PROCEEDINGS OF THE ON MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTED …second.icmmpa.org/files/2012/11/ICMMPA2-Final-Color-lo.pdf · PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MARINE MAMMAL

PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTED AREAS

ICMMPA 2: Endangered Spaces, Endangered SpeciesNovember 7–11, 2011 Fort-de-France, Martinique Editor: Erich Hoyt

EDITORErich Hoyt

CO-HOSTSAgence des aires marines protégées • French Marine Protected Areas Agency

National Marine Fisheries Service Office of International Affairs NOAA

PREMIERE SPONSORAustralian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

SPONSORS AT THE BENEFACTOR LEVEL• AgoaSanctuary(SanctuaireAgoapourlesMammifèresMarinsauxAntilles)• CaribbeanEnvironmentProgramme(CEP)• ConseilGénéraldelaMartinique(France)• ConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD)• DEALMartinique(France)• GlobalOceanBiodiversityInitiative(GOBI)• InternationalFundforAnimalWelfare(IFAW)• InternationalUnionforConservationofNature(IUCN)• MarineMammalCommission(MMC)• MinisteriodeMedioAmbienteyMedioRuralyMarinodeEspaña• NationalMarineSanctuaries(NMS,NOAA)• TheOceanFoundation• RégionMartinique(France)• SpeciallyProtectedAreasandWildlife–RegionalActivityCenter(SPAW-RAC)(orCAR-SPAWCaraïbe)• UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(UNEP)• WhaleandDolphinConservationSociety(WDCS)

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTwasprovidedbyAcadémiedelaMartinique;BachelorÉcolesdeGestionetdeCommerce(EGC);ComitéMartiniquaisduTourisme;EastCaribbeanCoalitionforEnvironmentalAwareness(ECCEA);FranceStationNautique/Fort-de-France;MartiniqueVidéoSub;OfficedeTourismedeFort-de-France;ParcnaturelregionaldelaMartinique;MartiniqueSocietyfortheStudy,ProtectionandDevelopmentofNature(Sepanmar);Seve;UniversitédesAntillesetdelaGuyane;VilledeFort-de-France;andFort-Saint-Louis(FrenchNavy).

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSTheICMMPA2ConferenceCo-hostsandtheSteeringCommitteewouldliketogivetheirdeepappreciationtotheconferencewelcomeandkeynotespeakers,thepanelandworkshopconveners,andallthesponsorslocalandinternationallistedabove.SpecialthanksfromtheSteeringCommitteeandtheproceedingseditorgotoJaclynTaylor,rapporteurfortheplenarysessions,theworkshoprapporteurs,andthePublicSystemteam(PCO),allofwhomeasedthetaskofeditingthesepagesandimprovedtheresult.InMartinique,PhilippeRobert,Marie-AudeSévinandthestaffoftheFrenchMPAAgency,ValérieMetral,NicolasMaslach,LaurentJuhelandLaurenceVigneron,werewarmandgraciousinwelcomingeveryonetoMartiniqueandmakingourstayverypleasant.Appreciationforsmoothandefficienttravelarrangementsandlogisticsforparticipants,beforeandduringtheconference,isduetoLee-AnnChoyofPacificRimConcepts.AfinalthankyougoestotheFrenchNavy,AEMAntilles,forallowingustohaveaclosingdinnerandcelebrationatthemagnificentmilitaryfortinFort-de-France.

©InternationalCommitteeforMarineMammalProtectedAreas(ICMMPA),Allrightsreserved.Copyrightofphotographsremainswithphotographersandindividualtextswiththeauthors.GratefulthanksaregiventoChristineBrammer,NaomiMcIntosh,GaryDukerandRebeccaWhiteforassistanceintheproductionofthereport.

ISBNforfullproceedings(thisedition):978-0-9853252-0-6

ISBNforsummaryproceedings(shortversion):978-0-9853252-1-3

Citation:Hoyt,E.(editor)2012.ProceedingsoftheSecondInternationalConferenceonMarineMammalProtectedAreas(ICMMPA2),Fort-de-France,Martinique,7-11Nov.2011,ppi-vi,1-103

September2012

PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTED AREAS

ICMMPA 2: Endangered Spaces, Endangered Species

November 7–11, 2011 Fort-de-France, Martinique

Editor: Erich Hoyt

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SecondInternationalConferenceonMarineMammalProtectedAreas

Dall’s porpoise in Commander Islands Biosphere Reserve, Russia. Photo by Tatiana Ivkovich, Russian Cetacean Habitat Project, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

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ICMMPA ConferenceProceedings

ContentsExecutive Summary and Main Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Conference Welcome and Opening Talks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Keynote 1: Australian Policy on Marine Mammal Conservation. Hon. Tony Burke, MP (Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Australia) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Panel 1: Special Management Considerations for Particularly Endangered Marine Mammals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Panel 2: Refining Our Understanding of Marine Mammal Critical Habitat and Hotspots, Wading Through Large, Heterogeneous Masses of Data, to Inform MMPA Designation (including on the High Seas) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Keynote 2: Marine Mammals That Have Already Been Lost – Lessons Learned? Randall Reeves (Chair, IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group, and Okapi Wildlife Associates, Canada) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Panel 3 and 4 (combined): Using Marine Spatial Planning and Ecosystem-based Management to Address Broad Threats to Marine Mammals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Panel 5: Managing Marine Mammal Protected Areas (MMPAs) for Localized Threats and Mitigation by Spatial Protection and Other Means . . . . . . 23

Panel 6: Regional Cooperation for MMPA Scientific and Technical Networking . . . . 27

Panel 7: Development of Marine Mammal Protected Areas (MMPAs) in the Wider Caribbean Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Keynote 3: The Legal Regime Relating to Marine Protected Areas on the High Seas for Marine Mammal Protection. Christophe Lefèbvre (IUCN Global Ocean Councilor; French Marine Protected Areas Agency, France) . . . 35

Keynote 4: Thinking Big – But Not Forgetting Small. The ICMMPA 2 “Take Home” Vision. Erich Hoyt (Research Fellow and Global MPA Programme Head, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, UK) . . . . . . . . . . 37

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Workshop 1: Monk Seal Conservation Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Workshop 2: River Dolphin, Estuary, and Coastal Dolphin Conservation . . . . . . . 43

Workshop 3: Bycatch and Marine Mammal Protected Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Workshop 4A: Bilateral and Multilateral Agreements to Facilitate Partnerships between and among MMPAs: Making Them Work and Lessons Learned . . . . . . . . 51

Workshop 4B: Broad-scale Marine Spatial Planning of Mammal Corridors and Protected Areas in the Wider Caribbean and Southeast and Northeast Pacific, Including Identifying Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) . . . . . . . 55

Workshop 5: North East of South America, Regional Cooperation for a Marine Mammals Conservation Strategy Workshop – MAMA COCO SEA Project . . . . . 61

Workshop 6: GOBI-UNEP/LifeWeb Technical Session: Identifying EBSAs and Critical Habitats in the Wider Caribbean and East Pacific to Inform Marine Mammal Management Planning (cancelled as a separate workshop and included as part of Workshop 4B and Workshop 9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Workshop 7: Immediate and Lingering Impacts of Oil Disasters on Marine Mammals: Review of Experiences and Policy Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Workshop 8: Conservation of Sirenians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Workshop 9: Scientific Information to Support MSP: MSP for Marine Mammal Conservation, as well as Considerations of Marine Mammal Science in Broader MSP . . 75

Workshop 10: Management of Whale Watching in Marine Mammal Protected Areas (MMPAs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

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Side Event 1: Ship Strikes in the Caribbean and Mediterranean: Studies and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Side Event 2: International Whaling Commission (IWC) Five-Year Strategic Plan for Whale Watching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Martinique Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Directory of ICMMPA 2 Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Steering and Program Committee, International Committee on Marine Mammal Protected Areas – ICMMPA 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Organization and contacts (inside back cover)


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Bottlenose dolphins in proposed Hebrides Marine Reserve, Scotland Photo by Charlie Phillips, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society


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Executive Summary and Main Conclusions

Some150marinemammalprotectedarea(MMPA)researchersandmanagersaswellasgovernmentandconservationgrouprep-resentativesfrom42countriesandoverseasterritoriesconvenedinMartiniqueintheFrenchCaribbeanfrom7-11November2011fortheSecondInternationalConferenceonMarineMammalProtectedAreas(ICMMPA2).Thegoal:toseeksolutionstosharedproblemsrelatedtomarinemammalconservationandtoMMPAnetworkandsitedesign,creationandmanagement.AsecondarygoalwastoorientthoseworkinginMMPAstosetthoseprotectedareasinthebroadercontextofmarinemanage-ment,inordertoensurethatMMPAsarenotmarginalizedasmarinespatialplanningworkadvances.Unlikemostscientificmeetings,theICMMPAstressesworkshops,panels,andopenforumdiscussionstoemphasizecollaboration,communicationandnetworkingamongMMPApractitioners.

Theconferencewasco-hostedbytheFrenchMPAAgency(Agencedesairesmarinesprotégées)andtheUSNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration(NOAA).Fifteenotherinternationalandregionalsponsors,aswellasadozensupport-ingorganizations,wereactivelyinvolved,mosteitherbasedinMartiniqueorwithrepresentationintheCaribbean.

Theconferencethemeof“EndangeredSpaces,EndangeredSpecies”wasexploredinkeynotetalks,panelsandworkshopsfocusingonmonkseals,sirenians,riverdolphinsandothersmallandlargecetaceans.Inseveralworkshopsandplenarytalks,specialattentionwasgiventothevaquita,themostendangered,space-restrictedmarinemammalintheworld.Delegatesagreedthatitwillrequireabroadpubliccampaigninordertogener-atethepoliticalwilltostopthegillnetfishingthatissqueezingthelastlifefromthe“shyporpoisewiththelittleblacksmile”.

Plenarysessionsweredividedintopanels,followedbydiscus-sions,focusingon

• SpecialconsiderationsforparticularlyendangeredmarinemammalsandwhetherMPAsaretherighttool.

• RefiningourunderstandingofmarinemammalcriticalhabitatandhotspotstoinformMMPAdesignation.

• Usingmarinespatialplanningandecosystem-basedmanagementtoaddressbroadthreatstomarinemammals.

• ManagingMMPAsforlocalizedthreatsandmitigationbyspatialprotectionandothermeans.

• DevelopmentofMMPAsinthewiderCaribbeanregion.

• RegionalcooperationforMMPAscientificandtechnicalnetworking.

Theworkshopsfocusedonmarinemammalsandoilspills,deci-sion-makingwithlimiteddata,bestpracticesforwhalewatchinginMMPAs,integratingmarinemammaldatainmarinespa-tialplanning,forgingagreementstoestablisheffectiveMMPA

networks,andthewidespreadmortalityattributedtofisheriesbycatch.

ICMMPA2washostedintheCaribbeantoaffordsynergiesandnetworkingopportunitiesfortheWiderCaribbean,includingsessionsontheeasterntropicalPacific,northeastSouthAmerica,aswellasonthenineriverdolphincountriesofSouthAmerica.Thesesessionsbuiltuponorinstitutednewregionalalliances,someofwhichwereformedatthefirstICMMPAinHawaii.

Key Recommendations and Conclusionsthatemergedfromtheconferenceworkshopswereasfollows(fromglobalandregionallevelstothetaxa-specificlevel).Pleasenotethatthefullsetofrecommendationsisavailableintheproceedings.

Of global relevance, the members of the “scientific information and marine spatial planning” workshop agreed, among other things:

• Toprovideinformationandadviceonhowtousemarinemammalsciencetoinformdecision-makingandtoensurethatrelevantinformationaboutmarinemammalimportantareasgetsincorporatedintotheConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD)processofecologicallyorbiologicallysignificantareas(EBSA)identification.

• Toformataskforcefordevelopingguidelinesforbestpracticalwaystoengagewiththeshippingindustry,InternationalMaritimeOrganization(IMO)andothersectors.

• Todevelopabestpracticesguideandstandardsformarinemammalspatialplanning.

• TodevelopanactionplantoidentifyandaddresscriticaldatagapsincludinguseofDelphicexpert-knowledgeapproachestocomplementdatacollection.

Additional global recommendations from various workshops were directed to the ICMMPA and associated MMPA researchers, managers and NGOs:

• TocoordinatethepreparationofadocumentprovidingguidancefortheMMPAcommunityintheformofessentialunderlyingprinciplesforeffectivedevelopmentofbilateralandmultilateralpartnershipandnetworkingagreementsandoutliningappropriatelegalmechanisms,bestpracticesfordevelopmentandimplementationofagreementsandillustrativecasestudies.

• TobringtogetherstakeholderstofocusonbycatchasanimportantpartofMMPAmanagementplansandlegislation.Thiscouldincludeinitiativesforthedevelopmentandtestingofmarinemammalsafefishinggear,aswellasservingasafocalpointforknowledgeaboutmarinemammalpopulations,fishingtypeandeffortwithinMPAboundaries,aswellasforcapacity-buildinginitiativesrelatedtodisentanglementandprevention.


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• ToencourageinternationalorganizationssuchastheInternationalMaritimeOrganization(IMO),InternationalTankerOwnersPollutionFederationLtd(ITOPF),amongothers,toworkwiththemarinemammalcommunityforoilspillresponsecontingencyplanning,drillsandpreparedness,aswellastoworkwithappropriatenationalauthoritiesorinternational/regionalbodies(suchastheregionalactivitycenters)toensurethatMMPAsandmarinemammalsareincludedinsuchplans.

• Toworkwithstakeholdersandlocalcommunitiestoexplore,establishorrefineappropriatemanagementframeworksformarinemammalwatchingactivities,includingvoluntaryand/orregulatorymeasures,coveringthevarioustraining,regulatoryandcomplianceaspects.

Regionally, it was recommended that countries, managers and scientific teams of the Wider Caribbean and Eastern Pacific collaborate:

• Todevelopaplantosynthesizeexistingdata,includingexpertopinioninmapsthatcanbeusedascommunicationtools,andtobeabletomakecomparisonsbetweenqualitativeandquantitativesummariestoincludesocio-economicinformation.

• Touseexistingdatainventoriestoidentifyandprioritizefillingdatagapsandtoconsidertheuseoflargescaleandstandardizedaswellasopportunisticandcost-effectivesurveystogatheradditionaldata.

The country and community representatives, MMPA managers and researchers of the North East South America MAMA COCO SEA Project (Regional cooperation for marine mammal conserva-tion) agreed tocompleteaworkshopbackgroundpaperoutliningtheaims,strategiesenvisionedandpossiblesynergiesleadingtotheorganizationofaworkshopfor2012inSurinametoestablishthecurrentstateofknowledgeonmarinemammalsandtheirhabitats,threatsandmanagementframeworkbycountryandtosetuparegionalactionplanwithcapacitybuildingformarinemammalconservation.

The monk seal workshop agreedthatagroupofmonksealsci-entists,managersandadvocatesbeformedtofindcommonvaluesandsolutionstomonksealproblems,aswellastoraiseawareness,understandingandmotivationbythepublictohelpencouragegovernmentstohonortheircommitmentstosavingmonkseals;andthatlocalcommunities,especiallyfishermenbeengagedinmonksealconservation.

Riverine and estuarine mammal researchers, managers and NGOs recommendedthatupstream-downstreamconnectivityandecologicallyviableflowbetakenintoaccountinthedesignandmanagementofprotectedareas,andthatthegoalsoftheSouthAmericanRiverDolphinProtectedAreaNetwork(SARDPAN)bestrengthenedandfulfilledto,amongotherthings,researchandconveyscience-basedinformationtoprotectedareastakeholders.

Sirenian researchers, managers and NGOs agreedtousearegionalapproachforcreating,managingandevaluatingtheeffectivenessofMPAsandMPAnetworksforsireniansincludingpromotionof

thegoalsofregionalmanagementplans.Theyalsorecommendedtheconsiderationofreintroductionprogramstoimprovesire-nianconservationbutwithcareful,transparentconsiderationofscience,localculturalvalues,potentialthreats,legalconstraintsandfullstakeholderinvolvement.

Two themes common to all levels – global, regional and species specific – emerged from the conference discussions and recommendations:

• Thatmarinemammalresearchers,managersandNGOsneedtoworkoutbetterwaystoengagestakeholdersandlocalcommunitiesaswellasthewiderpublictohelpwithlocalconservationeffortsaswellastoencouragegovernmentstowardeffectiveconservationmeasures.

• Sustainedfundingmustbefoundtohelptherecoveryofthreatenedandendangeredspecies.

Duringbackgrounddiscussionsattheconferenceandoverthepastyear,bothofthesethemeshavebeenconsideredasapos-siblepartofanenhancedmissionfortheICMMPAsteeringcom-mittee–i.e.,theInternationalCommitteeonMarineMammalProtectedAreas.

ThelocationoftheconferenceintheCaribbeancelebratedtheFrenchdeclarationoftheAgoaSanctuary,itselfoneofthecon-ferencesponsors.Agoahaslegalstatusalreadybuttherearemoredetailedplansforthe143,618km2area,whichcoverstheFrenchexclusiveeconomiczone(EEZ)intheCaribbean,tomakeitintoanMPAwithexpandedhighlyprotectedzonesandaman-agementplan.Duringtheconference,apresentationfromtheNetherlandsAntillesregardingDutchwatersoftheCaribbeanformallyopenedthepossibilitythatthesewaterscouldbeaddedtotheAgoaSanctuaryorjoinedaspartofanetworkthatcouldmeasurablyhelpmarinemammalconservationintheGreaterCaribbean.Ontheconference’sfinalday,amarinemammalpro-tectedareapartnership,the“MartiniqueDeclaration”,wasforgedbetweentheAgoaSanctuary,StellwagenBankNationalMarineSanctuary,theDutchCaribbeanproject,theMarineMammalSanctuaryoftheDominicanRepublicandtheRegionalActivityCenterfortheSPAWProtocol(SPAW-RAC).

TheICMMPAconferenceswillcontinuewithaproposedcon-ferenceforAustraliainlate2013or2014.BehindthescenestheInternationalCommitteeforMarineMammalProtectedAreasplanstohelpaddresstheneedsexpressedintherecommenda-tionsandtopromotebetternetworkingandproblemsolvingthroughthegrowingconstituencydevelopedfromthefirsttwoconferencesandintheplansforthenextconference.


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Conference Welcome and Opening Talks

TheSecondInternationalConferenceonMarineMammalProtectedAreas(ICMMPA2)openedwithawarmstatementofwelcometotheFrenchCaribbeanfromRaymond Saint-Louis-Augustin,MayorofFort-de-France.Hisremarkswerefollowedbytheintroductionofanotedfigureinthehistoryofpublicawarenessofmarinemammals,Albert Falco,CalypsoCaptainandcollaboratorofJacques-YvesCousteau,diverandhonoraryconferencechairman.Capt.Falcotalkedaboutthecontinuingneedtoprotecttheseasfromoverfishing,oilspillsandothercatastrophes,aswellastheneedtoempowerpeopletoprotecttheenvironment.

“Mygeneration–andIregretitdeeply,”saidCapt.Falco,“hasn’tdonemuchtopreservenature;however,itofferedmesomuchthatuntilmylastbreath,Iwilltryhardtomakepeoplereal-izetheextremeimportancetocreatepreservedareasaswellasmarinemammalsanctuariesinorderforthenextgenerationstoenjoythediscoveryofallthesemarinespeciesthatnaturehasenabledtothriveonourblueplanet.”

Theseopeningremarkswerefollowedbyofficialtalksfromnationalandinternationalbodieswithanimportantstakeinmarinemammalhabitatconservation:

Ferdy Louisy,PresidentoftheNationalParkofGuadeloupeandVice-PresidentoftheNationalParksofFrance,spokeaboutcon-servingmarinemammalsasanimportantaspectofprotectingtheentiremarineecosystem.HespokeaboutFrance’sambitiousprogramtodevelopmarineprotectedareasworldwideintheentireFrench11millionkm2EEZ,thefirstmajordeclarationofwhichcameinOctober2010withthenamingoftheAgoaSanctuarycoveringallFrenchCaribbeanwaters.However,henotedthatprotectionforFrenchwaterswasnotenough,thattheproblemsareclearlyonanoceanicscaleandthatweallneedtosupportinternationalcollaborationsandworldwidehabitatconservationformarinemammals.

Ryan Wulff,theUSDeputyCommissionertotheIWC,fromNOAA,notedthattheUShasbuiltonitssupportofthefirstICMMPAinMaui,Hawaii,throughitsvariousagenciescon-cernedwithmarinemammals,habitatprotectionandmarinespatialplanning.Inviewofthethemeoftheconferencebeing“EndangeredSpaces,EndangeredSpecies,”hesaidthattheUnited Statesagreesthatthisisarelevanttopicfordiscussion.NOAAhastakenanumberofdomesticmeasurestohelptherecoveryofendangeredspeciesandhascollaboratedwithinterna-tionalpartnersonresearch,trainingandmanagementactivitiesaimedatincreasingourknowledgeandcooperationonmarinemammalsandprotectedareas.NOAA’sinternationalmarinemammalinitiativesincludetheSpeciallyProtectedAreasandWildlife(SPAW)ProtocolintheCaribbeanandInternationalWhalingCommission(IWC)commitments,amongothers.

Jihyun Lee,EnvironmentalAffairsOfficerfromtheSecretariatoftheConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD),talkedabout

the10-yearStrategicPlan2011-2020forBiodiversityadoptedbytheConferenceofthePartiestotheCBDatits10thmeetingin2010inNagoya,Japan.Thisincludescommitmentsfromthe193Partiestoachieve20AichiBiodiversityTargets.Target11commitsParties,by2020,tohaveatleast17%ofterrestrialandinlandwaterareasand10%ofcoastalandmarineareas,espe-ciallyareasofparticularimportanceforbiodiversityandeco-systemservices,tobecoveredthrougheffectivelyandequitablymanaged,ecologically-representativeandwellconnectedsystemsofprotectedareas.

Thescience-drivenCBDhasadoptedscientificcriteriaforiden-tifyingecologicallyorbiologicallysignificantareas(EBSAs),forwhichStatesarerequestedtoapplyenhancedmanagementandconservationmeasures,includingmarineprotectedareas.TheCBDSecretariat,therefore,workscloselywithvariousinterna-tionalandregionalpartners,suchastheICMMPA,inscientifi-callydescribingtheareasmeetingthecriteriaforEBSAsthroughconveningaseriesofregionalworkshops.Amongconsiderableotherwork,CBDiscurrentlypreparingareportontheeffectsofunderwaternoiseonmarinebiodiversityincludingmarinemammals.

Leeremindedtheparticipantsthat,in2012,theworldwillrenewitscommitmenttosustainabledevelopmentbyconven-ingtheUnited Nations Conference onSustainableDevelopment(Rio+20)whichwillassesstheprogressmadeinmeetingglobal

Captain Albert Falco, honorary conference chairman and former Cousteau collaborator, talked to participants about the continu-ing need to protect the seas from overfishing, oil spills and other catastrophies, as well as the need to empower people to protect the environment.Photo by Agence Kréöl


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commitmentsandaddressingnewandemergingchallenges.Tofacilitateeffortsatglobal,regionalandnationallevelsonachiev-ingbiodiversitytargetsandhighlightingtheroleofmarinebiodiversityinadvancingthecommongoalofsustainabledevelopment,theCBDhasgiventheInternationalBiodiversityDay 2012thethemeofmarineandcoastalbiodiversityforthefirsttime.TheCBDinviteseveryonetojoinhandswiththeConventionpartiesandpartnerstomakealltheseglobaloppor-tunitiesmeaningfulandsuccessfulinachievingthecommonvisionofmarinebiodiversityconservationandsustainableuse.

Fernando Félix,fromthePermanentCommissionfortheSouthPacific(CPPS),basedinEcuador,maderemarksonbehalfofOleVestergaardfromUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(UNEP).FélixiscurrentlyhelpingtocoordinatetheLifeWebProjectincollaborationwithUNEPfocusingonthewatersoftheEasternPacificborderingCentralandSouthAmerica.HenotedtheparticularimportanceofPacificandCaribbeanwaterscov-eredbytheUNEPLifeWebprojectashabitatsforcalving,matingandfeedingmarinemammals.Still,thesewatersaresufferingtheimpactsfromhumanactivity.Managementoftransbound-arywatersisimportantinmarinespatialplanningandforthecreationofmarineprotectedareanetworks.TheLifeWebprojectisagoodexampleofhowUNEP’smarineandcoastalworkisgroundedinecosystem-basedmanagementprinciples.

Dan Laf foley, representing the Internat ionalUnion forConservationofNature(IUCN)GlobalMarineandPolarProgrammeandasMarineVice-ChairfortheWorldCommissiononProtectedAreas,talkedaboutthecriticalimportanceofthemeetingandurgedparticipantstobevisionaryintheirdiscus-sionsinmovingtheagendaforward.

LaffoleynotedhisoriginalinspirationfromCousteauandthatinthe40ensuingyearstheoceanhasbeenchangedandfewplacesremainnatural.HenotedthattheWorldSummitonSustainableDevelopment(WSSD)in2002gaveusthebasisforbuildingnetworksofmarineprotectedareasandtheConventionon BiologicalDiversityreaffirmedthetargetsforprotectingthemarineenvironment.

TherearenowenoughdataandcombinedglobaleffortstoknowthattheCBDtargetof10%willprobablybereachedby2040ratherthantheoriginalaimof2020unlessmoreconcertedactionistaken.Thereisasenseofpessimismaround,butthereisalsocauseforoptimismbecauseweknowthatweareactuallymak-ingprogressandopportunitiesexisttoscaleupefforts. In2010,therewerealmost6,000 marineprotectedareas,coveringabout1.17%ofthetotaloceanarea,andmorerecentfiguresbringthatpercentageupto1.42%.However,thereisofcoursestillsomewaytogotoachieveourtargetsandoneofthekeyissuesisthatmanymoreplacesintheopenoceanneedtobeprotected.We’reneglectingpelagicwatersofcountriesandthevasthighseas.

Laffoleyoutlinedsomeofthemainchallenges:

• ScalinguptoachievemuchlargerMPAgoalsonthehighseas.

• OrganizingmoreaccuratemappingofMPAs.

• Forgingbetterconnectionswithoceanusers.

• Fast-trackingofmarinepolicy.

• Addressingmaritimetrafficincludingnoise.

• Addressingmanagementofspecificfishinggears.

• Developingmorewaysofgettingpeopleinvolved,suchascreatingmobilephoneapplicationstomaketheoceanandmarineconservationmoreaccessibletothepolicymakersandthewiderpublic.

• Forgingnewpartnershipstospreadtheword,suchastheagreementwiththeAmerica’sCupsailingracewhichhaslauncheditsHealthyOceanProjectinpartnershipwithIUCN,SylviaEarleandMissionBlue.

LaffoleypresentedananimatedGoogleEarthTourspeciallymadefortheconferencewiththeassistanceofGoogle,IUCNandtheWhaleandDolphinConservationSociety.1ThetourusestheGoogleEarthoceansversionlaunchedin2009,whichtriestogivetheoceanarealistic3Dappearanceand,throughit,totellthestoryofmarineanimalsandecosystems.Importantly,thisprovidestheopportunitytousemultimediatechnologyaccessibleoncomputersandsmartphones,wherepeoplecandiscoverMPAsandcallupinformationonmarinemammals.Italsoallowstheidentificationofareasthatneedtobeprotected.Itisonethingtoinspirepeopleabouttheocean,butitisessentialtoprovidewaysofengaging.

ThefinalopeningandofficialtalkscamefromMartinique:

Jocelyn Régina, Presidentof theCulture andHeritageCommission,GeneralCouncil,Martinique,spokeabouttheimportanceoftheAgoaSanctuaryprojectcoveringtheFrenchCaribbeanwaterstoprotectthebreedinggroundsofhump-backwhales.Thegeneralcouncilhasmadeitapriorityforthedevelopmentofnatureprotectionofcoralreefsystemsandtostrengthenprotectedareas.ItisworkingtoraiseawarenessinthelocalcommunityoftheimportanceoftheoceaningeneralandtheAgoaSanctuaryinparticularfortourismandtherais-ingofawarenessofMMPAs.Byworkingtogethertoprotecttheocean,introducingsimplemeasures,wecanpassonourseastofuturegenerationsinamuchbetterstatethanwefindthemtoday.Protectingtheoceanisalsoaboutprovidingjobsinfishingandourchildrenarelearningthattheseaisnotjustanextentofwaterbutaplacethatishometoafragilepopulationandaplacethatproduces80%oftheplanet’soxygen.Itisvitalthatchildrenknowmoreabouttheseaandhowitcanbeprotected.

Daniel Chomet,President,NaturalPark,Martinique,stressedthefragilityoftheoceanwhichnowfacesmanyproblemsincludingglobalwarming,oceanacidification,habitatdegradation,andpollution.Manymarinespeciesareendangeredbecauseoftheseissues.Weallneedtotakeanactivepartinthesharedmanage-mentoftheAgoaSanctuary.Wewanttodevelopthetoolsthatwillhelpwiththeprotectionofcoastalareas.

1 TheGoogleEarthTourcanbeseenatwww.youtube.com/watch?v=2-ZW1U1eNIU


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Laurent Prévost, PrefectofMartinique,presentedamessagefromNathalie Kosciusko-Morizet,FrenchMinisteroftheEnvironmentandSustainableDevelopment,assertingFrance’scommitmenttotheprotectionofmarinemammals.Shesaidthatwemustworktogethertofindsolutionsatlocal,regionalandinternationallevelsformarineconservationtoprotecttheenvironmentformarinemammalsandreducetheimpactofhumanactivities–pollution,bycatch,shipstrikesandcollisions.Francehasmadeitaprioritytodevelopmarineprotectedareas;10%oftheseasunderFrenchnationaljurisdictionuptothe200nauticalmilelimitwillbeprotected.France’scommitmentisbothregionalandinternational,andthisconferenceshowshowcommittedthelocalactorsare–akeypartofregionalcooperation.Sustainabledevel-opmentandhumanactivitiesbothhaveclaimsontheoceansandweneedtofindtoolsinfisheriesandtourismtomakebothsidesworktogether.AnimportantrecentdevelopmentcanbeseenintheformoftheCartagena Convention.Fourteencoun-triesintheCaribbeanhaveratifiedtheConvention’sprotocolandthisshouldhelpinstrengtheningcooperation.Foritspart,FranceissupportingtheimplementationoftheprotocolwithateambasedinGuadeloupe.

Kosciusko-Morizetcongratulatedeveryoneontheworkthathasgoneintoprotectedareas.SheaffirmedthatFrancewouldcon-tinuetoplayitspartthroughtheAgoaprojectandwithregionalandinternationalcooperationtoenabletheconstructionofanetworkofprotectedareasformarinemammals.

Dan Laffoley from IUCN presented an animated Google Earth Tour specially made for the conference that people can use to discover MPAs around the world that are important for marine mammals.Photo by Agence Kréöl


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Dugong near Marsa Alam, Egypt Photo by Julien Willem, Wikimedia Commons


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Keynote 1: Australian Policy on Marine Mammal Conservation Hon. Tony Burke, MP MinisterforSustainability,Environment,Water,PopulationandCommunities,AustraliaTheHon.TonyBurke,MPandMinisterforSustainability,Environment,Water,PopulationandCommunities,Australia,introducedAustralia’sstrongcommitmenttomarinemammalprotectionandhowAustralianpoliciesregardingmarinebioregionalplanningandmarineprotectedareasarecontributingtoenhancedmarinemammalconservation.Australiahasarangeofpoliciesinplacesthatdeliverprotectionofwhales,dolphins,sealionsanddugong.Italsoengagesinawiderangeofdomesticandinternationalmarinemammalresearchinitiatives.CurrentlyAustraliaiscollaboratingwiththeAmerica’sCuptopromoteoceanconservation.

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Conference delegates participated actively during the plenary sessions.Photo by Agence Kréöl


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Steller sea lion bull, Alaska.Photo by Dave Withrow, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, AFSC, NOAA Fisheries


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Panel 1: Special Management Considerations for Particularly Endangered Marine Mammals

Coordinator: Lorenzo Rojas Bracho(InstitutoNacionaldeEcología–INE,México)

Introduction and ObjectivesTheobjectiveofPanel1wastoexploreoneaspectofthemainconferencethemeof“EndangeredSpaces,EndangeredSpecies”,namelywhetherspecificconsiderationsneedtobemadeforhabitatprotectionformarinemammalspeciesandpopulationsthatareparticularlyendangered.Thepanelcommentedonthesituationfromtheperspectiveofanumberofspeciesgroupingsincludingsmallcetaceans(e.g.,vaquita),largecetaceans(espe-ciallyNorthPacificandNorthAtlanticrightwhales,bluewhalesandwesterngraywhales),pinnipeds(e.g.,monkseals,Stellersealions)andsirenians(allspecies).

Summaries of Presentations

Using MPAs to save endangered small cetaceans: Is this the right tool?Lorenzo Rojas Bracho(InstitutoNacionaldeEcología–INE,México)andRandall Reeves(Chair,IUCNSSCCetaceanSpecialistGroup,andOkapiWildlifeAssociates,Canada)

IUCNliststhreespecies,sixsubspeciesandtengeographicalsubpopulationsofsmallcetaceansaseithercriticallyendangeredorendangered.Invirtuallyallcasestheendangermentinvolvessomekindofaconflictwithhumanactivities,andalltoooftenonethatisnoteasilyaccepted,characterized,andresolved.

Foranyconservationtooltobeappliedsuccessfully,itisnecessarytoidentify,understand,andbeabletoclassifyriskfactorsaccord-ingtotheirimportanceasdriversofendangerment.Bycatchisacommondenominatorinalmostallcasesofendangeredsmallcetaceans,butusuallyotherfactorsarealsoinvolved,suchashabi-tatdeterioration,reducedpreyabundance,disturbancebyhumanactivities,orcompromisedhealthduetocontaminantexposure.Thesefactors,however,canbehardtoidentifywithcertainty,andevenmoredifficulttoaddressdecisively.

Inatleastsomeinstances,establishmentofoneormorepro-tectedareascanbepartofalegallycomprehensiveframeworkwithinwhichtopursueconservationactiononmultiplefronts;thevaquitaprovidesagoodexample.Designationinitselfmaysignifythatthespeciesorpopulationisintroubleandneedsspecialprotection.Itshouldalsobringanimpliedresponsibil-ity(includingtheprovisionofresources)formanagerstoact

immediatelytoreduceknownthreatsandatthesametimeinvestigateotherlikelyriskfactors.

Tragically,aftersome15yearsofthebiospherereserveintheUpperGulfofCaliforniathereareonlyanestimated245vaqui-tasremainingwhichis57%lowerthanestimatedin1997.Theonlyhopeforthepossiblerecoveryofthisspeciesistoeliminatebycatchcompletelyandtodothatrequiresremovalofallgillnets–easiersaidthandonedespitegreateffortsbycommittedpeople.

Twoothercasesare,first,theeasternTaiwanStraitIndo-Pacifichumpbackdolphinwhichsuffersfromhabitatloss,industrialpol-lutionandbycatch.VariousMPAscenarioshavebeenproposedbutthequestioniswhetherthedesignationofaprotectedareawouldreallyhelpsavethispopulationgiventheenormousprob-lemsofhabitatdegradationcausedbyintensehumanpressure.

InthecaseoftheHector’sdolphininNewZealand,therewasagreaterthan50%declinefrom1970to2009mainlyduetobycatchfromgillnets.Thisspeciesisonlyprojectedtorecoverifbycatchiseliminated,andthen,onlyslowly.

SotothequestionofwhetherMPAswillhelp,theanswerisyesandno,dependingonthescaleandnatureoftheproblemsandtheeffectivenessofthemeasuresputinplace.

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NSBiologist John Reynolds talked about sirenian habitat conser-

vation during Panel 1: Special Management Considerations for Particularly Endangered Marine Mammals.Photo by Agence Kréöl


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Optimizing the value of MPAs for conservation of sireniansBenjamin Morales Vela(ElColegiodelaFronteraSur,México)andJohn Reynolds, III(MoteMarineLaboratory,Florida,USA)

Conservationcrisesdidnotdevelopovernight,norwillsolu-tionstothosecrises.Effectivesolutionsareurgentlyneededforconservationofsirenians,allofwhicharethreatened,astheyoccupycoastalandriverinehabitatsinproximitytopeopleandtheiractivities.Awellintegratedsetofactions,includingthecreationoffunctionalmarine(oraquatic)protectedareasisvital.Todate,theenormouspotentialimportanceofprotectedareashasoftennotbeenrealizedforsirenianconservationbecausemanagersandgovernmentsfail(amongotherthings)toiden-tifygoals,provideadequateenforcement,developandsustainfunding,andconductassessmentsandmakeadaptivechanges.

Weoffercasestudiestoillustratewhereandhowprotectedareasforsirenianscanbeeffectiveforconservation,andwereinforcethefollowingattributesthatcanpromotesuccessineitherdevel-opedordevelopingcountries:communityinvolvement;planningtoreflectregionallegalframeworksandgoalsspecifictosireni-ans;encouragementoflegalframeworksandthepoliticalwilltomakethemwork;targetededucationandawarenessprograms;adequatespatialscale;long-termfunding;significantco-man-agement;anadaptivemanagementapproach;adequateenforce-mentpresence;capacitybuilding,includingsuccessionplanning,forallpartners;active,appliedresearchtoinformmanagement;andalternativelivelihoodsforaffectedcommunitymembers.

Sireniansarefoundwithintheterritorialwatersofapproximately90countries.OneMPAcasestudyistheChetumalBayManateeProtectedAreawhichstretchesoverpartsofBelizeandMéxico.MPAsareonlyfullyeffectiveiftheyaresupportedbyauthoritiesandthelocalpopulationshaveappropriatemeasuresincorpo-ratedintosufficientlywell-fundedmanagementplans.ThishotspotformanateesintheCaribbeanhasexperienceduncertainfundingstreamsandcommunicationandcoordinationissuesbetweenBelizeandMéxico.

AnexampleofageneralMPAthathasbenefitsformarinemam-malsistheGreatBarrierReefMarineParkandWorldHeritageAreaencompassing350,000km2.Thefocusherehasbeenmulti-speciesandprotectionofecosystemprocessesandthisinturnprovidesgreatprotectionfordugongs.

Design elements for pinniped protected areasDennis Heinemann (MarineMammalCommission,USA)

Fewmarineprotectedareashavebeendesignedprimarilyforpin-nipeds.Further,littleattentionhasbeengiventothegeneralMPAdesignprinciplesthatshouldbeappliedtopinnipedprotectedareas(PPAs),ortothelifehistoryandecologicalcharacteristics

ofpinnipedsthatwillbeimportanttodesigningeffectivearea-basedprotectionandmanagement.

Differenttypesofpinnipedprotectedareasservedifferentpurposes:

• CoastalPPAsprotectbreedingcoloniesorhaulouts.

• Pelagicareasprotectforagingareasandmigrationormovementcorridors.

• Fixedpelagicareasmayprotectpinnipedsandpreyassociatedwithbenthicorpredictablehydrographicfeatures.

• Ephemeralpelagicareasmayprotectpinnipedsassociatedwithtransitoryand/ormobileoceanographicfeatures.

Threefactorsareofparticularimportanceindesigningprotectedareasforpinnipeds:

Firstly,pinnipedsareassociatedwithlandoriceduringthebreedingseasonandwhilehauledout.Thismeansthattheyaremuchmoreavailabletoresearchers,whichcanleadtoagreaterunderstandingoftheirphysiology,reproductivebiology,andecologythancanbeachievedwithcomparableeffortforothermarinemammals.However,theirassociationwiththelandmeansthattheyaredirectlyexposedtoterrestrialthreatsandthattheirmanagementismorecomplex.

Secondly,thefactthatmanypinnipedsarecentralplaceforagersimposesspecialdesignconstraintsonpinnipedprotectedareas.

Thirdly,pinnipedsgenerallyhavesmallerranges,morerapidgrowthratesandacloserlinktolocalconditionsthanmanycetaceans.ThissuggeststhatPPAsgenerallywouldbesmallerthancetaceanprotectedareas,forexample,whichcouldincreasetheprobabilityofsuccess.

Aswithanyprotectedarea,designisinformedbygoals,whicharematchedtothreats.Typicalpinnipedprotectedareasareofthecoastaltypeandhaveacoreareathatexcludesallhumanactivitywithaseawardbufferareathatrestrictsactivitiessuchasfishingandboating–the“core-buffer”design.Whencompleteprotectioncannotbeprovided,considerationofthecharacter-isticsofthecolonyorhaulout,thepresenceorabsencenaturalbarriers,thearea’sisolation,whetherthecolonyisstableordeclining,andtheoceanographicconditionsforbreeders,arecriticaltooptimizingprotection.ThesizeofacoastalPPAwillbedeterminedbythedispersionofthecolonyorhaulout,andthetypes,intensityandspatialextentofanydisturbanceagents.Inaddition,tourism,educationandresearchaspectswillalsoplayapartinthedesignofcoastalPPAs.

Forpelagicprotectedareas,aswithcetaceanprotectedareas,theaimistoprotectcriticalhabitat,meetthelifestagerequirementsforthespecies,protectbiodiversityandthepreybase,andtoeliminateorreducefisheriesinteractions.Acost-benefitanalysiswilldetermine,toalargeextent,whethertheprotectedareaisfeasiblefromecological,economicandsocialperspectives,whileaconsiderationofitssize,locationandlevelofprotectionwillprovideanexpectationoftheenvironmentalandsocialbenefits


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itcanachieve.Thedeterminationofthemosteffectivesizewill,forcapitalbreeders,bedeterminedlargelybytheprotectionpro-videdtotheecosystemandforagebase,and,forcentralplacefor-agers,bytheabilitytoprovidepredictableprotectionofanimalsonforaginggroundsandinmovementcorridors.

Pelagicprotectedareaswithfixedboundariesareassociatedwithbenthichabitatsorrelativelystaticoceanographicfeatures,while“ephemeral”protectedareasareassociatedwithtransitoryoceanographicfeatures.Ephemeralareas,becauseoftheelementofuncertainty,mayneedtobelargerthanfixedprotectedareas,whichcancreatepolitical,logisticandmanagementchallenges.Whilethecore-bufferdesigncouldservepelagicandbenthicfor-agersinstaticareasaswellasfortheephemeralareas,itselementswoulddiffer.Thecoreofacoastalareawouldbedesignedtopro-tectpinnipedsfromterrestrialthreats.Ontheotherhand,thecoreofastaticpelagicareawouldbedesignedtoprotectresourcesandcontrolhigh-riskthreatssuchasfishing,andthecoreofanephemeralareawouldbedesignedtoreducecompetitionandinteractionratesintransitoryhotspots.Acoastalbufferareawouldexisttocontroldistantdisturbanceagentssuchasnoiseorhumanactivity.Astaticpelagicbufferwouldexisttocontrolrelativelylow-riskthreatssuchassoundorboattraffic,whileatransitorybufferwouldbeusedtoprovideahedgeagainsttheinherentuncertaintyinpredictingthespatio-temporaldynam-icsoftransitoryhot-spots.

UnlikeaclassicMPA,successofapinnipedprotectedareacouldleadtotheneedformoreprotectedareas,especiallyforthreat-enedorendangeredspecies.Anincreasingpopulationcouldleadeventuallytoovercrowdingandthefoundingofnewcoloniesorhaulouts,aswellastheoccupationofnewforagingareasandanincreaseinfisheriesinteractions.Becausethereisthepoten-tialofcompetitionbetweenpinnipedsandfisheries,expandingpinnipedpopulationsmayrequirelargerfisheries“setasides”forthepinnipeds.

Endangeredpinnipeds,morethananyother,requireimmediateandcompleteprotection.Thesespeciesshouldhavestrongareaprotectionsofeverybreedingcolonyandhaul-outsite.Perhapsevenmoreimportantly,manyofthesespeciesrequirepelagicprotectiontoeliminateorsignificantlyreducemortalityandinjuryduetofisheriesinteractions,whichisaprimarythreattotheviabilityofthemajorityofendangeredandthreatenedpinnipeds.Otherimportantfactorsthatrequireattentionareecosystem-basedmanagement,communitycooperation,moni-toringandadaptivemanagement,andintegrationofoverlap-pinggovernmentauthorities.Finally,aswithanyprotectedarea,designcreatespotential,butrealizedsuccessisdependentonthemanagementsystemandcompliancebyoceanusers.

Strengths and weaknesses of the MPA approach for endangered large whales Greg Donovan (InternationalWhalingCommission,UK)

Effectiveconservation,includingestablishmentofMPAs,requiresinter alia(1)goodknowledgeofthebiologyoftheanimals,espe-ciallytheirtemporalandspatialdistribution,populationstruc-tureandabundance,(2)goodknowledgeofactualandpotentialthreatstothem,includingtheirspatialandtemporaldistribu-tion,(3)appropriatemitigationmeasurestoaddressthethreats.

Suchinformationisnevereasytoobtainandtheproblemsareevengreaterwhentheanimalsaremigratoryspecies,withlargerangesincludingbothnationalwatersandthehighseas.Insuchcases,obtainingthenecessarytemporalandspatialinformationisexacerbatedbyattendantlegalandpoliticaldifficultiesinget-tingagreementonmanagementmeasures.Moreover,ifaspe-ciesisendangeredinthetruesenseoftheword,i.e.,withverylowabsoluteabundance,determiningappropriatemanagementmeasuresforwhatcanbeindividuallyverylowlikelihoodoccur-rences(e.g.,bycatchinfishinggearonmigration)canbefraughtwithdifficultiesandmustinvolvesomelevelofagreementonanecologicalcurrency.

InthecourseofexploringtheseissuesinthecontextoftheuseofMPAsasamanagementtool,somekeypointsweremade:

Wecannotmanagecetaceans;wecanonlymanagehumanimpactsoncetaceans.Decidingtodonothingisamanagementdecision.Theterm‘MPA’isgenerallynotwelldefined–thiscanbebeneficialinthatitcanprovideaflexibleconcepttodealwiththegreatvarietyofproblemsfacingspeciesandenvironments.However,thereshouldbeminimumstandardsforMMPAsiftheyaretobeeffectiveandnotmerely‘paperparks’.Whethertheyarethebesttoolforendangeredmarinemammalsdependsonthespecificproblemstheyfaceandthemostappropriatemea-suresneededtoaddressthose.Theconceptofspecificconser-vationmanagementplans(e.g.,thatforthewesterngraywhale)addressingthreatsthroughouttherangeofapopulationisveryimportant.Whereappropriate,MPAscanformanimportantcomponentofsuchplans.

AsuggestedwaytomovefowardwithMMPAsisasfollows:

• Defineobjectiveswithrespecttostatusofthepopulation.

• Assesstheirstatus.

• Determinemeasurestoensureobjectivesaremet(canbedifficultwhenlittleisknownaboutthepopulation)–thisinvolvesidentifyingandprioritizingactualandpotentialthreats,identifyingandimplementingmitigationmeasures.

• Monitortomakesureyouhavegotthingsright.

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Summary of Discussion Itwasagreedthatwhilethereisaneedtofocusoncriticallyendangeredspecies,thisshouldnotbeatthecostofignoringotherproblemssuchthatweproducemoreendangeredspecies.AnMPAisonlyonetooltoaccomplishthis.MPAshavetobeactiveandeffective.EvenwhenpopulationshaverecoveredthereisavalueinkeepingtheprotectionaffordedbyMPAsrecogniz-ingotherpossiblegoalsofanMPAincludingenhancedscientificresearchandecotourismthatraisespublicawarenessofenvi-ronmentalproblems.Itisimportantnottolosesightofthebigpicture:weshouldstriveultimatelyto‘manage’thewholeoceanwisely,notonlyadesignatedsubset.

Evenwhereproblemsarewellknown,MPAsandotherconserva-tionmeasuresaredifficulttoeffectivelyimplement.Forexample,considerableefforthasbeenmadetotrytoreversethedeclineofthevaquita;whilethedeclinehasbeenslowedithasnotbeenreversedandtimeisrunningout.Inmanyinstances,especiallyindevelopingcountries,thehumansocio-economicissuesmustberecognizedandaddressedonarealistictimescaletoavoidcatastrophe.FishermenintheGulfofCaliforniawereofferedabuyouttoselltheirlicenseandboats,othersdecidedtorentouttheirboats.Therewasagroupthathelpedthefishermendecidewhattodowiththebuyoutmoneytheyreceived.Therewasalsotheoptionforthefishermentousealternativefishinggearthatislessharmfultothevaquita.Sometimesbuybackprogramsareineffective.ToemphasizeapointthatJohnReynoldsmade,ifwelookathumansuccessforprotectingoceans,wefailoften.Itisimportanttorealizethatacceptingthestateofplaymaynotgetusanywhere.Itisagreattimeforthinkingoutsidethebox.Weneedtothinkcreatively.

