pacific islands report_NU.indd - Whale and Dolphin Conservation ...

and Orams 2005). Hector’s dolphins have also shownavoidance behaviour and changes in dispersion ofthe group (Bejder et al. 1999). Lusseau and Higham(2003) have also looked at behavioural responses toboats in the context of spatial and temporal norms ofthe population under study. Studies in southeasternAustralia have revealed avoidance behaviour ofbottlenose dolphins as a response to tour boatpresence (Hale 2002) as well as a lack of complianceto watching and interaction regulations by theoperators (Scarpaci 2003, 2004). Off Shark Bay,Western Australia, Bejder (2005) has demonstratedsignificant impact on the reproductive success ofbottlenose dolphins targeted by tourism. Humpbackwhales in eastern Australian waters have also shownresponses to commercial whale watching operators– in particular pods that contain calves (Corkeron1995). The necessity of sound and appropriatemanagement strategies, including enforcement ofany measures, is vital for the sustainability of PacificIslands whale watching operations.FisheriesIntroductionThe Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of theUnited Nations divides the world’s oceans into 18fishing areas. The Pacific Islands Region covers allor part of four of these areas, namely: the WesternCentral Pacific, the Southwest Pacific, the EasternCentral Pacific, and Southeast Pacific. The WesternCentral Pacific area produces the highest catchesof these four regions and also has a significantbearing on the economies of several Pacific Islandnations (SPREP 2004). In fact, the fisheries industrycontributes an average of 11% of the GDP of allPacific Islands nations. The regional Western andCentral Pacific tuna fishery is the world’s largest tunafishery and showed an approximately 230% increasefrom 1976-1996 however the economic returns toPacific nations through fishing access fees fromforeign fleets represent a relatively small proportionof an approximately 1.7 billion (US) dollar industry(Preston 1997). Coastal fisheries are an importantresource for local communities’ in terms of food,lifestyle, custom, and employment. On average 77%of coastal fisheries landings are utilized for homeconsumption (World Bank 2000) although there arelimited management or protection mechanisms inplace to sustain and monitor coastal fisheries.A general summary of fish landings, species, and geartypes of the four relevant FAO regions is presentedbelow (Sea Around Us 2006). In the Western CentralPacific over 3 million tonnes of fish are landedannually. More than half of this catch is from tunaand billfish species, with yellow fin tuna being thegreatest contributor. Hooks, purse seines and trolllines are the most common gear type althoughbottom trawls, gillnets, squid hooks, mid-water trawls,and, traps are also used. In the Southwest Pacificcatches are smaller with just less than 400,000 tonnesbeing landed annually. Blue grenadier, Wellingtonflying squid, and, the southern blue whiting makeup a majority of these catches. Approximately 50%of catches are derived through destructive bottomtrawling activities. Portions of both the EasternCentral Pacific and Southeast Pacific areas fall outsideof the Pacific Islands Region. Catches in the EasternCentral Pacific are primarily from tuna (yellow fin,skipjack, and big eye) yet with totals of approximately750,000 tonnes the production does not match thatof the Western Central Pacific. Finally, the SoutheastPacific catches are dominated by the Inca scad – infact of the over 2.2 million tonnes of fish landed inthis region per year almost 1.5 million is from thisspecies. The most common fishing methods are purseseine and mid-water trawls, although gillnets andhooks are also used (Sea Around Us 2006).Bycatch and entanglementFishing gear bycatch and entanglement is regardedas a very serious threat to cetaceans worldwide(Northridge 1991, Lewison et al. 2004, Read et al.2006). However, the estimate of cetacean bycatchwithin the Pacific Islands is limited by the smallamount of fishing vessel monitoring (Lawson2001). Onboard observer programs do exist24 CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE OF CETACEAN THREATS, DIVERSITY, AND HABITATS IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION