Species News

As we come to the end of April and the end of our focus on the common minke whale it seemed appropriate to finish up with a word or two on the issue of “whaling”, possibly the biggest threat to the common minke whale. While Norway, Japan (although their main focus is the Antarctic minke whale) and Iceland continue to hunt this species in its hundreds, other countries (and organisations like WDCS) continue to try and put a halt to the slaughter once and for all!

To keep up to date with what’s going on in the whaling debate, to have your voice heard and to hear what to expect at the forthcoming IWC meeting in June, keep a close eye on the WDCS website. But for the moment, here is some interesting background information on the various countries whaling activities, some interesting facts and links!

Be warned, it makes for very sobering reading! (And apologies for no images but we don't really need to see gruesome images as the words say it all!)

Norwegian whaling

NewsFlash … Norway has started minke whaling in the North Atlantic, with an increased minke quota for 2010

Prior to the decision banning commercial whaling, Norway killed approximately 2,000 minke whales per year, and more than 51% of the products from those kills were exported to Japan. Minke whaling in Norway is conducted by fishermen, the vast majority of whom engage in fishing for other species outside the whaling season.

In 1982, when the IWC adopted the moratorium on commercial whaling, Norway was one of the few governments to take an objection to the decision. When the ban on commercial whaling came into effect in 1986, Norway initially undertook a small- scale scientific hunt of minke whales; in 1993, it announced that it would resume commercial whaling under its objection.

Vessels range in size from 50 to 80 feet, and the number of vessels engaged in the fishery has dropped considerably from more than 35 in the late 1990s to 21 in 2009. Quotas have risen in recent years, from 425 in 1996 to 1,052 in 2009. However, the actual take has fallen far short of the quota and only once in the past ten years (2001), has the quota been met.

The 2010 Norwegian whaling season officially opened on April 1st, with a quota of 1,286 minke whales, more than 45% above the 2009 quota of 885 animals. The final catch for 2009, however, was 484, the lowest number of whales taken in a decade.

Japanese Whaling

Japan has a limited tradition of small scale whaling that dates back centuries. However, its large-scale, industrial whaling is a relatively new phenomenon, starting after World War II when animal protein was in short supply.

Japan continues to kill whales and sell the meat from its hunts, despite the ban (moratorium) on commercial whaling. To do this it exploits a loophole in the founding treaty of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which allows whaling for scientific research. It also hunts in an IWC-designated sanctuary in Antarctica, under an objection it lodged to that decision in 1994.

Currently, Japan allocates its whalers annual research quotas for 10 sperm, 100 sei, 50 Bryde’s and 120 minke whales in the North Pacific (60 of which are killed by Small Type Coastal Whalers), and up to 935 minkes and 10 fin whales in Antarctica, making a total of 1,225 whales a year. Hunting of 50 humpbacks a year was planned to begin late in 2007, however worldwide opposition forced Japan to postpone this hunt. Japan continues to threaten to include humpbacks as a part of its quota, despite not having killed any, which many conservation groups see as a negotiating tool in its discussions at the IWC.

Provisional figures from Japan’s 2009 hunt in the North Pacific show that Japanese whalers killed roughly 160 minke whales, 100 sei whales, 50 Bryde’s whales and 1 sperm whale. In addition, Japan killed 506 minke whales and one fin whale in its 2009/2010 Antarctic hunt.

Icelandic whaling

NewsFlash … Iceland have started their 2010 whale hunt

When the International Whaling Commission (IWC) agreed in 1982 to stop all commercial whaling by the 1986 whaling season, Iceland did not take an objection to the decision, as other whaling countries did. After the moratorium took effect, Iceland continued a small “scientific whaling” programme, and killed some 60 whales a year until 1989, but then left the IWC in 1992. Iceland rejoined in 2002 with a legally disputed reservation against the moratorium. Many countries objected to Iceland’s attempt to circumvent international regulations, and some countries still do not recognise Iceland’s membership of the IWC.

Iceland resumed scientific whaling in 2003 and in a five year “research” programme, killed a total of 200 minke whales from 2003 until 2007. Without even waiting for its supposed research study to be completed, Iceland resumed commercial whaling under its reservation to the moratorium in 2006, killing seven out of nine fin whales and seven out of 30 minkes in a self- allocated 2006/7 commercial quota. Whilst no fin whales were killed commercially in 2007/2008, Iceland issued a commercial quota for 40 minke whales in 2008, of which it killed 38.

In January 2009, just as the Icelandic government was voted out of office due to the country’s economic problems, the out-going Fisheries Minister took the decision to authorise a massive increase in the commercial hunting quotas for both fin and minke whales. The Minister issued a five year bloc quota for both species of 200 minke and 200 fin whales. The incoming Fisheries Minister declined to overturn his predecessor’s decision, and the quotas remained in place.

Iceland’s 2009 commercial whale hunt was the largest of its kind in decades, with 126 fin whales and 81 mike whales killed. In March 2010, the new Fisheries Minister went further still, setting quotas for 2010 at 200 fin and 200 minke whales, with a possible carry-over of 20% of any unused quota from 2009.

And if you’re still keen to read more then it’s worth reading Sidney Holts’ memoir on Norwegian minke whaling and more on the trade in whale products.

Until May, when WDCS will bring you everything you ever wanted to know about the Irrawaddy dolphin, we can only hope that as many North Atlantic common minke whales as possible dodge the whalers harpoons!? ???(2)trade in whale products including minke whale meat.

Ursula Tscherter, Director of the Ocean Research and Education Society (ORES), tells us about her long-term research on minke whales off the east coast of Canada.

One has to close the eyes to imagine their fascinating hunting behaviours. Over and over again the dark body of Loca, the crazy minke whale, powerfully breaks the surface, her head each time facing a different direction. Although she arches her back strongly she is not going to dive; she rather moves fast below the surface and thus below the targeted prey. With each surfacing she moves closer towards the centre where the final feeding strike is going to take place. During some surfacings she raises her head obliquely far into the air and just after reaching the summit, she smashes it forcefully back onto the surface. The big splash of water, power waves and air bubbles created are believed to confuse the schooling fish which, within lightning speed, move close together to protect themselves from the predator they believe is going after one fish at a time. This reaction however is the worst to do when dealing with a minke whale which finally lunges into the dense prey with its mouth wide agape.
Long-term studies reveal their highly fascinating and complex lives.

The protected waters of the Saguenay - St. Lawrence Marine Park in Eastern Canada, some 800 km from the open Atlantic and 200 km East of Quebec City, is a main summer feeding ground where minke, humpback, finback and blue whales aggregate during the summer months. Here, strong tidal currents concentrate the prey along the steep slopes of the deep Laurentian Channel. In areas of upwellings krill and capelin fish concentrate near the surface where they become easier prey for the air breathing whales as they can feed and breathe at the same time.
Since more than twenty years, the Swiss-Canadian Foundation ORES dedicates its non-invasive research to the North Atlantic minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) known to be a rather difficult species to study. Thus not much is known about their lives despite their cosmopolitan distribution. The St. Lawrence Estuary however is not only a paradise for whales but also for researchers studying minke whales. During daily surveys up to thirty, sometimes even fifty individuals are identified often concentrating at certain hotspots. Many individuals have been seen every year since the early Nineties. Many of them visit the estuary thirty and more times during a summer. Others however have only been seen a few times every few years. Others only once.



Natural markings such as scars and spots on the skin but mainly nicks, dents and cuts along the dorsal fin edge allow ORES researchers to identify more than 90% of animals present at any time either by photographs or even visually in the field. The Dorsal Edge Mark (DEM) categorisation system developed by ORES facilitates the matching procedures tremendously. Today ORES maintains the most comprehensive minke whale identification catalogue with more than 300 individuals; almost half of which visit the study area in any given summer. The extremely high identification rate allows specific research questions not feasible anywhere else in the world like extended and repetitive focal follows of the same animals over many years.



Among others ORES’ research objectives are the population dynamics, long-term temporal and spatial distribution, breathing and feeding ecology, and habitat use with a special focus on individually different behaviours and specialisations. Research results reveal an unexpected adaptability, creativity and diversity in behaviours to my knowledge not matched by any other baleen whale species. Individual animals even show significant preferences for specific environmental parameters in their feeding areas!
Focal samples on individuals document the extremely fascinating creativity and ongoing invention of novel feeding strategies and techniques. Today seven different feeding manoeuvres (oblique, vertical, lateral and dorsal-ventral lunges and arcs) and an increasing numbers of entrapment manoeuvres are applied in general or by certain individuals. During lateral manoeuvres minke whales show a 95% preference for the right side which is just as high as the right handedness among humans. This preference of side is believed to be an indication for the high development of a species. When feeding ventrally the genital slits visible often reveal the sex of the animals. By today we identified 50 females but only one male supporting the theory that minke whales segregate by sex in their feeding grounds.

Always good for a surprise
“When you think you have learned something about their lives wait a minute and they will change.” The quote from the late Ned Lynas, founder of ORES, is as true as ever. In 2000 a minke whale performed a manoeuvre never seen before during more than 20 years of field observations. At first, ORES researchers did not understand the manoeuvre and therefore named the performing animal Loca, the crazy whale. This head slap, described at the beginning of this article, was her invention to scare the fish into a tight ball prior to a feeding strike. Over time more and more individuals specializing in feeding in the Saguenay Fjord “copied” Loca’s trick and even invented and developed other manoeuvres to entrap the prey. Today up to a dozen individuals create complex compositions of different entrapment manoeuvres such as chin-up blows, lateral surfacings, rolls, fountain blows and underwater exhales eventually leading to a final feeding strike. Some well-known individuals have developed such distinct strategies that they can even be identified just by their feeding signature; the whale ‘Loca’ prefers head slaps, ‘Speedy’ is extremely fast and agile, and ‘El International’ surfaces continuously at the same spot while lying on her right side. Today the novel feeding behaviours not only continue to spread among the population but are further developed and fine tuned with amazing creativity.



Although aggregating in high numbers at certain times and places North Atlantic minke whales are rather solitary and independently living animals. However since 2000 certain individuals form groups of two and three. Since then the number of animals involved, the sighting frequency and duration of grouping behaviours increased steadily. Although pairs have so far never been seen feeding together at the surface they are believed to hunt cooperatively at depth. To which extend however is not known.

Exposed to threats
Prior to 1993 a boat propeller cut deep into the back of the minke whale Three Scars, later named after the huge scars the accident left on her back. In 2004 ORES saved her life when she was entangled in fishing gear. In 2008 she carried an open wound caused from fishing nets. Since I know her Three Scars managed three times to escape certain death. She is a lucky one. Because entangled minke whales usually die.
Due to their coastal distribution minke whales are highly exposed to environmental threats caused by human activities. Therefore extended, dedicated research and long-term studies of minke whales in their natural environment is much needed in order to gain profound knowledge about their lives and needs because long-term conservation measures are crucial today. For instance, we do not know where Loca & Co. spend their winters, where they give birth and nourish their calves and what threats they face during their migration to their Northern feeding grounds. By the time they arrive in the estuary calves are already weaned of and therefore have to develop their hunting behaviours themselves.

This next post to the "common minke whale" blog comes at a time when the Icelandic minke whalers association are reporting that the first whaling vessel is getting ready to sail. Having set themselves a quota of 200 minke whales for this season we can only hope that the weather delayes their departure and that the whales get out of the whalers way ... and preferably come to Scottish (and associated) waters! For more on the story visit the WDCS website.

We're still waiting for our first minke of the season here on our field survey site in the north west corner of Scotland although we've heard reports that they've been sighted off the Isle of Mull and in the Moray Firth - so they're in the area!!

In the meantime, yet another good friend of WDCS, Marijke de Boer, tells us more about her work focusing on the minke whales in the central North Sea.

Enjoy

Minke whales in the Central North Sea

The Dogger Bank in the Central North Sea is an area characterised by frontal features and high productivity. This offshore bank is the area where Atlantic waters from the north meet and mix with waters from the English Channel. Relatively high primary production values have been reported although this productivity on a small-scale is patchy due to the complex hydrodynamics and the irregular occurrence of wind mixing.

The Dogger Bank is currently announced/proposed as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) according to the Habitats Directive of the European Union. The Bank itself is a sandbank and offers a suitable sandeel habitat. Studies on fish, seabirds and cetaceans show the Bank has a high biodiversity.

Minke whales have mainly been reported to the north and west of the Dogger Bank with most survey work being carried out over the summer months when the weather is most suitable for dedicated research.

