The Davis Strait - DCE - Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi

tude breeding grounds and high latitude feeding grounds arriving in Greenland
during spring. The population in West Greenland is currently (2007) estimated
as larger than 16,609 animals (Heide-Jørgensen et al. 2008b, Heide-
Jørgensen et al. 2010d); however large variations in relative minke whale
abundance across years suggest that the fraction of minke whales using the
West Greenland banks as a summer feeding ground may vary from year to
year (Heide-Jørgensen & Laidre 2008). There is molecular evidence that
minke whales in the assessment area belong to a distinct population that
summers in what the International Whaling Commission recognises as the
West Greenland management area (Andersen et al. 2003, Born et al. 2007).
As many other species, minke whales are likely to move between Greenland
and East Canada (Horwood 1989). Furthermore, minke whale catch data
show distinct sexual segregation in the West Greenland subpopulation
where mostly females are found within the assessment area and in Northwest
Greenland while males tend to migrate to Southwest Greenland
(Laidre et al. 2009)
Minke whales are found both offshore and inshore in bays and fjords within
the entire assessment area. They are the most icthyophagous of the baleen
whales and feed mainly on sandeel and capelin (Kapel 1979). Both IUCN
(2008) and the Greenland Red List (Boertmann 2007) places minke whales in
the Least Concern category.
Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Humpback whales are about 13 m long and weigh 28 tonnes. They migrate
between their low-latitude breeding grounds in the Caribbean and the highlatitude
feeding ground in Greenland. They arrive in the assessment area in
spring (May) and stay until late autumn (October). However, a minority of
individuals skip the migration and overwinter in Greenlandic waters (Simon
2010).
Humpback whales in Greenland feed mainly on capelin, sandeel and krill.
They travel along the coast into fjords and bays to benefit from shallow aggregations
of capelin (Heide-Jørgensen & Laidre 2007). Yet, it seems like the
majority of humpback whales stay offshore to take advantage of large prey
patches on the banks with a high density humpback whale area within the
assessment area (Laidre et al. 2010). Although individual humpback whales
show site fidelity toward specific foraging sites, returning year after year to
the same area within few kilometres (Boye et al. 2010), they do not stay in
the same area for the entire feeding season but travel between foraging sites
(Heide-Jørgensen & Laidre 2007).
In 1966 humpback whales became protected from commercial whaling and
in 1986 a moratorium was established. In 1981, Whitehead et al. (1983) estimated
the population size of West Greenland humpback whales to constitute
85-200 animals. The many years of protection has resulted in an increase
of humpback whale abundance. Today around 3,000 humpback whales feed
along the West coast of Greenland and the rate of increase is estimated to
9.4% per year (Heide-Jørgensen et al. 2008 , Heide-Jørgensen et al. in press).
Hence, humpback whales are considered as least concern on both the IUCN
Red List (2008) and the Greenland Red List (Boertmann 2007).
Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis
Sei whales are on average 14 m long and weigh 20–25 tonnes. They feed almost
exclusively on krill (Kapel 1979); although small schooling fish and
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