Therearemanyareasthathavemultipleobjectivesthatoffersomeprotectionforpinnipeds.Pinnipedshavespecialcharacteristics,whichmayrequiretheimplementationofparticularprotectionsbeyondtheclassicMPAprotections.Withoutthat,thepinnipedMPAmayfail.Wearestillatthebeginningstagesofdetermin-ingwhatpinnipedMPAsshouldbe.

Weshouldneverbecomplacent–establishmentofMPAs(orothermanagementmeasures)ismerelythestart.Theymusthavecarefullydesigned,well-fundedmanagementplansthatincludequantifiedobjectivesandintegratedmonitoringtoassesseffec-tiveness.Thisisparticularlydifficultbutnolessimportantforthemorecomplicatedcumulativeeffects–itisoftendifficulttogetpeopletomobilizebehindprotectionagainstthosethreatsasopposedtoeasilyidentifiedsingleissues.Itishardtohaveallofthethreatsundercontrol,especiallyforwide-rangingspeciesthatmovewithintheterritorialwatersofseveralcountriesaswellasthehighseas.


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Panel 2: Refining Our Understanding of Marine Mammal Critical Habitat and Hotspots, Wading Through Large, Heterogeneous Masses of Data, to Inform MMPA Designation (including on the High Seas)

Coordinators: Kristin Kaschner(Albert-Ludwigs-UniversityofFreiburg,Germany)andRob Williams(UniversityofSt.Andrews,UK)

Introduction and Panel OverviewMarinemammalsandtheirhabitatsfacemultiple,urgentthreats,andMPAscanhelpmitigatethosethreats.Atitscore,thispro-cesscanbethoughtofasspatialconservationprioritization.Ultimately,theprocessofcreatingMMPAsinvolvesachoiceaboutwhichareasrequiremoreprotectionfromhumanactivitiesthanothers.Thisjobisimportantandurgent,butrequiresthatourdecisionsbebasedonsoundscienceinordertobetranspar-ent,repeatableandrobusttouncertainty.

Inpractice,oneofthebiggestproblemstocopewithwhenpri-oritizingmarinemammalhabitatstoprotectisthefactthatourdataontheirdistributionandabundanceisinherentlypatchy.Itisimportanttoensurethatwedonotinadvertentlycreate“DataProtectedAreas”,whereourpictureofanimaldistributionisheavilybiasedbythedistributionofresearcheffort.Afterall,therehasneverbeenoneglobalsurveytoprovideasnapshotofmarinemammaldistribution,sothecombinationofexistingsurveydataprovideanopportunisticcollectionofdisparatestudiesthatvaryspatiallyindataqualityandquantity.Thereareanumberofsoftwaretoolstosupportdecisionmaking,buttheyallhaveatendencytogravitatetowardsdata-richareas,andthistendencyneedstobeaddressedtogiveunbiasedresults.Takentoextremes,thiscouldcreateanissueofenvironmentaljustice,inwhichMMPAsaremostlikelytobeplacedinwatersunderjurisdictionofcountriesthatspendthemostmoneyonmarinemammalscience.

Thispanelintroducestheproblemofdecision-makinginthefaceofdatagaps,aswellasproposingsometoolsandsolutions.Weusedthesix-stageprocessofsystematicconservationplanning(Margules&Pressey2000)tostructurethefourpaneltalks.Thesestepsinclude:

• Compilingdataonthebiodiversityoftheplanningregion(discussedbyRobWilliamsandKristinKaschner).

• Identifyingconservationgoalsfortheplanningregion(discussedbyJessicaRedfern).

• Reviewingexistingconservationareas(discussedbySandraPompa).

• Selectingadditionalconservationareas(discussedbySandraPompa,withanemphasisondecision-supportsoftwaretools).

• Implementingconservationactions(discussedthroughouttheconference).

• Maintainingtherequiredvaluesofconservationareas(discussedthroughouttheconference).

Cetacean data: gaps and challenges for systematic marine conservation planningRob Williams (SeaMammalResearchUnit,UniversityofSt.Andrews,UK)

Thefocusofmytalk,compilingavailabledataonbiodiversity,isakintoaconservationassessmentinthemarinespatialplan-ningliterature.Aconservationassessmentisdesignedtoidentifydatagaps.InthecontextofMMPAs,akeyproblemtoovercomeisthedifficultyincombiningdatatypes.Spatialplanningalgo-rithmsrankareasonsimpledecisionrules,sodataneedtobeincommoncurrencylikedensity,countsorprobabilityofpres-ence.Thismakesitdifficulttoincorporateallofthedatawehaveonmarinemammaldistributionfromlinetransectandmark-recapturesurveys,acousticdata,opportunisticsightings,telemetrydataandwhalingrecords.Thereisanurgentneedforstatisticalmethodologicaldevelopmenttoproviderobustesti-matesofcetaceandistributionusingdatathatweredesignedtoestimatedifferentthings.

Mytalkoutlinestheproblemusingtworeal-worldcasestudiesfromtheWiderCaribbeanMarineRegion(WC)andtheNorthEastPacificMarineRegion(NEP).KristinKaschnerrecentlyledastudytodigitizedatafromvisualcetaceanlinetransectsurveyspublishedworldwide.Thisglobalgapanalysisidenti-fiedthatthevastmajorityofpublishedestimatesofcetaceandensityinWCcomefromwatersunderUSjurisdiction.Onepressingproblemthatthisanalysishighlightedistheneedfornewstatisticalmethodstoallowspatialplanninginputstomakebetteruseofinformationotherthandensityestimates,suchasfromthegraywhalebreedinglagoonsofMéxico,orthelong-termphoto-identificationstudiesofkillerwhalesandhumpbackwhales.Becausetheprocessofspatialconservationprioritization

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inherentlyinvolvesrankingsomesitesoverothers,methodsareneededtointegratealltheinformationarisingfromthevariouswaysthatwestudycetaceans,toallowcross-studyandbetween-sitecomparisonsfromdifferentdatatypes.IntheNEP,thelarge-scalepictureofcetaceandensityisstronglyinfluencedbyoneplatform-of-opportunitysurveythatwasconductedinthe1980sforthreespecies.Beyondthis,thereisanenormousdisparityindataquantitywithintheregion.MoresurveyefforthasbeenconductedbyNOAA’sSouthwestFisheriesScienceCenterintheEasternTropicalPacificandtheCaliforniaCurrentthanintherestoftheNEPcombined.

Havingintroducedtheproblemofdatagaps,let’sconsiderana-lyticalsolutions.Insummary,thesesolutionsareclusteredinafewmainareas:

• Goingoutandfillinggapswithrealdata,inatleastafewrandomlysampledsites(thispresentation).

• Tryprioritizingareasbasedonthreats,ratherthananimals(thispresentation).

• Settingprecautionarytargets,honestaboutrealdatavs.predictionsanduncertainty(JessicaRedfern’spresentationbelow).

• Settingtargetsforonepriorityspeciesandhopingitservesanumbrellafunction(JessicaRedfern’spresentationbelow).

• Usingtoolsthatarerobusttogaps(SandraPompa’spresentationbelow).

• Usingstatisticalmodelstofillingapsandquantifyuncertainty(KristinKaschner’spresentationbelow).

• Improvingmethodstosynthesizetelemetrydata,photo-ID,whalingrecordsandopportunisticsightings(e.g.,Pirottaetal.20112).

Onepossiblewayto“leveltheplayingfield”andfillindatagapswouldbetoconducttwoparallelspatialconservationprioriti-zationexercises:oneonexisting,empiricaldensityestimates,andanotheronaderivedvaluesuchasthenumberofspeciespredictedtobeinaregion(seeKristinKaschnerpresentationbelow).Iftheresultsaresimilar,thedatagapsmaynotbeaprob-lem.Iftheydiffer,moreworkisneededtopayattentiontodatagaps.Theideaofusingthepredictednumberofspeciespresenthastheattractivequalityofprotectingmultiplespeciessimul-taneously,i.e.,meetingbiodiversitytargets,andanalyticallyhastheappealingpropertythatpredictionscanbemadeforeverypointintheworldocean,regardlessofwhetherasurveyhasevertakenplacethere.Thedownsideisthatprotectinghabitatusedbymultiplespeciesmayactuallyprotecthabitatthatisperiph-erallyusedbymanyspecies,butmayfailtoprotectcorehabitatforanyonespecies.Worse,biodiversitypatternsderivedfrommerepresence/absencerangemapsfailtorecognizethattherearepreferredhabitatswithinranges.

2 Pirotta,E.etal.2011.Modellingspermwhalehabitatpreference:anovelapproachcombiningtransectandfollowdata.Marine Ecology Progress Series436:257-272.

Atfirstglance,itmaybeeasytodismissthisconcernastheusualcomplaintofscientistswantingmoredata.Thepointofthispaneldiscussionisthatthisisanissuerelatingtothequal-ityandcoverageofdata,ratherthanthequantityofdata.Infact,having“moredata”mayworsentheproblemifitfailstoaddressthesystemicproblemofcoverage.Fortunately,marinemammalscientistshaveastrongtraditionofpartneringwithstatisticianstodevelopmethodsthatarerobusttonon-system-aticsampling.Asaresultofcopingwithlogisticalconstraintsofstudyingfree-rangingmarinemammals,themarinemammalsciencecommunityhashadtodevelopexpertisewithestimat-ingabundance,densityanddistributionfromsparsedataandcopingwithuncertainty.Ourresearchcommunityhasrefinedtheseskillsovertimeasabundanceestimatestakeonconten-tiousmeaninginthecontextofwhalingorbycatchmortalitylimits.Ournextchallengeasascientificcommunityistoinvestinbuildingstatisticallyrobustestimatesofmarinemammaldistributionthatarepeerreviewedandtakenasseriouslyaswetakeabundanceestimates.

Oneofthelessonstoemergefrommarinemammalscienceandmanagementoverthelastfewdecadesisthatpoliciesbenefitfromanimplicitrewardforscience.Anexampleofthisisthepoten-tialbiologicalremovalequationundertheUSMarineMammalProtectionAct,inwhichmoreprecisesurveyestimatesgener-allyallowhigherfisheries-relatedmortalitylimits,whichinturnwouldcarrylowersocio-economiccosts.Iseevalueinasimilar“rewardforscience”inmarinespatialplanning.Inmyopinion,thiscouldlivecomfortablywithinasystematicconservationplanningframeworkatthestageofsettingtargetsorobjectives(discussedbelowbyJessicaRedfern).Conceptually,thebettertheinformationavailable,thesmallertheMPAcouldbewhilestillmeetingobjectivesandbeingprecautionary.Inotherwords,onecouldadjustMPAtargetsupwardtocompensateforbiasedormissingdataoruntestedpredictions.

Nevertheless,therewillalwaysbegapsinourinformationonmarinemammaldistribution.AphilosophicallydifferentapproachwouldbetoguideMMPAplacementbythedistribu-tionofhumanthreats,ratherthandistributionofanimals.Afterall,MPAsaretoolstoseparatewildlifefromsomethreateningprocess,andifitisdifficulttogetunbiaseddataonwildlifedistribution,thengooddistributiondataonthreatscouldbeamoretractablealternative.Oneproxyforhuman-causedthreatsisavailableintheformofglobalmapsonshippingactivity.Shippingintensityisrelatedtoshipstrikerisk,andalsoprovidesanimportantinputforproducingaglobalmapofoceannoise.Ideally,thiscouldinformthedesignof“quietMPAs”inplacesthatareimportanttocetaceansbutnotusedmuchbyshipping.IseeimportantlinkagestobemadebetweentheMMPAandoceannoisecommunities,becausethedataweneedtomapoceannoisegloballywillalsohelpustofillingapsinmarinemammaldistribution.Onesuggestioncouldbeforourcommu-nitytojoinforceswiththeupcomingInternationalQuietOceanExperiment,whereourdatagapscouldbetargetedforpassiveacousticmonitoring.


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Identifying critical habitat for baleen whales in the eastern tropical Pacific OceanJessica V. Redfern (SouthwestFisheriesScienceCenter,NOAAFisheries,USA)

Coauthors: Rob Williams(SeaMammalResearchUnit,UK),Daniel M. Palacios(SouthwestFisheriesScienceCenter,USA),Fernando Félix(MuseodeBallenas,Ecuador),Corey Sheredy(SouthwestFisheriesScienceCenter,NOAAFisheries,USA),Thomas J. Moore(SouthwestFisheriesScienceCenter,NOAAFisheries,USA),Kristin Rasmussen(Panacetacea,Panama),Ursula Gonzalez-Peral(UniversidadAutónomadeBajaCaliforniaSur,México),Jorge Urbán Ramirez(UniversidadAutónomadeBajaCaliforniaSur,México),Linda Nichol(FisheriesandOceans,Canada),andLisa T. Ballance(SouthwestFisheriesScienceCenter,NOAAFisheries,USA)

Manyspeciesofbaleenwhalesmigratelongdistancesbetweenbreedingandfeedingareas.Thesespeciesareexposedtoanthro-pogenicthreatsintheirfeedingandbreedingareasandalongtheirmigrationroutes;threatsincludeentanglementinfishinggear,shipstrikes,oceannoise,contaminants,andclimatechange.Mitigatingthesethreatsrequiresatransboundary,systematicplanningapproach.WeusethreespeciesofbaleenwhalesintheEasternTropicalPacific(ETP)toexploreseveralcomponentsoftheplanningprocess.

TheETPisa20millionkm2,open-oceansystemthatisseason-allyoccupiedbymigratoryblueandhumpbackwhalesfrombothnorthernandsouthernhemispheres;italsohostsimportantnumbersofresidentBryde’swhales.Weuse10yearsoflarge-scalesurveyeffortsinoffshorewaterstocomparethreemethodsforpredictingspeciesdensity:habitatmodels(usingseasurfacetemperature,salinity,andchlorophyll,mixed-layerdepth,andseafloordepthaspredictorvariables),staticmodels(usinglatitude,longitude,anddepthaspredictorvariables),andinversedistanceweightedinterpolationofdailydensityestimates.Generalizedadditivemodelswereusedtorelatehabitatandstaticpredictorvariablestoaneffort-correctedestimateofthenumberofwhales.Eachmethodwasusedtoderiveasynopticgridofdensityforblue,humpback,andBryde’swhales.Thesegridswereusedtoexplorethetrade-offbetweenmodelcomplexityandaccuratelycapturinghotspotsofspeciesdensity.Forhumpbackwhales,thegridswerealsocomparedtominimumconvexpolygonscreatedfrommother-calfsightingsincoastalsurveysofbreedingareasoffMéxico,CostaRica,Panama,andEcuador.Thiscomparisonguidedtheselectionofthebestmethodtoproducedensitygridsforallspecies.

Differentmetricshavebeensuggestedfordelineatingcriticalhabitat(e.g.,protectingapercentageofapopulation,protectingareasofknownoccurrence,orprotectingknownbreedingorfeedingareas).Wecomparedtheresultsofusingmultiplemet-ricstodelineatecriticalhabitatinthefinaldensitygridsforeachspecies.Thesecomparisonsprovidethebasisforfurtherman-agementactionsrelativetocriticalhabitat.First,theyidentify

areaswherefurtherdatacollectioneffortsareneeded.Second,theyallowstakeholdersfrommultiplecountriestounderstandhowspecificconservationmetricsproducecriticalhabitatareas.

Conservation planning tools available for MMPAs: Assumptions, strengths and weaknesses Sandra Pompa (InstitutodeEcología,UniversidadNacionalAutónomadeMéxico,México)

AvailabletoolsforconservationplanningincludeResNet,Marxan,C-Plan,ConsNet,MarxEnt,MarzoneandZonation.Thechoiceofsoftwaretooldependsonthedata,theobjectives,andtheexpectedresults.Threeofthesekeytoolsarecomparedbelow.

ResNet3isbasedonvariationsandextensionsofsoftwareorigi-nallyproposedbyMargulesetal.(1988).Ifaregionisdividedintoasetofplaces(onthebasisofgeographicalcoordinates,eco-logicalboundaries,etc.)ResNetalgorithmsorderthoseplacesbytheirbiodiversitycontent.Richness,rarityandcomplementarityareincorporatedintothesealgorithms.

Amongtheassumptionsarethatadefinitetargetissetintheformof(1)adequaterepresentationofeachsurrogate,thatis,thenumberofselectedplacesinwhichthatsurrogatemustbepres-ent;(2)maximumallowedarea;or(3)maximumallowedcostofaproposedsetofconservedplaces.Thegoalofthealgorithmsistoachievethesettargetefficientlybyselectingasfewplacesaspossiblethattogetherreachtheconservationgoal.Intermsofaccessibilityanduse,ResNetisofferedasafreedownload,takesupsmalldiskspace,andisfast-running;a1/0databaseisneeded.

Marxan isintendedtosolveaparticularclassofreserve-designproblemsinwhichthegoalistoachievesomeminimumrepre-sentationofbiodiversityfeaturesforthesmallestpossiblecost.Givenreasonablycomprehensivedataonspecies,habitats,and/orotherrelevantbiodiversityfeatures,Marxanaimstoidentifythereservesystem(acombinationofplanningunits)thatwillmeetuser-defined,cost-effectivebiodiversitytargets.OnefeaturefoundinMarxanisthatitemploysa“boundarylengthmodifier”,whichincreasesthecontinuityofreservesystems.SomeofthelimitationsandpitfallsofMarxanareits(1)inabilitytodealwithissuesofdemographicinter-connectedness;and(2)inmarinesystems,thepresenceofabiologicalfeaturedoesnotguaranteethepersistenceofthatfeatureintheabsenceofthesurround-ingecosystem–aconceptgenerallyknownas“connectivity”.

C-Plan mapstheoptionsandweighsthevariablesforachievinganexplicitconservationgoalinaregion,calculatinganddisplay-inginformationthatcanbeusedtoguideconservationplanningdecisions(e.g.,theextenttowhichtheconservationtargetforanyparticularfeaturehasbeenreachedbyconservationdecisionsmadeuptothatpoint).Oneofthekeypiecesofinformationthat

3 Margules,C.R.,Nicholls,A.O.andPressey,R.L.1988.Selectingnetworksofreservestomaximisebiologicaldiversity.Biol. Conserv.43,63-76.

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C-Plancalculatesanddisplaysistheirreplaceabilityofeachsiteintheplanningregion.Theirreplaceabilityofasitecanbeusedasaguidetotheimportanceofthatsiteforachievingaregionalconservationgoal.Theirreplaceabilitypredictorgeneratesan“average”siteassumingeachfeatureisspreadevenlyacrossallavailablesites.However,alimitationofthismeasureisthatitrevealsnothingabouthowmanyfeatureswillfailtomeettheirtargetifthesiteisnotselected.

Itisimportanttoacknowledgethatdataaresometimesscarce,andsamplingefforttendstobeveryheterogeneous,resultinginlargespatialandtemporaldatagaps.Thisbringstheneedtotryto“statisticallyflatten”theavailabledata.Alwaysbearinmindthateachalgorithmisnothingbutatoolthatwillkeepdevel-opingthroughtime.Basedonthedatayou’vechosen,pickthesoftwarethatbestfitsyourconservationneeds.Rememberyourspecificconservationobjectives:species,environment,migra-torycorridors,endemism,restrictedrange,andsoforth.Finally,makesureyourresults,includingallcaveats,arebroadcastedtopolicyanddecisionmakers,andthenparticipateinthedesignoftheMPAandthemanagementplanwiththelocalcommuni-tiesandcorrespondingnationalandinternationalauthoritiestoensurethatthescientificlimitationsanduncertaintiesaretakenintoaccount.

Where do we go from here: filling gaps and building models to predict densities in unsurveyed areas, and validating predictions with new dataKristin Kaschner (EvolutionaryBiologyandEcologyLab,Albert-Ludwigs-UniversityofFreiburg,Germany)

AsdiscussedinRobWilliams’presentation,therecentlycon-ductedanalysisofglobalvisualline-transectsurveysshowstheextremeheterogeneityofsurveyeffortdistributionandillustratestheprevailinglargegapsinsurveycoverage.Thesegapsamounttoalmostthreequartersoftheworld’soceans.Giventhevastnessofthemarineenvironmentandthehigheffortandexpenditurerequired,comprehensiveandfrequentmonitoringofmarinemammalspecies’occurrenceanddensitieswillremainpatchyfortheforeseeablefuture,evenunderthebestcircumstances.

Inadditiontothesolutionsdiscussedbypreviousspeakers,Ithereforeproposethedevelopmentofaglobaldatarepositoryforgeo-referencedmarinemammalabundanceestimates.ThiswouldcomplementtheexistingOBIS-SEAMAPportalwhichfocusesonmarinemammalpointoccurrencerecords.Ashigh-lightedearlier,itcouldideallybesupplementedbydevelopingmethodstostandardizeoutputsfromdifferentmonitoringoranalysistechniquesfromvariablesources,thusallowingthedirectcomparisonofallexistinginformationandknowledgeaboutmarinemammalabundanceandoccurrencewithinasinglecomprehensiveframework.Thiscouldthenserveasastartingpointforthedevelopmentofacost-effectiveglobalstrategyforoptimizingdatacollectioneffortswhenplanningfuturemarine

mammalmonitoringschemes,includingsurveydesignsthatspecificallyfocusonrandomizedsubsetsofunsurveyedareas.

Asaparalleltask,statisticalmodelsthatpredictspeciesoccur-renceordensitysurfacesfromlinetransectsurveydataandlocalenvironmentalconditionscouldbeexpandedtomakeinferencesaboutcetaceandensitiesbeyondsurveyedareas.Combinedwithenvironmentalnichemodels,thesetechniquescouldbeusedtopredictglobaldensitiesofmarinemammalsbyextrapolatingthestatisticalrelationshipbetweenobserveddensitiesandcor-respondingpredictedhabitatsuitabilitytounsurveyedareas.Thepreliminaryresultspresentedinthistalkareintendedtoillustratethegeneralprinciple,butexistingmodelswillneedtobedevelopedmuchfurtherinthefuture.Ienvisionanitera-tiveprocesseventuallyembeddingbothgap-fillingapproaches:modeloutputsofpredicteddensitiesthatwouldbevalidatedandimprovedwithnewlycollectedmonitoringdataasitbecomesavailable,andwhichtheninturnwouldinformmanagementdecisionsaboutthefocusoffuturemonitoringefforts.


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Keynote 2: Marine Mammals That Have Already Been Lost – Lessons Learned? Randall ReevesChair,IUCNSSCCetaceanSpecialistGroup,andOkapiWildlifeAssociates,Canada

FromtheSocietyforMarineMammalogy’scurrentlyacceptedlistofmarinemammalsoftheworld,fivespecies–1otariid,1phocid,1cetacean,1sirenian,1mustelid–areconsideredextinct;thebaiji’sextinctionrepresentsthelossofanentirecetaceanfamily.Althoughthatnumberseemsrelativelysmall(5of133,or<4%),itdoesnotbegintorepresentthetruestateofloss.Itdisguisesthescaleoflossintermsofanimalabundanceanddistributionaswellasecosystemfunction.Also,ittakesnoaccountoftheinfra-speciesgeneticandmorphologicdiversityandadaptivebehaviorthatarelostwhengeographicallyseparatepopulationsdisappear.

Littlecanbelearnedfromtheextinctionoftheseamink,Steller’sseacow,oreventheCaribbeanmonksealandJapanesesealion,exceptperhapsthatunregulatedhuntingofvulnerableendem-icsisarecipeforextinction.

Somelessonsmightbelearnedthoughfromthebaiji’srecentdemise,e.g.,theimportanceofrigorousdiagnosisofcausation,theneedtoactswiftlyandaggressivelytoaddressriskfactors,andthedangerofallowingprotected-areadesignationswithoutrealmanagementteethtogiveafalsesenseofsecurity.ThebeliefthatareasalongtheYangtzeRiverthathadbeendesignatedandreportedlymanagedas“naturalreserves”gavethebaijisomekindofaddedprotectionfromfisheryimpactsprovedtobemerewishfulthinking.Assuch,itcontributedtocomplacencyandhelpedstrengthenresistancetoex situconservationalternatives,e.g.,thecaptureofdolphinstostocka“semi-naturalreserve”.

Endemismtorelativelysmallregionsincreasesvulnerability(forexample,withallfiveextinc-tionsmentionedabove)although,onthepositiveside,itmightalso,atleastinprinciple,sim-plifyprotectioneffortswhenthespeciesoccursinonlyonecountry.Still,thisdidnothelpthebaiji,nordoesitseemtobehelpingthevaquita.

Duringthequestionandanswersessionfollowingthepresentation,itwasnotedthatMediterraneanmonksealsareprobablygonefromtheBlackSea,thelastsightingtherehavingbeeninthelate1990s.Also,itwassuggestedthattheworld’scurrentlydominantpoliticalandeconomicregimesarenotdesignedtoprotectandpreservenaturalecosystemsorbiodiversity.

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Randall Reeves provided a keynote presentation on the opening day of the conference.

Photo by Agence Kréöl


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Blue whale mother and calf in proposed Costa Rica Dome High Seas Transboundary MPA Lucy Molleson


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Panel 3 and 4 (combined): Using Marine Spatial Planning and Ecosystem-based Management to Address Broad Threats to Marine Mammals

Coordinator and Chair: Tundi Agardy (SoundSeas,USA)

IntroductionThiscombinedsessionexploredthebroadscaleimpactstomarinemammalsandhowthesethreatanalysescaninformpol-icymakers.Thepanelbeganwithabroadoverviewofanthropo-genicimpactsonmarinemammalsandhowunderstandingofallthreatsactingcumulativelyovertimeandoftensimultaneouslyinthesamelocalecanbeaddressedwithinanecosystem-basedmanagement(EBM)framework,usingmarinespatialplanning(MSP).Paneliststhenreflectedontheirexperiencesofbringingscientificinformationtobearonpressuresorthreatstoderivestrategiesformarinemammalconservation,withpresentationsonscientificassessmentsmadeorinprocessintheCaribbeanandPacificFrenchOverseasTerritories,MSPperformedinBangladesh,andMarineBioregionalPlanningundertakeninAustralia.PanelistsalsoaddressedMSPforeffectivemanage-mentofmarinemammalsbasedondiverseexperiencesaroundtheworld.

Broad-scale impacts and the use of MPAs and MSP to advance EBM in the service of conservationTundi Agardy (SoundSeas,USA)

Marineecosystemandspeciesconservationisacomplicatedaffair:theeasiestmanagementtoolsarethosethatfocusonthebenthosandmorefixedspecies.Theconservationofmarinemammalsmustgowellbeyond,especiallyincasesofmigratoryspeciesthattravelgreatdistances.Recognizingtheconnectionsbetweenbiotawithinanecosystem,andbetweenecosystemsisanecessaryfirststep–butwhatcanbedonetomaintainthoseconnections?

Spatialmanagementcanallowustobemorecomprehensiveandeffective.Thespatialmanagementtools:marineprotectedareas(MPAs),MPAnetworks,marinespatialplanning(MSP)andtheoceanzoningthatmayresultfromitcanallunderpinecosystem-basedmanagement(EBM).EBMrecognizesthefullarrayofinteractionswithinanecosystem,allowingustoman-ageimpactsontheecosystem.Aquickreviewofthetoolssug-geststhatMPAsaregoodatprotectingbenthosandresidentspecies,whileMPAnetworkscancapturemoreoftheecologicalrequirementsofmigratoryorhighlymobilespecies.MSPismore

powerfulstill,sinceitcanconsidermultiplethreatstoecosys-temsoverwideareas,andfindwaystoaccommodatedifferentusesinawaythatkeepsresourceusesustainable.

EBM,whendonesuccessfully,allowsfullconsiderationofallcomponentsoftargetecosystems,andthehealthandproductivityofecosystemsthatareinterlinkedtothem.Marinemammalsfitintothishierarchyintwoways:marinemammals“need”EBMinthesensethateffectiveconservationrequiresmanaginghumanimpactsnotonlyonthespeciesthemselves,butalsoonthesys-temsthatsupportthem.However,thereverseisalsotrue:EBM“needs”marinemammals,foratleastthreereasons:

• IconicmarinemammalsactasflagshipsthatcangeneratepoliticalwilltodoEBM.

• Marinemammalspeciescanactas“umbrella”specieswhoseconservationforcestheconsiderationofwiderecosystemelements.

• Marinemammalsciencecaninformplannersonlocationofcriticallyimportantareastoprotectusingspatialmanagementtools.

The REMMOA surveys to establish baseline knowledge on pelagic megafauna for an ecosystem-based marine planning strategyVincent Ridoux (CentredeRecherchesurlesMammifèresMarins,ObservatoirePelagis,UniversitédeLaRochelle-CNRS,France)

Coauthors: Olivier Van Canneyt,Ghislain DorémusandSophie Laran(CentredeRecherchesurlesMammifèresMarins,ObservatoirePelagis,UniversitédeLaRochelle-CNRS,France)andPierre Watremez(Agencedesairesmarinesproté-gées,France)

TheREMMOA4projectaimstomapdiversityandrelativeabun-danceofmarinemammalsandotherpelagicmegafaunaacrossalltropicalregionsoftheFrenchEEZ,andtoidentifyareasofhigheranthropogenicpressure.Fourbroadregionsweredefined:NWAtlanticOcean,SWIndianOcean,SWPacificOceanandFrenchPolynesia.Themulti-targetsurveyprotocolfollowedastandardline-transectmethodologyformarinemammals,sea4 REcensement des Mammifères marins et autres Mégafaunes pélagiques par Observation Aérienne(Censusofmarinemammalsandotherpelagicmegafaunabyaerialsurvey)

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turtles,largefishandhumanactivities,andastriptransectmeth-odologyforseabirdsandmacro-debris.Todate,NWAtlantic(16,000kmofeffort),SWIndian(90,000kmofeffort)andFrenchPolynesia(99,000kmofeffort)havebeensurveyed.TheSWPacific(90,000kmofeffort)surveysareplannedforNovember2012toFebruary2013;analysesareinprogress.

Thestrengthoftheprojectisitspotentialforcomparisonbetweenandwithinregions,aswellasbetweenyears.Encounterrateswereselectedasasimpleindicatorofdensity.Strongcontrastswerefoundincetaceanencounterrates,withhighestvaluesintheMozambiqueChannel,theSeychellesandoffFrenchGuiana;intermediatevaluesintheMarquesas;andlowestdensitiesintheCaribbean,theMascareignes(MascareneIslands)aswellasincentralandsouthernPolynesia.Variationincetaceandensitiesbetweenoligotrophicandproductiveareasoftheoceansvariedinaratioofc.1-30forsmalldelphinidsagainstonlyc.1-5inbeakedwhales,illustratingthelessersensitivityofthelattertoepipelagicbiologicalproduction.HotspotsofseabirddensitieswereintheCaribbean,theMozambiqueChannel,theSeychelles,theMarquesasIslandsandtheTuamotu.SeaturtlesweremostfrequentlyencounteredintheshelfwatersofFrenchGuiana,westernMadagascarandtheSeychelles,butturtledensitiesinPolynesiawereparticularlylow.Habitatandspatialmodelingwillallowtheproductionoftaxon-specificmodels.Theircom-binationintoasingletoppredatorhabitatmodelundervariousweightingwillbemadedependingontaxon-specificvulnerabilityaswellasonspatialmodelsofanthropogenicrisk.

Furtherstepsincludethecompletionofthesurveyseriesin2013andoftheanalysesin2015,theincorporationoftheresultsintomarinestrategicregionalanalysesalreadyconductedbytheAgencyforMPAsandthedevelopmentofamonitoringstrat-egy.Regionalcooperation,capacitybuildingandexchangesofinformationwithislandcommunitiesareanintegralpartofthesurveys.

Spatial planning, ecosystem-based management (EBM) and adaptation to climate change: A case study on freshwater cetaceans in waterways of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, Bangladesh Brian D. Smith(WildlifeConservationSociety/WCS,USA)

Coauthors: Rubaiyat Mowgli Mansur,Elisabeth Fahrni Mansur,andZahangir Alom(WCS,Bangladesh)

WaterwaysoftheSundarbansmangroveforestarecharacter-izedbyhighbiodiversity,includingendangeredGangesRiverandIrrawaddydolphins,andotherspeciesofkeyconservationinterest.Aquaticecologyintheforestissubjecttoextremepres-surefromalargeandgrowinghumanpopulationwhosesurvivallargelydependsontheexploitationofnaturalresources.Alteredfreshwaterandsedimenttransportregimescausedbyupstream

waterdevelopmentandclimatechange,includingsea-levelrise,arecausingmajorchangestotheecologyoftheSundarbans.Theseconsiderationspointtowardsspatialplanning(SP)andecosystem-basedmanagement(EBM)ascriticalforconservingfreshwatercetaceansinthisecologicallycomplexandhuman-impactedenvironment.

Surveysofdistributionandabundancewereavitalfirststep.Concurrentcountsinallnavigablewaterwaysresultedinabun-danceestimatesof225(CV=12.6%)GangesRiverdolphinsand451(CV=9.6%)Irrawaddydolphins.Duringlow-waterandhigh-waterseasonsurveys,wecollectedasuiteofenvironmentaldatatoinvestigatehabitatpreferences,predictseasonallocationsofhighdensityoccurrence,andestablishabaselineforlong-termmonitoring.GangesRiverdolphinsgenerallyoccupythenorth-eastlow-salinityportionoftheforestwhileIrrawaddydolphinsoccupythesouthwesthigh-salinityportionwithasmallzoneofoverlap.Duringthehigh-waterseason,withdecreasingsalinity,thedistributionofGangesRiverdolphinsexpandsandthedis-tributionofIrrawaddydolphinsshrinkstowardsthesouthwest.Habitatselectionmodelsindicatethatbothspeciesdependonlow-salinityandchannelconfluenceswhicharedeterminedbyfreshwaterflow(includingsediments)andsea-levelforcing.Thismakesthesedolphinsparticularlysensitivetohabitatlossduetoupstreamwaterdevelopmentandclimatechange.

Toidentifykeyareasofconservationimportanceweestablishedadolphinsightingnetworkamongcaptainsofnaturetourismvessels.Six5-kmchannelsegmentswereidentifiedascetaceanhotspotsduringmorethan26,000kmofsearcheffortconductedbythecaptains.Thehotspotssegmentsaccountedfor49%ofmorethan1,000GangesRiverdolphinsightingsand23%ofalmost300ofIrrawaddydolphinsightings.Thesehotspotseg-mentswereconsolidatedintothreeprotectedareas(PAs)withtheboundariesslightlyalteredtotakeintoaccounthumanuseandexistingmanagementinfrastructure.AlthoughthePAscoveronlyarelativelysmallarea,theyincludekeyhabitatwherebothspeciesaremostthreatenedbyhumanactivities.

Anadaptivelymanagedprotectedareanetworkforfreshwa-terdolphinscouldfunctionasa“livinglaboratory”fortestingadaptiveresponsestoclimate-changeandprovideacriticalsafetynetforensuringthelong-termpersistenceofthesethreat-ened,iconicspeciesandtheecologicalsystemuponwhichtheydepend.Freshwaterdolphinsintegrateclimaterelatedchangesfromthemountainstothesea.Thismeansthattheirfine-scaledistribution,movementpatterns,andforagingbehaviorcanbeinformativeforadaptiveresourcemanagement.Aslarge,mobilepredators,themannerbywhichthesefreshwaterdolphinssat-isfytheirlifehistoryneedsmaygivethemparticularvalueforidentifyingecologicallysignificantattributesforsite-basedpro-tection.Cetaceanscananchorecosystem-basedinitiativesforestablishingprotectedareasespeciallywhentheanimalsareviewedfavorablybylocalpeople,whichisthecaseamongmostculturesinAsiaincludingBangladesh.

EBMreferstoaspectrumofapproachesrangingfromthecon-siderationofmultipletaxatotheoptimizationofmanagementstrategiesforallelementsofanecosystem.ProbablynoPAs


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thatincludecetaceansfullyachievethelatterbutEBMshouldbeseenasaworkinprogress.Aparticipatorystrategyhasbeenextremelyhelpfulforhelpingustomovefartheralongthespec-trumofaddressingallelementsoftheecosystem.

Takehomelessonsfromourexperienceare:

• SPandecosystem-basedapproachesareparticularlyrelevantforprotectingcetaceansinbiologicallydiverseandhighlyhuman-impactedecosystems.

• CetaceanscananchortheestablishmentofPAsandinformSPandEBMapproachesthroughunderstandingtheirpatternsofhabitatuse.

• ComprehensiveEBMisatallorder,butwemuststartsomeplace.

• Freshwatercetaceansmayprovideabiologicalshortcutforinvestigatingandmonitoringotherelementsoftheecosystem.

• Aparticipatoryapproachisessential,especiallyinadenselyhuman-populatedcountrysuchasBangladesh,tobuildinformedconstituenciesandmanagementcapacityforimplementingSPandEBMpractices.

Marine Bioregional Planning – an ecosystem-based management approachChris Schweizer (DepartmentofSustainability,Environment,Water,PopulationandCommunities,Australia)

Ecosystem-basedmanagementrecognizesthatallelementsofanecosystemareinterconnectedandrequiresthattheeffectsofactionsondifferentelementsofanecosystemaretakenintoconsiderationindecision-making.Thisavoidsthecumulativeimpactcreatedbymakingalargenumberofsmalldecisionswithoutconsideringthebiggerpicture. MarineBioregionalPlanning,Australia’sapproachtoimprovingthewayweman-ageourmarineenvironment,isonewaythatecosystem-basedmanagementisbeingprogressed.

MarineBioregionalPlanningisaprocesstodevelopmarinebio-regionalplansforfivelargemarineregionsintheCommonwealthwaters inAustralia,andtoidentifyregionalnetworksofmarinereservesthatwillbecomepartofAustralia’sNationalRepresentativeSystemofMarineProtectedAreas.

Thebioregionalplansthemselvesdescribethemarineenviron-mentandconservationvaluesofeachmarineregion,setoutbroadobjectivesforbiodiversityconservation,identifyregionalpriorities,andoutlinestrategiesandactionstoaddressthem.Thisincludesdescribingmarinespecies,keyecologicalfeatures,biologicallyimportantareasandregionalpriorities,pressureanalysisandadvice.Theseplanspresentaconsolidatedpictureofthebiophysicalcharacteristicsanddiversityofmarinelife,

assistingintakinganecosystem-basedmanagementapproachtodecisionmakingundernationalenvironmentallaw.

MarineBioregionalPlansaredevelopedthroughaprocessofexpertinputandpublicconsultationandareformallyadoptedbytheEnvironmentMinisterwhomustthenhaveregardtothemwhenmakingrelevantdecisions.

Summary of DiscussionTherewasonlyabriefdiscussionperiodaftereachspeakerfin-ished.Agardypointedoutthatitwasimportanttorecognizetheconnectionsamongthevariouscomponentsofthemarineenvi-ronment.MarineprotectedareanetworksarebetterthansingleMPAsforprotectingmigratoryspecies;itspreadsmanagementacrossawiderarea.Marinespatialplanning(MSP)allowsaccom-modationofmultipleusersandcanbeusedforawiderrangeofspecies.Itisimportanttounderstandusesandimpactsandthenderiveamanagementplanthataddressesthekeyimpacts.Ecosystem-basedmanagement(EBM)recognizesthefullarrayofinteractionswithinanecosystem.Wemanageourimpactsontheecosystem.MarinemammalconservationrequiresEBMandEBMalsorequiresmarinemammalscienceandresearch.AgardynotedthatUNEPhaspublishedausefulguideforstepstobetakentowardEBMandthatmorediscussiononthesetop-icswouldtakeplaceinWorkshop4BandWorkshop9,bothofwhichhaveafocusonMSPformarinemammalconservation.

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Martinique school teachers were thanked for the artwork their students contributed to celebrate the conference and the marine mammals living in the Caribbean.Photo by Agence Kréöl


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Panel 5: Managing Marine Mammal Protected Areas (MMPAs) for Localized Threats and Mitigation by Spatial Protection and Other Means

Coordinator: David Mattila (InternationalWhalingCommission(IWC)andNOAA-ONMS,USA)

Special tribute to Alexandre de Lichtervelde

Beforethepanelbegan,aspecialtributewaspaidtoscientistAlexandredeLichtervelde(1958-2011),thefirstBelgiancom-missionertotheInternationalWhalingCommission,whodiedinSeptember.Aproactive,deeplyconscientiouschampionforhealthyoceansandtheenvironment,Alexandreimpressedallthosewhocameintocontactwithhimforhispassionandcom-mitmenttoconservation.Inrecentyears,heworkedtirelesslytoraiseawarenessforresearchers,governmentministries,andconservationgroupsofthethreattowhalesfromshipstrikes.HisworkwasglobalbuthehadaparticularloveforEuropeancetaceansandtheAntarctic.

IntroductionMMPAsarenumerousanddiverseyetsharemanyofthesameattributesandchallenges.Oilspills,shipstrikes,entanglementsandbycatchareallcommon,acutethreatsfacingmarinemam-malsinmanyMMPAs.Giventhesesimilarities,MMPAman-agers,administrators,andresearcherscanassisteachotheringeneratingideasandcommonsolutionsthroughimprovedcom-municationandnetworking.Indeed,recognitionoftheneedfornetworkingwasacatalystfororganizingthefirstICMMPAinHawaiiinMarch2009andhascontinuedasarecurringthemeinpanelandworkshopdiscussionsatICMMPA2.AspartofPanel5,fourspeakersandafollow-uppaneldiscussionfocusedonacuteandchronicthreats.

Addressing the effectiveness of management alternatives for reducing collisions between large ships and large whales in marine mammal protected areasScott M. Gende(NationalParkService,Alaska,USA)

Coauthors: A. Noble Hendrix(R2ResourceConsultants,USA)andKarin R. Harris-Webb(NationalParkService,USA)

Shipstrikes–inparticular,collisionsbetweenlargeshipsandlargewhales–areaglobalconservationissue.Generally,man-agementhasfocusedonre-routingshipsaroundwhalehotspotstoreducespatialoverlap.However,inmanycases,suchasspatial

bottlenecksorwhenarrivingintoport,shipscannotbere-routedandsothemanagementalternativeistoreduceshipspeed.Yet,relativelyfewstudieshaveattemptedtoquantifyempiricallytheimpactofreducingshipspeedowingtotheinherentrarityofcollisionsandlogisticdifficultiesincollectingdata.Indeed,simulationswithvaryingdetectionprobabilityandeffectsize–thetrueyetunknowneffectivenessofreducingshipspeedinreducingcollisionprobability–demonstratethatexistingdatastreamsareinsufficienttoevaluatemanagementeffectiveness.

Ourresearchoffersauniqueopportunitytoevaluatetheeffec-tivenessofreducingshipspeedtoreducetheprobabilityofcol-lisions,andmaybeapplicabletootherMMPAs.Since2006,wehaveplacedobserversaboardlargecruiseshipsinandnearGlacierBayNationalPark(Alaska,USA),alargemarinemam-malprotectedarea,torecordreal-timeencounterswithhump-backwhales.Weusednearly900uniqueship-whaleencounterstoparameterizeaBayesianchange-pointmodelwhichdem-onstratedthatshipstravelingfasterthan11.8knots(6.1m/s)encounteredwhales,onaverage,114mcloserthanthosetravel-ingslowerthan11.8knots.

Thisaddstotheevidencethatrequiringshipstotravelslowermaybeaneffectivemanagementtoolwhenre-routingisnotanoption.However,weemphasizethatwell-designedmonitoringplansfortestingmanagementeffectivenessunderdifferentcondi-tionsshouldbeputinplaceinMMPAs,andthatitisimportanttomaketransparent,informeddecisions.

Marine mammal bycatch: how big is the problem and how can MMPAs play a leading role in its solution?David Mattila (IWCandNOAA-ONMS,USA)

Thebycatch,orentanglement,ofmarinemammalsinpassive(stationery)fishinggear,whetherderelictoractivelyfished,isincreasinglyrecognizedasaserioussourceofhuman-causedmortalityformanypopulations.Indeed,thedevelopmentanduseofscarstudieshavebeguntogiveestimatesofscopeandimpactformanypopulations.Forinstance,anocean-widestudyofNorthPacifichumpbackwhalesshowedentanglementratesofapproximately20to60%,dependingonthesub-population’srange,andsomeannualmortalitiescouldbeashighas3to4%.Recognizingthis,the89membercountriesoftheInternationalWhalingCommission(IWC)recentlyagreedthatanycountry

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withwhalepopulationsandpassivefishinggearintheirwaterslikelyhasaproblem,whethertheyknowitornot.Entanglementshavebeenreportedforalltypesofpassivefishinggear,andbycatchnumbersaregenerallyagreedtobeseverelyunderes-timated.TheIWCcountries,therefore,endorsedaninitiativetobuildcapacityinordertounderstandandmanagethisissue,recognizingthatpreventionshouldbetheultimategoal.

SomeMMPAsalreadyplayaleadingroleinprevention,usuallythroughtimeorareafisheryclosures,whichmayprotectcertainkeymarinemammalhabitats.Howeverthisrarelyreducestheoverallamountofdangerousgearinthewater,butinsteadsimplymovesitelsewhere.Theothergeneralapproachestopreventionaremodifyingorswitchingfishinggearandalertingmarinemammalstogearinthewater(e.g.,visuallyoracoustically).

ItissuggestedthatMMPAsmayplayagreaterroletowardsolv-ingtheoverallproblembyactivelypromotingandtestingtheuseofnew,lessdangerousfishinggearwithintheirboundaries.Forexample,acousticpingersappeartoworkforsomepopula-tionsofsmallcetaceansandswitchingfromgillnetstofishpotsorlonglineshasbeenshowntobeeffectiveinsomeinstances.Inaddition,theUSgovernmenthasmandatedtheuseofsink-inggroundlinesbetweenpotsandtheuseof“weaklinks”inthegearusedinsomeareas.Theuseofgearwithoutverticallinesasmarkersorpickupbuoysisalsobeinggivenseriousconsideration.However,wedonotyetknowtheeffectivenessorunintendedconsequencesofthesegearchanges,andsoMMPAswouldneedtoestablishcomprehensivemonitoringprogramsifalternatetechnologiesareused.

IthasalsobeensuggestedthatMMPAscanhelpwithimmediatemanagementofthisproblemthroughactingasacatalystorfocalpointforestablishingrescuenetworksuntilapreventativesolu-tioncanbefound.However,therearemanypublicmisconcep-tionsaboutentanglements;rescues,evenbytrainedindividuals,canbedangerous.Inresponsetothis,asecondIWCworkshopheldinOct.2011draftedprinciplesandguidelinesforsafeandeffectiveresponsetoentanglements.

Oil spills and marine mammals: findings from the recent spill in the Gulf of MexicoTeri Rowles (NOAAFisheries-OPR,MarineMammalHealthandStrandingResponseProgram,USA)

TheDeepwaterHorizonOilSpillwasthelargestoilspillinUShistoryrequiringasustainedresponseandanintenseinvestiga-tiontounderstandtheimpactsoftheoilspillontheecosystemincludingmarinemammals.TheGulfishometomanyspeciesofcetaceansaswellasWestIndianmanatees.

Duringtheoilspill,theSoutheastMarineMammalStrandingNetworkrespondedtoover100cetaceanstrandingsalongthenorthernGulfofMexico,collectingsamplestodetermineexpo-suretooilandcauseofdeath.Inaddition,photo-identification

andbiopsysurveysofcoastalbottlenosedolphins,aerialandboatsurveysofbothoceanicandcoastalareas,biopsyandtaggingofoceaniccetaceans,andhealthassessmentsoflivecapturedbottle-nosedolphinswereundertakentoassesstheinjuriestomarinemammalsduringandfollowingtheoilspill.Betterunderstand-ingofthepotentialimpactsofoilandofoilspillresponseactivi-tieswillassistMPAManagersinpreparednessandplanningforsuchemergencyeventsintheirmanagementareas.

Marine mammal protection in MéxicoDavid Gutierrez Carbonell(ComisiónNacionaldeÁreasNaturalesProtegidas,CONANP-SEMARNAT,México)

InMéxico,environmentallawsandspecificallythoserelatedtobiodiversityhaveonlybeeninplaceforonetotwodecades;how-everprotectionofsomemarinemammalspecieswasenforcedintheearly20thcentury.Sincethen,differentkindsofinstrumentshavebeendeveloped,fromtheestablishmentofprotectedareastotechnicalregulationssuchasthestandardforwhalewatchingactivitiesandmorerecentlytheestablishmentofrefugeareastoprotectaquaticspecies,asdefinedbytheGeneralLawonWildlife.In2007,theNationalCommissionofProtectedAreasstartedtheimplementationoftheSpeciesAtRiskConservationProgram(PROCER,inSpanish)with25actionplansinprocess,fourofthemrelatedtomarinemammals:humpbackandbluewhales,Caribbeanmanateeandvaquita.

ThispresentationmadeasynthesisofMexicanexperiencesintheuseofsomeoftheseinstruments,focusingonhowprotectedareas,withasolidmanagementplanthattakesintoconsiderationeconomicandsocialfactors,couldbecomearobustmechanismtomakewhalewatchingasustainableandwellorganizedactiv-itywithanimportanteconomicbenefitfortheinhabitantsofElVizcaínoBiosphereReserve.