Recent survey work has now shown that the Bank is an important feeding habitat for minke whales in the spring time. The survey was carried out from 28 March to 2 July 2007 at a much finer scale than earlier studies in the region. A high density of whales was estimated by the researcher with a total of 77 sightings of minke whales comprising 130 individuals. The minke whales were temporarily congregating along this bank and were taking advantage of the local spring abundance of sandeels. The density found was higher than previous studies have suggested for the Central North Sea.







At present there are some threats to minke whales in these waters and an increased understanding of this species ecology is needed. The survey results correspond to recent observations of minke whale re-distribution within the North Sea and these may be related to a decline in sandeel availability elsewhere in the North Sea.

The offshore Dogger Bank is currently the last extensive sandeel fishing ground in the North Sea and concern has been raised regarding the effects of local sandeel depletion at the Bank on their predators and the North Sea ecosystem as a whole. Especially, when prey becomes less abundant elsewhere offshore banks may become increasingly important to minke whales within the North Sea. Minke whales may thus benefit from the designation of this area under the Habitat Direction, as an SAC.

Reference:
M.N. de Boer. In press. Spring distribution and density of minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) along an offshore bank in the Central North Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series.

A good friend of WDCS, Dr Kevin Robinson from the Cetacean Research and Rescue Unit (CRRU) in Morayshire, Scotland introduces us to his research subjects …

Minke whales are ubiquitous in coastal waters of temperate regions and thus are a familiar sight to cetacean researchers around the globe. However, much remains unknown about the biology and ecology of these small balaenopterids, as, whilst it may be a straightforward task to sight and recognise them at sea, conducting directed studies on the species frequently proves to be a difficult and substantial challenge. Their relatively small size, generally solitary habits, infrequent vocalisations, inconspicuous surface behaviour and often evasive behaviour towards vessels, makes many of the most common research techniques used for other cetaceans notoriously difficult to apply. Even obtaining high-quality photographs for the identification of individuals can be daunting. Consequently minke whales are commonly bypassed in preference for species that are more straightforward to study, and the biology of these animals sadly lags behind that of many other whales and dolphins.

It has been my privilege to have worked with and studied these fascinating creatures in the Moray Firth, in northeast Scotland, for almost 10 years now. The heterogeneous inshore waters of this large North Sea embayment provide rich feeding areas for free-ranging minke whales during the summer and autumnal months, which are conducive to directed studies in this location. Whether the whales here represent a significant portion of a larger endemic minke population or not, remains unknown, but we have shown that the species certainly occurs in these northeast waters in considerable numbers between the months of May to October in comparison to adjacent regions – although shifts in distribution are certainly evident between east and west coast Scottish populations. Our long-term studies in the outer Moray Firth include photo-identification, behavioural studies, focal follow work and applied remote sensing techniques, all of which have provided fascinating insights into the biology and ecology of these whales that have been widely published in the scientific literature (see: www.crru.org.uk/publications.asp). Most recently, the modeling of spatio-temporal sightings data has allowed for the prediction of critical habitat for minke whales in the Moray Firth, with provisional buffer zones for their management. Indeed, these and other developmental studies in progress are considered vital to our understanding of these small rorquals in our northern coastal waters, and continued studies will undoubtedly provide a better understanding of the animals essential for their protection.

Though unpredictable in their behavior, tricky to work with, and uncooperative at the best of times at sea, minke whales are still resolutely worth all the effort involved in their study, and have given me much pleasure – and indeed many surprises – over the years. The minke whale is undoubtedly the most strikingly-marked, one of the fastest swimmers and amongst the most inventive and adaptable feeders of all of the baleen whales together, and a joy to behold in its glory. And right now is certainly an exciting time to be involved in minke whale research, as we have just learnt enough to begin asking the right questions to focus future studies in order to provide informed conservation measures for ecosystem-based management of these coastally occurring whales. I gratefully join WDCS in celebrating the grace, supremacy and magnificence of this remarkable leviathan as elected cetacean of the month.

In association with the WDCS Species Guide every month from now on we’ll be bringing you a “species of the month” where we’ll take a closer look at the individual species, discuss in more detail the threats facing them and also hear from scientists and researchers who are in the field undertaking studies on the species we’re focusing on!

And April = Minke Madness!

