Dolphins, Porpoises, and Whales - IUCN

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and finless porpoise) have been eliminated from large parts of their previous range in inshore waters of Thailand, apparently due to habitat degradation and fishery bycatches (M. Andersen and C.C. Kinze in IWC 1994), possibly exacerbated in the case of Irrawaddy dolphins and finless porpoises by a live-capture fishery. There is a pressing need for documentation of the status of small cetaceans and their habitat in Thai waters. An initiative involving local scientists, with external funding and technical support, should begin as soon as possible. Project 45 Investigate bycatches and directed hunting of cetaceans in Oman Coastal waters of Oman are inhabited by a large variety of cetaceans, and a baseline of information on occurrence and mortality in fishing gear is available from work begun in the mid 1980s (Salm 1992, Salm etal. 1993). The area south of Ra's al Hadd along the central coast of Oman has intensive trawl and driftnet fisheries which kill marine turtles, seabirds, non-target fish species, and a variety of cetaceans. Of particular concern is the relatively large number of Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphins found dead along this coast. A field identification guide is already being produced (R. Salm, pers. comm., February 1993), and this should increase awareness and knowledge about local cetaceans in Oman. No stock assessment has yet been carried out in these waters, nor is there any formal program for reporting cetacean mortality in fishing gear or in directed hunts. Both types of initiative are needed. The nature of the background data and of the problems to be addressed in Oman is such that collaboration with other taxon-based Specialist Groups (e.g. Marine Turtles, Seabirds, Coral Reefs) would be desirable. Project 46 Assess cetacean stoclu in eastern Russia With the disintegration of the old Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the status and problems of cetacean populations in northeast Atlantic, northeast Pacific, and Eurasian Arctic waters and in the Black Sea have taken on a new character. Whereas in the previous Action Plan there was an implicit assumption that cetaceans in Soviet waters were subject to a coherent monitoring and conservation regime, there is now great uncertainty about the condition of and prognosis for these stocks. In view of reports that there has been substantial mortality of cetaceans in coastal drift gillnets set for salmon along the coasts of Kamchatka Peninsula, an assessment of the situation is needed. Such an assessment should include all forms of human-related mortality of all cetacean species. Russian/Japanese joint venture operations require particular attention. 68 Topical Projects Affecting Several Different Species, Populations, or Areas Project 47 Conduct a symposium on impacts of dams on river dolphins: problems and solutions (partly "old" Project 43) It is generally acknowledged that dams and other types of obstruction in rivers have negative effects on dolphins. Historically, however, most development projects have proceeded with little understanding of, or concern about, their implications for these animals. This project is intended to have both a research component and a publiceducation component. The idea is to convene a meeting of experts in relevant fields, including dolphin behaviorists, ecologists, hydrological engineers, officials from irrigation and power authorities in range states, and representatives of international funding institutions. The agenda for such a meeting should be to document the nature of problems caused by dams and to develop strategies for eliminating or ameliorating these problems. Priorities should be set according to the scale and immediacy, as well as the prognosis for solving, the identified problems. The ultimate goals should be to raise the level of awareness about river dolphins among fwliticians, planners, and engineers and to improve the state of knowledge about the problems and potential solutions. Concepts such as "staircasing" of dams in upstream reaches of rivers (Perrin and Brownell 1989) and construction of "swimways" to allow dolphins to pa.ss upstream and downstream of barrages (Hammonds 1992) should be addressed in detail. The report of the symposium should include recommendations that are both technical and strategic; in other words, they should refer to design, hydrology, and costing as well as to the politics of implementation. Project 48 Test the validity of folk beliefs about the properties of cetacean products ("old" Project 23) and find substitutes, as appropriate The demand for some cetacean products is built on folk beliefs, at least some of which probably have no biochemical basis. To the extent that such demand encourages exploitation, efforts to demystify the attributes ascribed to dolphin oil, eyes, and reproductive organs could play a significant role in conservation. In the previous version of the Action Plan a specific project of this kind was described (Perrin 1989:13), and some progress toward implementation has been made (Mohan 1992b; Fig. 37). There is a need for a review of the uses of cetacean products, with the goal of identifying areas in which strategies can be developed for reducing threats to populations. Of particular importance are situations where the regime of
R. 8. Lai Mohan exploitation is actually driven by the demand for the products. Thus it will be important to distinguish between those cases in which the valued substance is actually a "byproduct" of exploitation and those in which it provides a primary motivation for taking the animals. Eastern South America and the Indian sub-continent are the two regions most in need of immediate attention. Project 49 Workshop on methods for surveying populations of coastal and riverine cetaceans ("old" Project 45) Line-transect and strip-census methods have been adapted and refined for use in surveying cetaceans in the open ocean (Buckland et al. 1993a), and these methods have generally provided the best available estimates for management. However, neither approach is entirely suitable or practical for cetaceans found near shore along complex or convoluted coastlines, or in river and lake systems. Other methods that have been used for river dolphins have not been fully satisfactory either (Perrin and Brownell 1989, Reeves et al. 1993a). It is important that survey methods be improved and standardized so that the results of work by different investigators in different parts of a species' range can be usefully compared or combined (see, for example. Project 12). Such improvement and standardization is critical if there is to be any hope of detecting trends in populations, particularly those with a large geographic range. Several initiatives are underway to develop and test Figure 37. The meat and oil of susus are used as fish attractant in the middle Ganges of India. Lures made witti mixtures of cow dung, goat fat, and dolphin oil bring large catfish close enough to be caught by men with scoop nets. new methods with South American river dolphins. Since 1990, Trujillo (1992b) has intensively surveyed a lake system in the Colombian Amazon. Vidal et al. (1993) completed an initial set of surveys in June 1993 along approximately 125 km of the Amazon River bordering Colombia and Peru, and another team of workers has an ongoing survey program (since 1991) centered in the Samiria River system of Peru (Leatherwood 1993). A workshop meeting is needed to compare and evaluate the methods presently used in both South America and Asia, and to develop better approaches. One goal of such a meeting would be the production of a manual for field use, possibly with separate sections for each species or type of habitat. Another goal would be to identify and educate a pool of experts who are comjaetent and willing to advise field investigators and review their results. Project 50 Promote increased consideration of river faunas in internationally funded developments ("old" Project 43) As stated in the previous version of the Action Plan, the protection of river dolphins and the associated river fauna should be integral to planning for national and regional river development (Perrin 1989:16). Consideration of dolphins should be part of a broad attempt to accommodate the needs of wildlife, fisheries, and economic development. Some initial effort has been made toward the
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lUCN 1994 014 c. 2 1994-1998 Action
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Dolphins, Porpoises, and Whales: 19
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The previous version of the lUCN/SS
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The CSG was established in the 1960
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vessels, underwater detonations, an
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Figure 2A. 1994; Fig. 2), have yet
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Table 1 Classification of the livin
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Superfamily Physeteroidea Family Ph
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Figure 3B Bycatches in Fisheries Al
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Figure 4. Many tens of thousands of
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Role of the CSG in Cetacean Conserv
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humpback whales, declared by the Do
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then) is a highly precautionary app
Page 28 and 29: Chapter 4 Status of Species and Pop
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Page 32 and 33: of its recovery and the absence of
Page 34 and 35: forms have been identified (Kasuya
Page 36 and 37: Anne-Catherlne Lescrauwaet how seri
Page 38 and 39: dolphin populations. However, there
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Page 42 and 43: increased since the early 1980s (IW
Page 44 and 45: lar attention should be paid to fin
Page 46 and 47: populations. As many as eight stock
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Page 54 and 55: No. Short Title Status Funding* 25
Page 56 and 57: Alejandro Robles mer nursery area i
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Page 64 and 65: Figure 25. A young boto, killed in
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Page 68 and 69: Figure 27. Commerson s dolphins hav
Page 70 and 71: Figure 29. The franciscana is the o
Page 72 and 73: Reyes 1990, in press). The species
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Page 76 and 77: Figure 35A. Figure 35B. Mediterrane
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Page 82 and 83: and G.P. Donovan (eds.). Cetaceans
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Page 88 and 89: and fisheries. George Allen & Unwin
Page 90 and 91: SC/40/SM 9. Miyazaki, N. 1983. Catc
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Page 94 and 95: 1:167-176. Silas, E.G., Parameswara
Page 96 and 97: AJex Aguilar Anne Collet Spain Fran
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