Summary of DiscussionFollowingthepresentations,thepanelansweredquestionsfocusedonthreegeneraltopics:communicationofexistinginternationalefforts,databaseandenforcementdeficiencies,andtheoverallapplicabilityofresultandmethods.Forexample,thegrouphighlightedthatseveralinternationaleffortshavebeenini-tiatedtoaddresschronicthreatsformarinemammalsincludingaresolutionrecentlypassedattheInternationalConventionforParties(UNEP)dealingwithentanglementandmarinedebris.AnotherinternationaleffortisspearheadedattheIWCwhichhasanongoinginternationaldatabasetoreportshipstrikes(seewww.iwcoffice.org/sci_com/shipstrikes.htm).CountrieswithoutaformalnetworkforreportingshipstrikeswereencouragedtoreportthemthroughtheIWCdatabase.Finallythepanelwasencouragedtoworktoincreasecapacityfortraininggearedtowardstrandingresponseincludingforliveanimals.

Anothergeneraltopicduringthediscussionfocusedondeficien-ciesintermsofenforcementaswellasavailabilityofinformation.Forexample,anissuewasraisedthatmanyMMPAsexistonly


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onpaper,includingbutnotlimitedtoMéxico.DavidGutierrezwasthankedforacknowledgingthatMéxico’s65MPAsandtworefugeareasarelargely“paperMPAs”butsaidthattheMexicangovernmentistryingtomakeprogresstoensureenforcement.Alongsidethetoolofprotectedareas,Méxicoparticipatesinregionalprotectionprogramsforhumpbackwhales.Progressisalsobeingmadetodeterminetheefficacyofbuyoutsoffishinglicensestoreducebycatchofvaquita;theinterestbyfishermeninbuyoutisdiminishingandthusotheroptionsarebeingexplored.

Anotherdeficiencyidentifiedisthelackofdataontheefficacyofhavingshipsusewarningdeviceswhentheynavigatethroughwhalehabitat.DavidMattilasaidthattheuseof“alarms”onlargeshipsisnotanactiveareaofresearchforshipsbecauseoflogisticsandhehighlightedthatoneofthefirststudiesonalarmswithrightwhalesdemonstratedthatwhalesweremorelikelytocometothesurfacewhenalarmswereused,whichmayhavetheoppositeeffectofreducingcollisions.

Thediscussionnextturnedtotheapplicabilityofresultsfromonetimetothenextandtheapplicabilityofmethodsfromonestudytoanother.Forexample,ifcruiseshipsencounterwhalesatnight,arethemodelresultsapplicableifdatawerecollectedbyobserversaboardtheshipsduringtheday?Thisisakeyissuebecausevirtuallyalllargeshipsundertakesomevoyagesatnight.Forthecruiseshipstudy,observationswereindeedonlymadeduringdaylighthoursalthoughthisspannedupto18hoursduetothelongsummerdaysinAlaska.Nevertheless,mostcruisinginAlaskaandinotherareasoftheglobeoccursinthelateandearlyhoursofthedaysothatportsofcallcanbevisiteddur-ingtheday.ThisisalsotrueinAlaskaexceptwhentheportofcallisanareaofinterest,suchasanationalparklikeGlacierBay.Nevertheless,thereisnoreasontoassumethatship-whaleencounterswouldbeanylessinfrequentatnight.Whethertheresultsderivedfromcollectingdataduringthedayareapplicableatnightthusdependsonthemechanism.Forexample,ifthemechanismbehindtherelationshipbetweenslowershipsandgreaterseparationdistanceisduetowhalesbeingbetterabletodetectandreacttotheships,thenwecouldassumethattheresultsareapplicabletoship-whaleencountersatnight.If,how-ever,therelationshipbetweenspeedandencounterdistanceisduetoacaptainorpilotdetectingwhalesandtakingavoidancemeasures,thentherelationshipbetweenspeedandencounterdistanceiscontingentuponthecaptaindetectingthewhalewhichwillbesignificantlyreducedorimpossibleatnight.IntheGlacierBaystudy,theobservergavenoindicationtothecap-tainwhenawhalewasdetectedandthetracksoftheshipwheninthepresenceofawhalegavenoindicationthatthecourseorspeedwasalteredinresponsetohavingawhaleinproximity.Thus,theassumptionisthattherelationshipisduetochangesinwhalebehaviorasaresultofreducedshipspeedandthusisapplicableatnight.

FurtherdiscussiononmanagementeffectivenessinGlacierBayaddressedwhethermanagementofshipsinoneareamayhaveaneffectonshipsinanotherarea.Forexample,thereareanumberofwhalehotspotsinAlaskaandifportschedulesfortheshipsaretight,slowingtheshipsdowninsomeareasmayresultin

shipsgoingfasterinotherareastomakeupforlosttime.Thus,itisimportanttothinkholisticallyaboutmanagementeffec-tivenessinanareaandtheimpactthatthiswillhaveonoverallconservationgoals.

Thequestionofapplicabilityalsofocusedonwhetherthetech-niquesemployedforthecruiseshipstudycouldbeusedtobetterunderstandentanglementandrightwhales.DavidMattilahigh-lightedthedifficultyinunderstandingentanglementrateswith-outhavingtaggedwhalesandknowledgeofwherefishinggearislocatedbutheacknowledgedthatsimulationssimilartothosehighlightedinthetalkoncruiseshipstrikescouldbeapplied.

Finally,adiscussionoccurredrelativetodetectionandquanti-ficationofcarcassesfollowingtheDeepwaterHorizonOilSpillandwhethertherewasanexplicitattemptinthedamageassess-menttocounthowmanycarcassesweremissed.TeriRowlesacknowledgedthatmodelingeffortsareattemptingtoaddressthis;itisnotlimitedtocetaceansbutalsoincludesothermarinemammals,turtlesandbirds.Thismodelingeffortisimportantbecauserelativelyfewmortalitiesweredetectedoffshore;only400mortalitieshavebeendocumentedfromthebeginningofthespilltillthepresentincludingcarcassesfarfromthewellheadandinareaswithbothhighandlowlevelsofoiling.5

5 FurtherdiscussiononoildisastersandmarinemammalsoccurredinWorkshop7,p67.

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Tiare Turang Holm talked about developments in Palau during Panel 6: Regional Cooperation for MMPA Scientific and Technical Networking.Photo by Philippe Robert


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Panel 6: Regional Cooperation for MMPA Scientific and Technical Networking

Coordinators: Martine Bigan(Ministèredel’Ecologie,Directiondel’EauetBiodiversité,France)andDenis Girou(GuadeloupeNationalPark,Guadeloupe)

Chair: Denis Girou(GuadeloupeNationalPark,Guadeloupe)

IntroductionThispanelexaminedtheroleofregionalcooperationbetweenscientistsandMPApractitionersfromvariouscountrieswork-ingtogethertoestablishandmanageprotectedareanetworksthatincludemarinemammals.ThefirstthreepresentationsfocusedindetailontheMediterraneanandBlackseasandthelastexpansivelyonthePacificIslands.TheagreementsforgedintheseareasarehelpingtoimprovecollaborationandcapacityforeffectiveMMPAdesignandmanagement.

Protection of areas for cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea – key issues, tools, possible solutionsAna Štrbenac (StateInstituteforNatureProtection,Croatia)

TheMediterraneanregionisabiodiversityhotspot,highlysus-ceptibletothreats.Itisamostlyenclosedsea,surroundedbydiversecountrieswith43millioncoastalresidentswhichdoublesbecauseoftourisminthesummer.Some22cetaceanspeciesandsubspeciesoccur,but60%ofthoseregularlyseenarethreatenedand40%aredatadeficient.

Atleast13EuropeanandMediterraneanagreementsarerelevantforcetaceans.TwomainregionalinstrumentsincludeanetworkofSpeciallyProtectedAreasofMediterraneanImportanceunderSPA/BDProtocoloftheBarcelonaConventionand18criti-calhabitatsidentifiedforprotectionbytheAgreementontheConservationofCetaceansoftheBlackSea,MediterraneanSeaandContiguousAtlanticArea(ACCOBAMS)undertheBonnConvention.TheEuropeanUnionestablishedtheNATURA2000ecologicalnetwork.InternationalandnationalNGOsareactiveincetaceanresearchandconservation.

AllmarineprotectedandmanagedareasintheMediterraneancoverapproximately4%ofthesurface.Thereare38MPAswithcetaceanhabitat,includingoneonthehighseas,andanumberofsmallerprotectedareas.Thebottlenosedolphinisthemostcommonconservationobjective.

MPAsforcetaceansintheMediterraneandisplaymanyweak-nesses:lackofrepresentativenessofcriticalhabitats,lackofstake-holders’involvement,inadequatemanagement,andlackofdataonstatusofspeciesandhabitats.Effortstoimprovethesituationshouldfocusontwoparalleltasks:strengtheningtheposition

forcetaceanconservationandimplementationofspecificmea-suresforimprovementofthemarineprotectedareasnetwork.

Towards a network of protected areas for Black Sea cetaceansAlexei Birkun, Jr.(BlackSeaCouncilforMarineMammals,BSCMM,Ukraine)

AllthreeBlackSeacetaceansubspeciesareendemicandassessedintheIUCNRedListasendangered(EN)orvulnerable(VU).TheBlackSeaharborporpoiseandbottlenosedolphinareEN,andtheBlackSeashort-beakedcommondolphinisVU.

Thesethreesubspeciesexperienceddramaticdeclinesinthe20thcenturyduetomasskillingthatfinallystoppedin1983.Currently,adverseimpactsfromfisheriesandhabitatdegrada-tioncontinuetoaffectthesepopulationsthroughouttheirrangeincludingintheBlackSeaandadjoiningAzovandMarmaraseasandconnectingstraits.

ThevariousBlackSeastateshavecommittedtoprotectingceta-ceansasPartiestoACCOBAMSandtheBucharestConvention.TheWorkshoponBlackSeaProtectedAreasEligiblefortheConservationandMonitoringofMarineMammals(Istanbul,2006)producedalistof19MPAswhichcouldconstitutethebackboneforaregionalnetwork.Thislistincludescoastalbio-sphereandnaturereservesandnationalparksestablishedinBulgaria(n=2),Georgia(1),Romania(2),Russia(1),Turkey(4),andUkraine(9).Thedevelopmentofthenetworkisstipu-latedasapriorityactionintheConservationPlanforBlackSeaCetaceans(2006)andtheStrategicActionPlanfortheRehabilitationandProtectionoftheBlackSea(2009).Thefor-merdocumentalsoenvisagescreatingnewMPAsspecializedincetaceanconservation.

ThedevelopmentofanetworkofMPAsfortheconservationofBlackSeacetaceansisstillinitsinitialphase.Moreover,thetotalsurfaceareaofthe19“eligible”MPAsislessthan1%oftheBlackSeatakenasawhole.Itisclearlynotenougheventoconserveknownsemi-residentcommunitiesofbottlenosedolphinsortoprotectwinteringareaswhereharbourporpoisesandcommondolphinsassembleinannualdenseaggregations.

ThesituationforBlackSeacetaceansmightbeeffectivelyimprovediftheentireBlackSeaalongwiththeAzovSea,MarmaraSeaandthestraitsweredeclaredbyBlackSeacoun-triesasabasin-widecetaceansanctuaryorsimilarregionaltransboundarybiospherereserve,withspecialemphasisonconservationofcetaceans.

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Using the MedPAN network to further marine mammal conservation …and using marine mammals to improve MPA managementChloë Webster (MedPAN,France)

MedPAN–thenetworkofmanagersofmarineprotectedareasintheMediterranean–isalegallyindependentNGOcreatedinresponsetoMPAmanagementdemands.Thenetworkiscom-prisedofmorethan60MPAmanagersandotherpartnersfrom20countriesworkinginnearly200MPAs,mostofthemsmallandlargelycoastal.MedPANundertakescommoninitiativestohelpMPAmanagerstoreinforcethemanagementoftheirareas.TheframeworkofMedPAN’sactionsisbasedonCBDobjectives,anditisalsoframedbytheBarcelonaConventionandotherAgreements(ACCOBAMS)andvariousEuropeanpoliciesandtools.

Thispresentationexplorestwoperspectivesasameanstoopendiscussionsforrecommendations.Theoverallaimofthepresen-tationistoprovideparticipantswiththechancetomakerecom-mendationstoMPAmanagersviaMedPANthusbroadeningthescopeofworkrelatingtomarinemammals.

VariouswaysofusingMedPANtofurthermarinemammalconservationareunderscored.WhileMedPANhasbeencon-structingitsdatabaseonMPAsandupdatinginformationonthestatusofMPAsintheMediterranean,opportunitieshavearisentoidentifythoseMPAsthatcoulddeveloptheirroleinfurtheringmarinemammalconservation.AstheMediterraneannetworkofMPAmanagers,MedPANprovidesbothaplatformtoexchangeinformationandexperience(technicalornot),andtoolstoimproveMPAmanagement.EventhoughtheyarenotMPAmanagers,marinemammalscientistsandconservationistsareencouragedtouseMedPAN.Itcanalsobeusefulfordecisionmakers,includingthosewhoarePartiestoACCOBAMS.MPAandcetaceannetworkstrategieshavemanycommonobjectivesandhighlightingtheseaimscanhelpcontributetoandenhancemarinemammalconservation.Ofcourse,tobeeffectivewithconservationinitiatives,italsoimportanttomoveoutsidetherealmsofscientistsandMPAmanagerstothelargerworldwheresocio-economicandpoliticalfactorsplaythemajorrole.

MarinemammalscanalsobeusedtoreinforceMPAmanage-mentthroughoutthenetwork.MedPAN’scurrentworkprovidesMPAmanagerswithopportunitiestoreinforcemanagementeffi-ciency.Thepowermarinemammalscanhaveinattractingpoliti-calandsocialattentioniseitherunderestimatedattheMPAlevelorgivenalesserpriorityinviewofMPAconservationobjectives.Managersmayalsobeunfamiliarwithcetologyforexample.However,usingtheseemblematicanimalstoattractattention,injustifyinganMPAextensionforexample,orelseinpublicawarenessmessages,oragaintodevelopresponsibletourism,hasprovenclout.Usingmarinemammalsinsuchwayswillbenefitthemarineenvironmentatlargeandinturnmarinemammals.

Strengthening collaboration and capacity for an effective regional marine mammals protected area (MMPA) network: The Pacific Islands experienceTiare Turang Holm(SustainableDecisions,Palau)

AcrossthevastPacificIslandsregion,wheremorethan2000languagesarespoken,therearediverseculturalvaluesregard-ingmarinemammals.Theyarealternatelyreveredasspiritualicons,orhuntedforceremonialpurposes,thoughinmostcaseshuntingisconsideredtaboo.SixcountriesparticipateintheInternationalWhalingCommission(IWC)meetings.Thereisadevelopinghistoryofregionalcollaborationformarinemam-malconservationandmanagement.

TheSecretariatforthePacificRegionalEnvironmentProgramme(SPREP)andtheSouthPacificWhaleResearchConsortium(SPWRC)togetherwithNGOpartnerssuchasIFAW,WhalesAlive,WWFandWDCShaveestablishedacriticalplatformforestablishingmarinemammalsanctuariesinPacificislandscountriesandterritories.Successesincludemorethantenyearsofresearchingmarinemammalsacross14countries,conserva-tionwithspeciesrecoveryandscienceactionplans,workinggroupsandConventiononMigratorySpecies(CMS)agreements,acomprehensiveassessmentofhumpbackwhalesinOceania,nationalwhalesanctuaries,andcapacitybuildingandlinkinginformationtokeydecisionmaking.Thehumpbackwhalepopu-lationhasformedthebasisformarinetourismandaneconomiclifelineformanyinislandsoftheSouthPacific,withnetworkimplicationsintheirtransboundarymigrations.

SPREPplaysanimportantleadershiproleintheregionformarinemammalconservation.Itassistedinsuccessfullydevel-opingamemorandumofunderstanding(MoU)onPacificCetaceansandtheirHabitatsundertheConventiononMigratorySpecies(CMS)whichopenedforsigningin2006(thusfarsignedby12SPREPmembersand6collaboratingNGOs).SPREP’smarinemammaleffortsdatebacktotheearly1990sandthecurrentPacificIslandsWhaleandDolphinActionPlan(WDAP-2012)servesasaguidetotheregiontoachievemarinemammalconservationgoals.

TheWDAPhasninethemes,includingnational,regionalandinternationalcollaboration,threatreduction,ecosystemandhabitatprotection(includingMMPAs),capacitybuilding,edu-cation,culturalsignificanceandvalue,legislationandpolicy,researchandmonitoring,andwhale-anddolphin-basedtourism.

SupportedbySPREP,SPWRCandarangeofNGOs,Pacificstateshaveestablishedanetworkof11marinemammalEEZsanctu-ariescoveringmorethan18millionkm2.TheinitialimpetusforcreationwasthefailureoftheSouthPacificSanctuarypro-posalintheIWC.Whencountries,mostlyoutsidetheregion,opposedthis,PacificIslandcountriesdecidedtodeclaretheirEEZsassanctuaries,beginningwiththeCookIslandsin2001.Sanctuarymanagementintheregionislargelybasedonlocal


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needs,capacityandvaryingsituations.Theinvolvementofcom-munitiesanddifferentstakeholdersintheplanningandman-agementprocessiscritical.Niue,FijiandSamoaarestartingtoimplementthesanctuarieswithMPAmanagementplans.

Despitethesesuccesses,cetaceanconservation,includingscienceandmanagement,hasseenlittleinvestmentintheregionrela-tivetothescaleanddiversityoftheneeds.Moremustbedonetoresearchandunderstandcetaceanspecies,andtoaddressthehugedatagaps.WhenIattendedthelastICMMPAconferenceonMaui,Idiscoveredthatthegapsindatawerenottheresultoflackofcetaceansbutlackofresearchinvestment.

Palauisnoexceptiontothisobservationbutwearenowwork-ingtoenhancecetaceanconservationinPalau.Palaudeclaredallitswatersasmarinemammalsanctuariesin2010.Supportingnationallegislationwasthenintroduced,andfundingforatargetednationalresearchprojectwasapproved.TheNationalCouncilofMatriarchscalledonPalau’sleaderstosupporteffec-tiveimplementationofthesanctuaryinMarch2011.Thelegisla-tioniscurrentlyundergoingrevision,andin2012thecetaceanresearchprojectwillbegin.

Furtherresearchandmonitoringprotocolsarerequired,alongwiththeoptimizationofcommunicationtocommunitiesanddecisionmakers,developmentofasustainablemarinemam-malwatchingindustry,improvingIWCactivities,andbuildingcapacity.Thesearereflectiveoftheregion’schallenges,whichincludeaccesstofinancialandtechnicalresources,conductingfurtherresearch,fillingdatagaps,institutionalizingmonitoring,conductingeffectivesurveillanceandenforcement,linkinggoodinformationtocommunicationstrategiesanddecisionmaking,buildingemotionalandeconomiclinksbetweencetaceansandcommunities,andimprovingengagementandparticipationintheIWC.

Aregionalapproachtomanagementprovidesmanybenefits,thoughtherearechallengesinimplementingthematthenationallevel.Theroleofintergovernmentalandnon-governmentorga-nizationsiscrucialinimplementingnationalandregionalactionplans.Theinvolvementofcommunitiesandprimarystakehold-ersiscrucial,andeconomiclinksmustbeclarified.Partnershipsarecritical.

Summary of DiscussionThebriefdiscussionperiodfocusedonregionalcooperation,initiallywithMedPan’sexperienceintheMediterraneanandthenwithSPREPandtheCMSCetaceanMoUinthePacific,andregionalfinancing.

TiareTurangHolmfromPalaureportedthattheCMSPacificCetaceanMoUhadbeenausefultool,thoughtheyhavenotcomeclosetooptimizingitspotential.Morecountriesintheregionneedtobeonboard.Still,itcanserveasamodelforotherregions;itcommitsnationstoworkingtogether.

InPalau,legislationwaspassedwhichcreatesasustainablefinancemechanismforPalau’sprotectedareanetwork.Itcallsforallvisitorstopayintoafundsolelyforthemanagementofthese

protectedareas,whichcanincludesupportforcetaceanconser-vation.Alsoonaregionallevel,theMicronesiaChallenge–toprotectatleast30%ofmarineand20%ofterrestrialresourcesby2020–hasledtocollaborativeworkonfundraising.Thetar-getforthisisUSD$18million,ofwhichPalauhasbeenabletoraiseUSD$8million.

Palauisplanningtobringitsexperienceswithmarineconser-vationtoRio+20,inJune2012,althoughitwasnotedthat,sofar,marineissuesarenotyetofsignificantlyhighenoughprofileontheagendaofhostcountries.HolmansweredthatthiswasahugeopportunityandthattheywouldbeworkingthroughtheirnationaldelegationandthroughSPREPwhichhashelpedensuresuchissuesareproperlydealtwith.

HolmalsoreportedonPalau’smarinemammalanddugongsanctuaryandannouncedthatthefirstphaseofPalau’scetaceanresearchprojectwouldbegininJanuary2012–theresultofapartnershipformedwithWhalesAlivethroughPalau’spartici-pationintheICMMPA1inHawaiiin2009.

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A manatee floats just beneath the surface of a mangrove creek on the bayside in the Upper Keys. Florida Keys National Marine SanctuaryPhoto by Andy Collins, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, NMS/NOS/NOAA


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Panel 7: Development of Marine Mammal Protected Areas (MMPAs) in the Wider Caribbean Region

CoordinatorandChair: Alessandra Vanzella-Khouri(UNEPCaribbeanEnvironmentProgramme,Jamaica)

Introduction, Objectives and SummaryThemarinemammalfaunaoftheWiderCaribbeanRegionisdiverse,withatleast32speciesrecorded,andofferssignificantecological,aestheticandeconomicvaluetothecountriesandterritoriesoftheregion.However,dataarescarceconcerningmostcetaceanandmanateepopulationsintheregion.Itisoneofonlytworegionstohaveseentheextinctionofamarinespe-ciesin250years,theCaribbeanmonkseal.Huntingstilloccursinsomeareas,andthreatssuchaspollutionandnoisearelargelyuninvestigated.Itisoneofthebusiestshippingareasintheworld,alongwithbeingabiodiversityhotspotthatdependsheavilyontourism.Climatechangeimpactsheavilyonfoodwebs,ecosys-temproductivityandoceanographicconnectivity.Theregionisstartingtorecognisetheneedforconservationeffortsinclud-ingMMPAs.

AspecificMarineMammalActionPlan(MMAP)wasadoptedin2008undertheframeworkofUNEP’sCaribbeanEnvironmentProgramme,afteralongconsultationprocessinvolvingscientists,NGOs,andgovernmentrepresentatives.AmongtheactivitiesbeingpursuedaspartoftheMMAParetrainingworkshopsonstrandingresponseandnetworking,whale-anddolphin-watchtraining,andimplementationofaregionalmanateeconserva-tionplan.

DespitethelargenumberofMPAsintheWiderCaribbeanregion(over300),lessthanahandfulhavebeenestablishedforthecon-servationofmarinemammals.Nonetheless,thefewthatexistareofmajorecologicalsignificance(e.g.,theMarineMammalSanctuaryoftheDominicanRepublic,themostimportantbreedingandnursinggroundsfortheNorthAtlanticpopula-tionofhumpbacks)orarepioneersinthedevelopmentof“sistersanctuaryarrangements”betweenprotectedareasthousandsofmilesapartprotectingendangeredmigratorymarinemammalspeciesonbothendsofitsrange.Regionalsuccessinmanagingandconservingmarinemammalsdependsultimatelyoneffec-tiveregionalcooperation;thecommitmentofthecountriesoftheregion;andtheimplementationofconservationpriorities,standards,andstrategiesformarinemammalconservationandeducation,someofwhicharediscussedinthispanel.

From a regional treaty to an action plan to conservation efforts at the national levelHélène Souan (SPAW–RegionalActivityCentre,Guadeloupe)

TheProtocolonSpeciallyProtectedAreasandWildlife(SPAW)oftheUNEPCartagenaConventionaimstoprotectandman-agesustainablymarineandcoastalbiodiversityintheWiderCaribbean.Amongspeciesofparticularconcern,marinemam-malsrepresentamajorchallenge,andtheContractingPartiestotheSPAWProtocolhaveadoptedin2008adedicatedActionPlanthatforeseesthedevelopmentofappropriateactionsfortheconservationofmarinemammals,fromthestrengtheningofstrandingnetworkstothecontrolofpollutants.

Oneofthekeygoalsistheimplementationofappropriatespa-tialprotection(e.g.,sanctuaries)withimportanteffortplacedoncooperationamongcountriestoensureecologicalcoherenceoftheactions.Crucialprogresshasbeenmaderecentlyunderthisframework,withseveralnationalinitiativestowardstheestab-lishmentofmarinemammalsanctuaries,orthereinforcementofmanagementinexistingsanctuaries.Bilateralpartnershipshavealsobeenconcluded,orareabouttobe,inordertopro-motecommonactionsandexchangesbetweenthesanctuaries’managementteams.

The Marine Mammal Sanctuary for the Dominican Republic: 25 years of learning by doing Oswaldo Vásquez (Advisor,MinisterofEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesoftheDominicanRepublic;AsesoríaAmbientalyTecnologíaMaritima–AtemarEirl,DominicanRepublic)

In1986SilverBankbecameoneofthefirstsanctuariesintheworldtobecreatedforconservationpurposes.TheIndianOceansanctuarywascreatedformanagementpurposesbeforeSilverBank,butSilverBankwascreatedforconservation.Whenitwascreated,theconceptsofasanctuaryandanexclusiveeconomiczone(EEZ)werenewconcepts,andthelegislationwaslatermodifiedtobringitintolinewiththem.SilverBankwasfirstdiscoveredin1973,andisuniquebecauseithasalongchainofcoralreefswhichmakesnavigationdifficult.

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Thesanctuaryishometorepresentativesofallthemarinespe-ciesintheDominicanRepublic,includinghumpbackwhalesandtwospeciesofdolphins.Pilotwhalesandspermwhalesarealsosighted.

Partofthefunctionofthesanctuaryhasbeentoconductsophis-ticatedresearch,includingenvironmentalandDNAstudiesandpopulationstudies.Twentyyearsago,researchersintheNorthAtlanticdidthelargeststudyonhumpbackwhaleswhichhadeverbeenconductedtothatpoint,involvingsevencountriesand42scientists.Thestudytaughtusalittleaboutdistribution,behaviorinthewinter,therelationshipbetweenthemotherandcalf,andmatingbehavior.Wedidafollow-upstudytenyearslatertotrytoestablishNorthAtlanticpopulationnumbers.

Atpresent,wehaveissued42whalewatchinglicenses.WehavealsocreatedanationalwhalecatalogbasedonphotoIDandDNAstudies.

ThehumpbackwhalepopulationfortheNorthAtlanticwasini-tiallyestablishedat1517,butnowitiscloseto14,000.Theyaredoingverywellatthemoment,withagrowthrateof2.3%peryear,buttheyarestillfarfromreachingtheoriginalpopula-tion.Thisdataissometimesusedtoattempttojustifyhunting.

Wehavebeencarryingouttaggingoperationsonthewhalestotracktheirmovements,andalsotoestablishthelevelofnoiseintheareaandhowthisaffectsthedistributionofthepopulation.

Wehaveanumberofissuestodealwith,suchasentanglement,shipstrikes,andclimatechange.However,wearecurrentlyrevis-ingthelegislationandwillsoonhaveamanagementplan.WearecreatingtheMarineMammalCommissionoftheDominicanRepublic.TheDominicanRepublicisalsoamemberoftheIWC,whereitwillcontinuefightingforwhaleconservation.BeforewejoinedtheIWC,weestablishedinlawthatwewerenotawhal-ingcountry.

The Agoa Sanctuary for the French AntillesNicolas Maslach (AgoaSanctuary,St-Barthélemy)

Agoa6isthefirstsanctuaryformarinemammalsintheFrenchWestIndies,i.e.,theterritorialwatersandexclusiveeco-nomiczone(EEZ)ofGuadeloupe,Martinique,St-MartinandSt-Barthélemy.Itwascreatedon5October2010.Withanareaof138,000km²,Agoawillmakeitpossibletoreinforcethepro-tectionofemblematicyetthreatenedspecies,suchassperm,humpbackandotherwhalesanddolphins,tosustainablyman-agetheirhabitatsandtoensurethattheyareconsideredinthedevelopmentofhumanactivities.

Withthedeclarationofthesanctuary,FranceandtheFrenchWestIndiescommunitieshavedemonstratedtheircommitmentbythefollowingactions:

6 AgoaisthenameofthegoddessoftheseainAmerindianmythology.

• AstronginvolvementofthelocalauthoritiesandtheFrenchStateinthegovernanceoftheAgoaSanctuary.ThisstructureiscompetenttoproposeprotectionandconservationmeasuresforspeciesandtheirhabitatsintheFrenchAntillesEEZ,particularlywithregardtothenewlegislationformarinemammalprotectioninAgoacreatedonJuly1st,2011.Thislegislationforbidsdestruction,removal,intentionalcaptureandharassmentofmarinemammals,aswellashabitatdegradation.In2012,regulationsonsafedistancesforwhalewatchingvesselswillbedeveloped.

• Theestablishmentofhuman,technicalandfinancialresourcesforthegovernanceofthesanctuary,toimprovescientificknowledgeandorganizationofawarenessamongseausersandthegeneralpublic.

• Theprovisionofmeanstomonitorthesanctuaryaspartofthe“ActionoftheStateatSea”.

Moreover,inviewofthecommunityissuesinconservationandmanagementofmarinemammalsintheCaribbean,Francehasundertakentoimplementacooperativestrategy(asrec-ommendedintheMarineMammalActionPlanadoptedattheConferenceofPartiestotheSPAWProtocolin2008)throughtheSPAW-RAC(SpeciallyProtectedAreasandWildlife–RegionalActivityCenter)onbehalfoftheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(UNEP)andtheFrenchMPAAgency(AAMP).Thiswillfacilitatethemanagementofmarinemammalmigrationcor-ridorsandprotectedareasformarinewildlifepopulationscom-montoseveralcountries.TheICMMPA2hasprovidedagreatopportunitytotakefurtherstepstowardtheseimportantgoals.

Tothisend,severalcountrieshavedemonstratedtheircom-mitmenttothisprocessatICMMPA2,namelytheDominicanRepublic,theNetherlandsfortheDutchAntilles,andtheUSAforStellwagenBank,whichareestablishing“twinning”partner-shipswiththeAgoaSanctuary.Anotherresultofthiscoopera-tiveapproachwillbetheestablishmentin2012ofascientificprotocolonobservationandidentificationofmarinemammalsintheEEZoftheFrenchAntilles,theNetherlandsAntillesandAnguillaintheLesserAntilles.

Inconclusion,thestudiesconductedsofarinthedraftingpro-cessofthemanagementplanoftheAgoaSanctuaryindicatethattheissuesare:

• Related to survival of the animals: collisions,illnessescausedbystressorcontaminants,entanglementandingestionofmacro-waste,noisepollutionandotherthreatsthathaveaneffectonmarinemammals;

• Related to animal growth:inadequatenutritionduetoadietarydeficiencyorexcessiveenergyexpenditurelinkedtorepetitivedisturbance(e.g.,highlevelsofvesseltrafficandwhalewatching),dependenceondepredation(e.g.,onfishinnetsoronlines),oravoidanceoffeedingareas;

• Related to reproduction and fertility:potentialfordisease,disturbance,contaminationbypollutantsandchemicalcompoundsthatcanaffectday-to-dayenergy


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requirementsandultimatelyimpactageatmaturityorreducereproductivesuccess;and

• Related to habitat issues:threatsofcoastaldevelopmentandmarinepollution.

Maintainingsocio-economicinterestsisalsoanimportantissuefortheeconomyoftheFrenchAntillesandtherepresentativesofthesecommunities.ThiscomponentmustbeincludedinthechoiceofgovernancefortheAgoaSanctuary.Withsocio-economicconsiderationsincorporatedintotheframeworkofconsultativeandparticipatorygovernance,managementmea-suresonareaandspeciesconservationcanbeimplementedandacceptedbyall.

Towards a sanctuary for the Dutch Caribbean: A partnership effortPaul Hoetjes (DutchMinistryofEconomicAffairs,AgricultureandInnovation,Bonaire)

TheDutchislandsintheCaribbeanagreedin2009thatsincefishstocksandothermarinebiodiversityarenotboundbyborders,theEEZwatersshouldbemanagedjointlybyallislands,regard-lessoftheirseparatepoliticalstatuswithintheKingdomoftheNetherlands.TriggeredbythedeclarationofintentbyFrancetoestablishitsAgoamarinemammalsanctuaryandfollowingtheadoptionoftheMarineMammalActionPlan(MMAP)bythePartiestotheSPAWProtocol,theDutchislandsalsoagreedthatthemanagementoftheEEZshouldincludethedesignationoftheareainitsentiretyasamarinemammalsanctuary,con-nectingwiththeFrenchAgoainitiative.

AfterthedissolutionoftheNetherlandsAntillesin2010andtheaccessionofthesmallestislandstoTheNetherlands,TheDutchMinistryofEconomicAffairs,AgricultureandInnovationcommissionedtheDutchInstituteforMarineResourceandEcosystemStudies(IMARES)tostudyhowthismarinemam-malsanctuarydesignationcouldbestbeaccomplished.IMARESreviewedtheexistingrecordsofmarinemammalspeciespresentintheDutchwaters,resultinginacoupleofpublicationsinclud-ingapresentationattheIWCScientificCommitteemeetingin2011.MeanwhileaCommitteefortheMarineBiodiversityandFisheriesManagementfortheDutchEEZwasformedandmetforthefirsttimeinOctober.TheCommitteemeetingreaffirmedtheintenttoestablishaDutchCaribbeanmarinemammalsanctuary.

Amulti-partnerprogramtosurveythemarinemammalsinFrench,DutchandUKwaterswasrecentlyproposedtotheEUforfundingbyapartnershipoftheSPAW-RAC;theFrenchMPAAgency;theDutchMinistryofEconomicAffairs,AgricultureandInnovation;IMARES;Anguilla;andIFAW.EvenifEUfundingisnotobtained,bothFranceandtheNetherlandshavecommit-tedtoproceedwithjointmarinemammalsurveys.ItishopedthatthedesignationoftheDutchCaribbeanwatersasamarinemammalsanctuarymayberealizedin2012.

Intheleaduptotheformaldesignationofthesanctuary,theSouthernCaribbeanCetaceanNetwork(SCCN)hasbeensetup,andaDutchCaribbeanStrandingWorkshopwasheld.Allmarinemammalsarealreadylegallyprotected.Fishingpracticesarelimitedandcontrolled.Thesanctuarywillprovidefocustoinitiatedistributionandabundancestudies,andprovidegreaterhabitatprotection.

Building capacity and networking of marine protected areas: A platform for the conservation of marine mammals in the Wider Caribbean Alessandra Vanzella-Khouri (UNEP-CaribbeanEnvironmentProgramme,Jamaica)

TheWiderCaribbeanRegionencompasses39differentpoliti-calentitiesborderingtheCaribbeanSea,GulfofMexico,andadjacentAtlanticOcean.Thisincludes13islandnations,12continentalnations,and14territoriesbelongingtoFrance,theUK,theUnitedStates,andtheNetherlands.Withsolittleinter-nationalwatersandsomanysharedboundaryareas,theneedisgreatforcoordinationbetweenandamongnations.Yettherearefourofficiallanguages(Spanish,French,English,andDutch),twolegalsystems(commonandcivil),wideeconomicdisparities,andnumeroussocio-economicandenvironmentalissuesheldincommon.Thisisoneofthebusiestshippingareasintheworld,withtrafficfromoiltankers,cruiseships,andcargovesselsinadditiontosmallerfishing,recreational,andtransportvessels.Itisalsoabiodiversityhotspotandthusthereisthepotentialfornumerousconflictsbetweenhumanactivitiesandthepreserva-tionofwildspeciesandnaturalecosystems.

Therearemorethan300marineprotectedareas(MPAs)estab-lishedintheWiderCaribbeanbutlessthan10%areconsideredeffectivelymanaged.Themainissuesincludeinadequatedesign,planning,andenforcement;insufficientfinancialresources;insufficientcapacityintheformoftrainedpersonnel;andlackofpoliticalwill.In1981,manygovernmentsintheregionadoptedanenvironmentalagreementundertheUNEPRegionalSeasProgrammeand,in1983,theCartagenaConventionprovidedanoverallframeworkforfurtherenvironmentalagreements.MostnotableinthepresentcontextistheSpeciallyProtectedAreasandWildlife(SPAW)Protocol(adopted1990,enteredintoforce2000)whichcallsonsignatorygovernmentstoestablish,man-age,andstrengthenMPAsandMPAnetworksandtoprotectlistedspecies(Annex2includes32speciesofmarinemammals).Inrecognitionofthevalueofbettercommunicationandcol-laborationamongMPAsandtheirstaffs,theCaribbeanMarineProtectedAreasManagementNetworkandForum(CaMPAM)partnershipwasbornin1997.Thisnetworkmaintainsalistserv(>300members)andaregionalMPAdatabase,providessmallgrantstosupportMPAstrengtheningandinitiatives,andfacili-tatescomprehensivetrainingandinformation-exchangeefforts.

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CaMPAMprovidesausefulplatformfortheimplementationofmarinemammalconservationactivitiesthroughbuildingcapac-ityinMPAs,strengtheningmanagementeffectiveness,andpro-motingpolicyformulationandgoodgovernance.Currently,inresponsetothecommitmentmadebymanycountriesaroundtheworldtoestablishnationalMPAsystemsandothermanagementmeasurestoensuretheprotectionoftheircoastalandmarineareas,CaMPAMofferstotheregionitsexperienceandfinancialresourcestoadvancetheimplementationofthesecommitments.

Summary of DiscussionFollowingthepanelpresentations,thelimitedtimeleftfordiscussionfocusedontheclarificationofanumberofpoints.ThecentralroleoftheSPAWProtocolwasstressedasitistheonlyregionallegally-bindingagreementonbiodiversityintheCaribbean.Intermsofmarinemammals,theRegionalActivityCenteroftheSPAWProtocol(SPAW-RAC)hasconvenedthreesub-regionalstrandingworkshops.InOct.2011,ithelpedorga-nizeaworkshopinPanamaonbestpracticesforwhalewatch-ingactivities;theresultingwhalewatchingguidelinesarebeingpresentedtotheParties.

ConcernwasexpressedaboutMéxiconothavingsignedtheSPAWProtocolandhowcollaborationscouldbeconducted.ItwasnotedthateffortsareunderwaytopromotetheMexicangovernmenttobecomeaContractingPartytotheProtocolwhichwillbeverybeneficialforthecountry’sCaribbeanmarineresourcesmanagement.TherewasalsoconfusionabouttheparticipationofNGOsintheProtocolifacountrywerenotamember.TheSPAWProtocoldoesnotpreventNGOsfromparticipatinginprojects,regardlessofthecountry.NGOsandexpertsalsoparticipateintheSPAWScientificandTechnicalAdvisoryCommittee(STAC);however,finaldecisionsareonlymadebytheParties.Forthemarinemammalwatchingwork-shoptherewereparticipantsfromallaroundtheCaribbean,includingnon-Parties.


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Keynote 3: The Legal Regime Relating to Marine Protected Areas on the High Seas for Marine Mammal Protection Christophe Lefèbvre IUCNGlobalOceanCouncilor;FrenchMarineProtectedAreasAgency,France

TheUnitedNationsConventionontheLawoftheSea(UNCLOS)definesthelegalframe-workinwhichalloceanandsearelatedactivitiesmustbecarriedout.Anyactivityaffectingmarinebiologicaldiversitybeyondareasundernationaljurisdictionmustbecarriedoutinaccordancewiththeprinciplesofthisinternationallaw.Asaconsequence,exceptforageneralprincipletoprotectandpreservethemarineenvironment(article192andsubsequentarticles),theConventiononlygovernsthehighseasinafragmentedway:mineralresourcesinthesea-bedandbelowtheseabedaredesignatedthecommonheritageofmankindwhileelementsofthemarinebiodiversitykeepthestatusofres nulliusandcanthereforebefreelyappropriated.

ThecreationofmarineprotectedareastoprotectthebiodiversityofthehighseasrequiresaninternationallegalframeworktocomeunderUNCLOSratherthantheConventiononBiologicalDiversity(Article22oftheCBD).However,thesetwoconventionsdonotopposeeachotherbutarecomplementary.

Toidentifymarineareasworldwidethatmeetthecriteriaforecologicallyorbiologicallysignifi-cantareas(EBSAs),theIUCNinstigatedtheGlobalOceanBiodiversityInitiative(GOBI)in2010,notablyaimedatdevelopinginternationalscientificcooperationtopromoteareliable,shareddatabasefortheEBSAsandtoallowtheCBDtodrawupaworldlistofEBSAsasanecessarytoolformarinespatialplanningonthehighseas.ThisidentificationmeetstheCBDobjectiveofprovidingglobalprotectionfordeepseabiodiversity.Itcanthenbeusedtoproposerecog-nitionofthemarineprotectedareastoUNCLOS,aspartofitsinstitutionalresponsibilities.

Manycountriesconsiderthattoprotecttheoceans,itissufficienttoactwithintheRegionalFisheriesOrganizations(RFOs),andimprovethecooperationandcoordinationproceduresbetweenthevariousinternationalorganizationsconcerned(FAO,IMO,ISBA,UNESCO/IOC,UNEP).Whiletheprotectionofthemarineenvironmentwithrespecttotheexploitationofliv-ingmarineresourcesinareasofthehighseascomesundertheresponsibilityoftheRFOs,theirscientificcommitteesdonothaveasufficientcross-sectoralvisiontoberecognizedasad hocbodiesfortheMPAs.IntheNorthAtlantic,theroleofscientificvalidationpriortotheinterna-tionalpoliticalvalidationtocreateanMPAonthehighseascanbeassignedtotheInternationalCouncilfortheExplorationoftheSea(ICES),butotherregionsdonothavesuchatool.

ThecreationofhighseasMPAsisbasedonkeystepstobeimplementedwithintheinterna-tionalinstitutionalsystem:

• ScientificassessmentanditsacknowledgementbytheCBD,ofthebiodiversity,justifyingtheirone-offcreation.

• Commitmentfromthepartiesandusersconcerned,inacross-sectoralapproach.

• Settingupofdecision-makingprocessesandmechanismsbytheUnitedNationswithintheUNCLOSframework.

• ImplementationandmanagementcontrolofMPAswithinanappropriateinternationalsystem.

Wemustlookforcomplementaryaspectsandsynergiesbetweentheseandothertoolsandstrat-egiesinordertogainacceptanceforhighseasMPAsintheinternationallegalsystem.

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Gray whale breaching in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve in México.Photo by Steven Swartz, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS/NOAA


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Keynote 4: Thinking Big–But Not Forgetting Small. The ICMMPA 2 “Take Home” Vision Erich HoytResearchFellowandGlobalMPAProgrammeHeadWhaleandDolphinConservationSociety,UK7

Thisisthestoryofthegraywhaleandthevaquita–twomarinemammals,onebreeding,andtheotherlivingyear-roundoffBajaCalifornia.The35-tonne,highprofile,wide-ranginggraywhalehaslittleincommonwiththesmall,lowprofile,geographically-restrictedvaquita.Thegraywhalewasthefirstwhaletobestudiedandwatchedcommerciallyinthewild,andthefirstevermarinemammaltohaveamarineprotectedareadesignatedforit,the1972OjodeLiebreRefugewhichlaterbecamepartofthenetworkoflagoonsdesignatedasElVizcaínoBiosphereReserve.Forthevaquita,the1993designationofanationalbiospherereserveaimedtoprotectthiscryptic,criticallyendangeredporpoise(n≥245in2008,decreasing~57%since1997).YetthespeciescontinuestodeclinebecauseofgillnetfishingforshrimpandfinfishwithinthereserveandevenoccasionallywithinthemorerestrictedhighlyprotectedVaquitaRefuge.Anestimated700artisanalgillnettersstilloperatethrough-outthevaquita’sdistributionrange.

ThegraywhaleembodiesthethemesofthefirsttwoICMMPAconferencesandisasuccessstory.Thegraywhalebecameanendangeredspeciesinthelate19thCenturyafterthediscoveryofitslagoonbreedinghabitatbywhalersmadeiteasypickings.Savingthegraywhalewasamatterofstoppingthewhalinginthelagoonsandalongthemigratoryroutesandkeepingthelagoonsasprotectedisolatedecosystems.ThegraywhaleinspirednetworkingoftheMexicanMPAsystemsandlatertheUSandCaliforniastatesanctuaries.Thegraywhaleisalsoapioneeringwhalewhenitcomestoclimatechange,withoneboldgraywhalehavingrecentlynavigatedtheice-freeNorthwestPassageenroutetoIsrael,settingadistancerecordofatleast21,000km.Marinemammalresearchersandclimatespecialistswonderifthisisasignofthingstocome.

Asscientists,managers,andconservationists,weneedtothinkbigandoutsidetheboxintermsofcreating,linkingandmanagingMPAsinthefaceofnotonlyclimatechange,butalsouncer-taintiesregardingspeciesdataacrosstheopenocean,emergingtechnologiesbothforandagainstconservation,andthestateoftheworldeconomy.Despitethenegatives,therearemanypositivesignsinthecollaborativeworkbytheGlobalOceanBiodiversityInitiative(GOBI)andHighSeasAlliance(HSA),thelatestdevelopmentsfacilitatingoffshoremonitoringandenforcement,aswellasthenetworksthathaveemergedintheCaribbean,northeastSouthAmericaandamongtheriverdolphinspecialistsfromeightcountriesinSouthAmericaplusAsia.

Nevertheless,wearefacedwithdifficultproblemstosolve,suchasthebattleforeffectivehabitatprotectionforthevaquita.Sincethebaijiwentextinctin2007,thevaquitaisthemarinemam-malspeciesvoted“mostlikelynottosucceed”.ThevaquitastorytouchesonthechallengesandconcernsofICMMPA2inMartinique–anendangeredspeciesinthiscaselivinginaprotectedproductiveecosystemintheUpperGulfbutendangeredbyoutsideforcesbeyondthecontrolofmarinemammalscientistsandmanagers.Intermsofacampaigntotrytosaveit,thevaquitawasrejectedasnotglamorousenoughbytheGrupo de los CienthatwaspartofthenationalandinternationalmovementthatstoppedMitsubishi’ssaltworksexpansionintheprotectedgraywhalehabitatofSanIgnacioLagoonin2000.Everyspeciesneedsitschampionbutitmaytakeaninspiredgrupo de los millónestorescuethevaquita.

7 Atranscriptofthistalkisavailable.Contact:[email protected]

Erich Hoyt provided a closing keynote presen-tation juxtaposing the great success of gray whale habitat conservation with the desper-ate efforts to save the currently most endan-gered marine mammal, the vaquita.Photo by Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara

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Monk seals. Hawaii, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.Photo by Paulo Maurin, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program


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Workshop 1: Monk Seal Conservation Issues

ConvenerandChair: Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara(TethysResearchInstitute,Italy)

Rapporteur: Charles Littnan(NOAAFisheries,USA)

Participants:PabloFernándezdeLarrinoa,Lenie‘tHart,CemOrkunKıraç,CharlesLittnan,HamadyOuldMohamed,GiuseppeNotarbartolodiSciara,VangelisParavas,RosaPires,EleniTryfon

Introduction and ObjectivesThepurposeofthisworkshopwastoseizetheopportunityforanupdateonthestatusofbothmonksealspecieswithintheirrespectiveranges,butinparticulartoexplorewaysinwhichmarineprotectedareas(MPAs)canbeusedtoprotectthesecriticallyendangeredspecies.TheconditionsunderwhichmonksealssurvivevarygreatlynotonlybetweenHawaiiandtheMediterranean/NorthAtlantic,butalsointhedifferentlocalitieswheretheanimalsremainwithineachspecies’range.Accordingly,thetoolstoaddressthedifferentpressuresaffectingmonksealstatusinclude,butarenotlimitedto,theestablish-mentofprotectedareasandtheapplicationofthesetoolsvariesgreatlybetweenthemanyprograms.

Presentations

Supporting the peaceful coexistence between human communities and monk seals in GreeceGiuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara(TethysResearchInstitute,Italy)

CoexistencebetweenhumansandmonksealsinGreeceisnowherepeaceful.Inthesecommunities–theeconomiesofwhichareinpartbasedonsmall-scaleartisanalfisheries–sealsthatoccasionallydamagecatchandfishinggearareperceivedasvermin.Althoughdamagesareeconomicallysmall,togetherwithmoreserioussourcesofhardshiptheymaybeperceivedasintolerable.