Until recently all minke whales were considered to be one species, however science now recognises 2 distinct species, the Antarctic minke whale, which as its name suggests is found in the Antarctic, and the common minke whale, where currently 3 sub-species are recognised; (1) B. a. acutorostrata, found in the North Atlantic, (2) B. a. scammoni, found in the North Pacific, and (3) An as yet unnamed dwarf minke whale occurring mostly in the southern hemisphere. The smallest of the baleen whales, the common minke whale is widely distributed and although it is often found in offshore areas it tends to prefer more coastal and inshore waters, favouring continental shelves.

And so …. April is now officially dedicated to the common minke whale, otherwise known as Balaenoptera acutorostrata. I appreciate that although we’ve dedicated the month of April to this species, it may not have escaped your notice that we’re rapidly approaching the middle of the month … and this is the first posting for this species!! There was and is a very good reason for this, having just embarked on our bi-annual minke whale (and other cetacean) survey off the West coast of Scotland it was considered an appropriate time to launch this new feature … albeit 12 days late!! Our fieldwork coincides with the bi-annual NATO “Joint Warrior” exercise that takes place off the west coast of Scotland. The Exercise (the largest of its kind in Europe and occurring here twice a year) is taking place in April this year rather than May and this might be a good thing for our seasonal minkes, as it is the very beginning of the minke season and numbers are anticipated to be low (we await our first sighting with anticipation!).

As I post throughout the remainder of April, hopefully I can bring you up to the minute information on the common minke whale in this part of the world … and how they’re faring during this particular exercise!

So let us begin here at home in the UK …

Minke whale sightings are frequent and widespread from May to October in UK waters. The general pattern appears to be of an increased use of coastal areas as the season progresses, peaking July to September when large feeding aggregations can be observed in coastal waters. Outside of these months sightings are substantially fewer and very little is known about their winter distribution. Some individuals may remain close to Britain and Ireland but for the majority, it is unclear if they undergo a latitudinal migration or simply move further offshore for the winter months. Recently, minke whale vocalisations have been recorded in deeper waters of the North-east Atlantic, off the west coast of the UK, during these winter months. In some locations around the UK, photo ID studies have found individuals to be resident seasonally, or possibly even year round. But in the main … we know very little about where they go when they’re not hanging around off our shores.



?Everyone always wants to know “how many” of a particular species there are and when it comes to minke whales, this is no different and possibly more pertinent due to the fact that they are the staple of whalers around the world, specifically Norway and Iceland. Surveys in 1994 produced an estimate of 8,445 for minke whales in the North Sea whilst a similar survey in 2005 resulted in an estimate of 10,541 for the same area but this difference was not scientifically significant. Another offshore cetacean survey in 2007 produced an estimated abundance of 6,765 for minke whales, with sightings restricted to the northern blocks of the survey area, in British and Irish offshore waters. So as you can see …. Putting a figure on how many minkes there are can be difficult!

Scotland has the highest densities of minke whales in the UK and the west coast of Scotland is well-known for its populations of minke whales which migrate to the area in the summer months to feed in the rich and productive waters. Sandeels, herring and sprat have been noted as principal prey items of minke whales in British waters but other fish species, such as mackerel, cod and capelin, are also eaten. Minke whale distribution and abundance during the summer feeding season therefore will ultimately depend on the distribution and abundance of their prey. Whilst seabird and harbour porpoise declines have been linked to sandeel declines in Scottish waters, it has not been possible to make this link for minke whales. However as a primary prey source, it is likely that reductions in prey species, such as sand eels, would have a negative impact on minke whales in Scottish waters. In terms of other threats, the main known issues for minke whales in our waters are fisheries interactions, prey depletion and noise pollution. The Scottish Government is currently conducting an investigation into the extent of minke whale entanglements in fishing and / or mooring lines.

Naval sonar, more commonly linked to mass strandings events of deep diving whales, has also been associated with minke whale strandings in the Bahamas and in North Carolina. On the west coast of US, close to Seattle, similar rapid fleeing behaviour has been observed from killer whales and dolphins in response to sonar. Decreases in sightings of minke whales have already been reported off the west coast of Scotland during naval activities. It is not known how any disruption in the whales’ feeding behaviours will affect populations in the long term.



Whaling however obviously remains the greatest immediate threat to this species with Norway and Iceland both targeting them on an annual basis, in their thousands!! You’ll hear more about minke whales and their gruesome history with the whalers in a future minke blog as well as some updates from some common minke whale researchers around the world.

And so, that’s possibly enough to be getting on with for the moment, I’ll be back with more (from the field) soon …. !!