2012. Review of Significant Trade - Cites

Tursiops aduncus
500 km to give a range of 38 950 to 55 100 animals (Ministry of Fisheries and Marine
Resources, 2009b). This figure was amended on the basis of local knowledge that T. aduncus
represented a quarter of all dolphin species in captures and traditional harvests, to give an
estimate of 9738 to 13 775 (Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, 2009b).
Parsons et al. (2010) described this methodology as invalid, suggesting that except for the
areas surveyed, no scientific evidence was available to demonstrate species occurrence or
density within the country.
T. aduncus exhibits strong year-round residency and natal philopatry (Wang and Yang,
2009). Oremus et al. (2011) in their study in the Solomon Islands reported nine re-sightings of
individuals within the same year and 23 re-sightings between 2009 and 2010 within the
study sites, suggesting some degree of site fidelity and potentially demographic closure
within sites in the Solomon Islands.
Threats: Due to a preference for near-shore environments, T. aduncus is vulnerable to a
number of threats including direct exploitation, by-catch and environmental degradation
(Hammond et al., 2008). Live capture and international trade for the purpose of aquarium
displays was considered a major threat, given that the Solomon Islands population has not
been assessed (Hammond et al., 2008). According to Parsons et al. (2010), at least 94 live
Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins were captured in coastal waters of the Solomon Islands
during April-July 2003. Concern regarding live capture and previous export of specimens of
T. aduncus from the Solomon Islands without sufficient scientific basis for a non-detriment
finding has been reported by several authors, including members of the IUCN Cetacean
Specialist Group (Ross et al., 2003; Reeves et al. in litt. to CITES Management Authorities of
the Solomon Islands, 2007; Parsons et al., 2010).
Fishing for dolphins in the Solomon Islands was reported to be a long tradition in rural
communities, however the bottlenose dolphin T. truncatus (presumed to include T. aduncus
at the time of citation) was reported to be not taken as part of traditional drive hunts
(Takekawa, 2000). Ross et al. (2003) reported that T. aduncus is less likely to be a victim of the
drive fishery as the species teeth are not as highly valued.
In addition to impacting population sizes, removal of live dolphins from the wild was
reported to disrupt long-established behavioural and social patterns of remaining animals,
which could potentially affect reproductive success (Reeves and Brownell, 2009).
Wang and Yang (2009) considered the most serious anthropogenic global threat to
T. aduncus to be mortality as a result of interactions with fisheries. There is evidence of
T. aduncus by-catch in local fisheries (Kurihara and Oda 2007, cited in Reeves and Brownell
2009).
Additional threats to T. aduncus populations can include toxic effects of xenobiotic
chemicals, reduced prey availability caused by environmental degradation and overfishing,
direct and indirect disturbance and harassment (e.g. boat traffic and commercial dolphin
watching), marine construction and other forms of habitat destruction and degradation
(Hammond et al., 2008). It is not known to what extent these threats affect the species within
the Solomon Islands.
Trade: T. aduncus was listed (as part of T. truncatus) in CITES Appendix II on 28/06/1979.
The Solomon Islands became a Party to CITES in 2007; submission of an annual report was
not required until 2008. To date, no annual reports have been received from the Solomon
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