Astudywilltakeplacein2011-2012inGreece(thecountryhost-inghalfoftheremainingMediterraneanmonkseals),supportedbythePrinceAlbertIIofMonacoFoundation,inalocationwherehumancommunitiescoexistwithbreedingnucleiofmonkseals.Thestudywillassessthefeasibilityoftheimplementationofamulti-yearmodelprojecthavingthegoalofdemonstratinginpracticethatthepeacefulcoexistencebetweenlocalhumancommunitiesandMediterraneanmonksealsisnotonlypossible,but,underproperconditions,evenadvantageous.Thiswouldcreateaprecedentthatwouldhelptomaketheperspectiveofcoexistencewithmonksealsattractiveandpersuasivetoother

Mediterraneancommunitieshavingsimilarrelationshipswiththeseendangeredpinnipeds.

Monk seal protection on the Saharan coastPablo Fernández de Larrinoa(MediterraneanMonkSealConservationPrograminCapBlanc,Mauritania/MoroccoandCBD-HabitatFoundation,Spain)andHamady Ould Mohamed(CBD-HabitatFoundation,Spain)

OneofthemainchallengestoprotectingMediterraneanmonksealsmaybehowtodeterminewhicharetheappropriateareastobeprotected.Thisactionimpliestheprotectionofdiversemonksealcriticalhabitats,suchasbreedingplaces,foragingareas,andmatingareas.Thesecriticalhabitatsareveryoftencompletelyorpartiallyunknownandmaypreventaneffectivedesignorexecutionofprotectionmeasures.OntheSaharancoast,severalnon-invasivemethodologieshavebeendevelopedtoidentifythesecriticalhabitatsinordertoevaluateestablishedprotectionmeasuresandtodevelopnewones.Amongthesetools,satellitetrackingandphototrapcamerashaveanimportantrole.

AccordingtotheexperiencedevelopedontheSaharancoastofCapBlancpeninsula,regulationsneededforeffectiveprotectionofmonksealsshouldincludestricteliminationofhumandis-turbanceinbreedingplacesandthevicinity.Ontheotherhand,protectionmeasuresneedtobeaccompaniedbysocialcompensa-tionmeasurestopreventnegativeattitudesfromfishermenthatcanresultindirectpersecutionofmonkseals.

Marine protected areas as a tool for Hawaiian monk seal recoveryCharles Littnan (HawaiianMonkSealResearchProgram,NOAAFisheries,PacificIslandFisheriesScienceCenter,Hawaii,USA)

Withadecliningpopulationofapproximately1100seals,Hawaiianmonksealsareonthebrinkofextinction.Thepopu-lationcanbedividedregionallywithmostmonksealsresidingintheremoteNorthwesternHawaiianIslands(NWHI)wherethedeclineisapproximately4%/yr,whereasrelativelyfewersealscurrentlyoccupythemainHawaiianIslands(MHI).TheMHIpopulationisincreasingatanestimated6.5%peryear.

ThesetrendsunderscoretheNationalMarineFisheriesService’s(NMFS)urgencytomitigatetheNWHIdeclinewhiledevotingconservationeffortstofosterpopulationgrowthintheMHI,wheredocumentedthreatsincludingfisheryinteractions,directkilling,anddiseasecouldundothecurrentfragilepositivetrend.NMFShasproposedalarge-scaleplantoimprovechronicpoor


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juvenilesurvivalintheNWHI,managethecurrentgrowthintheMHIandpreservethepopulation’sreproductivepotentialoverall.

Marineprotectedareasmayplay akey role in the suc-cessorfailureofrecoveryeffortsforthemonkseal.ThePapahānaumokuākeaMarineNationalMonument(PMNM)protectsthenaturalandculturalresourcesintheNWHI,includ-ingmonkseals;however,someoftheactionsthathavebeenpro-posedtoassistinmonksealrecoverymightbeviewedaseithersupportingorinconsistentwiththePMNM’secosystemman-agementgoals,dependingontheinterpretationorprioritizationofthosegoals.IntheMHI,habitatprotectionincludingcriti-calhabitatdesignationandMPAscouldplayimportantrolesinprotectingandaidingtherecoveryofmonksealsinthefuture.

MPAshavearoleintherecoveryofHawaiianmonksealsbuttherearedifficultecological,cultural,andotherfactorstocon-siderintheirapplication.

Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and marine protected areas in GreeceEleni Tryfon (NatureManagementSection,MinistryfortheEnvironment,EnergyandClimateChange,Greece)

Monachus monachusiswidelydistributedinGreecewhichhostsatleastonethirdoftheworldpopulationofthespecies.

Fortheconservationofthespecies,theNationalMarineParkofAlonissos–NorthernSporadeswasestablishedin1992,covering2265km2.Itisestimatedthattheparkhostsapproximately30%oftheknownGreekpopulationofthemonkseal.Thedesignationoftwonewmarineparks,inhabitedbyanadditional40%oftheknownpopulationofthespecies,isatthefinalstagesofproce-dure.However,theprocessofMPAdesignationhasbeenslow.

TheNationalMarineParkofAlonissos–NorthernSporadeshasbeenmanagedsince2003byamanagementbody,supportedbyanadvisoryboardonwhichcentralandlocalcompetentauthori-ties,localstakeholdersandNGOsarerepresented.Themanage-mentbodyhastofaceanumberofchallenges.Mostprominentamongthemare:enactmentandapplicationofalocalmanage-mentplanforthespecies,conflictwithlocalinterests,andfinanc-ingandcreationofanetworkofMPAsinGreece.

Mediterranean monk seals: Are marine protected areas the panacea for the conservation of the species in Greek seas?Vangelis Paravas (MOm/HellenicSocietyfortheStudyandProtectionoftheMonkSeal,Greece)

GreekseascurrentlyhostthelargestMediterraneanmonksealpopulationthroughoutthespecies’range.Despitetheircritically

endangeredstatus,monksealsarestillwidelydistributedacrosstheinsularandmainlandcoastlineofthecountry.Howeverthespeciesisfacingsubstantialanthropogenicpressuresandthreats,suchashabitatdestructionandhuman-relatedmortality.

ConservationandresearchinitiativescarriedoutduringthepastthreedecadeshavebeencriticalforensuringtheviabilityofthespeciesintheeasternMediterraneanSea.Theseefforts,predomi-nantlybyNGOs,havebeenfocusingonecologicalresearchonthespecies,promotingrelevantlegislationtomitigatethealarm-ingdeclineofitspopulations,demandingthestrictmeasuresnecessarytofacedirectandindirectthreats,andimplementingessentialin situconservationactions.

ThecurrentstatusofMediterraneanmonksealconservationinGreeceisstemmingfromadouble-axisapproach,basedontheestablishmentandoperationofMPAs,aswellasontheimple-mentationof“horizontal”–onanationalscale–conservationmeasures.Bothapproacheshavetheirsuccessesandstrengths,butalsotheirdefectsandweaknesses.Inprincipletheirresultsactreciprocallytoeachother;neverthelesstheirsuccessfulimplementationishinderedbynumerousecological,butalsosocio-economicfactors.ThispresentationdescribedtheGreekexperience,aswellasthestrategyandtherationalebehindtheeffortsaimingatthepreservationofthemostendangeredmarinemammalintheEuropeanUnion.

Rehabilitation of Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) as part of an integrated approach to its survivalLenie ‘t Hart(SealRehabilitationandResearchCentre,TheNetherlands)

Thehabitatofmonksealscoversadiverserangeofcountrieswhichposesdifferentchallengesinordertobeabletomaketherehabilitationeffortasuccess.Therehabilitationprocessformonksealsisnotaneasyone,butexternalfactorscomplicatemattersevenfurther.Threatsexistsuchasdrowningthroughentanglement,disturbancesandevenintentionalkilling.Theestablishmentofprotectedareasisoneofthenecessaryrequire-mentsinadditiontotherehabilitationprocess.Afterthesealisreleasedfromtherehabilitationfacilityitneedsanareawhereitcansurvivewithasfewthreatsaspossible.Nexttoprotectedareas,supportfromthelocalcommunityneedstobeenhancedwithregardtothesurvivalneedsofthespecies.Especiallyindevelopingcountriesthiscanbeaccomplishedthrougheduca-tionandintegrationwithprogramsthatimprovethequalityoflifeforthelocalpeople.

ThecaseofMauritania,whererehabilitation,protectionandtheconstructionofahospitalforthefishingcommunitywasinte-grated,provedtobeessentialforthesuccessoftherehabilita-tionprogramandtheseals’survivalafterrelease.Atthesametimeitfulfilledamoralobligationtowardsthepeoplelivingclosetotheseals.

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Inthiswaytheindividualmonksealundergoingrehabilitationactsasanambassadortogeneratesupportfortheprotectionofthespeciesingeneral.

The case study of the Desertas Islands Nature Reserve – A home for the Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachusRosa Pires (ParqueNaturaldaMadeiraService,Madeira)

In1988,theMediterraneanmonksealwasnearextinctioninPortugal.Thelastcolonyof6-8individuals,residentontheDesertasIslands(MadeiraArchipelago),wasfacingunsustainablefishingpressure(usinggillnetsandexplosivesintensively)andfishermen’shostility.Itwasurgenttoprotectthemonksealanditshabitat.ButtherewasabigproblemtocreateanMPAontheDesertasIslands–thesocio-economicsituationofthefishermen.

Todealwiththissituation,anawarenesscampaignwasimple-menteddirectedtothefishermen,andtheMPA,createdin1990,designatedanintegratedareawherecontrolledfishingwasallowed.Asfishingnetswereforbidden,alternativefishinginstrumentswereofferedtothefishermen.Sincethen,themainstrategytoachieveeffectiveprotectionoftheMPAhasincludedenforcementandenvironmentaleducation.Asaresult,themonksealpopulationrecovered(todaythereare30-40individuals),asdidotherfaunaandfloraspecies.MoreoverthereishugesupportfromMadeira’scitizens.

Thispresentationfocusedonthestrategyfollowedintheestab-lishmentofthereservewhichintegratedsocialandeconomicconcerns.Suchanapproachwasthekeytothesuccessoftheproject.

Conservation of the Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus in Turkey and the role of coastal and marine protected areasCem Orkun Kıraç(SAD-AFAG,UnderwaterResearchSociety–MediterraneanSealResearchGroup,Turkey)

ThehistoricaldistributionrangeoftheMediterraneanmonkseal,Monachus monachus(Hermann,1779),coveredthewholeoftheTurkishcoastsofapproximately8500kmwiththeonlyuncertaintybeingalongtheeasternTurkishBlackSeacoast.Today,thepatchydistributionofthespeciesinthecountrymainlyextendsalongtheTurkishAegeanandMediterraneancoastswithatotalpopulationofaround100individuals.ThespeciesexistsverysparselyintheSeaofMarmaraandisbelievedextinctalongtheBlackSeacoastsofTurkeywiththelastreliablesightingrecordin1997.

Currently,themostimportantthreatagainstthespeciesishabi-tatdegradationduetocoastaldevelopmentprojectsincludingnewroadconstructionandhousing.Otherimportantthreatsincludepupandjuveniledeathsduetoentanglementinset-netsresultingindrowningandthedisturbanceofsealsincavesbyintrudingdiversandexcursionboatslocallyintourismzones.Thedeliberatekillingsofsealsbyartisanalfishermenhavebeenrarelyobservedinthelasttwodecades.Therefore,thehabitatlossofthewildcoasts,astheonlyirreversibleprocessamongallthethreats,isregardedasthemajorthreatinthecountry.

EstablishmentofMPAsisthepre-requisitefortheconservationoftheMediterraneanseal.However,withoutcompletemanage-mentplans,MPApracticeswillnoteffectivelyfunctionfortheconservationofthespeciesanditshabitat.IntegratedCoastalandMarineManagement(ICMM)planningplays,therefore,acrucialroleforeffectivehabitatprotection.Therearetenspecialenvi-ronmentalprotectionareas(SEPAs),eightnationalparks(NPs),ninenaturereservesandfiveRamsarsitesalongTurkishcoasts,whichconstitutes4%ofthemarineareaandaround18%ofwholecoastline.OnlyGöksuSEPAisknowntohaveanapprovedman-agementplan.SelectioncriteriafornewMPAsshouldbesetuptoexpandMPAs,andICMMplanningshouldbecompletedforallthecoastalprotectedareas.Therearesuccessfulimplementa-tionexamplesofcoastalandmarinemanagementpracticesinthecountry,andthenationalbackground,theknow-howandscientificdataareavailableforsettingupselectioncriteriaandICMMdesign,basedontheexperiencesgained.

Summary of DiscussionEachprogramshareditscollectiveexperienceonthedevelop-mentandimplementationofMPAsformonksealconservation.AllprogramsagreedontheimportanceofMPAsbuteachgrouphaddifferentvisionsoftheirapplication.GreekrepresentativesbelievedthatMPAswereimportantbutgreater“horizontal”measureswereessentialtomakerecoveryeffortsmoreeffective.ProgramsworkingontheAtlanticpopulationshadextremelypositiveresultswiththeimplementationandenforcementofregulationsofmarineandcoastalprotectedareas.Thesepro-gramshighlightedthesuccessfulinclusionoflocalcommuni-tiesandincreasesinlocalmonksealpopulations.InTurkeytheexperiencehasbeenthatMPAswillnotfunctioneffectivelywithoutintegratedcoastalandmarinemanagementplanning.Ingeneral,managementandprotectionofthesediversifiedPAsareinsufficient,althoughtherearesuccessfulexamplesofPAmanagementpracticesinthecountry.Finally,thebulkoftheHawaiianmonksealpopulationanditshabitatintheNorthwestHawaiianIslandshasbeenprotectedbytheestablishmentofthePapahānaumokuākeaMarineNationalMonument,butthereareconcernsthatthebureaucracycreatedtomanagethisareamayobstructcriticalenhancementactivitiesinthefuture.TherecentlyestablishedpopulationofsealsinthemainHawaiianIslandsbenefitfromMPAsthathavebeenestablishedforotherreasons;however,thereissomeconcernaboutpotentialnega-tiveconsequencesofestablishinganyprotectedareasspecifi-callyforthespecies.


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Despitegreatdifferencesinpopulationtrends,threats,andcon-servationstrategiesacrossthegenus,participantsidentifiedthreesharedissuesofconcernregardingtheireffortstorecovermonksealspecies.Firstisthatactivelyengaginglocalcommunitiesiscriticalforeachproject’ssuccessandisnecessarytoachievelong-termrecoverygoals.Onlybyunderstandingtheneedsofcommunities,findingsharedgoals,andidentifyingcreativesolutions,canwecreatethecultureofco-existencenecessarytoensurethepersistenceofthesespecies.

Thefinaltwoissuesarecloselylinkedand,attimes,difficulttoseparate.Increasedandsustainedfundingandgreateractionandsupportbygovernmentagenciesareessentialtocompletethenumerousongoingandplannedinitiativestoprotecthabitats,increasesealsurvival,andbuildpartnershipswithkeystakehold-ers.Anumberofideasweresharedonhowpotentiallytoinflu-encegovernmentactionandfunding.Whilethegroupdidnotreachconsensusonaparticularstrategy,itwasacknowledgedthatitwouldrequireeffortsonbothinternationalandlocalscalesandwouldvarybasedontheneedsoftheindividualprograms.

Recommendations from Workshop 1Workshop 1 recommends t hat the ICMMPASteer ingCommitteeworkstofacilitatethefollowingthreeactionsformonksealrecovery:

Monksealsarethreatenedbysomeactivitiesofparticularmarineandcoastaluserssuchasfishermenandcoastaldevelopers.TheConferencerecommendsthatagroupofmonksealscientists,managersandadvocatesbeestablishedtoachievetwogoals.First,toworkwiththeseuserstofindcommonvaluesandsolutionstotheproblemsfacedbytheseusersandmonkseals.Thiscanbeachievedbyadaptingrelevantsuccessfulcooperativeagreementsthathavebeendevelopedbetweentheseusersandconservation-istsaroundtheworldtosolvethesharedproblems.And,second,toraiseawareness,understandingandmotivationbythepublictoapplythesesolutionstosavingmonkseals,byencouraginggovernmentstofulfilltheircommitmentsandobligationstoactonbehalfofmonkseals,theseusersandhealthierenvironments.

ThisConferenceacknowledgesthenumerousongoingeffortstoengagelocalcommunities,inparticularfishingcommunities,inmonksealconservation.Wecommendandencouragethecontinuationandexpansionoftheseactivitiesandrecommendthattheappropriateattentionisgiventosocialandeconomiccomponentsofconservationsolutions.

TheConferenceacknowledgestheextensiveresearchandrecov-eryinitiativesbeingundertakenatcurrentfundinglevelsandrealizesthatfinancialsupportforprojectswilllikelydimin-ishduringtheseeconomictimes.However,thisConferencestronglyurgesthatappropriateandsustainedfundingbeprovidedtoaccomplishtherecoveryneedsforthesecriticallyendangeredspecies.

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Workshop 2: River Dolphin, Estuary, and Coastal Dolphin Conservation

Coordinators: Fernando Trujillo(FundaciónOmacha,Colombia),Erich Hoyt(WhaleandDolphinConservationSociety,UnitedKingdom),Miguel Iñíguez(FundaciónCethusandWhaleandDolphinConservationSociety,Argentina)

Chair: Fernando Trujillo(FundaciónOmacha,Colombia)

Rapporteur: Catalina Gomez-Salazar(DalhousieUniversity,CanadaandFundaciónOmacha,Colombia)

Participants:HeatherAnderson,PatriciaAramayoMariscal,MikeBossley,NancyDaves,MauricioFailla,CatalinaGómez-Salazar,ErichHoyt,ChantalLandburg,MiriamMarmontel,BenjamínMorales,OliviaPatterson,MarcelaPortocarrero-Aya,RandallReeves,ChrisSchweizer,RavindraK.Sinha,BrianD.Smith,FernandoTrujillo,RobWilliams,others

Introduction and ObjectivesThis workshop explored the special habitat protection needs of river dolphins. A broad view of river dolphins was taken, includ-ing the taxonomic classes of the various river dolphins.

InSouthAmerica,therearethreegenera:Inia,Sotalia andPontoporia.Recentstudieshavesuggestedthatthebaiji,orpinkriverdolphin,Iniahastwospecies:Inia geoffrensisintheAmazonandOrinocobasins(Brazil,Colombia,Ecuador,Peru,FrenchGuianaandVenezuela)andInia boliviensisintheAmazonandMadeiraupperbasins(Bolivia).Thetucuxi(Sotalia fluviatilis)inhabitstheAmazonbasin,whiletheGuianadolphin(Sotalia guianensis)inhabitstheCaribbeanandAtlanticcoastsofSouthAmerica,includingsomeestuarineandriverineareas.Todate,itisunknownwhatspeciesofSotalia inhabitstheOrinocobasin.Franciscana,Pontoporia blainvillei,isfoundincoastalAtlanticwatersofsoutheasternSouthAmerica.

InAsiatherearetwogenera:Platanista and Orcaella.TheGangesRiverdolphinPlatanista gangetica gangeticaisfoundintheGanges-Brahmaputra-MeghnaandKarnaphuli-SanguriversystemsofBangladeshandIndia.TheIndusRiverdolphinP. g. minorisprimarilyrestrictedtolessthan700kmofriver,inthemainstreambetweentheSukkurandGuddubarragesinSindProvince.TheIrrawaddydolphin,Orcaella brevirostris, occursnearcoastalareasandinestuariesoftheBayofBengalandSoutheastAsia,includingKalimantanandthecentralIndonesianarchipelago,extendingtothePhilippines.

RiverdolphinsinAsiaandSouthAmericahavemanythreatsincommon,someofwhicharelocalizedsuchasbycatchandinten-tionalhuntingforbaitorotherusesandsomelarge-scalesuchasdamconstructionandupstreampollutioneffects.Ingeneraltherearefewprotectedareasdedicatedtothedolphins.SomedolphinsareinfactfoundinprotectedareasinSouthAmericaandsomeincludeportionsoftherivers.Yetwithoutspecialattentionto

thedolphinsorspecialdolphinhabitatzones,anyrealprotectionisinquestion.Complicatingtheissueisthepoliticalgeographywithvariousriverdolphinpopulationsspreadoverninecoun-triesofnorthernSouthAmericaandatleastfourcountriesinSouthAsiafortheGangesRiverdolphinandtwelvecountriesfortheIrrawaddydolphin.

Theobjectivewastobringdiverseriverdolphinexpertstogethertoconsiderhowhabitatprotectioncouldbenefitriverdolphinconservation.ThespeakersandparticipantswereweightedtowardSouthAmericanriverdolphinresearchersandmanag-ers,mainlybecauseoftheproximityofMartiniquetonorth-ernSouthAmerica.TwokeyinitiativesinSouthAmerica,theActionPlanforSouthAmericanRiverDolphinsandtheSouthAmericanRiverDolphinProtectedAreaNetworkwereonthetablefordiscussiontoseehowthesemightbeadvancedinthecomingyears.

Presentations

River dolphins as indicators of ecosystem degradation in large tropical riversCatalina Gomez-Salazar (DalhousieUniversity,CanadaandFundaciónOmacha,Colombia)

HumanstressorsarecurrentlyimpactingboththeAmazonandOrinocoriverbasinsandthesearelikelytoincrease.However,thereisalackofstandardizedmonitoringprogramstotrackthesehumanstressorsinmostofthecountriesthatoverlapthesebasins,andnoclearecologicalindicatorshavebeenidentifiedtotrackthisdegradation.

Inthisstudyweinvestigatedthestatisticalrelationshipsbetweenestimatesofecosystemdegradationandpotentialecologicalindicators.Thepresenceofhumanstressorsandtheirdistancefromtheareassurveyedwereusedtoprovideanestimateofecosystemdegradation.Moreover,wetestedthreeecologicalindicatorsoffreshwaterecosystemdegradationusingriverdol-phinsasflagshipspecies:

• Densityofriverdolphins.

• Meandolphingroupsizeofdolphins.

• Dolphinsightingrates.

RiverdolphindensityestimatesinselectedlocationsoftheAmazonandOrinococanbegoodindicatorsoffreshwaterecosystemdegradation:ahighlysignificantnegativerelation-shipwasestablishedbetweendegradationanddolphindensities


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andsightingrates.Moreover,sightingratesanddensitieswerehighlycorrelated.

Thisstudyhighlightsthatriverdolphinsaregoodcandidatesasecologicalindicators,flagshipandsentinelspeciesformoni-toringtheconservationstatusoflargetropicalriversinSouthAmerica.Wesuggestthateffortshouldbedirectedtowardcol-lectingreliabledataonhumanstressors,creatingcollaborativenetworksforcompilingexistingdata,andtodocumentingandmonitoringcurrenttrendsinfreshwaterecosystemdegrada-tionandindicatorspeciesintheAmazonandOrinocobasins.

The South American River Dolphin Protected Area Network SARDPAN Marcela Portocarrero-Aya (UniversityofHull,UKandFundaciónOmacha,Colombia)

Riverdolphinsarecurrentlyexposedtopressuresthatrangefromhabitatlossanddegradation,directkilling,conflictswithfisheries,tominingandinfrastructuredevelopment.Freshwatercetaceanshavebeenidentifiedassurrogatesofconservationcharacterizingecologicalprocessesthatsupportlocalbiodiver-sityandensuringprovisionofecosystemservicesandsocietalbenefitstotheregion.Potentially,thecurrentmethodofpro-tectingthespacewhereaspeciesexistsimprovesitschancesofconservationbyensuringtheprotectionofecosystemservicesandtheimprovementofthelivelihoodsoflocalcommunities.

Protectedareasalsoenablethreatstobecontrolledandareakeytoolforprovidingasoundbasisformanagementofecosys-tems,theirecosystemservicesandofendangeredspecies.Thishelpstomaintainecologicalprocesses,conservationofgeneticvariability,andtheproductivecapacitiesoftheseecosystems.

ThecreationoftheSouthAmericanRiverDolphinProtectedAreaNetwork(SARDPAN)constitutesaregionalcoopera-tioninitiativestretchingacrossSouthAmericatoevaluateandimprovethehabitatconservationofriverdolphinsbybring-ingtogetherresearchers,managers,policymakersandlocalcommunities.

The Action Plan for South American River Dolphins and major human stressors that impact river dolphins directly: Interactions with fisheries and killing of dolphins to be used as baitFernando Trujillo (FundaciónOmacha,Colombia)

Duringthelastfiveyears,negativeinteractionswithfisheriesanddeliberatekillinghavebecomethemainthreatsforriverdolphinsintheAmazonandOrinocobasins.Themotafisherystimulatesthehuntingofatleast900dolphinsperyearinBrazilalonefor

useasbait,andthemarketisbeingexpandedinColombia,BrazilandPeru.DespiteseveraleffortsfromNGOsandgovernmentstostopthekillingofdolphins,solutionsarenotinprocessduetotheeconomicsituationintheregion.Additionally,atleasttwocasesofdeliberatepoisoningofdolphinshavebeendocumentedinPerutoreduceinteractionswithlocalfisheries.

Asaresponsetothesestressors,aSouthAmericanActionPlanforriverdolphinshasbeenproduced,identifyingspecificactionstoimproveknowledge,implementconservationworkandreduceandmitigatehumanimpacts.Thisregionalactionplanhasmoti-vatedthecreationofnationalplansforriverdolphinsinBolivia,Peru,EcuadorandColombia.

Conservation of freshwater dolphins in protected areas: Mamiraua as a case studyMiriam Marmontel (InstitutodeDesenvolvimentoSustentavelMamiraua,Brazil)

TheMamirauaSustainableDevelopmentInstituteco-managestwolargestategovernment-ownedsustainabledevelopmentreservesinthewesternBrazilianAmazon:MamirauaandAmana.Together,theycompriseover3millionhectares,con-tainingbothfloodplainsandterrafirma,murkyandblackwaterenvironments.

TwospeciesofSouthAmericanfreshwaterdolphins(Inia geof-frensis andSotalia fluviatilis)occurthroughouttheseprotectedareas.Bothspeciesarepartofthedailylifeandfolkloreoftheregion.Localpeople’sancestralrelationshipwiththewater-worldinhabitantsinfluenceslocalconservation.Untilrecentlyonecouldstillfindbirthcertificateswherethefather snamewas“TheBoto”,andwomenstillavoidridingtheirdugoutcanoesduringtheirperiod,orcarrygarlicstringstoprotectthemselvesagainsttheevilcreature,orfrombeingtakentothe“encantados”(literallythe“enchantedones”,referringtothebotodolphinsthoughttobeabletoturnintohumans).

Bothdolphinspeciesarepronetobecomingentangledinfishingnets,butwhiletucuxiisusuallyreleased,botoisoftenmaimedorkilled.Morerecentlythiskillinghasbeenusedtogetbaitforpiracatingafishing.Botomaybeintentionallykilledforthisfish-ingpracticeaswell,aproblemthathasbeenescalatinginthepast10years.DealingwiththesedifferentsourcesofmortalityandmotivesarethechallengesofconservingfreshwaterdolphinsintheBrazilianAmazon.

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Establishing protected areas for freshwater cetaceans: Case studies from the Ayeyarwady River, Myanmar, and waterways of the eastern Sundarbans mangrove forest, BangladeshBrian D. Smith(WildlifeConservationSociety(WCS),USA)

Coauthors: Ishtiaq Ahmad(ForestDepartment,Bangladesh),Benazir Ahmed(UniversityofChittagong,Bangladesh),Zahangir Alom(WCS,Bangladesh),Aung Myo Chit(WCS,Myanmar),Tapan Kumar Dey(ForestDepartment,Bangladesh),Elisabeth Fahrni Mansur(WCS,Bangladesh),Rubaiyat Mowgli Mansur(WCS,Bangladesh),Mya Than Tun(DepartmentofFisheries,Myanmar)

Protectedareashavebeenusedextensivelyasamanagementtoolforconservingmarinecetaceans.Lessemphasishasbeengiventoestablishingprotectedareasforfreshwatercetaceans,andthelocationsandboundariesofthefewthathavebeenestablishedhavegenerallybeendeterminedopportunisticallywithoutrigor-ousconsiderationofhabitatuse,ecosystem-basedmanagement,orlocalhumanneeds.

Twocasestudiesarepresentedonestablishingprotectedareasforfreshwatercetaceans:oneforIrrawaddydolphinsintheAyeyarwadyRiver,Myanmar,andtheotherinthewaterwaysoftheeasternSundarbansmangroveforest,Bangladesh.Inbothcases,thefirststepwastoconductbroad-scalesystematicsur-veystoassessthedistributionandabundanceofthepopulations,followedbymorein-depthstudiesonhabitatselection,fisher-iesecology,andhumaninteractions.IntheAyeyarwadyRiver,anemphasiswasplacedonunderstandingthefisherydynam-icsandenlistingthesupportofcast-netfishermenwhocoop-eratewiththedolphinstocatchmorefish.IntheSundarbans,astrongemphasiswasplacedonidentifying“hotspots”ofdol-phinabundanceandcomparingtheecologicalandhuman-usecharacteristicsofthesechannelswith“non-hotspot”channels.

River dolphin conservation in IndiaRavindra K. Sinha(CentralUniversityofBihar,India)

TheGangesdolphin,isanexclusivelyfreshwaterdolphin,foundintheGangesBrahmaputra-MeghnariverbasinofIndia,NepalandBangladesh.Thecurrentestimatedpopulationisabout2,500-3,000animals.Theireyeslackacrystallinelenssotheyareblind.Theyhavemanyprimitivecharacters,namelypresenceofcaecum,amuchmoredorsaltestisposition,andsubcutaneousmusclesituatedbetweentwolayersofblubber,noneofwhicharefoundinothercetaceans.

Thethreatsthesedolphinsarefacingincludeexploitationaswellashabitatdegradationduetodeclinedflows,pollution,waterdevelopmentprojects,andfloodcontrolmeasures.IthasbeencategorizedasendangeredontheIUCNRedlist,listedinCITES

Appendix1,CMSAppendixII,andasa“Schedule–1”animalundertheIndianWildlife(Protection)Act1972.

TheGovernmentofIndia’sinitiativestosavetheecologicalinteg-rityandfunctionoftheGangesRiversystemwillhelpimprovedolphinhabitat.ThisspecieswasdeclaredaNationalAquaticAnimalin2010.

AConservationActionPlanpreparedforthisdolphinincludeshabitatrestoration,communityparticipation,capacitybuilding,monitoring,settingupprotectedareas,educationandaware-ness,minimizingincidentalcatches,rescueandrehabilitation,andresearchanddevelopmentprograms.

Franciscana dolphin conservation in Patagonia: Promoting a new protected area in the Río Negro EstuaryMauricio Failla(FundaciónCethus,Argentina)

Coauthors: Verónica Seijas(ProyectoPatagoniaNoreste,Argentina)andMiguel A. Iñíguez(FundaciónCethusandWhaleandDolphinConservationSociety,Argentina)

Thefranciscanadolphin(Pontoporia blainvillei)isthemostendangereddolphinofSouthAmerica:thousandsdieeachyearingillnets.ItisendemictotheSouthAmericancoastborder-ingthesouthwesternAtlanticOceanwherefourmanagementareashavebeenidentified,withasuggestedgeneticallyisolatedpopulationinArgentina.

Since2002,wehavestudiedfranciscanabioecologyintheRíoNegroEstuary(RNE),Patagonia,todesignstrategiesforitscon-servation.Groupsizevariedfromonetofivedolphins.Travelling,feeding,socializationandrestingbehaviorwererecorded.Calveswereobservedinspringandsummer.

ThemainthreatintheRNEisgillnetting.Fromatotaloftenstrandings,threehadsignsofbeingincidentallycaughtandanotherfourcaseswerereportedbylocalfishermen.Inordertomitigatetheimpactcausedbybycatch,aneducationalpro-gramfocusingonfranciscanaandothercetaceansiscarriedoutintheRNE.

Franciscanaisreportedyear-roundinthestudyareaandthisareaisconsideredthesouthernmostreportedfeedingandbreedingarea.Therefore,weareworkingwithotherinstitutionsinclud-ingtheRíoNegroprovincialgovernmenttocreateandimple-mentaprotectedareaintheRNEtoprotectthefranciscanaanditshabitat.

Summary of DiscussionFollowingthepresentations,theworkshopparticipantsdiscussedvariousthreatstoriverdolphinsincludingwaterdevelopmentprojects,climatechangeanddolphinsforuseasbaitinSouthAmerica.Participantsthentriedtoagreeonvariouspossiblerec-ommendationsrelatedtohabitatprotectionforriverdolphins.It


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wasdecidedthatonerecommendationwouldbemoregeneral,onewouldfocusonSouthAmericaandoneonAsia.

Waterdevelopmentprojects:ThedrainageareasofseveralriversinAsiahavefacedextremechangesduetotheconstructionofdamsandwaterways.TheXinguRiverBasininAmazoniawillfacesimilarchangesinthenextfewyearswiththeconstructionoftheBeloMontedam.Damsarebuiltforfloodcontrol,irriga-tionandhydroelectricpower;however,severalassessmentshaveshownthatthefinaloutcomeoftendoesnotmeettheexpectedeconomicbenefitsandinsteadgeneratesmajorenvironmental,socialandhealthimpacts.Intermsofbiodiversityandecologi-calprocesses,theconstructionofdamscanfragmentpopula-tions,reduceriverflow,affectriverpulses,changethewaterquality,andultimatelycontributetotheextinctionofmanyspecies,includingperhapsriverdolphins.However,therearenobaselineassessmentsofriverdolphinpopulationsbeforeandaftertheconstructionofdams.Thesetypesofassessmentsareofhighprioritytoprovidequantitativedatathatshouldbeconsideredinrelationtothefurtherdamsthatareplanned.Inaddition,itwasnotedthatitisoftendifficultforriverdolphinresearchersandprotectedareamanagerstokeeptrackofdamsthatarebeingplannedoftenfarupstreamandsometimeslocatedindifferentcountries.

Climatechange:Thecascadingeffectsofclimatechangewilllikelyimpactriverdolphins,biodiversityandhumanpopula-tionsinAsia.Initially,increasedmeltingoftheHimalayaswillincreasewateravailability.Subsequently,therewillbeseverewatershortageswhenglacierscompletelydisappearorapproachnewequilibria.8TherewasnodiscussionaboutthepotentialimplicationsofclimatechangeforSouthAmericandolphins.

DolphinsforuseasbaitinSouthAmerica:ThecaptureofIniadolphinsforuseasbaitinthemota(Calophysus macropterus)fisheryisoneofthemostserioushumanstressorsthatmightincreaseinthenearfuture.However,thereislimitedinforma-tionregardingthenumberofdolphinsthatarebeingkilledperyearandmostoftheinformationcomesfromdataonfisheries.Thediscussionfocusedon(1)providingpotentialmitigationsactionstostopthisactivity,and(2)planningeffortstoconductabundanceestimatesofriverdolphinpopulationsinareaswherethisactivityoccurs(e.g.,MamirauaReserve,Brazil).

Recommendations from Workshop 2Workshop2preparedthreerecommendations:oneforriverdol-phinsinSouthAmericaandAsia,oneforSouthAmericanriverdolphins,andoneforAsianriverdolphins.

Workshop2recognizesthatthelargenumberofdamscurrentlybeingconstructed,orintheadvancedstagesofplanning,intheAmazon,Orinoco,Yangtze,Ayeyarwady,Mekong,GangesandBrahmaputrariversystemswilldramaticallyaffecttheenvi-ronmentsinhabitedbyfreshwaterdolphinsandotheraquatic

8 SeeJianchuXu,2009.TheMeltingHimalayas:CascadingEffectsofClimateChangeonWater,Biodiversity,andLivelihoods.Conservation Biology23,3:520-530.

mammalsandhavestrongimplicationsfortheestablishmentofprotectedareasaimingtoconservethesespecies.

(1)Theworkshoprecommends thatupstream-downstreamcon-nectivityandecologicallyviableflowbetakenintoaccountinthedesignandmanagementofprotectedareas.Inaddition,acomprehensiveinventoryshouldbeconductedofplannedandrecentdamsconstructedinriversystemsinhabitedbyfreshwaterdolphins,andtheconservationrequirementsoftheseanimalsbegivenstrongconsiderationinthedecision-makingprocessofwhetherornottoconstructnewdamsandintheoperatingproceduresofdamsthathavealreadybeenbuiltinriversystemsinhabitedbythesespecies.

Workshop2recognizesthattheSouthAmericanRiverDolphinProtectedAreaNetwork(SARDPAN)isacollaborative,low-cost,andrelativelysimpletooltocommunicateandlinkresearchers,organizationsandprotectedareas.ThisnetworkwasannouncedduringtheFirstInternationalConferenceonMarineMammalProtectedAreas(2009),andsincethen,significanteffortshavetakenplacetowardsaccomplishingsomeofthemajorrecom-mendationsgiveninMaui.Theseaccomplishmentsincludebeginningtoprovideriverdolphinpopulationestimatesforsomeareas,identifyinghotpotsandcriticalareas,quantifyinghumanstressors,compilinginformationonexistingprotectedareaswheredolphinsoccur,andconnectingresearchersacrossdifferentcountries.

(2)Recognizingthemomentumofthisregionalnetwork,theworkshoprecommendsthatSARDPANbestrengthenedtocon-tinuetofillgapsininformation,todevelopproposalsforregionalconservationinitiativeswithemphasisonprotectedareas,andtoconveyscience-basedinformationtostakeholdersincludingdifferentlocalcommunitiesandmanagers.

Workshop2furtheracknowledgesthatthemostcriticalshort-termthreatfacingAsianfreshwatercetaceansisbycatchinfish-eries,particularlyentanglementingillnetsandlong-lineswithmultiplehooks,andinsomeareaselectrocutionfromillegalelectro-fishing.TheworkshopalsorecognizesthatprotectedareasforAsianfreshwatercetaceansmustbalancetheconser-vationneedsoftheseanimalswiththoseoflargeandgrowinghumanpopulations.

(3)Theworkshopthereforerecommendsthatexistingandplannedprotectedareasincludezoningsuchthatsomeportionsaredesignatedasno-fishingzoneswhileothersallowregulatedandmonitoredfishingactivitiesusing“dolphin-safe”techniques.Theselatterportionsshouldalsobeusedas“livinglaboratories”whereenvironmentallysustainablefishingpracticescouldbetestedforpotentialapplicationoutsideofprotectedareas.

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Workshop 3: Bycatch and Marine Mammal Protected Areas

Coordinator and Chair: Greg Donovan (HeadofScience,InternationalWhalingCommission,UK)9

Rapporteur:Jaclyn Taylor(NOAAFisheries,OPR,USA)

Participants: Yong-RockAn,AlexeiBirkun,GregDonovan,MauricioFailla,ScottGende,AlexandraGigou,Marie-ChristineGrillo-Compulsione,TiareT.Holm,ErichHoyt,ArtieJacobson,CecileLefeuvre,DavidMattila,SarahMesnick,JenniferMurphy,FrançoisPoisson,SandraPompa,OscarRamírez,RandallReeves,LionelReynal,CarolineRinaldi,LorenzoRojasBracho,TeriRowles,HassaniSami,BrianD.Smith,HawsunSohn,AurelieTasciotti,JaclynTaylor,StevenTucker,OlivierVanCanneyt,GaëlleVandersarren,NinaYoung

Introduction and ObjectivesWorkshopdiscussionswerefacilitatedbyfivepresentationsthatcoveredvariousaspectsofthebycatchissuerangingfromaglobaloverview,initiativestotrytoaddresstheproblemworldwideandlocalcasestudiesonthetestingofgearandonpreventionattemptsforacriticallyendangeredspecies,thevaquita.

Ithasbeenknownformanyyearsthatthebycatchofmarinemammalsinmanytypesoffishinggearisaworldwideproblem(e.g.,IWC,1994).Inadditiontoanimalwelfareconcerns,itisprobablythemajorpopulationlevelthreatfacingmostsmallcetaceanpopulationsaroundtheworldaswellassmallpopu-lationsofsomelargewhales.Ithascontributedtodeclinesinpopulationsofpinnipedsandsirenians.Inaddition,bycatch(anddepredation)causesproblemsforfishermenatavarietyoflevelsincludinglossanddamageofgearaswellasbadpublic-itythatmayleadtoreducedorclosedfisheries.Addressingthisproblemisthusimportantbothfromtheperspectiveofmarinemammalsandfishermenalike;solutionsaremostlikelytocomefromcooperationnotconfrontation.

Manypreviousworkshopsandpapershavedealtwiththedifficul-tiesofobtainingreliableestimatesofmarinemammalbycatchanddeterminingsustainablelevels(inmanycases,especiallyforsmallcetaceans,theinformationonbycatchlevels,popula-tionstructureandabundanceiseveninsufficienttoestimatewhatsustainablelevelsmightbe).Thosetopicswereconsideredbeyondthescopeofthisshortworkshop,althoughtheneedtoobtainabundanceestimatesforpopulations(notmerelyforabundancewithinjurisdictionalboundaries)toassessthreatswasemphasized.Theprimaryobjectiveofthepresentworkshopwastoexaminethecontributionthatmarineprotectedareascouldmaketolocalandglobaleffortstoreducelevelsofmarinemammalbycatch.

9 IntheabsenceofArneBjørgewhowasunfortunatelyunabletoattendduetoillness,GregDonovanchairedtheWorkshop.ThereportwasdraftedbyJaclynTaylorandGregDonovan.


Global review of marine mammal bycatch in gillnet and other entangling-net fisheries, 1990-2011Randall Reeves(Chair,IUCNSSCCetaceanSpecialistGroup,andOkapiWildlifeAssociates,Canada)

Coauthors: Kate McClellanandTim Werner

Sincethe1970s,theroleofbycatchasafactorlimitingorreduc-ingmarinemammalpopulationshasbeenincreasinglyrecog-nized.Theproceedingsofa1990IWCSymposiumandWorkshopontheMortalityofCetaceansinPassiveFishingNetsandTrapsinLaJolla,California,includedasummaryoffisheryandbycatchdatabyregion,byfishery,andbyspecies,aswellasanexperts’evaluationofthesignificanceofthe“impacts”ofbycatchinpas-sivegearonallcetaceanspeciesandonnumerousgeographi-callydefinedpopulations.Thatreporthighlightedsixspeciesorpopulationsasneedingurgentactiontoreduceunsustainablebycatch:thebaiji,thevaquita,coastalhumpbackdolphinsandbottlenosedolphinsinNatal(SouthAfrica),stripeddolphinsintheMediterraneanSea,andharborporpoisesinthewesternNorthAtlantic.

Muchhaschangedintheensuing20-plusyearsintermsofbothwhatisknownaboutbycatchandwhichspeciesandpopulationsareperceivedasbeingatgreatestrisk.Forexample,thebaijiisnowconsideredextinct,thevaquitahascontinuedtodeclineasadirectresultofunsustainablebycatch,andcoastaldolphinsinNatalcontinuetobekilledinanti-sharknetswiththesustain-abilityofthismortalitystillunclear.Ontheotherhand,stripeddolphinsintheMediterraneanandharborporpoisesinthewest-ernNorthAtlantichaveproventobelessseriouslythreatenedthanwasassumedin1990,althoughbothpopulationscontinuetoexperienceconsiderablebycatchmortality.

Intermsofbroaderchanges,large-scaledriftnetfishingonthehighseasisnowlegallyprohibitedbytheUnitedNationsandregionalbansondriftnettingareinplaceinsomeareas,althoughthesearenotalwayscompletelyeffective(e.g.,intheMediterranean).Itremainstruethatevenasothersignificantthreatstomarinemammalpopulationshavebecomebetterdocumentedandunderstood–underwaternoise,shipstrikes,reductionsinpreypopulations,toxicalgalblooms,epizooticdisease,andvariousenvironmentalchangesrelatedtoglobalwarming–bycatchremainsacriticalissuedemandingurgentattentionifthereistobeanyhopeofpreventingfurtherlossesofmarinemammaldiversityandabundanceandprotecting,orrestoring,ecologicalhealth.


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Theobjectivesofthisongoingstudyofmarinemammalbycatchareto:

• Updatesomeoftheinformationsummarizedinthe1990IWCreport.

• Reassesstheimpactofgillnetmortalityoncetaceanspeciesandpopulations,weighingitssignificanceinrelationtootherthreats.

• Assessbycatchdataonmarinemammalsotherthancetaceans(i.e.,pinnipeds,sirenians,andtwootterspecies).

• Determinewhereimportanttemporal,spatial,ortaxonomicdatagapsexist.

• Identifyspeciesandpopulationsknownorlikelytobeatgreatestriskfrombycatchingillnets.

Efforts to control marine mammal bycatch using the international provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection ActNina M. Young(NOAAFisheries,OfficeofInternationalAffairs,USA)

Bycatchisrecognizedasthemajorthreatfacingmarinemam-mals.Mostmarinemammalprotectedareamanagersfindbycatchassessmentandmitigationaparticularchallenge.

IntheUnitedStates,theMarineMammalProtectionAct(theAct)providesthetoolstoprotectmarinemammalsfromU.S.activitiesonthehighseasandtonegotiatewithnationstopro-tectandconservemarinemammalsininternationalandforeignwaters.InimplementingtheAct,theNationalMarineFisheriesServiceisalsorequiredtodemonstratethatdomesticeffortstoprotectmarinemammalsultimatelydonotplaceU.S.industriesatacompetitivedisadvantagetoforeignindustriesthatarenotconstrainedbysimilarconservationmeasures.

Additionally,intheUnitedStates,consumerstypicallydonotwanttopurchaseseafoodthatcontributestothekillingofmarinemammals.Therefore,theActrequiresthattheUnitedStatesbanimportsoffishandfishproductsfromnationswhosefisheriesexceedU.S.marinemammalbycatchreductionstandards.TheUnitedStateshasneverfullyimplementedthisportionoftheAct,butiscurrentlyconsideringdraftregulationsinresponsetoapetitiontobanswordfishimports.ImplementationofthisprovisionoftheActopensupnewavenuesforscientificcol-laborationandcapacitybuildingtoestimatemarinemammalpopulationsandbycatchaswellastodevelopasuiteofbycatchmitigationmeasures.ItalsoprovidesaprocessfortheUnitedStatestoengagewithitstradingpartnersandanincentiveforthesepartnerstorealizesignificantbycatchreductionandimprovedeffortstoconservemarinemammals.

A new capacity building and bycatch mitigation initiative from the International Whaling Commission (IWC)David Mattila (IWCandNOAA-ONMS,USA)

TheInternationalWhalingCommissionhasrecentlybeenwork-ingtoadvancetheunderstandingof,responsetoandpreventionoflargewhalebycatch.Thisincludedmoredetaileddiscussionsoftheresultsandrecommendationsofa2010workshoponthistopicinMaui,USA.Theworkshoprealizedthatfisheriesobserverprogramsarenotwellsuitedtounderstandingthescopeandimpactofthisissueforlargewhales,asthewhalesfrequentlydragthefishinggearawayfromitssetlocation,andtheentanglementisthereforenotfoundorcounted.

Currently,theprimarytoolsforgatheringthisinformationforlargewhalesare:

• Betterresponsetostrandedcarcasses.

• Theestablishmentofareportingandresponsenetworkforentangledliveanimals.

• Entanglementscarringstudies.

Abriefoverviewofeachwasgiven,includingadiscussionofthestrengthsandweaknessesofeachapproach.InordertoadvancetherecommendationsoftheMauiworkshop,theIWCsponsoredasecondworkshopinProvincetown,USA(2011).Althoughthereportoftheworkshopwasnotyetpublic,examplesofthekeyitemsontheagendawerediscussed,includingsomecurrentlyusedcomponentsofcapacitybuilding,andsomeuniversallyadheredtoprinciplesandguidelinesforsafe,professionalentan-glementresponse.Theseprinciples,andsomeofthebasicsofentanglementresponse,weresummarizedinashort“outreach”videoproducedbyNOAA,USA.

Bycatch initiatives in a newly created MPA in Brittany (Iroise Sea)Hassani Sami(Oceanopolis,France)

Coauthors: Yvon Morizur, Philippe Le Niliotand Eric Stephan

ApingerexperimentwascarriedoutontheFrenchtrammelnetfisheryinthemarineprotectedareaoffthewestcoastofBrittanyinordertocompareacousticmitigationmeasuresforharbourporpoises.Threetypesofpingerdevices(Aquamark 100,Marexi V2.2,DDD02)wereusedforporpoisemitigationintheareawherenobycatchestimationhadpreviouslybeenmade.ThepingersDDD02wereattachedateachendofthenetneartheanchor.ThepingersAquamark 100andMarexi V2.2wereattachedtotheheadlineofthenetsandwerespacedapart400mand200mrespectively.TheECregulation812/2004requiressuchapilotstudy.Duringthestudy,observersatseaweredeployedonboardtenfishingvesselsfromLeConquetandAudierneharbors.

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Duringoneyear,462kmofcontrolnets(non-equippednets)and150kmofequippednetssharedbetweenthethreesystemswereobservedinordertocomparebycatch,aswellasphysicalreliabilityandpracticabilityofpingers.

Threeharbourporpoises,Phocoena phocoena,werecaughtinthecontrolnetswhereastwoporpoisesandtwogreyseals,Halichoerus grypus,wererecordedinthenetsequippedwithAquamark 100.Thebycatchratewas0.006porpoiseperkilo-meteronthecontrolnetsandtwicemoreonthepingerednetsandsixtimesmoreforthoseequippedwiththeAquamark 100.Nostatisticaltestcanbeperformedduetothesmallnumbersofbycatchesobserved.Thepracticability,reliabilityandcostswerealsoanalyzedforeachpingertype.Theresultswerediscussedinrelationtomitigationmeasuresandregulations.

Coping with bycatch of a critically endangered species: The vaquita conservation action planOscar Ramírez-Flores (CONANP,México)

Thevaquita,discoveredjust53yearsago,isnowoneofthemostcriticallyendangeredmarinemammals.Inordertoprotectthespecies,alongwiththetotoaba(anendangeredfishspecies),theBiosphereReserveoftheUpperGulfofCaliforniaandColoradoRiverDeltawasestablishedin1993.Inthelate1990s,scientistsestimatedapopulationofabout567individuals.TheInternationalCommitteefortheRecoveryofVaquita(CIRVA),identifiedbycatchasthemainrisktothespecies.

InSeptember2005,aRefugeAreawasestablishedandapro-tectionprogramofgeneralguidelines,wasissuedinDecember.Unfortunately,thishighlightedaconflictwithartisanalfishing,whichisthemaineconomicactivityinSanFelipe,BajaCaliforniaandGolfodeSantaClara,Sonora.Trawlingisalsoimportant,andalthoughitdoesnotrepresentagreatdangertothevaquita,itdoesrepresentanimportantimpacttotheseafloor.

Asof2007,thelegalartisanalfishingeffortwasestimatedtobe1700boats(pangas)withatleasttwofishingpermits(finfishandshrimp)usingtrammelandgillnets,plus162trawlers–allconductingfishingactivitiesinthebufferzoneoftheBiosphereReserveandwithinthedistributionrangeofthevaquita.TheGulfofCaliforniaisconsideredahighlyproductiveecosystem,andassuch,intheUpperGulf,thereareimportantareaswherehighqualityblueshrimpareharvested,withincometoboththeartisanalandindustrialfleets.

Inthiscontext,withtheintenttoprotectthevaquita,environ-mentalauthoritiesformulatedandbegantheimplementationoftheVaquitaConservationActionPlanin2007,withthegoalofeliminatingbycatchbyreducingfishingeffortthroughvolun-tarybuy-outandsubstitutionofgillandtrammelnetsbymoreselectivefishingmethods.Technologicaldevelopmentofalterna-tivefishinggearandbiologicaldiversityconservationactionsintheRefugeAreawerealsopromoted.Todate,theSecretariatof

EnvironmentandNaturalResourceshasspentmorethan400millionpesos(morethan$30millionUSD)butthereisstillalongwaytogoandtimeisshortforthesurvivalofthevaquita.Theprotectedarea’smanagementbodyhasthewillbutnottheauthoritytoregulatefisheries,whichcomplicatesthechancetosucceedandtobeabletocontributetospeciesconservation.

ExperiencesintheimplementationoftheActionPlanhavetaughtusvariouslessons,whichnowcanbeturnedintorecommenda-tionsforscientists,politicians,decision-makersandcivilsocietyorganizationsconcernedaboutspeciesconservation:

• Threatstovaquitahavebeenreducedsignificantlybutnotsufficiently.

• Fishingefforthasbeenreducedandafisheriesmanagementprocessisbeingimplemented.

• Fishermenhaveinitiatedsuccessfulalternativeeconomicactivitieswhichprovidethemaproperlivelihood.

• Themechanismsofcontinuousdialogueandcoordinationofeffortsbetweenfishermenandgovernmenthavehelpedusreachinstitutionalagreements.

• ThebasisforsustainablefishingintheUpperGulfhasbeenestablished.

• ThereisanurgentneedforbetterfisheryregulationsenforcementandthedevelopmentofspecificregulationsandenforcementfortheupperGulfofCalifornia.

Summary of DiscussionAkeycomponentofthedevelopmentofmitigationandultimatelypreventionisanunderstandingoftheentanglementprocessfordifferentspeciesanddifferentgear;collectingrelevantdataandinformationfromentanglements,aswellasdisentanglements,isessential.

Ongoingandextensiveworkonthisproblemhasrevealedthatthereisnouniversalpanacea–localsolutionstolocalproblemswillneedtobefoundincooperationwithstakeholders.Thisisparticularlytruewhenexaminingthedifferentscalesandresourcesavailableforsuchcategoriesaslarge-scalecommercialversusartisanalfisheries,operationsindevelopedversusdevel-opingcountriesand/oroperationsinnationalwatersofoneormorecountriesversushighseas.

Itisimportanttorecognizethatwhileindividualbycatchesrep-resentanimportantanimalwelfareconsideration,bycatchesoftenrepresentathreattopopulationsor,inthecaseofthevaquita,aspecies.Inthatcontext,theeffectivenessorotherwiseofmitigationmeasureswithinboundariesoftheMMPAwillbedeterminedbytherelationshipoftheextentoftheMMPAtothetotalrangeofthepopulationandthebycatchthreat.Thus,pro-tectingmarinemammalsfrombycatcheswithinMMPAsalonewilloftenbeinsufficient.Reductionofbycatchshouldbeseenasasharedproblemofmanyincludingscientists,environmentalauthorities,fishermen,fishingauthorities,managersandNGOs.Withoutcooperationandtrustamongstallthesegroupsleadingtoactionsinatimelymanner,theremaybeseriousconsequences


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formarinemammalpopulationsaswitnessedbythesadcaseofthevaquita.Itisespeciallyimportantthatenvironmentalandfisherymanagementauthoritiesworktogether,somethingthatunfortunatelyisuncommon.

Recommendations from Workshop 3Workshop3recommendsthattheSteeringCommitteeworkstofacilitatethefollowingactionswithinMMPAs(singly,inregionalgroupsand/oringroupsrepresentativeofparticularcircum-stancesrelatedtofishingtypes,speciesandresources)toassistwithaddressingthebycatchproblem,namelythat:

MMPAsactasanexamplebybringingtogetherthevariousstakeholderstoworkcollaborativelyonthisissueasanimpor-tantcomponentofMMPAmanagementplansandwhereappro-priate,legislation.

Whereappropriate(recognizingtheneedforpoweranalysesandproperlydesignedstudiesfortestingthattakeintoaccountlikelysamplesizes),MMPAsactivelyencourageinitiativesforthedevelopmentandtestingofmarinemammalsafefishinggear(note:thismayrequirezoning).

MMPAscontributetothenecessaryknowledgetoassessbycatchatthepopulationlevelbyatleastexaminingstockstructure,densityandfishingtypeandeffortwithintheirboundaries,recognizingthatthisinformationaloneisnotusuallysufficient.

MMPAsserveasfocalpointsforessentialcapacitybuildingini-tiativesrelatedtodisentanglementandprevention.

MMPAsincreasepublicawarenessofthisissueincludingtheprovisionofinformationonentanglementresponsenetworks.

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Workshop 4A: Bilateral and Multilateral Agreements to Facilitate Partnerships between and among MMPAs: Making Them Work and Lessons Learned

Chairs:Brad Barr(NOAA-ONMS,USA)andScott Gende(NationalParkService,Alaska,USA)

Rapporteur:Christina Geijer(UniversityCollegeLondon,UK/Sweden)

Participants:LeslieAbramson,BradBarr,JuliánBotero,CaroleCarlson,FernandoFélix,LionelGardes,ChristinaGeijer,ScottGende,PaulHoetjes,ArtieJacobson,JorgeJimenez,PascalMayol,CraigMcDonald,AnneNelson,SandraPompa,CarolineRinaldi,MarkJ.Spalding,OswaldoVásquez,NathalieWard

Introduction and objectivesWhenthefocusofthemanagementofamarinemammalpro-tectedarea(MMPA)isonahighlymigratorymarinemammalspeciesorgroupofspecies,networkingwithotherMMPAsthatprovideimportanthabitatsforsustainingthosespeciesisbothnecessaryandappropriate.Whilenotalwaysrequired,abilateral(orinthecaseofmorethantwoMMPAs,multilateral)agreementcanbeusedtoestablishaformal“sisterMMPA”relationship.ThiscanfostersupportforthepartnershipwiththemanagementagenciesresponsiblefortheMMPAswhichhelpsinsettingclearobjectives,clarifyingresponsibilities,andmanagingexpecta-tions.Whilepotentiallyuseful,suchagreementsrequirespecificlegalauthoritiestoempowerthem,canbechallengingtocraft,oftenrequirelongandsometimescomplexagencyreviews,andmanytimesarefoundultimatelytobeineffectiveinachievingtheaspirationsoftheMMPAsinvolved.

Thereareanumberofsuccessfulmodelsforsuchagreements.ThelessonslearnedcanbehelpfulinaddressingthemanychallengesinvolvedinnetworkingMMPAs.Theworkshopwasfocusedonpresentingtwoofthesepotentialmodelpartnerships,oneineffectforanumberofyearsandanotherinitsfirstyearofimplementation.Workshopparticipantsfromtencountriesandrepresentingseveralexistingpartnershipsdiscussedthedevel-opmentoftheagreements,thegoalsandaspirationsofthoseinvolvedinthedevelopmentofthepartnerships,andthelessonslearned,bothpositiveandnegative,intheirdevelopmentandimplementation.WhathasbeenlearnedcanguideandinformfutureeffortsatMMPApartnershipsandnetworking.

Presentations

Beyond borders – sister sanctuaries: An innovative management approach for transboundary marine mammal species in the Wider Caribbean RegionNathalie Ward (NOAA,USA)

Thesistersanctuaryrelationship,establishedin2006,betweenStellwagenBankNationalMarineSanctuary(SBNMS)andSantuariodeMamíferosMarinosdelaRepúblicaDominicana(SMMRD)markedanewchapterforthejoint managementoftheendangeredhumpbackwhale(Megaptera novaeangliae)intheNorthAtlantic.Thesistersanctuarywasthefirstinternationalaccordtoprotectanendangeredmarinemammalmigratoryspeciesonbothendsofitsrange–initsnorthernfeedingandnurserygroundsinSBNMSanditssouthernmatingandcalv-inggroundsinSMMRD.

In2011,SBNMSsignedasistersanctuaryagreementwiththeFrenchAntillesAgoaMarineMammalSanctuary,expandingthesistersanctuaryprogramme,which:

• Facilitatesanecosystem-basedapproachtocooperativesanctuarymanagementofhumpbackwhalesthroughcapacitybuilding,research,monitoringandeducation;

• Servesasatemplatetoelevatenationalandinternationalawarenessoftheimportanceoftheecologicalconnectionbetweenthesemarinemammalprotectedareas;and

• Emphasizesthecriticalneedtotakeabroadermanagementviewtowardtransboundaryconservationofmarinemammalspecies.

ThesistersanctuaryconceptispartofalargerinternationalandglobalvisionofMMPAs,suchasUNEP’sSpeciallyProtectedAreasandWildlife(SPAW)ProtocolfortheWiderCaribbeanRegion,thatprioritizesmanagementregimesthatmaintaineco-logicalconnectionsbetweenmarineprotectedareasinordertosatisfyspecies’requirements.Thesistersanctuarymodelpro-motesastrategythatdefinesemergingproblems(beyondEEZs),kindlescommitmenttocriticalhabitats,andmanifeststhetruespiritofregionalcooperation,whichisakeyelementtoensureeffectivemanagementforbiodiversityprotectionandthecon-servationofmigratory,marinemammalspecies.


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A bilateral agreement between similar MMPAs: Francisco Coloane Coastal and Marine Protected Area (Chile) and Glacier Bay National Park (USA)Scott Gende (NationalParkService,Alaska,USA)andSergio Cornejo(FranciscoColoaneMarineandCoastalProtectedArea–FCCMPA,Chile)

Bilateralagreementsareanintegraltoolforconnectingpersonnelanddevelopingmanagementstrategiesbetweenprotectedareasconnectedbymigratorymarinemammalspecies.However,arecentbilateralagreementestablishingasisterparkrelationshipbetweentheUSNationalParkServiceatGlacierBayNationalParkandtheChileanMinistryofEnvironmentatFranciscoColoaneMarineandCoastalProtectedAreawassignedbasednotonsharedresourcesbutonstrikingsimilaritiesinresourceandmanagementissues,includingmarinemammals.Bothparksarelargeglacialfjordsandrepresentoneofthelargestmarineprotectedareasintheirrespectivecountries.Bothparksrep-resenthotspotsforhumpbackwhalefeedingaggregations,andsupportalargenumberofsealions.

InGlacierBayNationalPark,concernsovertheimpactsoflargecruiseshipsviaacousticdisturbance,risksofoilspillsandcolli-sionswithwhales,areafocusofmanagement,monitoring,andresearch.InFranciscoColoaneMarineandCoastalProtectedArea,concernsovertheimpactsofcommercialshippingtohumpbackwhalesandpotentialexpansionofshippingduetorecentminingandexplorationareofprimaryconcern.Thedis-turbancetowhalesfromwhalewatchingvesselsisanissueinbothparks.

PersonnelexchangebetweenthetwoareashasbeensupportedbytheU.S.DepartmentofStateandwillcontinuewithlonger-termscientificexchangeNovember2011–May2012focusingonjointdevelopmentofmarinemammalmonitoringplans,applicationofresearchtechniquesdevelopedinGlacierBay,anddevelopmentofscience-basedmanagementplans.Thehistoryandmechanismsbywhichthisagreementwasestablishedwillbediscussedandhighlighthowotheragreementsmaybedeveloped.

Summary of DiscussionTheworkshopparticipantsengagedinageneraldiscussionofpartnershipsandtheagreementsthatempowerthem.Pointsraisedinclude:

• Itisimportanttoretainadegreeofflexibilitywithregardstoculturalandpoliticaldifferences,avoidingrigidityinterms.

• Acontinuumexistsfromgettingpeopletogetherandsharinginformationtotheactualsigningofbilateralagreements.Thiscomesdowntoidentifyingpotentialpartnersandusuallystartswithcooperationbetweenresearchers.Agoodwaycouldbetohaveworkshopsrelatedtoparticularspeciesorpopulations,bringingpeopletogetheranddiscussingthenextsteps.

• Itisimportanttodevelopacommondatabaseforinformationsharingtofacilitateconnectionstobeabletoidentifytherightpeople.

• Theneedtotrainpeopleandtohaveresearcherstoestablishtheresearchframeworkisfundamental.Wemustdevelopmethodologiestomakedatacollectionmoreunifiedanduseful.

• Itisrelativelyeasytodoconstituencybuildingingeneralandwiththepublicsopeopleunderstandandbegintothinkoutofthebox.

• Science,policyandthecommunityworkingtogethercanprovidesubstantialvalue.

• Weshoulduseuniversitiesasasourceofresearchintofurtheringbilateralagreements.WecouldmakelistsoftopicstoberesearchedonwebsitesandsendouttouniversitiesthathaveconservationscienceandmarinemammalMaster’sandPhDprograms.Wecouldalsotakeadvantageoflocalpeople,sothattheycanbestusethedataandkeeponworkinginthearea.

Basedonthediscussions,theworkshopparticipantsagreedthatthefollowingpointsformthebasisfor,andfurtherexpandandarticulate,therecommendationsattheendofthissectionwhichwereputforwardtotheconferenceandformallyadopted:

• Promoteinformationexchange,interpersonalrelationships,andeducationbetweenMMPAs.

• Promoteworkshops(e.g.,atbiggerconferences)–eitherthreatorspecies/stock-specific–tobringtherelevantpeopletogethertoaddressjointMMPAissues.

• StandardizedatacollectionmethodologyandacommondatabaseforinformationsharingbetweenMMPAs.

• Conceptuallyendorsetheideaof“sistersanctuary”programsanddevelopcasestudiestoshare“lessonslearned”andbestpractices/strategiesforimplementationofbi/multilateralagreements.

• PromotebilateralagreementsintomultilateralagreementswithMMPAs.

• SeekoutlegalframeworksandinternationalvehiclessuchasSPAWtocreatebilateralandmultilateralagreementsbetweenMMPAs.

• Bringtogetherscientists,managersandpolicymakerstoshareinformationandbemoreinclusiveandtransparent.

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Recommendations from Workshop 4AWorkshop4ArecommendsthattheICMMPA:

EndorseandsupporttheuseofmultilateralandbilateralagreementsforthepurposeofcreatingMMPAnetworksandpartnerships.

EndorseandsupportsistersanctuaryMMPApartnershipsestablishedthroughsuchagreements.

Coordinatethedevelopmentofadocumentprovidingguid-ancefortheMMPAcommunitythatoffersessentialunderlyingprinciplesforeffectivedevelopmentofbilateralandmultilateralagreements,outlinesappropriatelegalmechanisms,“bestprac-tices”fordevelopmentandimplementationofagreements,andillustrativecasestudies.

Humpback whales in the Commander Islands Biosphere Reserve, Russia Photo by Alexander Burdin, Russian Cetacean Habitat Project, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society


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Northern fur seals on Bering Island in the Commander Islands Biosphere Reserve, Russia Photo by Erich Hoyt, Russian Cetacean Habitat Project, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society


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Workshop 4B: Broad-scale Marine Spatial Planning of Mammal Corridors and Protected Areas in the Wider Caribbean and Southeast and Northeast Pacific, Including Identifying Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs)10

10 Note:Workshop4BandWorkshop9eachincorporatedseparatepartsofWorkshop6originallyplannedasaseparateworkshoptentativelycalled“GOBI-UNEP/LifeWebTechnicalSession:IdentifyingEBSAsandCriticalHabitatsintheWiderCaribbeanandEastPacifictoInformMarineMammalManagementPlanning”

Coordinators:Alessandra Vanzella-Khouri (UNEP-CEP–CaribbeanEnvironmentProgramme,Jamaica)andOle Vestergaard(UNEPDivisionofEnvironmentalPolicyImplementation,FreshwaterandMarineEcosystemsBranch,Kenya)

Chairs: Alessandra Vanzella-Khouri (UNEP-CEP–CaribbeanEnvironmentProgramme,Jamaica)and Patricio Bernal (IUCNHighSeasInitiative,Switzerland)

Rapporteur: Monika Thiele (UNEP-CMS,RegionalOfficeforNorthAmerica,USA)

Participants: PatricioBernal,JuliánBotero,FernandoFélix,KristinKaschner,PatriciaLancho,FrançoisPoisson,JessicaRedfern,LionelReynal,HélèneSouan,MonikaThiele,AlessandraVanzella-Khouri,OswaldoVásquez,NathalieWard

Introduction and ObjectivesNetworksofwell-plannedandeffectivelymanagedmarineprotectedareas–rangingfrommultiple-usezonestono-takereserves–maybeausefulapproachtoprotectcriticalhabitatsformigratinglargemarinemammals.Protectedareasthatregu-latecertaintypesofhumanactivitycanbeeconomicallycostlyintheshortterm,butmayprovidesubstantialimmediateandlong-termeconomicbenefits,rangingfromfisheryenhancementtorecreationalandeducationalopportunitiesforthepublic,whileatthesametimesustainingmarinemammalpopulations.

AkeysteptoeffectiveMPAnetworkdesigniscomprehensivemarinespatialplanningandzoningofhumanactivitiesaddress-ingcumulativeenvironmentalpressures.Thisinvolvesenviron-mentalassessmentandmappingofkeymigrationroutesandstop-overpointsconnectinghabitatsatregionalscales,socio-economicassessmentandevaluationofmanagementtrade-offsinformingspatialplanningandzoning.Afurtherprerequisiteforeffectivemanagement,goodgovernanceandcomplianceisextensivenationalandregionalstakeholderconsultation.

Anongoingregionalproject,“Broad-scalemarinespatialplan-ningofmammalcorridorsandprotectedareasintheWiderCaribbeanandSoutheastandNortheastPacific”isassistingcountriesinbuildingcapacityformarinespatialplanningofMMPAsthroughsupportfromtheSpain-UNEPPartnership

fortheLifeWebInitiativerunningAugust2010-November2012.Theoverallobjectiveistobuildtechnicalcapacitiesfordesignoftransboundarymanagementandgovernancearrangementstoprotectlargemarinemammalcorridorsandcriticalhabitatsacrossthetworegions.Thisincludesregionaldatacollation,analysisandmappingofecologicalandsocio-economicdata,traininginspatialplanning,strategiccommunication,networkandpolicysupport,plustwoplanningdemonstrationprojects.[Projectwebsite:www.spain-unepforpas.org/-marine-mammal-corridors-a-critical-habitats-.html]

Theworkshopobjectivewastopresentanddiscussemerg-ingconceptsandpreliminaryprojectfindingsandtofurtherdevelopecologicalandsocio-economicmapsoflargemarinemammaldistribution,criticalhabitatsandhumanactivitiesintheSoutheastandNortheastPacificandWiderCaribbeanasabasisfortransboundarymarinespatialplanningscenariosandmanagementarrangements.


Broad-scale marine spatial planning for transboundary management of marine mammal corridors and critical habitatsAlessandra Vanzella-Khouri (UNEP-CEP–CaribbeanEnvironmentProgramme,Jamaica)andOle Vestergaard(UNEPDivisionofEnvironmentalPolicyImplementation,FreshwaterandMarineEcosystemsBranch,Kenya)

UNEP’sDivisionofEnvironmentalPolicyImplementationincollaborationwithUNEP’sCaribbeanEnvironmentProgramme(UNEP-CEP),theRegionalActivityCentrefortheSPAWProtocol(SPAW-RAC),thePermanentCommissionfortheSouthPacific(CPPS)andUNEP’sRegionalOfficesforLatinAmerica-CaribbeanandNorthAmerica,havepartneredtoimplementtheinter-regionalLifeWebproject“Broad-scalemarinespatialplanningofmammalcorridorsandprotectedareasintheWiderCaribbeanandSoutheastandNortheastPacific”.Theproject,


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fundedbytheGovernmentofSpainover2.5years,recognizesthestrategicimportanceofmultiple-useprotectedareasasatoolforresourcemanagementandbiodiversityconservationwithinbroadercross-sectoralmarinespatialplanningandmanagement.Theseareasareofparticularimportancefortransboundaryspe-ciessuchasmarinemammalsthatmayspendtimeincriticalhabitatareasthatcrossjurisdictionalboundaries.

Throughtheuseofstatisticalmodelingandmapping,thisbroad-scalespatialplanningprojecthasbeguntoidentifymarinemammaldistribution,criticalhabitatareas,andthreatstotheirprotection(e.g.,fisheriesimpacts,shippinglanes,pollution,coastalandoffshoredevelopment,andtourism-relatedactivi-ties)throughoutboththeWiderCaribbeanandthesoutheastandnortheastPacificregions.Inadditiontothiswork,dem-onstrationprojectsarecurrentlyunderwayintheDominicanRepublicthatwilldevelopamanagementplanfortheMarineMammalSanctuaryoftheDominicanRepublic,animportantmatingandcalvinggroundforthehumpbackwhale(Megaptera novaeangliae),aswellasineastPacificoutliningtransboundarymanagementscenariosfortheEasternTropicalPacificMarineCorridorregion.Inconjunctionwiththis,twolargeworkshopsarebeingplannedforspring2012.OnewillinviteregulatorsandofficialsfromEasternCaribbeancountriestovisitthesanctuaryduringthecalvingseasontounderstandthepotentialthatwhalewatchingandmarinemammalprotectionareascouldhaveontheircountries.Theotherwillconsistofatrainingcourseforgovernmentplannersandexpertsonmarinespatialplanning,managementandgovernanceoptionstosupportmarinemam-malmanagementforbothregions.

Inordertohighlighttheimportanceoftheprojectissuesandto“makethecase”forintegratedandtransboundarymanagementofmarinemammalmigrationroutesandcriticalhabitats,strate-giccommunicationproductswillbedevelopedanddistributedtogovernmentofficials,academicinstitutions,themediaandthewiderpublicinanefforttobringattentiontothemanagementofthesespeciesandthethreatsfacingthem.

AlloftheseactivitiessupporttheimplementationoftheActionPlansfortheConservationofMarineMammalsintheWiderCaribbeanandSoutheastPacificregionsandwillhelptoimprovetheinformationcurrentlyavailableonmarinemammaldistri-butionandthreatsaswellasthecapacity,governanceandsus-tainabilityofmarineprotectedareastohelpconservemarinemammalpopulationsintheseregions.

GOBI, the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative, and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) process to establish MPA networks on the High Seas: Bridging international policy and SciencePatricio A. Bernal (IUCNHighSeasInitiative,Switzerland)

Thesector-by-sectormanagementofhumanactivitiesintheoceanhasproventobeinsufficient.Landdegradationisanacceptedtechnicalterminmanagement,andmanyactionsaretakenandresourcesspentannuallytomitigateitseffects,yetoceandegradation,untilnow,hasbeeninvisible.Themostrecentstudyonhumanactivitiesintheoceanconsidering17globalusesover20differenttypesofecosystemsshowsthat41%oftheoceanexperiencesmediumtohighanthropogenicimpact.

ThespatialmeasuresofMPAsandothermanagementtoolsarebeingeffectivelyappliedundernationalandotherjurisdictionssuchastheAntarcticTreaty.SinceMPAsarealsobeingproposedonthehighseasbeyondareasofnationaljurisdiction,theUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblyandtheUNFoodandAgricultureOrganizationhavesponsoredormandatedactionstoidentifyareasintheoceaninneedofprotection,tocorrectdestructivefishingpracticesonthehighseasandoverseamounts,andingeneraltopromoteanecosystemapproachtomanagement.TheConferenceofthePartiesoftheConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD)definedin2008asetofsevenscientificcriteriafortheidentificationofecologicallyorbiologicallysignificantareas(EBSAs)inneedofprotection,initiatingaprocessfortheidentificationoftheseareasandthecreationofarepositorywiththisinformation.

Fromascientificpointofview,andthankstonewtechniquesandtoolsavailabletoobservetheocean,thiscouldtranslateintoaprogramrevealingthetruecomplexityofmarinelifeintheocean.Thiswouldgobeyondthecurrentunderstandingofmarinelifedistribution,byattemptingtomeasuretheecologi-calandgeneticinterconnectionamongmarineecosystemsandbetweenthepelagicandbenthicdomainsindifferentgeomor-phologicalenvironments.

Toaccompanythepolicyprocesses,in2009IUCNwithsupportfromtheGermangovernmentcreatedGOBI,theGlobalOceanBiodiversityInitiative,withthespecificaimofbridgingthesepolicyprocesseswithscience.Duringthelasttwoyears,GOBI,nowapartnershipof21scienceorganizations,hasgeneratedguidancetousetheCBDcriteriafortheidentificationofEBSAs,havingidentified15examplesinwhichthesecriteriawereused.NowthattheCBDhasinitiatedaseriesofRegionalWorkshopswiththespecificaimtoidentifyEBSAs,GOBIattheinvitationoftheConferenceofthePartiesofCBDwillcontributetothisprocessbycompilingthedataandinformationnecessaryandsupportingthedevelopmentofcapabilitiesbytheStatepartiesoftheconvention.

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Challenges in implementing marine mammal spatial planning and management in the Eastern Pacific Fernando Félix (MarineMammalandMarineSpatialPlanningProject,UNEP/Spain/CPPS,Ecuador)

Thebroad–scalemarinespatialplanningformarinemammalcorridorsintheEasternPacific(Spain/UNEP)projecthasbeenintheprocessofbeingimplementedsinceearly2011,underthecoordinationofthePermanentCommissionfortheSouthPacific(CPPS).Theprojectaimstoprovideanoverviewofessentialhabitatsandregional-scalemigrationroutesformarinemam-malsinthisvastregionwhichcoversabout20millionkm2ofterritorialwaters,exclusiveeconomiczones,andislandterrito-riesof13countries,aswellasextensiveareasbeyondnationaljurisdictions.Approximately40speciesofcetaceansinhabittheeasternPacific,including9speciesoflargewhales.

Definingconservationprioritiesforthesespeciesoversuchalargeanddiverseareapresentsenormouschallenges,particularlyrelatedtospatialandtemporalscales,informationavailability,weakornonexistentlegalframeworks,weakcontrolandenforce-ment,andlackofpoliticalwill,amongothers.Inthiscontext,theSpain/UNEP/CPPSprojectisanopportunitytointroducecross-sectoralspatialplanningapproachesandtofacilitateregionaldialoguesandconsultationswithrelevantstakeholdersindesignmanagementoptionsformigratingmarinemammals.

Geo-referencedandsocio-economicdataarecurrentlyusedformodelingthehabitatoffivelargecetaceanspeciesintheEasternPacificfrombothhemispheres:blue,humpback,Bryde’s,spermandsouthernrightwhales.Someofthesespecieshavewell-definedmigrationpatternssuchashumpback,southernrightandtoalesserextentbluewhales,whilethepopulationstructureofBryde’sandspermwhalesremainspoorlyknown.SomeoverlapexistsinbreedingareasalongthecentralPacificbetweennorthandsouthpopulations(humpbackandbluewhales)creatingfavorableconditionsforgeneticexchangebetweenpopulationsofbothhemispheres.

SeveralofthemostimportantfisheriesintheworldoccurinEasternTropicalPacific(ETP)watersandtheseconstituteamajorthreattocetaceansinthisregion.Otherhumanactivitiesincludeshippingandpollutionfrombothsea-andland-basedorigins.

Formigratorycetaceans,theETPmustbeconsideredasanecologicalmanagementunitthatincludesthecentralaswellasthenortheastandsoutheastPacificwhalefeedingdestinations.BecausenoregionallegalframeworkonenvironmentalissuesinvolvingallthecountriesofETPexists,aMemorandumofCooperationorsimilarnon-legallybindinginstrumentwouldbehelpfulindefiningregionalpoliciesandpromotingconservationandmanagementofmarinemammalsintheregion.ThiscouldbeadvancedthroughanActionPlan,similartotheMemorandumofUnderstandingfortheConservationofCetaceansinthePacificIslandsundertheframeworkoftheConventiononMigratorySpecies(CMS).TheUnitedNationsConventionontheLawof

theSea(UNCLOS)inArticles64and65providesabroadframe-workregardingthemanagementofhighlymigratoryspeciesandmarinemammalsinareasbeyondnationaljurisdictions.

Habitat modeling of large whales in the Eastern Tropical PacificJessica V. Redfern(SouthwestFisheriesScienceCenter,NOAAFisheries,USA)

AnoverviewofprocessesforidentifyingcriticalhabitatforbaleenwhalesintheeasterntropicalPacificOcean,commonlyreferredtoastheEasternTropicalPacific(ETP),waspresentedinPanel2.Thispresentationprovidedamoredetailedandcriti-calexaminationofthemethodologiesandresultingdistributionmapsforthreespeciesofbaleenwhalesintheETP.

TheETPisa20millionkm2,open-oceansystemthatisseason-allyoccupiedbymigratoryblueandhumpbackwhalesfrombothnorthernandsouthernhemispheres;italsohostsimportantnumbersofresidentBryde’swhales.

Threemethodologicalissuesforidentifyingcriticalhabitatwereexplored:

• Datatypes.

• Methodsforcreatingdensitysurfaces.

• Conservationtargets.

Differencesinresultingmapsofcriticalhabitatwereexaminedforeachspecies;theneedforcautionwhenusingsuchmapstomakemanagementdecisionswashighlighted.

The Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR) InitiativeJulián Botero (EasternTropicalPacificMarineCorridor–CMAR,Colombia)

TheEasternTropicalPacificMarineCorridor(CMAR)isaregionalinitiativefortheconservationandsustainableuseofbio-diversityandmarineandcoastalresourcesintheMPAsconsid-eredasa“coreareas”oftheislandsofCocos(CostaRica),Coiba(Panama),GorgonaandMalpelo(Colombia),andGalápagos(Ecuador).Theinitiativelooksforthesuitablemanagementofsuchresourcesthroughanecosystem-basedapproach,estab-lishingjointgovernmentstrategiessupportedbycivilsociety,governmentalagenciesofinternationalcooperation,andnon-governmentalorganizations(NGOs).

TheCMARinitiativehasitsrootsintheJointPresidentialDeclarationofDecember2001betweenthegovernmentsofCostaRicaandEcuadortostudytheproposalofcreatingacorridorofmarineconservationbetweenCocosandtheGalapagosislands.In2002,MalpeloandGorgonaislands(Colombia)andCoibaisland(Panama)askedtojointheinitiative,andinApril2004,


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thesigningofthe«DeclarationofSanJosé»bytherepresenta-tivesoftheGovernmentsofCostaRica,Panama,ColombiaandEcuador,gavebirthtotheCMARinitiative.

Theoverallobjectiveistodefineandestablishbetweengovern-mentsajointmanagementsystemfortheconservationandsus-tainableuseofbiodiversityandcoastalandmarineresourcesintheMPAsoftheCMAR,theislandsofCocos,Coiba,Malpelo,Gorgona,andGalapagos,andtheirareasofinfluence.

Specificobjectivesinclude:

• Promotingthesustainablemanagementandconserva-tionofbiodiversityandcoastalresourcesoftheregion.

• EstablishingaregionalframeworkthatfacilitatesthedevelopmentandmanagementoftheCMAR.

• Promotingtheparticipationofgovernmentsandstake-holdersintheintegralmanagementoftheCMAR:tourism,fishingandconservation,amongotherthings.

• Improvingandconsolidatingtheprotectionandman-agementofthemarineprotectedareascomprisingthecoreareasoftheCMAR.

• IdentifyingandpromotingfinancingmechanismstosupportthemanagementoftheCMAR.

• DirectingtechnicalandfinancialcooperationfortheCMARatthenationalorinternationallevelbasedontheprioritiessetbycountries.

• BoostingresponsibletourismwhichcontributestothesustainabledevelopmentofthecommunitiesinvolvedintheCMAR.

• Providingasetofenvironmentalgoodsandservicestolocal,regionalandgloballevels.

• Promotingpropagationanddisseminationofinforma-tiononthescope,objectives,actionsandprogressmadeintheimplementationoftheCMAR.

TwoofthekeyongoingprojectsaretheEasternTropicalPacificSeascape(ETPS),byConservationInternational(CI),whichbeganin2003,andtheregionalmanagementsystemforthesustainableuseofthefisheryresourcesoftheCMAR,byIDB-FundaciónMalpelo,beginningin2009.

Futureplans(2011-2014)include:

• GivingsupportfortheimplementationoftheProgrammeofWorkoftheCBDonprotectedareasintheregion,throughtheconsolidationofcross-borderareas.

• EnlargementoftheCMARcorridorbyintegratingnewMPAs.

• Improvingcoordinationwithotherinternationalinstrumentsfortheconservationofthemarineenvi-ronment(CBD,CPPS,CBI,)amongstothers.

• Developmentoffutureprojectswithmajorcollabora-tivepartners(e.g.,WorldBankGEF).

Towards the identification of important marine mammal habitat and possible EBSAs in the greater Caribbean & tropical central AtlanticKristin Kaschner(Albert-Ludwigs-UniversityofFreiburg,Germany)

Coauthors: Rob Williams(UniversityofStAndrews,UK)andErin Ashe (UniversityofStAndrews,UK)

Theidentificationofecologicallyorbiologicallysignificantareas(EBSAs)isoneofthekeyfirststepstowardsreachingtheCBD2012MarineTargetsforSettingupMarineProtectedAreasintheHighSeas.CriteriausedtodefineEBSAsincludebiologicaldiversityandspecialimportancetolifehistorystagessuchasbreedingareasandmigrationcorridors.ThesecriterialargelyoverlapwiththemaingoalsoftheongoingUNEP-SpainLifeWebproject“Broad-scalemarinespatialplanningofmammalcorri-dorsandprotectedareasintheWiderCaribbeanandSoutheastandNortheastPacific”.

Herewepresentresultsfromananalysissummarizingtheextentofavailablemarinemammal(cetacean)dataandinfor-mationintheWiderCaribbeanRegion,initiatedandfundedbytheLifeWebprojectandtheWhaleandDolphinConservationSociety(WDCS).AsofNovember2011,thereweremorethan18,000occurrencerecordsofcetaceansintheWiderCaribbeanavailablethroughOBIS-SEAMAP,yetthevastmajorityoftheserecordsarespatiallyconcentratedinthenorthernGulfofMexico,whileoccurrencerecordsfromthemainCaribbeanSeaareverysparse.Inaddition,thereislargevariabilityintermsofthedataavailablefordifferentspecies,withcommonbottlenosedolphin(Tursiops truncatus)sightingsmakingupmorethan70%ofallrecords.

Theanalysisalsohighlightedtheimportanceofeffortconsider-ations,whichwouldotherwiselargelyimpacttheperceptionofoccurrenceanddistributionofcetaceansinthearea.Outputsfromlinetransectsurveysontheotherhandarecorrectedforeffortandcurrentlyprovidetheonlymeanstoproducethegeo-referenceddensityinformation,whichideallyshouldbethebasisofanyquantitativespatialplanningexercise.Ouranalysisshowed,however,thatsurveycoverageisverypatchy,concentratedinthenorthernGulfofMexico.IntheCaribbeanSeaitself,therewereonlytwosurveys,theFrenchREMMOA11surveys,producingabsoluteabundanceestimatesforFrenchoverseasterritorialwaterssurroundingtheFrenchAntillesandFrenchGuiana.Thevisualizationofaspeciesenvironmentalnicheenvelope,usingmappingapproachessuchastheRelativeEnvironmental(RES)modelorAquaMaps(www.aquamaps.org)mayrepresentausefulalternativetoassesspotentiallarge-11 RidouxV,CertainG,DorémusG,LaranS,VanCanneytO,WatremezP(2010)Mappingdiversityandrelativedensityofcetaceansandotherpelagicmegafaunaacrossthetropics:generaldesignandprogressoftheREMMOAaerialsurveysconductedintheFrenchEEZandadjacentwaters.ReportSC/62/E14submittedtotheScientificCommitteeoftheInternationalWhalingCommission(unpublished),Agadir,Morocco,13pp.

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scaleoccurrenceofcetaceansintheWiderCaribbeanRegion.Althoughthedirectlyavailableglobaldistributionsmatchedknownregionaloccurrencequitewellforsomespecies,acom-parisonofglobalRESpredictionswithregionalspeciesoccur-rencehighlightedtheimportanceofincorporatingregionalexpertknowledgeandseasonalaspectstoadequatelycaptureknownspeciesoccurrenceonsmallerscales.

Inconclusion,thecetaceandatacurrentlyavailablethroughonlinedatarepositorieshighlightthelargegapsandunrepre-sentativesurveycoverageofthisregion.Availabledatathusneedtobeusedwithcaution,keepingknowneffortbiasesinmind.Ultimately,thissituationcanbestberemediedthroughsomeconcentrated,large-scalesurveyeffortinthisarea.Modelingapproachesthatinfercetaceandensitiesinunsurveyedareasbasedonempiricaldataandpredicteddistribution,describedinKristinKaschner’spresentationinPanel2,mayalsobehelp-fulinthisrespect.Inthemeantimeanduntilbetterdataoroutputsfromthesetypesofmodelsbecomeavailable,mappingofknownandprobableoccurrenceofspecies,usingapproachessuchasAquaMapsthatallowforincorporationofregionalexpertknowledge,canbehelpfultodeterminepriorityareasforfutureresearchandconservationefforts.Thisiscurrentlybeingunder-takenaspartoftheUNEP-LifeWebproject(tobecompletedFebruary2012).OutputsintheformofmappedknownandprobabledistributionsofcetaceansintheCaribbeanmayalsorepresentausefulcontributiontotheregionalCBDworkshopfocusingontheidentificationofEBSAsintheTropicalCentralAtlantic(February2012,Recife,Brazil).

Mapping ecological and socio-economic factors for marine mammal management in the CaribbeanHélène Souan (SPAW–RegionalActivityCentre,Guadeloupe)

Theproductionofmapsdisplayingmarinemammaldistribu-tion,threats,andconservationmeasuresisthekeyexpectedoutputofcomponent1oftheSpain-fundedUNEPLifeWebproj-ect“Broad-scalemarinespatialplanningofmammalcorridorsandprotectedareasintheWiderCaribbeanandSoutheastandNortheastPacific”.Component1aimstoprogressdataintegra-tion,mappingandGISanalysisofmarinemammalmigrationroutes,criticalhabitatsandhumanthreatsattheregionalscaleforboththeCaribbeanandtheEasternPacific.

FortheCaribbeanregion,thedatafordocumentingsocio-eco-nomicfactorssuchasdirectfishingandbycatch,pollution,inten-sityofmarinetrafficandotheraspectshavebeencompiledandthecorrespondingmapshavebeenproduced.Thesamegoesforthemapsandfactsheetsonpoliciesformarinemammalconser-vation(describingsuitableMPAsformarinemammalsandout-lininglegalprotectionmeasures).Themapsandcomprehensivefactsheetsarenotallfinalizedyet,butsomeexamplesofpossibleoutputsweredisplayedduringthepresentation.

Describingandaccuratelymappingmarinemammaldistribu-tionsandmigrationroutes,however,remainsachallenge,asavailabledatasetsarescarce.Althoughmanypublicationshavebeenproducedovertheyears,fewspeciesarewelldocumented,andnotallthesectorsoftheWiderCaribbeanhavebeeninves-tigatedwiththesameintensityandwithconsistentprotocols.Inordertoovercome,totheextentpossible,thelackofhomoge-neoussurveysintherecordedefforts,othertoolsandapproacheshavehadtobeexplored.Thesefirstresultsobtainedsofarwillhopefullybeabletobecomplementedbyvariedinformationondistribution,speciesrichnessand/ormovementsforthewholeWiderCaribbeanRegion.

A Management Plan for the Dominican Republic Marine Mammal Sanctuary, a key to consolidate the Sanctuary, one of most important marine protected areas in the Caribbean and Western North AtlanticPatricia Lancho (FundaciónDominicanadeEstudiosMarinos–FUNDEMAR,DominicanRepublic)

TheMarineMammalSanctuaryoftheDominicanRepublicisthelargestprotectedareainthecountryandrecentlypassed25yearswithoutamanagementplan.Thisyear,FUNDEMAR,theDominicanRepublicMinistryofEnvironmentandNaturalResources,andUNEP-CEPmadeanagreementtodevelopthemanagementplanforthesanctuary.Someofthemaindifficultiesthatwehavefoundare:thelargesizeofthesanctuary,thelackofpermanentpersonnelthroughouttheyearandthedifferentlevelsofknowledgeaboutandusesofthearea.

TodeveloptheplanweareusingmethodologyfromtheMinistryofEnvironment,enrichedwithexperiencesfromthesistersanc-tuaryrelationshipwiththeStellwagenBankNationalMarineSanctuary,inordertoplaninadvanceforthenextfiveyears.Theprocesshasinvitedhighnumbersofstakeholders,individualandinstitutional,Dominicanandforeigners.ThemaininformationsourcesarefromtheMinistryofEnvironment,FUNDEMAR,Atemar,CIBIMAandCEBSE,andinNOAA spublicationsaboutresearchinthesanctuary,andthemainlackofinformationisregardingfuturefisheryuse.12

12 MMPAacronymscommonlyusedintheDominicanRepublicincludeFUNDEMAR,FundaciónDominicanadeEstudiosMarinos(DominicanFoundationforMarineResearch);CIBIMA,CentrodeInvestigacionesdeBiologíaMarinadelaUniversidadAutónomadeSantoDomingo(CenterforMarineBiologyResearchfromtheAutonomousUniversityofSantoDomingo);CEBSE,CentroparaelEcodesarrollodelaBahíadeSamanáysuentorno(CenterforEco-developmentoftheSamanáBayRegion).Atemar,AsesoríaAmbientalyTecnologíaMaritima,isaconsultingcompanyfocusingontheenvironmentandmarinetechnology.


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Summary of DiscussionThemaintopicsontheagendafordiscussioncenteredon:

• Effectivespatialinformationanddataforbroad-scalemarinespatialplanning(MSP)andmapping.

• Emergingplanningapproachesforlargemarinemammalmanagement.

• Transboundarymarinemammalmanagementstrategiesandarrangements.

• Synergiesthatmightbepossiblewithotherprocessesandefforts.

Theworkshopparticipantsrecognizedthatmarinemammalshavesignificantecological,aestheticandeconomicvaluetothecountriesandterritoriesoftheEastPacificandWiderCaribbeanregions,thatthewatersoftheseregionsserveasprimaryhabi-tatsforcriticalstagesoftheirlifecycles,whilealsoservingaskeysatellitesitesdirectlyconnectedtohabitatsindistantwatersvialong-rangingnorth-southmigrationroutesinbothAtlanticandPacificoceans.Theworkshopexpressedconcernthatmarinemammalsintheseregionsfacearangeofsevereimpactsfromhumanactivities,aswellasthosefromclimatechangeimpactingonfoodwebs,ecosystemproductivity,oceanographicprocessesandconnectivity.Thereisevergreaterneedtoaddressthesedif-ferentstressorsviacomprehensiveandintegratedecosystem-basedmanagementthatincludes, inter alia,marineprotectedareanetworksandspecialmarinemanagementareasastools.Marinespatialplanningisaveryusefultoolformarinemammalmanagementinterventionsthatrequiresquantitativeandqualita-tivedataandmappingofessentialhabitatsandmigrationroutes,includingecologicalandsocio-economicinformation(e.g.,spe-ciesdistributionandabundance,fisheries,shipping,pollution,tourismdevelopment,amongotherthings).However,therearedatalimitationsincludinglargedatagapsforregionssuchastheWiderCaribbeanandtheSoutheastPacificduetothevaryinglevelofeffortandthefinancialandtimeimplicationsforcom-prehensivequantitativedatagatheringandanalysis.

WorkshopparticipantsacknowledgedthattheLifewebProject“Broad-scalemarinespatialplanningofmammalcorridorsandprotectedareasintheWiderCaribbeanandSoutheastandNortheastPacific”supportedbytheGovernmentofSpainandcoordinatedthroughUNEP,constitutesanoutstandingopportu-nitytobringtogetheravarietyofstakeholderssuchasscientists,managers,andgovernmentalandnon-governmentalorganiza-tionstojoineffortsformarinemammalspatialplanningandnetworking.TherearealsoeffortsaspartoftheframeworkoftheConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD)toidentifylarge-scaleecologicallyorbiologicallysignificantareas(EBSAs);theupcomingregionalEBSAWorkshops(e.g.,fortheCaribbeanandTropicalAtlanticRegion,Bahia,Brazil,28February-2March2012)willprovideopportunitiesforbroad-scalemarinespatialplanningformarinemammalconservation.

Recommendations from Workshop 4BInlightoftheworkshopdiscussionsandconsideringtheActionPlansfortheConservationofMarineMammalsthathavebeenadoptedintheWiderCaribbeanandSoutheastPacificregionsundertheCartagenaandLimaConventionsoftheUNEPRegionalSeasProgrammes,theWorkshop4Bparticipantsencouragecountries,managersandscientificteamsoftheWiderCaribbeanandEasternPacificregionstoapplythefollowingrecommendations:

Immediatelydevelopafeasibleandrealisticplanforsynthesiz-ingexistingdata,includingexpertopinion,inmapsthatcanbeusedascommunicationtools.Thisplanshouldalsooutlinethewaysandmeanstomakereasonablecomparisonsbetweenthequalitativeandquantitativesummaries,whichshouldincludetherelevantsocio-economicinformation.

Compileandstandardizetheuseofhistoricaldata(e.g.,archaeo-logicaldata),aswellestablishminimumprotocolsforfuturedatacollectionefforts(e.g.,preparingstandardizedquestionnairesforwhalewatchingoperators;encouragingresearcherswhostudycetaceansthroughphoto-IDtoroutinelycollectgeo-referencedtracklineeffort,bearing,anddistancedatatoallowdensitytobemodeledfromeffortandsightingsdata).Thoseprotocolsshouldbemadewidelyavailabletostakeholderstofacilitatedatacom-parisonformarinespatialplanningpurposes.

Useexistingdatainventorytoidentifyandprioritizefillingthedatagaps,andconsider,forexample,conductingalarge-scalesurvey(onthescaleoftheSCANSII,TNASSorCODAsurveysconductedinotherareasoftheNorthAtlantic),aswellasotherstandardizedsurveyswhicharecost-effectiveandopportunis-tic,togatherrelevantoceanographic,ecologicalandsocio-economicdata.

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Workshop 5: North East of South America, Regional Cooperation for a Marine Mammals Conservation Strategy Workshop – MAMA COCO SEA Project

Coordinators: Marion Brichet (Agencedesairesmarinesproté-gées,France)

Co-Chairs: François Gauthiez (Agencedesairesmarinespro-tégées,France)andHélène Souan (SPAW–RegionalActivityCentre,Guadeloupe)

Participants: MarionBrichet,VirginieDosreis,Marc-HenriDuffaud,FrançoisGauthiez,CatalinaGomez-Salazar,ThierryHouard,GaëlHubert,SophieLaran,MiriamMarmontel,CaroleMartinez,NicolasMaslach,DenisOdy,LeninEnriqueOviedoCorrea,MoniquePool,MarcelaPortocarrero-Aya,RomainRenoux,JohnReynolds,VincentRidoux,Marie-CatherineSantoni,HélèneSouan,LesleySutty,FernandoTrujillo,OlivierVanCanneyt,GaëlleVandersarren,PierreWatremez

IntroductionInFrenchGuiana,aninventoryofmarinemammalpopulationsdrawnupbytheUniversityofLaRochelleMarineMammalsResearchCentre(Centrederecherchesurlesmammifèresmarins–CRMM),fortheFrenchMarineProtectedAreasAgency(Agencedesairesmarinesprotégées),revealedasignificant,previouslyunsuspected,abundance.ThedensityofcetaceansobservedinFrenchGuianaissubstantiallyhigherthanintheFrenchWestIndies.Thesestudies,andtheregionalstrategicanalysisofthemarineenvironmentperformedbytheFrenchMPAAgencyinFrenchGuiana(2009),highlightthepotentialimportanceofaregionalscientificcooperationprojectonmarinemammalstorespondtothechallengesidentified.

A regional approach vital for conservation

FrenchGuianasharesmanymarinemammalspecieswithneigh-boringcountries.Thediversityofthespecies,theircross-borderdistributionrangeandtheirstatus,forsomeofthemendangered,underlinetheneedforincreased,coordinatedactionbetweenthevariouscountries.Theinclusionofsomeorallofthespeciesinvariousinternationalconventionsandtreatiesmakescoop-erationbetweencountriesinnortheasternLatinAmerica,fromnorthernBraziltoVenezuela,includingTrinidadandTobagoandthe“ABCislands”oftheDutchCaribbean(Aruba,Bonaire,Curaçao),allthemorepertinent.Acooperationprojectcover-ingtheentireareafromBraziltoVenezuelawouldthusappeartobeausefulavenuetoexploreinresponsetothechallengesinFrenchGuianaandtheregion.

Presentations

REMMOA survey results for French Guiana and the French CaribbeanVincent Ridoux (CentredeRecherchesurlesMammifèresMarins,ObservatoirePelagis,UniversitédeLaRochelle-CNRS,France)

ThecontextfortheREMMOA13surveywastheFrenchpolicytodesignateMPAsin10%oftheFrenchworldwideexclusiveeco-nomiczone(EEZ)by2012and20%by2020.97%ofthe11mil-lionkm2marineEEZunderFrenchjurisdictionislocatedaroundoverseasterritories,whereoffshorebiodiversityispoorlyknown.Thereisanurgentneedtodevelopbaselineknowledgeofpelagicmegafaunaasanindexofoff-shorebiodiversityinthesevastareas.Themethodologymustbestandardizedtoallowregionalandyear-to-yearcomparisons.HabitatmodelingwillprovidethescientificbasisforidentifyingpriorityareasforfutureMPAs.

Theobjectivesweretoinformmanagementpolicywithobjec-tivedataonpelagicsystemsintheentireFrenchoverseasEEZ.In2008,twopilotstudieswereconductedintheAtlantic.Welookedforbasicmetricsfornatureconservationandmanagement(species,numbers,locations).Thesamplingprotocolconsistedofmultispecificaerialsurveysconstrainedformarinemammals,similartotheSCANSIIProtocolthatwasdevelopedforsmallcetaceansurveysinEurope.

Theresultsincludedasightingssummary,revealingmarinemammalspeciescomposition,tobefollowedbyspatialhabitatmodels,usingacovariateselectionprocesstorevealkeyhabitatsintheCaribbeanandinFrenchGuiana.SufficientsightingswererecordedtoestimateminimalabundanceforTursiops truncatusandSotalia guianensis.

Inconclusion,aerialsurveysprovide–quicklyandatcompara-tivelylowcost–standardizedinformationfortheidentificationofpriorityhabitatswithinthewholeEEZ.Themainhabitatshavebeenidentifiedforbothareas(FrenchCaribbeanandGuiana)andthesecanserveasanobjectivebasistodesignMPAsespe-ciallyifconfirmedbyadditionalsurveys.FurtherimprovementsareneededtoenhancethesamplesizeintheCaribbean-FrenchGuiana,toobtainseasonalandyear-to-yearvariability,inter-specificinteractions,andtoperformasensitivityanalysis.13 REcensement des Mammifères marins et autres Mégafaunes pélagiques par Observation Aérienne(Censusofmarinemammalsandotherpelagicmegafaunabyaerialsurvey)


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New consideration for marine issues in French GuianaMarc-Henri Duffaud (EnvironmentalRegionalDirection,FrenchGuiana)

Fol low ing t he succes s f u l col laborat ion be tween t heEnvironmentalRegionalDirectioninFrenchGuianaandtheFrenchMPAAgency,strategicplanningformarinebiodiver-sityconservationwasestablished.Atthesametime,theMarineMammalsResearchCentrebegantomakeageneralinventoryoftheexclusiveeconomiczoneofFrenchGuiana.Theresultofthissurveywasnotableforthediversityandquantityofmarinemammalsfound.Thisnewknowledgehasledtoareviewoflocalassessmentsontheissueofmarinemammals.

TheEnvironmentalRegionalDirectioninFrenchGuianaisthereforeworkingnowwithBraziltoimplementaregionalcooperationprojectfortheconservationofmarinemammals.Thefirststepsofthisactionwillfocusondataexchangeandmonitoringcoordination.Moreover,basedonstrategicanaly-sis,studieswereconductedonseagrassbeds,submarinerockyareas,andinventoriesofpelagicbirds.Allofthesewillcontrib-utetotheimplementationofmarineZNIEFF(zonenaturelled’intérêtécologique,faunistiqueetf loristique,orNaturalAreasofEcological,FaunalandFloralInterest),alreadybegunwiththeadoptionofreferencelistsandthepreparationofcriticalspecieslists.

Dolphin monitoring and research programme in suriname Monique Pool (SurinameEnvironmentalAdvisoryServices,Suriname)

TheGreenHeritageFundSurinamehassetitselfthegoal,withintheframeworkofitsDolphinMonitoringandResearchProgramme,toengagepublicauthoritiesandthegeneralpublicinaprocesstoconsidertheestablishmentofMPAs.

Forthatpurpose,aworkshopwasheldinMarch2010–TheDolphinProgrammeCoastalZoneManagementandMarineProtectedAreasWorkshop–toprovideanintroductoryover-viewofMPAs.Duringthisworkshop,theprocess,aswellasaclarificationoftheroleoftheGreenHeritageFundinthedesig-nationandimplementationofMPAsintheterritorialsea(fromshoreto3miles),wereprovided.

ThisfirststepintheprocessinwhichtheGreenHeritageFundasanadvocacygroupwishedtoinformpublicauthoritiesandpublicopinionofthebenefitsofCoastalZoneManagementandMPAswasexpandedonataconference1½yearsaftertheinitialworkshop.Opinionsofpolicy-makerswerepresented,reportingonthecurrentstatusofthisinitiative.

Cetacean critical habitat assessment in the central-northeast coast of venezuelaLenin Enrique Oviedo Correa(TheSwireInstituteofMarineScience,TheUniversityofHongKong,China)

ThecoastalareaofVenezuelahasthelargestandmostconcen-tratedpopulationintheCaribbean(61%ofthecountry’spopula-tion),alongwithequallyconsiderableshippingtrafficandoneofthelargestfishingcatchesintheregion.Thisispartlyrelatedtoanimportantpelagicfishpopulation,whichsustainsthishighlevelofcoastaldevelopment.Venezuela’scoastalsosupportssomeoftherichestmarinebiodiversityintheregion.Currentstrategicpolicies,prioritizedbytheVenezuelangovernment,aimtopromoteandincreasenationalfoodproductiontoachieveself-sustainability,and,integratedwithinthesepolicies,istheimportantlocalsectorofartisanalfishing.

Coastalandneriticcriticalhabitatsofdolphinsareassociatedwithkeyecologicallydynamicprocesses,suchascoastalupwelling,andlocallyidentifiedbaysandcoveswithspecificvaluesintermofspeciesecologyandsurvival(e.g.,foragingareas).GrantingMPAstatustoidentifiedcriticalhabitatswouldpromotehealthypopulationgrowthandwiderecosystembenefits.Thus,thescopeofprotectionmightincludethebasiccomplexoftrophicrelation-shipswithupwellingsandsmallpelagicfishaggregations.

Manatees in French GuianaVirginie Dosreis (KwataNGO,FrenchGuiana)

OurmanateestudyinFrenchGuianahasusedvariousmethods.Twosurveysbasedoninterviewswereconductedin2000and2001andrevealedthewidedistributionofmanateesalongthecoastofFrenchGuiana.

Recently,moreinterviewswereundertakentoupdatetheinitialwork.Moreover,asurveymethodhasbeentestedforquantita-tiveestimationofpopulationsize,usinglateralsonartrackedinturbidwaterswithvisualconfirmation.

ThisprojectcouldbeexpandedincollaborationwithBrazilianteamsandbycomparisonwithothermonitoringmethods(e.g.,ARGOStags).Publicawarenessisneeded.

Conservation of freshwater dolphins in South America: A regional cooperation initiative among countries, stakeholders and policy makersMarcela Portocarrero-Aya (UniversityofHull,UK,andFundaciónOmacha,Colombia)

Theinitiative“AbundanceEstimationofRiverDolphinsinSouthAmerica”constitutesthefirstregionalschemefortheconser-vationoffreshwaterdolphins(Inia spp. andSotalia spp.) in

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theAmazonandOrinocoriverbasins.Sofartheinitiativehasinvolved31researchersfromsixcountriesandhasbeensup-portedbyWWF,WCS,WDCS,IUCN,WhitleyFund,NationalGeographic,FundaciónOmachaandAsociaciónFaunagua.

TheformulationoftheActionPlanfortheConservationofSouthAmericanRiverdolphins(2010-2020)managedtogatherinthesamevenueforthefirsttimegovernmentrepresentatives,policymakers,expertsonriverdolphins,freshwaterecosystemsandfisheries,anddonorsfromColombia,Venezuela,Peru,Ecuador,Bolivia,Brazil,Argentina,UK,andSwitzerland.

TheestablishmentoftheSouthAmericanRiverDolphinProtectedAreaNetwork(SARDPAN)hasbecomethethirdregionalriverdolphinconservationinitiativeinrecentyearstobringtogetherstakeholdersinvolvedinriverdolphinandfresh-waterbiodiversityconservationandprotectedareasmanagement.

Aquatic mammals as ecological indicators to integrate monitoring programs and assessments with management practicesCatalina Gomez-Salazar (DalhousieUniversity,Canada,andFundaciónOmacha,Colombia)

Theimpactsofhumanactivitiesonaquaticecosystemsaredra-maticallyincreasingandareoftenunsustainableinthelongterm.Measuringhabitatdegradationinaquaticecosystemsisextremelychallengingbecausethemajorityofconsequencesofhumanstressorsoccurunderwaterandthusarehardertotrackandmeasuresincetheyarenotusuallydetectablebythetech-nologyusedinterrestrialsystems.

Therefore,includinginformationonindicatorspeciessuchasaquaticmammalstoassess,monitorandmitigatehumanstress-orsisworthinvestigating.Aquaticmammalscouldpotentiallybeusedasecologicalindicatorswiththeaimofintegratingthemonitoringandassessmentofecosystemdegradationwithman-agementpractices.

Summary of DiscussionFollowingtheaerialsurveyconductedinFrenchGuiana,therehasbeengreatinterestinmarinemammalpopulationsfromothercountriesintheregion.Detailsofthemethodswereexplainedincludingspeciesidentification,especiallyofSotaliaspecies.Somerecommendationstoorganizenetworksweresug-gested.Venezuela’srepresentativewelcomedthiscooperationprojectandthenetworkidea.First,itisnecessarytodefinecon-servationareasandstudythem;second,thedifferentmethodsofprotectionforlandandmarineneedtobeconsidered;third,everystakeholderhastobeinvolved.Theprojectshouldtakeintoaccountallthreatsincludingtheissuesofoilspillsandshippingaccidentsaswellaschronicland(run-off),marine-basedpollu-tionandfisheriesinteractions.

SeveralstudiesonSotaliaspeciesareprogressingandSurinamehasbeguntoworkwithBrazilianandCostaRicanteams.InVenezuela’snortheasterncoast,animportantworkisongoingonacoastalpopulationofSotalia sp.,whereevidencesuggeststhattheyhaveaverysmalllocalizedhomerange.InFrenchGuiana,aswell,localteamsareworkingwithBrazilianteamsespeciallyonmanatees.Thesestudiesaretestingacousticmethodsbecausetheturbidwaterspreventvisualobservations.Anotherproblemcomesfromhumancapacitybecausetherearenotenoughresearchers.

FrenchGuianaresearchintomarineissuesprovidesanindica-tionoftheoverallsituation.However,moremonitoringandsur-veysareneededwithdifferentprioritiestolearnaboutbycatch,fine-scalespeciesdistribution,andothermatters.Itwouldbevaluabletoexchangedatabetweencountriestounderstandthecurrentsituationanddatagaps.

Adebatehasbeenengagedonresearchpriorities.Someproposi-tionswereconsideredaswellasstandardizationofdatacollec-tionorsimilarapproachesfordifferentareas(forexample,aerialsurveys).Acommonprobleminseveralcountriesinthisproj-ectisalackofmarinebiologists.Concerningspecies,Sotaliaisthepriorityspeciesinthearea.Variousmarineprotectedareasexistbut,asreportedbyeachcountry,nonehavebeencreatedformarinemammalconservation.Forexample,inVenezuelaonlyrecentlyhavecetaceanshadcriticalhabitatsidentifiedwiththepurposeofexploringconservationstrategies,specificallyforthecommondolphinandotherdelphinidsinthecentralcoastofthecountry.

Allparticipantsagreeditwasessentialtoworkwithlocalstake-holderssuchasfishermen.Marinemammalshavebeensuggestedasecologicalindicatorsandcanbeusefultotransmitscientificinformationtostakeholders.Forexample,dolphindensitycanbecombinedwithahumanstress/anthropogenicthreatsindex.

Tobuildthisregionalproject,varioussuggestionshavebeenmadebyparticipants,whowereconsciousofthevariouscom-plexpoliticalandenvironmentalaspects.Muchinformationisneeded.Countrieshavemarineprotectedareas(thoughprinci-pallynotcreatedbasedonmarinewildlifedensities)buttherearegapsinmanagementandfunding.Itcouldbevaluabletodevelopanactionplanbutatriggerisneeded.

Recommendations from Workshop 5ToinitiatecooperationonmarinemammalsinthenortheasternLatinAmericanregion,Workshop5participantswillconcentratefirstonobtaininganddisseminatingknowledge.Allspeciesintheregionshouldbeconsidered,butspecialattentionshouldbeaffordedtoSotaliaspecies.

Intheshortterm,Workshop5participantsintendto:

(1)UpdateandcompletetheICMMPA2Workshop5back-groundpaper;

(2)OrganizeanewworkshoptobeheldinSeptemberorOctober2012,inParamaribo,Suriname,to:


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a.establishthestateoftheartonknowledgeofmarinemammals(speciesandcriticalhabitats),threatsandcurrentlegalmanagementframework,countrybycountry.Insomecases,assistancefordataanalysiswillbeneeded,and

b.setupanactionplan(includinginter aliacapacitybuildingthroughtrainingcourses,regionalsurveys,astrandingnetwork).

Inthelongerterm,Workshop5participantsrecommendthatthey:

(3)Taketheopportunityfromexistingregionalprojectstofore-seethewaytodevelopsynergies(example:RíosdeAmericaproject);

(4) ConsiderjoiningtheAmazoncooperationtreatyorganiza-tionandGuianashieldfacility;

(5)Helpeachotherdevelopastrategyforfundraising;and

(6)InvolveSPAW-RACandthefollowingcountries–Brazil,FrenchGuiana,Suriname,Guyana,Venezuela,Trinidad&TobagoandABCDutchCaribbeanislands–intheirorganization.

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Workshop 6: GOBI-UNEP/LifeWeb Technical Session: Identifying EBSAs and Critical Habitats in the Wider Caribbean and East Pacific to Inform Marine Mammal Management Planning

(cancelled as a separate workshop and included as part of Workshop 4B and Workshop 9)

Blainville’s beaked whale in the Canary IslandsPhoto by David Sellwood (courtesy Erich Hoyt, WDCS)


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Some populations of killer whales, or orcas, in the US, Canada and the Mediterranean are considered endangered by national or regional bodies. Photo by Harriet Huber, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, NOAA Fisheries

Killer whales off Kamchatka, Russia, where marine traffic, even in this remote corner of the North Pacific, is steadily increasingPhoto by Tatiana Ivkovich, Far East Russia Orca Project, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society


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Workshop 7: Immediate and Lingering Impacts of Oil Disasters on Marine Mammals: Review of Experiences and Policy Implications

Coordinators:Teri Rowles(NOAAFisheries-OPR,MarineMammalHealthandStrandingResponseProgram,USA)andDavid Mattila(IWCandNOAA-ONMS,USA)

Rapporteur: Jaclyn Taylor (NOAA,USA)

Participants: PhilippeBaillot,PatricioBernal,NancyDaves,GregDonovan,CécileLefeuvre,DavidMattila,NaomiMcIntosh,VéroniqueMoriniere,JoséTrudaPalazzo,Jr,TeriRowles,RicSagarminagavanBuiten,AurelieTasciotti,JaclynTaylor,StevenTucker,ChloëWebster,RobWilliams,MikeZiccardi,others

IntroductionEveryoilspill,bothlargeandsmall,offersanopportunityforlearningexperiences.Inthewakeofthelarge-scaleDeepwaterHorizonOilSpillintheGulfofMexicoin2010,thelargestoilspillinUShistory,therehavebeenmorequestionsabouttheimpactsofoildisastersonmarinemammalsandwhatmightbedonetomitigatetheeffectsbothshort-andlong-termandtopre-parebetterforfuturespills.Thisworkshop,withexpertsinbothmarinemammalsandoilspillresponse,examinedtheeffectsonmarinemammalsandconsideredvariousscenariosandstrate-giesforoilspillpreparednessandresponse.Recommendationsfocusedonhowthesituationcanbeimproved.

Presentations

Oil spill contingency planning response strategies and toolsVéronique Moriniere (RAC/REMPEITC–Caribe,Curaçao,CaribbeanNetherlands)

TheREMPEITCistheRegionalMarinePollutionEmergencyInformationandTrainingCenterintheWiderCaribbeanRegion.ItisajointIMOandUNEPcenter,andisoneofthethreeRegionalActivityCenters(RAC)oftheCaribbeanEnvironmentProgram(CEP)ofUNEP,relatedtotheOilSpillProtocoloftheCartagenaConvention.Oneofitsmainmissionsistopromoteinternationalcooperationandpreparednessonoilspillresponse.ItworkswiththegovernmentsoftheWiderCaribbeanregionorganizingactivities,suchastraining,seminarsandexercises,atbothnationalandregionallevels.

Thekeyforanefficientoilspillresponseispre-planning.Themechanismsfortheestablishmentoftheresponseandman-agementtoolsmustbepre-definedinOilSpillContingency

Plans.Theseplansmustdefinethreelevelsofresponsecapabili-ties:local,nationalandinternational(tier1to3).ContingencyPlanningincludesthedefinitionofareasatrisktobeprotectedinorderofpriority,andthewildlifeprotectioncommunityhasanimportantroletoplayinthispre-definition.

Worldwide,thereexistsanumberofinternationalandregionalorganizationsinvolvedinoilspillpreparednessandresponse,includinggovernmentalorganizations,industries,andNGOs.Onechallengefortheoilspillresponsecommunityistocommu-nicate,worktogetherandsharetheresources,especiallyinlessdevelopedareaswheretheresourcesarescarce.AnexampleofacooperationagreementistheGlobalInitiative,ledbytheIMOandIPIECA(InternationalPetroleumIndustryEnvironmentalConservationAssociation),whichimplementprogramsinsev-eralregionsoftheworldtopromotecooperationbetweengov-ernmentsandindustry.

Promotingcooperationalsoincludesmakingsurethatallresponsepartiesknoweachotherandarewellconnected.REMPEITC’srepresentationatthis2ndICMMPAwasanoppor-tunitytodiscussthisimportanttopic:marinemammalsexperts,availabletoworkonoilspillresponseandrescueissues,havetobefamiliarwithoilspillresponsestrategiesandmanagement,andoilspillrespondershavetobefamiliarwithmarinemam-malsandotherwildlifespecificissuesandproblems.

Anexampleofcooperationbetweenthesetwoworldsisthecur-rentprojectoftheREMPEITCtodevelopaGIS-baseddatabaseonthemaritimeroutesintheWiderCaribbeanRegion(tobeavailableonlineattheendoftheyear).Thisprojectwillconsti-tuteanimportanttoolforoilspillriskassessmentintheregion,butitcanalsobeofgreatinterestforMMPAtopics.Thetworegionalactivitycenters(RACs)oftheCaribbeanEnvironmentPlan,theSPAW-RACandtheREMPEITC-RAC,havebeencom-municatingtosharedata.

The Effects of Oil on Marine MammalsTeri Rowles (NOAAFisheries-OPR,MarineMammalHealthandStrandingResponseProgram,USA)

Marinemammalprotectedarea(MMPA)managersandmarinemammalscientistsmayhavemanyrolesduringanoilspillincludingrolesinwildliferesponse,impactassessment,miti-gation,andlong-termassessments.OfcriticalimportancetoMMPAmanagersisthescientificinformationonoilspillimpacts


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fromdirectorindirectexposuretooilandfromresponseactivi-tiessuchasdispersantapplicationsandin-situburnoperations.

Oilisacomplexmixtureofproductsandchangesovertimeastheoilisweathered.Thetoxicorphysicaleffectsofoilaredependentonthetypeofoil,thestatusoftheoil(weathering),exposure(inbothdoseandroute),thespeciesaffected,andtheoverallphysi-ological/biologicalstatusoftheindividualaffected.Somespe-cies,suchasottersandfurseals,havesignificantimpactsduetothephysicaleffectsoftheoilandmaybeobviousduringaspill;othersmaybesensitivetothetoxicologicaleffectsthatmaynotbeobviousineithertheshort-orlongterm.Intheplanningandresponsestage,theavailabilityofenvironmentalsensitivitymapsiscriticaltoprotectingareasorspeciesyetmostnationalorinter-nationalplansoftenincludeonlyshorelineorcoastalsensitivitymapsandnotoceanicsensitivitymaps.Therearepublisheddataonimpactsonpinnipedsandotterswhichincludebothexternalandinternaloilingeffects;forexample,impactsonreproduc-tion,survival,andorganpathology(neural,respiratory,blood,immune,liver,andkidney).Thereare,however,sparsedataonacuteeffectsoncetaceansandsomepublishedreportsdocument-inglossofindividuals(e.g.,inthecaseoftheorcasaftermissingfromtheirpodaftertheExxonValdezoilspill).

Aspartofamanager’sresponsibilities,documentationofexpo-sureandeffectsduringthespillandmediumtolong-termassess-mentsafterthespillareimportant.DuringDeepwaterHorizon,assessmentofcetaceansbothinshoreandoffshoredidoccuruti-lizingstrandinginformation,photo-ID,biopsy,tagging,passiveacousticmonitoring,andsurveys(boat-basedandaerial).MMPAmanagersshouldbefamiliarwiththepotentialimpactsofbothoilandresponseactivitiesandshoulduseappropriatetoolsandtechniquestodocumentacute,medium-andlong-termimpactsonpopulationsandtheir ecosystems.

Overview of oil spill response for marine mammals in the USMike Ziccardi (OiledWildlifeCareNetwork,USA)

IntheUnitedStates,thereisarequirementforAreaContingencyPlanstoprovideforaspecificfishandwildliferesponseplantominimizedisruptiontothemandtheirhabitat.Fundingtorespondtooiledwildlifeistheresponsibilityofthespilleror,ifthespillerisnotidentified,federalfundingmanagedbytheUSCoastGuardisavailable.Toassistwiththis(aswellastoorganizeresponseifandwhenneeded),NOAAhasdeveloped,andconductstrainingin,MarineMammalOilSpillResponseGuidelines(MMOSRG)–alivingdocumentthatchangesaftereverymajorevent,includingtheDeepwaterHorizonspill.

Thispresentationdetailedthekeyaspectsoftheseguidelinesasrelatedtomarinemammalcollection,care,andreadinessactivitiesasanexampleofhowanintegratedprogramcanbeimplementedtoprotectmarinemammalsduringsuchincidents.Ifwarranted,thismodelcouldbeeffectivelyusedformarineprotectedareasonaninternationallevelinorderto:

• Combinemammal-specificinformationintocontingencyplans.

• Developresourcesneededtorapidlyandeffectivelyrespondduringincidents.

• Integratelocalresourcesforimmediateandinter-mediatemonitoringprograms.

Summary of DiscussionParticipantsdiscussedtheinternationalcoordinationforoilspills.FortheWiderCaribbean,theRAC/REMPEITCdoestheplanning.Internationally,thereisadatabaseforalloftheexistingnationalcontingencyplans.ThereissomeinternationalcoordinationfromtheIMO,buteachcountrycoordinatesitsownresponse.IMO’sroleistoexchangeinformationwithothercountries,buttheinformationisfragmented.Thereisnosinglelocationforalloftheinformation.

Whataboutpost-responsemonitoring?Ifpost-responsemoni-toringisinthecontingencyplan,thenitmaybeincludedaspartoftheresponse.Eachcountryhasitsownpolicyonwhentostarteachphaseofanoilspillresponsefrominitialresponsetoinjuryassessmentandlong-termmonitoring.EvenintheUSOilPollutionActof1990(OPA90),itisstilldifficulttoobtainfund-ingforanythingbeyondtheactualresponsephaseandthereareregionaldifferencesbetweenwhatiscoveredinwildliferesponse.Whentheinitialresponseends,theCoastGuardandresponsiblepartymaydisappearinsomecountriesorsomesituations.Thenitisnotclearwhopaysfortheinjuryassessmentandthepost-responseandlong-termmonitoring.Internationally,thereisnoarequirementfordamageassessmentorforlong-termmonitoring.

Everycaseisdifferent.Isthereaplacewherepeoplecangotolearnfromotheroilspillresponseexperiences?TheIMOhasmeetingswithexpertsallovertheworld,butthemainfocusisontheoperationalportionoftheresponseandcleanup.Itincludesresponseandtheeffectsonnaturebutthewildlifeimpacts,particularlymarinemammals,maynotbeincludedasastrongcomponentofthepost-responsereviewandreporting.

Fortankerspills,theITOFalsoprovidessummaryplanningdocuments.FortheUS,themostcompletesourceofinforma-tionistheCoastGuard’sincident-specificpreparednessreviews,availableonline.

Itwasmentionedthatdispersantsdohelpwithbiodegrada-tionoftheoilbutPAHs(crudeoilcalledpolycyclicaromatichydrocarbons)areverypersistentintheenvironmentandmayremainlongerthanisevidentintheactualvisibleoil.Theuseofdispersantsdoesn’tmeantheoilisgone;itwillnotdegradethatquickly.Theoilisjustdisplacedintosmallerdropletsandintothewatercolumn,butitisstillthere.

WasthereanoverloadordysfunctionoftheIncidentCommandSystem(ICS)byhavinghandledbothresponseanddamageassessmentinaspillofthesizeofDeepwaterHorizon?UnderOPA90,damageassessmentisoutsideoftheunifiedcommand.Whenresponseandnaturalresourcedamageassessment(NRDA)overlapwithalimitedorthesamestaff,itistaxingtostaff.At

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heightoftheresponse,therewereover47,000peopleactivelyworkingontheresponseincludingprivategroupsworkingontheirown.Wenowknownewcomplexitiesofworkingonaspillofnationalsignificance.

Regardingpublicpressureputonresponsedecisions(e.g.,tosavetouristbeachesvs.savingthewhales),throughoutaspillresponsetherearecompetingneedsandenvironmentaltradeoffdecisionsthathavetobemade.Humanandenvironmentalimpactshavetobeconsidered.WithintheICSduringanactualresponse,onehopesthereisenoughknowledgetoknowwhatthecriticalresourcesarethathavetobedealtwith.Attimesitisdifficulttoemphasizetheimportanceofthemarshandseagrass.Thepublicwantsthebirdsandwhalessavedovertheseagrass.Peopleoftendon’tunderstandtheinterconnectionofthese.Pre-planningiscriticalinordertohavethosediscussionsofsensitivitybeforeaspillratherthanhavingthosediscussionsduringaspill.

DuringDeepwaterHorizon,theUSCoastGuardgotagoodles-soninhandlingpublicaffairsandwasinitiallybehindonthecommunicationstothepublic.TheCoastGuardbeganholdingpublicmeetingstocommunicatethereasonsbehindtheresponsedecisions.Thehopeisthatyouhavetheresourcetosavetheani-malsandthehabitatandamechanismforinputfromthepublic.Beforethespillresponsestarts,theenvironmentaltrade-offsshouldbediscussedbetweentheresponsecommunityandthewildlifeorenvironmentalcommunityandpossiblythepublic.Itisbesttoevaluatetheoptionsanddevelopcommunicationstrat-egiesinacalmsituation,notduringtheheightoftheresponse.

Wearealsomissingoutonhugeopportunitiestolearnfromsmalleroilspills.Thelessonsarethatweshouldstronglyencour-agedebriefingsandlessonslearnedfromsmallerspillswhichoccurmoreoften.Ofcourse,itisalsoimportanttohaveadequatesciencetosupportdecisions.

Discussion Toward Recommendations Marinemammalsarelong-livedanimals,anditisdangerousforshort-termstudiestomakepronouncements.Weneedtobelook-ingatlong-termmonitoringstudies.InthecontextofMPAs,weneedtoknowmuchbetterwhatwemeanbybaselines.WeneedabetterideaofwhatthevariabilityisandwhattypesofwildlifepopulationswehaveinMPAs.Thelikelyeffectsfromaspillcanbedifficultormeaninglesstodetectintheshortterm.Itisalsodifficulttomaintainfundingforlong-termstudies.Duringaspill,thereneedtobeinvestigationsonanimalsthathavebeenimpactedaswellason“unimpacted”animalsforcomparisons.Thereneedtobeshort-termandintermediatetermassessments.Thereneedstobepost-releasemonitoringofreleasedanimals(bothbeachreleaseandrehabilitationrelease)aswellthosethatwereassessedduringthespill.

IntermsoftabletopexercisesthatcouldbedevelopedfromtheDeepwaterHorizonexperiencesandsharedwithmanagers,thepartnershipbetweentheOiledWildlifeCareNetwork(OWCN),NOAAandtheUSCoastGuardwillincorporatewildlifeinthetabletopexercisesthatalreadyexist.Theresponseandwildlifecommunitiesneedtounderstandeachother.Themostrecent

drillinCaliforniahadalargecontingentfromtheChannelIslandsNationalMarineSanctuary.Thingsarechanging.Iftherearedrillsandexercisesthatareplanned,itisimportanttojoinearlytobeincludedintheexercise.TheREMPEITCexercises,however,donotincludemarinemammalsandonlybrieflymen-tionwildliferecovery.

Marinemammalsarenotincludedinbroaderdisasterresponses–hurricanes,typhoons,etc.Marinemammalsneedtobeincludedindrillsforbroadernaturaldisasters.

Findingqualifiedpersonnelcanbedifficult.NewZealandhasagoodnationalplan.Intheirplan,theyidentifyinternationalgroupsaheadoftimeandatatier3responsetheywillcallininternationalexpertstohelp.Thebestthingtodoistogetinvolvedwithsomeoftheinternationalprograms–some10organizations.OWCNisfundedtorespondtoandprepareforeventsinCalifornia.Theyarealwaysinterestedinpromotingtrainingandoutreach.

IntheRussianFederation,typicalofotherplaces,theoilcom-panyisinchargeoftheresponseandhastheplan.Oilcompa-nieshavecontingencyplansandareofteninchargethroughprofessionalgrouporganizations.IfOSRisrespondingtoaspillandthereisnowildlifeplaninplace,theycandosomeoftheresponsethroughexistingagreements.

IntheUSArctic,theUSCleanSeaswouldbetheleadforcleanup–includingfortheAlyeskapipelines.

Thereisnoprofessionalbodythatisgearedtoreviewingcompa-nies’responseplans.Bestthingistoidentifysomeoneyoutrusttoreviewwouldbeagoodthing.

Humanerrorandequipmentfailurearetheleadingcausesofoilspills.Oilcompanypracticesandsafetycanvarybycounty.Notallcountrieshavecontingencyfundingifthepolluterdoesn’tpayforthecleanup.ThatseemstoonlyhappenintheUS.Spillersinsuranceiswhatpaysfortheresponseinmanyinstancesandthatusuallyhasaceilingwhichlimitsthefundsavailable.Thereisabigdifferenceifaspilltakesplaceinacountry’sEEZorifitoccursoffshoreoutsideofnationaljurisdiction.

Someofthepossibleneeds,recommendationsandotherdesiredoutcomesthatwereidentifiedandputonthetable,andleduptothefinalrecommendations,include:

• Contingencyfundsareneededinternationallywithadvanceplanning.WaysshouldbefoundtogainthefundsthoughMPAs.

• Astrongpartofthelawoftheseaisfreetransitforships.WehaveusedthetermMPAtoshowthatanareaisnotano-takezone.ItmightbenecessarytonarrowthetermMPAtomeanno-takezonesforareaswherewewantahighlevelofmarinemammalprotection.ThechallengeforprotectionismostlywiththehighseaswheresomefeeltherearenoagreementstoestablishlargeMPAs.Theideaofprotectingareasinthehighseasresonateswithpeople,buttheideaofenforcementandsurveillancewouldbedifficult.


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• Weneedtomovetowardsamoreconsistentprocessfortheresponsiblepartywhenanspilleventhappens–somethingthatcaneasilyfitintotheirbusinessplan.

• InternationalorganizationssuchasIMOITOPF/Industries,IPIECA,ARPEL,APIshouldbeencouragedtoworkincooperationwithmarinemammalspecialistsforoilspillresponsecontingencyplanning.

• Marinemammalspecialistsshouldbeencouragedtopresentimpactsofoilsspillsonanimalsatkeyindustrymeetings.

• Allmarinemammalprotectedareamanagersshouldbeurgedtoworkwiththegovernmentornationalauthoritiestobeincludedintheregionaloilspillresponsecontingencyplanningandtraining.

• TheICMMPAshouldpresentanddistributetheseproceedingsatInternationalOilIndustryConferences.

Recommendations from Workshop 7Recognizingthatmanyinternationaloilspillcontingencyplansdonotincludemarinemammalsormarinemammalprotectedareas,Workshop7recommendsthattheICMMPAsteeringcommitteeandMMPAmanagersshould:

• WorktogethertoencourageinternationalorganizationssuchastheIMO,ITOPF,IPIECA,ARPEL,andAPI14toworkincooperationwithmarinemammalspecialistsforoilspillresponsecontingencyplanning,drills,andpreparednesstoensureamoreconsistentprocessandexpectationforoilspill(orotherhazard/disaster)responses,and

• Workwiththeappropriategovernment(s),nationalauthorities,orinternational/regionalbodies(suchastheRegionalActivityCenters)toensurethatMMPAsandmarinemammalsareincludedinnational/regionaloilspillresponsecontingencyplans,trainingactivities,andresponses.

Thereremainstoolittleinformationonindividualandpopula-tioneffectsofoilonmarinemammals,particularlycetaceansandsirenians.Recognizingthedifficultyinunderstandingtheimpactsespeciallyinlong-livedanimals,theWorkshop:

Stronglyencouragesdebriefings,lessonslearned,andpubli-cationofsuchevaluationsfromallspills,includingbothlargeandsmallspills,andincidentsthatresultintheoilingofmarinemammalswithoutadeclaredspill;

RecommendsthatMMPAmanagersandthemarinemammalscientificcommunitydevelopbaselineinformationonthevari-abilityandtypesofpopulationsinMMPAs(includingtempo-ral,spatial,andotherbiologicalaspects)andthatshort-and

14 Acronyms used are as follows: IMO – International Maritime Organization; ITOPF – International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation; IPIECA – Global Oil and Gas Industry Association for Environmental and Social Issues; ARPEL – Regional Association of Oil, Gas and Biofuels Sector Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean; API – American Petroleum Institute .

long-termstudiesbeundertakenusingappropriateassessmenttoolssuchasstrandings,photo-ID,biopsy,andsurveys,usingsolidsciencetosupportdecisions;and

Recommendshavingjointinternationalstrandingnetworksandoilspillworkinggroups.

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Workshop 8: Conservation of Sirenians

Chair: John Reynolds (MoteMarineLaboratory,USA)

Rapporteurs: Anaïs Gainette(NationalParkofGuadeloupe,Guadeloupe)and Gaël Hubert (SPAW–RegionalActivityCentre,Guadeloupe)

Participants: AnaïsGainette,GaëlHubert,BorisLerebours,HervéMagnin,BenjaminMoralesVela,OscarRamírez,JohnReynolds,VincentRidoux,LorenzoRojasBracho,HélèneSouan,FernandoTrujillo,AlessandraVanzella-Khouri

Introduction and GoalsThesessionwasdevelopedaroundseveralpresentations,sum-marizedbelow.Followingthepresentations,alivelydiscussionfocusedprimarilyaroundthere-introductionofmanateesinnearbyGuadeloupe.Nonetheless,asetofover-archingrecom-mendationswasmade.ManythanksgotoAnaïsGainetteandGaëlHubertforvolunteeringtoserveasrapporteursandfordoingaterrificjob.

Fortworeasons,thepresentationsfocusedtoalargeextentonongoingmanateespatialmanagementintheWiderCaribbean.Themainreasonwasthat,givenconstraintsontravelandcom-petitionwithotherconferences,attendancebyCaribbean-basedprofessionalswasmoreassuredthanwasattendancebypeoplefromotherlocations.Inaddition,though,excitingongoingeffortsinthewiderCaribbeanprovideamodelforsomecreative,effectiveandinstructivemodelsthatcouldbetransferredandappliedtosireniansinotherpartsoftheworld.

Thus,thegoalsoftheworkshopwereto:

• DiscussconservationofsireniansandtheroleMPAscouldandshouldplayinconservationofthisorder.

• Examinespecificcausesofsuccessandfailureofexist-ingprograms.

• ProvideavisionofmanateeconservationintheWiderCaribbeanandexploretherolethatnationalandinter-national(e.g.,LifeWeb)programscouldplay.

• Describecreativeandnoveloptions(e.g.,reintroduc-tions)ofmanateesintoexistingandeffectiveMPAs,asapowerfultoolforregionalconservation.

• SolicitrecommendationsregardingoptimizationofMPAsforsirenianconservation.

Presentations15

Conservation of sireniansJohn Reynolds (MoteMarineLaboratory,Florida,USA)

Reynoldsbeganbydefiningtheterm“conservation”inaman-nerthataddressedbothcurrentandfuturethreats,highlightingconsiderationsofbothspeciesandtheirenvironments,andthatclearlyincludedhumansandtheirneedsandactivities.Reynoldsindicatedthatkeystosuccessinthedevelopingcountriesarenotrelatedtosciencesomuchastoalleviationofpovertyandfoodinsecuritiesandcreationofalternativelivelihoods.HeillustratedthiswithanexamplefromMozambique’sBazarutoArchipelagoNationalPark.Indeed,insuchcountries,thevalueofadeadanimalismoreimportantthanthatofalivinganimal.Untilthatsituationchanges,conservationofsireniansisgoingtobeextremelydifficult,ifnotimpossible.

Conservationcanoccurwithoutscienceifthepoliticalwillexiststoconserve;conversely,evenwithgreatscientificinfor-mation,conservationmayfailwithoutappropriatepoliticalwill.Reynoldsindicatedthatconservationistsneedtoestablishcleargoals;confrontthefactthatconservationisvalues-based,morethanitisbasedonscience,andestablishacentralroleinconservationofvalues;adoptageocentricconservationethic;clarifyissuesoftemporalandgeographicscale;andestablishfundamentalprinciplesforthe21stcentury.Optimally,conser-vationeffortsshouldinclude:long-termfunding;aproactive,notreactiveapproach;appropriatebutnotexcessiveinfrastructure;acoherentideology;leadership;creativity(i.e.,notbeweddedtotraditional,oftenunsuccessfulapproaches);interdisciplinaryteams(ecologists,economists,sociologists,amongotherdisci-plines);andtransparencyincommunication.

Toolsforconservationincluderegulatorytoolsthatoftenfailtoworkwell(e.g.,legalprotection,enforcement,andaquaticpro-tectedareas)aswellasenablingtools.Thelatter,whicharewelldescribedintherecentlypublishedEcology and Conservation of Sirenia: Dugongs and Manatees,16includebutarenotlimitedto:education/awareness;communitypartnerships(assireniansoftenlivenearhumans);spatialmanagementofrisks;andeco-nomicincentivesandothereconomicstoolssuchaseconomicmortgages,cashpaymentincentives,andconditionalcashtrans-fersforpoorcountries.

15 TherewastohavebeenoneadditionalpresentationbyEllenHinesentitled“EvolvingMPAmonitoringintomarinespatialplanning:Aligningscienceandpolicytoconservedugongsandtheirhabitat.”Thespeakerwasunabletoattendduetoanunforeseen,last-minuteconflict.16 Marsh,H.,T.J.O’Shea,andJ.E.Reynolds,III.2011.Ecology and Conservation of Sirenia: Dugongs and Manatees.CambridgeUniversityPress.


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Reynoldsconcludedthatconservationeffortsmustrecognizethemultiplevaluesofecosystems,placeahighvalueonconser-vation,andbetransparentandproactive.Individualsengagedinsucheffortsmusthavecourage;becreative,imaginative,andopportunistic;andfocusonwinningwars,noteverybattle.MPAsneedtobeacomponentofconservationstrategies,buttheymustbecomemorethan“paperparks”.

Conservation of manatees in the wider Caribbean: Vision, initiatives, momentum, and transferabilityAlessandra Vanzella-Khouri (UNEPCaribbeanEnvironmentProgramme,Jamaica)

Coauthors: Hélène Souan(SPAW–RegionalActivityCentre,Guadeloupe)andJohn Reynolds (MoteMarineLaboratory,Florida,USA)

Vanzella-Khouribeganbydescribingthegeographic,political,environmentalandeconomicattributesoftheWiderCaribbeanRegion.Shenotedthatthereismostlyinsufficient,anecdotalinformationonthestatusofthemanateeshere.TheAntilleansub-speciesisendangered,withperhaps4,000-5,000widelyscat-teredindividuals(comparedtonearly5,000FloridamanateesinFlorida).Majorregionalissuesforsustainabilityofwildlifeandecosystemsincludeclimatechange,invasivespecies,andexpan-sionofcoastaldevelopment.

IntheCartagenaConventionanditsProtocolforSpeciallyProtectedAreasandWildlife(SPAW),themanateewas,fromtheoutset,apriorityspeciesforactionbythegovernments.ThefirstregionalmanagementplanforthemanateewasadoptedbythePartiestotheCartagenaConventionin1995.ArevisedManateeRegionalManagementPlan17fortheWestIndianmanateewaspublishedin2010aroundthesametimethataregionalMarineMammalActionPlan(MMAP)wasdevelopedandapprovedbythePartiestoSPAW.

Vanzella-KhourireviewedtheprovisionsoftheregionalMMAP.ShenotedthelackofinformationonthestatusandabundanceofmarinemammalsintheWiderCaribbean;thecontinuedexploitationoftheresource;habitatdeterioration;limitedpro-tectionmeasures;insufficientnationalcapacityforresearch,enforcementorconservation;andfragmentedornon-existingpolicy.Thefive-yearprioritiesoftheMMAPinclude:improvingknowledge;enhancingcapacitytoaddressandmanagethreats;developinganexpertgrouptoguideimplementationoftheplan;andimprovingresearchandconservationcapacity.ManateeresearchandconservationareanimportantcomponentoftheregionalMMAP,inadditiontothemanatee-specificmanage-mentplan.Thelatterprovidesbothanoverallregionalreview(coveringtaxonomy,ecologicalimportance,generalstatusin

17 UNEP2010.RegionalManagementPlanfortheWestIndianManatee(Trichechus manatus)compiledbyEsterQuintana-RizzoandJohnReynoldsIII.CEPTechnicalReportNo.48.UNEPCaribbeanEnvironmentProgramme,Kingston,Jamaica.

theregion)andnationalstatusaccount(focusingoncountry-by-countryanalysis,statusanddistribution,majorthreatsandconservation,legislationandconservation,socio-economicsig-nificancetolocalcommunities).

TheCaribbeanEnvironmentProgramme(CEP)andtheSPAWRegionalActivityCenter(SPAW-RAC)worktogethertoimple-mentrelevantprovisionsofboththeCartagenaConventionandtheSPAWProtocol.Theirjointeffortsinvolvefocusedconser-vationactionsformanatees,aswellasactiontoprotecthabitatandtobuildlocalandregionalcapacitytoidentifyandmitigatethreats.

Someofthelessonslearnedhavebeenthat(a)transboundarycooperation(regional,multilateral,bilateral)andintegratedapproachesaremoreusefulthanmorefocusedefforts;(b)regionalinitiativestaketimeandcommitmenttoachieve;(c)aregional,integrated,legalframeworkforcooperationisessentialtopursuecommongoalsandpriorities;(d)meaningfulactionsrequireandarebestdeliveredwithpartners,withcommonvisionandobjectives;and(e)ultimately,politicalwilliscriticaltotheachievementofobjectives.

The LifeWeb program as a potential tool for sirenian conservation in MesoamericaHélèneSouan(SPAW–RegionalActivityCentre,Guadeloupe)

Coauthor: Alessandra Vanzella-Khouri (UNEPCaribbeanEnvironmentProgramme,Jamaica)

ManateesarethreatenedthroughoutMesoamerica.Thereisadramaticneedtodevelop(a)protectedareasformanatees,(b)transboundarycooperation,and(c)spatialmanagementeffortsinvolvingallthecontiguouscountriesofthissub-region.

TheUNEPLifeWebproject“Broad-scalemarinespatialplan-ningofmammalcorridorsandprotectedareasintheWiderCaribbeanandSoutheastandNortheastPacific”wasinstitutedbythegovernmentofSpaintopromotebroad-scalemarinespa-tialplanningtoprotectmarinemammalhabitats.Thegoaloftheprojectistoimproveprotectionofmarinemammalsthroughthedevelopmentandenforcementofappropriatetoolsinclud-ingMPAsandtravelcorridors.Itseekstointroduceintegratedplanningapproaches,technicalguidance,regionaltrainingandlearningexchange.Thesuccessoftheprojectdependstoagreatextentonpoliticalwillineachcountry.

TheLifeWebprojectonmarinemammalshasmultiple,inter-linkedcomponents.Forexample,component1requiresregionalintegration,mappingandGISanalysisofmarinemammalmigra-tionroutes,corridorsandhabitats.Therelevantdatasetsconsid-eredforintegrationincludenotonlybiological/ecologicaldataonspecies,butalsodataoneffectsthathumanactivitiescanhaveonmarinemammals(e.g., directandindirecteffectsoffisheries).Themaintasksassociatedwithachievingthegoalsofcompo-nent1includeaninventoryandcollationofexistingecological

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andsocio-economicdatainacoherentformat,followedbyGISanalysisandmappingofecologicalandsocio-economicinfor-mationtoregionallyvisualizecriticalhabitatsandkeyareasformarinemammals–locationswheremarinemammalconser-vationisaffectedbyspecifichumanactivitiesandwhereactivemitigationorconservationareurgentlyneeded.

Component2involvesregionaltrainingandlearningexchangestodevelopsharedbestpracticesandgovernanceprinciplesforsuccessfulmanagementactivities.

Theabovetwocomponentsdonotdirectlytargetmanatees,butmanateeconservationcanbenefitfromtheirimplementa-tion.DataonmanateesandsuitableMPAsarealreadybeingincorporatedintheanalysescarriedoutundercomponent1,asdescribedabove;component2canprovideimportantopportu-nitiestostrengthencapacityforandawarenessoftheneedforimprovedspatialprotectionformanatees.

Multi-nationaleffortstocreatetransboundaryMPAsthatsafe-guardhabitatessentialforfeeding,breeding,andmigrationcanbeanespeciallyusefulingredientinmanateeconservationeffortsintheCaribbeanandelsewhere.AnexpertworkinggrouponmanateeshasbeenestablishedundertheSPAWprotocoltoguideimplementationoftherecommendedactionsintheregionalmanateemanagementplan.

The establishment and challenges of the Chetumal Bay Manatee Protected AreaBenjamin Morales Vela(ECOSUR,Chetumal,México)

AlongtheYucatanPeninsulaofMéxico,manateesaremostabundantinChetumalBaywhichMéxicodesignatedasapro-tectedareaformanateesinOctober1996.AsChetumalBaylieswithintheterritorialwatersofbothMéxicoandBelize,Belizesubsequentlycreatedaprotectedareathere,too.Since1992,therehasgenerallybeenstrongbilateralcooperationtoprotectmana-tees.NewinformationwithGPStagsshowsthatmanateesmovefrequentlybetweenMéxicoandBelize.TheGPSdataalsoshowaregionalconnectionforfemalemanateesthatuseChetumalBayandalagoonsystemlocatedsomedistancesouthinBelize.Thus,cooperationbetweenthetwocountriesisindispensableformanateeconservation.

Inrecentyears,therehasbeenonlymodestenvironmentalinterestintheChetumalBayManateeProtectedAreafromtheMexicanstate(i.e.,QuintanaRoo),andlimitedmanagementauthorityexercisedbythedirectoroftheMexicanreserve.Whereasinfrastructure,federalandstatefunding,stakeholderparticipationandcommunitysupportfortheChetumalBayManateeProtectedAreawereonceverystrong,thoseparametershaveweakenedovertime.

TwokeythreatstomanateesandtheirhabitatinChetumalBayandsurroundingwatersare:highlevelsofPCBsthatexceedthecurrentthresholdfortoxicityindolphins(thresholdsforsireniansareunknown),andtheuseofnylonfishinglinesbyfishermen.

MoralesstronglyrecommendedthefollowingstepstostrengthentheMexicanmanateereserve:

• Establishanewprotectedareaunderfederaljurisdiction.

• Continuetoadvocateregionalstrategies(e.g.,theMesoamericanbarrierreefsystemproject,aLifeWebprogramformanatees).

• EncourageMéxicotosignupandbecomeaPartytotheSPAWProtocol.

The reintroduction of manatees to the waters of GuadeloupeBoris Lerebours (NationalParkofGuadeloupe,Guadeloupe)

Coauthors: Hervé Magnin (NationalParkofGuadeloupe,Guadeloupe)andJohn Reynolds (MoteMarineLaboratory,Florida,USA)

LereboursdescribedtheknownhistoryofmanateesinthenearbywatersofGuadeloupeandcitedreasonswhytheFrenchgov-ernmentandtheNationalParkofGuadeloupewishtoconsiderreintroducingthespecies.Thereasonsinclude:

• ThecurrentenhancedknowledgeofAntilleanmanateeshasaffordedtheopportunitytoexplorethereintroductionoption;

• Thehistoricalthreatsintheareawherethepopulationwouldbeestablishedarerelativelyminorandgenerallywellcontrolled;and

• Thisprojectcouldhelptherestorationofthenatural/historicalbiodiversityofGuadeloupe.TheprojecthasalsoreceivedsupportfromPartiestotheSPAWProtocolasameansbywhichtopromoteregionalconservationofmanateesintheWiderCaribbean.

TheproposedsiteofthereintroductionistheGrandCul-de-SacMarin,amarineprotectedareathatalreadycontainsno-entryzonesandexcellentinfrastructureformanagement,enforcement,andresearch.AreviewbyscientistsatMoteMarineLaboratoryindicatedthatthereintroductioncouldhaveimportantregionalimplicationsformanateesustainabilityandconservation,butthatcertainquestionsmustbeaddressed(e.g.,pollutionlevels)andcertainobstaclesovercome(e.g.,threatsoffishinggearandboats;endorsementoftheprojectbylocalstakeholders).

Lereboursdescribedtheproposedtimelinesfordifferentphasesoftheproject.Thepreparationphaseisintendedtotakeapproxi-matelyfouryears(between2009and2013),followedbyafive-yearimplementationandmonitoringphase.Theaccomplishmentstodateincludedevelopingimprovedcommunicationswithlocalfishinggroups,assessmentoforganiccontaminants(whichareatlowlevels),andestablishinganinternationalexpertwork-inggrouptoadviseontheprocess.Thechallengesthatremainincludedevelopingrelationshipswithforeigngovernmentstoprovideanimalsforthereintroduction.


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Summary of DiscussionDiscussionofthevariouspresentationsandtheirimplications,coordinatedbyReynolds,centeredontheGuadeloupereintro-ductionprojectinpartbecauseitisaregionalproject,butalsobecauseitisanovel,experimentalapproachtomanagementofsireniansandpossiblyothermarinemammals.

ThecriticalissuesofconcernregardingtheGuadeloupeprojectextendacrossarangeofeconomic,sociological,biologicalandecologicalparameters.Lerebours,Magnin,andReynoldsdealtwiththemajorityofthequestions.Attheendofthediscussion,itwasapparentthatworkshopparticipantsfeltmorecomfortableaboutthereintroductionprogramasapotential,responsibletoolformanateeconservationintheWiderCaribbean.Theissuesweremoreamatterofincompletecommunicationofinforma-tionthanoffundamentaldisagreements.Asnotedbelow,theworkshopparticipantsultimatelyendorsed,withcaution,theconceptofreintroductionofmanateesintoappropriateprotectedareas(suchastheNationalParkofGuadeloupe)asaveryusefulconservationmeasure.Attheconclusionofthediscussion,Dr.Moralesstated:“Don’tgiveupevenifitisalongroadtosuc-cess.Evenifthelegislationforthecondordidn’tauthorizetheirreintroduction,todaywehavecondors!It’sabeautifulproject.”

Reynoldsthenaskedworkshopparticipantstoconsiderbiggerpic-tureissuesregardingsirenianconservationandtherolethatMPAscouldplay.Workshopparticipantswereaskedtodevelopalistofthreekeyrecommendations,recognizingthatthelistcouldandshouldbeconsiderablylongertotrulypromotetheoptimaluseofMPAsforsirenianconservation.Inthatregard,participantsnotedthatcomprehensiveoverviewsofthetopicappearinapublicationbyMarshandMorales-Velacalled“GuidelinesforDevelopingProtectedAreasforSirenians”andinReynoldsandMorales-Vela’spresentationondayoneoftheMartiniqueconference.18

Recommendations from Workshop 8Workshop8agreestothefollowingkeyrecommendations:

AregionalapproachtoMPAsforsireniansisrecommended(e.g.,GreatBarrierReefMarineParkAuthority;northernSouthAmerica;Amazonbasin)topromotegoalsofinternationallyendorsedregionalmanagementplans(e.g.,Caribbean-wideMMPA),butaparallelprogramtoreviewandrecommendimprovementstoexisting,focused,sirenian-basedMPAsisalsoneededtoassesswhethertheyarelocatedinoptimallocations(hotspots),involveusefulprocessesandscope(bufferzones),andproduceresultsintheformofconservationbenefits.

Giventhecloseproximityofsirenianstohumancommunitiesandtheirattendantactivities,itisespeciallyimportanttodevelopachievablegoalsandactivitiesbasedinthecommunities,with

18 Marsh,H.andB.Morales-Vela.Inpress,2012.“GuidelinesforDevelopingProtectedAreasforSirenians”In:Hines,E.,J.E.Reynolds,III,A.A.Mignucci-Giannoni,L.V.Aragones,andM.Marmontel(eds.).Sirenian Conservation: Issues and Strategies in Developing Countries.UniversityPressofFlorida,Gainesville;andReynolds,J.E.andB.Morales-Vela.2011.OptimizingthevalueofMPAsforconservationofsirenians.SecondInternationalConferenceonMarineMammalProtectedAreas,7-10November,Martinique,seep10ofthisreport.

goodcommunicationandtransparencyamongstakeholders(e.g.,Chetumal BayandtheColombianAmazon).

Reintroductionprograms,suchasthatbeingdevelopedinGuadeloupe,representacreativeoptionwiththepotentialtoimprovesirenianconservation,butthoseprogramsrequirecarefulandtransparentconsiderationofscience,localculturalvalues,potentialthreats,legalconstraints,andfullstakeholderinvolvementatallstages.

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Workshop 9: Scientific Information to Support MSP: MSP for Marine Mammal Conservation, as well as Considerations of Marine Mammal Science in Broader MSP19

19 Note:Workshop9andWorkshop4BeachincorporatedpartsofWorkshop6originallyplannedasaseparateworkshoptentativelycalled“GOBI-UNEP/LifeWebTechnicalSession:IdentifyingEBSAsandCriticalHabitatsintheWiderCaribbeanandEastPacifictoInformMarineMammalManagementPlanning”.

Coordinators: Tundi Agardy(SoundSeas,USA)andPatricio Bernal(GlobalOceanBiodiversityInitiative–GOBI,IUCN,Switzerland)

Participants:TundiAgardy,PatricioBernal,AlexeiBirkun,NancyDaves,JacquesDenis,LionelGarder,FrançoisGauthiez,ChristinaGeijer,HassaniSami,TiareT.Holm,ErichHoyt,JorgeJimenez,KristinKaschner,DanLaffoley,VéroniqueMoriniere,AnneNelson,GiuseppeNotarbartolodiSciara,DenisOdy,JessicaRedfern,RicSagarminagavanBuiten,BrianD.Smith,StevenTucker,ChloëWebster,others

Introduction and OverviewThepresentationsforthiscombinedworkshopfocusedongloballevelplanningprocesses,regionalplanningprocesses,andmorelocalizedinitiativeswithinMPAs,aswellasareasinwhichMPAsdidnotyetexist.Ineffect,practitionersprovidedexperiencesandnotjustopinionsonwhatkindsofinformationaboutmarinemammalsweremostusefulforspatialmanage-mentthatspecificallytargetedmarinemammalsunderthreat–butalsowhatkindsofinformationaboutmarinemammalscouldinformbroadermarinespatialplanning(MSP),inordertoensurethatconservationofmarinemammalswasembeddedintheplanningprocessestakingplace.Thekindsofsciencediscussedincludedinformationaboutdistribution,abundance,populationtrends,behaviorandecology(especiallyintermsofcriticalareas),pressures,andimpacts.Wediscussedinforma-tionimportanttoplanning(whetherfornewMPAsiteselectionanddesign,orMSPinitiatives)aswellasinformationimportanttomanagement,suchasmonitoringtodeterminemanagementefficacyandtoallowforadaptivemanagement.

Capsulesummariesofthepresentationsforthiscafé-stylework-shopwereasfollows:

• KristinKaschnerpresentedonthemethodologysheusedintheGOBIprocess,comparinguseofdistribution/occurrencedatawithenhancedrangemaps.

• PatricioBernalpresentedontheConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD)processandGOBI,aswellasthespecialcaseofidentifyingecologicallyorbiologicallysignificantareas(EBSAs)intheArctic.

• GiuseppeNotarbartolodiSciarapresentedfindingsoftheEBSAandCHOMP(CriticalhabitatofMediterraneanpredators)initiativesintheMediterranean.

• ChristinaGeijeraddressedtheutilityoffinwhaledatainsupportingMSPintheMediterranean,highlightingtwotypesofuncertaintyandtheirimplications.

• RicSagarminagavanBuitenspoketotheuseofmarinemammalresearchfindingsininfluencingthelocationofshippinglanesintheAlboránSea,Mediterranean.

• DenisOdyaddressedmarinemammalresearchinthePelagosSanctuary(alsoMediterranean)includinginvestigationofpopulationsizeanddistribution,aswellashormonalconditionoffinwhalesasanindicationofreproductivestatus.

• BrianD.SmithpresentedworkintheSwatch-of-NoGround,Bangladesh,wheremark/recaptureandgeneticresearchhasinformedtheselectionofaprospectiveprotectedareanetwork.

Fullsummariesfollowbelow.

Presentations

Species distributions and critical areasKristin Kaschner (Univ.Freiburg,Germany)

Muchprogresshasbeenmadeoverthepast10yearstocom-pileavailableinformationonmarinemammaloccurrenceanddistributioninonlinedatarepositoriessuchasOBIS-SEAMAP(seamap.env.duke.edu/),whichintotalnowcontainmorethan700,000pointrecords.However,therearelargetaxonomicandgeographicbiasesaffectingthisdataset:Taxonomically,thedifficultieslieinthefactthatmorethanhalfoftheserecordsrepresentsightingsorstrandingsthathaveonlybeenidentifiedtothegenusorfamilylevel.Forrecordsidentifiedtothespecieslevel,thereismuchvariationindataavailabilityfordifferentspe-cies;whiletherearefewerthan10ornooccurrencerecordsformorethanathirdofallrecognizedspecies,combinedrecordsofthetop10speciesrepresent75%ofallavailabledataformarine


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mammalsavailablethroughOBIS-SEAMAP(November2011).Geographically,monitoringeffortishighlyconcentratedinnorthernhemispherecontinentalslopeandshelfwaters;eveninthemostintensivelysurveyedareas,marinemammalspeciesinventoriesremainincompleteafterdecadesofsurveyeffortsduetotherelativerarityandlowdetectabilityofmanyspecies(Kaschneretal,2011).Arecentanalysisofglobalcetaceanlinetransectcoverageestimatesthatonaverageonlyabout10%oftheknownrangeofcetaceanspecieshasbeencoveredbydedi-catedsurveysandamuchsmallerpercentagehasbeencoveredfrequentlyenoughtoallowthedetectionofrelevantpopulationchanges(Kaschneretal,submitted).

Theskeweddistributionofmonitoringeffortinthemarineenvi-ronmenthaslargeimplicationsintermsofourabilitytodirectlydeducespecieshabitatuseorbiodiversitypatternsfromavailabledata.Inaddition,italsohamperstheuseofsuchdatatogen-eratepredictionsofspeciesoccurrenceusingstandardspeciesdistributionmodelingtools.Whilesystematic,spatially-explicitgapanalysescanhelpustodevelopbetterfuturedatacollectionstrategies,thesizeofthemarineenvironmentandthehighcostsofmonitoringeffortswilllikelyprecludeanoticeableimprove-mentofthecurrentsituationintheforeseeablefuture.Inlightofurgentconservationissues,Iarguethatinthemeantimeanduntilbetterdatabecomeavailable,alternativetypesofinforma-tionneedtobeconsideredthatcaninformmarinespatialplan-ningprocessesatlargerscales.

Onepossiblealternativeistherefinementofexpert-drawnbinaryrangemapsthroughtheapplicationofmethodsthatenablethevisualizationofaspeciesenvironmentalnicheenvelope.Inessence,thesetechniquesproducedistributionmapsinaGIS/spatialmodelingframeworkthatallowsfortheincorporationofexpertknowledgeinenvironmentalratherthangeographicalspace.ExamplesincludetheRelativeEnvironmentalSuitability(RES)model(Kaschneretal.2006)ortheAquaMapsapproach(www.aquamaps.org)(Kaschneretal.2008,Readyetal.2010),bothofwhichsupplementsuboptimalpointoccurrencedatawithotheravailableinformationandexpertinputtodescribespecieshabitatusageandenvironmentalpreferencesintheformofso-callednicheenvelopes.Ideally,envelopesettingsshouldbedefinedbasedonconsensusofagroupofspeciesexpertsinaworkshopsettingorthroughaniterativeprocessinawiki-typeenvironment.Byrelatingagreedenvelopestolocalenvironmen-talconditionsingeographicspace,rangemapscanbeproducedthatbalanceerrorsofomissionsandcommissionthusnarrowingdownpotentialspeciesoccurrenceasmuchaspossible.

Theresultingdistributionshaveseveraladvantagesincomparisontostandardpresence/absencerangemaps.Firstly,mapsrepresentreproducibleandtestablehypothesesaboutspeciesdistributions,basedonclearlydescribedunderlyingassumptions,whichcaneasilybereviewedandmodifiedasnewinformationbecomesavailable.Secondly,outputscanbedisplayedintheformofgradientsofrelativehabitatsuitability,showntobecorrelatedwithrelativeoccurrenceforanumberofspecies(Kaschneretal,2006).Duringmarinespatialplanningprocesses,suchinforma-tionaboutrelativeoccurrence,especiallyforspecieswithnear

cosmopolitanranges,canbehelpfulinprioritizingimportanthabitatorareasinneedofprotectionanditcanalsoallowthevisualizationofbiodiversityhotspotswhereoptimalconditionsfordifferentspeciesmightcoincide(Kaschneretal.2011).Finally,byinvestigatingtherelationshipbetweenpredictedrelativespe-ciesoccurrenceandobserveddensities,inferencesmaybemadeaboutspeciesdensitiesinunsurveyedareas(seealsoPanel2,KristinKaschner’spresentation).20

Making visible the ultimate global commons. Identifying ecologically or biologically significant areas (EBSAs) in the ocean: the CBD processPatricio A. Bernal(IUCNHighSeasInitiative,Switzerland)

Theneedtoinformpolicyprocessesbasedonthebestscientificdataandinformationavailableisahugechallengeintheocean,duetoitsscale,fluidnatureand3-Dcharacter.Theoceanisamediumessentiallyopaquetoelectromagneticradiation,wheredirectobservationsthroughremotesensingtechniquesareseverelylimitedtothemonitoringofthesurfacelayersoftheoceanandtheinferencebyextrapolationandmodellingoftheassociated3-Ddynamics.Thisrelative“invisibility”ofthemarinerealmisatrueobstaclelimitingcomprehensionbythegeneralpublicandpolicymakersofthisfascinatingdomainofnature,thehealthyfunctioningofwhichunderpinsmuchofourlife-supportsystemonEarth.

Withthepurposeofactinginaprecautionarymannerandtocon-tributetothemanagementofmarineresourcesandtothedevelop-mentofnetworksofrepresentativeMPAs,in2008theConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD)establishedsevencriteriatoidentifyecologicallyorbiologicallysignificantareas(EBSAs):

• Uniquenessorrarity.

• Specialimportanceforlifehistoryofspecies.

• Importanceforthreatened,endangeredordecliningspeciesand/orhabitats.

• Vulnerability,fragility,sensitivity,slowrecovery.

• Biologicalproductivity.

• Biologicaldiversity.

• Naturalness.20 Referencesinthispresentationare:KaschnerK,WatsonR,TritesAW,PaulyD(2006)MappingworldwidedistributionsofmarinemammalsusingaRelativeEnvironmentalSuitability(RES)model.Marine Ecology Progress Series316:285-310;KaschnerK,ReadyJS,AgbayaniE,RiusJ,Kesner-ReyesK,EastwoodPD,SouthAB,KullanderSO,ReesT,CloseCH,WatsonR,PaulyD,FroeseR(2008)AquaMaps:Predictedrangemapsforaquaticspecies.Worldwidewebelectronicpublication,www.aquamaps.org,Version08/2010;KaschnerK,TittensorDP,ReadyJ,GerrodetteT,WormB(2011)Currentandfuturepatternsofglobalmarinemammalbiodiversity.Plos One6:e19653;ReadyJ,KaschnerK,SouthAB,EastwoodPD,ReesT,RiusJ,AgbayaniE,KullanderS,FroeseR(2010)Predictingthedistributionsofmarineorganismsattheglobalscale.Ecological Modelling221:467-478

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TheprocessofidentifyingEBSAsusingthebestscientificdataandinformationavailable,discountingtheirfurtheruseinman-agement,isequivalenttoestablishinganopen-endedscientificprogramwiththegoalofrevealingthetrueecologicalcomplexityofthis“oceaniclife-web”,updatingitasnewdataandinforma-tionbecomesavailable.

TheGlobalOceanBiodiversityInitiative(GOBI)wascreatedwiththeinitialsupportoftheGermanFederalAgencyforNatureConservation(BfN)andfundedbytheGermanFederalMinistryforEnvironment,NatureConservation,andNuclearSafety(BMU)toassistStatesandrelevantregionalandglobalorganisationstoidentifyEBSAsusingthebestavailablescien-tificdata,tools,andmethodstoprovideguidanceonhowtheCBD’sscientificcriteriacanbeinterpretedandappliedtowardsmanagement,includingrepresentativenetworksofMPAsandtoassistindevelopingregionalanalyseswithrelevantorganisa-tionsandstakeholders.

Todaywehaveafullycompetentobservationsystemforthephys-icsoftheocean.Ithasenabledtherefineddepictionatmultiplescalesofthedistributionofheatandmomentumuptosixdaysinadvance,informationcriticalforweatherandclimateforecasting.Lifeontheglobaloceanisfarfrombeinguniformlyobservedorsampled.Mostscientificobservationsofoceanlifearemadenearrichcountries,nearshoreandnearsurface.Despiteahugeincreaseincoverageandaccesstoglobaloceanbiodiversitydatainthepasttenyears,therearesignificantgapsincoveragemainlyintheSouthernHemisphere.TheNorthAtlanticiswellcovered,whileinthePacific,albeitwithrepresentativesampling,coverageismuchsparser.Coastal,surface,bottomandwatersimmediatelyoverlayingthebottomarebetterstudiedthanthevastoceaninterior.In2005therewere5millionrecordsinOBIS,whiletodaytherearemorethan31millionrecordsof112,000speciesfrom744databases.

Newwaysofobservingthelivingoceanhaveemergedandaretransformingourvision.TrackingtoppredatorsinthePacificOceanprovidesnewinsightsonthebehaviorandecologyofkeyspeciesinthemarinefoodweb:marinemammals,turtles,largemigratoryfishesandbirds.Applyingthenewtechniquesofgenomicsintheoceanwehavefoundthatitsabundanceandgeneticdiversityexceedsanythingimaginedbefore:Itisthoughtthatinoneliterofseawaterthereareabillionindividualmicrobesof24,000geneticallydistincttypes(OTUs).Researchersestimatethatmarinemicrobesmakeup50to90%oftheocean’sentirebiomass.Upward-lookingsonarplacedatthebottomgiveusdetaileddescriptionsofotherwisecrypticecologicalinteractionsbetweenverticallymigratingmeso-andmacro-zooplankton,myctophidfish,squids,marinemammalsandlargerfishes.

Finally,asanexampleofcurrentworkintheArctic,theresultsofaworkshopheldatScrippsInstitutionofOceanographyinNovember2010werepresented.Theworkshopconvened34scientistsandindigenouspeoples’representativeswithexper-tiseinvariousaspectsofArcticmarineecosystemsandspeciesandproducedasetofmapsdepicting77ArcticmarineEBSAsbasedontheCBDcriteria.Inaddition,13areaswereidentifiedwheremostorallsevenoftheCBDEBSAcriteriaweremet,and

insomecaseswithoneormoreofthecriteriaachievingagloballevelofsignificance.

How knowledge of top predators’ critical habitat can support placing Mediterranean MPAs in areas beyond national jurisdiction on the mapGiuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara(TethysResearchInstitute,Italy)

AlargeportionoftheMediterraneanSeaisstillbeyondnationaljurisdictionduetothereluctanceofmanystatesintheregiontodeclaretheirEEZs.Thus,mostMPAshavebeendesignatedinterritorialseasandthereforeonlyincoastalhabitats.Tworecent,separateeffortsaredescribedheretoidentifyopenseaareasintheregionthatwarrantprotectionduetotheirecologicalvalue.Bothwerelargelybasedonknowledgeofthedistributionandabundanceoftopmarinepredators.

Thefirsteffort,promotedbyUNEP’sMediterraneanActionPlanin2009incooperationwiththeEuropeanCommission,concernstheidentificationofsitesinMediterraneanAreasBeyondNationalJurisdictionwherethedesignationofSPAMIs(SpeciallyProtectedAreasofMediterraneanImportance)couldbeenvisagedbythePartiestotheBarcelonaConvention.ThestateoftheartonMediterraneanecologyisinsufficientasabaselinetodevelopeffectiverepresentativenetworksofMPAsintheHighSeas.InordertodelineateEBSAs(ecologicallyorbio-logicallysignificantareas)coincidingwithhighpriorityareas,andconsideringthatlargeportionsoftheMediterraneanSeaareverydata-poor,thepublishedknowledgewassupplementedwithexpertopinion.Locallyderivedindicatorswereemployedasproxiesofmarinebiodiversityhotspots.TheMediterraneanwassubdividedintoeightsub-regionsandineachoftheseatotaloftenEBSAswereidentifiedbyaskingapoolofexpertsinMediterraneanmarineecology,biodiversity,oceanography,andgeomorphology,whorecommended90polygonsthattheythoughtwererelevantfortheeffortonthebasisofsevencriteriadevelopedbytheConventiononBiologicalDiversity.

Theimpetusforthesecondeffort,presentedattheCIESMCongressofVenice(2010)derivedfromtheopportunitytodes-ignateMPAsforselectedapexmarinespecieshavingumbrellaand/orflagshipproperties,whichcouldsupporttheprotectionofawidernumberofspecies,ormarinebiodiversityingeneral,ultimatelyenhancingtheconservationstatusofthewholeregion.ThereisastrongneedintheMediterraneantointegrateplace-basedprotectionforavarietyofdifferenttaxaofapexspeciessharingthesameecosystem,sothatjustificationforMPAdes-ignationbecomesmorecompellingandthechanceofsuccessfulresultsincreases.Forexample,threatsthatmarinemammalssharewithotherspecies(e.g.,bycatch)canbeaddressedbythesamemanagementmeasures.Justasimportantly,mitigatingonemarinemammalthreat(e.g.,bycatchindriftnets)byinducingshiftsingearuse(e.g.,fromdriftnetstolonglines)mayendup


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increasingamarineturtlethreat.Sothereisaneedforinte-gratedmanagementpolicies.Acollaborativeeffortwasunder-takentomaphabitatofseveralgroupsofmarinetoppredatorandcharismaticspecies(i.e.,marinemammals,seabirds,marineturtles,sharks,andbluefintuna),inaprocessinwhichexpert-anddata-derivedknowledgeismadetooverlap.ThiseffortwasalsointendedtosupporttheidentificationofEBSAsintheMediterranean,aninitialstepintheplanningofrepresentativeregionalMPAnetworks.

Similarresultsforthetwoseparateeffortsprovidedafirstindi-cationofareasofspecialrelevancetomarinebiodiversitycon-servationintheMediterranean.Aroadmapforimplementationwassuggested,including:

• Thecreationofanad hoc multi‐disciplinarygroup(comprisedof aminimumofoneexpertforeachoftherelevantdisciplinesandmethods)chargedtoperformathoroughinventoryoftheavailableknowledgeandexpertise,includingtheidentification,enrollmentandinvolvementintheprocessofthevariousscientificinstitutionsandexpertsthatareknowntoactivelyoperateinthesub‐region.

• TheconductoftargetedresearchtodeterminewithgreaterspecificitytheecologicalcharacteristicsofeachEBSA,itsboundaries,anddirectthreatstothearea’sbiodiversity.

• AnalysestodeterminetheoptimalspatialmanagementschemeforeachoftheMPAs,includingwhetherprotectedareasshouldbezoned,whatsortofregulationsshouldbeinstituted,howareasshouldbemonitoredandregulationsenforced,andtheirappropriategovernanceregime.

• ThedevelopmentofastrategicplantoelaboratetheprioritieswithintheMPAnetwork,includingconsiderationsofthechronologyforplanningandimplementingaregion-wideMPAnetwork.

Through the lens of uncertainty: Protecting migratory habitats. Insights from fin whale conservation in the Mediterranean Sea Christina Geijer (UniversityCollege,London)

Migrationroutesrepresentcriticalhabitatsforseasonallymigrat-ingwhales.Nevertheless,veryfewmigratoryhabitatscurrentlyfallundersomesortofprotection.Onereasonforthisisthechal-lengeofuncertaintyandobtainingreliablescientificinformationtoinformconservation.Inexaminingtheperspectiveofmigra-torywhaleprotectionasseenthroughalensofuncertainty,itisusefultolookatinsightsfromfinwhale(Balaenoptera physalus)migrationandconservationintheMediterraneanSea.Asaresultofadaptationstoaspecific,semi-enclosedmarineenvironment,residentMediterraneanfinwhalesexhibituncharacteristicallydynamicmigratorybehavior.Thisinherentvariabilitycoupled

withextensiveresearchgapshasleftMediterraneanfinwhalemigrationpatternsinastateofuncertainty.

Inordertodesignmoreappropriateandeffectiveconservationstrategiestoprotectfinwhalesthroughouttheirrange,itcanbehelpfultoexaminetheconceptofscientificuncertaintyitself.Uncertaintycanbedissectedandsystematizedinto“epistemic”uncertainty–knowledgegapswhichcanbereducedbygather-ingmoredata–and“ontological”uncertainty–theinherentcomplexityandvariabilityofasystem,forwhichtheuncertaintycannotbereducedbyadditionalinformation.Themainchallengetomigratoryhabitatprotectionthroughmarineprotectedarea(MPA)networksand/ormarinespatialplanning(MSP)isahighlevelofontologicaluncertainty,sincemigrationpathwayswillbetoounpredictableforzonation.Ifhighontologicaluncertaintyprevails,itmaybemoreappropriatetofocusconservationeffortsonwider-scalerestrictionspertainingtothesector(s)present-ingthemajorthreat(s)inordertoprotectwide-rangingspeciesduringtheirmigrations.Bycontrast,ifontologicaluncertaintyislow,protectingmigratoryroutesascriticalhabitatsorzoneswithinanarea-basedconservationframeworkismorerealistic.

However,evenincircumstancesoflowontologicaluncertainty,animportantquestiontoconsideriswhetherMPAnetworksorMSPshouldbeconsideredtheobviouschoiceformigratoryhabitatconservation?Thegeopoliticalclimatewithinwhichthescienceisbeingapplied–thatis,thescience–policyinterface–influencesthechoiceofconservationtools.AstheMediterraneancasestudydemonstrates,inareasofconsiderablegeopoliticalcomplexityandlowpoliticalwill,theestablishmentoftrans-boundaryMPAnetworksandMSPrepresentsaconsiderable–andpossiblyinsurmountable–challenge.

Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in the Alborán Sea (SW Mediterranean) Ric Sagarminaga van Buiten(Alnitak,Spain)

VisualandacousticsurveysconductedintheSWMediterraneanSeabyAlnitakhaverecordeddataoncetacean,seabirdandseaturtleobservations,humanactivities,andin situnotationsforthecalibrationofoceanographictelemetrydataonphysiogra-phy,seasurfacetemperature,chlorophyll,amongotherthings.Theanalysisandmodelingofthisdatahasbeenusedtoobtainmappingdataformanagementshowingabundanceofkeypro-tectedspecies,priorityhabitat,riskzonesandestablishmentofconservationactionsundertheframeworkoftheEuropeanUnion’sMaritimeStrategyFrameworkDirectiveandtherelevantUnitedNationsorganizations(FAO,IMO,UNEP).

Since2005,inthecontextoftheEULIFENatureProjectINDEMARES,AlnitakhasincorporateddatafromelectronicmonitoringsystemssuchasPAMGUARD,Cpods,Dmons,sat-ellitetags,AISandCCTV.

Alnitak’spresentationhighlightedspecificcasestudiesshowingtheutilityandcostefficiencyofthedatacollectedanditsanalysistoputinplaceconcretemanagementmeasuresincludingdesign

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ofMPAs,spatialmanagementofhighriskfisheryoperations,andreconfigurationofmaritimetrafficseparationschemes.

Inadditiontokey,urgentissuesaddressedbyAlnitakwithregardstoriskstobiodiversityinthesectorsoffishing,defense,tourism,transportandenergy,thedatacollectediscurrentlyanimportantcontributiontoSpanishauthoritiesinchargeofMSPaspartoftheimplementationoftheMaritimeStrategyDirective.

Identification of physiological status in reproductive hormonal analysis of fin whales in the Pelagos SanctuaryDenis Ody(WWFFrance,France)

Coauthors: Brigitte SiliartandCaroline Berder(ONIRIS,France),Thierry Legavre, Ronan Rivallan and Ange Marie Risterucci(UMRAGAP,CIRAD,INRA,UniversitéMontpellier,France)andAurélie Tasciotti(WWFFrance,France)

Knowingthepopulationbirthrateanditsdynamicinagivenareacanprovideimportantinformationaboutthestateofthispopulationtomanagers.Theaimofthepresentworkistodeter-minethereproductivestatusoffinwhalesinthenorthwesternbasinoftheMediterraneanSea,andtoprovideanswersonthestatusofreproductionofindividuals(breedingmalesandpreg-nantfemales)andthebirthrateandseasonalityofreproductioninthisspecies.

BiopsyresearchatseafromMaytoOctoberwasorganizedbyWWFFrancein2010andbiopsiesof67individualswerecol-lected.Sexdeterminationandgeneticidentityusingelevenmicrosatellitelociwerecarriedoutforeachindividual.Thegeneticidentitydatawerecomparedwithin2010samplesandwith2009samples.

Therateofprogesterone,testosterone,estradiolandandro-stenedionewasmeasuredforeachsample.Allthesteroidsweremeasuredbyradioimmunoassay:RIAKitIM1188BeckmanCoulterforprogesterone,RIAKitSpectriaOD68628IDSfortes-tosterone,RIAKitSpectriaOD68633IDS(ImmunodiagnosticSystems)forestradiol,andRIAKitIM1322BeckmanCoulterforandrostenedione.

Thesexhormoneprofilesfromfatcandistinguishpregnantfemalesfrombreedingmales.Theotheranimals,femalesandnon-breedingmalescannotbedifferentiatedonlybythesexhormoneprofile.

Whentheprogesteronerateisabove100ng/gfat,thefemaleisunambiguouslypregnant.From67individualsbiopsiedin2010,14werepregnantfemales.Theresultsofthe2011campaignwillenableustocheckthepresenceofyoungandthehormonalchanges(iftherearerecaptures).

Forsexuallyactivemales,therateofandrostenedionewasgreaterthan6ng/gwithoutprogesteroneincreasing.Of67individu-alsbiopsiedin2010,30werebreedingmales.Thesetestsprovide

indirectinformationontheageofindividuals.Otherindividu-alsbiopsiedwerefemaleswithlowprogesteronelevels,orlessactivemales.

Theseasonalandannualrecapturesfinallyallowustoanalyzethehormonalchangesofindividuals.Apregnantfemalebiop-siedinJulyandinSeptember2010hadstrongprogesteronelevelsintherangeof>375ng/gfatinJulyand298ng/gfatinSeptember2010.

ThisdemographicinformationemphasizestheimportanceofthePelagosSanctuaryforfinwhaleconservation.

Scientific information for MSP: Experiences from the Swatch-of-No Ground, BangladeshBrian D. Smith (WildlifeConservationSociety(WCS),USA)

Coauthors: Rubaiyat Mowgli Mansur, Elisabeth Fahrni Mansur and Zahangir Alom (WCS,Bangladesh)

About25kmfromtherimoftheSundarbansmangroveforestlaystheSwatch-of-NoGround(SoNG),a900+meterdeepriver-erodedsubmarinecanyonthatsustainstheworldlargestsedi-mentfan.SpatialplanningforapotentialPAforcetaceansintheSoNGhasbeeninhibitedbynotbeingabletosurveyacrosstheborderwithIndiawhichiscurrentlyindispute.

TheIndianOceanisan‘ecologicalcul-de-sac’forcetaceans.CoolupwelledwatersintheSoNGmaybeavitalecologicalrefugeformobilemarinespeciesthatcannotadapttoincreasingoceantemperaturesorpotentialdeclinesinbiologicalproductivity.Indo-PacificbottlenosedolphinsarethemostabundantspeciesoccurringintheheadoftheSoNG.Knowledgeoftheirrangingpatternsisvitalfordevelopingplanstoprotectcetaceansinthesubmarinecanyon.

Vessel-basedsurveyswereconductedtophoto-identifyIndo-PacificbottlenosedolphinsintheSoNGduringthewintersea-sonsof2005-2009.Fromatotalof376dolphingroupsdetectedalongalmost8,000kmoftracklineandabout40,000dorsalfinphotographs,atotalof1,144individualdolphinswereidentifiedusingdistinctivemarksontheirdorsalfins.

Toestimatepopulationparameters,weusedaPollock’srobustmark-resightdesign.Thesetypesofmodelsusephoto-identifica-tionandsightingsdatafromopenandclosedsamplingperiods.Unliketraditionalopenmark-recapturemodels,thesemodelscanestimatetemporarymovementinandoutofthestudyarea,i.e.,whetherweweresamplingtheentirepopulationoronlyasubsetofalargersuperpopulation.

Resultsofthestudyindicateapopulationofabout2,000dol-phins.Thismakesitamongthelargestassessedofthespecies.Overallapparentsurvivalwasestimatedas0.96(95%CI=0.80-0.99).Inter-seasonalprobabilitiesoftransitioningtoanunob-servablestatewereestimatedas0.05-0.36indicatingsubstantialmovementinandoutofthestudyarea.


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Whiletheoverallnumbersofdolphinsareencouragingandsur-vivorshipappearsfairlyhigh,31.6%ofthe1,126photo-identi-fiedindividualsexhibitedmarksorwoundsthatwereprobablyrelatedentanglementswithfishinggear.IfthetruesurvivalrateforbottlenosedolphinsintheSoNGisatthelowerendofthe95%confidenceinterval,thiscouldindicateadecliningpopula-tionpossiblyduetomortalitycausedbyfisheriesinteractions.

Geneticscanbeusedtoinvestigatethepopulationidentityanddispersalofcetaceans–vitalinformationforMSP.Analysisofthemitochondrialcontrolregionof38samplesofBryde’swhalefromtheSoNGindicatedthattheyweremorecloselyalignedwiththesmallnearshoreformB. edeni intheIndo-Pacific.ComparisonswithothersamplesofB. edeni inthenorthernIndianOceanshowedremarkablylowgeneticdiversityprobablyindicatingsubstantialdemographicconnectivity.Futuremicro-satelliteanalysesofgeneticsamplesshouldprovideinformationondispersalpatterns.

TakehomelessonsforMSPfromourexperienceintheSoNGare:

• Innovativetechniquesforestimatingpopulationparameterscanprovideinformationaboutmovementsinandoutofastudyarea,whichmaybeboundedbyinternationalborders,fieldlogistics,orlackoffundingtoexpandthestudytoalargerarea.

• ThisinformationisvitalforknowingifaPAorPAnetworkistoosmalltoencompasscriticalhabitatforanentirecetaceanpopulation.However,ifthePAorPAnetworkisfoundtobetoosmall,littleinformationisprovidedonhowlargeitshouldbeorhowthearea(s)shouldbeconfigured.

• Geneticsareanotherpowerfultoolforansweringsomeofthesamequestionsbutgenerallyoveralargerareaandlongertime-scale.

• Informationprovidedbyrobustpopulationestimationtechniquesandgeneticsisagoodstart,butinsufficientforMSP.InsituationsliketheSoNG,transboundaryresearchinitiativesareanessentialnextstep.

Conclusions from Workshop 9• Onthebasisofpresentationsandthefollow-up

discussion,Workshop9generatedthreeclassesofconclusionsandrecommendations:

• HighlightsofthekindsofscienceprovingmostusefulforMSP.

• ConsiderationsfortheuseofmarinemammalscienceinMSP(includingconstraintstotheabove).

• Actionitemsneedingtobetakenupbythemarinemammalcommunitywritlarge,theICMMPAsteeringcommittee,andthenewlyformedMarineMammalScienceinMSPNetwork.

Themainfindingsaresummarizedasfollows:

Kinds of data and information most useful

Marinemammalscienceisneededtoinformplanningandmanagement–i.e.,monitoringthatallowsforadaptiveman-agement.Priorityscientificinformationincludesdistributionofkeymarinemammals(beyondjustoccurrence),abundance,populationdynamics,populationtrends,populationgenetics,pressures(humanusesofconcurrentspace),andimpactsonmarinemammals.Theuseofsciencetoprovideinformationonthresholds,andidentificationofchangeindicators,isparticularlyimportantformanagers.TheidentificationandquantificationoftheextentofexistingandpotentialconflictsbetweenmarinemammalsandvarioussectorsusingthemarineenvironmentisalsoinformativeforMSP.Recognizingthatthestartingpointwasthequestion“MSPforwhat?”,theworkshopparticipantssuggestedbetterrecognitionoftheimportanceofmarinemam-malsasindicatorsforecosystemhealth.

Effort considerations and reliability of data

Forlarge-scaleassessmentandMSPefforts(e.g.,GOBI,CBD),thereisaneedtoimprovedatabeingusedandtorecognizetheimportanceofeffortconsiderations.Werecommendjudicioususeofmodels,andhighlighttheimportanceofusingexpertknowledgeatthesescales.Recognizinguncertainty,beinghon-estaboutuncertainty,anddealingwithuncertaintyiscrucial,especiallyunderstandingthenatureandlevelsofuncertainty.Informationaboutdatagapsisusefulforallocatingresourcesforresearchandininfluencingspatialplanningprocesses.

BothregionalMSPinitiativesandthosewithinregionsandwithinMPAscanallowustogroundtruthglobalscience-basedassessments.TheworkshopthusrecognizesandencouragestheuseofMPAsastrialareasorexperimentaltoolsfortestinganddevelopingMSPapproaches(MPAshavedemonstrationvaluebeyondconservationandmanagementin situ!).However,thegroupacknowledgedthelimitationsofbothMPAsasatoolforMSP,andthefactthatMSPitself(inallforms)maynotbethemostappropriatesolutiontoallmarinemammalchallenges.

Itisimperativethatwepromotedata-sharingamongourselves(marinemammalscientistsandconservationists).Theworkshopalsoacknowledgedtheimportanceoftransboundaryeffortsin

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providingrobustscientificinformationforspatialplanning,managementandconservation.

Sharinganalyticalresultsisasimportantasdata-sharing.SharinginformationaboutpotentialEBSAsandongoingMSPprocessesintheopenoceanswiththegeneralpublicprovidesadeeperunderstandingoftheimportanceofmarinemammalinforma-tiontopromotebetteruseofMSPandMPAs.

Thegroupagreedabouttheimportanceofcollecting,compiling,andconsideringinformationonnoiseinthemarineenviron-mentinallspatialplanning,regardlessofscale.Asapriority,thegrouprecommendedexploitingeveryopportunitytodeploynoise-monitoringtechnologyinexistingobservationplatforms.

Action itemsActionitemswillbeconsideredasWorkshop9recommenda-tionsbelow.

Recommendations from Workshop 9Recognizingtheneedtoimproveunderstandingoftheimpor-tanceandutilityofmarinemammalscienceinMSP,workshopparticipantsagreetoworkonanoutreachstrategytoassistcolleagueswithmarinemammalMSP,especiallyindata-poor,species-richareasoftheworld.

Thiswillinclude:

DevelopingabestpracticesguideandstandardsforusingmarinemammalscienceinMSP.Abestpracticesguidewouldcap-turestate-of-artknowledgeandpracticalexperienceinusingmarinemammalscienceforeffectiveMSP.Aspartofthis,orcomplementarytoit,werecommenddevelopingastandardizedapproachformakingspatiallyexplicitriskassessments,includ-ingconsiderationsoftheimpactsofshipping,offshoreenergy,andlanduse,especiallyinrelationtoreleaseofcontaminants.ThereisastandardizedapproachforvulnerabilityassessmentsforIUCN,andthiseffortisnotmeanttocompetewithorsub-stituteforthat,butrathertopushthevulnerabilityassessmentsintotheMSPdomain,foruptakebyplanners.

Relatedtorecommendation1butlistedasaseparatetargetedinitiative:weproposetoinvestigateoptionstoincorporatethenicheenvelopeandothermodelingapproachesintotheIUCNRedListmapping.

Developinganactionplantoidentifyandaddresscriticaldatagaps.Thisactionplanwouldaddresshowtouseexpert-knowl-edge-based(Delphic)approachestocompileinformationthatcomplementsdatacollectedonmarinemammalstoidentifyareasofknowledgeaswellasareasof“ignorance”.Itwouldalsoaddresshowtopredictspeciesdistributioninunsurveyedareas,andhowtoprioritizenewdatacollectiontoallowvalidationacrossawiderangeofpredictedvalues.

Establishingashippingsectortaskforce.Recognizingtheneedtoworkdirectlywithsectorsandgovernancebodiesregulatingthosesectors,theworkshoprecommends formationofataskforcefordevelopingguidelinesforhowtoengagewithsectors

(focusingoneducationandawareness).Engagingwiththeship-pingindustryandIMOisthetoppriorityandcanbeaccom-plishedattheglobalscale.Cross-regionalexchangeoflessonslearnedaboutworkingwithothersectorsacrossnetworksofMPAsisencouraged,buildingontherecommendationsandinitiativescomingoutofICMMPA1.

PlanningforICMMPA3andbeyond.Thegrouprecommendsafullortwo-dayworkshopforthenextconference,toadvanceknowledgeandalsototakestockofhowwellthisworkshophadfulfilleditscommitmentsintheseactionitems.Togobeyond,andtotakeadvantageofotherforacomingsooner,thegroupplanstouseupcomingconferences(WorldParksCongressandIMPAC3meetingsin2013)assteppingstonestodisseminatesomeofoutcomes,productsandrecommendationsfromthisconferencetothegreaterMPA/MSPcommunity.ThegroupplansalsotocollaboratewithpartydelegationstoUNprocessestoprovideinformationandadviceonhowtousemarinemammalsciencetoinformCOPdecision-making.ThiscanhelpensurethatrelevantinformationaboutmarinemammalimportantareasgetsincorporatedintotheCBDprocessofEBSAidentification.


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Endangered North Atlantic right whale spouts in the classic v-pattern which helps distinguish this species.Photo by NOAA


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Workshop 10: Management of Whale Watching in Marine Mammal Protected Areas (MMPAs)

Convener:Chris Schweizer(DepartmentofSustainability,Environment,Water,PopulationandCommunities,Australia)

Co-Chairs:José Truda Palazzo, Jr.(CCC–CetaceanConservationCenter,Chile/Brazil)andMiguel Iñíguez(FundaciónCethusandWhaleandDolphinConservationSociety,Argentina;apologiesforabsence)

Rapporteur:Ryan Wulff

Participants:MikeBossley,CaroleCarlson,MauricioFailla,Marie-ChristineGrillo-Compulsione,GaëlHubert,ArtieJacobson,StéphaneJeremie,JoséMartinsdaSilva,Jr.,PascalMayol,CraigMcDonald,JoséTrudaPalazzo,Jr.,RomainRenoux,CarolineRinaldi,PhilippeRobert,ChrisSchweizer,AlbertSturlese,LesleySutty,GaëlleVandersarren,OswaldoVásquez,ChloëWebster,RyanWulff,others

IntroductionMPAmanagers,marinemammalresearchers,andNGOrepre-sentativesattendedWorkshop10,onwhalewatching,to:

• Shareinformationanddiscussthemanagementofwhalewatchinginmarinemammalprotectedareas(MMPAs).

• Identifythreekeyrecommendationstoadvancethemanagementofwhale(anddolphin)watchingglobally.

Thediscussionswereaffordedasenseof immediacyduetothecurrentattentiondevotedtowhalewatchingguide-linesintheWiderCaribbeanandinAustralia,andtotheInternationalWhalingCommission’s“FiveYearStrategicPlanforWhalewatching”.TherecentregionalworkshoponMarineMammalWatchingintheWiderCaribbean,heldinPanamainOctober,producedproposedoverarchingprinciplesandgeneralguidelinesandstimulatedfurtherdiscussionsandactionsonwhalewatchingintheregion.InAustralia,thereiscurrentlyaCommonwealthreviewofwhalewatchingpolicyandguide-lines,aswellasareviewatthestatelevelinQueensland,witheffortsbeingmadenationallytotrytoharmonizetheregula-tionsacrossjurisdictions.Inaddition,theInternationalWhalingCommission’s“FiveYearStrategicPlanforWhalewatching”waseffectivelylaunchedintheMMPAcommunitywithaseparatesideeventattheconference.

Presentations

Whale and dolphin watching – an Australian perspective 2011Artie Jacobson (DepartmentofSustainability,Environment,Water,PopulationandCommunities,Australia)

In1980theAustralianGovernmentbannedwhalinginallAustralianwaters.Australiangovernmentshavesinceestab-lishednumerousmarineprotectedareasarounditsvastcoast.AdditionallyAustraliahasdeclaredtheAustralianWhaleSanctuary,whichcoverstheentireEEZandtheAustraliancon-tinentalshelf,andhasinstitutedmanagementmeasuressuchastheNationalGuidelinesforWhaleandDolphinWatching.ItisAustralia’sintentiontoprovideaconsistentapproachtoimple-mentinglawstoprotectcetaceansfromadverseinteractions.

Overrecentdecades,adiverseandsuccessfulwhaleanddolphinwatchingindustryhasdevelopedontheeastandwestcoastsinbothtemperateandtropicalzones.Theseprogramsprovideopportunityforlargenumbersofpeopletohaveacloseencounterwithawhaleordolphinbutunderprofessionallyadministeredarrangements.

Australiaacknowledgesthesocial,economicandenvironmentalbenefitsofasustainablewhaleanddolphinwatchingindustryandiseagertopromotetheuseoftheseanimalsininternationalwatersasanalternativetowhaling.Australiaalsoacceptsthechallengesofadvancingaresponsibleandsustainablewhalewatchingindustrytoconformtobestpracticewhaleanddol-phinwatchingprinciples.

Whale watching in the Mediterranean Sea: Toward a labelMarie-Christine Grillo-Compulsione (ACCOBAMS–AgreementontheConservationofCetaceansintheBlackSea,MediterraneanSeaand ContiguousAtlanticArea,Monaco)andPascal Mayol(Souffleursd’Ecume,France)

WhalewatchingintheMediterraneanSeaseemstobegrowingrapidly.AnareaofparticularinteresttowhalewatchingisthePelagosSanctuaryforMediterraneanMarineMammalslocatedwithintheCorsico-Provençal-LigurianBasin,westofcentralItalyandsouthofFranceandMonaco.

Therationalebehindtheestablishmentofthesanctuaryis“toprotectthewhalesanddolphinsinprimecetaceanhabitatinthe


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MediterraneanwatersofFrance,MonacoandItaly”.Thehabitat,locatedfromnearshoretodeeppelagicwaters,includescetaceanfeedinggroundsaswellasareasusedbymigratingandbreedingcetaceans.Thesanctuaryconsistsof47%nationalwatersand53%internationalorhighseaswaters.

Thereisconcernhowever,thatthewhalewatchingindustryisdevelopinginanunplannedmanner,i.e.,nocontrolsonthenumberofoperations,commercialobservationeffortbeingconcentratedincertainareas,intrusiveapproachesbyvesselsandinadequateeducationofoperatorsandthegeneralpublic.

Inordertoimprovewhalewatchingstandardstobetterprotectcetaceansfromadverseinteractions,bothACCOBAMSpartiesandthePelagosSanctuaryaredevelopinganaccreditationpro-gram,i.e.,eco-labeling,topromotesustainablewhalewatchingwithinahighprofilemarineenvironment,firstlyinPelagosandtheninalltheACCOBAMSarea.Theaccreditationprogramwillincludetrainingoftheoperatorsinthedeliveryofaqualitywhalewatchingexperienceandthecommitmentfromallmembersoftheprogramtorespectthecodeofgoodconduct.Thiswillalsorequireoperatorstoconformtoagreedapproachdistances.Thefirsttrainingsessionwilltakeplaceinspring2012inFrance.

Inordertobeabletoapplythelabelininternationalwatersastudyofthelegalaspectsassociatedwiththiswasconducted.Adedicatedcommunicationplanisbeingdevelopedtopromotethelabelwithinindustryandtothewiderpublic.Alogoisalsobeingdeveloped.

Marine mammal watching in Brazilian marine protected areasJosé Martins da Silva, Jr. (AquaticMammalsCenter,NationalBiodiversityInstitute–ICMBio,Brazil)

Aquaticmammalwatchingcanbeeitherasolutiontomarinemammalconservationoraproblem,dependingonthewayitisplannedandmanaged.

Itbecomesasolutionwhenthetouristactivityismatchedwithvisitororientationandassociatedexpectations,providesenvi-ronmentalawarenesstowardsmarineconservationandenhancesthevalueofthenon-lethaluseofaquaticmammals.

Ifnotproperlymanaged,however,itcanbecomeaproblemfortheanimals,causingmortalityandwoundsfromboatstrikesorbehavioralchangesduetocontinualharassment.Whereaquaticmammalwatchingactivitiestakeplaceinsideprotectedareas,solutionsaremaximizedandproblemsminimizedduetoanimprovedcapabilitytoimplementandenforceadequateman-agementmeasures.

TheBrazilianmarineareaconsistsof3,555,796km2.Ofthisonly1.57%ismanagedasmarineprotectedareas,totaling102units(55,716km2)ofwhich38arefullyprotected(4,977km2)and64areofmultipleuse(50,739km2).

AquaticmammalwatchingisagrowingactivityinBrazil,par-ticularlyinprotectedareasandencompassingseveralspeciessuchasEubalaena australis, Megaptera novaeangliae, Sotalia guianensis, Stenella longirostris, Trichechus manatusandOtaria flavescens.

In2010,275,000peopleparticipatedintheseecotourismactivi-tiesinBrazil.

Presentation on the Regional Workshop on Marine Mammal Watching in the Wider Caribbean Region, Panama City, Panama, 19-22 Oct 2011Carole Carlson (DolphinFleetandProvincetownCenterforCoastalStudies,USA)

Agrowing,yetnotfullyrealizedcomponentoftourismintheWiderCaribbeanRegion(WCR)ismarinemammalwatching.Withapotentialforgrowthinexistingoperationsandthepos-sibilityofnewonesemerging,itisanopportunetimetodeveloparegionalplanforthedevelopmentofahigh-quality,responsiblemarinemammaltourismindustrythatconformswithbestprac-tices,includingenhancedcoordinationandpartneringamongstakeholdersandinformationsharing.

Tothisend,afour-dayworkshop,developedundertheframe-workoftheCartagenaConventionanditsSPAWProtocol,includingtheMarineMammalActionPlan,washeldinPanamaCityinOctober2011.Theworkshopbroughttogether38par-ticipants,bothtouroperatorsandofficials,from22countriesandterritories.

Thegoalsoftheworkshopwereto:

• Assesstheextentofproblemsandneedsandidentifyopportunitiesinexistingmarinemammalwatchingoperations.

• Identifyareaswithpotentialformarinemammalwatchingactivities.

• Discusstheformulationofregionalcodesofconductforobservingmarinemammals.

• Standardizedatacollectionformsandorganizebaselineresearchoncetaceans.

• Documentexistingmarinemammaleducationalmaterials.

• Discussnextsteps.

ThedraftreportoftheworkshopwillbepresentedbyUNEP-CEPtotheSPAWPartiesatCOPin2012forconsiderationanddecisiononfurtheraction.

Oncefinalized,thereportwithguidelinesandrecommenda-tionswillbeavailableinSpanish,FrenchandEnglishon:www.cep.unep.org/meetings-events/regional-workshop-on-marine-mammal-watching-in-the-wider-caribbean-region.

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The evolution of marine mammal policies and whale watching in the East Caribbean, Martinique and GuadeloupeLesley Sutty (EastCaribbeanCoalitionforEnvironmentalAwareness–ECCEA)

TheOrganisationofEastCaribbeanStates(OECS)isachainofsixindependentsmallislanddevelopingnationsthatencom-passthesouthernCaribbeanSea.FromnorthtosouththeyrunfromAntiguaandBarbudadowntotheislandofGrenada.CentraltothiszonearetheFrenchWestIndies,MartiniqueandGuadeloupe,OverseasDepartmentsofFrance.

Marinemammalsremainofgreatconservationandculturalsig-nificancetomanypeoplethatlivewithinthisarea.Historically,marinemammalswereseenastreasuredancestralcreaturesbyTupiArawakantribesthatinhabitedtheseterritoriesformorethan3,000years.DiscoveryoftheAmericasbroughtwithitdrasticchangeinthissubregionthroughcommercialwhalingandafinalintensivehuntofNorthAtlantichumpbackwhalesbyNorwayin1925whichdramaticallyimpactedpopulations.

WhalewatchingwithintheEastCaribbeanareaisconsideredacriticalgrowthindustryforconservation,cultural,socialandeconomicreasons.Itisunlikelythatwhalewatchingwouldhavebecometheindustryitistodaywithintheareahadtheislandsnotbeenexposedtoaseriesofunexpectedpoliticalscenariosandexternalpressuresfrom1992onwards.Theseinfluenceswereresponsibleforestablishingblockadhesiontopoliciesthatthreat-enedtheInternationalWhalingCommission’s(IWC)whalingmoratorium,theregion’smarinemammalconservationagendaandtheOECSjointobjectiontothecreationoftheAntarcticWhaleSanctuary,ultimatelyadoptedbythePartiestotheIWCin1994(seewww.eccea.org:Socio-EconomicandPoliticalAspectsofAidProvidedbyJapantotheFishingIndustryintheSmallIndependentIslandsintheEastCaribbean).

TheEastCaribbeanCoalitionforEnvironmentalAwareness(ECCEA)1991TrinidadresolutionforaCaribbeanSeawhalesanctuarytookplaceatthesametimeastheFrenchgovern-mentproposaltodeclareasanctuaryintheSouthernOceansurroundingAntarctica,whichwasoverwhelminglyacceptedin1994.Againcoincidingwiththiswasanothercomplexinitia-tivetodevelopastrategicplanforaCaribbeanwhalesanctuaryreinforcedin1995byaregionalconsultationprocess.Theaimoftheplanwastoinitiatechangeinhumanbehaviourandbuildpublicsupportformarinemammalpreservationandoceanbio-diversityatbothgovernmentandcommunitylevel.

TheprocessresultedintheECCEAregionalinitiativeforCommunityBasedNatureandHeritageTourism,EnvironmentalEducationandtheConservationofIslandEcosystemsintheEastCaribbean.ThisinitiativeidentifiedanumberofprojectswhichincludedawhalewatchingandnatureobservationsegmentaswellasthecreationofparksandMPAs.Associatedspinofftradeswerealsodesignedtocreatealternativeeconomiesandalleviate

poverty.Whiletheprojectsweredevelopedandundertakenincollaborationwithgovernmentdepartments,theyweredirectedbycommunityleaderswithvaluabletraditionalknowledge.Aspartoftheprocess,domesticlegislationwaseitherchartedorendorsedbygovernments.

Technicalassistancewasalsoconsideredcriticaltothesuccessofprojects,including:

• Whalewatchingtrainingworkshops,

• Capacitybuildingexercises,and

• Marinemammaleducationandawarenessprograms.

Theresultofthislong-terminitiativewouldbe:

• Thecreationofaseriesofnowhalingzoneslinkedforbothpoliticalandconservationreasons.

• TheestablishmentoftheAgoamarinemammalsanctuaryintheFrenchWestIndies.

• ThecooperativeexpansionofmarinemammalprotectedareasintheregionthatincludestheCommonwealthofDominica’sMorneTroisPitonsWorldHeritageSite.

Greatconcernremainsthatwhilesomeislandshavemovedawayfrompro-whalingprinciples,othershavehungontena-ciously,practicingbothwhalewatchingandthelethalhuntingofsmallcetaceansandhumpbackmothercalfpairs.Theprac-ticeoflethalhuntingsignificantlyconflictswithwhalewatchingwhichisnowamajorgrowthindustryintheCaribbeanBasin(currentlygeneratingapproximatelyUSD$55millionannuallyintourismexpenditures).

Insomeareas,however,marinemammalshavesufferedcollisionsonoccasionandhaveexhibitedchangedbehaviourasaresultofintensivecommercialwhalewatchingactivity.

TheECCEAandtheMartiniqueSocietyfortheStudy,ProtectionandDevelopmentofNature(Sepanmar)havesubmittedamodus operandiforcommercialandnon-commercialapproachestocetaceansforlocal,regionalandnationalapplication.ThesearecompatiblewithcurrentFrenchlegislationforMarineMammalsthatdefinesharassmentasillegal.Itisanticipatedthatthroughtheapplicationoftheseguidelinesadverseimpactswillbereduced.

TheECCEAalsosuggeststheimplementationofanumberofinitiativessuchastheclosureofkeycetaceanhabitatthroughMPAdeclaration,accreditationschemessuchaslabelingandcertification,monitoringandreportingprogramsandregularperformanceassessmentsbasedonresilienceprinciples.ThesechangestocetaceanconservationmanagementshouldensuretransparentandsustainableoperationsbasedontheAustralianandKaikouraexperience.

Summary of DiscussionWithpresentationscoveringarangeofsituationsinvariouscoun-tries,participantsweregivenagoodoverviewofdifferentwhaleanddolphinwatchinglandscapesandstandards.Theseincluded


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thehistorical,social,economicandenvironmentalconditionsinkeywhalewatchingareasofAustralia,Brazil,theMediterranean,theCaribbeanandmorelocallytheeasternCaribbean.

Followingeachpresentation,workshopattendeeswereencour-agedtoraisequestionswithpresentersanddiscussissuesasagrouponthelocaloperationalenvironmentsthatwerepresentedandonwhalewatchinggenerally.

Significantdiscussiontookplaceonthequestionofhowtoachievesustainableandresponsiblewhale(ormarinemam-mal)watchingwithinMMPAs,anditwassuggestedthatthekeyapproachestotakeinclude:

• Startingwiththecommunityinordertocreateastrongsenseofownershipovertheprogramandparticularlypromotingtheeconomicbenefitstodevelopingcountries.

• Workingcloselywithkeystakeholderstodevelop,maintainandimplementnational(orinternational)guidelinesthatwillsustainhighstandards–preferablypriortotheestablishmentoftheindustryortheMMPA.

• Workingcooperativelyacrossjurisdictions/statesformigratingspecies.

• Utilizingagradualorincrementalapproachinwhalewatchingareastoallowformanagementandindustrygrowthtodevelopresponsiblyandwithcaution.

• Implementingacomprehensiveeducationalprogramthatdeliversaccurateinformation.

• Adoptinganon-adversarialapproachwithoperatorsbyprovidingservicestoimprovethedeliveryoftheprogram,i.e.,interpretivematerial,opendialoguetoimproveconditionsofoperationandincentivessuchaslabeling.

• Havingenforceableregulationsandthecapacityandauthoritytoenforcetheseduringtheseasontoserveaslessonslearned.

• Throughthisaction,demonstratingtoboththeindustryandthegeneralboatingpublicthatmanagementtakescetaceanconservationandassociatednon-complianceseriously.

Educationwasalsoconsideredimportantinensuringthatthevisitorexperiencewasnotonlyenhancedduringtheactualencounterbutwasusedtopromotewhaleconservationgenerally.Itwasalsodiscussedthateducationandresearchshouldworkhandinhandtoimproverelationshipsbetweenresearchersandoperatorsandpotentiallyfacilitatescooperativearrangementsthatwouldbenefitparties,thevisitorandthewhales.Thiswouldpotentiallyincluderesearchfindingstobecommunicatedtotheindustrytothenbeusedtoimproveeducationalprogramsandconverselyforoperatorstoinformresearchersoftheirday-to-dayobservationstoassistresearcherstoundertaketheirresearch.

Therecurringissueof“uninformed”recreationalvesseloperatorsimpactingonbothwhalewelfareandtheactivitiesofarespon-siblewhalewatchingindustrywasraised.Itwassuggestedthat

managersgivedueconsiderationtotheissueofwhaleandves-selinteractionsregardlessofwhetherthevesselwascommercialorrecreationalandthattheseissuesshouldbeconsideredwhendevelopingmanagementframeworks.

Itwasalsonotedthatwhiledifferentapproachlimitswereappliedwithindifferentareasandfordifferentspecies–forexample,humpbackwhalesvs.graywhalesvs.rightwhales–themostconsistentapproachlimitappliedwas100meters.Theissuesoftheuseofaircraftforadvancedspotterservicesandasawhalewatchplatformwerealsodiscussedasmattersofconcern.

Therewasalsosomediscussiononformalwhalewatchingprogramsbeingasolutionthatcouldleadtoenhancedpublicawarenessandthecapacitytoapplycontrolsonthetypesofinteractions.Buttheycouldalsopresentproblems,i.e.,requireadministrativeandmanagementresources,causevesselconges-tioninthevicinityofawhaleandincreasetheriskofcollision,influencewhalebehavioralchanges,andcauseconflictbetweenusers.Itwassuggestedthat,throughthedeclarationofMMPAs,solutionswerepotentiallymaximizedandproblemsmorethanlikelyminimized.

Followingonfromthis,itwasgenerallyagreedthatMMPAs,comparedwith“unprotected”marineareas,providedadditionalbenefitsfortheprotectionofwhales.Thesebenefitsmanifestmainlyintheformofmitigatingadverseimpactsassociatedwithwhalewatchingwhereoperatorswerebettermanagedthroughguidelines,approvals(andassociatedconditions),regulationsoramixofthese.

Inmostinstanceswherecontrolswereappliedtheyincludedtheapplicationof:

• Specifiedapproachlimits.

• Limitingthenumberofvesselswitha“cautionzone”.

• Speedrestrictionswheninproximitytowhalesanddolphins.

• Industrycontrolsbylimitingthenumberpermitsissued.

• Educationalstandardsthroughconditionsofpermissions.

• Improvedstakeholderengagement.

Variousotherinitiativesthatwerebeingimplementedindiffer-entregionswereoutlined.Theseincludedanaccreditationpro-gram,amarinemammalmonitoringsystem,nationalguidelines(enactedthroughlaw),adatacollectionsystemthatinvolvedthewhalewatchingindustry,andanationalcomplianceprogrampromptedbythewhalewatchingindustry.Alsodiscussedwastheconceptofsistersanctuaries–ausefulmanagementtoolforaconsistentapproachtomanagingmigratoryspeciesacrossmigratorypathsandterritorialseas.

Concernwasexpressedoftheriskofestablishing“paperparks”–i.e.,declaringanareaasaprotectedareabutwithoutapply-inganymanagementregimes.ThisledtoasharedviewamongparticipantsthatanecessarycomponentofsuccessfulMMPAdeliverywastheestablishmentandongoingimplementationofappropriatelyresourcedmanagementprograms.


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Land-basedwhalewatchingwhichoccurredinmostcountrieswaspromotedandencouragedas“minimalimpactandminimalenergy”alternativetovessel-basedwhalewatching.

Itwasalsosuggestedthatwherewhalewatchingandwhalingtookplaceconcurrentlythatthiswastobediscouragedorpref-erablyopposed.

Therewasalsoausefuldiscussionontheadvantagesandchal-lengesofestablishinguniversalstandardstoguidewhaleandothermarinemammalwatchingactivities–suchasuniformminimumapproachdistances,anddiscouragementofswim-withprograms,amongotherthings.

WorkshopdiscussionsplacedsignificantemphasisonthebenefitsofMMPAmanagementagenciesandthecommunity,includingNGOs,workingtogethertosharelessonslearntinordertobuildefficienciesintodevelopingandmaintainingsoundmarinemam-malwatchingpracticesandmanagement.Theultimategoalwasthatthiswouldcontributetomarinemammalconservationatalocalleveland,moreimportantly,globally.

Issues Identified for Further Consideration• ICMMPA3shouldengageadiversityofstakeholders,

especiallymanagers,tomoreeffectivelygetacrosstherangeofmanagementissues/messagesthroughmorebroadandinformedinput.TheSteeringCommitteeshouldnotnecessarilybeallscientists–particularlyifICMMPAismeanttobeoperationallyoriented.

• Thereisaneedtobetterutilizenationalsynergiesandnetworksthataremorefocusedonmigratingpopulationsastheytravelacrossjurisdictionalboundaries.Thechallengeistointegratedifferentstates’policyandmanagementinitiativesandnothavethemrunseparatelyorinisolation,andattheexpenseofsoundpopulationconservation.

• Furtherdiscussionshouldbearrangedonaerialwhalewatching(maybeasanitemforICMMPA3).

• Thereisaneedtoexploreissuesassociatedwiththeuseofspotterplanestofindmarinemammalsasatooltoimprovethechancesofencounteringwhalesandsubsequentlyassistindustrytobettermeetcustomerexpectations.

• Land-basedwhalewatchingshouldbepromotedandencouragedasa“minimalimpactandnoenergy”alternativetovessel-basedwhalewatching.

• ThereisaneedtoimprovetheknowledgeofthewhalewatchingindustryandMMPAmanagersthroughjointeducationalventures.

• Thereisaneedtoencouragetheimplementationofaccred-itation(labeling)programsforwhalewatchingoperators.

• Thereisaneedtopromoteresponsiblewhaleanddolphinwatchingbyimprovingcustomerawarenessoftherulesofengagementwithcetaceans.Informedcustomerswillkeepoperatorshonest.

• Thereisaneedtoestablishwhalewatchingperformancemeasurestoassessthesuccessofmanagementincludingaccreditationinitiatives.

• Operatorsshouldbediscouragedfrompromotingguaranteesofseeingananimalasthisplacespressureontheoperatortopotentiallyinterfere(breachanapproachlimit)withawhaleordolphin–anditmayencouragecorruption,i.e.,ifamasterofvesselwerepaidtogetcloser.

• Thereisaneedtodevelopaprocesstoaddressthechallengeswithswim-withoperationsandtheeconomicincentivesprovidedbycustomerstotheoperator.

Recommendations from Workshop 10Workshop10agreestothefollowing:

Whereopportunitiesexistformarinemammalwatchingactivi-tiesinMMPAs,managersshouldthinkearlyonabouthowbesttoaddressboththecommercialandrecreationalactivitiesfromatraining,regulatoryandcomplianceaspect.Theyshouldworkcloselywithstakeholdersandthelocalcommunityinmovingforwardtoexplore,establishorrefineappropriatemanagementframeworks,includingvoluntaryand/orregulatorymeasures.

TheintegrationofscientificresearchandcollaborationshouldbeexploredwithlocalscientistsorinstitutionsinMMPAswithmarinemammalwatchingactivities.Whenpursuingopportunitiesfordatacollection,trainingandstandardizationareimportant.

MarinemammalwatchingoperationsinMMPAsprovideagoodvehicletoincreasegeneralunderstandingandpublicawarenessaboutmarineecosystemsandthevalueofMMPAs.Assuch,marinemammalwatchingoperationsshouldbeencouragedtoensureactivitiesarepresentedinabroadercontextthanwithasinglespeciesfocus.


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Endangered short-beaked common dolphins travel in the proposed Alborán Sea MPA in the Mediterranean.Photo by Lucy Molleson


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Side Event 1: Ship Strikes in the Caribbean and Mediterranean: Studies and Solutions

Presented by Pascal Mayol (Souff leursd’Ecume,France),Marie-Christine Grillo-Compulsione (ACCOBAMSSecretariat–AgreementontheConservationofCetaceansoftheBlackSea,MediterraneanSeaandContiguousAtlanticArea,Monaco),andGaëlle Vandersarren (SPAW–RegionalActivityCentre,Guadeloupe)

Thescientificcommunityandshippingcompaniesareseriouslyconcernedaboutcollisionsbetweenvesselsandlargecetaceansindifferentregionsoftheworld,suchasintheMediterraneanandCaribbeanseas.

In the Caribbean Sea, a research program on collisions has started.TheCaribbean’smarinebiodiversity,includingcetaceans,isprotectedbytheCartagenaConvention.Inthisframework,theMarineMammalActionPlan,adoptedin2008,istheinstrumentthatdealswithshipstrikesundertheagreedprotocolforSpeciallyProtectedAreasandWildlife,theso-calledSPAWProtocol.

Lastyear,theSPAWRegionalActivityCenter(SPAW-RAC)startedtocollateinformationonvesselactivityandcollisions.Thefirstdatacollectedshowedthatvesselstrikesareanissue,andthatbigandsmallspeciescanbeaffectedindifferentpartsoftheregion.Followingthatconclusion,agroupofregionalexperts21lookingatregionalshippingroutesoverlaidtrafficmapsonadistributionmapofmarinemammalsinordertotargetpotentialareasofconflict.

ThefirstresultsofthisresearchrevealthatcollisionshappenintheCaribbeanmoreoftenthanwethought.Thestudieswillbecontinuedandcompletedbycollectingmoredataonvesselactivitiesandstrikes.Itwillalsobeessentialtoimprovecom-municationwithpeoplefromthemaritimesectorandmarineenvironment.Inparallel,itwouldberelevanttothinkaboutmeasuresthatcouldbeimplementedintheregioninordertolimittheriskofcollisions.

21 IncludingtheFrenchNavy,CROSSAG,theFrenchMarineProtectedAreasAgency(AAMP),theEastCaribbeanCoalitionforEnvironmentalAwareness(ECCEA),theNGOSepenmarandtheSPAW-RAC/UNEPoffice.

In the Mediterranean Sea, the REPCET system is now operative.IntheMediterraneanSea,coveredbytheACCOBAMStreatyandincludingthePelagosSanctuaryforMediterraneanMarineMammals,researchers,engineersandrepresentativesofmaritimetransportcompanieshavejoinedforcestodevelopREPCET,theREal-timePlottingofCETaceans,acollaborativecomputersys-tembasedonthedensityofthenavigationnetwork.

Onboardeachequippedvessel,crewmemberscaninstantlytransmitpositionsofdetectedwhalestoothershipsusinganinputinterface.Amappinginterfacedisplaysthealertssentbyothercontributors.Foreachalert,thesystemcalculatesandbroadcastsadynamicriskarea.Insidetheseareascrewmem-berscanenhancetheirwatchfulness,addsomeobserversandreducethespeed.Thisallowsthemtodetectwhalesoveralon-gerdistance,togiveenoughtimetoevaluatethesituationandoperatethebestavoidanceprocedure.Thesystemisdesignedtointegratedistributionpredictionmodels,andtoenableanytypeofsensor,infuture,toautomaticallydetecttheanimals.ThankstotheobservationsprovidedbyREPCET-equippedvessels,wewilllearnmuchaboutcetaceanpresenceanddistribution.AsimulationoftheREPCETsystemisavailableatwww.repcet.com/simulateur_en.

AcollaborationbetweenthePelagosSanctuaryforMediterraneanMarineMammalsintheACCOBAMSareaandtheSPAW-RACandAgoaSanctuaryintheCaribbeanishopedforinthenearfuture,inordertobenefitfrommutualexperiencesregardingknowledgeoftheshipstrikeissueandthemeasurestolimitit.


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A humpback whale dives deep off California, a spectacle for whale watchers in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.Photo by Tom Kieckhefer.


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Side Event 2: International Whaling Commission (IWC) Five-Year Strategic Plan for Whale Watching

Presented by Lorenzo Rojas Bracho (MexicanCommissionertotheIWC), Chris Schweizer (AustralianAlternateCommissionertotheIWC),and Ryan Wulff (UnitedStatesAlternateCommissionertotheIWCandChairoftheIWC’sStandingWorkingGrouponWhaleWatching)

TheInternationalWhalingCommission’sFive Year Strategic Plan for Whalewatchingaimstosettheagendaforthedevelopmentofaprosperousandresponsiblewhalewatchingsector,consistentwithinternationalbestpractice.

Asinterestinwhalewatchinggrows,itisvitallyimportantthatbestpracticemanagementisadoptedandpromotedacrosstheworld.Aresponsiblewhalewatchingindustryofferstheopportunityforcoun-triestoshowcasetheirnation’smarinebiodiversityandecosystems,andhenceaidintheconservationofcetaceans.

Recognizingtherecentandpotentialgrowthinwhalewatching,theIWChasdevelopedandendorsedthisFive-Year Strategic Plan for Whalewatching.Whenundertakeninasustainableway,whalewatchingisabletodeliversignificantbenefitstocoastalcommuni-tiesacrosstheglobe.

Thestrategicplansetsoutfiveobjectives–research;assessmentandmonitoring;capacitybuilding;development;andmanagement.Theactionsassociatedwitheachobjectivewillassistcountriesinterestedinbuildingsustainablewhalewatchingindustriesandensuringtheongoingdeliveryofeconomic,environmentalandsocialbenefits.

Asoneofthekeyproponentsofthestrategicplan,Australiahascom-mitteditselftohelpingothercountriesbuildtheirwhalewatchingsectorandconstantlylookstoimproveitsownwhalewatchingpro-grams.Tothisend,areviewiscurrentlyunderwayofitsNational Guidelines for Whale and Dolphin Watching to ensureAustralia’sapproachref lectsthebestscience;incorporatescommunityandindustryneeds;andpromotesinternationalbestpracticewhiledeliveringeconomicsocialandenvironmentalbenefitstonumerousAustraliancommunities.

FormoreinformationabouttheStrategicPlanortoobtainacopy,pleasevisitiwcoffice.org/_documents/sci_com/IWCStratPlanWW.pdf

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The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary has resident populations of several marine mammal species, including the endangered West Indian manatee. Photo by Laurel Canty-Ehrlich, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NOAA

Hawaiian monk seal, Laysan Island, Hawaii. Photo by James P. McVey, NOAA Sea Grant Program.

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Martinique Declaration DeclarationofIntentbytheFollowingPartnersonCooperationbetweenExistingandProjectedMarineMammalSanctuariesintheCaribbeanRegion:TheAgoaSanctuary,StellwagenBankNationalMarineSanctuary,theDutchCaribbeanproject,theMarineMammalSanctuaryoftheDominicanRepublicandtheRegionalActivityCenterfortheSPAWProtocol(thepres-entpartners)

Notingthatmarinemammalconservationissuesarefunda-mentaltomarineissueswithinandbeyondrespectivenationaljurisdictions,

TakingadvantageofthefruitfulexchangesofICMMPA2andthankingtheorganizersforthesuccessofthisnewsteptowardsmarineconservation,

Considering theregionalframeworkprovidedbytheActionPlanfortheConservationofMarineMammalsintheWiderCaribbeanRegionundertheSPAWProtocol,andtheopportu-nitiesitoffers,

CongratulatingthecurrentnationaleffortsintheCaribbeanregionintermsofmarinemammalconservationandmarinemammalsanctuarycreation,aswellas

NotingandencouragingthemobilizationofdifferentCaribbeancountriesandterritories,

AwareofthespecialimportanceoftheCaribbeanregionwhichrepresentsauniquesituationbringingtogetherfourlanguagespeakingcountriesandterritoriesandemphasizingtheneedforcross-cuttingandtransboundaryapproachesinarichmulti-culturalandpoliticallydiversecontext,

HighlightingthatCaribbeancountriesandterritoriessharenotonlythesameissuesbutalsothesameresponsibilityofhostingsharedmarinemammalpopulationsintheirrespectivewaters,

Takingintoaccounttheneedtosupportnationalinitiativesandstrengtheningregionalcooperationfortheconservationofglob-allydistributedspecies,

Underlining theinterestofcapitalizingexistingpartnershipsbetweensanctuaries,

Willingtodevelopsynergies,

ThepresentGovernment representatives,AgenciesandInstitutionsexpresstheirstrongwillingnesstobuildadeeperCaribbeancooperationonmarinemammalissuesanddeclaretheirdeterminationto:

• PromotetheestablishmentofmarinemammalprotectedareasandotherappropriatetoolsintheWiderCaribbeanRegion.

• Developcommoninitiativesandprogramsrelatedtothedevelopmentandmanagementofmarinemammalsanctuaries,includingbutnotrestrictedtomonitoring,awarenessraising,capacitybuildingandcommunicationandon-the-groundmanagement.

• Seekappropriatesourcesoffundingfortheirimplementation.

• Supportstandardizationofregionaldatacollectionefforts.• Shareinformationonmarinemammalpopulations,

managementexperiencesandpractices,

• SharetechnicalexperiencesthroughSanctuarystaffexchanges.

• Helpeachotherstrengthentheeffectivenessoftheirmanagementframeworksandtheirimplementation.

• Pursueregulardiscussionswithoneanother,includingifpossibleorganizationofmeetingsintheirrespectiveterritoriesorcountries.

• PromotethespecialimportanceoftheCaribbeanSeaatinternationalmeetings.

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Participants of the ICMMPA2 Conference included 150 people from 42 countries.Photo by Agence Kréöl

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Directory of ICMMPA 2 ParticipantsArgentina Failla, Mauricio Fundación Cethus Argentina mauricio .failla@cethus .org; mauriciofailla@gmail .com

Australia Bossley, Mike Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

mike .bossley@wdcs .org

Jacobson, Artie Dept of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population & Communities

artie .jacobson@environment .gov .au

Schweizer, Chris Dept of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population & Communities

christine .schweizer@environment .gov .au

Bahamas Patterson, Olivia Friends of the Environment olivia@friendsoftheenvironment .org

Bangladesh Smith, Brian See United States listing

Bolivia Aramayo Mariscal, Patricia Rosario

AKAPACHA xnocallar@gmail .com

Bonaire (Caribbean Netherlands)

Hoetjes, Paul Ministry of EL&I, National Office Caribbean Netherlands

paul .hoetjes@rijkdsdienstcn .com

Brazil Gerling de Oliveira, Cynthia Rua de São Miguel 318 mt-morumbi@uol .com .br

Marmontel, Miriam Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá

marmontel@mamiraua .org .br

Martins da Silva, Jr., José Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Centro Mamíferos Aquáticos

josemartinscma@gmail .com

Truda Palazzo, Jr., José Truda Palazzo & Associates palazzo@terra .com .br

Canada Gomez-Salazar, Catalina Dalhousie University (Canada) and Fundación Omacha (Colombia)

gomezcatalina@gmail .com

Lee, Jihyun Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, UNEP

jihyun .lee@cbd .int

Reeves, Randall Okapi Wildlife Associates rrreeves@okapis .ca

Turgeon, Samuel Université de Montréal sturgeon09@gmail .com

China Oviedo Correa, Lenin E. The Swire Institute of Marine Science, Cetacean Ecology Lab

lavinovia@gmail .com

Colombia Botero, Julián Eastern Pacific Marine Corridor jubotero@gmail .com

Gomez-Salazar, Catalina See Canada listing

Portocarrero Aya, Marcela See United Kingdom listing

Trujillo, Fernando Fundación Omacha fernando@omacha .org

Costa Rica Jimenez, Jorge MarViva jorge .jimenez@marviva .net

Oviedo Correa, Lenin E. See China Listing

Croatia Strbenac, Ana ACCOBAMS ana .strbenac@gmail .com

Curaçao (Caribbean Netherlands)

Moriniere, Véronique RAC / REMPEITC - Caribe vmoriniere@cep .unep .org

Dominican Republic

Lancho, Patricia FUNDEMAR patlancho@yahoo .com

Vásquez, Oswaldo ATEMAR atemar@gmail .com

Ecuador Felix, Fernando Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS), Southeast Pacific Action Plan

ffelix@cpps-int .org

96


France Bré, Hervé EnezGreen hb@enezgreen .com

Brichet, Marion French Marine Protected Areas Agency marion .brichet@aires-marines .fr

Culioli, Jean-Michel Office de l’Environnement de la Corse culioli@oec .fr

Denis, Jacques IFREMER Unité de Recherche Antilles jacques .denis@ifremer .fr

Falco, Albert falconaute@cegetel .net

Gauthiez, François French Marine Protected Areas Agency

francois .gauthiez@aires-marines .fr

Hassani, Sami OCEANOPOLIS - Marine Mammals sami .hassani@oceanopolis .com

Houard, Thierry Parc Nationale de Port-Cros, Le Castel Ste Claire

rose-abele .viviani@portcros-parcnational .fr

Labach, Hélène E-mail not available

Laran, Sophie University of La Rochelle, Centre de Recherche sur les Mammifères Marins

sophie .laran@univ-lr .fr

Lefèbvre, Christophe French Marine Protected Areas Agency

christophe .lefebvre@aires-marines .fr

Lefeuvre, Cécile French Marine Protected Areas Agency, Iroise Marine Nature Park

cecile .lefeuvre@aires-marines .fr

Mayol, Pascal Souffleurs d’Ecume pmayol@souffleursdecume .com

Mourand, Laetitia laetitia .mourand@gmail .com

Ody, Denis WWF France dody@wwf .fr

Poisson, François IFREMER, French Research Institute for Exploration of the Sea

francois .poisson@ifremer .fr

Ridoux, Vincent University of La Rochelle, Centre de Recherche sur les Mammifères Marins

vincent .ridoux@univ-lr .fr

Robert, Philippe French Marine Protected Areas Agency

philippe .robert@aires-marines .fr

Santoni, Marie-Catherine Office de l’Environnement de la Corse santoni@oec .fr

Scuiller, Laëtitia EnezGreen laetitiascuiller@enezgreen .com

Sevin, Marie-Aude French Marine Protected Areas Agency

marie-aude .sevin@aires-marines .fr

Sterckeman, Aurore French Marine Protected Areas Agency

aurore .sterckeman@aires-marines .fr

Tasciotti, Aurelie WWF France atasciotti@wwf .fr

Van Canneyt, Olivier University of La Rochelle, Centre de Recherche sur les Mammifères Marins

olivier .van-canneyt@univ-lr .fr

Watremez, Pierre French Marine Protected Areas Agency

pierre .watremez@aires-marines .fr

Webster, Chloë MedPAN Science chloe .webster@medpan .org

French Guiana (France)

Dos Reis , Virginie Association KWATA, Guyane Francaise virginie@kwata .net

Duffaud, Marc-Henri DEAL Guyane marc-henri .duffaud@developpement-durable .gouv .fr

Martinez, Carole French Marine Protected Areas Agency

carole .martinez@aires-marines .fr

Louis, Max Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, Sciences Exactes et Naturelles

max .louis@univ-ag .fr

Germany Kaschner, Kristin Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg kristin .kaschner@biologie .uni-freiburg .de

Greece Paravas, Vangelis MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal

v .paravas@mom .gr

Tryfon, Eleni Ministry for the Environment, Energy & Climate Change — Nature Management Section

eltryfon@otenet .gr

97


Guadeloupe (France)

Gainette, Anaïs Parc National de la Guadeloupe anais .gainette@guadeloupe-parcnational .fr

Gandilhon, Nadege University of Guadeloupe, Marine Biology

nadege .gandilhon@univ-ag .fr

Girou, Denis Guadeloupe National Park denis .girou@aires-marines .fr

Hubert, Gaël CAR-SPAW gael .hubert .carspaw@guadeloupe-parcnational .fr

Lerebours, Boris Parc National de la Guadeloupe boris .lerebours@guadeloupe-parcnational .fr

Magnin, Hervé Parc National de la Guadeloupe herve .magnin@guadeloupe-parcnational .fr

Rinaldi, Caroline CARIBWHALE Inc . caribwhale@gmail .com

Souan, Hélène CAR-SPAW Parc National de la Guadeloupe

helene .souan .carspaw@guadeloupe-parcnational .fr

Vandersarren, Gaëlle CAR-SPAW Parc National de la Guadeloupe

gaelle .vandersarren .carspaw@guadeloupe-parcna-tional .fr

India Sinha, Ravindra Central University of Bihar rksinha .pu@gmail .com; rksinha@cub .ac .in

Italy Notarbartolo di Sciara, Giuseppe

Tethys Research Institute giuseppe@disciara .net

Sturlese, Albert San Remo Cetacei Whale Watch sturlesealbert@yahoo .it

Jamaica Vanzella-Khouri, Alessandra

United Nations Environment Programme, Caribbean Environment Programme

avk@cep .unep .org

Korea, Republic of

An, Yong-Rock National Fisheries Research & Development Institute, Cetacean Research Institute

rock@nfrdi .go .kr

Sohn, Hawsun National Fisheries Research & Development Institute, Cetacean Research Institute

sealover@nfrdi .go .kr

Madeira (Portugal) Cordeiro Pires, Rosa Maria Servico do Parque Natural da Madeira rosapires .sra@gov-madeira .pt

Martinique (France)

Ademar, René Comité Régional des Pêches E-mail not available

Augier, Dominique Association Geoceanide, Mansarde Catalogne Bois Neuf

doaugier@gmail .com

Bertome, Marie-France DEAL Martinique Marie-France .bertome@developpement-durable .gouv .fr

Boulard, Nicolas Conservatoire du littoral – Antenne de Martinique

n .boulard@conservatoire-du-littoral .fr

Brador, Aude SEPANMAR E-mail not available

Britmmer, Ronald Parc Naturel Régional de la Martinique, Maison du Parc

jcnicolas972@yahoo .fr

Debise, David Planète Dauphins david .debise1975@hotmail .fr

Delarancie, Dominique Dauphins Martinique domc@orange .fr

Jeremie, Stéphane SEPANMAR st_jeremie@hotmail .com

Lehmann, Laurent Planète Dauphins nkd .lehmann@wanadoo .fr

Metery, Michel Martinique Vidéo Sub michel .metery@wanadoo .fr

Neree, Nathalie DEAL Martinique nathalie .neree@developpement-durable .gouv .fr

Nicolas, Jean-Claude Parc Naturel Régional de la Martinique, Maison du Parc

jcnicolas972@yahoo .fr

Renaux, Jean-François Société O Fil de l’O o .fildelo@wanadoo .fr

Reynal, Lionel IFREMER lionel .reynal@ifremer .fr

Sutty, Lesley East Caribbean Coalition for Environmental Awareness — ECCEA

l .sutty@orange .fr

Vernier, Jean-Louis DEAL Martinique E-mail not available

98


Mayotte (France) Gigou, Alexandra French Marine Protected Areas Agency, Mayotte Marine Nature Park

alexandra .gigou@aires-marines .fr

México Gutierrez Carbonell, David CONANP/SEMARNAT daguti@conanp .gob .mx

Morales-Vela, José El Colegio de la Frontera Sur bmorales@ecosur .mx

Pompa, Sandra Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México - Instituto de Ecología

sandra_pompa@ecologia .unam .mx

Ramírez, Oscar Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas

oramirez@conanp .gob .mx

Rojas-Bracho, Lorenzo Instituto Nacional de Ecología lrojas@gmail .com; lrojas@cicese .mx

Urbán Ramirez, Jorge Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Programa de Investigación de Mamíferos Marinos

jurban@uabcs .mx

Monaco Grillo-Compulsione, Marie-Christine

ACCOBAMS mcgrillo@accobams .net

Netherlands Hart, Lenie ‘t SRRC leniethart@planet .nl

New Caledonia (France)

Gardes, Lionel French Marine Protected Areas Agency, New Caledonia Office

lionel .gardes@aires-marines .fr

Palau Holm, Tiare Sustainable Decisions tiareholm@yahoo .com

Saint-Martin (France)

Renoux, Romain Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin reservenaturelle@domaccess .com

Spain Fernandez de Larrinoa, Pablo

Fundación CBD-Habitat pablo .fernandezdelarrinoa@cbd-habitat .com

Mohamed, Hamady Ould Fundación CBD-Habitat hamadymoh@yahoo .es

Sagarminaga, Ricardo ALNITAK ricardo@alnitak .info

St-Barthélèmy (France)

Maslach, Nicolas French Marine Protected Areas Agency, West Indies Office

nicolas .maslach@aires-marines .fr

Suriname Landburg, Chantal Green Heritage Fund Suriname landburgc@seasnv .biz

Pool, Monique Green Heritage Fund Suriname poolms@seasnv .biz

Sweden Geijer, Christina See United Kingdom listing

Switzerland Bernal, Patricio GOBI - IUCN Global Marine and Polar Programme

patricio .bernal@iucn .org

Turkey Kıraç, Cem Orkun SAD-AFAG, Underwater Research Society – Mediterranean Seal Research Group

sad@sad .org .tr

Ukraine Birkun, Alexei ACCOBAMS alexeibirkun@gmail .com

United Kingdom Anderson, Heather Mary Sea Mammal Research Unit, St . Andrews University

ha237@st-andrews .ac .uk

Donovan, Greg International Whaling Commission greg .donovan@iwcoffice .org

Geijer, Christina University College London, Geography c .geijer@ucl .ac .uk

Hoyt, Erich Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

erich .hoyt@me .com

Laffoley, Dan IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas

danlaffoley@btinternet .com

Portocarrero Aya, Marcela Hull University (UK) and Fundación Omacha (Colombia)

marzop@gmail .com

Williams, Rob University of St . Andrews rmcw@st-andrews .ac .uk

99

ICMMPA ConferenceProceedingsICMMPA ConferenceProceedings

United States Abramson, Leslie NOAA ONMS Gulf of the Farallones NMS

leslie .abramson@noaa .gov

Agardy, Tundi Sound Seas tundiagardy@earthlink .net

Alexander, Louise North Carolina State University louise_alexander@ncsu .edu

Barr, Brad NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

brad .barr@noaa .gov

Carlson, Carole Dolphin Fleet/Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies

carolecarlson123@gmail .com

Choy, Lee-Ann Pacific Rim Concepts LLC prc@hawaiibiz .rr .com

Daves, Nancy NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service

nancy .daves@noaa .gov

Gende, Scott National Park Service scott_gende@nps .gov

Heinemann, Dennis US Marine Mammal Commission dheinemann@mmc .gov

Littnan Jr., Charles NOAA NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center

charles .littnan@noaa .gov

Mattila, David NOAA ONMS Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale NMS

david .mattila@noaa .gov

MacDonald, Craig NOAA ONMS Stellwagen Bank NMS craig .macdonald@noaa .gov

McIntosh, Naomi NOAA ONMS Pacific Islands Region naomi .mcIntosh@noaa .gov

Mesnick, Sarah NOAA ONMS Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale NMS

sarah .mesnick@noaa .gov

Nelson, Anne Collaborative Ocean Solutions collaborativeoceansolutions@gmail .com

Redfern, Jessica NOAA NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center

jessica .redfern@noaa .gov

Reynolds, John Mote Marine Laboratory reynolds@mote .org

Rowles, Teresa NOAA NMFS Office of Protected Resources

teri .rowles@noaa .gov

Smith, Brian Wildlife Conservation Society bsmith@wcs .org

Spalding, Mark Joseph The Ocean Foundation mspalding@oceanfdn .org

Taylor, Jaclyn NOAA NMFS Office of Protected Resources

jaclyn .taylor@noaa .gov

Thiele, Monika United Nations Environmental Program – Convention on Migratory Species

monika .thiele@unep .org

Tucker, Steven United States Coast Guard, Living Marine Resources Enforcement

steven .m .tucker@uscg .mil

Ward, Nathalie NOAA ONMS Stellwagen Bank NMS nathalie .ward@noaa .gov

Wulff, Ryan NOAA NMFS Office of International Affairs

ryan .wulff@noaa .gov

Young, Nina NOAA NMFS Office of International Affairs

nina .young@noaa .gov

Ziccardi, Mike Oiled Wildlife Care Network, Wildlife Health Center

mhziccardi@ucdavis .edu

100


Southern sea otter, at South Harbor, Moss Landing, California. World Ocean Day Photo Contest Submission by Steve Lonhart

Killer whale in Kamchatka, Russia Tatiana Ivkovich, Far East Russia Orca Project, WDCS

101


Steering and Program Committee, International Committee on Marine Mammal Protected Areas – ICMMPA 2Tundi Agardy(USA),ExecutiveDirector,SoundSeas;ScienceandPolicyDirectorforWorldOceanObservatory;authorOcean Zoning: Making Marine Management More Effective

Brad Barr(USA),SeniorPolicyAdvisor,NOAA-ONMS

Arne Bjørge(Norway),SeniorScientist,InstituteofMarineResearch,UniversityofOslo;IWCScientificCommittee

Douglas DeMaster(USA),DirectorofNOAA/AFSC,USDeputyCommissionertotheIWC

Mike Donoghue(Samoa/NewZealand),ExecutiveDirector,PacificIslandsProgram,Asia-PacificFieldDivision,ConservationInternational

Scott Gende(USA),CoastalEcologist,NationalParkService,GlacierBayNationalPark,Alaska

Erich Hoyt(Scotland,UK),Head,GlobalMPAProgramme,WhaleandDolphinConservationSociety;Author,Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises;IUCNWCPAandSSCCetaceanSpecialistGroup

Miguel Iñíguez(Argentina),FundaciónCethus;WhaleandDolphinConservationSociety;HeadofDelegationtoIWCScientificCommittee;AlternateCommissionertoIWCfromArgentina

Michiko Martin(USA),NationalEducationCoordinator,NOAA-NMSP

David Mattila(USA),NOAA-ONMS-HawaiianIslandsHumpbackWhaleNationalMarineSanctuary,TechnicalAdvisor–entangle-mentandshipstrikes–totheSecretariatoftheIWC

Naomi McIntosh(USA),NOAA-ONMS,PacificRegion;chair,ICMMPA

Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara (Italy),President,TethysResearchInstitute;DeputyChair,IUCN/SSCCetaceanSpecialistGroup;IUCNWCPA-MarineRegionalCoordinatorfortheMediterraneanandBlackSeas

José Truda Palazzo, Jr.(Brazil),CCC–CetaceanConservationCenter,Chile

Oscar Ramírez Flores(México),ComisiónNacionaldeÁreasNaturalesProtegidas(CONANP)

Vincent Ridoux(France),CentredeRecherchesurlesMammifèresMarins,UniversitédeLaRochelle-CNRS;HeadofDelegationtoIWCScientificCommittee

Philippe Robert(France),Agencedesairesmarinesprotégées(FrenchMPAAgency),InternationalRelations

Lorenzo Rojas Bracho(México),InstitutoNacionaldeEcología;HeadofDelegationtoIWCScientificCommittee

102


Minke whales in proposed Ross Sea Region Marine Reserve Photo by David Ainley

103


Organization and contacts

Agence des aires marines protégées 16 Quai de la Douane BP 42932 29229 BREST Cedex 2 France www.aires-marines.fr

NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Pacific Islands RegionNaomi McIntosh6600 Kalanianaole Highway, Suite 302Honolulu, Hawaii 96825 USAsanctuaries.noaa.gov

icmmpa.org

ISBN:978-0-9853252-0-6

PROCEEDINGS OF THESECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTED AREASICMMPA 2Endangered Spaces, Endangered Species

November 8 – 11, 2011Fort-de-France, Martiniqueicmmpa.org

Documents

PROCEEDINGS OF THE ON MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTED …second.icmmpa.org/files/2012/11/ICMMPA2-Final-Color-lo.pdf · PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MARINE MAMMAL