER SESSION 1200 LUNCH BREAK BALLROOM B MORPHOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT I CHAIR: DARLENE KETTEN AND HEATHER KOOPMAN 1330 TOPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND REGIONAL SPECIALIZATION OF FUNCTION OF THE BLUBBER OF THE HARBOUR PORPOISE (PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) KOOPMAN, H.N., GASKIN, D.E. 1345 MANEUVERABILITY AND FLOW CONTROL BASED ON HYDRODYNAMIC DESIGN OF THE HUMPBACK WHALE FLIPPER FISH, F.E. 1400 ANATOMICAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS A FUNCTION FOR THE LARYNX OF HUMPBACK WHALES (MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE) IN SOUND GENERATION AND BUBBLE CLOUD PRODUCTION REIDENBERG, J.S., LAITMAN, J.T. 1415 FUNCTIONAL MORPHOLOGY OF DOLPHIN BLUBBER PABST, D.A., MCLELLAN, W.A., GOSLINE, J.G., PIERMARINI, P.M. 1430 WALRUS TUSKS USED IN FEEDING? NEW EVIDENCE FROM AN EXTINCT CETACEAN DOMNING, D.P., MUIZON, C.DE 1445 APOCALYPTIC HEARING: AGING, INJURY, DISEASE, AND NOISE IN MARINE MAMMAL EARS KETTEN, D.R., RIDGWAY, S.H., EARLY, G. 1500 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM C/D ACOUSTICS I CHAIR: CHRIS CLARK 1330 THE ACOUSTIC BEHAVIOUR OF THE LEOPARD SEAL, HYDRURGA LEPTONYX ROGERS, T.L. 1345 EFFECTS OF BOAT NOISE ON THE SINGING BEHAVIOR OF HUMPBACK WHALES (MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE) NORRIS, T.F. 1400 THE KILLER WHALE (ORCINUS ORCA) ADUITORY SYSTEM ASSESSED WITH EVOKED POTENTIALS:CLICK RATES AND AUDIOGRAMS SZYMANSKI, M.D., SUPIN, A.Y., BAIN, D.E., HENRY, K.R. 1415 DOLPHIN WHISTLE REPERTOIRES REVISITED MCCOWAN, B., REISS, D. 1430 THE EFFECTS OF THE ATOC SIGNALS ON DOLPHINS AND SMALL WHALES AU, W.W.L., NACHTIGALL, P.E., PAWLOSKI, J.L. 1445 AN OVERVIEW OF THE ATOC-MARINE MAMMAL RESEARCH PROGRAM (ATOC-MMRP) CLARK, C.W. 1500 COFFEE BREAK BALLROOM B MORPHOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT II CHAIR: ANN PABST 1530 GROWTH OF HARBOUR PORPOISES(PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) IN SWEDISH WATERS KULL, M., BERGGREN, P. 1545 MILK CONSUMPTION AND GROWTH EFFICIENCY IN ANTARCTIC FUR SEAL (ARCTOCEPHALUS GAZELLA) PUPS ARNOULD, J.P.Y. 1600 GROWTH PARAMETERS OF CAPTIVE BORN KILLER WHALES (ORCINUS ORCA) CLARK, S.T., ODELL, D.K., LACINAK, C.T. 1615 GROWTH AND CONDITION INDICES OF NORTHERN FUR SEAL PUPS ON BERING ISLAND, RUSSIA BOLTNEV, A.I., YORK, A.E., ANTONELIS, G. 1800 NO-HOST RECEPTION 1900 BANQUET BALLROOM C/D ACOUSTICS II CHAIR: PAUL NACHTIGALL 1530 UNDERWATER HEARING ABILITIES OF THE WEST INDIAN MANATEE GERSTEIN, E., GERSTEIN, L., FORSYTHE, S.,BLUE, J. 1545 HEARING AND ECHOLOCATION IN A PYGMY SPERM WHALE KOGIA CARDER, D., RIDGWAY, S.H., WHITAKER, B., GERACI, J. 1600 DEEP HEARING AND SONAR STUDIES OF CONDITIONED WHITE WHALES DELPHINAPTERUS LEUCAS RIDGWAY, S.H., CARDER, D.A. 1615 LOW FREQUENCY HEARING THRESHOLDS OF PSEUDORCA CRASSIDENS AND GRAMPUS GRISEUS NACHTIGALL, P.E., AU, W.W.L., PAWLOSKI, J.L. 1800 NO-HOST RECEPTION 1900 BANQUET 2100 DANCING Brent S. Stewart, Ph.D. Program Chair Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute 2595 Ingraham Street San Diego, CA 92109 email: bstewart(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu and Boalt Hall School of Law University of California Berkeley, California email: bstewart(\)uclink2.berkeley.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 11 Nov 1995 20:45:34 -0800 From: Brent Scott Stewart Subject: Workshop on critical thinking at the XIth Biennial Conference on Marine Mammals, 14-18 Dec. 1995, Orlando, Florida An interactive workshop on "Critical Thinking for Effective Scientific Communication" and chaired by Dr. Herbert Roitblat and Dr. Thomas Jackson is scheduled during the XIth Biennial Conference on Marine Mammals from 8-10pm on 17 December. The workshop leaders (both at the University of Hawaii) have been offering very popular workshops to the faculty at the University of Hawaii on how to teach thinking. Dr. Roitblat has been working on echolocation and cognition of dolphins for about 10 years. He is acting chair of the Department of Psychology where he teaches courses in cognitive science. Dr. Jackson is on the faculty of the Department of Philosophy and directs a program on philosophy in the schools, which teaches thinking skills to children. A description of the workshop appears below. The workshop is open to all interested conference attendees; active participation is expected with participants exercising the tools described and developed during the course of the workshop. Some of the vexing issues that might be considered are animals in capitivity, sustainable-yield whaling or sealing, harvests of endangered species by aboriginal cultures, management of individuals and populations of abundant marine mammals which threaten other endangered wildlife, scientific research on marine mammals including non-inavsive and invasive research to further conservation goals, source of funding for marine mammal research. For those who are interested int the workshop, please email one paragraph (or so) statements arguing for one side or other of one of these vexing issues to roitblat(\)hawaii.edu. Time will be use in the workshop to analyze some of these arguments. You can submit the statement for distribution and critique at the workshop either with your name on it or without your name on it. The goal is to grapple with the ideas and their expressoin, not the person presenting them, so unless you request otherwise, the statements will be presented anonymously. The workshop will examine the assumptions, argument structure, potential fallacies and other properties of these arguments. Participants in the workshop will be asked to practice the use of certain thinking skills. They will be asked to actively discuss and briefly develop arguments on these issues. The workshop is intended as an "intellectually safe place" where controversial ideas can be discussed openly and freely. Critical Thinking for Effective Scientific Communication Herbert L. Roitblat & Thomas Jackson University of Hawaii Like other fields whose scientific work has implications for policy, marine mammal science faces a number of vexing issues that have received attention in recent months (e.g., captivity, sustainable-yield whaling). Vexing issues are those for which there is no specific answer, but to which data are relevant. By definition, vexing issues are difficult to discuss because the solution one sees to these issues is strongly dependent on the assumptions one makes. This workshop is intended to facilitate discussion of vexing policy issues in marine mammal science by identifying tools that have been found useful in discussing issues with strongly held positions. These tools include mechanisms for identifying assumptions, clarifying questions, evaluating inferences and their evidence, and identifying fallacious reasoning. This will be an interactive workshop in which participants will be expected to exercise the tools described. Brent S. Stewart, Ph.D. Program Chair XIth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Senior Research Biologist Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute 2595 Ingraham Street San Diego, CA 92109 email: bstewart(\)hubbs.sdsu.edu and Boalt Hall School of Law University of California (\) Berkeley Berkeley, California email: bstewart(\)uclink2.berkeley.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 06:24:51 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: GRADUATE CURATORIAL ASSISTANTSHIP A Graduate Assistantship in mammalogy will be available at Fort Hays State University beginning in June or August of 1996. The successful applicant will serve as Curatorial Assistant for the collection of mammals at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History while completing M.S.-level graduate studies in mammalogy under my tutelage. Prospective applicants should contact me directly. J. R. Choate, Director e-mail bijc(\)fhsuvm.fhsu.edu Sternberg Museum of Natural History voice 913-628-5664 Fort Hays State University fax 913-628-4096 Hays, KS 67601-4099, USA ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 17:21:52 +0100 From: Bellerive Foundation Subject: info seek on Navy dolphins US and USSR NAVY DOLPHINS INFO SEEK: The Bellerive Foundation, an international environmental organisation, strongly involved in the anti-captive campaign for the dolphins has been invited to a TV show (in Italy) to talk about the utilisation of dolphins in the US and USSR Navy. If you do have any information, we will be pleased to present it during the TV show. Please contact: Giulia Carbone Fondazione Bellerive tel: +39-2-8395475 fax:+39-2-89404093 e-mail:fbelle(\)galactica.it Thank you ! Giulia Carbone ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 13:22:38 -0500 From: KFourn8461(\)aol.com Subject: Naval Marine Mammal Project Hi! I am trying to find some info for a friend of mine with whom I worked at a marine mammal training facility. He would like some info on SAIC/Maritime Services Division in San Diego. Do they have an E-mail address? What are their current projects? Are they hiring? Will they be sending anyone to the IMATA meeting in Nevada? Thanks in advance for the info! Kathy Fournier University of Georgia ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 14:21:31 -0800 From: earthisland(\)igc.apc.org Organization: Earth Island Institute Subject: ETP Bycatch & Dolphin-Safe Fishing November 13, 1995 ETP Bycatch Issue Misused By Opponents of Dolphin-Safe Fishing -- Bycatch Would Increase if Dolphin-Safe Fishing is Abandoned in ETP Tuna Fishery Claims that the 3bycatch2 by tuna fishermen using dolphin-safe techniques in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) is excessive and "out of control" are not tenable. Instead, these claims are based on inadequate information and misuse of existing data. In fact, just the opposite is true -- dolphin safe restrictions have decreased the ETP bycatch, and enactment of the 3Panama Declaration2 would increase bycatch of fish species, sea turtles, and dolphins. H.R. 2179 (Cunningham) and the 3Panama Declaration2 implementing legislation would undeniably weaken U.S. dolphin protection laws, yet supporters justify a return to dolphin unsafe fishing practices by claiming it would reduce bycatch. The Center for Marine Conservation, World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, the National Wildlife Federation, and the Environmental Defense Fund all rely on the bycatch issue to justify their support for weakening U.S. dolphin safe laws. However, the facts do not support this argument: 1. Total ETP Bycatch is Less Now than Before the Implementation of Dolphin-Safe Policies Both dolphin and fish bycatch has been reduced significantly compared with the levels experienced in the 1970's and 1980's. Many vessels have left the tuna fishery of the ETP, as a result of both general economics as well as due to dolphin protection restrictions. Therefore total ETP sets (including sets on logs and on schools of tuna) have decreased significantly. For example, according to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the number of vessels in the ETP has declined from 132 vessels (126,045 tons capacity) in 1974 to 99 vessels (102,951 tons capacity) in 1994, a 25% reduction. Furthermore, in 1974, there were 7,759 sets on dolphins, 3,384 sets on floating objects, and 7,466 sets on schools of tuna, while in 1994 there were 5,948 sets on dolphins, only 1,750 sets on floating objects, and only 5,786 sets on schools of tuna. Dolphin sets have decreased 23.2%, log sets have decreased by 48.3%, and school sets have decreased by 22.6% in the past twenty years. Even in the past five years, since the major tuna companies enacted dolphin-safe policies, the number of log sets is down by 32%, while the number of school sets is down by 19.5%, according to IATTC data. Specifically as a result dolphin safe policies and economic conditions, sets on floating objects and on schools of tuna have substantially decreased in the 19909s in the ETP. 2. ETP Purse-Seine Fishing Has Low Bycatch Compared with other Fisheries Worldwide A recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (3A Global Assessment of Fisheries Bycatch and Discards2, FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 339;1994) listed twenty top fisheries in the world with heavy bycatch. The ETP purse-seine tuna fishery was not among them. The discard rates and total bycatch per ton of catch are far, far higher on a number of other fisheries around the world, including shrimp trawl fisheries, crab and lobster pot fisheries, high seas squid nets, and most trawl fisheries. The ETP fishery is an extremely misplaced focus for concern on the worldwide bycatch problem. 3. The IATTC's Professed Concern About Bycatch is Phony In its history, the IATTC has never instituted measures to limit bycatch. It has further failed to require the live release of sea turtles caught in purse seine nets. If the IATTC were truly concerned with reducing bycatch, it could recommend requirements to curtail the number of in-shore log sets, where by far the highest bycatch occurs. The IATTC has completely failed to do so. If the IATTC were truly concerned with reducing the tuna bycatch, they would institute area and time closures on log sets to protect the juvenile tuna, as is commonly done in other fisheries. Further, none of the five environmental organizations, that have justified their proposal to weaken dolphin protection because of bycatch concerns, has advocated a limitation of the worst-bycatch inshore log sets. Only when the IATTC determined it could use the bycatch issue to reverse progress on adoption of dolphin-safe practices, did it ever bring up the bycatch issue. 4. There is No Available Data to Suggest that Bycatch is Depleting Any Species, Except Dolphins. In an August 31, 1995 letter to Rep. Gerry Studds, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated that: 3Quantitative estimates of bycatch ratios for non-dolphin, non-tuna bycatch must await cooperative analyses with the IATTC. While it is apparent that this bycatch includes a great number of individuals of a wide variety of fauna, it cannot be determined without comparative data on population levels whether the observed levels of bycatch are a problem for the populations involved.2 With particular attention to bycatch of juvenile tuna, the NOAA letter continues: 3...the analysis of NOAA data indicated that bycatch of small yellowfin from the international fleet may be on the order of 3-10 million fish per year. This sounds startling, until that bycatch is compared with the estimated annual recruitment of 98 million fish per year. On that basis, the bycatch does not seem excessive...9 If finfish bycatch was impacting ETP tuna stocks, one would expect to see a decline in tuna stock recruitment. In fact, although the IATTC has predicted a decline for the past several years, based on finfish bycatch rates, no reduction in tuna stocks has been reported. On the contrary, the IATTC has documented that yellowfin and skipjack tuna stocks in the ETP are in excellent condition. By contrast, several stocks of dolphins in the ETP are currently listed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as 3depleted.2 5. Claims that High Sea Turtle Kills are Intrinsic to ETP Purse Seining are Bogus Several organizations, primarily Center for Marine Conservation, claim that they must support the return to setting nets on dolphins as a way of protecting endangered sea turtles. This is a gross distortion of actual practice. First, the killing of sea turtles in the purse-seine fleet is totally dwarfed by the true culprit in sea turtle mortality, the shrimp trawling fleet. By any standard, the shrimp fleet results in a sea turtle take at least 1000 times larger than the ETP tuna fleet. Secondly, in the rare instances in which sea turtles are entangled in the ETP tuna fishery, the vast majority can be released alive. Christopher Croft, a NMFS observer on tuna vessels for four years states: "In my entire four years on ETP tuna vessels, not once was a sea turtle drowned in the nets. The few sea turtles that were caught were only killed if the crews decided to kill them to eat them." The IATTC has failed to release the data as to how many sea turtles per year were killed in the nets, not by the crews. As noted above, the IATTC has also failed to set any kind of regulation or recommendation that sea turtles be released alive or that inshore log sets be restricted in any way to avoid bycatch of turtles and other species. 6. Proponents of Bycatch Reduction in the ETP Fail to Follow Proper Science Sound science dictates that bycatch reduction should focus on the protection of species with the lowest reproductive potential. In the ETP, that is, without question, the dolphin populations. The IATTC's reprise of "what about the baby tuna?" is spurious. The ETP tunas and other pelagic species of finfish (mahi mahi, rainbow runners, billfish, trigger fish, etc.) have extremely high reproductive potentials compared with dolphins. Two of the principle dolphin stock targets have been demonstrated to be severely depleted -- far below any depletion level demonstrated for species with far higher ability to recover. The Northeastern offshore spotted dolphin is at only 23% of its initial population -- and shows signs of continued decline. The Eastern Spinner dolphin is at only 44% of its initial population. Allowing a return to the killing of these populations in order to reduce finfish bycatch is hardly an acceptable environmental trade-off. A proposal, such as the 3Panama Declaration,2 that allows higher bycatch of severely depleted dolphin populations as a method of reducing fish bycatch, is scientifically indefensible. 7. Weakening Dolphin-Safe Restrictions, as Proposed, Would Actually Increase the Total ETP Bycatch. The 3Panama Declaration,2 and its implementing legislation, would increase bycatch because it would attract more vessels back to the ETP. U.S. vessels currently operating in the Western Tropical Pacific would be free to return to set nets on dolphins, floating objects and schools of tuna. By lifting embargoes and opening lucrative U.S. markets to tuna caught by chasing and netting dolphins, in which no dolphins are 3observed2 killed, a new a major incentive would be provided for more vessels to enter the international fleet. Even if vessels and countries comply with IATTC Dolphin Mortality Limits (DML), when these vessels reach the allowable DML limits, they will then fish for the remainder of the year setting on schools and logs, resulting in increased bycatch. Implementation of the 3Panama Declaration2 risks a situation that is both worse for dolphins and worse for other bycatch species. In conclusion, the claims that the bycatch in the ETP tuna fishery are damaging the ecosystems of the ETP are without merit. Weakening U.S. dolphin-safe laws would further penalize the species with the lowest reproductive potential and would create conditions that would likely increase the ETP bycatch. The IATTC has failed to implement available methods of reducing ETP finfish and sea turtle bycatch without sacrificing dolphins. -- http://www.earthisland.org/ei/ email: earthisland(\)earthisland.org phone: 415-788-3666 300 Broadway #28 SF, CA 94133 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 19:46:14 -0600 From: Wil Burns Subject: Re: ETP Bycatch & Dolphin-Safe Fishing This is a very important debate. I would like to see the responses of the NGOs which support this proposal. Earth Island and HSUS present some pretty compelling arguments. At 02:21 PM 11/13/95 -0800, you wrote: > > November 13, 1995 > > > >ETP Bycatch Issue Misused By Opponents of Dolphin-Safe Fishing > >-- Bycatch Would Increase if Dolphin-Safe Fishing is Abandoned in ETP Tuna >Fishery > > > Claims that the 3bycatch2 by tuna fishermen using dolphin-safe >techniques in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) is excessive and "out of >control" are not tenable. Instead, these claims are based on inadequate >information and misuse of existing data. In fact, just the opposite is >true -- dolphin safe restrictions have decreased the ETP bycatch, and >enactment of the 3Panama Declaration2 would increase bycatch of fish >species, sea turtles, and dolphins. > > H.R. 2179 (Cunningham) and the 3Panama Declaration2 implementing >legislation would undeniably weaken U.S. dolphin protection laws, yet >supporters justify a return to dolphin unsafe fishing practices by >claiming it would reduce bycatch. The Center for Marine Conservation, >World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, the National Wildlife Federation, and the >Environmental Defense Fund all rely on the bycatch issue to justify their >support for weakening U.S. dolphin safe laws. > > However, the facts do not support this argument: > >1. Total ETP Bycatch is Less Now than Before the Implementation of >Dolphin-Safe Policies > > Both dolphin and fish bycatch has been reduced significantly compared >with the levels experienced in the 1970's and 1980's. Many vessels have >left the tuna fishery of the ETP, as a result of both general economics as >well as due to dolphin protection restrictions. Therefore total ETP sets >(including sets on logs and on schools of tuna) have decreased >significantly. > > For example, according to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission >(IATTC), the number of vessels in the ETP has declined from 132 vessels >(126,045 tons capacity) in 1974 to 99 vessels (102,951 tons capacity) in >1994, a 25% reduction. Furthermore, in 1974, there were 7,759 sets on >dolphins, 3,384 sets on floating objects, and 7,466 sets on schools of >tuna, while in 1994 there were 5,948 sets on dolphins, only 1,750 sets on >floating objects, and only 5,786 sets on schools of tuna. Dolphin sets >have decreased 23.2%, log sets have decreased by 48.3%, and school sets >have decreased by 22.6% in the past twenty years. > > > > > Even in the past five years, since the major tuna companies enacted >dolphin-safe policies, the number of log sets is down by 32%, while the >number of school sets is down by 19.5%, according to IATTC data. > > Specifically as a result dolphin safe policies and economic conditions, >sets on floating objects and on schools of tuna have substantially >decreased in the 19909s in the ETP. > >2. ETP Purse-Seine Fishing Has Low Bycatch Compared with other >Fisheries Worldwide > > A recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United >Nations (3A Global Assessment of Fisheries Bycatch and Discards2, FAO >Fisheries Technical Paper 339;1994) listed twenty top fisheries in the >world with heavy bycatch. > > The ETP purse-seine tuna fishery was not among them. The discard rates >and total bycatch per ton of catch are far, far higher on a number of >other fisheries around the world, including shrimp trawl fisheries, crab >and lobster pot fisheries, high seas squid nets, and most trawl >fisheries. > > The ETP fishery is an extremely misplaced focus for concern on the >worldwide bycatch problem. > >3. The IATTC's Professed Concern About Bycatch is Phony > > In its history, the IATTC has never instituted measures to limit >bycatch. It has further failed to require the live release of sea turtles >caught in purse seine nets. > > If the IATTC were truly concerned with reducing bycatch, it could >recommend requirements to curtail the number of in-shore log sets, where >by far the highest bycatch occurs. The IATTC has completely failed to do >so. > > If the IATTC were truly concerned with reducing the tuna bycatch, they >would institute area and time closures on log sets to protect the juvenile >tuna, as is commonly done in other fisheries. > > Further, none of the five environmental organizations, that have >justified their proposal to weaken dolphin protection because of bycatch >concerns, has advocated a limitation of the worst-bycatch inshore log >sets. > > Only when the IATTC determined it could use the bycatch issue to >reverse progress on adoption of dolphin-safe practices, did it ever bring >up the bycatch issue. > >4. There is No Available Data to Suggest that Bycatch is Depleting Any >Species, Except Dolphins. > > In an August 31, 1995 letter to Rep. Gerry Studds, the U.S. National >Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated that: 3Quantitative >estimates of bycatch ratios for non-dolphin, non-tuna bycatch must await >cooperative analyses with the IATTC. While it is apparent that this >bycatch includes a great number of individuals of a wide variety of fauna, >it cannot be determined without comparative data on population levels >whether the observed levels of bycatch are a problem for the populations >involved.2 > > With particular attention to bycatch of juvenile tuna, the NOAA letter >continues: 3...the analysis of NOAA data indicated that bycatch of small >yellowfin from the international fleet may be on the order of 3-10 million >fish per year. This sounds startling, until that bycatch is compared with >the estimated annual recruitment of 98 million fish per year. On that >basis, the bycatch does not seem excessive...9 > > If finfish bycatch was impacting ETP tuna stocks, one would expect to >see a decline in tuna stock recruitment. In fact, although the IATTC has >predicted a decline for the past several years, based on finfish bycatch >rates, no reduction in tuna stocks has been reported. On the contrary, >the IATTC has documented that yellowfin and skipjack tuna stocks in the >ETP are in excellent condition. > > By contrast, several stocks of dolphins in the ETP are currently listed >by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as 3depleted.2 > >5. Claims that High Sea Turtle Kills are Intrinsic to ETP Purse Seining >are Bogus > > Several organizations, primarily Center for Marine Conservation, claim >that they must support the return to setting nets on dolphins as a way of >protecting endangered sea turtles. > > This is a gross distortion of actual practice. First, the killing of >sea turtles in the purse-seine fleet is totally dwarfed by the true >culprit in sea turtle mortality, the shrimp trawling fleet. > > By any standard, the shrimp fleet results in a sea turtle take at least >1000 times larger than the ETP tuna fleet. > > Secondly, in the rare instances in which sea turtles are entangled in >the ETP tuna fishery, the vast majority can be released alive. > > Christopher Croft, a NMFS observer on tuna vessels for four years >states: "In my entire four years on ETP tuna vessels, not once was a sea >turtle drowned in the nets. The few sea turtles that were caught were >only killed if the crews decided to kill them to eat them." > > The IATTC has failed to release the data as to how many sea turtles per >year were killed in the nets, not by the crews. As noted above, the IATTC >has also failed to set any kind of regulation or recommendation that sea >turtles be released alive or that inshore log sets be restricted in any >way to avoid bycatch of turtles and other species. > >6. Proponents of Bycatch Reduction in the ETP Fail to Follow Proper Science > > Sound science dictates that bycatch reduction should focus on the >protection of species with the lowest reproductive potential. > > In the ETP, that is, without question, the dolphin populations. The >IATTC's reprise of "what about the baby tuna?" is spurious. > > The ETP tunas and other pelagic species of finfish (mahi mahi, rainbow >runners, billfish, trigger fish, etc.) have extremely high reproductive >potentials compared with dolphins. > > Two of the principle dolphin stock targets have been demonstrated to be >severely depleted -- far below any depletion level demonstrated for >species with far higher ability to recover. The Northeastern offshore >spotted dolphin is at only 23% of its initial population -- and shows >signs of continued decline. The Eastern Spinner dolphin is at only 44% of >its initial population. Allowing a return to the killing of these >populations in order to reduce finfish bycatch is hardly an acceptable >environmental trade-off. > > A proposal, such as the 3Panama Declaration,2 that allows higher >bycatch of severely depleted dolphin populations as a method of reducing >fish bycatch, is scientifically indefensible. > >7. Weakening Dolphin-Safe Restrictions, as Proposed, Would Actually >Increase the Total ETP Bycatch. > > The 3Panama Declaration,2 and its implementing legislation, would >increase bycatch because it would attract more vessels back to the ETP. > > U.S. vessels currently operating in the Western Tropical Pacific would >be free to return to set nets on dolphins, floating objects and schools of >tuna. > > By lifting embargoes and opening lucrative U.S. markets to tuna caught >by chasing and netting dolphins, in which no dolphins are 3observed2 >killed, a new a major incentive would be provided for more vessels to >enter the international fleet. > > Even if vessels and countries comply with IATTC Dolphin Mortality >Limits (DML), when these vessels reach the allowable DML limits, they will >then fish for the remainder of the year setting on schools and logs, >resulting in increased bycatch. > > Implementation of the 3Panama Declaration2 risks a situation that is >both worse for dolphins and worse for other bycatch species. > > > > In conclusion, the claims that the bycatch in the ETP tuna fishery are >damaging the ecosystems of the ETP are without merit. > > Weakening U.S. dolphin-safe laws would further penalize the species >with the lowest reproductive potential and would create conditions that >would likely increase the ETP bycatch. > > The IATTC has failed to implement available methods of reducing ETP >finfish and sea turtle bycatch without sacrificing dolphins. > >-- >http://www.earthisland.org/ei/ >email: earthisland(\)earthisland.org >phone: 415-788-3666 >300 Broadway #28 >SF, CA 94133 > William C. Burns Director, Pacific Center For International Studies 33 University Square, Suite 184, Madison, WI 53715-1042 USA Phone: (608) 256-6312 Fax: (608) 256-6312 WWW site: http://rdz.stjohns.edu/pcis/PCIS.HTML Canadian Office: 2446 Bank Street: Suite 408 Ottawa, Ontario K1V 1A8 CANADA Phone: (613) 738-2078 Fax: (613) 739-1276 E-mail: BK191(\)freenet.carleton.ca Center affiliations: Union of Concerned Scientists, Sound Science Initiative The EarthAction Network The Galapagos Coalition Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 16:03:25 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Canadian seal hunt The Christian Science Monitor ran an article today on the Canadian seal hunt announcing that in 1996, sealers may use an icebreaker to reach and kill up to 200 000 seals. At a June press conference, Canada's Minister of Fisheries, Brian Tobin is quoted as calling for an expanded commercial seal hunt and saying that cod stocks could recover more quickly if they were left alone. According to the article, scientists say the quota on harp seals could be raised to 287,000 (it is currently 186,000) but also say that "there is no evidence to show that killing seals will hasten the return of the cod". Janet Russell, formerly a fisheries observer in Newfoundland stated that "the Canadian government is propping up a dying industry with taxpayer subsidies because it is the politically smart thing to do in a province with a 19 percent unemployment rate". Jack Lawson, a marine scientist at Memorial University in Newfoundland asked: "Do you kill seals despite the fact there isn't a market for all the meat or fur, and despite no evidence of an overall effect on the cod?" The article says that Tobin will announce Canada's 1996 seal management plan within days. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A second piece of information came to a radio station via a wire-service at 2 a.m. today. The story stated that Asia is prepared to buy 250 000 seals from Canada but that the Minister of Fisheries has not yet decided whether the sale will go through. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 14:32:01 -0800 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: ESA bill HR 2275 Dear MARMAM'ers: As many of you know, the ESA is up for re-authorization. The current House bill, HR 2275 (the Young/Pombo Bill), is a disaster for marine mammals and just about every other living thing protected by this landmark legislation. I am posting here a fact sheet currently being distributed to members of the House who have been sympathetic to marine mammal issues in the past. The analysis was done by Sharon Young, a consultant with The Humane Society of the U.S. This posting is just FYI -- the bill is not scheduled for a floor vote (it has been passed out of Committee) until after the new year. However, I thought that MARMAM'ers might want to know some of the specific effects this bill will have on marine mammals. Happy reading... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Effects of HR 2275 on Marine Mammals HR 2275, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) revisions, will have profound impacts on marine mammals, some of the animals most beloved of the American people. We focus here on selected provisions that could have major, adverse impacts on populations of marine mammals. Many of HR 2275's provisions are directly contradictory to those in the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) which was reauthorized in 1994. Section 201 of Title II exempts fishers from prosecution for incidentally killing an ESA listed marine mammal during their fishing activities. The MMPA mandates prosecution of fishers for killing ESA listed species unless the level of incidental killing is negligible. This change would mean that there may be no greater penalty for killing a rare northern right whale (world population of only 300 animals) than there is for killing a member of an abundant species. Section 305 of Title III requires the federal government to prove that a state Governor is incorrect if he or she asserts that the protection of a species under the ESA is not warranted. With marine mammals, we often know little of their life history. Because it may take years to gather sufficient information to document even basic acts, a governor could simply assert that protection is premature because we DON'T know certain information. This bill allows states to block protection of fragile species, and it gives a lesser voice to other Americans who may feel that marine mammals are a national treasure. Section 401 of Title IV states that the duties and actions of any federal agency assigned by any other laws take precedent over any duties under the ESA. The Army Corps of Engineers must currently post spotter planes to help its ships and barges avoid collisions with right whales in their birthing area off the southeast coast of the U.S. Under this bill, they might refuse to take this action, because protecting whales is not part of their original mission. Loss of this protection may jeopardize the species' existence. Section 401 also states that once a biological opinion has been issued about the effect or lack of effect of any proposed project on an ESA listed species, no new requirements can be added at a later time. A recent biological opinion on the possible future effect of a sewage outfall pipe near a major feeding area for endangered whales found no jeopardy to the whales based on the hypothetical results of modeling. If, several years from now, actual field monitoring finds that whales are jeopardized by this sewage outfall, nothing could be done to amend the permit to provide adequate protection. Title V requires that a team develop Conservation Objectives for each listed species. The team must include, among others, representatives of each state or local area in which the species occurs as well as representatives of persons who may be economically impacted by the conservation plan. There is no representation provided for conservation interests. Northern right whales range from Maine to Florida and are occasionally killed by commercial shipping and cruise boats and are killed or entangled by virtually every commercial fishery along the coast. A plan with any meaningful conservation objectives is unlikely with such a large, unwieldy team that includes no conservation advocacy. Under this bill, once a conservation plan, which includes habitat conservation measures, has been written, no further requirements can be added to the plan for any reason. This means that if information comes to light that modifies the need to protect certain habitat, no changes can be made, no matter the consequences to the species. For marine mammals, this means that critical habitat needs can not be addressed if these needs are identified after the conservation plans are written. Title V also requires that critical habitat for animals must be designated within 18 months of their listing on the ESA. For many species of marine mammals, it may take years to locate critical breeding or feeding areas. In the case of right whales, one known winter calving area has been designated critical habitat, but many whales are not seen in that area. Researchers are currently surveying to find the wintering areas used by the majority of the population. The opportunity to conserve critical habitat should not be lost simply because it takes researchers longer than 18 months to locate it. Title IX has been amended to allow any non-ESA listed species to be taken (captured or killed) if it is for the purpose of conserving any ESA listed species -- no matter what any other law says. For marine mammals, this means that seals and sea lions who eat endangered salmon may be killed, regardless of the requirements of the MMPA, which mandates an actual review of the consequences of their predation on the fish before killing can be considered. Furthermore it could allow killer whales, who also eat salmon, to be shot or be captured and put in captivity, despite a ban on their capture in the U.S. for the past 19 years. Section 902 of Title IX requires that if a portion of a species is given special status under the ESA because it is a population segment, it must be found to be "in the national interest" for this segment to be given this extra protection. Alaskan Steller sea lions suffered a 23% decrease in population just in the 3-year period from 1989 to 1992. The northern portion of this stock is proposed to be upgraded in status from threatened to endangered; the southern portion of the stock will continue to be listed as threatened. Under the wording of this section, the northern portion may not be given any greater protection unless Congress agrees that protecting them is in the "national interest." It seems unlikely that this would occur. This bill is a disaster for marine mammals. It is a disaster for other species as well. "Save the Whales" has been a rallying cry for species protection. If we cannot protect whales and other marine mammals under the Endangered Species Act, other equally important but less charismatic species have no hope at all. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 21:31:39 -0800 From: Carlos Alvarez Subject: TURSIOPS RESEARCHERS I'm proposing an informal "get together" at the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Orlando, Florida, USA, envisioning a gathering of researchers with current projects or previous experience in the population biology of bottlenose dolphins, including stock differentiation, relationships within populations and abundance estimation. The gathering would have the following purposes: - Exchange of information about recent advances in research, methodological problems and their resolution; - Meet potential colleagues with similar research interests, working in different locations; - Decide on the establishment of a mechanism for future communication and discussion of research. Much of the schedule of events for the Conference is already set and there is limited time to plan for this "get together", so please provide responses and comments as soon as possible, including time and date in Orlando. You can send all your comments and proposals to: Carlos Alvarez email: alvarez(\)fish.washington.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 06:05:20 -0800 From: David Williams Subject: Seismic Surveys >Seismic Survey and Whales. >On Oct. 18, 1995, Exxon and environmental groups agreed to a >compromise providing protection for an additional 25 marine mammal >species as well as expanded acoustic monitoring safeguards during a >45-day seismic survey using air guns off the California coast. [Assoc >Press, Greenwire] Does anyone have any idea how Exxon plans to provide "expanded acoustic monitoring safeguards" during this survey? Most 3D seismic arrays in use today generate a pressure wave of about 80 bars (1 bar = 14.5 psi x 80 = 1160 psi) (\) 1 meter. {I don't recall the formula for converting psi to decibels but my estimate would be about 260 dB re 1 micropascal.} Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe most of the science done to show that these devices were safe in the marine environment was done twenty-five + years ago when the signals generated were not greater than about 140 psi. My group is not so concerned for many whales; they simply move away from the vessels as it approaches. What disturbs us is the thought that many marine mammals might get trapped near shore in a cove and be unable to avoid barotrauma from such high pressure waves. We are also concerned that some species of marine mammals might dive to the bottom to avoid the danger. (We have been told by many commercial captains operating in the Gulf of Mexico that kogia breviceps and simus usually dive when approached by their vessels.) For a marine mammal or a sea turtle, a rapid change in ambient pressure could cause trauma in the air spaces of the body, especially in the air cavities it's head. This might not kill the animal outright but it would mak e it difficult to continue to dive to the depth of their normal prey. Unable to dive and feed properly the animal would eventually die at sea, get hit by a boat or beach itself. The evidence for such an injury might not have been notice in the past due to parasitic superinfection which always occurs in a slowly dying marine mammal. Simply put, their parasite--feeding on loose blood, body fluids and torn tissues--might be eating the evidence! Please, my members are concerned with these issues and we would like to hear some comments about the potential for barotrauma cause by seismic arrays from others on MARMAM. David Williams, Pres. Moby Dick Society, Inc. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 08:46:08 -0800 From: Phil Clapham Subject: Korean Does anyone out there read Korean? We have a couple of short items (catch details in a table and photo caption) from a book on Korean whaling that we need translated. Can fax the relevant pages - please respond directly to me. Many thanks. Phil Clapham pclapham(\)caliban.ucsd.edu ************************************ Phillip J. Clapham, Ph.D. Southwest Fisheries Science Center Box 271 La Jolla, CA 92038 tel (619) 546-5631 fax (619) 546-5653 internet: pclapham(\)caliban.ucsd.edu ************************************ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 13:34:28 AST From: Hal Whitehead/Lindy Weilgart Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: Dead humpbacks near ATOC source A total of three dead humpback whales were spotted off the Farrallon Islands, in the broad area around the ATOC sound source. The first was found 3 Nov., and buried without autopsy. The second two were found floating 9 Nov. These two were lost somewhere outside Santa Cruz; one was last sighted Monday, Nov. 13, I believe. The ATOC sound source was first turned on during the night of Oct. 28, and was broadcasting on 12 further occasions between 28 Oct. and 4 Nov. Unfortunately, the Scripps oceanographers in charge of the ATOC project had neglected to clearly notify the ATOC marine mammal scientists that the source would be broadcasting, which was in violation of agreed-upon scientific protocol. Information on whether anyone has spotted humpback whale carcasses or any other dead marine life near the Farrallons would be highly appreciated. Has anyone made any observations of toxic algal blooms in this area? Any comments (stranding patterns this time of year, etc.) would be welcome. Lindy Weilgart Dept. of Biology Dalhousie Univ. Halifax, N.S. B3H 4J1 Canada ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 09:59:10 -0900 From: Kurt Byers Subject: New Publications I recently learned of two new publications that may be of interest to fellow Marmammers. "Marine Mammals and the Exxon Valdez," by Thomas Loughlin. "Synthesis of confidential data recently released by the U.S. government on the effects of the oil spill on sea otters, harbor seals, killer whales, and humpback whales." 395 pp., $49.95 US. ISBN: 0-12-456160-8 "Marine Mammals and Noise," edited by W. John Richardson, Charles R. Greene, Jr., Charles I. Malme, and Denis H. Thomson. "Useful to marine biologists, marine mammalogists, and oceanographers who use sound in their research." 450 pp., $64.95 US. ISBN: 0-12-588440-0. To order, contact: Academic Press, Inc. 6277 Sea Harbor Drive Orlando, FL 32887 email: ap(\)acad.com Telephone: 1-800-321-5068 Fax: 1-800-336-7377 Kurt Byers, Communications Manager Unviersity of Alaska Sea Grant College Program ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 00:11:37 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Scripps Sound Experiments I thought MARMAMers might be interested in this posting. >Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 11:06:52 -0800 >To: ar-news(\)cygnus.com >From: elliotts(\)usfca.edu (Sandra Elliott) >X-Sender: elliotts(\)hrm.admin.usfca.edu (Unverified) >Subject: Scripps Sound Experiments >Sender: ar-news-owner(\)cygnus.com >Precedence: bulk > >>From San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 15, 1995 [excerpt] > >Three humpback whales found dead at Stinson Beach and the Farallon Islands >last week have caused further delays in a controversial undersea sound >experiment off the coast at Half Moon Bay, scientists said yesterday. > >The sound transmissions by researchers from the Scripps Institution of >Oceanography at the Univ. of Calif. at San Diego were intended to gauge >whether a larger, $35 million program to measure global warming would >injure or disrupt marine mammals. > >While preparing the experiment, scientists tried out the device that emits >sound waves into the Pacific. Scripps does not believe that procedure is >linked to the whale deaths, but the subsequent experiments were nonetheless >called off at the request of the Nat'l Marine Fisheries Serivice. The >agency has asked that no test take place until it has completed an >investigation of what killed the leviathans. > ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 19:46:54 -0500 From: Michael Williamson Subject: FINNS/WhaleNet meeting in Orlando The FINNS meeting on computerized digital identification software for flukes and eventually other species and the WhaleNet-Interactive Education meeting has been scheduled in Orlando at the conference on 15 December, 7-10 PM in Salon 8. This rooms holds 100 people. We hope to see you there. There has been a great response from the initial announcement. We hope to see you there. If you have questions you can contact me at williams(\)whale.simmons.edu If you want to surf the WhaleNet page you can see it at http://whale.simmon s.edu Take care. Mike Williamson ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 15:09:40 -0600 From: PCIS Subject: International Wildlife Law Conference International Wildlife Law Conference Announcement "International Wildlife Law: Preserving Biodiversity In The 21st Century." Sponsors: The Wildlife Group of the American Society of International Law; the Pacific Center For International Studies; the Georgetown International Environmental Law Review; and the Detroit College of Law - Michigan State University. Overarching theme: the legal and political efficacy of wildlife treaty regimes and means to improve the effectiveness of said regimes in the future. Date: Tuesday, March 26, 1996. Time: 9:00am - 6:00pm, informal reception to follow. Location: ANA Hotel, Washington, DC Panels/Tentative Speakers: Panel 1: The Convention On International Trade In Endangered Species 1. Neil Popovich, Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, San Francisco, "Enforcement of CITES through Domestic Measures: The Role of Pelly"; 2. John Copeland Nagle, Seton Hall School of Law, "Why Wildlife Disappears As CITES Spreads: Lessons From China And The United States;" 3. Kirsten Engel, Associate Professor of Law, Tulane University School of Law, "Science and the CITES Regime: Does Preserving Biodiversity in the 21st Century Demand an Independent Scientific Authority?" Panel 2: The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling 1. Alan MacNow, Japanese Whaling Association, "The Legitimate Province of the IWC in the 21st Century"; 2. William Burns, Pacific Center For International Studies, "The IWC And The Revised Management Procedure: Why The Moratorium Should Continue." 3. Patricia Birnie, London School of Economics, "The International Whaling Commission And The Regulation of the Taking of Small Cetaceans." (invited) Panel 3 Marine conservation regimes 1. Alison Rieser, Professor of Law & Director of the Marine Law Institute, U. of Maine School of Law, "Emergence of the Precautionary Approach to Managing Fish Stocks"; 2. Richard McLaughlin, Professor of Law, University of Mississippi, & Director of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program, "Settling Trade Related Disputes Over The Conservation of marine Living Resources: UNCLOS or the WTO?". 3. Dr. Andre Nollkaemper, Faculty of Law, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, "The Bonn Convention and The Conservation of Small Cetaceans." The papers which grow out of this conference will be published in a special symposium issue of the Georgetown International Environmental Law Review. Registration fees: $50.00, $25.00 for students until January 30; $55.00, $30.00 thereafter. Please make out checks to "Detroit College of Law - Michigan State University." Registration may be effectuated by filling out the form that follows and remitting registration materials and payment to: Dean David Favre, Detroit College of Law-Michigan State University, 130 E. Elizabeth, Detroit, MI 48201. For further information, contact Dean Favre at: favred(\)mlc.lib.mi.us, (313) 965-0150, or Wil Burns at: pcis(\)igc.apc.org, (608) 256-6312. Registration Form: "International Wildlife Law: Preserving Biodiversity In The 21st Century" ANA Hotel, Washington, DC, March 26, 1996 Name: Organizational Affiliation: Address: City, State, Zip: Business Phone: Home Phone: Fax: E-mail address: Classification: _____ Student ($25.00) _______ Non-Student ($50.00). Checks should be issued to the "Detroit College of Law-Michigan State University," and sent to: Dean David Favre, Detroit College of Law-Michigan State University, 130 E. Elizabeth, Detroit, MI 48201 William C. Burns Director, Pacific Center For International Studies 33 University Square, Suite 184, Madison, WI 53715-1042 USA Phone: (608) 256-6312 Fax: (608) 256-6312 WWW site: http://rdz.stjohns.edu/pcis/PCIS.HTML Canadian Office: 2446 Bank Street: Suite 408 Ottawa, Ontario K1V 1A8 CANADA Phone: (613) 738-2078 Fax: (613) 739-1276 E-mail: BK191(\)freenet.carleton.ca Center affiliations: Union of Concerned Scientists, Sound Science Initiative The EarthAction Network The Galapagos Coalition Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 12:34:41 +0000 From: "D.W.Naish" Subject: HELP WITH ADDRESS.. In-Reply-To: <199511160522.FAA21797(\)beech.soton.ac.uk> from "Kurt Byers" at Nov 15, 95 09:59:10 am Does anybody out there have the email address of Lawrence Barnes, Ewan Fordyce, or any other workers that can help me out with a few queries on Eocene archaeocete whales? Any help appreciated, thanks.. DARREN NAISH dwn194(\)soton.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 06:54:04 -0800 From: HSUS Wildlife Subject: Fwd: Congressional Sportsmen Caucus Dear MARMAM'ers: This posting about the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus appeared on the Animal Rights newsgroup (AR-NEWS) yesterday, but it seemed germane to this list as well, so I am forwarding it. I and others have posted several messages regarding various pieces of proposed legislation before this Congress that seem rabidly anti-environmental -- this posting explains pretty well the power structure in the House and why things seem so grim lately. Mention is made in this AR posting about the MMPA, the ESA, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, whaling, and other issues that may be of interest to marine mammal folks. Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. Marine Mammal Scientist The Humane Society of the United States hsuswild(\)ix.netcom.com ---- Begin Forwarded Message From: Snugglezzz(\)aol.com AR-News(\)cygnus.com; Wed, 15 Nov 1995 21:04:36 -0500 Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 21:04:36 -0500 To: AR-News(\)cygnus.com Subject: Congressional Sportsmen Caucus Sender: ar-news-owner(\)cygnus.com The Congressional Sportsmen Caucus (CSC) was established in 1989 to protect the interests of hunters and anglers. It is Congress's most blatantly antienvironmental caucus. CSC leaders are well placed; many hold key committee positions, to steamroll conservation measures. The CSC is a solidly bipartisan group of congressmen and senators, proclaiming a love for the outdoors with the desire to "preserve and protect the traditional values of hunting and fishing." CSC has become the largest, most powerful, least known, and most rabidly antienvironmental caucus in Congress. During the 103rd Congress, CSC backed the passage of the Recreational Hunting Safety and Preservations Act of 1994, making it illegal for protesters to interfere with hunting on federal lands. They were also victorious in amending the Marine Mammal Protection Act so that U.S. hunters can now import their polar-bear trophies. CSC is also backing the National Wildlife Refuge Act, which mandates that hunting and fishing be viewed as a primary purpose on all refuges. Introduced by CSC cochairman, Representative Don Young (R-Alaska), the legislation was written with the NRA's help. In addition, Rep. Pete Green (D-Texas), the other House CSC cochairman, testified in support of a bill introduced by Rep. Bill Brewster (D-OK), a former CSC cochairman, that would transfer management of the Tishomingo Nat'l WIldlife Refuge from federal hands to the more lenient ones of the state. Viewed as a test program, it could set the stage for the dismantling of the entire federal wildlife refuge system!. The bill is cosponsored by Young. The CSC also urged the US to reverse its position and support the resumption of commercial minke whale hunts. CSC leadership also came to the defense of aerial-assisted wolf hunting in Alaska. NOTE: The most powerful member of the caucus is Young. He also heads the powerful House Natural Resources Committee [from N. Rose: actually, it is now called the House Resources Committee -- renaming the Committee, and dismantling the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee and subsuming its responsibilities, were among Young's first symbolic acts as the new chair of this committee, which controls nearly all environmental legislation in the House], which has jurisdiction over the Interior Dept. [from N. Rose: also the Commerce Department] - in other words, almost anything to do with environmental legislation and public lands - including endangered species, wetlands, grazing, oil and gas - passes through Young's hands. Young is the voice of the CSC. Heading the Senate Natural Resources Committee [from N. Rose: actually called the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee -- in addition, environmental responsibilities are spread over more committees in the Senate than in the House, so less power over the environment is concentrated in one chair's hands] is his compatriot and fellow CSC member, the powerful Senator Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska). Both have pledged to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling and exploration. They have cleverly tucked the resolution into the House and Senate budget bills, declaring that opening the refuge will raise more than $1 billion in federal oil-lease sales. Young refers to environmentalists as "a self-centered, waffle-stomping, Harvard-graduating intellectual bunch of idiots." Young has put the Endangered Species Act on his hit list. Last year Brewster and another CSC member, Rep. Billy Tauzin (D-Louisiana) [from N. Rose: Rep. Tauzin has switched to the Republican party], each introduced bills designed to gut the ESA [from N.Rose: I don't think either of these bills is currently being considered in the House -- I think the Young/Pombo Bill, HR 2275, is the only active bill]. The Clean Water Act Revision was introduced by CSC member Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pennsylvania). It was written largely by industry lobbyists for groups such as the Chemical Mfg. Ass'n. and Int'l Paper. It has been called a polluter's Bill of Rights. It permits greater discharge of chemicals into rivers and lakes. The bill passed with the approval of 151 CSC members. Worried that Congress is embracing legislative initiatives that will irrevocably damage the environment and wildlife, sportsmen are joining forces with environmental groups. This summer a diverse alliance of 24 groups, including the Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense Fund, the American Sportfishing Association, and the Wildlife Management Institute, met at a fishing tournament in Greensboro, NC, to find common ground. Secretary Babbitt was the keynote speaker. The Alliance - as the groups call their joint environmental campaign - expects to ultimately represent 40 to 50 stakeholder organizations, comprising about 50 million voters, and has targeted defeating revisions to the Clean Water Act as its first priority. Parts taken from MSPCA - Animals. Nov/Dec '95 ---- End Forwarded Message ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 12:20:47 AST From: Hal Whitehead/Lindy Weilgart Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: Dead whales and ATOC press release I have just received Scripps' press release as well as heard about articles in various newspapers (San Francisco Chronicle, etc.) in which Scripps ATOC office is maintaining that "it appears all three whales died prior to the installation of the ATOC source" and "there is no indication that the deaths of the whales are in any way connected with ATOC". Furthermore, the press release is clearly slanted to imply that the dead humpbacks were found before ATOC "officially" started its broadcasts. Buried in the third paragraph, we finally discover, if we read carefully, that, oh yes, "a few engineering tests of the source were required during installation." In fact, the source was on about 12 times over a period of roughly 6 days! I find such statements by Scripps irresponsibly premature and wholly unsubstantiated. Remember, no autopsies have been conducted on any of the whales, and rough estimates of the window of time of death for all 3 whales include when the ATOC source was on. There is no mention in the press release that Scripps failed to clearly inform the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) investigators (who apparently were conducting "pretrial" control surveys!) that the source would be broadcasting. Remember also that, legally, the MMRP is in control of the sound source. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 11:11:29 PST From: Robin Baird Forwarded message: > From smichel(\)whitney.Colorado.EDU Tue Nov 14 13:44:23 1995 > Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 14:42:48 -0700 (MST) > From: Michel Suzanne > Sender: Michel Suzanne > Reply-To: Michel Suzanne > > I am working on a dissertation on the politics of water quality in the the san > diego-tijuana-ensenada region. one focus of my study is the comparison > of environmental justice organizations with those interested in habitat > /wildlife preservation. i have connected with some organizations > addressing river and estuary habitat problems, and also the surfriders. > are there any other organizations/groups of scientists who are addressing > coastal water quality for wildlife, more specifically marine mammals? i > know that there might be a coalition of marine scientists interested in > this given the tragic cetacean die off last year in the gulf of > california. > > Besides the above specific request, if you represent an organization > (ngo, govermental, whatever) and are active/interested in water quality issues > in the tijuana-san diego-ensenada region, -- urban, coastal, river or > waste water quality --- and have not talked to me, please drop me a line. > > thanks and cheers! > > > Suzanne M. Michel > PhD Candidate > Dept of Geography > Univ of Colorado, Boulder > > > > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 15:10:08 EST From: "SEAN A. HUDSON" Organization: Southampton College Subject: Karen Pryor's Address To Anyone that can possibly help, Looking for a way to get in touch with Karen Pryor. I'm interested in talking to her about giving a possible lecture to behavior students at Southampton College of Long Island University. If anyone knows her mailing address or E-mail address, it would be greatly appreciated. Please make responses to: shudson(\)Sunburn.LIUnet.edu Thanks, Sean Hudson ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 17:01:57 -0500 From: Delphin(\)aol.com Subject: Volunteers Needed... Marmamers! Volunteers are needed to help haul and work on the Whale Conservation Institute's R/V Odyssey (A 94' Ketch) in San Diego. Applicants should be willing to donate their time, have boat-hauling/technical experience, live in the area locally, and be willing to do hard, gritty work for a good cause. Anyone interested may reply to this email address (delphin(\)aol.com). Thank you! -Rick/WCI ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 08:56:17 +0000 From: Fernanda Marques Subject: Harbour porpoise cooling rates (Fwd) Dear Marmamers; A friend of mine asked me to post the following message: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- To Subscribers: I would like to inquire if anyone has collected cooling rates of harbour porpoise immediately after their death. The ideal would be to have taken rectal or deep core liver temperatures from time of death to time the porpoise temperature was equal to ambeint water temperature. Also the water temperature is important. Please respond directly to my email address, chood(\)kean.ucs.mun.ca Thank you for any consideration to this request. C. Hood ----------------------End of Forwarded Message---------------------- Fernanda Marques email: fmarques(\)kean.ucs.mun.ca Whale Research Group Phone: (709) 737-7638 Memorial University of Newfoundland Fax: (709) 737-2450 St. John's, NF A1C 5S7 Canada ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 09:06:32 -1200 From: ewan fordyce Subject: interactions between turtles and cetaceans Can any marmam subscribers comment on interactions between sea turtles (especially Dermochelys coriacea) and cetaceans? I ask on behalf of graduate student Richard Kohler, who is studying fossil cetaceans and turtles, and who is curious about possible paleo-interactions and their evolutionary/ecological implications. This is not a request to have someone else do the work, for Richard has already searched paper and CD-ROM databases (Zoo Record, Georef) without finding any references. I'll be grateful for comment and/or details of citations. Regards, Ewan R. Ewan Fordyce, Associate Professor Department of Geology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, NZ fax 64-3-479-7527, ph. 64-3-479-7510 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 09:01:58 -1200 From: ewan fordyce Subject: Eocene whales, and email addresses >Does anybody out there have the email address of Lawrence Barnes, Ewan Fordyce, >or any other workers that can help me out with a few queries on Eocene >archaeocete whales? Any help appreciated, thanks.. >DARREN NAISH >dwn194(\)soton.ac.uk For a recent review of Eocene whales, see: Thewissen, J. G. M. 1994. Phylogenetic aspects of cetacean origins: a morphological perspective. Journal of mammalian evolution 2 (3): 157-184. Also, Larry Barnes and I produced this general review of cetacean history which summarises the Eocene record: Fordyce, R. E., and Barnes, L. G. 1994. The evolutionary history of whales and dolphins. Annual review of earth and planetary science 22: 419-455. And, Barnes is care of Sam McLeod, smcleod(\)vm.usc.edu. My address is here. R. Ewan Fordyce, Associate Professor Department of Geology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, NZ fax 64-3-479-7527, ph. 64-3-479-7510 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 11:22:00 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 11/17/95 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fishery and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Hawaii Humpback Whale Sanctuary Expansion. On Nov. 15, 1995, Honolulu City Council's Public Works and Environment Committee recommended that the full Council endorse the proposed expansion of the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The full Council is scheduled to consider this resolution on Dec. 6. [Assoc Press] . ATOC. On Nov. 7, 1995, Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists were to begin the first sound transmissions off the California coast in the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) program, to study how the sound transmissions might affect marine mammals. However, bad weather and logistical problems delayed the start. On Nov. 15, 1995, ATOC scientists announced that the project's start had been suspended in response to a request from NMFS while the deaths of three humpback whales are investigated. [New York Times via Greenwire, Reuters, Assoc Press] . Tuna-Dolphin. The House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans postponed, until further notice, a hearing scheduled for Nov. 16, 1995, on a bill to be introduced to implement the Panama Declaration on tuna/dolphin conservation. [personal communication] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 15:55:31 -0800 From: Lance Morgan Subject: Re: Dead humpbacks near ATOC source >A total of three dead humpback whales were spotted off the Farrallon >Islands, in the broad area around the ATOC sound source. The first >was found 3 Nov., and buried without autopsy. The second two were >found floating 9 Nov. These two were lost somewhere outside Santa >Cruz; one was last sighted Monday, Nov. 13, I believe. The ATOC >sound source was first turned on during the night of Oct. 28, and was >broadcasting on 12 further occasions between 28 Oct. and 4 Nov. >Unfortunately, the Scripps oceanographers in charge of the ATOC >project had neglected to clearly notify the ATOC marine mammal >scientists that the source would be broadcasting, which was in >violation of agreed-upon scientific protocol. > >Information on whether anyone has spotted humpback whale carcasses or >any other dead marine life near the Farrallons would be highly >appreciated. Has anyone made any observations of toxic algal blooms >in this area? Any comments (stranding patterns this time of year, >etc.) would be welcome. > In diving at Bodega Marine Lab and Salt Pt. (both areas north of the Farallones) during the Halloween week there was indeed a very large Plankton (dinoflagellates ?) bloom. This water mass was traveling north at the time so that it likely originated within the Gulf of the Farallones and was traveling north as a buoyancy current of was advected onhsore from an offshore source. My guess is the former. There was also a rainstorm that week. No idea whether they were toxic algae. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lance Morgan Internet: morgan(\)megalopa.ucdavis.edu Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology University of California Lab: (916) 752-1270/0367 Davis, California 95616 FAX: (916) 752-4154 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 13:52:23 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: Tuna-dolphin / Panama Declaration et al. Marmam Group: I've had a request from a congressional office to take a look at the science behind the various positions relative to the Panama Declaration on tuna/dolphin. Thus, I'm looking for: a) the hard data on bycatch rates, yellowfin stock assessments, etc. that are the basis for the various conflicting claims concerning how resumption of tuna seining on dolphin in the ETP will affect bycatch and yellowfin stocks. b) the critical reasoning by those who have looked at these data concerning the validity of various interpretations drawn from the data, especially why any certain interpretation or assumption might be open to question. c) What data are lacking that might be needed to get a more complete understanding of the impacts of the various options under consideration? What key questions, if any, are not being asked, but should be? What would be especially helpful would be input from anyone who has looked at both sides of the controversy and can help me sort through the rhetoric. Any assistance will be most appreciated. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov phone: (202) 707-7262 fax: (202) 707-7289 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 14:55:57 EST From: John Eliot <70632.3043(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Paul Brodie I am trying to reach Paul Brodie, who recently retired from the Bedford Institute of Oceanography at Canada's Fisheries & Oceans. Can anybody give me his e-mail, fax, or telephone? I am a researcher at National Geographic Magazine. Thanks. -Demetra Aposporos ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 16:27:27 -0600 From: Robert M Chambers Subject: Re: ETP Bycatch $ Dolphin Safe Issue A recent posting of the Earth Island Institute read in part: > H.R. 2179 (Cunningham) and the 3Panama Declaration2 implementing >legislation would undeniably weaken U.S. dolphin protection laws, yet >supporters justify a return to dolphin unsafe fishing practices by >claiming it would reduce bycatch. The Center for Marine Conservation, >World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, the National Wildlife Federation, and the >Environmental Defense Fund all rely on the bycatch issue to justify their >support for weakening U.S. dolphin safe laws. Before anyone accept the information is this posting as a complete and total discussion of the issue I would urge them to obtain additional information. Speaking only as a member of the Center for Marine Conservation and NOT as a spokesperson for this NGO, I am sure they would be happy to answer any questions on an individual basis. CMC may be reached at tel: (202) 429-5609 or FAX: 202-872-0619. There will always be differences of opinion among individuals/organizations which have similiar broad goals. However, at a time when Congressional actions endangering environmental issues are being discussed, I feel it is time for non-governmental NGOs not to engage in recriminations and bad-mouthing one another. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 12:34:07 -0800 From: Forsyth Kineon Subject: ATOC article #2 (fwd) ************************************************************************* Forsyth P. Kineon, Master's Candidate School of Marine Affairs University of Washington Box 355685 Seattle, Washington, 98195 (w) 206/526-6316, (fax) 206/526-6615 (e-mail) forsythk(\)u.washington.edu ************************************************************************* SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Whale Deaths Delay Undersea Tests Sound transmissions called off until probe completed Stephen Schwartz, Chronicle Staff Writer Three humpback whales found dead at Stinson Beach and the Farallon Islands last week have caused further delays in a controversial undersea sound experiment off the coast at Half Moon Bay, scientists said yesterday. The sound transmissions by researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California at San Diego were intended to gauge whether a larger, $35 million program to measure global warming would injure or disrupt marine mammals. While preparing the experiment, scientists tried out the device that emits sound waves into the Pacific. Scripps does not believe that procedure is linked to the whale deaths, but the subsequent experiments were nonetheless called off at the request of the National Marine Fisheries Service. The agency has asked that no tests take place until it has completed an investigation of what killed the leviathans. ``The operation of the sound source during the installation to test its performance is not related to the whale deaths,'' said Andrew Forbes, a Scripps researcher. But, he added, ``because the time of deaths of the whales and the exact cause of their deaths is not known, we are taking a very conservative position and will not operate our program until we receive a report from the NMFS.'' Testing of the sound program's effects on marine mammals is led by Dan Costa, a researcher at UC Santa Cruz. Costa had already called off a November 9 test because bad weather blocked an aerial survey of an underwater mountain 48 miles offshore. The aerial test must be conducted within 48 hours before the underwater tests begin. Then, the research ship used to monitor marine mammal behavior during the tests became unavailable, further delaying the transmissions. Scott Anderson, an Inverness field biologist, observed all three dead whales last week. He said he went out into the Pacific off the Farallones in a small boat and found two that ``were bloated, floating high in the water, looking like little islands, with no apparent wounds that would indicate how they died. They did not have injuries such as they would if they had been struck by ships.'' He said ``it is unusual for a group of baleen whales to die like this all at the same time, especially at this time of year.'' A humpback is a type of baleen whale. However, he discounted any connection between the sound transmission program and the whale deaths. Other naturalists said the whales could have been poisoned by toxins in the fish they ate or the buildup of potentially harmful ``brown algae'' in the water. The transmission experiment is designed to learn whether increases in the rate of global warming can be detected by using underwater sound waves to measure long- term changes in ocean temperature. The project would place noise emitters 3,000 feet under Pacific waters off Half Moon Bay, linked by a one-inch diameter power cable to the shore. Although some experts say the sound emissions would be no louder than those produced by passing ships, strong objections to the program from environmental groups forced researchers to accept a range of conditions, including a stipulation that the experiment be substantially modified or halted outright if it is found to harm marine life. In a similar development, Exxon Corp. began a seismic survey off Santa Barbara yesterday, using sound waves to assess oil and gas reserves in the 126-square-mile Santa Ynez field, the largest offshore reserve in contiguous U.S. territory. Environmental groups and the state Coastal Commission had threatened to block the testing, saying sound waves could disrupt the migration of gray whales and adversely affect more than 34 other marine species. But a compromise permitted Exxon to go ahead with the probe on the condition that the emissions be halted if marine mammals enter protected areas around the transmitters. Bruce Tackett, a spokesman for Exxon at corporate headquarters in Houston, said yesterday that a trial run Friday resulted in a decision to begin the test at midnight Monday. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 03:52:48 +1100 From: Graham Clarke Subject: US Naval Marine Mammal Radar Project Some time ago I heard about a project being carried out by the US Navy on the east coast of the USA. It involved the use of submarine radar equipment now obsolete due to the end of the Cold War. The radar was being used to track and/or count whales as they travelled along the east coast. Does anyone have any information on this project, whether it be results, general info or a contact please let me know. Thank you, Graham. -------------------------------------------------------- Graham_J._Clarke - "WHALES IN DANGER" Information Service -------------------------------------------------------- Home Page - http://whales.magna.com.au/home.html -------------------------------------------------------- Sydney - AUSTRALIA - EMail: -------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 00:01:40 -0800 From: "William P. (Bill) Russell" Subject: Wie Sagt Man Auf Deutsch "Haul Out?" A friend is translating an interpretive brochure about a seal and sea lion haul our area where I work and she does not know the German words for the place and the activity. Can any of you help? Please answer privately. Thanks =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- | William P. (Bill) Russell | | P.O. Box 2029 | | Bandon, OR 97411 | | Phone: 503-347-3683 Fax: 503-347-6303 | | | | Where the Coquille River meets the Sea | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Nov 1995 13:06:32 BDB From: Andre Barreto Organization: UNIVERSIDADE DO RIO GRANDE - RS - BRASIL Subject: Milk Formulas Here, at last, are the milk formulas that I promised to send to the list. Given below is a composite message using the formulae and some advices sent to me. Excuse me if you also sent a formula and your name doesn't appear here. Some messages were inadventently erased during the "storm days". Again, thanks to everyone who helped and, if you work with strandings, keep those formulae at hand. Who knows when you'll need them? -------- Most people suggested using Dr. Forrest Towsend's formula (or contacting him to obtain it), which has been used to raise a bottlenose dolphin calf, a pantropical spotted dolphin calf, and a pygmy sperm whale calf. From: Cheryl A. Messinger (cmessing(\)manta.nosc.mil) and Randall S. Wells (MMLRWELLS(\)aol.com) There are two schools of thought on calf formulas. One is to make a dilute slurry of fish (preferably using the species of fish the adult dolphin eats) and an electrolyte formula such as Pedialyte. The other is to make a "milk" formula. A neonate bottlenose dolphin was raised at Gulfarium in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, USA by their Head Trainer, Greg Siebenaler, and their veterinarian, Dr. Forrest Townsend. Their formula is as follows: Herring filets with viscera 750 ml Lactobacillus 1 Tablespoon or 3 tablets Lethicin (liquid) 1 Tablespoon "Multi-Milk" 2.5 cups (dry measure) MultiVitamin 1 tablet Osteoform 6 tablets or 1 tablespoon Safflower Oil 50 ml Taurine 250 mg Water (Bottled or boiled) 1100 ml Yield = 1800 mls Goal = 150 to 200 kcals/kg of body weight/day "Multi-Milk" is a non lactose, low carbohydrate, high protein, high fat milk replacer. It is often used in zoos. It is made by PetAg, Inc. I (800) 323-0877, Telex 62505740 ESL UD, or fax 1-708-741-5135. Elgin, Illinois, USA. Formula analysis= Protein 10 gm/100 gm Ash 1.4 gm/100 gm Fat 9 gm/100 gm Carbohydrates 1.2 gm/100 gm Moisture 78.4 gm/100 gm Taurine 63 mg/100 gm Typically with stranded animals, the first 24 to 48 hours they are tubed water or water with electrolytes, due to the fact that they are almost always dehydrated. After this, the next 24 hours is spent slowly introducing formula - where one feeding is a combination of one fourth formula mixed with three fourths water...if that goes okay, then the next feeding is a combination of one half formula and one half water...if that goes okay, then three fourths formula and one fourth water. The next feeding is straight formula. Remember that marine mammals are lactose intolerant and cannot digest cows milk unless it is treated with a substance that will break down the lactose prior to giving it to the animal. The sooner you can get the calf to suckle from a bottle, the better chance it will have of surviving. Allow it to suckle on your fingers and introduce the nipple of a bottle with your fingers. When it begins to suckle, squirt a little of the formula into its mouth, just enough so that it can get a taste of the milk. If you know what this species eats in your area, you may want to take some of that type of fish or squid and add a filet or two to flavor the milk and make it more appealing for the calf to eat. The formula needs to be watery enough to easily flow through the nipple on the bottle. It may be necessary to modify the formula based upon the clinical condition of the calf. It is critical to start with small volumes and make changes gradually so the calf's gastrointestinal system has time to adjust. The volume to be fed must be warmed prior to feeding. The rest should be refrigerated. Never use formula that is over 24 hours old. A calf will need approximately 100 Kcal per Kg of body weight for growth. Feeding frequency should be every 2-3 hours around the clock. It is extremely important to accurately weigh the calf daily to verify that it is gaining weight. If the calf will continue to nurse, then offer whatever volume per feed the calf will accept. Formula provided courtesy of Dr. Forrest Townsend, Bayside Hospital for Animals, 251 N.E. Racetrack Road, Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32547. Telephone: (904) 864-1857; Fax: (904) 863-3980. ------------------------------- Greg Early (gearly(\)tiac.net) suggested using goat's milk as a source of low lactose milk. We had a low lactose powder milk available here, but it is a good suggestion when you can't find it. -------------------------------- We also received from Monica Muelbert (muelbert(\)ac.dal.ca) a formula used to feed a harbour porpoise. Ingredients: Herring fillets plus viscera 8-10 parts or 53 to 59% of volume; Tap water 5 parts or 29-33% of vol.; STAT 2 parts; 12-13% of Vol. Sea Tabs 1 tab; ^Lactobacillus acidophilus^ 1tsp; STAT is a vitaminic suplement and Sea Tabs are multivitamins with iron. Instructions: Blend all of the above to a very smooth consistency and refrigerate. Mix 5 parts of formula to 3 parts of water to 2 parts of cream, and feed by stomach tube. A Standard fowl stomach tube was resisted; an 0.5-in diameter, highly flexible latex tube was substituted and accepted. The 28 lb neonatal harbour porpoise was fed 120cc of formula every 2 h. at 29 lb, the amount fed was increased to 300cc per feeding, six feedings daily. Whole fish (smelt) were begun when the weight of the animal reached 35 lbs. The harbour porpoise was maintained 3 mo, then it died. -------------------- We received from Dr. Lucio Eiras (Mar del Plata Aquarium) the formula they had been using to nurse theirs Pontoporia. Their formula is: 150 gr "palometa" (local fish) 75 gr "anchoita" (local fish - clupeid) 75 gr shrimp 50 gr milk cream 1 and 1/2 measure of milk powder 300 cc water 75 mg of B1 vit. mineral, oligoelements and vitamin suplement The fish was used without skin and bones, and all the ingredients should be put in a blender and liquefied. -------------------- We finally decided to use an adaptation of the above formula. It is as follows: 200 gr "pescadinha" (fish: Macrodon ancylodon) 20 gr no-salt butter 60 gr Nestogen Soy 60 ml Teragram (multivitaminic) "Nestogen Soy" is a low lactose milk powder from Nestle, used for babies. Instead it has maltose. The fish was used without skin, bones and viscerae. The above ingredients were put into a blender and completed to 1 liter with water, and liquefied. To the final mix we added 100 ml of physiological solution. Everything was then put through a sieve and given to the dolphin. When the dolphin stater to get worse, we changed to a solution made only of shrimp and physiological solution. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 10:15:58 -0800 From: Jennifer Parrish Subject: Request for recent IWC resolutions I'm passing along this request from a second year law student at the University of Washington. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Please respond directly to James Mackler at the email address listed below. Thanks, Jennifer ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 13:26:56 -0800 (PST) From: James Mackler To: Jennifer Parrish Subject: forward to marmam I am doing a short research paper on possible abuses of "scientific or research whaling". Does anyone have copies of the June resolutions of the International Whaling Commission regarding this practice. In particular, condemning Japan and Norway? I would really like to see the texts of these resolutions (they are not yet in our library) and any other helpful information anyone has to offer. Thank you very much. James Mackler ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Nov 1995 13:11:29 -0900 From: Kurt Byers Subject: Alaska SeaLife Center Dr. Michael Castellini, professor of marine science at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has been appointed Science Director of the Alaska Sea Life Center, a marine mammal research, rehabilitation, and education facility under construction in Seward, Alaska. Dr. Castellini specializes in marine mammal research with emphasis on the physiology of pinnipeds. The $49.5 million facility, funded primarily with settlement funds from the Exxon Valdez court case, is expected to open to the public in May 1998. The Sea Life Center's primary research foci are: investigate the decline of marine mammal and seabird populations, evaluate genetic damage to herring and pink salmon stocks, rehabilitate and return to the wild injured or sick marine mammals, and assist with and document strandings in Seward's Resurrection Bay. The center will be available to scientists from around the world. Kurt Byers FNKMB1(\)aurora.alaska.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 06:28:59 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: Job Announcement Please share this with anyone who might be interested: MAMMALIAN OR AVIAN PHYSIOLOGIST Tenure-track, Assistant Professor position anticipated for Fall, 1996, in Biological Sciences at the University of New Orleans; Ph.D. required and postdoctoral research experience in physiological adaptations of mammals or birds preferred. The Department is affiliated with the Audubon Institute's Center for Research on Endangered Species providing research opportunities omvolving threatened and endangered mammals and birds. Initially, duties include developing an upper-level animal physiology laboratory, and later, participating in upper level physiology courses and Introductory Biology. Our 24 Graduate Faculty are expected to seek outside funding and engage in research, direct graduate student research, and teach courses. UNO (approx. 16,000 students) is in the LSU System on a campus overlooking Lake Pontchartrain. A statement of research interests, recent reprints, curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation should be sent by 2/23/96 to: Dr. Britt Bromberg, Search Committee, Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148 (E-mail BBBBS(\)UNO.EDU). UNO is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Please ignore the typos ("involving" not "omvolving".... I can't type and this terminal does not do word processing....). Thanks - Lita Pinter ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 08:22:05 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: jobs From: Mark Elgar Subject: JOBS IN AUSTRALIA TWO LECTURESHIPS (= ASST PROFESSORSHIP) IN ZOOLOGY (Biology of native fauna) (Animal behaviour, evolutionary biology or marine biology) DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE The Department of Zoology invites applicants with an appropriate doctoral degree to fill two continuing lectureships. The Department of Zoology has 19 Academic and 14 support staff. Research interests range from the structure and function of single cells through to the ecology, reproduction development and evolution of animals. The department has particular strength and expertise in reproduction and development, evolutionary biology, behavioural and marine ecology, bioacoustics, invertebrate neuroethology and the physiology of the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems of vertebrates. Departmental facilities include: an electron microscope and histology unit, a marsupial breeding colony, molecular biology facilities, closed-system marine aquarium, a research boat, a field station on Phillip Island and Queenscliff, several field vehicles, and extensive computing and multi-media facilities. The Department has a vigorous research programme and seeks applicants with an outstanding research profile. Experience in any aspect of molecular biology is desirable. The successful applicants will be responsible to the Head of Department, Professor Marilyn Renfree, and will participate in teaching first, second and third year Zoology courses; develop active research programmes to attract postgraduate students, and external research funding. Lecturer in Zoology (Position No. ...............) The successful applicant will have experience in the study of the biology of Australian Native Fauna. This position is available from 1.7.1996 Lecturer in Zoology (Position No. ...............) The successful applicant will have experience in the field(s) of animal behaviour, evolutionary biology or marine biology. This position is available from 1.1.1996. Salary within the range $42,198-$50,111 p.a. (Lecturer). Closing date: 12 December, 1995. Applications quoting reference ................ and names, addresses and fax numbers of 3 referees to the Director, Personnel Services, the University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia. Please address the selection criteria for both positions if you wish to be considered for both. Further information can be obtained from: Professor Marilyn Renfree, Department of Zoology. Phone: 03 344 6259 Fax: 03 344 7909 Selection Criteria LECTURER IN ZOOLOGY (Animal Behaviour, Evolutionary Biology or Marine Biology) The following criteria will be used in selecting for the position of Lecturer in Zoology (Animal Behaviour, Evolutionary Biology or Marine Biology). Essential 1. A PhD or equivalent qualification in Zoology or related field, and a high level of research productivity in the area of animal behaviour, evolutionary biology or marine biology. 2. Evidence of ability to establish a research programme and to make vigorous efforts to attract outside funding. 3. Tertiary-level teaching experience and/or evidence of excellent teaching skills. 4. Preparedness to contribute to the teaching of Biology and Zoology; including course design, administration and co-ordination, lecturing and practical teaching, assessment and advising students. 5. Ability to operate as a team teacher. 6. Preparedness to supervise the programmes of Honours and postgraduate students. 7. A commitment to contribute to the administrative and community interaction functions of the Department. Desirable 8. Research interests that complement those of one or more of the research groups in the department. Some preference may be given to a vertebrate biologist. 9. Experience in field work and/or expertise in molecular biology. 10. Experience in supervision of research students. 11. Experience in applying for and operating research grants. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 11:54:26 -0800 From: Carlos Alvarez Subject: TURSIOPS MEETING UPDATE Dear Marmamers: Responses to the proposal to get researchers on bottlenose dolphin population biology together at the Orlando Conference, include a variety of topics of interest such as migratory populations, behavioural ecology, genetics etc. People working with somehow different problems or with other species also showed interest. Thanks to all of you who responded. Some of the people woking with topics not so related to the original proposal, with other species or about to begin their work showed concern regarding if they could attend the meeting. It is not my intention by any means to restrict the access to the discussion and from my standing point, everybody is welcomed to attend this gathering. From the practical point of view, my guess is that colleagues who have different interests but that want to be present, will naturally limit their contributions to the extent of their experience in the areas under discussion, and those about to begin will benefit from it. Some of you, also mentioned about previous meetings of this kind that have been held in the past. It is a good idea to try to vinculate those efforts looking for some continuity in the discussion process. I'm contacting the organizers of those workshops. It maybe possible that a starting point for this next meeting could be the elaboration of an information page where the participants summarize their research activities with Tursiops in the fields proposed in the first call, including past experience, ongoing investigations, goals (short-long term), achievements in general terms (e.g. photo- identification, skin samples collected, determination of stock identity, abundance estimation, etc.), methodological issues, new arising problems, area of study (please consider that not all the interested people work in the US), etc. This page can be distributed to the participants in Orlando, making easier to meet other colleagues with similar interests or problematic. In regard of the time, most people are open to define the time for this meeting and specific proposals are as follows: - Lunch time.- We have an hour and a half, almost every day... but we need to move to some place to get our lunch, or do arrangements to have it some place in the conference area and have our get together without going out. - At the time when topics of little interest for Tursiops researchers are being presented.- A workable time slot may be found on Friday 15 if we combine lunch time with some part of the next sessions dealing with HEALTH AND TOXICOLOGY in ballroom B and ECOLOGY I in ballroom C/D. In this way we can have at least two hours available. - At the end of the Conference on the 19th.- This must be sometime early in the morning since people may start leaving at noon. Please send me any input you want to add to this update and I will include it in a new posting by the end of the week. Sincerely Carlos Alvarez School of Fisheries University of Washington alvarez(\)fish.washington.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 13:45:02 PST From: "Paul E. Nachtigall" Subject: New Book - ------- > > MARMAM: > > A new edited volume on the Sensory Systems of Aquatic Mammals is > available from DeSpil Publishers in the Netherlands. Much of it is > dedicated to acoustics. The volume was based on an invited meeting > at Harderwijk in 1994 and contains nearly 600 pages of new work. > > Kastelein, R.A., Thomas, J.A., and Nachtigall, P.E. Sensory Systems of > Aquatic Mammals. DeSpil Publishers, Woerden, The Netherlands. > > It can be obtained by contacting the publisher directly. > > DeSpil Publishers > P.O. Box 23 > NL-3440 AA Woerden Press intr (usually DEL) to interrupt, RETURN to continue: > The Netherlands > > > > Paul Nachtigall ------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 11:35:17 +0000 From: Sara Heimlich-Boran Subject: The Peterhead Maritime Heritage Centre, Aberdeenshire, asked to have this request posted The Peterhead Maritime Heritage Centre, Aberdeenshire, asked to have this reques t posted to the MARMAM list RE: footage of Right Whale, Bowhead, Bottlenose Whale, Beluga or Narwhal. The Peterhead Maritime Heritage Centre is at present under construction on a sea shore site at South Bay, Peterhead. The project is costed at #1.25 M and is scheduled to open on June 1st 1996. The work is exactly to schedule. The displays will reflect t he rich maritime heritage of Peterhead and will include fishing, the port develpment, th e oil indsutry, boat building, navigation, the environment, and whaling. Part of the display d evelopment is an audio visual presentation, with a related CD. Peterhead was, for a time in the last century , the premier UK whaling port fo r the northern whale fishery. The Right Whale was the main quarry of the Peterhead wh alers. We wish to find any footage of it. Failing this, we would be interested in footage of the Bowhead, the Bottlenose W hale, the Beluga or the Narwhal. All of these species were taken when the Right Whale bec ame scarce, and therefore unwittingly and unwillingly played a part in the economic development of Peterhead. We have a good source of photographs for the actual business of whaling. We nee d to show, in contrast, the living creatures which were subjected to the hunt. Thank you for your help David Hughes Manager Peterhead Maritime Heritage Centre Banff & Buchan District Council#Arbuthnot House Peterhead Aberdeenshire Tel. 44-(0)1779 473000 Fax 44-(0)1779 475244 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 18:54:51 +0300 From: "Michael K. Kliks" Organization: Institute of Zoology Subject: Re: Lead in newborn Caspiabn seals FYI! 22 November 1995, "Yabliki", Tien Shan Mountains, Republic of Kazakstan ****************************************************************************** Eko Fond "Environmental Research and Education for Central Asia" RESEARCH REPORT The Caspian Seal (Phoca caspica) as an Indicator of Ecological Change Phase II: Baseline Toxicological Studies on Tissues of Newborns Part 2: Concentration of heavy metals Michael M. Kliks, Ph.D., M. Sc., Senior Scientist, Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences, Academgorodok, Aitaja B. Bigaliev, Dr. Sci. Biol., Director, Institute for Research on Ecological Problems, Kazak State National University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakstan Ye. G. Sidorov, Dr. Sci. Biol., Ural-Caspian Research Institute of Fisheries Management, Atyrau, Republic of Kazakstan ABSTRACT Samples of tissues from newborn Caspian seals (Phoca {Pusa} caspica) were assayed for heavy metal content as an initial part of a long-term, interdisciplinary, multicenter research project designed both to monitor the overall health of this species, and as a surveillance indicator of general contamination in the Caspian Sea. Samples weighing from 10 to 20 grams of liver, kidney, heart and diaphragm were collected from carcasses of seal pups 10 days to 2 weeks of age and preserved in formol. Concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, Ca, Mg, Na and K were determined by atomic absorption or atomic emission spectrometry. Results indicate that high levels of lead were present in all of the organs of every animal assayed range (0.04-0.50: average 0.14 ug/g). The highest single sample value (0.50) and the highest average level by organ (0.25) were found in diaphragm tissue. With the exception of one sampling of the northern fur seal livers from the North Pacific (1) this average is higher than previously noted in any pinniped or cetacean tissue anywhere in the world. By comparison lead levels in humans dwelling in urban areas range from 0.12 to 1.66 (2). In 12 of 17 organ homogenates assayed, the level of lead exceeded 0.15 whereas the highest level found in a cetacean from Alaskan waters was 0.118 (3). Levels of zinc were also unusually high in most organ specimens, particularly liver and kidney, from this population of newborn seals (range 5.91 -17.94: average 8.92). Cadmium level were low as expected in newborn animals (range 0.02-0.27: average 0.08). Levels of calcium, magnesium, sodium and phosphorus were within normal ranges. Heavy metal levels detected in this species are considered to be a contributing factor in the recently-observed high rates of infertility and abortion which have contributed significantly to the rapid decline in its population (4, 5). Further studies on organohalide residues in newborn seals and both heavy metal and organohalide residues in adult animals are recommended. This species should be fully protected and "Red listed" by all Caspian Basin states at the earliest possible date. References: 1. Goldblatt, C.J. and Reynolds, P., 1983. Journal of Environmental Quality 12: 478-482. 2. Zeisler, R. et al., 1893. In: The Pilot National environmental Specimen bank-Analysis of Human Liver Specimens, R. Zeisler, S. H. Harrison, and S. A. Wise, Eds., National Bureau of Standards, Special Publication 656: 81-89. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. 3. Becker, P. R. et al., 1992. Alaska Marine Mammal Tissue Archival Project: Sample Inventory and Results of Analyses of Selected Samples For Organic Components and Trace Elements. U. S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory, NISTIR 4731. 4. Unpblished Annual Report, 1994. Ural-Caspian Research Institute for Fisheries Mangement (UKNIR), Atyrau, Republic of Kazakstan. 5. Krylov, V. I., 1990. Ecology of the Caspian Seal. Finnish Game Research 10 (47):32-36. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 12:01:02 AST From: Hal Whitehead/Lindy Weilgart Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: Re: ATOC and dead humpbacks article ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 95 WHALE DEATHS HALT SONIC EXPERIMENT Three humpback carcasses are found days after ocean floor loudspeaker is turned on. Scientist denies that sound project--a global warming study-is to blame. By Richard Paddock SAN FRANCISCO- A controversial ocean sound experiment off Half Moon Bay has been halted indefinitely after the discovery of three dead humpback whales in the area, Scripps Institution of Oceanography officials said Wednesday. The whale carcasses were found just days after the ocean floor loudspeaker was turned on repeatedly, apparently before required steps were taken to ensure the safety of the whales and other marine life. The cause of the whales' death has not been determined, but Scripps scientists insist that their repeated 20-minute, 195 decibel transmissions were conducted properly and are not to blame. Critics of the project accused the scientists of acting in "bad faith" by broadcasting the low, rumbling sound without monitoring the effect on marine mammals as required under their federal permit. "What is most disturbing is that Scripps violated the conditions of their permit and turned on the sound source," said Sara Wan, vice chairwoman of the League for Coastal Protection. "None of the protocols that were agreed to were followed." Three humpback whales dying in the same area at the same time is very unusual, and because of the circumstances, the cause of their deaths may be difficult to pin down. One of the animals washed up on popular Stinson Beach north of San Francisco on Nov. 4 and was buried there before a necropsy could be performed. The other two whales were found a few days later at sea but efforts to tow them to shore for analysis were unsuccessful. Andrew Forbes, manager of Scripps' Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate experiment, said the animals could very well have died before the loudspeaker tests were conducted between Oct. 28 and Nov. 2. It is most likely, he added, that they died of old age or were poisoned when they ate anchovies that contained high levels of toxins from an algae bloom. "There is zero possibility that a 195-decibel source of transmission could kill a humpback whale," Forbes said. He noted that blue whales routinely make noises that loud without resulting in the deaths of humpback whales. But other experts said a lack of monitoring during the tests makes it impossible to determine if the sound source affected the whales--or other animals in the region. As a result, no one in the scientific community can definitively clear the Scripps project of responsibility. "My personal feeling is that it's not likely that the sound source cause the death of these animals," said Peter Tyack, an associate scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a member of an advisory board for the Scripps experiment. "But the death of three humpbacks in a few days is a rare and serious event, and we know so little about the impact of noise on marine mammals that we have to be cautious." The sound experiment is intended to study global warming by broadcasting transmissions through the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean to receivers as far away as New Zealand. The proposal touched off a firestorm of controversy last year after some whale experts contended that the broadcasts were loud enough to cause auditory damage to deep-diving whales. The impact could be serious because whales are believed to navigate and find food largely by sound. Scripps scientists argued that their sound would not harm whales and would be less intrusive than many other man-made noises in the ocean, such as cargo ships and seismic air guns used in oil exploration. Eventually, they agreed to move the site of their loudspeaker from a location in a marine sanctuary off Big Sur to a site farther to sea off Half Moon Bay. They also agreed to conduct a comprehensive study of the effect of the broadcasts on marine mammals and other sea life before beginning the global warming phase of the project. But after the loudspeaker was installed on the ocean floor, the scientists tested the system by broadcasting the sound 12 times over four days without initiating the elaborate marine mammal research program they had agreed to. When UC Santa Cruz marine biologist Dan Costa, who heads the marine mammal research program for Scripps, heard of the first whale death, he immediately called a halt to the sound transmissions. The broadcasts are unlikely to begin again until reviews of the whale deaths are conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service, which gave Scripps its research permit, and the advisory board that oversees the project. "We are in a very difficult situation in that we cannot tell for sure why these whales died," Costa said. "Until everyone is satisfied, we will not proceed." ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 17:50:17 -0500 From: Dolphintlf(\)aol.com Subject: Cetacean videography Dear MARMAMers, I just recently completed my cetacean videography, and it is now available, along with a newly updated audiography, and fiction and nonfiction bibliographies at: http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/literature/fic_main.html The circa 100-title annotated videography includes videos, films, television series, CD-ROMs, and slide collections either wholly or partially about cetaceans or containing cetacean characters. Updated versions of the bibliographies will be available at the Web site in about two weeks. I've also begun the daunting task of annotating the nonfiction bibliography, and if any of you would like to contribute a sentence or two, or a short paragraph, about any of the titles you are familiar with, I would be _most_ grateful to receive your input. Suggestions for additions to any of the lists are always welcome, and my thanks go to all of you who have submitted additions for the current update. Best regards, Trisha Lamb Feuerstein dolphintlf(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Nov 1995 17:27:42 -0500 From: Cheryl Schroeder Subject: GIS/marmam research Hello marmammers: I've been off the list for a while, but I seem to recall that in the late spring of this year there was some discussion of GIS as applied to marine mammal research. If anyone has the bibliography that was supplied to marmam at that time or who could provide any info related to this, please send to the address listed below. Much appreciated. Cheryl Schroeder University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography Marine Bldg. 9 cschroed(\)gsosun1.gso.uri.edu Narragansett Bay Campus 401-792-6673 Narragansett, RI 02882 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Nov 1995 14:10:33 WET From: recoscix Subject: multiples usuaries Dear Contributiors: Kenya Wildlife Service wants to start a campaign for Dugong Conservation in Kenya. In recent interviews with the local people, we detected that the best way to attract the community is the use of videos. Hovewer, we don't have any video on dugongs. If you have one on them or also, on manatees (It can be very useful), please send us a copy or the information to get it. The language can be english, spanish or kiswahili (ja). Thanks a lot, Ricardo Valbuena KWS-Volunteer. e-mail: ricardo(\)main.bib.uia.ac.be PO Box 99381 Mombasa, Kenya, E. Africa. \032 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Nov 1995 07:32:48 -0800 From: David Williams Subject: Blubber Vs. Adipose Tissue in Odontoceti I read somewhere, many years ago, that the coat of blubber surrounding many species of odontoceti was not adipose tissue for the storage of energy. Instead, according to the author of the article, blubber served the more important purpose of thermal protection. Adipose tissue for energy reserve was stored between the internal organs. This would account for why most stranded toothed whales appear outwardly healthy on the beach, yet internally show signs of starvation. Can anyone comment or help me find this reference? David Williams davidMDS(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Nov 1995 15:32:52 +0000 From: resgeol(\)calvanet.calvacom.fr Subject: sirenian museum materials Reserve geologique de Haute Provence >From Guy MARTINI, Director I am managing a French National Geological Reserve and we are at this moment doing scientific and research diggings with an international team on a paleontological site (Palaeocenus) located in the south of this geological reserve. this site is the most important world site for sirenians fossil s. In connection with this reseach and the future opening of the site to the public, we are preparing a museum on the topic of sirenians (fossils, existing, mythology,etc..) So, I am looking for: complete skeleton, skull, 3D copy scale 1/1 of existing sirenians to use them in the museum. Is it possible for some of you to help me to find this material? Thanks a lot for your collaboration. Guy MARTINI ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 23 Nov 1995 07:37:44 -0800 From: David Williams Subject: Grey Whales mass stranded in Alaska on 07/15/90 On 07/15/90 twenty-three gray whales (Eschrichtius Robustus) mass stranded on an island in the Gulf of Alaska. Supposedly, a team of specialists where sent to do necropsies and determined a cause for this rare mass stranding. Can anyone furnish any information about this team or their findings? David Williams davidMDS(\)ix.netcom.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Nov 1995 22:12:05 -0700 From: Samantha-jane Mugridge Subject: rhythm-based communication I am looking for an address (email or snail mail) for Peter Beamish who apparently is doing research with whales off Trinity Bay, Nfld. in rhythm-based communication. Could you please send me his address if you have it, and/or ask him to get in touch with me. Jim Nollman suggested I ask for your assistance. Thanks for any help you can give me. Samantha-jane Mugridge samantha(\)cadvision.com Project Manager/Senior Technical Writer Campbell & Associates Ltd. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Nov 1995 12:25:31 -0600 From: PCIS Editors Sought The Pacific Center For International Studies, a US-based think tank which focuses on international environmental law & policy issues, seeks editors for its International Law & Environmental Policy Occasional Paper Series (IELPOPS). IELPOPS monographs are widely read by policymakers, academics and NGOs throughout the world. Editors review manuscripts that have been accepted for publication for content, grammar and adherence to recognized systems of citation. We current have manuscripts awaiting review in the following areas: the interface of international wildlife law & economics; global warming; forest conservation issues. Those interested in volunteering their services in this context should contact me via e-mail, phone or e-mail. Thanks, Wil Burns William C. Burns Director, Pacific Center For International Studies 33 University Square, Suite 184, Madison, WI 53715-1042 USA Phone: (608) 256-6312 Fax: (608) 256-6312 WWW site: http://rdz.stjohns.edu/pcis/PCIS.HTML Canadian Office: 2446 Bank Street: Suite 408 Ottawa, Ontario K1V 1A8 CANADA Phone: (613) 738-2078 Fax: (613) 739-1276 E-mail: BK191(\)freenet.carleton.ca Center affiliations: Union of Concerned Scientists, Sound Science Initiative The EarthAction Network The Galapagos Coalition Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 25 Nov 1995 17:43:09 -0600 From: PCIS Subject: Manuscripts Sought Manuscripts Sought The Pacific Center For International Studies, a United States-based think-tank which focuses on international environmental law & policy issues is currently seeking manuscripts to review for possible publication in its International Environmental Law & Policy Occasional Paper Series (IELPOPS). IELPOPS monographs are widely read by policymakers, academics and representatives of NGOs throughout the world. Guidelines for prospective authors are provided below. Should you have any additional questions, or if you wish to discuss prospective topics, please contact me. Additional information about the Center can be obtained from our Web page at the URL listed below. Guidelines For Prospective Contributors: PCIS International Environmental Law & Policy Occasional Paper Series The Center invites the submission of manuscripts on any topic related to international environmental law; however, we are particularly interested in pieces in the following subcategories: international wildlife law, biodiversity, global warming, and desertification. Pieces which utilize multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural perspectives will be accorded the highest consideration for publication. Authors are not required to assign exclusive rights to their works accepted for publication to the Center However if work is to be published in more than one forum, we do require express approval of this arrangement by other prospective publisher(s) of the manuscript. * Manuscripts should be approximately 6000 to 10,000 words in length, including footnotes/endnotes; * Primary text should be double-spaced, with single spacing utilized for endnotes and footnotes; * Any recognized system of citation can be utilized, with a preference for the Harvard University School of Law's A Uniform System Of Citation, 15th Edition; * A diskette containing a copy of the manuscript must accompany all submissions, preferably prepared with a Windows-based word processing program; * All manuscripts should also include a detailed table of contents, an executive summary of no more than 3-4 paragraphs, and a biographical sketch of the author, including institutional affiliation, pertinent publications and relevant expertise in the field addressed in the manuscript; * Manuscripts which are not accepted for publication will not be returned unless expressly requested by the author(s). Edited version of papers accepted for publication shall be submitted to the author for approval prior to publication. Contributors receive three complimentary copies of the finished occasional paper. William C. Burns Director, Pacific Center For International Studies 33 University Square, Suite 184, Madison, WI 53715-1042 USA Phone: (608) 256-6312 Fax: (608) 256-6312 WWW site: http://rdz.stjohns.edu/pcis/PCIS.HTML Canadian Office: 2446 Bank Street: Suite 408 Ottawa, Ontario K1V 1A8 CANADA Phone: (613) 738-2078 Fax: (613) 739-1276 E-mail: BK191(\)freenet.carleton.ca Center affiliations: Union of Concerned Scientists, Sound Science Initiative The EarthAction Network The Galapagos Coalition Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 11:12:32 +0000 From: Sara Heimlich-Boran Subject: Re: The Peterhead Maritime Heritage Centre, Aberdeenshire RE: The Peterhead Maritime Heritage Centre, Aberdeenshire Please direct your replies direclty to David Huges at the Centre. I only posted his notice for him, and am not otherwise involved with the project! Thanks to those folks who replied to me, but I would appriciate your sending your reply on to David, although I will probably send him the few I have already received. I have re-posted David's contact de tails, below. Thanks- SHB David Hughes Manager Peterhead Maritime Heritage Centre Banff & Buchan District Council#Arbuthnot House Peterhead Aberdeenshire Tel. 44-(0)1779 473000 Fax 44-(0)1779 475244 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 12:52:07 +0000 From: "D.W.Naish" Subject: HELP WITH ZIPHIIDS ETC. Hello marmamers, If anyone could help by providing references, comments or discussion (personal email below) on the subjects below, I would be very grateful. Many thanks! ZIPHIID SIGHTINGS AND TAXONOMY The most recent sources I have were printed last year, but (just as a matter of keeping up to date) has any new material of _Mesoplodon (=Indopacetus) pacificus_ or _M. hectori_ appeared recently? Any references pertaining to the validity of _Indopacetus_ as a genus would be appreciated (I am aware of Moore's 1968 paper). Is anyone aware of reported sightings of live specimens of the southern race of _M. mirus_, as I cannot find any. Is there any technical literature that ascribes a whitish tailstock to this form (absent in the northern form, photos published in Marine Mammals 11) that anyone is aware of? Any refs on live sightings of _Berardius arnuxii_ (other than Patterson and Parker), _M. carlhubbsi_ and _M. bowdoini_ would also be appreciated. RORQUAL TAXONOMY AND SYSTEMATICS Is anyone aware of any technical comments in the literature that SUPPORT Arnason and Gullberg's rorqual tree, in particular morphological characters that support a relationship between _Balaeonptera_ and _Eschrichtius_, with piked whales as an outgroup. Any comments on this issue, and the proposed validity of a second minke species, appreciated. Many thanks for any help. A while back, someone got me in touch with Stephen Leatherwood. Don't suppose they could send me his email domain? Thanks.. DARREN NAISH dwn194(\)soton.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 14:49:49 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 11/27/95 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Norwegian Sealing and Whaling. On Nov. 21, 1995, Norwegian scientists released two reports on 1995 Norwegian sealing and whaling activities, indicating that 98.3% of weaned seal pups that were shot died instantly while 62% of the adult minke whales that were harpooned died instantly. [Assoc Press] . ATOC. On Nov. 7, 1995, Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists were to begin the first sound transmissions off the California coast in the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) program, to study how the sound transmissions might affect marine mammals. However, bad weather and logistical problems delayed the formal start. Subsequently, it was reported that as many as 13 sound transmissions had been made between Oct. 28 and Nov. 4, 1995, without formal notification and monitoring, contrary to the project's scientific protocol. On Nov. 15, 1995, ATOC scientists announced that the project's start had been suspended indefinitely because of a request from NMFS while the deaths of three humpback whales are investigated. Although one or more of the whales may have died during the same time period that ATOC sound transmissions were being made, ATOC officials claim there is no connection. However, whale carcasses were not or could not be retrieved for autopsy. On Nov. 17, 1995, the lawsuit by Great Whales Foundation against the ATOC project was dismissed. [New York Times via Greenwire, Reuters, Assoc Press, San Francisco Chronicle, personal communication] . Wandering Manatees. On Nov. 16, 1995, the manatee that had travelled as far north as Rhode Island during the summer of 1995 was sighted in the warm water outfall of the Jacksonville (FL) Electric Authority's Southsid e Generating Station. [Assoc Press] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 15:05:25 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: Marine Mammal Conference info 1. If you are planning to attend the Eleventh Biennial Conference and you are planning to pay registration fees on-site, please remember that credit cards CAN NOT be accepted, only checks on US banks or cash. There is an ATM machine in the hotel lobby. 2. A number of individuals have called wondering why they haven't received event tickets and other items from the Conference Committee. Given the number of documents being printed and the fact that most will not be in our hands until just before the conference, all documents will be given to individuals when they check in at the conference registration desk beginning at noon on 14 December. Acknowledgement of receipt of registration forms was only sent to those individuals with email addresses or to those who specifically requested it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel K. Odell Chair, Conference Committee Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Society for Marine Mammalogy Orlando, Florida, USA - 14-18 December 1995 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 13:32:43 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: abstract Occurrence and behaviour of transient killer whales: seasonal and pod-specific variability, foraging behaviour, and prey handling. R.W. Baird(1) and L.M. Dill. Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada (1)Present address: Marine Mammal Research Group, Box 6244, Victoria BC V8P 5L5, Canada (address for correspondence) and Department of Biology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, MS7094, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada. e-mail: rbaird(\)sol.uvic.ca. We studied the occurrence and behaviour of so-called transient killer whales (_Orcinus orca_) around southern Vancouver Island from 1986 to 1993. Occurrence and behaviour varied seasonally and among pods; some pods foraged almost entirely in open water and were recorded in the study area throughout the year, while others spent much of their time foraging around pinniped haulouts and other nearshore sites, and used the study area primarily during the harbour seal (_Phoca vitulina_) weaning-postweaning period. Overall use of the area was greatest during that period, and energy intake at the time was significantly greater than at other times of the year, probably because of the high encounter rates and ease of capture of harbour seal pups. Multipod groups of transients were frequently observed, as has been reported for "residents," but associations were biased towards those between pods that exhibited similar foraging tactics. Despite the occurrence of transients and residents within several kilometers of each other on nine occasions, mixed groups were never observed and transients appeared to avoid residents. Combined with previous studies on behavioural, ecological, and morphological differences, such avoid- ance behaviour supports the supposition that these populations are reproductively isolated. (Baird, R.W., and L.M. Dill. 1995. Occurrence and behaviour of transient killer whales: seasonal and pod-specific variability, foraging behaviour, and prey handling. Can. J. Zool. 73: 1300-1311.) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 08:07:47 +1300 From: Samantha Bates Subject: Tagging - Project Jonah (NZ) Inc. I am writing on behalf of Project Jonah (NZ) Inc. We are currently developing our policy on the tagging of Marine Mammals. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated. Please reply to me directly. Thanks. Samantha Bates sam(\)stat.auckland.ac.nz Auckland Deputy Project Jonah (NZ) Inc. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 20:05:46 +0900 From: Hiroko Wada Subject: Whale watch & land developement Dear MARMAMers, As follows, I requested the information of whale watch relating land developement on this site early this month. > On behalf of friends who organize Bryde's whale watch in Ogata, Japan, I > would like to have any information on the relation between land > developement and whale movement. > > The whales used to come close to the shore of Ogata, a quiet small > agricultural and fishing town.Six years ago people started whale watch > buisiness. Ogata is currently under the process of developement to become > a modern tourist town. The dirt from the developed hill has changed the > color of the sea since last year. > > Now Bryde's whales are leaving the shore of Ogata where they used to be > 'settled', and have moved to offshore or other place. > > Other facter that people in Ogata suspect is rapid increase of the whale > watch boats (small fishing baots), which sometimes cause traffic jam around > whales. > > My friends in Ogata want to have the whales come back. They are anxious to > know any similar examples. I would appreciate, on behalf of my friends, if > anyone could give me suggestion. > > Thank you. Marmamers kindly answered my e-mali from California, Brasil, Colombia, Hong Kong and Scottland. Thank you very much! California marmamers suspected from their experience, that whales left Ogata not only by land developement, but also manners of whale watch. They suggested that the whale watch boats should keep 100m distance, pace the whales at low speed, take turns when there are a lot of baots watching whales, communicate with each other constantly by radio, be idling when clse to whales and approach from rear quaters. Diesel engine with low pitch noise disturb whales less than the high pitch noise of outboad motors. They also recommended that spotting whales and distribute boats by airplane, training naturalist, educating skippers and establishing laws will be helpful. In Brasil (Southern right whales, land developement) and Colombia(Humpback whale, increasing numbersof boats & visiters), they are facing the same situation as Ogata has. Hong Kong marmamer suggested me to get the information on the study conducted early 1980s along the Trincomalee coast of notheastern Sri Lanka. This study , which was done by Hal Whitehead, Jonathan Gordon and others, was about the effects on whales by dams. Unfortunately, I had no way to find the article. I wonder if somone have their e-mail address or a copy of their paper. Scotland marmamer thinks presence of prey for feeding whales is probably the biggest reason for whales staying or going. He notedthat too much boats had been thought to make whales away in Glaciea Bay, Alaska and Stellwagen Bank, Massachusetts at first, but it turned out be the movement of prey. But he stressed that in terms of land-runoff pollution and the impact of boats, a precautionary approach should be taken. These are the summeries of what I received. I'm sorry to have kept marmamers waiting. I translated these e-mails into Japanese and sent them to my Ogata friends, who had just finished the first workshop for the naturalists. They are surprised and appreciate that many people around the world have concerns with the issue. Since there are a lot of operators (used be fishermen working alone), it may take a while to change, but they are moving forward and willing to listen to your precious suggestions and opinions. Thank you again! Hiroko Wada Sapporo, Japan e-mail humpback(\)aqu.bekkoame.or.jp Tel & Fax 011-81-11-642-8052 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 09:16:46 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: WANTED: Killer whale sightings in the ETP Colleagues, We are interested in hearing from those of you with information on sightings of killer whales in the eastern tropical Pacific (other than those in Dahlheim et al. 1982 and Wade and Gerrodette 1993). Please respond directly to: Dagmar Fertl Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov (or fertld(\)aol.com) or Alejandro Acevedo acevedoa(\)tamug2.tamu.edu Thank you in advance for your assistance ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 12:52:32 -0500 From: Delphin(\)aol.com Subject: Shedd Aquarium WWW Link? Hello... It has been brought to my attention that the link to the Shedd Aquarium Website as listed on our webpage no longer reaches the Shedd Aquarium. It has also been noted that the listing for Sheed on the 'Galleries and Museums' listing at 'http://www.nwu.edu/ev-chi/musgal/' (Apparently a website highlighting Chicago) no longer functions. Is there anyone on Marmam from Shedd that might be able to let me know if you have changed your website URL, or if you have discontinued it altogether? The information would be much appreciated. -Rick Hobson Whale Conservation Institute delphin(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 13:31:00 PST From: "Gisiner, Robert" Subject: FW:request for tissue samples Prof. John Schloss of the University of Kansas has been investigating the metabolic effects of hyperbaric oxygen; a major problem for divers. Hyperbaric oxygen interferes with the synthesis pathway for an important neurotransmitter (GABA) and produces ammonia as a byproduct. The ammonia is considered to be the causative factor in the convulsions associated with this syndrome. Marine mammals do not appear to suffer from oxygen toxicity effects and Dr. Schloss would like to investigate the GABA synthetic pathway in marine mammals to determine if they have evolved an unanticipated solution to the oxygen toxicity problem. To do this Dr. Schloss needs a few grams of fresh brain tissue (within 30 minutes post mortem) frozen in liquid nitrogen and then shipped on dry ice. He can give you further details and supply you with materials you need to ship the tissue to him. To contact Dr. Schloss: phone (913) 864-4503; or e-mail 'schloss(\)kuhub.cc.ukans.edu' ________________________________ Bob Gisiner ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 14:13:10 -0600 From: Warren Stuntz Subject: Whaling in the Caribbean? Can any of you provide information about the current status of whaling around the island of Dominica. We have heard a rumor about an agreement to ship whale-meat to Japan? Any recent information would be appreciated. You may contact me directly at wstuntz(\)triton.pas.nmfs.gov Thanks in advance! ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 16:09:10 -0800 From: earthisland(\)igc.apc.org Organization: Earth Island Institute Subject: Tuna/Dolphin Legislation S1420 For Immediate Release Contact: Earth Island Institute David Phillips November 27, 1995 Mark J. Palmer (415) 788-3666 Dolphin Death Act Surfaces S. 1420 (Stevens/Breaux) Congressional legislation (S. 1420) to weaken federal dolphin protection laws has just been introduced by Senators Ted Stevens (R-AK) and John Breaux (D-LA). Both legislators have a long history of opposing protection for dolphins from the tuna fishing industry. 3This bill is a dolphin-killer,2 charged David Phillips, Director of the International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute. 3Supporters of this bill claimed that dolphin deaths would be reduced -- instead the legislation allows 5,000 dolphins each year to be killed in perpetuity. Supporters of this bill claimed that dolphin protections would be enforceable -- instead the legislation defers all enforcement to international fishing agencies and provides no guaranteed sanctions against U.S. or foreign tuna fishermen who violate the international agreements. 3This deal for killing dolphins smells like a dead fish!2 Phillips continued. 3The bill rips off American tuna companies who are dolphin safe. It rips off American consumers by lying to them about the methods of chasing, harassing, and catching dolphins in nets.2 The new legislation would allow tuna companies to label tuna as 3dolphin safe2 even if dolphins were chased, harassed, encircled and captured in purse seine nets, as long as no dolphins were 3observed2 to be killed outright. But experts believe many dolphins are injured or die from the trauma without being observed from the vessel. The chase separates baby dolphins from their mothers, and causes mortal injuries and stress-induced physiological damage in dolphins. The bill would cost American jobs by allowing cheap foreign tuna to flood onto American markets, undercutting domestic production and jobs. 3This Stevens/Breaux Dolphin Death Act is an embarrassment, and only Senators committed to gutting our marine mammal protections would vote for S. 1420.2 * * * * * Earth Island Institute is a nonprofit environmental protection organization that has been active in marine mammal conservation since 1984. The International Marine Mammal Project, a project of Earth Island Institute, works to protect whales, dolphins and other marine mammals around the world. VIDEO AVAILABLE: Broadcast quality video of dolphins in the wild and the effects of tuna nets on dolphins is available. -- http://www.earthisland.org/ei/ email: earthisland(\)earthisland.org phone: 415-788-3666 300 Broadway #28 SF, CA 94133 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 15:50:05 +0730 From: Etienne Douaze Subject: Dolphins sounds on the Web ? Hello Marmamers: Does anyone know where I can find dolphin/whale sounds on the Web? In Text, AIIF, SoundEdit format ? Thank you in advance, Etienne. ============================================================================ Etienne Douaze Student of the Unexpected. Dolphin Study Group Tel: (65) 772 30 48 Zoology Department Fax: (65) 779 24 86 National University of Singapore Email: zoode(\)leonis.nus.sg 10, Kent Ridge Crescent Singapore 119 073 ============================================================================ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 17:43:06 +0900 From: Ayako MIZUNO Subject: northern fur seal and hookworm Dear Marmamers, I am studying about a relation between northern fur seal (Callorhynus ursinus) and hookworm(Unsinaria lucasi) disease in Bering island, Russia. We collected dead pups of northern fur seal at the north-west rookery in Bering is. on1994-1995 summers and found that most dead pups had Uncinaria lucasi in their intestines. Directly or indirectly U. lucasi might be a cause of death in pups. These larvae in the rookery sand infect seals by penetrating the skin. We collected rookery sand to examine the existence of larvae or egg and relations with the location of fur seal use. I hope to contact with reseachers who study about a certain marine mammal with a parasite that would kill a plenty of their host, as if northern fur seal with hookworm in Bering. I would like to have an information about northern fur seal and hookworm, too. If possible, I wish to talk about it at the Eleventh Conference in Orlando. Please send your comments, suggestions and messages to me. Thank You! MIZUNO Ayako Parasitology Faculty of Veterinary medicine Hokkaido University Japan E-mail: mayako(\)vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp Fx: 011-717-7569 ph: 011-706-5197 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 08:06:34 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Sea Lions-DDT Sea Lions-DDT By JANE E. ALLEN AP Science Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Two decades after DDT dumping ended in Southern California waters, sea lions have dramatically lower levels of the pesticide and their population has more than doubled. The huge decline of the pesticide in the sea lions' fatty tissue represents the greatest reduction observed in any animal population, according to researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. California sea lions once had the highest body fat concentrations of DDT of any marine mammal ever studied by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. DDT, a powerful pesticide that causes premature births in sea lions, has been banned in this country since 1972. Montrose Chemical Co., once the nation's largest DDT producer, dumped the pesticide off the Palos Verdes Peninsula from 1947 to 1971. From 1975 to 1993 the sea lion population at San Nicolas, San Miguel, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz islands increased from 12,000 to 28,000. Sea lions migrate each year to the Channel Islands for a breeding season from May to August and feast from a food chain contaminated by DDT. In 1970, the sea lions' blubber showed an average level of DDT -- and its more dangerous byproduct DDE -- of 760 parts per million. Blubber samples taken in 1988-92 showed levels had fallen to 5.2 parts per million, according to the findings published this month in Britain's Marine Pollution Bulletin. The dumping, however, left an estimated 100 tons of DDT-contaminated sediments on the ocean floor and lingering effects of the pesticide remain unknown. "We're not out of the woods," said lead study author Patricia Lieberg-Clark, a wildlife biologist at the environmental consulting firm BioSystems Analysis Inc. "There still is that DDT deposit that's sitting there in San Pedro Channel that will continue to be churned up for God knows how long." The study was funded by the Institute of Marine Science at UC Santa Cruz and the National Science Foundation. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 06:30:34 -0800 From: Howard Garrett Subject: Field researcher needed in Bahamas Bahamas Marine Mammal Survey is looking for researcher interested in, and equipped for, self-sustaining field research on cetaceans of northern Bahamas, based at remote location. If possible, meet with principle investigators at biennial conference in Orlando, Dec 14-18. contact: Howard Garrett Center for Whale Research howgar(\)pacificrim.net 360-378-5835 fax: 360-378-5954 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 20:52:07 -0500 From: Blackburn7(\)aol.com Subject: Morbillivirus I am looking for any and all information I can get on Morbillivirus. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it. I am looking for studies, literature, contacts any thing I can get a hold of. Thanks, please email me if you have anything....THANKS THANKS THANKS Jason Blackburn BLACKBURN7(\)AOL.COM ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 11:56:26 GMT From: User Bmorales Subject: Multiple recipients of list MARMAM XXI Annual International Meeting for the Study of Marine Mammals The Mexican Society for the Study of Marine Mammals (SOMEMMA) andla Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) wish to invite scientist, students and educators interested in marine mammalogy to the annual meeting on 8-12 April 1996, in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. A workshop on Strategies for Manatee Conservation in the Caribbean Region will be conducted. For further information, please contact: Benjamin Morales or David Olivera, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur. Apdo. Postal 424, C. P. 77000, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico Tel: 52 983 216-66 or 200-76 or 201-15, Fax: 52 983 204 47 e-mail: Bmorales(\)xaway.ciqro.conacyt.mx Deadline for abstracts: February 9th 1996 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 22:44:23 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Two standed dolpins doing well Two standed dolpins doing well GALVESTON, Texas, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network (Saturday) said an adult male bottlenose dolphin named Nemo is being treated for a liver infection and could be released into the Gulf of Mexico by early next year. Nemo was found stranded on Oct. 29, and a young male bottlenose dolphin named Cole has been under the TMMSN's care for a record 116 days, and rescuers says he is developing like a normal healthy baby dolphin. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 22:45:06 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: WA: ATTEMPT TO RESCUE BABY WHA WA: ATTEMPT TO RESCUE BABY WHALE FAILS PERTH, Nov 29 AAP - Attempts by West Australian wildlife officers to rescue a baby longfin pilot whale stranded on the west side of Garden Island off Perth have failed. The Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) said the newborn female calf, caught on reef platform, died today as CALM officers were about to release it back into open water. The stranded whale had been sighted by naval personnel late this morning and reported to CALM. CALM's supervising wildlife officer Doug Coghran said the calf died on board the department's patrol vessel, before it could be reunited with its mother. "While it is a tragedy on a small scale, we may have averted a bigger tragedy by removing the animal from the reef," he said in a statement. "Longfin pilot whales are known for their mass strandings, and having one distressed individual could have led to further strandings." ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Nov 1995 08:21:27 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Wandering manatee swims into d Wandering manatee swims into downtown Houston bayou HOUSTON, Nov 29 (Reuter) - Local wildlife officials were keeping watch Wednesday over a wandering manatee that made a surprise appearance in a bayou near downtown Houston. The 8-foot-long manatee, also known as a sea cow, popped up Tuesday in the polluted waters of Buffalo Bayou and was last seen Wednesday near the outfall of a wastewater treatment plant, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department field supervisor David Hankla. It was the third manatee spotted in Texas waters this year, which is extremely unusual because the animals' nearest native ranges are in Florida, 800 miles to the east, and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, 600 miles to the south. "I don't know if there's any special significance to that or not," Hankla said. He said speculation that this year's high number of hurricanes and tropical storms may have pushed the manatees far afield was "a reach." Narrow, slow-moving Buffalo Bayou snakes through downtown Houston and becomes the refinery-lined Houston Ship Channel before flowing into Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. "This manatee apparently swam up the ship channel and took a wrong turn at the bayou. We're all hoping it can find its way back out," Hankla said. He said it was likely the manatee settled at the wastewater plant because of the warm waters it pours into the bayou. If the animal gets caught in cold water, it can catch pneumonia and die, he said. Houston had its first freeze of the season Tuesday night. Wildlife officials were making plans to provide lettuce for the manatee, which eats up to 50 pounds of aquatic plants a day, and capture it for delivery to a sanctuary in Florida if it stays in the area for a few more days, Hankla said. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Nov 1995 10:09:43 -0800 From: Toni or Jim Frohoff Subject: Re: Workshop on Small Cetacean/Human Interactions: Research and Management In-Reply-To: <199410201603.JAA13731(\)mail.netcom.com> Announcement - A workshop, titled "Small Cetacean/Human Interactions: Research and Management", has been scheduled to convene during the Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Orlando, Florida. This workshop will take place on 16 December from 7-10 p.m. in room 8 of the Clarion Hotel. The conveners are Denise Herzing, Toni Frohoff, and Marcos Cesar. A brief description of this workshop is as follows: GOAL To address the continuum of human/dolphin interactions in the wild and to share ideas on issues, problems, and successes in research and management. Major categories addressed: lone sociable dolphins, groups of sociable dolphins, and feeding of wild dolphins. OBJECTIVES (1) To discuss protocols, possibilities, needs, and problems related to research on human/dolphin interactions (2) To discuss management of human/dolphin interactions - what works and what doesn't (3) To create a generic protocal/regulation sheet for human behavior in the presence of dolphins, suitable for use in a variety of situations Several speakers will be making short presentations during this workshop. However, we invite all persons working in this area to be prepared to discuss relevant aspects of their work during discussion periods. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please contact me at "frohoff(\)netcom.com" as soon as possible and indicate your specific area(s) of interest in this subject area. Toni Frohoff ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Dec 1995 09:51:14 +1100 From: Graham Clarke Subject: Humpback whales in Hawaii >Date: Thu, 30 Nov 95 02:45:50 1000 >From: Pete Gerum >Organization: Kamehameha Schools > >To: gclarke(\)magna.com.au >Subject: humpback whales in Hawaii > >Do you have information as to the exact date when humpback whales were >first spotted back in Hawaii this winter ? Mahalo and thank you very >much. I am forwarding this message in the hope that someone can assist Peter. Graham. -------------------------------------------------------- Graham_Clarke - "WHALES IN DANGER" Information Service -------------------------------------------------------- Home Page - http://whales.magna.com.au/home.html -------------------------------------------------------- Sydney - AUSTRALIA - EMail: -------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Nov 1995 15:38:23 -0800 From: Allan Rosen-Ducat Subject: Rescue Marine Mammals In Sunny Malibu Ca. Malibu-based Marine Mammal and Wildlife Rescue organization seeks to fill the o ffice of President. The president will be responsible for guiding a dedicated g roup of volunteers to provide superior animal rescue response. Specific areas of responsibilty include overseeing volunteer training and scheduleing for animal rescue, fund-raising, a public relation campaign and gene ral office supervision. Resume: e-mail allanrd(\)earthlink.net or call 310-456-8775 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Dec 1995 09:26:55 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 12/1/95 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary. Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary are modified as I receive new information. In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am shortening the summary to include only new items added since my last posting. However, I will post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the more complete format. This posting is the longer version for the first Friday of December 1995. NOTE: Archived first Friday summaries from June 1994 through the present are now available on the World Wide Web at "http://www.lsu.edu/~sglegal/" I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should be directed to me (gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov). I will post this summary each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful feedback on issues. To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Gene Buck Congressional Research Service - ENR Library of Congress Washington, DC 20540-7450 e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: New info and changes since 11/27/95 are bracketed {...}. . Marine Mammals . Norwegian Sealing and Whaling. On Nov. 21, 1995, Norwegian scientists released two reports on 1995 Norwegian sealing and whaling activities, indicating that 98.3% of weaned seal pups that were shot died instantly while 62% of the adult minke whales that were harpooned died instantly. [Assoc Press] . Hawaii Humpback Whale Sanctuary Expansion. On Nov. 15, 1995, Honolulu City Council's Public Works and Environment Committee recommended that the full Council endorse the proposed expansion of the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The full Council is scheduled to consider this resolution on Dec. 6. {On Nov. 28, 1995, the first of a series of Statewide public hearings was held on the proposed sanctuary expansion.} [Assoc Press] . ATOC. On Nov. 7, 1995, Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists were to begin the first sound transmissions off the California coast in the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) program, to study how the sound transmissions might affect marine mammals. However, bad weather and logistical problems delayed the formal start. Subsequently, it was reported that as many as 13 sound transmissions had been made between Oct. 28 and Nov. 4, 1995, without formal notification and monitoring, contrary to the project's scientific protocol. On Nov. 15, 1995, ATOC scientists announced that the project's start had been suspended indefinitely because of a request from NMFS while the deaths of three humpback whales are investigated. {Although the three whales appear to have died} during the same time period that ATOC sound transmissions were being made, ATOC officials claim there is no connection. However, whale carcasses were not or could not be retrieved for necropsy. On Nov. 17, 1995, the lawsuit by Great Whales Foundation against the ATOC project was dismissed. {On Nov. 30, 1995, NMFS officials gave permission for ATOC's underwater sound experiments to resume after deciding that the three humpback whale deaths were unrelated to the tests.} [New York Times via Greenwire, Reuters, Assoc Press, San Francisco Chronicle, personal communication] . Bering Sea Ecosystem Meeting. On Nov. 2-3, 1995, scientists and Native Alaskans met to coordinate future Bering Sea ecosystem research, as directed by 1994 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. [Assoc Press] . DDT Declines in California sea lions. On Nov. 7, 1995, University of California scientists commented on their report in the November 1995 issue of Marine Pollution Bulletin documenting studies showing that DDT and related DDE in the blubber of California sea lions had declined from about 760 parts per million in 1970 to about 5.2 parts per million in 1988-1992 samples. [Assoc Press] . Wandering Manatees. On Nov. 16, 1995, the manatee that had travelled as far north as Rhode Island during the summer of 1995 was sighted in the warm water outfall of the Jacksonville (FL) Electric Authority's Southsid e Generating Station. {On Nov. 28, 1995, a wandering manatee was spotted at Buffalo Bayou in the Houston Ship Canal, TX.} [Assoc Press] . Tuna-Dolphin. The House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans postponed, until further notice, a hearing scheduled for Nov. 16, 1995, on a bill to be introduced to implement the Panama Declaration on tuna/dolphin conservation. {On Nov. 30, 1995, representatives from the environmental community, industry, and the Clinton Administration participated in a congressional staff briefing to discuss S. 1420, legislation introduced to implement the Panama Declaration.} [NMFS announcement, personal communication] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Dec 1995 14:03:16 GMT From: User Bmorales Subject: Multiple recipients of list Marmam XXI International Meeting for the Study of Marine Mammals We invite you to the XXI International Meeting for the Study of Marine Mammals, to be held on April 8-12, 1996 in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. We count on the participation of the Scientific Community of Central America and the Caribbean, besides the usual participation of the United States and South America. In the role of the meeting, a workshop on research and conservation strategies of the caribbean manatee will be held. Sponsored by: Mexican Society for the Study of Marine Mammals and El Colegio de la Frontera Sur Unidad Quintana Roo Registration Fees (mexican money): N$ 200.00 Member without banquet N$ 350.00 Non-member without banquet 50% discount Students without banquet Climate: On April expect sunny days and clear skies with a mean temperature of 77 F, maximum 90 F. INSTRUCTIONS FOR ABSTRACTS SUBMISSIONS: 1. Use an electrical typewriter or lasser printer with Univers (scalable) 12 pt font. 2. Preferentially add an original file in 3 1/2" computer disk virus free, in WordPerfect, Word or ASCII. 3. Use the format shown in the sample abstract below. Place the title first,usin g all capital letters. Abstracts in English and Spanish should be submitted with a maximum length of 300 words each. The abstract should contain the study's specific objetives, an outline of the method, the essential new results and conclusions drawn from the work. 4. Leave two blank lines between the title and the author's name and two blank lines between the author's address and the single spaced text. Paragraph indent is five spaces. Please avoid erasures, errors, misspellings and poor grammar. The abstract will be reproduced directly from your copy. 5. Type in other page if you want your presentation oral or poster and if you want it to participate in a best college or degree presentation contest. Oral presentations will be limited to 15 minutes and posters should not exceed a size of 1.30 m X 1.30 m. 6. Please note that the deadline for the submission of abstracts has been set at February 9th of 1996. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. You can make your reservation directly with Los Cocos hotel, but note that travel arrangements are being handled by the Meeting's oficial travel agency. Mention your attendance at the International Meeting. HOTEL LOS COCOS TEL (983) 205-42, 212-73 FAX (983) 209-20 OFICIAL TRAVEL AGENCY Fomento Internacional de Turismo S.A. Turismo Mision (Mexico, D. F.) Srita. Teresa Rosillo/Sr. Santiago Angelino TEL (5) 584 42 21 FAX (5) 564 32 28 Abstracts shoul be sent to: M. en C. Benjamin Morales Vela El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Quintana Roo Apdo. Postal 424, C.P. 77000, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico tel (983) 216-66, 200-76 Fax (983) 204-47 e-mail: Bmorales(\)xaway.ciqro.conacyt.mx SAMPLE DISTRIBUCION ESPACIAL Y ESTIMACION POBLACIONAL DE LOS MANATIES EN LA BAHIA DE CHETUMAL, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO Benjamin Morales Vela y Leon David Olivera Gomez Centro de Investigaciones de Quintana Roo (CIQRO) Zona Industrial no. 2, carretera Chetumal-Bacalar, Apdo. Postal 424, C.P. 77000 Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. A traves de censos aereos sobre transectos paralelos y per- pendiculares a la costa de la bahia de Chetumal, se definio la tendencia general... SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION AND POPULATION ESTIMATING OF MANATEES WITHIN CHETUMA BAY, QUINATANA ROO, MEXICO The general spatial distribution of manatees in Chetumal bay was determined trough aerial surveys over parallel and perpendicular transects to the coastline... ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Dec 1995 13:04:51 +0000 From: Sara Heimlich-Boran Subject: Re: Request for information about humans (tourists) feeding free-ranging cetaceans RE: Request for information about humans (tourists) feeding free-ranging cetacea ns I am posting this notice for Dr. Arne Bjorge, Norwegian Institute for Nature Res earch. Dr. Bjorge is looking for any information about locations where tourists feed 'f ree-ranging' dolphins, either from boats or from shore; such as Monkey Mia. He would apprec iate background details, such as how the activity started, how many people are partic ipating (numbers of commercial enterprizes, if any, and numbers of toursits or people in volved), the effects on the cetaceans, any potential threats to either the cetaceans or human s, any regualtion (official or non-official) which exists in the location, etc. I'm su re there is something I've over-looked, but these items are probably sufficient to give an i dea of the kind of information that would be usefull. I understand there is a location in Florida where this sort of activity has deve loped relatively recently. We are espeically interested in this location. We would appreciate replies ASAP, directed to Dr. Bjorge at email arne.bjorge(\)bio.uio.no, and to myself. Thanks to all- SHB ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Dec 1995 18:45:47 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: MM Conference - Registration Update: XIth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals We have had almost 1350 individuals pre-register for the conference and we note that a significant number of individuals who are presenting papers have not pre-registered. Therefore, we anticipate a large crowd in the onsite registration line on 14 December at the Clarion Hotel. Recommendation: If you are planning to attend the conference but HAVE NOT sent in a registration form, we recommend that you register onsite. DO NOT mail or fax the form to us at this time. The mails may not reach us in time and Allen Press will not be able to process credit cards in time for us to prepare the necessary documents. If you mail your registration form to us but it does not reach us in time, you will be REQUIRED to pay the registration fees onsite. "The check is in the mail" is not acceptable. Funds arriving late in the mails will be returned after the conference. REMEMBER: Credit cards CAN NOT be accepted for onsite payment of registration fees. We can only accept cash, travelers checks in U.S. dollars or checks drawn on U.S. banks. PLEASE, pass this information on to your colleagues who do not have email and feel free to contact us if you have ANY questions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel K. Odell Chair, Conference Committee Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Society for Marine Mammalogy Orlando, Florida, USA - 14-18 December 1995 ------- c/o Sea World, Inc. phone: +407-363-2662 7007 Sea World Drive fax: +407-345-5397 Orlando, FL 32821-8097 USA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Dec 1995 13:09:20 -1000 From: Rick Coleman Subject: Re: Humpback whales in Hawaii In-Reply-To: <01HYAGB43ZGI001HNB(\)fuchsia.its.Hawaii.Edu> On Thu, 30 Nov 1995, Graham Clarke wrote: > >From: Pete Gerum > >Organization: Kamehameha Schools > >Subject: humpback whales in Hawaii > > > >Do you have information as to the exact date when humpback whales were > >first spotted back in Hawaii this winter ? Mahalo and thank you very > >much. The first day I saw humpbacks this year was Saturday, November 25. It was a pod of 2. Most likely a mother and yearling, but maybe 2 adults, it was too far away to be certain. This sighting was on Oahu, from the top of Diamond Head. I'm sure people have earlier sighting from Maui. Anyone seen any before this near Oahu? Rick Coleman University of Hawaii Kewalo Basin Marine Mammmal Laboratory ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 11:41:05 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: U.S. agency agrees to undersea U.S. agency agrees to undersea sound experiment SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 1 (Reuter) - A U.S. government agency has given the go-ahead for a controversial undersea sound experiment after concluding it is unlikely the deaths of three whales are linked to the study, officials said on Friday. Scientists at the University of California at San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography propose transmitting sounds from loudspeakers deep in the ocean in a study of global warming. The noises would be picked up by receivers located around the Pacific, enabling scientists to detect changes in ocean temperatures since sound travels faster in warmer water. After environmentalists voiced concern about the possible effect of the noise on whales and dolphins, scientists agreed to carry out a preliminary study to test whether the signals would have any adverse impact on marine mammals. The researchers installed a loudspeaker deep in the Pacific Ocean off the central California coast and engineers carried out some tests of the sound source last month. At about the same time, three humpback whales turned up dead within about a 100-mile (160-km) radius of the site. The government's National Marine Fisheries Service asked the researchers to delay the start of the experiment until the agency had investigated the cause of the whales' deaths. Scripps said on Friday that National Marine Fisheries Service officials had concluded it was unlikely that the deaths of the whales were linked to the researchers' acoustic engineering tests and had given the go-ahead for the project. Jim Lecky, a National Marine Fisheries Service official, said the agency had not been able to determine why the whales died. But he said the sound source was not capable of delivering the kind of injury that would kill the whales so quickly. Project scientists have said the whales probably died of old age. A spokeswoman for Scripps said the experiment could start as early as Saturday, weather permitting. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 12:10:46 -0400 From: Sascha Kate Hooker Subject: bottlenose whale strandings In-Reply-To: <9510061211.AA73885(\)is.dal.ca> To Marine Mammal Scientists - East Coast Canada and US I am hoping to use biopsy samples to investigate diet in nothern bottlenose whales but would like to calibrate results by running tests across the blubber layer using samples from stranded animals. I would like to put out a request that if a northern bottlenose whale strands at any time over the next two or three years a blubber sample could be collected for me. Ideally I would like a sample from the area beneath the fin, from the skin right down to the muscle layer (so that I have the whole blubber layer). This can then be stored in the deep freeze. Also if anyone knows of any samples from previous strandings that have been collected, I would be very interested to hear from you. Thanks for any help Sascha Hooker Sascha Hooker | Department of Biology shooker(\)is.dal.ca | Dalhousie University (902) 494 3723 | Halifax, NS B3H 4J1 | Canada ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 14:55:09 -0500 From: Michael Williamson Subject: Conference-WhaleNet/FINNS meeting For those who continue to request information about the WhaleNet program and FINNS (Fluke Indentifictaion Neural Network System) project to identify the meeting is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 15 at 7:00 PM in Salon 8 The aganda for the meeting is to give an overview of WhaleNet internet project and then flow into FINNS. Michael Williamson (Wheelock College and the Mingan Island Cetacean study) and Paul Colombo (Simmons College and EnviroNet) will present the WhaleNet program, and Jim kendall (nichols research Corp) will present the program on FINNS. If you have questions please look for posters at the hotel and/or contact me via email at williams(\)whale.simmons.edu See you soon. Mike Williamson ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Dec 1995 18:56:39 GMT From: Teresa Platt Organization: The Fishermen's Coalition Subject: eco groups on S.1420 tuna/dolphin CENTER FOR MARINE CONSERVATION * ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND * GREENPEACE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION * WORLD WILDLIFE FUND FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gerry Leape, Greenpeace 202 462-1177 Scott Burns, WWF 202 293-4800 Nina Young, CMC 202 429-5609 Rodrigo Prudencio, NWF 202 797-6603 Annie Petsonk, EDF 202 387-3500 Environmentalists Urge Passage of Key Dolphin Protection Bill (November 17, 1995 -- Washington) Leading environmental groups urged Congress to enact S.1420, the International Dolphin Conservation Program Act, introduced today by Senators Ste vens, Breaux, Chafee, Johnston and Murkowski. The bill would lock into place the dolphin and ecosyste m protection commitments put forward by 12 nations on October 4, 1995, including the governme nts of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, and the United States of America , to preserve and strengthen the current international program for dolphin protection in the Easte rn Tropical Pacific (ETP). The existing program is wholly voluntary and expires in 1999. But S.1420 would commit governments to strengthen the existing program by turning it into a binding international agree ment that further decreases dolphin deaths in the ETP. The environmental groups urged Congress to enact S.1 420 and make the binding legal agreement a reality. The current program and the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) have cut do lphin deaths in the ETP tuna fishery by 96% since 1972. The International Dolphin conservation Program Act builds on the dolphin protection initiatives that environmental groups have worked to esta blish with industry and governments over the past several years. The governments have committed to requ ire ETP tuna vessels to reduce their dolphin mortality, with the long-term goal of eliminating dolphin m ortality entirely. The legislation would also establish, for the first time, internationally binding pr otection for each of the individual species and stocks of dolphins in the ETP. This legislation builds the kind of effective, legally binding dolphin protecti on that we have sought for years, said Gerry Leape, Greenpeace. S.1402 preserves tough U.S. trade measures against nations that do not fish in compliance with the international dolphin conservation program. If countries break the rules, they won t sell their tuna in he U.S., said National Wildlife Federation (NWF) trade and environment specialist Rodrigo Prudencio. Now it s up to the governments to follow through, said Scott Burns, World Wild life Fund (WWF) fisheries analyst. This will a major step forward in protecting dolphin and pr eserving the biodiversity in the ETP. The legislation would also strengthen the popular dolphin-safe label for canne d tuna by requiring certification by on-board observers in the ETP that no dolphins died in catching that tuna. The legislation will protect marine species in general and those dolphin specie s that require it most by setting mortality limits for all dolphins species in the ETP, said Nina Young, a marine mammologist with the Center for Marine Conservation. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Dec 1995 18:54:58 GMT From: Teresa Platt Organization: The Fishermen's Coalition Subject: eastern Pacific tuna info Eastern Pacific Tuna Fishery Whether on land or on sea, animals are present in all food harvesting operation s. A farmer looking through the fields before harvesting his crop sees rabbits, opossums, mi ce, rats, birds, foxes, skunks and snakes. These animals flee as the combines come through the fields b ut there is accidental and unavoidable mortality. The ocean is no different. As farmers of the sea, fishermen use various equipm ent designed to harvest specific fish. Non-targeted animals flee or are released unharmed. How ever, there is accidental and unavoidable mortality. A challenge for every fisherman is to design and use equipment and methods whic h selectively catch the target fish the fisherman wants while minimizing non-targeted "bycatch " (unwanted catch) and discards (rejects returned to the sea). The Basics If you were to design a program to reduce the bycatch in a fishery, you would w ant to answer a few basic questions: How many affected animals are there in this fishery? How much does their population increase every year naturally (births less natura l mortality or "net reproductive rate")? How many animals are people killing accidentally every year? Is this number so high that it is negatively effecting the animal populations? Can we reduce the number of animals accidentally killed without putting fisherme n out of business? Can we reduce the numbers of animals accidentally killed without substituting ge ar and equipment that will have a different or greater negative impact on the ocean's inhabitants? A Case Study Over the last thirty years, one are of the world has received a great amount of attention due to an unwanted bycatch of dolphins during fishing operations. The eastern tropical Pa cific (ETP) yellowfin tuna fishery, an 8 million square mile area stretching from California to Chile and out to Hawaii, is the traditional fishing grounds for the U.S. tuna fleet and eight to nine other coun tries. This multi-country fleet has operated under the conservation programs of the Inter-American Tropica l Tuna Commission (IATTC) since 1949. Because of the presence of this conservation program, this fishery boasts one of the world's most comprehensive marine databases. In terms of science, this is a won derful accomplishment. But this can be negative in that anyone can take numbers and generate hysteria. Putting It In Perspective So let's put the numbers in perspective: The eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) yellowfin tuna fishery is over 8 million squa re miles of ocean, an area almost three times the size of the United States. The ETP produces about 800 million pounds of skipjack and yellowfin tuna (lightm eat tuna) per year, about 20 to 25% of the world's canned tuna supply. The ETP is the world's largest yellowfin tuna fishery and produces about 30% of the world's yellowfin tuna, a delicious and prolific fish which lives to about five years and can grow to weigh 400 pounds. The ETP is home to approximately 10 million dolphins which are commonly found sw imming in association with large yellowfin tuna. Fishermen encirlce both the tuna and the dolphins and then release the dolphins unharmed before putting the fish on board. The fishermen encircle and release over a million dolphins a year in this fisher y. Because the area is so large and the dolphins so numerous, if the U.S. Marine Ma mmal Protection Act were applied equally to this international fishery, an allowance for accidental kills of dolphins would be given to the fishermen of approximately 55,000 dolphins annually. The number of dolphins accidentally killed has varied over the last thirty years from hundreds oaf thousands annually to approximately 4,000 in recent years of 0.04% of the abunda nce of the dolphins found in this fishery. Education Plus Commitment Equals Stunning Results Educating the fishermen on the correct gear and how to use it has resulted in o ne of the cleanest, most efficient fisheries in the world. Discards are less than 0.1 percent of th e catch. Marine mammal mortality is a fraction of what is experience in many other fisheries and it is recognized that substitution of other gear would result in higher dolphin mortality. In addition, concentrat ing the fishing on the mature and large yellowfin tuna keeps the fishery healthy and avoids overfishing the resource. Avoiding all dolphin interaction ("dolphin safe" as currently defined) forces t he fishermen to fish on small yellowfin which scientists estimate will reduce the production of yello wfin tuna by 30 to 60 percent and results in unacceptably high discards of many other fish, billfish a nd sharks. "Dolphin safe" needs to be redefined as a gold star for perfect performance by the fishermen in releasing dolphins unharmed. This definition encourages fishermen to continue improving their perf ormance at releasing the involved dolphins unharmed while catching clean schools of large fish, keepi ng the ocean healthy. Simply put, marine mammals are present in all the world's oceans and therefore all the world's fisheries. An allowance for interaction and some mortality allows fishermen to earn a living and supply the world with a food product. If we are to continue to make progress in addres sing environmental issues, we need to support rational, scientifically based conservation programs in every ocean of the world. The Fishermen's Coalition works to educate the public on responsible fishing pr actices, the importance of fishing in providing food to the global village and to celebrate a nd secure seafaring communities. You can reach The Fishermen's Coalition at 826 Orange Avenue, #504, Coronado, CA 92118, Tel: (619) 575-4664, Fax: (619) 575-5578. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 12:39:36 PST From: Alan McGowen Subject: OPPOSE HR 2179: : A DEATH SENTENCE FOR DOLPHINS! (fwd) OPPOSE HR 2179: : A DEATH SENTENCE FOR DOLPHINS! > Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) has introduced HR 2179, a >bill that would amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow the >killing of thousands of dolphins. This bill panders to the tuna fishing >industry and would repeal provisions that were designed to reduce dolphin >mortality. > > - The bill would allow dolphin-unsafe tuna to be imported into the U.S. >as long as total dolphin morality does not exceed the "potential >biological removal level (PBR) for each affected stock." The PBR for >dolphins in the eastern tropical Pacific alone is estimated at 55,923. >This would mean a 13-fold increase in the number of accepted dolphins deaths! > > - HR 2179 REMOVES prohibitions on using explosives to chase dolphins into >nets and setting nets during darkness hours, when mortality is 3 to 5 >times higher. Also, the "back down procedure," a technique to release >dolphins caught in nets, would no longer be required. > > - This bill would repeal the current definition of "dolphin-safe" and >would allow fraudulent mislabeling of tuna. Consumers would not know if >their tuna was caught by killing dolphins. > >TELL YOUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TO OPPOSE HR 2179 > >YOU CAN CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS ABOUT THIS BILL BY DIALING THE >CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD AT 202-225-3121, OR WRITING TO THE HONORABLE -----------, >U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515. FOR MORE INFO, OR >TO FIND OUT WHO YOUR CONGRESSPERSON IS, CALL CHRISTINE WOLF AT THE FUND >FOR ANIMALS AT 1-301-585-2591! ***************************************************** "People have the power to redeem the work of fools." Patti Smith For Mother Earth. . . I For Humanity. . . / | \ | Alice McCombs W ----o---- N P.O. Box 573 | Shawano, WI 54166 \ | / S FX: 715-524-9958 Email: amccombs(\)mail.wiscnet.net PEACE **** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 13:50:15 -1000 From: "Herbert L. Roitblat" Subject: Workshop on critical thinking for scientific communication In-Reply-To: <01HYEPLBQ38Y0024AQ(\)fuchsia.its.Hawaii.Edu> Tom Jackson and I are organizing a workshop on critical thinking for scientific communication at the upcoming marine mammal society meeting. We have been soliciting opinion pieces to use as the starting point of discussion at the meeting. People have been invited to submit presentations of about one paragraph or so concerning a vexing issue at the interface between science and policy, for example, concerning marine mammals in captivity or sustainable-yield whaling. We hope for a balanced discussion of argument structure and how to facilitate discussion about these issues. IT IS NOT OUR INTENTION TO SETTLE EITHER OF THESE ISSUES AT THIS MEETING OR TO PRESENT A ONE-SIDED VIEW OF ANY OF THESE ISSUES! To date, however, we have not received any presentations arguing that animals should not be kept in captivity or arguing that whales should not be harvested. We encourage the submission of these presentations in order to have a balanced discussion. Thanks HLR Herbert Roitblat, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology roitblat(\)uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu University of Hawaii (808) 956-6727 (808) 956-4700 fax 2430 Campus Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 11:02:34 +1000 From: Janet Slater Subject: seeking contact with John R I wish to make contact with John E Reynolds , William A Szelistowski (Florida) and Mario A Leon (Costa Rica) regarding habitat protection for manatees in Costa Rica. Can anyone help me with their email addresses or fax numbers? With thanks, Janet Slater ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 18:49:21 -0800 From: Carlos Alvarez Subject: Re: OPPOSE HR 2179: : A DEATH SENTENCE FOR DOLPHINS! (fwd) In-Reply-To: <199512042213.OAA18632(\)pisces.fish.washington.edu> Dear MARMAM readers: After going through several of the messages that have been posted in the MARMAM discussion list, I wander why no qualified person have sent a reply to clarify some of the misleading arguments that sometimes appear in such notes. Moreover, careful reading of some of them give the impression that once again, the defense of things like the so called "dolphin safe" policy as a commercial strategy, is the real reason promoting much of these movements, and maybe the reason why the people who know the facts from real data, treated with the best rigorous methodologies, don't bother to respond. I ask now, who can say in this days that the "dolphin safe" tuna can you are actually buying in the market is really "dolphin safe" when it was caught in oceans where there is not a way to certify it, or are 100% of those boats observed by international programs like those fishing in the ETP? In other words, are really the dolphins the main subject of such concerns? if so, people sending their opinions to support or hammer regulation proposals should stop and think about it. Carlos Alvarez School of Fisheries University of Washington alvarez(\)fish.washington.edu > > - The bill would allow dolphin-unsafe tuna to be imported into the U.S. > > > > > > - This bill would repeal the current definition of "dolphin-safe" and > >would allow fraudulent mislabeling of tuna. Consumers would not know if > >their tuna was caught by killing dolphins. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 23:01:43 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Canada's sealing alliance In case MARMAMers are not aware of Canada's latest conservation and humanitarian gesture, I have just received the following from International Wildlife Coalition representative in Montreal: JOINT STATEMENT The Ministers of Fisheries for Canada, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and the Representative of Greenland issued a joint statement. (Oct. 19, 1995) "Having reviewed the state of the fisheries resources in the North Atlantic, Discussed the issue of the increasing seal populations in certain areas of the North Atlantic, Noted that conservation, based on an ecosystem approach, is of fundamental importance to maintain biological diversity and productivity in the marine environment, And taking into account the interests of aboriginal peoples, recognized that: the abundance of seals in the Northwest Atlantic continues to ba a conservation problem seals may be harvested like any other marine resource there is a need, in a number of areas of the North Atlantic, to reduce the sizes of the seal herds, in a sustainable and humane manner, through expanded commercial harvests where possible. The Ministers noted that the human population of the world is increasing and that, in the absence of management of significant marine species, including seals, there will be insufficient food for the world's human population, and severe feeding problems for the marine species themselves. The ministers agreed on the need for a joint public information campaign to make this situation widely understood." Source: Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 22:01:57 -0800 From: Carlos Alvarez Subject: TURSIOPS MEETING UPDATE 2 To all the people interested in the Tursiops "get together": Thanks again for your responses and the input that is making this "get together" be meaningful. After listening to your opinions and looking for an available space, with the kind assistance of the Conference Committee our meeting has already been scheduled for the 18th of December, from 3 to 5 pm in Salon 8. One of the most important concerns that have been addressed to me is that attempting to hold in two hours a discussion of "population biology" or even on the more restricted topics that I proposed, is impossible. Some other colleagues have mentioned that it may not be clear what the aim of the meeting is and I have been also asked things like what do "I" want in an info page. When I proposed to have this gathering, my main idea was that besides the well-known researchers, another fairly large amount of people is doing research on bottlenose dolphins in a field that we can enclose into the population biology, but have not published yet for a variety of reasons. Hence it seemed as if at least get to know the people actively working in this area and know what we are doing are positive steps and that this kind of conferences are ideal to accomplish this goal... somebody just needs to take the initiative and I volunteered. I also envisioned that beyond getting to know each other and what we do, we may also accomplish something else and suggested to have a discussion of some topics that are of our interest. Upon suggestions to focus the discussion to more specific issues, I can propose now that the meeting include an exchange of our ideas and experience on stock identification and related problems. It is not the intention of this meeting to define what a "stock" is, but to know with which definitions we are working and how are we approaching the problem. Specifically: - Methods to determine stock (or any other definition of population units) identity, including a) analysis of geographical distribution. b) comparison of morphological characteristics. c) determinations about the use of the area. d) relationships between animals from marking (photoid. or any other marking method). e) comparison of behavioral characteristics. f) observation of estimates of population parameters. g) determination of contaminant levels in body tissues. h) determination and comparison of genetic characteristics. - Examples of problems found while applying one or more of the methods. a) range of distribution beyond sampling possibilities. b) too much individual variation. c) not enough associated information. d) animals presenting few natural marks. e) not uniform criteria on behavioral traits. f) unavailable information required. g) contaminants detected but sources unidentified. h) genetic markers not available. - Possible solutions. to be discussed... Here is also my own information page that could serve as a GUIDE. Note that I am not including my previous experience with bottlenose dolphins but only what my actual research is, and that it includes some other aspects of my research that are NOT going to be subject of our discussion. You can incorporate any information that you consider is important to let other colleagues to know what you are doing or what is the extent of your experience. If I receive information pages before the conference, I will make copies and distribute them during the meeting. A commitment from all the recipients of the pages should be made to ensure that their content could not be cited without author's permission. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Carlos Alvarez INSTITUTION: School of Fisheries, University of Washington and Science School, National Autonomous University of Mexico. GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF INTEREST: Mexican Caribbean and South Eastern Gulf of Mexico. RESEARCH GOALS: Identification of population units, estimation of abundance, biological foundation for the management of capture activities in the area. METHODS USED OR PLANED TO BE USED: - Photoidentification (in use). - Freeze-branding (in use). - Genetic analysis (samples already collected but not yet analyzed). - Aerial surveys (to be used). - Mark-Recapture methods to estimate abundance (in use). - Line transect techniques to observe large scale distributional patterns by looking at variations in densities (to be used). STATUS OF RESEARCH ADVANCES: - Identification of over 500 individuals and observance of their residence and association patterns during two years has led to the conclusion that at least two different population units may be present in North Eastern Yucatan and that such units could be interacting without apparent limitation. No boundaries have been identified for any of the units. Our best estimate of the size for the resident population unit is 690 (C.I. 499-910). FUTURE WORK: - Extend photoidentification sampling to adjacent areas looking for the extent of movements. - Complement photoidentification data extending the branding program and the collection of skin samples. - Determination of the genetic characteristics for bottlenose dolphins in the Mexican Caribbean and South East Gulf of Mexico and their relationships with other areas. - Perform aerial surveys to obtain information of larger scale patterns of distribution. - Estimate abundance using mark-recapture and line transect methods for other areas in the Mexican Caribbean and South East Gulf of Mexico. REFERENCE SOURCES - Results of this research are presented in the XIth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals to be held in Orlando Florida, USA in December 1995. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Please consider that neither the my proposal for the discussion nor the content of the information page guide are "ultimate" and that inputs to improve the benefits we can get from the meeting are welcomed all the time. It may still be possible that although already restricted to a very specific topic the time will not be enough. Sure we will do our best to accomplish concrete conclusions from this meeting. I look forward to see you all in Orlando. Sincerely Carlos Alvarez School of Fisheries University of Washington ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 11:59:06 -0500 From: JTZEE(\)aol.com Subject: Re: IMATA-Polar Bear Group Hi This is for those who attended the recent IMATA conference and was in the Polar Bear Discussion Group. I'm Interested in finding out what was discussed and who might have attended. Please e-mail me. Any info would be appriciated. Jackson Zee JTZEE(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 11:50:26 -0800 From: "Joyce E. Sisson" Subject: IWC CLIMATE CHANGE AND CETACEANS SYMPOSIUM FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT November 30, 1995 International Whaling Commission Climate Change and Cetaceans Symposium Turtle Bay Hilton, Kahuku, Hawaii March 25-26, 1996 The National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center is hosting the International Whaling Commission Symposium on Climate Change and Cetaceans. Speakers will discuss issues related to potential effects of climate change (global warming, ozone depletion and other related phenomena) on cetaceans. In preparing the agenda for this symposium, the conveners have drawn heavily on recent results of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The topics to be discussed during the two day symposium are listed in the agenda below. The symposium will be open to all interested in attending, given space limitations of the venue. There will be a deadline for registration and payment of conference fee of $50.00 (U.S.) by Friday, March 1, 1996 or as space permits. The fee includes a reception following the first day of the symposium. A workshop to discuss implications for the work of the IWC will follow on March 27-30 which will be limited to 35 participants with preference given to symposium speakers and scientists active in relavent fields. A block reservation has been made for the Conference at the Turtle Bay Hilton, and attendees are asked to identify themselves as Conference participants when making their reservations. The Turtle Bay Hilton is offering the following special Conference rate of $97.00 + 10.17% state tax per night for symposium attendees which will also apply for the weekend nights prior to and following the Conference for those wishing to extend their stay on the north shore of Hawaii. For reservations call 1-800-HILTONS or 808-293-8811. For more symposium information contact: Dr. Stephen B. Reilly (steve(\)caliban.ucsd.edu) Chairman, IWC Scientific Committee Joyce Sisson (joyce(\)caliban.ucsd.edu) National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center P.O. Box 271 La Jolla, CA 92038-0271 (619) 546-7064 or 7164 Phone (619) 546-7003 FAX AGENDA IWC Climate Change and Cetaceans Symposium Turtle Bay Hilton, Kahuku, Hawaii March 25-26, 1996 Monday March 25, 1996 8:30A.M. - 5:00P.M. Symposium Day 1 "What environmental changes are most likely to occur and over what time and space scales, given the current increase in greenhouse gasses" I. What changes have been detected? 1. Overview of IPCC Report, including: Global warming and changes in oceanography and in polar ice 2. Climate change, ozone depletion and UV radiation 3. Decade-scale climate regime shifts II. Climate models and theory 4. Model validation and predictions (summary of global patterns) IV Summaries of state of knowledge of cetacean distribution, migration, habitat use patterns 5. Baleen whales 6. Toothed whales 7. Small cetaceans Reception at Turtle Bay Hilton 6:00 - 9:00 P.M. Tuesday, March 26, 1996 8:30A.M. - 5:00P.M. Symposium Day 2 "Given these changes occur, what trophic (or direct) processes would link them to the distribution and abundance of cetaceans?" IV. Marine biotic responses: Overviews of global patterns 8. Overview of IPCC conclusions: responses to global warming 9. Overview of marine biotic responses to ozone depletion V. Observed and predicted ecosystem responses that may affect cetaceans 10. Phytoplankton/ Zooplankton 11. Fishes and cephalopods 12. Pinnipeds and birds 13. Food webs, multispecies/ecosystem models, and system responses 14. Predicted links to cetaceans (Roundtable discussion to set stage for workshop) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 17:16:43 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: MM Conference - weather report Today (Tuesday) the weather in Orlando is wonderful! Lows in the 55-60 F range. Highs near 80 F. Clear skies. I'll post the weather expectations for the conference as they become available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel K. Odell Chair, Conference Committee Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Society for Marine Mammalogy Orlando, Florida, USA - 14-18 December 1995 ------- c/o Sea World, Inc. phone: +407-363-2662 7007 Sea World Drive fax: +407-345-5397 Orlando, FL 32821-8097 USA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 14:13:18 -0800 From: Susie Pike Subject: ATOC Press Release REGARDING ATOC Press Release The following is the latest press release issued by Scripps Institution of Oceanography regarding the ATOC Project. If you need any additional information, contact the ATOC Project Office at (619) 534-8765, or send mail to spike(\)ucsd.edu. Susie Pike ATOC Project Office _________________________________ Dec. 1, 1995 National Marine Fisheries Service Clears Way For Start of ATOC Marine Mammal Research Program Officials with the National Marine Fisheries Service have reported that they believe it is unlikely that the deaths of three humpback whales off Half Moon Bay, Calif., are linked to acoustic engineering tests conducted as part of Scripps Institution of Oceanography's Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) program and have authorized the project to start operations. The California Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) component of the project, intended to study whether underwater sound signals might have any adverse impact on marine mammals, was scheduled to begin Nov. 9. Upon learning a humpback whale had been discovered dead in the region, however, project scientists placed the program on hold as a precautionary measure while seeking advice from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the MMRP Advisory Board. Following an extensive review, NMFS officials stated in a letter dated Nov. 30 that "the Scripps Institution of Oceanography may proceed with initiation of the MMRP." Accordingly, the program is to start as soon as weather permits. Based on available data, the National Marine Fisheries' Southwest Region Office (NMFS-SWR) in Long Beach, Calif., was unable to determine the cause of the death of the three whales, which were discovered in the San Francisco area between Nov. 4 and Nov. 9. However, agency officials said they did not believe tests of the ATOC sound source were responsible for the whale deaths. ### ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Dec 1995 11:53:44 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: free travel Dr. Larry Barnes has asked me to post that he has two one-way tickets available for the asking. Orlando, FL to Atlanta, GA (leaving 19 Dec or later) Charleston, SC to Washington, DC (leaving 18 Dec or later) The tickets are available for *FREE* (though you'll be responsible for any change fees). Contact Larry directly at: 213-744-3329. He will bring the tickets to the conference. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Dec 1995 22:52:15 -0500 From: Whaledoc(\)aol.com Subject: Hotel room at conference I will be attending the Orlando conference and have an extra bed in my room (nonsmoking) at the Clarion hotel. If another female attendee would like to share this room, please contact my e-mail or phone number (after 7 pm PST). Thanks, Stephanie Norman e-mail: whale doc(\)aol.com phone: 714-443-2543 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Dec 1995 20:19:21 -1000 From: Catherine Combelles Subject: Marine Mammal Research Course-Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology The University of Hawaii is pleased to offer a 2 week course during the 1996 spring break on the =93Biology and Management of Marine Mammals=94. The course is composed of lectures, laboratory work, and field experiences. Lectures will be held daily during the first week of the course, and laboratory work will be performed in a reproduction and growth biology laboratory at Coconut Island. Field studies in coastal waters of Oahu will be conducted during the second week. Each participant in the course will be given unique hands-on opportunities with captive and wild marine mammals that naturally occur in Hawaiian waters, and upon completion of the course, will be awarded a certificate from the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB). Dr. Shannon Atkinson is the program leader, and invited lecturers include: Dr. Paul Nachtigall, Dr. Whitlow Au, Dr. Pamela Yochem, Dr. Joe Mobley, Mr. Bill Gilmartin, and Dr. Jay Sweeney. For a more detailed description of the course, consult our web page at http://www2.hawaii.edu/~Zoology/marine.mammal.course You can also address any further inquiry to Catherine Combelles, Course Assistant (combelle(\)hawaii.edu). Dr. Shannon Atkinson, program leader, and I, Cat Combelles, will also be present at the Society for Marine Mammalogy Conference in Orlando from December 14th to December 18th, and we will be glad to answer any questions you might have. Look for our poster during the following poster presentations: December 15h, 10:30 am: Lowe et al. Diet and rate of passage studies on the Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi). Lucas et al. Changes in body composition during gestation in bottlenose dolphins. December 17th, 10:30 am: Combelles et al. Annual progesterone concentrations in two species of captive small whales, Pseudorca crassidens and Grampus griseus. Atkinson and Iwasa. Basic reproductive biology of the Hawaiian monk seal. Please feel free to post and/or pass on to others who might be interested and who might not have access to the list. I look forward to answer any questions you might have (please do not reply to the list). Aloha, Catherine Combelles, M.S. Research Associate Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawaii PO BOX 1346 Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744 (808) 956-8625 (808) 236-7443 (FAX) combelle(\)hawaii.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 21:17:45 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: SA: STRANDED DOLPHINS SAVED BY SA: STRANDED DOLPHINS SAVED BY CLEAR-THINKING LOCALS ADELAIDE, Dec 6 AAP - Two adult dolphins stranded yesterday on tidal sands in South Australia's Coffin Bay National Park owe their lives to the efforts of two local people, wildlife authorities said today. National Parks and Wildlife Service west district manager Ross Allen said Tom Hyde and Myriam Sheehy (Sheehy) were out walking around 3pm when they discovered the female Bottlenose Dolphins, some two-metres in length and weighing about 300kg each. Tom, 21, and Myriam, 18, kept the animals wet, covered them in clothing to guard against sunburn, and telephoned wildlife authorities. "They were out on the sandflats and initially we thought they were dead," said Tom, who lives on a farm at nearby Coomunga, about 10km north of Port Lincoln, 670km west of Adelaide. "We only saw one at the start and when it began breathing that gave us bit of a fright." "I'm sure that if they (Tom and Myriam) had done nothing,it would have been absolutely disastrous for the dolphins," Mr Allen said. "They might well have died." A team of four National Parks and Wildlife Service officers arrived at the scene, digging in under the dolphins to place them on slings specially designed for the retrieval of marine animals. Their size and weight meant it took the NPWS staff an hour to lift each dolphin across 200-300 metres of sand flats and back out to sea. Mr Allen said the dolphins were probably stranded after chasing fish in the shallows and and misjudging the tide. He said it was rare for authorities to find Bottlenose dolphins stranded because they lived near the shore and were used to fishing close-in. "The first thing to do is to get water on them (stranded dolphins), to make them feel comfortable, which they did, and they had some clothing they got wet and then draped over them," Mr Allen said. "So by the time we got to them, they weren't in too bad (a) condition, though theywere showing some signs of distress and sunburn. "It took us the best part of an hour each (dolphin), to get them back into the water. They were that heavy." ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 10:34:24 -0500 From: "Daniel K. Odell" Subject: M M Conference - better weather Tom McIntyre pointed out a weather web site that includes Orlando. http://www.intellicast.com Go to USA weather and then to the city list. Select Orlando. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel K. Odell Chair, Conference Committee Eleventh Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Society for Marine Mammalogy Orlando, Florida, USA - 14-18 December 1995 ------- c/o Sea World, Inc. phone: +407-363-2662 7007 Sea World Drive fax: +407-345-5397 Orlando, FL 32821-8097 USA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 07:18:22 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: news clip - manatee in LA Entergy employess encounter confused manatee in canal (The Times-Picayune, 6 December 1995) An obviously confused manatee has been sighted cruising around New Orleans at least three times in the past month, according to a local company. Entergy employees at the Michoud generating station saw the large vegetarian water mammal twice in the Hot Water Canal, which runs from the station to the Intracoastal Waterway a quarter mile away near the Paris Road bridge. The latest sighting was a little more than a week ago. Entergy spokesman Harry Wadsworth said Monday. Employees also know of a fisherman who said he saw the creature in the Intracoastal Waterway. The manatee, which looks like an underwater cow witha cigar-shaped body, blunt snout, large lips, flipperlike forelimbs, and a tail fluke - lives in tropical waters. It's a rare sight around the city, but company officials figure the manatee likes the Hot Water Canal. The canal carries warm water expelled from the generating station to the Intracoastal Waterway. But "he's living on borrowed time," Wadsworth said. "It's going to be getting cold soon." The state Wildlife and Fisheries Department has expressed an interest in the sightings, Wadsworth said. The plant manager understands the Aquarium of the Americas has also expressed an interest. "We've had our environmental people looking into it," Wadsworth said. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 21:31:30 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Manatee in Houston eludes capt Manatee in Houston eludes capture HOUSTON, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- An eight-foot-long manatee in Houston's Buffalo Bayou eluded wildlife experts' initial attempt Wednesday to net it for relocation, and officials said they will try again once the manatee reappears. The manatee, an endangered species, will be taken to Sea World of San Antonio for medical tests and eventually is expected to be released along the coast of Florida or Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, said Ron Jones, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist. The manatee, which is a rare sight in Texas waters, was seen Tuesday near a city wastewater plant, which is where he was first spotted last week. "I wish he would have gone home," Jones said. "This (manatee capture and relation) is not something done on a daily basis, so there is some risk involved." Capture efforts started Wednesday after manatee experts from Florida arrived in Houston. For a few minutes, authorities believed they had the manatee in the net but somehow the manatee eluded capture when the net was drawn up, and officials said the animal had disappeared from sight. Earlier in the day, workers put a feeding ring in the bayou along with lettuce, carrots and water plants. A stretch of Buffalo Bayou near the plant was closed to barge traffic to protect the sea cow and also the rescue workers, said Eric Harvey, Coast Guard spokesman. U.S. Fish and Wildlife rescuers are trying to capture the manatee in a 240-foot net, which was flown in from Florida. Once in the net, the animal will be transferred to a sling and lifted by a crane in the parking lot to a waiting furniture truck with a padded floor. The manatee will not be moved to San Antonio in water but will be sprayed with water along the way by about five people who will ride with it, officials said. It's about a three-hour drive between Houston and San Antonio. Once at Sea World, the manatee will undergo medical tests to make sure it is healthy for a return to the wild, said Glenn Young, Sea World general curator. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 18:32:53 -0500 From: NyBlack(\)aol.com Subject: CA/MEX killer wh cat During the next year we will be completing a killer whale catalog for Calif and western Mexico under a contract from SWFSC (J. Barlow), and we're presently collecting ID photos. If anyone has kw photos and would like to contribute them to this catalog it would be greatly appreciated. All contributors will be acknow. and if specific photos are used as the "best image" for the catalog, the photographer's name will be under it. We will also let photographers know of any matches with their photos. The catalog will include a table of movements /resights for individual whales. We will be working with a student from UABCS(Mex), and would appreciate knowing about people to contact who may have photos from Sea of Cortez and w Baja (also CALIF). We (NB/AS) will be at the conference and if possible would like to meet with people interested in contributing photos, and look at photos anyone is able to bring along (sorry for short notice). Messages can be left for us at the conference hotel. Nancy Black (nyblack(\)aol.com) Pacific Cetacean Group Alisa Schulman P.O. Box 52001 Richard Ternullo Pacific Grove, CA 93950 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 00:41:44 LCL From: Bayram Ozturk Subject: Marine mammals in Turkey Dear Colleagues: This is just to inform you of the current situation regarding marine mammals in Turkey, as we assume that there is so little information available about our activities. We have been working on the conservation of the Mediterranean monk seals in Turkish waters for the last 10 years. We have been able to identify 47 animals so far, however, the number does not seem to increase, unfortunately. We identified only 2 seals in the Black Sea and another 2 in the Marmara Sea. In the Aegean Sea, Foca (Focha) and Yalikavak are the pilot protection areas. On Nov. 6 1995, we found a dead male seal in Aydincik on the Mediterranean coast. The seal had several holes made by bullets, so it is obvious that the animal was shot. In spite of our mass public awarness and protection campaign, there is still such a tragedy happening in our waters. We welcome any comments or advice for our activities regarding marine mammals in the Turkish waters. Thanks, Bayram and Ayaka Amaha Ozturk Marine Mammal Group Istanbul University Turkey ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 21:36:25 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Posse of game wardens gets its Posse of game wardens gets its manatee (Adds details on sex, condition grafs 4, 5) HOUSTON, Dec 7 (Reuter) - A posse from the Fish and Wildlife Service finally got its manatee, netting the wayward mammal Thursday as it swam outside a sewage treatment plant near downtown Houston. The 10-foot long, half-ton animal was captured by game wardens after being lured by a salad of Romaine lettuce into shallow water and surrounded by divers. "I think we got him," field supervisor David Hankla said excitedly as the endangered manatee was rolled onto the muddy banks of the bayou, tangled in a 250-foot long net. Known locally as Hou, the manatee turned out to be female and appeared to be in good condition when it was put in a specially built sling and lifted from the bayou by a crane, he said. The manatee was quickly trucked to Sea World of Texas in San Antonio for a medical examination that will determine whether it came from Florida or Mexico, both hundreds of miles away. The manatee then will be airlifted home. The manatee first appeared swimming in warm waters discharged from the wastewater plant, and spent the past week plying the polluted waters of Buffalo Bayou and the refinery-lined Houston Ship Channel. Capturing the manatee was no easy task for a crew of manatee experts flown in from Florida Wednesday. "You have to be prepared to modify your plans and react accordingly when the animal does something that you're just not anticipating," said Jim Valade, a Fish and Wildlife manatee expert. During an initial attempt Wednesday, the crew evidently was not anticipating the huge animal would slip under a 30-foot deep net and escape into deeper waters. Weights were added to the bottom of the net for the second attempt, and the manatee was lured back into shallower water with the offering of lettuce. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 10:27:57 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 12/8/95 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. NOTE: Archived copies of the longer "first Friday" summaries from June 1994 to the present are now available at "http://www.lsu.edu/~sglegal/" Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Accurate Whale Population Counts. In a report in the Dec. 7, 1995 issue of New Scientist, a Cornell University scientist asserts that whale populations might be more easily and accurately assessed by acoustic means than by direct visual observation. [Reuters] . Free Willy. United Parcel Service has arranged to deliver Keiko from Mexico City to the Oregon Coast Aquarium on Jan. 7, 1996, free-of-charge using a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The combined whale, specially constructed container, and water will weigh between 40,000 and 42,000 pounds. [Assoc Press] . ATOC. On Nov. 30, 1995, NMFS officials gave permission for ATOC's underwater sound experiments to resume after deciding that the whale deaths were unrelated to ATOC activities. ATOC's Scientific Advisory Board stated that, while a relationship between ATOC and the whale deaths could not be categorically ruled out, it was unlikely ATOC was responsible for the three humpback whale deaths. [Reuters, Assoc Press, personal communication] . Wandering Manatees. On Nov. 28, 1995, a wandering manatee was spotted at Buffalo Bayou in the Houston Ship Canal, TX. This manatee remained in Buffalo Bayou on Dec. 5, 1995; wildlife biologists captured the female manatee on Dec. 7, 1995, for testing and eventual transport back to its natural habitat. In late November 1995, a manatee was observed at the Hot Water Canal of Entergy Corp.'s Michoud generating station near New Orleans, LA. [Assoc Press] . Tuna-Dolphin. On Dec. 7, 1995, S. 1460 was introduced to implement provisions of the Panama Declaration including easing the U.S. embargo on tuna imports while maintaining existing dolphin-safe measures. [NMFS announcement, personal communication, Congr. Record, Reuters] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Dec 1995 06:29:44 EST From: Dagmar_Fertl(\)smtp.mms.gov Subject: [SEABIRD:191] PACON 96 - Pacific Congress on Marine Science E-MAIL RESPONSES TO THIS MESSAGE SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: rod(\)ios.bc.ca OR pacon(\)wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu RATHER THAN THE LISTSERVERS The Seventh Pacific Congress on Marine Science and Technology is being held in Honolulu, Hawaii from 17 - 22 June 1996. The them of PACON 96 is SOLUTIONS FOR THE PACIFIC CENTURY. Sessions fall into four categories: general lectures, ocean science and technology, marine resource management and development, and workshops on specific topics. Abstracts for papers to be given in the two technical areas are being solicited, and are due by 15 January 1996. Papers accepted for presentation at the Congress are eligible for the refereed publication Recent Advances in Marine Science and Technology '96. A copy of this will be mailed to all fully registered participants of the meeting, in the spring of 1997.. In addition to these sessions, there will be an extensive area set aside for exhibitors from the business, institutional and governmental sectors. As co-chair of the session MRMD-6 Marine Environmental Protection, together with Prof. Xiaorong Wang of Nanjing University, People's Republic of China, I am pleased to invite you to submit abstracts on this topic to PACON. Please contact PACON International, Prof. Wang or me, for details on venue, registration and format for abstracts. You are of course welcome to submit abstracts for other sessions! For information on this, please contact PACON International, who will provide you with the relevant information, including putting you in touch with the session chairs.. I appreciate your interest, and also request that you pass this information on to colleagues who may also be interested in this conference. Our addresses are: PACON International P.O. Box 11568 Honolulu, Hawaii 96828 U.S.A. Phone: 1 808 956 6163 Fax.: 1 808 956 2580 E-mail: pacon(\)wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu Professor Xiaorang Wang Department of Environmental Science and Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China Phone: 86 25 3306387 ext. 2841 Fax.: 86 25 3302728 Mr. J. Roderick Forbes Department of Fisheries and Oceans Institute of Ocean Sciences P.O. Box 6000 Sidney, B.C., Canada, V8L 4B2 Phone: 1 604 363 6443 Fax.: 1 604 363 6479 E-mail: rod(\)ios.bc.ca Sessions in the Ocean Science and Technology section are: OST-1 Ocean remote sensing OST-2 Ocean acoustic systems OST-3 EEZ mapping and electronic charting OST-4 New developments in marine geologic mapping OST-5 Tsunamis OST-6 Undersea vehicles and ocean robotics OST-7 High performance vessels OST-8 Marine applications of global positioning systems OST-9 Ocean sea level variability OST-10 Coastal and island engineering OST-11 Hurricanes and storm surges OST-12 Chemical oceanography OST-13 Global climate change OST-14 Ocean optics OST-15 Oil spill management OST-16 Advances in marine instrumentation OST-17 Modeling the ocean floor / digital mapping OST-18 Coral reef Sessions in the Marine Resource Management and Development section are: MRMD-1 Marine affairs and policy MRMD-2 Marine mining MRMD-3 Ocean energy MRMD-4 Fisheries resource evaluation and management MRMD-5 Developments in marine biotechnology MRMD-6 Marine environmental protection MRMD-7 Ocean space utilization MRMD-8 Maritime science and technology education MRMD-9 Ecotourism MRMD-10 Sustainable development principles in the Pacific MRMD-11 Data base management for environmental information MRMD-12 Ports, harbours and marinas MRMD-13 Planning and development of the waterfront MRMD-14 Development and ocean resource economics MRMD-15 Marine bio-remediation MRMD-16 Women scientists and professionals in the Pacific The workshops address: 1. Science communications 2. Pacific basin marine science organizations 3. Industry forum - trends in positioning and surveillance systems 4. SEABEAM Yours sincerely Rod Forbes Biologist, Ocean Science and Productivity ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 14:42:11 -0800 From: John Heyning Subject: MoLab job description Forwarded message: > From dreynold(\)bcf.usc.edu Mon Dec 4 15:11:57 1995 > Message-Id: <199512042311.PAA28067(\)mizar.usc.edu> > X-Sender: dreynold(\)mizar.usc.edu > > > Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 15:16:06 -0700 > To: wise, brianb, bezy, rlavenbe, fitzhugh, jmclean, jwmartin, hendler, > steiner, fireman, heyning, jharris, kecampbe > From: dreynold(\)bcf.usc.edu (Don R. Reynolds) > Subject: MoLab job description > > > MOLECULAR SYSTEMATIST > > > >The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County solicits applications > >for an Assistant Curator to head its Molecular Systematics Laboratory. > >We seek an individual who will develop a vigorous research program in > >systematics and evolutionary biology using molecular techniques, and who > >will interact successfully on collaborative projects with other Museum > >curators. This is a full-time, curatorial staff position, which will become > >available 1 July 1996, subject to availability of funding. Requirements: > >PhD with a zoological background and a strong research orientation. > >Postdoctoral experience is desirable. The Museum is a comprehensive > >natural history institution with 35 million specimens and worldwide > >research initiatives; the Molecular Systematics Laboratory is a modern > >and well-equipped facility. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, > >statement of research interests, and names of three references by 15 > >February 1996 to: Dr. Tod F. Stuessy, Deputy Director for Research and > >Collections, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 > >Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007. The Natural History Museum of > >Los Angeles County is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. > > > > ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 09:41:43 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Senators offer dolphin-tuna co Senators offer dolphin-tuna compromise WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Democratic lawmakers are trying to untangle a trade knot Thursday under two international pacts with a proposal to open U.S. markets to tuna imports but retain U.S. protections for dolphins. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., calls her proposal the "dolphin- friendly, trade-friendly" solution to an objection raised by Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Mexican officials objected to the 1990 law pushed by Boxer to ban imports of tuna caught without assurances that dolphins, which swim with tuna, are not harmed. That law banned Mexican tuna sales in the United States. Boxer's proposal would refine the embargo to apply only to fishermen who use an encirclement fishing method, known as the purse-seine methods, that surrounds harvests and is often fatal for dolphins. "My legislation strikes the delicate balance we need to be fair to our trading partners and to these beautiful creatures," said Boxer, who is pushing the bill with help from Sen. Joseph Biden Jr., D-Del. A similar measure was introduced in the House by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif. "I agree that we should lift the blanket ban on tuna imports and open our markets to foreign fishing vessels who use dolphin-safe methods," Boxer said. "But there is no reason to reward those who persist in traumatizing these animals and say, 'As long as you don't see a dead dolphin, you can sell us your tuna and call it dolphin-safe,'" she said. The trio opposes another proposed revision of the 1990 dolphin law, pushed by Sens. John Breaux, D-La., and Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, to permit the sale of even tuna caught using the purse-seine methods if no "mortality" is observed. The Breaux-Stevens bill would essentially implement the so-called Panama Declaration the United States signed with Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, Spain, Mexico, Vanuatu and Venezuela, on tuna fishing. Miller warned the case was a critical one since the Mexican objection to the U.S. dolphin law "represents the first GATT challenge to a popular conservation law." He said the case illustrates the concern expressed by critics during approval of GATT and NAFTA that the agreements would intrude on individual nations' ability to establish environmental, labor and others laws with stricter standards than those in either trade agreement. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 10:15:17 -0700 From: Ron Jameson Subject: Forwarded message >Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 09:22:56 -0800 >From: jackd(\)mail.cor.epa.gov (Jack Doyle) >To: ronj >Subject: (fwd) Seals, cod and politics >Newsgroups: sci.bio.conservation > >Path: >morpheus!engr.orst.edu!reuter.cse.ogi.edu!uwm.edu!fnnews.fnal.gov!usenet.ee >l.ufl.edu!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!news.mathworks.com!gatech2!pirates!cssu >n.mathcs.emory.edu!swrinde!howland.reston.ans.net!nntp.coast.net!news.net99 >.net!news.alt.net!news1.alt.net!news.u.washington.edu!conssub >From: conssub(\)u.washington.edu (Conservation Biology Discussion Group) >Newsgroups: sci.bio.conservation >Subject: Seals, cod and politics >Date: 7 Dec 1995 19:11:58 GMT >Organization: International Marine Mammal Association >Lines: 87 >Approved: pdh(\)u.washington.edu >Message-ID: <30C62D8B.5179(\)imma.org> >NNTP-Posting-Host: saul6.u.washington.edu >NNTP-Posting-User: conssub > > >From: Peter Meisenheimer >Date: Wed, 06 Dec 1995 15:55:55 -0800 > >I wish to initiate a discussion on the broad issue of political >interference in fisheries resource management. A string of fiascos >involving the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans is the impetus >for this posting, but the problem is certainly not restricted to Canada. > If I understand the news reports properly, the Australian media have >recently featured an acrimonious debate about the role of some >governmental agencies in mismanaging natural resources and stifling >debate about their failings. The activities of the Republican Right in >the US are international news. > >The recent Canadian situation has been succinctly summarised in a New >Scientist article by Deborah MacKenzie (The cod that disappeared, >September 16, 1995). MacKenzie draws on the opinions of eminent >fisheries scientists such as Sidney Holt and Daniel Pauly in her >critique, but her analysis fails to include the pattern of politically >motivated suppression of science that has plagued DFO. In light of them >obvious problems exposed by the cod collapse, corruption such as the >Kemano River diversion and catastrophes such as the Pacific salmon stock >collapse should have rung alarm bells, but the pattern continues. > >The most recent example is the perverse campaign by the government of >Canada to have seals declared a =93conservation problem=94. Why the >Department of Fisheries and Oceans would choose to go beyond a finding >that harp seals can be sustainably exploited is a question that anyone >with an interest in conservation should be asking. Every result produced >by DFO scientists who have actually looked for evidence of an impact on >stock recruitment has shown absolutely none. In a recent paper in >Science, DFO biologists found no evidence. At a recent North Atlantic >Fisheries Organisation meeting, DFO folks presented an abstract which >specifically addressed the issue of seals and stock recruitment and >reported no evidence of an impact. > >Whatever the reason, DFO has chosen to ignore the findings of these >biologists and has pursued a campaign that is an insult to those who are >legitimately concerned with conservation and to many of their own staff. > In support of their position, they have used a population model of harp >seal abundance that is close to outrageous. The population survey is >methodologically biased toward producing a higher result in the recent >year; an inappropriate statistical test is employed, apparently because >the appropriate test would find no significant difference in population >between 1990 and 1994; and DFO PR indicates that there has been a >stepwise annual increase in population over the years, when they have no >data to show such a finding. Models for grey seals are structured around= > >the assumption of an effect on recruitment and are then used as evidence >of such an effect. > >This has culminated in a release from DFO (posted on their WWW site last >Friday) in which they make the definitive and utterly false statement >that harp seals are limiting groundfish stock recruitment. DFO >scientists who have made public statements contradicting this absurd >claim are rumoured to have been officially reprimanded. > >The motivation for this is apparently a desire to justify a subsidy for >seal meat. Although the harp seal herds can be shown to be able to >sustain a hunt, there is a very limited market for anything but the >males' genitalia and the federal Canadian government and the government >of Newfoundland are therefore paying subsidies on seal meat. Debating >the legitimacy of this decision would not normally fall within the >mandate of fisheries biologists. However, the government's subversion >of science in an effort to justify their actions is disturbing in light of >the role political meddling played in the destruction of the northern >cod, and a response from the scientific community is amply justified. > >Seals make for nasty politics in Canada, and the feds are apparently >counting on polarisation around the political subtext that any discussion >of sealing carries to divert criticism from the larger issues. However, >a disaster of the magnitude of Canada's mismanagement of its fisheries >resources must not be permitted to pass without an effort to remove >political meddling from the equation. If politicians wish to ignore the >science presented to them, they must be made to do so explicitly, and >only after all of the science (not just the bits that fit the political >agenda) has been presented in its own right. > >I believe that the only way to ensure that this sort of thing ends is to >put the science at arms length to the politics of management. Resource >management professionals must be given the same protection from >interference that the courts and police enjoy in western democracies. >Research that takes place in an environment of censorship and >misrepresentation does not deserve to be called science and politicians >(at least in Canada) have shown themselves unfit to participate directly >in scientific enterprises. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 8 Dec 1995 14:21:47 -0800 From: mscott(\)iattc.ucsd.edu Subject: ETP TUNA-DOLPHIN ISSUE COMMENTS ON EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE'S MESSAGE ON ETP BYCATCH & DOLPHIN-SAFE FISHING Before responding directly to the Earth Island comments, I think it is necessary to present some background data, because it is this data that prompted environmental groups to act as they did in attempting to strike a balance between the bycatch of dolphins and the bycatches of other marine animals. Since 1990 when the canneries announced their "dolphin-safe" policy, the composition of the international fleet fishing in the ETP has changed. Of the 35 U.S. vessels fishing prior to the announcement, only 5 currently remain. The rest either moved to the Western Pacific, went inactive, or were sold to foreign companies. The dominant fishing countries in the ETP are now Mexico, Venezuela, Vanuatu, Colombia, and Ecuador. Despite the "dolphin-safe" cannery policies and U.S. embargos, fishing on dolphins remains the most common fishing method in the ETP. In 1994, more than half of the yellowfin tuna taken from the ETP was caught in association with dolphins. For those who are interested in eliminating dolphin sets by non-U.S. countries, this has created a problem of leverage. Having already used the weapons of market closure and embargo with little effect, how can one influence other countries to do what one wants? Despite the continued setting on dolphins, the mortality has declined markedly since 1986 (when Mexico first began full participation in the observer program). Some have claimed that the dolphin-safe policy is to be credited for reducing the number of dolphin sets, while others claim that it is due to improved performance by fishermen in releasing dolphins. These claims can be tested by examining trends in the two main factors that contribute to total mortality: the effort (number of dolphin sets) and fishermen performance (mortality per set). Since 1986, the mortality has declined from 133,000 to 3,605 in 1993 and 4,095 in 1994 - a 97% decrease. During this same time, the number of sets has declined 27% and the mortality per set has declined 96%. It is clear that improved performance, rather than the dolphin-safe policy, has been the major cause of the drop in mortality. The mortality levels are all below 0.14% of the population size (average 0.04%), and are much less than the conservative estimates of recruitment. Under the current U.S. PBR management approach, all stocks would be below PBR and all but three would be below the Zero Mortality Rate Goal (ZMRG). The La Jolla Agreement of 1992 provided an impetus for this improved performance by setting limits on dolphin mortality that are to be ratcheted down each year to under 5,000 by 1999. It established individual vessel limits to promote individual responsibility by the fishermen to reduce mortality. It also established a 100%-coverage observer program to monitor the mortality for the entire international fleet in the ETP. The ETP fishery has the highest level of monitoring in the world; most other tuna fisheries that are presumed to be "dolphin-safe" have none. These other fisheries use a variety of methods, including for instance coastal gillnets that kill dolphins and other bycatch. These fisheries are not observed at sea, yet their catches can be labelled "dolphin-safe." One of our fears, however, is that if there is no incentive to continue to participate in the IATTC observer program the countries would abandon the mortality limits and the observer monitoring of the ETP fishery altogether. The Declaration of Panama would provide this incentive by redefining "dolphin- safe" to mean tuna caught from sets with zero dolphin mortality, but would also institute the 5,000-dolphin limit immediately (down from 9,000 in 1996), set conservative individual stock mortality limits, mandate more oversight of national enforcement of infractions, and expand the management mandate to include other species that are caught as bycatch. The individual vessel limits that have ensured that the actual mortality remained less than the total limit would continue. The individual stock limits would reduce mortality to below ZMRG for all stocks and are likely to be even more restrictive than the 5,000-dolphin limit. There are two alternatives to setting on dolphins for ETP purse-seiners: setting on tuna that are associated with logs and setting on tuna schooling at the surface (school sets). It had long been known that the bycatches associated with log sets were high, but it had not been quantified. In 1988- 1989, IATTC conducted research on Fish Aggregating Devices (FADS), as an alternative to setting on dolphins. As part of this search for alternatives, we gathered data on the characteristics of floating objects that made them attractive to tunas. This search for alternatives resulted in the first comprehensive study of "bycatches" in the ETP other than dolphins. When we quantified the magnitude and diversity of the bycatch in those sets, we extended our study to school and dolphin sets. Preliminary studies illustrated what the tradeoffs in bycatch would be between dolphin sets and log sets. The 1993 data showed that for every 1 dolphin killed in dolphin sets, 19,542 discarded tunas, 138 mahi mahi, 25 sharks and rays, 56 wahoo, 3 yellowtail, 7 rainbow runner, 1 billfish, and 0.07 sea turtles would be killed in log sets. Our bycatch studies are in progress, and although there is considerable annual variability, the data show that log sets have bycatches that are orders of magnitude higher than dolphin sets. There is also concern about catching the typically pre-reproductive tuna in log and school sets vs. the larger adult tuna typically associated with dolphins. If the fishery were to completely switch to "dolphin-safe" sets, we don't know what the environmental effects of such large bycatches would be and we don't know what the effect of catching mainly juveniles would have on the tuna population (due to poor correlation within the range of our observations between stock and recruitment). Earth Island has presented several arguments via MARMAM concerning the tuna- dolphin issue. What follows are my comments concerning the Earth Island remarks (Earth Island comments are indented, my comments are not). "1. Total ETP Bycatch is Less Now than Before the Implementation of Dolphin-Safe Policies Both dolphin and fish bycatch has been reduced significantly compared with the levels experienced in the 1970's and 1980's. Many vessels have left the tuna fishery of the ETP, as a result of both general economics as well as due to dolphin protection restrictions. Therefore total ETP sets (including sets on logs and on schools of tuna) have decreased significantly." The thrust of the Earth Island argument is that because much of the U.S. fleet has been forced from the ETP to the western Pacific, that effort in all types of sets and subsequent bycatches have declined in the ETP. This assertion ignores several facts. The first is that just because boats have moved to the western Pacific doesn't mean that their sets on logs and school fish are now free of bycatch. All that has been achieved is to increase bycatches elsewhere. The data available for the western Pacific indicate that the bycatches in log sets there affect a similar community of species as in the ETP, and that the mortality rates for those species are similar. Another fact that they avoid discussing is that the dolphin-safe policy has resulted in little change in the fishing behavior of the non-U.S. fleets. One reason that the non-dolphin bycatch has not changed greatly in the ETP is because fishing practices of the non-U.S. fleet have not changed greatly. "For example, according to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the number of vessels in the ETP has declined from 132 vessels (126,045 tons capacity) in 1974 to 99 vessels (102,951 tons capacity) in 1994, a 25% reduction. Furthermore, in 1974, there were 7,759 sets on dolphins, 3,384 sets on floating objects, and 7,466 sets on schools of tuna, while in 1994 there were 5,948 sets on dolphins, only 1,750 sets on floating objects, and only 5,786 sets on schools of tuna. Dolphin sets have decreased 23.2%, log sets have decreased by 48.3%, and school sets have decreased by 22.6% in the past twenty years." I cannot determine from where the 1994 number of sets was obtained, but they are wrong (likely due to misinterpreting partial data for the year). Earth Island then attempted to explain the lower effort in 1994 compared to 1974 as a response to dolphin-safe policies introduced in 1990. Perhaps a better comparison would be to look at the years just prior to and after 1990. This way, one doesn't confound one's interpretation with other factors that have contributed to decreases in the number of sets over this 20-year period: a) the movement of the U.S. fleet to the western Pacific during the early 1980's (unrelated to the dolphin issue), b) the decrease in small seiners (not included in Earth Island's figures) which was not due to the dolphin-safe policy because these seiners fished almost completely on log and school sets, c) the expansion of the fishery from a coastal one where a high proportion of the sets were on logs and schools sets to a more pelagic one where dolphin sets predominate, and d) the catch-per-set is almost 50% greater in the 1990's, the technology has improved, and a fisherman need not make as many sets to catch the same amount of fish. If we compare the average number of sets from the observer data base before and after 1990, we can better determine the effect of the dolphin-safe policy on effort. The average number of dolphin sets declined 27% from the 1986-1989 period vs. the 1991-1994 period, but there was little change in the number of log sets (+4%) and school sets (-5%). The change is mostly due to the movement of the U.S. fleet to the western Pacific. The comparison with 1974 does, however, present a cautionary example. In the early to mid 1970's, excessive effort led to overfishing of the coastal areas, a decrease in the average size of the tuna caught, and a lowering of the productivity of the fishery. An international ban on fishing on dolphins would again concentrate virtually all the effort in the coastal areas where most log and school sets are made. This concentration of effort could recreate the problem of overfishing that occurred in the 1970's. The changes in the numbers of dolphin, log, and school sets has been driven by several factors: movements of boats, reductions in fleet size due to economic conditions, and environmental variability (e.g., high-productivity anti-El Nino events occured in 1974-1975 and 1988-1989 and a moderate, prolonged El Nino occurred during 1991-1994). Our point is that anything which causes the number of log sets to increase will most likely increase the bycatch of other fish and sea turtles. "2. ETP Purse-Seine Fishing Has Low Bycatch Compared with other Fisheries Worldwide" The reason the ETP purse-seine fishery has low bycatches is because of the predominance of sets on dolphins, which have lower bycatches than most other ways of fishing. For sets on logs, the bycatch rates of tunas and of other species make it a much less desirable type of fishing. "3. The IATTC's Professed Concern About Bycatch is Phony In its history, the IATTC has never instituted measures to limit bycatch." Up to now, the emphasis of IATTC bycatch programs has been on reducing incidental dolphin mortality. Even the initial development of our bycatch database came as a result of the dolphin-mortality reduction program. Our intention was not to raise a bycatch issue, it was to characterize the communities associated with objects. These data were collected even before there was a dolphin-safe policy. The bycatch database is now one of the largest in the world, and when there are enough data to make sensible recommendations, alternatives for bycatch reduction and management will be offered to the member countries. We have already begun to circulate among the fishermen and the nations some technological solutions that have been succesful in other fisheries to reduce bycatches in purse-seines and the IATTC has been particularly active in exploring management schemes for bycatch reduction. The Declaration of Panama includes a commitment to continue the research and to develop a strategy to manage bycatches. From that point of view, the Declaration advances several ecological concepts that anyone should recognize as giant steps forward. "4. There is No Available Data to Suggest that Bycatch is Depleting Any Species, Except Dolphins." In my opinion, this is a resounding denial of the Precautionary Principle, a denial usually associated with industry rather than with an environmental group. From the scientific point of view there are many issues about the management of bycatches that are not well understood, but I think that there is nothing wrong in considering actions to reduce them because of: (a) potential reduction of marine biodiversity, (b) potential impacts on populations whose status is not known, (c) the waste of resources, and (d) the waste of life. Even if one is mainly interested in dolphins, one should at least acknowledge that high mortalities of so many other top trophic-level predator species could have harmful effects on the marine ecosystem. "In an August 31, 1995 letter to Rep. Gerry Studds, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated that: 3Quantitative estimates of bycatch ratios for non-dolphin, non-tuna bycatch must await cooperative analyses with the IATTC. While it is apparent that this bycatch includes a great number of individuals of a wide variety of fauna, it cannot be determined without comparative data on population levels whether the observed levels of bycatch are a problem for the populations involved.2" This quotation refers to the current situation in which dolphin sets are the predominant fishing method and not to what would happen if there was a major shift of fishing effort to log sets. What is not cited are the NMFS conclusions that run counter to Earth Island's arguments: 1) "Essentially, the dolphin 'bycatch' problem in the ETP has been solved. The mortality of the dolphin stocks affected by the fishery is currently far below even the minimum assumed replacement rates for these stocks." 2) "This level of [dolphin] bycatch mortality will have little effect on stock survival or recovery." 3) "NOAA's U.S. tuna bycatch data show that log sets tend to produce about 100 times, and school sets about 10 times, the tuna bycatch produced by dolphin sets, on a tonnage per set basis." 4) "A conservative management approach in the face of sparse information would be to select the harvest strategy that minimizes bycatch of long-lived, easily depleted species such as the sharks and sea turtles captured in particular in log sets." "If finfish bycatch was impacting ETP tuna stocks, one would expect to see a decline in tuna stock recruitment. In fact, although the IATTC has predicted a decline for the past several years, based on finfish bycatch rates, no reduction in tuna stocks has been reported. On the contrary, the IATTC has documented that yellowfin and skipjack tuna stocks in the ETP are in excellent condition." The IATTC has made it clear that there is no apparent correlation between the size of the spawning stock and the recruitment and thus no predictions can be made yet about what the effect on the tuna population would be if undersized fish are taken and discarded. We have not predicted a decline for the past several years, even though recruitment has actually declined. We believe that this is due to natural variability in recruitment. If the dolphin-safe policy had succeeded in switching effort from large tuna associated with dolphins to small tuna from school and log sets, we can predict that the average size of tuna in the catch would decrease, and that catching tunas at smaller sizes by itself would have had a negative effect on fishery production. This reduction would not include any effects of discarding small yellowfin. Because dolphin- safe fishing has not been widely adopted, one would not expect such predictions to have come to pass. With the data currently available, we have no way to determine any additional negative effects caused by the increased bycatches of juvenile tuna, but it is unlikely that killing millions of pre- reproductive tunas would have a positive impact on the fishery. "The ETP fishery is an extremely misplaced focus for concern on the worldwide bycatch problem." To me, this statement illustrates the different values held by animal rights activists vs. environmentalists and ecologists. For the animal rights activist, the fate of a charismatic mammal such as a dolphin is paramount. To the environmentalist, the ecosystem and its component populations are even more important. For the animal rights activist, the concern about the mortality of millions of top-level predators is "misplaced", and the spending of millions of dollars to move one killer whale to a better captive facility is not. Until now, we have often assumed that what is good for dolphins is good for the environment. Yet, here we are presented with fishing alternatives in which we are attempting to balance the low mortalities of dolphins and the high mortalities of other marine predators, and attempt to divine the potential effects on the ecosystem of each alternative while lacking basic information on marine populations. This is the type of trade- off that the environmental groups that negotiated the Panama Declaration had to grapple with. "5. Claims that High Sea Turtle Kills are Intrinsic to ETP Purse Seining are Bogus Several organizations, primarily Center for Marine Conservation, claim that they must support the return to setting nets on dolphins as a way of protecting endangered sea turtles. This is a gross distortion of actual practice. First, the killing of sea turtles in the purse-seine fleet is totally dwarfed by the true culprit in sea turtle mortality, the shrimp trawling fleet." I agree that other sources of sea turtle mortality are likely more important than the purse-seine fishery. Is that a justification for inaction or lack of concern? To dismiss the incidental mortality of an endangered species on grounds that other fisheries cause worse problems is hardly a conservation- minded strategy. "Secondly, in the rare instances in which sea turtles are entangled in the ETP tuna fishery, the vast majority can be released alive. Christopher Croft, a NMFS observer on tuna vessels for four years states: "In my entire four years on ETP tuna vessels, not once was a sea turtle drowned in the nets. The few sea turtles that were caught were only killed if the crews decided to kill them to eat them." The IATTC has failed to release the data as to how many sea turtles per year were killed in the nets, not by the crews. As noted above, the IATTC has also failed to set any kind of regulation or recommendation that sea turtles be released alive or that inshore log sets be restricted in any way to avoid bycatch of turtles and other species." Earth Island concludes that "the vast majority can be released alive" based on anecdotal evidence from an observer that made six trips in the 1980's, only on U.S. boats that set primarily on dolphins and predominantly in areas which are not known to have a high concentration of sea turtles. The IATTC has collected data from almost 19,000 sets of all kinds in 1993-1994, by vessels of all flags fishing in all areas of the ETP. In our last annual meeting we presented preliminary estimates of sea turtle mortality in 1993 and 1994. They were only stratified by set type, but not by other factors that can also be important, so they should be considered with caution. The tables containing those figures were distributed to those in the audience that requested them, including members of environmental organizations. The mortalities for 1993 and 1994 were 295 and 167 sea turtles respectively. The mortality rates per set were 2.5-5 times higher in log sets than in dolphin sets. Again, if the dolphin-safe policy had succeeded, these mortality levels would have increased. I would like to see action taken by the member countries to reduce mortality of sea turtles. I am hopeful that the Declaration of Panama would bring the issue to the forefront. The solutions are very simple, and they could eliminate most of the mortality. "6. Proponents of Bycatch Reduction in the ETP Fail to Follow Proper Science Sound science dictates that bycatch reduction should focus on the protection of species with the lowest reproductive potential." Sound science doesn't focus on just one factor to the exclusion of all others. Bycatch reduction programs need to consider a series of factors which include the conservation status of a population, their population sizes, the sustainability of the mortality, other sources of mortality, the reproductive potential of the species, the age, sex, and size composition of the bycatch, the ratio of bycatch to catch, the economic and social impacts of the measures proposed, and the uncertainty caused by lack of knowledge for these factors. It is not surprising that the environmental groups concerned about the mortality of sea turtles would give great weight to their endangered status. "In the ETP, that is, without question, the dolphin populations." Question: what about sea turtles and sharks? Sea turtles mature at 20-25 years - much later than dolphins. While they may lay a few thousand eggs in their lifetime, only about 1 in 1,000 survives to become a breeding adult. Dolphins could be having grandcalves or even great-grandcalves before a sea turtle breeds once. Sharks likely have similar reproductive potentials as dolphins: silky sharks mature at 7-9 years, with higher fecundity (0-14 pups annually), but with lower juvenile survivorship than dolphins. The main differences in the assessment of impacts on sea turtles, sharks and dolphins are that: a) for sea turtles we have some idea about their population status, and they are all endangered or threatened, b) for the dolphins we have estimates of population sizes and we know that the current mortality is low enough to allow the populations to recover, and that even the smallest stock is close to 400,000 dolphins, and c) for sharks we know hardly anything except that mortalities in log sets are high. We do know that the dolphin mortality is sustainable, but we don't know whether the shark or sea turtle mortality is sustainable. Shouldn't we apply the Precautionary Principle to other species as well as dolphins? "The ETP tunas and other pelagic species of finfish (mahi mahi, rainbow runners, billfish, trigger fish, etc.) have extremely high reproductive potentials compared with dolphins." This list is very selective. Why were species with low reproductive potential such as sharks and sea turtles excluded. As indicated in the equation above, to catch an equivalent amount of tuna, almost 25 sharks will die in log sets for every dolphin killed in dolphin sets. Given the recent alarm about the decline in shark populations, surely these species should not be ignored. "Two of the principle dolphin stock targets have been demonstrated to be severely depleted -- far below any depletion level demonstrated for species with far higher ability to recover. The Northeastern offshore spotted dolphin is at only 23% of its initial population -- and shows signs of continued decline. The Eastern Spinner dolphin is at only 44% of its initial population. Allowing a return to the killing of these populations in order to reduce finfish bycatch is hardly an acceptable environmental trade-off." The phrase "Allowing a return to the killing of these populations .." implies that there is no mortality today (which is false) and that there will be a higher mortality in the near future. The environmental groups that negotiated the Declaration of Panama insisted on lowered dolphin mortality limits (e.g., in 1996 the limit would drop from 9,000 to 5,000) and imposing individual stock limits based on the PBR approach. The statement also fails to recognize, that if these efforts had not been made, the countries participating in the La Jolla Agreement would have little incentive to continue adhering to any mortality limits or to allow independent shipboard observers to monitor the mortality. "A proposal, such as the 3Panama Declaration,2 that allows higher bycatch of severely depleted dolphin populations as a method of reducing fish bycatch, is scientifically indefensible." This statement is false. The Declaration of Panama doesn't allow higher dolphin mortality, it lowers the limit. "7. Weakening Dolphin-Safe Restrictions, as Proposed, Would Actually Increase the Total ETP Bycatch." This argument again ignores the fact that the vessels in the western Pacific are currently setting on logs which result in high bycatches. We can't predict whether fishermen will incur the expenses of moving to the ETP, and what effect their entrance will have on the ETP fishery and neither can anyone else. We do know that the Dolphin Mortality Limit of 5,000 will be applied regardless of how many vessels enter the fishery. "The IATTC has failed to implement available methods of reducing ETP finfish and sea turtle bycatch without sacrificing dolphins." I am very interested in testing some technologies and instituting management policies that could reduce fish and sea turtle bycatch. The present relationship between the U.S. and the other nations vis-a-vis the tuna-dolphin issue, however, has made it difficult to find the willingness and the economic support to start such a program. In an atmosphere clouded by embargoes, boycotts, and animosities, it is very difficult to achieve these objectives. Hopefully, the more harmonious environment generated by the Declaration of Panama, that brings together nations, environmental groups and fishermen, will prove a more fertile ground for these initiatives. James Joseph, Ph.D. Director IATTC ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 9 Dec 1995 16:34:55 CST From: "Wesley R. Elsberry" Subject: WWW pages: a few URLs and request for others I maintain a WWW page with many resources and links to marine mammal information. I would appreciate it if the MarMam readers who also happen to net surf would forward any good links that they run across to me. Specific resources actually residing under my pages include: - The Society for Marine Mammalogy's brochure, "Strategies for pursuing a career in marine mammal science". http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/mmstrat.html - The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network home page. Information on the TMMSN, beached animal care, information on past and current strandings. http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/tmmsn.html - The Marine Mammal Research Program at TAMU. Description of the MMRP researchers and programs. http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec/mmrp.html and a wide variety of links under http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/marspec.html Please email suggestions and other feedback to welsberr(\)orca.tamu.edu. Wesley R. Elsberry, 4211 Vista Blvd., Galveston TX 77554. Central Neural System BBS, 409-737-5222, 1:385/385, ANNs, GAs, Alife, AI, evolution, and more. Student in Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences. http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry "i hope she would be saved by a ship outward bound for madagascar" - archy ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 10 Dec 1995 09:16:01 -1000 From: Adam Pack Subject: Cross-Modal Shape Recognition by Dolphins using Vision and Echolocation Recently, Lou Herman and I published a paper on the dolphin's ability to immediately recognize complexly-shaped objects across the senses of vision and echolocation. It appeared this past August in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol. 98(2), 722-733. The abstract appears below. If you would like a reprint, please e-mail pack(\)uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu or write to us at Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratoy, 1129 Ala Moana Blvd. Honolulu, HI 96814. Sensory integration in the bottlenosed dolphin: Immediate recognition of complex shapes across the senses of echolocation and vision. Adam A. Pack and Louis M. Herman In matching-to-sample tests, a bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was found capable of immediately recognizing a variety of complexly shaped objects both within the senses of vision or echolocation and, also, across these two senses. The immediacy of recognition indicated that shape information registers directly in the dolphin's perception of objects through either vision or echolocation, and that these percepts are readily shared or integrated across the senses. Accuracy of intersensory recognition was nearly errorless regardless of whether the sample objects were presented to the echolocation sense and the alternatives to the visual sense (E-V matching) or the reverse, with samples presented to the visual sense and alternatives to the echolocation sense (V-E matching). Furthermore, during V-E matching, the dolphin was equally facile at recognition whether the sample objects exposed to vision were "live," presented in air in the real world, or were images displayed on a television screen placed behind an underwater window. Overall, the results suggested that what a dolphin "sees" through echolocation is functionally similar to what it sees through vision. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 10 Dec 1995 09:40:29 -1000 From: Adam Pack Subject: Inter-octave transfer of melodic-sequence discrimination by dolphin Our laboratory has recently published a paper on the dolphin's ability to discriminate different melodic sequences and to transfer this discrimination across octaves. The paper by Ralston and Herman appeared in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, 1995, Vol. 109(3), 268-277. Reprint requests should be sent to Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory, 1129 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96814. Below is the abstract from that article. Perception and Generalization of Frequency Contours by a Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) James V. Ralston and Louis M. Herman A single adult female bottlenose dolphin was tested in a series of perceptual studies. On each trial, 4 sine-wave tones were presented that contained a falling frequency contour or some other contour. There were several frequency-transposed exemplars o f each contour type in each experiment. The dolphin discriminated contours at a level significantly greater than chance in all experiments. In the 1st 2 experiments, the dolphin demonstrated only modest transfer to novel stimuli and a sensitivity to the absolute frequency of stimuli. In the 3rd experiment, there was no effect of the absolute frequency of stimuli; in the 4th experiment, the dolphin successfully transferred the discrimination to novel stimuli drawn from the octave above the previously he ard range. These results demonstrate dolphins' capability to perceive frequency contours, which may underlie the recognition of conspecific whistles. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 17:28:06 -0500 From: Michael Williamson Subject: WhaleNet participation Hello, Many of you know that WhaleNet is becoming very wide spread as an educational pprogram on the web. We get about 20,000 to 30,000 hits a week. We are funded by the National Science Foundation and part of the program will include an "Ask the Scientist" area. We are seeking scientists who would be willing to answer students questions for a week. We have a stipend that we can pay for your services. We will put up a brief bio on you and your research so that the students and educators will know from whom they are soliciting answers. The amount of questions asked per week have been reasonable, NOT 20,000, so the input of time wouold not be overwhelming. If you are interested in participating in this program please contact me at mwilliamson(\)vmsvax.simmons.edu We will also be at the biennial Conference in Orlando this week. We have a meeting scheduled for Friday, 15 dec. at 7:00 PM Salon 8 if you have questions. WhaleNet can be viewed at http://whale.simmons.edu. I look forward to hearing from you. Mike Williamson WhaleNet PI ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 12 Dec 1995 10:36:02 -0600 From: "GreenLife Society: North American Chapter" Subject: IWC - 1996 Meeting The GreenLife Society will be attending the May, 1996 IWC meeting in Aberdeen. As a service to other NGOs who do not have observer status, or cannot attend for some other reason, I am willing, free of charge, to prepare an article for a newsletters or journals summarizing the proceedings at the plenary session. Please contact me well in advance if you are interested. William C. Burns Director, GreenLife Society - North American Chapter (formerly the Pacific Center For International Studies) 33 University Square, Suite 184, Madison, WI 53715-1042 USA Phone: (608) 256-6312 Fax: (608) 256-6312 WWW site: http://rdz.stjohns.edu/pcis/PCIS.HTML GLSNA Affiliations: Union of Concerned Scientists, Sound Science Initiative The EarthAction Network The Galapagos Coalition Reseau International d'ONG sur la Desertification (RIOD) Accredited NGO Observer, International Whaling Commission ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 12 Dec 1995 02:24:43 -0500 From: Dolphintlf(\)aol.com Subject: Underwater nuclear testing Dear MARMAMERs, College student Angela Brown has written to me asking for sources of information on the effects of underwater nuclear testing on marine mammals. I do not have any information on this topic and would be grateful if someone on MARMAM could help her out. Please write to Angela at ajbrown(\)suncube.ccs.ortn.edu. If you will cc: your messages to me, I will build a file on the topic for future reference. Thank you, Trisha Lamb Feuerstein dolphintlf(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Dec 1995 16:23:08 EDT5EST From: "David Harris, 162O" Organization: Lewiston-Auburn College Subject: Dolphin anesthesia Dear MARMAMers, We are interested in developing a protocol for anesthetizing sick and/or injured dolphins who need medical treatment. Please contact us if you, or someone you know, has attempted or succeeded in anesthetizing a dolphin. Also, we would appreciate any references to published materials that relate to marine mammal anesthesia. Finally, we are interested in hearing if you have personal or second-hand knowledge of situations where the ability to anesthetize a dolphin would have improved the delivery of medical care. Thanks. Barbara Lelli or David E. Harris, Ph.D. Subject: Blue Whales To: Alan Mcnow Consultant, Japan Whaling Association; and Marmam Dear Mr. Macnow: I read with interest the bulletin you posted on the blue whale radiotagging project. It made me wonder whether you are aware that it is now probable that man could actively stimulate the rate of recovery of depleted blue whale populations. The relevant reference is: Lambertsen, R.H. Crassicaudosis, a parasitic disease threatening the health and population recovery of large baleen whales. Scientific and Technical Review, International Office of Epizootics, Paris. 1992:1131-1141. I could send you a reprint if you wish. It reviews real data. If you find the concept proposed therein interesting, I would ask that you help me identify the correct organization in Japan, or elsewhere, to assist this development effort. Thanks for the information you posted. R.H. Lambertsen, Ph.D., V.M.D. Ecosystems Technology Transfer, Inc. P.O. Box 6788 Titusville, FL 32782-6788; and Member, Species Survival Commission International Union for the Conservation of Nature, World Conservation Union Abstract: This communication briefly reviews knowledge of the systemic disease caused by _Crassicauda boopis_ in blue whales (_Balaenoptera musculus_), fin whales (_B. physalus_), and humpback whales (_Megaptera novaeangliae_). Infections with this giant nemaotade characteristically incite a chronic inflammatory reaction of the blood vessels which drain the kidneys. In this critical location, the parasite-induced lesion can cause complete vascular occlusion and kidney failure. Whale calves and juveniles typically suffer the heaviest parasite burdens following transplacental infection of the developing whale foetus. There is also a probable whale-to-whale transmission post-partum, involving urinary contamination of the environment with _C. boopis_ eggs and larvae. The frequency of the infection can exceed 95%. Haematological findings suggest that systemic pathological effects are typical at the population level. Gradual development of occulusive lesions in the renal veins appears to correlate with a major peak in natural mortality at about one year of age. To date, all findings support the conclusion that premature death caused by C. boopis infection is potentially a major impediment to population recovery of affected whale species. This suggests thae interesting possibility of actively encouraging the population recovery of three species of large baleen whales. Such a restoration effort would entail remotely-deployed anthelminthic therapy administerd, at sea, to infected whale cows and calves. P.S. The grey whale is not a host species of C. boopis. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 13 Dec 1995 17:58:05 +0100 From: Michel Goujon Subject: Looking for E. Slooten or F. Lad addresses Dear Marmamers, I would like to have some explanation concerning a paper written by E. Slooten et F. Lad (Population biology and conservation of Hector's dolphin, Can. J. Zool. 69, 1991). I would appreciate if someone could send me their email addresses or their fax number? Thank you, Michel Goujon Michel Goujon ~ ~ <>< ~ ~ ~ ~ <>< ~ ~ <>< ~ ~ <>< ~ <>< ~ ~ ~ ~ ( ) Laboratoire Halieutique de l'ENSAR ( 65, rue de St Brieuc - F-35042 Rennes cedex ) Tel: 99 28 75 32 Fax: 99 28 75 35 ( Email: mgoujon(\)ifremer.fr ) URL: http://rennes.inra.fr/halieute/michel/michel.html ( ---------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Dec 1995 10:40:30 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 12/15/95 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. NOTE: Archived copies of "first Friday" longer summaries for June 1994 through the present are now available at "http://www.lsu.edu/~sglegal/" Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Gillnet Restriction to Aid Harbor Porpoise. On Dec. 13, 1995, the New England Fishery Management Council voted to recommend closing a 5,000 square mile area off northern Massachusetts and southern Maine to gillnet fishing between March 25 and April 25 to better protect migrating harbor porpoise. [Assoc Press] . ATOC. On Dec. 14, 1995, the California Coastal Commission voted to ask NMFS to reopen its investigation of the three humpback whale deaths after ATOC researchers were reported to have stated that determining cause-of-death to marine mammals in the ATOC project area is not part of the ATOC project design. [personal communication] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. CRS is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Dec 1995 16:06:50 -0800 From: Sallie Beavers Subject: Job Announcement COMPUTER SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR/RESEARCH ASSISTANT. Program, maintain and upgrade computers and software for data collection, retrieval, compilation, analyses, and evaluation of satellite, acoustic and oceanographic data. Develop and test hardware and software for installation in data logging devices and transmitters for placement on marine mammals. Bachelors of Science degree required. Experience with C and PASCAL, and an understanding of the Argos satellite system preferred. Experience in batch files, scripting, C++, DOS, Windows, UNIX and LAN systems required. This is a fixed term position with renewal at the discretion of the director. The salary range is $25,200 to $30,000 (Dependent on experience). Position is located at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, OR. Resumes with references should be sent to the COMPUTER SYSTEMS SEARCH TEAM, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR 97366 no later than January 6, 1996. DO NOT PHONE OR REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. Oregon State University is an Equal Opportunity/AA employer and has a policy of being responsive to the needs of dual career couples. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Dec 1995 09:43:35 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: New harp seal quota According to reports by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Dec. 18, 1995, and Canada's national paper, "The Globe and Mail", Dec. 19, 1995, Canada's Minister of Fisheries and Oceans finally announced his 1996 seal management plan. Claiming that harp seals are responsible for the fact that cod stocks in most areas of Atlantic Canada are not recovering, Tobin raised the quota on harps from 186,000 to 250,000 and said that collector (mother ships) might be used in the hunt so that more seals can be taken than the average of 60,000 per year in the past decade. The sealers will be allowed to take adults and juveniles but not whitecoat pups. The government will pay sealers as much as $1 million in subsidies. The sealers will shoot seals from boats, a method Canada's Royal Commission on Seals and Sealing called the least likely method of ensuring a humane kill. Neither of the reports mentioned a single scientist in support of Tobin's claims. Anne D. Anne Doncaster International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Canada Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Dec 1995 08:03:41 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: SA: STUDY GROUP TO REDUCE DOLP SA: STUDY GROUP TO REDUCE DOLPHIN-NET TANGLES ADELAIDE, Dec 18 AAP - The number of dolphins becoming entangled in nets around South Australian tuna farms would be reduced by a scientific study group announced today by State Primary Industries Minister Dale Baker. Mr Baker said scientists would work in conjunction with SA universities and the SA Museum to study dolphins near the state's main aquaculture region at Port Lincoln on the west coast. Tuna farm operators raised the alarm earlier this year when it was discovered dolphins were regularly becoming entangled in the nets, which were designed to protect tuna from predators. The study also will investigate possible changes to tuna farm operations and the style of the predator nets. "This will help us identify any characteristics and other aspects of tuna farm management that could prevent mammals becoming entangled," Mr Baker said. "It is a positive step to ensure the mammals can safely share the seas side-by-side with the aquaculture industry," he said. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Dec 1995 00:58:30 -0500 From: Scott Subject: Re: New harp seal quota >According to reports by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), >Dec. 18, 1995, and Canada's national paper, "The Globe and Mail", Dec. >19, 1995, Canada's Minister of Fisheries and Oceans finally announced >his 1996 seal management plan. > >Claiming that harp seals are responsible for the fact that cod stocks >in most areas of Atlantic Canada are not recovering, Tobin raised the >quota on harps from 186,000 to 250,000 and said that collector (mother >ships) might be used in the hunt so that more seals can be taken than >the average of 60,000 per year in the past decade. The sealers will be >allowed to take adults and juveniles but not whitecoat pups. The government >will pay sealers as much as $1 million in subsidies. > >The sealers will shoot seals from boats, a method Canada's Royal >Commission on Seals and Sealing called the least likely method of ensuring >a humane kill. > >Neither of the reports mentioned a single scientist in support of Tobin's >claims. > >Anne D. > > >Anne Doncaster >International Wildlife Coalition >P.O. Box 461 >Port Credit Postal Station >Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 >Canada >Tel: (905) 274-0633 >Fax: (905) 274-4477 I always find it very difficult to believe that pinniped (or cetacean populations for that matter) are solely responsible for the depletion of fish stocks,(not including mariculture) to the point that it is necessary for commercial fishers to cull large numbers of animals. It is very difficult if almost impossible to get an accurate quantitative measure of the effect marine mammal populations have on fish stocks. First, you cannot measure the actual food consumed by marine mammals without first knowing what the population numbers of the target species are (including birth rate, death rate etc.) and even if those numbers are known it is still difficult; second what the catch per unit of effort of the predatory animal is; and third what the actual consumption rate/volume of the predator is. All these numbers are very difficult to obtain (as expressed in Marine Mammals and Fisheries, Beddington et al. 1984) How can anyone really determine with accuracy whether or not marine mammals are effecting fish stocks? We can certainly measure the impact commercial fisheries have on fish stocks (as exemplified by the closing down of major fishing areas i.e George's Bank). It is in my opinion that the culling of marine mammals is not to protect the interests and livelihood of commercial fishers, but that alternative economic factors are the real incentive. If anyone has any additional information on this topic, I would greatly appreciate having that forwarded to me at srcramer(\)tiac.net. Thank you for your time. Scott Cramer Student ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Dec 1995 08:54:32 -0500 From: Gene Buck Subject: 12/22/95 -- Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff Marmam Group: I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see them . In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I am including only new items added since my last posting, and a shortened introduction. I will post the entire summary and the longer introduction on the first Friday of the month. NOTE: Archived copies of "first Friday" longer summaries for June 1994 through the present are now available at "http://www.lsu.edu/~sglegal/" Gene Buck, Senior Analyst Congressional Research Service e-mail: gbuck(\)crs.loc.gov Summary follows: Marine Mammals . Japan Certified Under Pelly Amendment. On Dec. 11, 1995, Secretary of Commerce Brown certified Japan under the Pelly Amendment of the Fishermen's Protective Act for expansion of its scientific whaling program in the North Pacific and the Antarctic. President Clinton must report to Congress by Feb. 9, 1996, on any action taken regarding this certification. On Dec. 20, 1995, Japan's Fisheries Agency filed a letter of protest with the U.S. Dept. of Commerce concerning the Pelly Amendment certification. [NOAA press release, Dow Jones News] . Canadian Seal Hunt. On Dec. 18, 1995, Canada's Fisheries Minister Brian Tobin announced that the Atlantic harp seal allowable kill in 1996 will be increased from 186,000 seals to 250,000 seals, and that the government subsidy of C$.20 per pound will be continued. The entire seal carcass must be used, and the killing of young whitecoat seals is banned. In 1995, about 67,000 seals of the 186,000-seal quota were actually killed, due to poor weather and ice conditions and a limited market. On Dec. 20, 1995, the British Columbia Wildlife Federation called for a Pacific coast hunt of harbor seals to protect salmon. [Reuters, Assoc Press] . Japanese Court Hears Whale Case. On Dec. 12, 1995, a Japanese court heard the suit against British journalist Mark Votier for damages for allegedly breaching an agreement with Japan's Institute for Cetacean Research and releasing pictures in May 1993 of minke whales being killed by Japanese whalers in the Antarctic. [The Daily Telegraph, The Independent] . Items in this summary were excerpted from a variety of news and information sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible for the accuracy of the various news items. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Dec 1995 17:01:39 JST From: Tomio Miyashita Subject: request of e-mail ad. Dear MARMAM members, I would appreciate it if you would inform me the e-mail address of someone (marine mammalogist) in TINRO (Pacific Institute of Fisheries and Oceanograpy) of the Russian Federation. Regards. Tomio Miyashita Small Cetacean Section National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries 5-7-1 Orido, Shimizu, Shizuoka-ken 424, JAPAN Internet miyachan(\)enyo.affrc.go.jp TEL +543(34)0715 FAX +543(35)9642 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Dec 1995 09:51:55 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: U.S. commerce chief targets Ja U.S. commerce chief targets Japan for whale kills WASHINGTON, Dec 19 (Reuter) - The U.S. Commerce Department has accused Japan of undermining an international whale conservation treaty and one official said on Tuesday this could prompt Washington to impose trade sanctions. Commerce Secretary Ronald Brown, in a letter to President Bill Clinton last week, said Japan was weakening efforts to save whales by killing them for research in a sanctuary in the Antarctic Ocean. "Japanese nationals are engaged in scientific whaling activities that diminish the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) conservation programme," Brown said in a December 11 letter, required under the Fisherman's Protective Act. Clinton "is now authorised to impose trade measures on Japan, although he is not obligated to do so," said Scott Smullen, spokesman for the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service. There is no deadline for the president to decide on trade action, but he has until Feb. 9 to inform Congress of any measures he has taken to respond to the secretary's notice. This was the second time the United States had targeted Japan for research whaling. Action in 1988 led to a ban on Japanese fishing in U.S. waters. Brown said Japan had increased its catch of minke whales in the North Pacific this year and expanded hunts into the southern ocean whale sanctuary. In talks with the United States, Japan said it did not intend to increase its minke whale kills in the Antarctic waters over the next seven years. But Brown said he decided to certify Japan as a threat to whale conservation because it had failed to promise to cut back whaling elsewhere or limit its hunt to minke whales. "(Japan) has made no commitments, however, regarding scientific whaling in the North Pacific or regarding the possibility of lethal research in any location involving another species of whale," his letter said. The International Whaling Commission last year condemned Japan's whale hunts. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which released Brown's letter, urged Clinton to impose trade sanctions on Japan. "We certainly are going to push for sanctions on Japanese fisheries products that we import," WWF international policy director Ginette Hemley said. Hemley said the president could choose whatever sanctions he wanted, but they would probably target the Japanese fishing industry if they were imposed. The wildlife advocacy group said Japan sold whale meat from the hunts to restaurants. The WWF said Japanese vessels set off last month to kill up to 440 minke whales, up more than 100 from last year's hunt. Japanese embassy officials were not immediately available for comment. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Dec 1995 09:53:34 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: Japan defends whale hunts unde Japan defends whale hunts under U.S. attack WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuter) - Japan has not violated an international whale-protection treaty, a Japanese official said on Wednesday, defending the country's whale hunts for research against a protest by the U.S. government. Research whaling "is perfectly legal under the IWC (International Whaling Commissions) convention," said Joji Morishita, first secretary for fisheries at the Japanese embassy. The U.S. Commerce Department last week declared to President Bill Clinton that Japan was undermining efforts to protect whales by killing increasing numbers of them in the North Pacific and Antarctic Ocean for research. The notification under the Fishermen's Protective Act authorises the president to impose trade sanctions in response if he chooses. Clinton has until Feb. 9 to let Congress know if he has decided to take any action. "We already expressed great regret to the U.S. government because both our North Pacific and Antarctic research are appreciated by the scientific committee of the IWC," Morishita told Reuters. "Legally speaking, the IWC states that each country has a right to issue scientific permits," he said, calling the U.S. view that Japan was weakening whale conservation efforts "a subjective assessment of the situation." According to Morishita, Japan increased its hunt for minke whales in the Antarctic this year by 100 to around 400 in response to criticism from the IWC's science panel last year that its research programme was inadequate. However, Kevin Chu, foreign affairs officer for the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, said Japan's justification for stepping up whale hunts was "not correct." The research that came under criticism involved tracking whale population stocks and would require "a huge sample size" of much more than 400 whales, Chu said. "The extra 100 whales they're taking in southern ocean is not for the same research purpose," he said. NMFS officials declined to predict what action the White House might take. No talks have been scheduled between Japanese and American officials since the letter was issued. "We hope that they will not go one step further and impose sanctions," Morishita said. Environmental groups have long protested Japan's whaling and say the government is making money selling whale meat to expensive restaurants. Morishita defended the whale meat sales, saying that "we are just following the IWC convention" which requires that byproducts of research not be wasted. The meat sales do not cover the cost of the research, which runs into tens of millions of dollars, he said. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 23 Dec 1995 09:49:15 -0500 From: gearly Subject: Re: Everyone is a critic! Dear MARMAMers, I'm looking for some opinions on books (or other resources for that matter) that could be used as texts for an upcoming undergraduate marine mammal course I will be teaching. Over the years we have used a variety of texts, but I'm looking for opinions on the best and worst that people have read. Please reply directly to my e-mail, if I get anything juicy, I'll compile the list and comments and re-post them. Thanks, Greg Early NEAq Boston, Mass gearly(\)tiac.net > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Dec 1995 15:01:59 -0700 From: Ron Jameson Subject: (fwd) More Seals, Cod, Politics >Date: Fri, 15 Dec 1995 14:19:44 -0800 >From: jackd(\)mail.cor.epa.gov (Jack Doyle) >To: ronj >Subject: (fwd) More Seals, Cod, Politics >Newsgroups: sci.bio.conservation > >Path: >morpheus!engr.orst.edu!reuter.cse.ogi.edu!netnews.cc.wwu.edu!netnews1.nwnet >.net!news.u.washington.edu!conssub >From: conssub(\)u.washington.edu (Conservation Biology Discussion Group) >Newsgroups: sci.bio.conservation >Subject: More Seals, Cod, Politics >Date: 14 Dec 1995 05:26:41 GMT >Organization: MGL Systems Internet >Lines: 152 >Approved: pdh(\)u.washington.edu >Message-ID: <4ango2$6e6(\)thunder.mgl.ca> >NNTP-Posting-Host: saul6.u.washington.edu >NNTP-Posting-User: conssub > > >From: pmeisenh(\)mgl.ca (Peter Meisenheimer) >Date: Wed, 13 Dec 1995 20:41:49 GMT > >As Mr. Gaure notes with some force, it is important to be aware of the >primary literature when discussing the politics of resource >management. To that end I have appended a partial bibliography, both >primary and grey lit, relevant to the topic of Canadian fisheries and >seal harvest management. The DFO URL is http://www.ncr.dfo.ca. The >document to which I referred in my original posting is >http://www.dfo.ca/communic/seals/understa/utsf3_e.htm. > >The Sidney Holt to whom I refer, and whom Mr. Gaure dismisses as an >animal welfare advocate, is the co-developer, along with the late Ray >Beverton, of the Beverton-Holt model of stock recruitment, along with >other standard methods used by managers of living aquatic resources >around the world (Beverton and Holt 1957). He is, in the opinion of >fisheries scientists on all sides of the many debates within the >field, just about as eminent as they come. > >The New Scientist article to which I refer asks the general question >"How could a developed nation like Canada mess up so badly?" It is >better than most treatments of these issues in its handling of >technical matters. Insofar as a discussion of how politics and >science interact to produce these sorts of disasters is not to be >found in most scholarly fisheries journals, it is no comment on the >piece that it appears in a general interest publication. > >The conclusion that political interference in resource management lies >behind the demise of the cod stocks is amply born out by the findings >of various commissions established by the Canadian federal government >to investigate the northern cod stock collapse and other fisheries >problems in the country. Commissions chaired by Leslie Harris and >John Fraser come to mind. They are quite detailed and their findings >have received wide discussion. > >The story of political interference in the sealing debate is less well >known. Various papers listed below involving Myers and Hutchings make >a fascinating set of documents against which to judge statements by >Canadian politicians and bureaucrats. They have done some good >science looking for effects of influences on fish stocks, particularly >cod. They have found none other than overfishing. Myers et al (1995) >looks for evidence of depensation in a large number of fish stocks and >concludes that these is no evidence consistent with the so-called >predator pit. No mention is made of this in any DFO discussion of the >seal-cod debate. > >The "modelling" exercise on which statements about harp seal abundance >has been based stands in contrast to the investigations by Myers, >Hutchings, and their collaborators. It has not appeared in any form >other than DFO internal reports (Shelton et al 1995, Stenson et al >1995a,b). These documents compare aerial surveys of harp seal whelping >patches in 1990 and 1994. The pup production document (Stenson et al >1995b) discusses the various ways in which changes in methods have >biased the 1994 estimate upward. To quote; "The use of finer grain >film than used by Ni et al (200 ASA vs.320 ASA) and a motion >compensation mechanism further reduce the possibility that additional >pups may have been identified". "Further reducing the possibility" of >missing pups means biasing the count to a higher number in 1994. The >authors also use a one-tailed t-test to demonstrate a difference in >stock size between years when a two-tailed test (less likely to show a >difference) would be more appropriate. The models of consumption >employ assumptions about mortality that are known to be incorrect, do >not employ a functional response that would account for generally >recognized patterns of vertebrate feeding behaviour, and are generally >inadequate. > >As this posting is already lengthy, I will not get into the problems >with the grey seal work (e.g. Mohn and Bowen 1994). Butterworth et al >(1988) and Punt (1994) have dealt with the shortcomings of these sorts >of simple-minded models. Because they lack adequate complexity they >behave like a balance. As weight is taken off one side they shift to >the other; when seal consumption of cod goes down, fishery catch goes >up correspondingly. Nature, where food webs are complex and mortality >takes many forms, does not work this way. > >DFO researchers who have dared to discuss findings in contradiction to >the party line have been muzzled, and in some cases reprimanded. If >you doubt me I suggest you call up a few and ask. A letter from the >Fisheries Minister in response to a query from me about the >presentation by Sinclair et al (1995) made the statement that the >document was a submission to NAFO and no written report has been >received by NAFO from the authors. In fact, the authors include DFO >staff, under whose auspices the work was carried out. The minister's >statement is, to be charitable, misleading. > >I am not opposed to the taking of marine resources for economic ends. >Indeed, I am proud of my past work with and on behalf of commercial >fishing interests. I am very much opposed to abuse of science for >political ends. DFO is in bad need of some direction that will >address its obvious failings. There is no indication that anything is >being done to make life easier for those within the department whose >wish is to do good work as a contribution to an honest debate, and the >seal hunt propaganda campaign is a fine example of how business as >usual prevails. > >Beverton, R.J.H. and S.J. Holt. 1957. On the dynamics of exploited >fish stocks. Fish. Invest. 19: 1-533. > >Butterworth, D.S., D.C. Duffy, P.B. Best, and M.O. Bergh. 1988. On >the scientific basis for reducing the South African seal population. >S. African J. Sci. 84: 179 - 188. > >Hutchings, J.A., and Myers, R.A. 1994. What can be learned from the >collapse of a renewable Resource? Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, of >Newfoundland and Labrador. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 51: 2126 - 2146. > >Mohn, R. and W.D. Bowen. 1994. A model of grey seal predation on 4VsW >cod and its effects on the dynamics and potential yield of cod. DFO >Atlantic Fisheries Research Doc. 94/64. > >Myers, R.A., N.J. Barrowman, J.A. Hutchings, A.A. Rosenberg. 1995. >Population dynamics of exploited fish stocks at low population levels. >Science 269: 1106 -1108. > >Pauly, D. 1995. Anecdotes and the shifting baseline syndrome of >fisheries. TREE 10(10): 430. > >Punt, A.E. 1994. Data analysis and modelling of the seal - hake >biological interaction off the South African West coast. Report >prepared for the Review Meeting on Research related to Seal - Fishery >Biological Interactions Off South Africa, 8 - 9 June 1994, South >African Embassy, London, England. 213 pp. > >Sinclair, A., R.A. Myers, and J. Hutchings. 1995. Seal predation: >is there evidence of increased mortality on cod? Abstract presented >at 17th Annual meeting of the North Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, >Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. September 1995. > >Shelton, P.A., G.B. Stenson, B. Sjare, and W.G. Warren. 1995. Model >estimates of harp seal numbers at age for the Northwest Atlantic. >Dept. Fish. Oceans Atl. Fish. Res. Doc. 95/21. > >Stenson, G.B., M.O. Hammill, and J.W. Lawson. 1995a. Predation of >Atlantic cod, capelin, and arctic cod by harp seals in Atlantic >Canada. Dept. Fish. Oceans Atl. Fish. Res. Doc. 95/72. > >Stenson, G.B., M.O. Hammill, M.C.S. Kingsley, B. Sjare, W.G. Warren, >and R.A. Myers. 1995b. Pup production of harp seals, Phoca >groenlandica, in the Northwest Atlantic during 1994. Dept. Fish. >Oceans Atl. Fish. Res. Doc. 95/20. > >Strauss, S. 1995. Decimated stocks will recover if fishing stopped, >study finds. Globe and Mail, August 25, 1995. > >Yodzis, P. 1989. Introduction to theoretical ecology. Harper and >Row. New York. 384 pp. > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Dec 1995 14:35:51 -0800 From: Sallie Beavers Subject: Job Announcement *CORRECTION* The job announcement for a Computer Systems Administrator/Research Assistant (listed below) was sent out with an error in the mailing address zip code. The zip code has been corrected in this version. My apologies for any inconvenience the error may have caused. COMPUTER SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR/RESEARCH ASSISTANT. Program, maintain and upgrade computers and software for data collection, retrieval, compilation, analyses, and evaluation of satellite, acoustic and oceanographic data. Develop and test hardware and software for installation in data logging devices and transmitters for placement on marine mammals. Bachelors of Science degree required. Experience with C and PASCAL, and an understanding of the Argos satellite system preferred. Experience in batch files, scripting, C++, DOS, Windows, UNIX and LAN systems required. This is a fixed term position with renewal at the discretion of the director. The salary range is $25,200 to $30,000 (Dependent on experience). Position is located at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, OR. Resumes with references should be sent to the COMPUTER SYSTEMS SEARCH TEAM, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR 97365 no later than January 6, 1996. DO NOT PHONE OR REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. Oregon State University is an Equal Opportunity/AA employer and has a policy of being responsive to the needs of dual career couples. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 24 Dec 1995 04:53:06 -0800 From: r.mallon1(\)genie.com Subject: China-Dolphin China-Dolphin BEIJING (AP) -- After searching for three years, researchers have found one of the nearly extinct freshwater dolphins of the Yangtze River. The 10-year-old, 7 1/2-foot long female Baiji dolphin was captured Tuesday near the central industrial city of Wuhan and placed under observation in a dolphin reserve along the river, the China Daily reported today. The Baiji (white fin) dolphins appeared 25 million years ago. Scientists value them as an important subject for the study of evolution and the development of mammals. China has only one other Baiji dolphin in captivity, a male named Qiqi (pronounced chee-chee). Chances the pair will mate and produce offspring are slim. Qiqi, who has been alone swimming circles around a 10-yard-diameter pool for 10 years, is 18, somewhat old for successful reproduction, the report said. Fewer than 100 of this ancient species of dolphins are believed to remain in the Yangtze, China's longest river. With such small numbersremaining, it will be very difficult to save them from extinction, the official Beijing Review said in a report earlier this year. The newspaper quoted experts as saying the dolphins cannot survive 25 more years at the present rate of decline. The Baiji dolphin lives only in the heavily polluted middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. In this densely populated area, fertilizers and pesticides run off from the fields and waste spews from factories lining the river. In some places, its dark waters are frothy with pollution. The dolphin also is threatened by a decline of fish stocks, increasing numbers of motor boats, and fishermen who catch them illegally or accidentally. The giant hydroelectric dams on the Yangtze pose another threat. The river already is blocked by the Gezhouba dam in its middle reaches in Hubei province. The world's largest hydroelectric project is being built near Gezhouba in the Three Gorges. The newspaper held out some hope for the Baiji, becauseQiqi finally has a chance to mate. "Thank heaven, our darling boy will now have a mate and possibly offspring to escape extinction," the report quoted an unidentified expert as saying. The number of Baiji dolphins fell drastically from 6,000 in the 1950s to 400 in 1984. Last year, the Chinese estimated that fewer than 100 remain. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 24 Dec 1995 13:05:19 -0500 From: REllis6950(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Everyone is a critic! In the humble opinion of the undersigned, some of the more useful books for undergraduates were written by none other than that noted bon vivant and observer of cetological mores, R. Ellis, also known as "REllis6950(\)aol.com." Try "The Book of Whales" (Knopf 1980), now in paperback; "Dolphins and Porpoises (Knopf 1982) also in paper; and then "Men and Whales" (Knopf 1991), which tells the bloody story of the one-sided interaction between humans and cetaceans over the past thousand years; and finally, "Monsters of the Sea" (Knopf 1994, Doubleday in paper 1996), which admittedly contains a lengthy discussion of the cephalopod that put Greg Early on the cover of "Science News," but also had a lot of neat stuff about how perceptions of whales have changed since the first men came across the first whale carcass, as the whale changed from an object of commerce to an object of veneration. Merry Christmas, Richard Ellis ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Dec 1995 09:19:15 -0600 From: Anne Doncaster Subject: new seal quotas >>Claiming that harp seals are responsible for the fact that cod stocks in >>most areas of Atlantic Canada are not recovering, Tobin raised the quota >>on harps from 186,000 to 250,000 and said that collector (mother ships) >>might be used in the hunt so that more seals can be taken than the >>average of 60,000 per year in the past decade. The sealers will be >>allowed to take adults and juveniles but not whitecoat pups. The >>government will pay sealers as much as $1 million in subsidies. aims. >>Anne D. >I always find it very difficult to believe that pinniped (or cetacean >populations for that matter) are solely responsible for the depletion of >fish stocks,(not including mariculture) to the point that it is necessary >for commercial fishers to cull large numbers of animals. >If anyone has any additional information on this topic, I would greatly >appreciate having that forwarded to me at srcramer(\)tiac.net. >Scott Cramer >Student I think it is fair to say that based on the scientific information, Canada's Minister of Fisheries and Oceans also found it impossible to blame seals, or anything but human overfishing, for the crash in groundfish stocks. However, now the Minister is saying that seals are, at least partially responsible, for the fact that depleted fish stocks are not recovering. There has been, I believe, less scientific investigation of predato, (in this case, seal) impacts on recovering fish stocks so it is politically easier to use this argument to justify the Minister's seal control, or, I would argue, poltically self-serving programme. Anne D Anne Doncaster International Wildlife Coalition P.O. Box 461 Port Credit Postal Station Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4M1 Canada Tel: (905) 274-0633 Fax: (905) 274-4477 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Dec 1995 11:56:09 +0100 From: Simen Gaure Subject: Re: New harp seal quota Anne Doncaster: [...] Claiming that harp seals are responsible for the fact that cod stocks in most areas of Atlantic Canada are not recovering, Tobin raised the quota on harps from 186,000 to 250,000 [...] Scott Cramer: [...] It is in my opinion that the culling of marine mammals is not to protect the interests and livelihood of commercial fishers, but that alternative economic factors are the real incentive. [...] Note that Anne Doncaster only tells part of the truth here. The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans claims that "Harp seals are one of the factors impeding groundfish stock rebuilding." See e.g. , but I've not seen that they claim this is the reason for the increased quota. (Nor has Anne Doncaster said they claim so either, read her statement carefully) On the other hand, as Scott notes, DFO most likely have other reasons: "One way or another, thousands of people have a stake in the east coast seal fishery. Besides the hunters there are equipment suppliers, truckers, wholesalers and processors, to name a few. Sealing is a particularly vital source of income for the fishermen who live in small, isolated communities where employment opportunities are scarce and many people live off the land. In many cases, catching seals is the only way they have to raise money to get their boats and equipment seaworthy for the summer fishing season. The report of the Royal Commission on Sealing in 1987 declared: "The loss of income from sealing weakens the whole annual cycle of activities and thus threatens the survival of some of these communities. Alternatives to sealing have been considered by the Royal Commission but the prospects are not good." I notice that Anne Doncaster doesn't quote what Tobin has said about this, nor does she provide any primary sources for her claims. Note that Anne Doncaster represents an organization (the Int'l Wildlife Coalition (IWC)) with the following description of themselves: >From : "The IWC was founded specifically to be an advocacy organization with three part mandate: Prevent cruelty to wildlife Prevent killing of wildlife Prevent destruction of wildlife habitat It is against these objectives that the success or failure of all IWC programs and projects are evaluated. The meaning of the word "advocate" as one who pleads for another succinctly defines the IWC's role. The IWC does not presume to judge whether the actions of an individual, group, or society perpetrated on a single animal, group of animals, species, or habitat are appropriate or not, but rather - in the true spirit of the "advocate" - vigorously defends the interests of the creatures or habitat affected. Interest is defined in this context as the natural claim of all wildlife to be free to live under natural conditions, subject only to natural pressures." So we may not expect any scientific-like evaluation or inquisition from that party, just a heavily biased selection of information. The IWC is engaged in a hate campaign against sealers in Newfoundland. Quoting from IWC's web-server : "Shots ring out. Blood stains the white ice and the blue water. Alone, bleeding from a bullet hole in its side, a terrified baby seal just 17 days old squirms in a struggle to escape. Held in place with the sealer's foot, the pup's stomach is sliced open from chin to tail. These days, with the seal fur market dead only one part of this baby is sought -- a seal penis for the aphrodisiac trade in the Orient! The hunter probes the genital region with his knife. He spits out a curse; this little seal is a female. The sealers time and the cost of the bullet has all been wasted -- wasted, just like the life of this lovely wild animal." >From some reason, Anne Doncaster's IWC hasn't read Canadian DFO : "In parts of Asia, the seal penis is prized as an aphrodisiac. The Minister responsible for Fisheries and Oceans in Canada has stated unequivocally that the government will not permit the harvesting of seals exclusively for individual components, such as penises. The policy of the Canadian government, strongly supported by the sealing industry, is to make the maximum possible use of every seal." I suggest therefore that as a general rule when dealing with IWC representatives and activists one should ask for primary sources. -- Simen Gaure, Department of Mathematics, University of Oslo ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 25 Dec 1995 17:12:53 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: New harp seal quota Simen Gaure writes: >but I've not seen that they claim this is the reason for the increased >quota. (Nor has Anne Doncaster said they claim so either, read her >statement carefully) On the other hand, as Scott notes, DFO most >likely have other reasons: > I saw Brian Tobin, the Canadian Fisheries Minister, on TV the other day. I did not tape it so I cannot provide an exact quote, but as closely as I can remember it he said that as foreign fishers are no longer fishing the Grand Banks, and domestic fishers are no longer fishing, "the only players left" are the seals. He mentioned no other factors (though I admit the tape could have been edited. The implication was, to my mind, that this was the reason for the increased quota. >I notice that Anne Doncaster doesn't quote what Tobin has said about >this, nor does she provide any primary sources for her claims. >Note that Anne Doncaster represents an organization (the Int'l Wildlife >Coalition (IWC)) with the following description of themselves: >>From : I should mention that Mr. Gaure has attacked our organization, and the individual honesty of myself and other members, in quite vituperative terms on sci.environment and other newsgroups over this issue. I have no intention of bandying words with him on the subject here; as I have often said this is not an issue I work on. I am merely serving notice to MARMAM that if Mr. Gaure wants to conduct a flame war here he can do it by himself. I have always felt that MARMAM readers should base their views of submissions on the arguments used, not on the personalities (or the imagined personalities, as none of us has ever met Mr. Gaure) of the posters. -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)inforamp.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Dec 1995 18:21:19 EST From: William Rossiter <71322.1637(\)compuserve.com> Subject: Argentine researcher needs help Lic. Hugo P. Castello, Chief of the Marine Mammal Lab, Argentine Museum of Natural Science, Av. A. Gallado 470, 1405 Buenos Aires, Argentina, fax:54-1-082-5243, has requested information and advice through CSI and we eagerly pass it on to the experts. Please read on and fax him directly (I have asked for Email but don't think he has it), or Email CSI at 71322.1637compuserve.com, or fax us at 203-544-8617, regarding the following.... Dr. Castello needs a blowgun with refillable anesthetic darts to tranquilize South American sealions (O. flavescens) with Xylazine or Ketamine. Any comments, or equipment sources and costs that he can use? No idea of project motive, and not the sort of thing CSI generally supports, but I couldn't stop Clapham either. He also needs advice on video (PAL) and 35mm equipment for shore based work with La Plata river dolphins (P. blainvillei). Got an older camera that you might want to donate...he did ask for "automatic" and I'm seeking clarification so any recommendations or what to trust in the field (hot, maybe rain) would help. The request comes through Cetacean Society International because I have offered to purchase what he finally decides on through U.S. discount sources, with his funds, and hand deliver it to him in Buenos Aires during my normal work schedule. I'm not yet certain of his deadline, budget, or specific choices, and I KNOW that carrying a blowgun on an airline trip might trigger some questions, but I've never really tested all this stuff about "Captain's authority", so why not give it a try? Please help as you can. Bill Rossiter 71322.1637(\)compuserve.com President/Cetacean Society International ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Dec 1995 15:58:35 -0600 From: Bill Street Subject: good reading Since I know Dan Odell won't toot his own horn, may I recommend "Manatees and Dugongs" by Dan Odell and John Reynolds. It's an excellent reference to the West Indian manatee and gives good historical background to the entire Sirenian group. It's not pure science text so students can probably read it in a couple of days and not be thoroughly fried. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 26 Dec 1995 21:09:09 GMT-4 From: ROLSTON LESLIE DAVID Organization: UNBSJ Subject: Re: new seal quotas Anne Doncaster writes: > Date sent: Fri, 22 Dec 1995 09:19:15 - 0600 > From: Anne Doncaster > Subject: new seal quotas >Claiming that harp seals are responsible for the fact that cod >stocks most areas of Atlantic Canada are not recovering, Tobin >raised the quota on harps from 186,000 to 250,000 ... > I think it is fair to say that based on the scientific information, > Canada's Minister of Fisheries and Oceans also found it impossible to > blame seals, or anything but human overfishing, for the crash in > groundfish stocks. However, now the Minister is saying that seals are, > at least partially responsible, for the fact that depleted fish stocks > are not recovering. There has been, I believe, less scientific > investigation of predato, (in this case, seal) impacts on recovering > fish stocks so it is politically easier to use this argument to justify > the Minister's seal control, or, I would argue, poltically self-serving > programme. And additionally on Mon, 31 Jul 1995 15:14:33 PDT: From: Anne Doncaster Subject: Canadian seal science?? >... Now this seems to be the "science" that according to Brian Tobin >and the some of the media, "proves" that harp seal populations >have increased significantly and that harp seals are impeding the >recovery of groundfish stocks. I understand that ICES and NAFO >will be reviewing the documents at an international meeting this >Fall... Why is it that everytime someone has a different opinion than that of an advocacy group, suddenly the decision is based on "bad science" ?? No, of course science (especially the biological sciences) is rarely faultless, however it may well be the best data we have to date. This is the same sampling techniques and "bad science" that is also used by advocacy groups in support of other missions, including preservation of endangered spaces, endangered species, and protecting populations of marine mammals worldwide. Suddenly it is no longer "bad science", but "what the experts say". It is a given that politics is unfortunately part of management decisions on a local, and global scale. However, we should be consistent in how we interpret scientific data. Data is not inherently "bad" or "good". We obviously have to understand the concepts involved in stock assessments whenever we utilize these estimates, anti or pro. Even given to extremes of conservatism in assessing the harp seal population levels, these points should come to mind: 1/ The harp seal population is NOT "endangered". 2/ The harp seal population is expanding. 3/ Harp seals may (or may not) have an adverse effect on the "rebuilding" of the northern cod stocks. We don't know enough to say for sure one way or the other. 4/ Harp seals eat a substantial amount of fish, much of it capelin, and smaller cod (along with other species), and using some intuitative logic: harp seals MAY have a detrimental effect on the rebuilding of nothern cod stocks (along with foreign overfishing on the nose and tail of the banks which was just stopped, and sea temperature changes). 5/ The harp seal population can withstand a degree of harvesting, and was harvested for hundreds of years before the IFAW and Greenpeace stopped the full-scale hunt some 15 years. Landsman hunts have been continually going on. This is NOT a new phenonomum. 7/ Greenpeace and the IFAW stopped the full-scale hunt on the basis of the graphic "clubbing" of seals. They stated it was cruel, even though the best scientific data at the time showed that massive brain- hemmorrhaging was the most "humane" way to dispatch the animals. Now they say that shooting they seals will cause more cruelity to individuals due to bad shots. I agree. The fishermen are however left with no alternative now, due to the extremely graphic and photogenic media supported by the IFAW and Greenpeace. 8/ Why do we wish to stop the hunt (or alternatively not wish) to stop the hunt on a "scientific" basis, or a "moral" one ? Lets not cloud the issue. 9/ Why do we feel (or again, not feel) that the hunt is "immoral". I understand that many people have been brought-up on Jacques Cousteau and other excellent nature films, however I believe that we should try to be as open-minded as possible when attempting to manage ecosystems, utilizing the best available data. I respect Anne's opinions and feelings regarding marine mammals, however I feel she should try to answer these questions/comments above and ask why she feels the way she does, and whether emotion is a credable factor on which to base ecosystem management. Sincerely, Dave R. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 27 Dec 1995 09:22:06 PST From: Blackburn7(\)aol.com Subject: question on killer whale hunting techniques in California ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I heard once that a group of killer whales in Monterey used the underwater topography to possibly hide their echolocating noises. As I understood it the killer whales would stay in a particular area underwater along a specific area and this would actually silence or muffle their echolocation noises from the grey whale claves and mother which they were preying upon. If anyone has ever heard of this or knows of the study that was done pleas email the info to me I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you... Jason Blackburn Blackburn7(\)aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 27 Dec 1995 09:22:54 PST From: Graham Clarke Subject: Info: Barrow - Bowheads trapped ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am forwarding this message in the hope that someone can assist Bruce. >My name is Robin Hopper, and I'm a singer-songwriter in Chugiak, Alaska. >I'm trying to find some information on an event that occurred several >years ago in Barrow, when the ice shifted, and there were two or three >bowhead whales caught in a small open lead of water. I can remember >that people tried for quite a few days to cut through the ice with chain >saws to enlarge the lead, and that it attracted the attention of the >media, but that's about all I can muster. Would you have any >information or magazine articles on this event? I'd like to compose a >piece about this event, but I'd like to refresh my memory and have all >the facts before I begin tackling the lyrics. Many thanks in advance if >you have any information you could share, or any sources you could point >me toward. Please respond to: Bruce Hopper Graham. -------------------------------------------------------- Graham_Clarke - "WHALES IN DANGER" Information Service -------------------------------------------------------- Home Page - http://whales.magna.com.au/home.html -------------------------------------------------------- Sydney - AUSTRALIA - EMail: -------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 27 Dec 1995 09:23:50 PST From: Hal Whitehead/Lindy Weilgart Organization: Dalhousie University Subject: ATOC ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ATOC is now continuing transmissions despite the fact that its Advisory Board noted that they "...could not categorically rule out a relationship between the ATOC transmissions and the [three humpback] whale deaths." The Advisory Board, however, concluded that the ATOC transmissions were "unlikely" to be responsible. No autopsies could be conducted on the three humpbacks. It is disturbing to me that in a letter by Christopher Clark, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program for ATOC, to Ann Terbush, National Marine Fisheries Service, dated 9 Nov., AFTER all three humpbacks were found in the general vicinity of the ATOC source, and AFTER it was clear that Scripps had violated its permit by conducting 12 broadcasts of the sound source, yet BEFORE there was any hard evidence as to the cause of death, Dr. Clark still writes "My intent is to reschedule the start of the transmissions for tomorrow morning..." Luckily, thanks in part to pressure from environmental groups, this did not happen. Nevertheless, as an initial reaction by Dr. Clark, this does not reflect a great deal of precaution and prudence from someone charged with determining whether the ATOC transmissions are harmful to marine mammals. Lindy Weilgart ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 27 Dec 1995 09:30:42 PST From: "William P. (Bill) Russell" Subject: Re[2]: Everyone is a critic! ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- At 01:05 PM 12/24/95 -0500, Richard Ellis wrote: >In the humble opinion of the undersigned, some of the more useful books for >undergraduates were written by none other than that noted bon vivant and >observer of cetological mores, R. Ellis, also known as "REllis6950(\)aol.com." >Try "The Book of Whales" (Knopf 1980), now in paperback; "Dolphins and >Porpoises (Knopf 1982) also in paper; and then "Men and Whales" (Knopf 1991), >which tells the bloody story of the one-sided interaction between humans and >cetaceans over the past thousand years; and finally, "Monsters of the Sea" >(Knopf 1994, Doubleday in paper 1996), which admittedly contains a lengthy >discussion of the cephalopod that put Greg Early on the cover of "Science >News," but also had a lot of neat stuff about how perceptions of whales have >changed since the first men came across the first whale carcass, as the whale >changed from an object of commerce to an object of veneration. Merry >Christmas, >Richard Ellis > To which I reply that "marine mammal" is not equal to "cetatian." I was about to recommend Marianne Riedman's _The Pinnipeds_ from University of California Press, but hesitated because it erred to the other side. Perhaps a pair of texts is the answer. If Delphine Haley's 1978 _Marine Mammals_ from Pacific Search Press has been updated it may be more appropriate than either. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- | William P. (Bill) Russell | | P.O. Box 2029 | | Bandon, OR 97411 | | Phone: 503-347-3683 Fax: 503-347-6303 | | brussell(\)harborside.com | | Where the Coquille River meets the Sea | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 27 Dec 1995 12:39:33 -0500 From: AJDog1076(\)aol.com Subject: Seperation training Dear Marmamers: Does anyone have any suggestions to help in gate training an adult Tursiops who refuses to leave his pool for another? An aversive stimulus (net) would not be a tool that could be used in this application. Target poles have been tried and the animal has access to both pools all the time. The opening is apox. 6 feet wide and 8 feet deep. The gate slides closed. This dolphin is housed with two other male and a female Tursiops that seperate regularly. He simply refuses to swim through to the next pool. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Please email comments to: AJ Dog1076(\)aol.com Thank you. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 27 Dec 1995 13:32:22 -0500 From: REllis6950(\)aol.com Subject: Re: Info: Barrow - Bowheads trapped The whales in question were GRAY whales, and the events of their release are covered in a rather terrible book called "Freeing the Whales," by Tom Rose, published by Birch Lane Press in 1989. I also gave a synopsis of the events in my "Men and Whales" (Knopf 1991), on pp. 382-385. Richard Ellis ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 27 Dec 1995 14:50:42 -0500 From: Ronald Orenstein Subject: Re: new seal quotas >Even given to extremes of conservatism in assessing the harp seal >population levels, these points should come to mind: [A number of points listed] > >I respect Anne's opinions and feelings regarding marine mammals, >however I feel she should try to answer these questions/comments >above and ask why she feels the way she does, and whether emotion is >a credable factor on which to base ecosystem management. > >Sincerely, > >Dave R. > While not questioning Dave's points (I'll leave that to Anne if she wishes to do so) may I add a few more: 1) The collapse of the cod stocks (and others) in eastern Canada has wrought economic havoc in Newfoundland; 2) This collapse occurred despite years of "management" of the stock by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans; 3) The DFO was advised by its own scientists that quotas for cod were too high, but these recommendations were ignored; 4) Now that the economic damage has been done, the federal government presumably does not want to bear the brunt of Newfoundland's anger over its failure to preserve the stock; 5) Currently new economic opportunies are very difficult to provide in Newfoundland, so that short of massive handouts there is little the federal government can do to alleviate the problem; 6) As was shown in the recent "Cod War" the Fisheries Minister has been able to reap a grat deal of political capital by being seen as the defender of the stocks (including his emotional appeal on behalf of the "poor little turbot"); 7) Boosting sealing is a sure way to garner political capital in Newfoundland, especially if this action can be portrayed as yet another move towards restoring fish stocks. Therefore, whether or not increased seal quotas will help restore fish stocks - and whether or not there is even a viable market for seal products - there is a clear political advantage for the DFO to push, loudly and publicly, for more sealing. To follow up Dave's question, then: is politics a credible factor on which to base ecosystem management? -- Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home) International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home) Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court Messages: (416) 368-4661 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 Internet: ornstn(\)inforamp.net Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 27 Dec 1995 16:40:29 PST From: "Sam H. Ridgway" Subject: dolphin anesthesia In reply to the question on dolphin anesthesia, I offer the following seven references. The anesthesia methods are very much the same now except we substitute isoflurane for halothane and diprovan for pentothal. 1. (1965) Ridgway, S.H. Medical care of marine mammals. JAVMA, 147:(10)1077-1085 2. (1967) Ridgway, S.H. and J.G. McCormick. Anesthetization of porpoises for major surgery. Science, 158:(3800)510-512015.(1968) 3. (1968) Ridgway, S.H. The bottlenosed dolphin in biomedical re- seach. In: Methods of Animal Experimentation, Volume 3, Ed. by W.I. Gay, Academic Press Inc., New York, pp. 387-440 4. (1970) Medway, W., J.G. McCormick, S.H. Ridgway, and J.F. Crump. Effects of prolonged halothane anesthesia on some cetaceans. JAVMA, 157:(5)576-582 5. (1971) Ridgway, S.H. and J.G. McCormick. Anesthesia of the por- poise. In: Textbook of Veterinary Anesthesia, 28:394-403, Ed. by L.R. Soma. (The Williams & Wilkins Co. Baltimore) 6. (1972) Ridgway, S.H. Homeostasis in the aquatic environment. In: Mammals of the Sea: Biology and Medicine., Ed. by S.H. Ridgway. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, 590-747 7. (1974) Ridgway, S.H., J.G. McCormick, and E.G. Wever. Surgical approach to the dolphin's ear. J. Exp. Zool., 188:265-276 Sam Ridgway ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Dec 1995 12:08:45 +0100 From: Simen Gaure Subject: Re: new seal quotas >7) Boosting sealing is a sure way to garner political capital in >Newfoundland, especially if this action can be portrayed as yet another move >towards restoring fish stocks. As Mr. Orenstein may have noticed, this is exactly what I have been questioning. What has the DFO said in this regard? Have they claimed an increased seal cull will help the groundfish recover, or have they not? What exactly have they said? Both Orenstein's IWC, and the Int'l Marine Mammal Assc. Inc. (Meisenheimer via Ron Jameson recently in this forum) seems to be under the impression that the Canadian DFO claims an increased seal cull will help the cod recover, but I'm still waiting for a primary source for this. I can't find any such statement at DFO's web-server at . On the other hand, I find a statement which indicates they believe that the cull will not diminish the seal population. : "Based on 1994 figures, up to 287,000 seals could be harvested without reducing the current harp seal population." (I guess this is from work by Stenson et al recently referenced by Meisenheimer in this forum.) Please, Doncaster and Orenstein, if the information exists that the DFO believes the increased quotas may help the cod recover, this is definitely the time and place to point to it. And, I don't regard private recollections of unspecified talk show interviews with the Minister as a primary source. Btw, regarding Meisenheimer's discussion of this (which Ron Jameson is copying to this list, without copying my responses), I have responded to his statements in the usenet group sci.bio.conservation, where I have also, as promised, posted Garry Stenson's comments. Please refer to that group (it's moderated, so the group stays at a serious level) -- Simen Gaure, Department of Mathematics, University of Oslo ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 28 Dec 1995 13:10:48 PST From: Georg Blichfeldt Subject: researc seal killing methodes As result of the announcement of a increased quota in the canadian hunt of harp seals the discussion concerning the humanness of the seal hunts is likely to be - yet again - a hot topic. On this background a recent report on the preliminary results from norwegian research on the humanness of shooting seals might be of interest. Registration during the hunting of 349 weaned seal pups using rifles showed that 98.3 per cent of the pups died immediately. This "surpasses the results registered from any other form of hunting or from the slaughter of domestic animals", states a Norwegian Fisheries Ministry press release. (Extract from the press release underneath.) Using the traditional method - "the hakapik" (a spiked club) - the result would probably have been even closer to 100 percent. This method is today forbidden in both the canadian and norwegian seal hunt because of massive protests. These protests were based on aesthetics - not ethics. It seems that using a rifle to kill seal pups might a be a humane alternative to those that from aesthetics reasons do not accept the clubbing. The Norwegian Fisheries Ministry announced December 23. that the ordinary hunt of weaned seal pups will be reopened. Extract from Press Release The Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries Postal Address: 8118 Dep., 0032 OSLO November 21., 1995 "Results from this years scientific hunting of seal pups" "In connection with sealing operations in 1995, studies were conducted of the nutrition, growth and condition of seal pups in their year of life from the time they are weaned and abandoned by the mother. During scientific hunting, registration was carried out of 349 seal pups taken during the hunting of scattered animals as opposed to animals in groups. The results show that on average 98.3 per cent of the seal pups died or lost consciousness immediately. This is a very high percentage and surpasses the results registered from any other form of hunting or from the slaughter of domestic animals. Registration was conducted during the hunting of seals using rifles in order to find out whether the ammunition commonly used today is adequate or whether more powerful ammunition would give a better result, and whether it would be advisable to extend the use of rifles to the hunting of seal pups. It had been planned that registration would be carried out during the hunting of scattered animals and during hunting of weaned pups in the breeding grounds with the weapons and ammunition used today and with "enhanced", i.e. more powerful ammunition. The inspector examined each animal and samples were taken in addition and analyzed on shore. Hunting commenced too late for research to be conducted in the breeding grounds. For the hunting of scattered animals, however, the results showed that "normal" ammunition and "enhanced" ammunition were equally effective. At a longer range, however, more powerful ammunition can give a better result and future studies should to a greater extent be conducted at the breeding grounds so that comparisons can be made, if required, between this method of hunting and the use of the hakapik. Research has been headed by the Governments special adviser on marine mammal management, Professor Lars Walloe. The nutrition project has been conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ltd. in Tromsoe under the leadership of Professor Tore Haug, while the National Centre for Veterinary Contract Research and Commercial Services (VESO) under the leadership of Dr.med.vet. Egil Ole Oen is responsible for the registration of animals killed." (Information concerning the studies of the nutrition, growth and condition of seal pups has been cut) Georg Blichfeldt, secretary, High North Alliance Pb 123, N-8390 Reine, Lofoten Islands, Norway Tlf: +47 76992414 Fax: +47 76092450 Email: georgb(\)telepost.no ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 29 Dec 1995 14:56:47 PST From: Georg Blichfeldt Subject: Norway: 1996 seal hunt quota The Norwegian Fisheries Ministry announced 23. dec. the 1996 quotas for the hunt of harp and hooded seals. What's new is that the temporary prohibition against catches of weaned pups, i.e. pups that has been left by their mother, is to be lifted. This prohibition has been in force since the 1991 season, and came as responst to protests and boycot threats from abroad. Before 1991 it was also allowed to take suckling harp seal pups (white coats). This will still be forbidden. The detailed regulations for the harvest of weaned seal pups is not in place yet, but according to sources in Fisheries Ministry it is likely that both the use of the hakapik (a spiked club) and rifles will be allowed to as killing equipment. The Norwegian Fisheries Ministry press release gives following background for the decision to reopen the harvest of weaned seal pups: "This decision ensures that seals will be harvested in a way that gives sealers a better economic basis for harvesting stocks sustainably, i.e. in a way that meets the need for ecological sound utilization in the context of multi-species anagement. This safeguards the future of a traditional means of livelihood and makes it possible to build on the considerable expertise available on sealing" .......... " It is biologically sound to split the harvest between the productive and the non- productive parts of the stock, and it has been estimated that harvesting two pups have the same longterm effect on the stock as harvesting an adult. Seal eat fish, and scientist recommend that sealing including catches of pups, should be carried in the context of a multi-species management regime and as one element of a rational approach to harvesting of marine resources in general." According to the press release; - "the norwegian quota in the West Ice for 1996 has been set at 10.600 adult harp seals and 1.700 adult hooded seals ...... Up to 50 percent of these quotas may be taken in the form of weaned pups, on the basis of a conversion factor where two pups are equivalent to one adult.. This is in accordance with the recommendations of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES). Up to half the Norwegian quota of 9.500 adult harp seals in the East Ice may also be taken as weaned pups, but agreements with Russia mean that one pup is considered to be equivalent to one adult in this area. Thus, the total Norwegian harvest in 1996 may be up to 17.500 weaned pups and 10.900 adult seals". (end of quote) The press release furthermore informs that the two research projects that were the motivation for the 1995 scientific hunt of weaned pups will continue in 1996, but now as a integrated part of the ordinary sealing activities. These projects were research on humane killing methods for weaned seal pups and a study of the nutrition, growth and survival factors for seal pups. Georg Blichfeldt (secretary) High North Alliance, N-8390 Reine, Lofoten Islands, Norway tlf: +47 76092414 fax: +47 76092450 email: georgb(\)telepost.no ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 30 Dec 1995 07:35:15 -0800 From: Robin Baird Subject: Hybrid sea lion (fwd) Forwarded message: Excerpt from Sea Frontiers 41(4):13 (1995) "After a year-long criminal investigation costing some $40,000, biologists and park rangers at Channel Islands National Park have explained the annual deaths of 30 to 40 female California sea lions. Although commercial fishermen had been suspects, the true culprit turned out to be a huge bull sea lion, who apparently crushed the females while attempting to mate with them. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the male is a hybrid, a cross between a California and a Steller sea lion. He reacts to behavioral cues from the California females, but he is much larger than true members of that species. California males typically weigh in at about 900 pounds, Stellers about 2,000. The hybrid may weigh as much as 1,600 pounds, or eight times as much as the doomed California females he attempted to get close to. The National Marine Fisheries Service may take the killer into custody should he return to his stomping grounds next spring." ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 30 Dec 1995 08:18:03 PST From: Robin Baird Subject: Fondazione Cetacea on the Net ! (fwd) Forwarded message: Date: Sat, 30 Dec 1995 16:12:18 +0100 (MET) To: ECS-ALL(\)mailbase.ac.uk Fondazione Cetacea on the Net ! Fondazione Cetacea is an Italian non-profit making organization established in 1988 for the study and safeguard of the marine environment (see ECS Newsletter no. 22: 5-7); it runs the educational and scientific activities of both the Adriatic Sea World/Delphinarium Riccione (A.S.W.) and the Aquatic World/Delfinario Cattolica (A.W.) with the cooperation of biologists, veterinarians and volunteers. Furthermore we have lots of collaborations with several projects and numerous Institutions and Universities. Within a few days we will also start our Web Site dealing with our activities and research, and with Cetaceans information from Italy. We will also give room to the Centro Studi Cetacei (the Italian Stranding Network) for general information on its activities and on the strandings along the Italian coasts. For further information please contact us at the following address: Email: cetacea(\)iper.net Web Site: (http://www.italia.com/showdata/CETACEA) Happy New Year to everybody, Alessandro Bortolotto ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 31 Dec 1995 12:35:53 -0500 From: Keith Ronald Subject: Manatee in Turks (fwd) Keith Ronald (kronald(\)nsu.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor, Marine Mammals and Environmental Studies. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 30 Dec 1995 16:00:04 -0500 (EST) From: Keith Ronald To: marma(\)uvvm.uvic.ca Subject: Manatee in Turks This may not be news but it may have been missed. A hydrographic surveyor working in the Turks and Caicos spotted a manatee(about 2-3m) in the shallows 5-6 km north of Bellfield in January 1995, he saw it again the next day feeding on sea grass. These sightings were reported to the local government and the biologist. Apparently some claimed this was the first time they had been seen in 51 years, hence some of the folklore had died out-such as the manatee coming out of the water and taking bad children etc. Unfortunately he could not see the animals(s) well enough to see any markings but is familiar enough with manatee(as were his local helpers) to positively identify them. Anyone else have anything on recent Turks and Caicos' sightings? Keith Ronald (kronald(\)nsu.acast.nova.edu) Oceanographic Center Institute of Marine and Coastal Studies Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania, Florida, 33304, USA. Adjunct Professor, Marine Mammals and Environmental Studies. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 31 Dec 1995 16:12:08 -0500 From: Phocid(\)aol.com Subject: Pinniped handling At the recent conference in Orlando, I had the good fortune to view a video about the work being done by John Francis with the San Fernandez Fur Seals. I thought the video was very well done and I enjoyed it enormously. However, there was one aspect that surprised me. Two of the people working with John were shown carrying Fur Seal pups by their hind flippers. In my experience with pinnipeds, (although not specifically Fur Seals), this is an unacceptable technique. Carrying a seal by the hind flipper can cause dislocations and I have been told, may create a disposition to arthritis. If my observation is not correct I would like to know. But, if this is improper handling, perhaps the video should be edited so that this technique is not emulated by inexperienced researchers and rehabilitators. Jeff Lederman ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 12:25:05 EST From: Joshua Moldover Subject: NMFS Office of Protected Resources announces a new homepage The National Marine Fisheries Service's Office of Protected Resources is proud to announce the launch of its newly revised World Wide Web site! The site contains species and recovery information for all endangered and threatened whales, pinnipeds, sea turtles and anadromous fish. In addition, information is available on the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. The site is also home to a very comprehensive list of internet resources dealing with protected resource issues. Check it out at: http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/tmcintyr/prot_res.html Comments on the site should be sent to: