Report of the Second Workshop on The Biology and Conservation of ...

<strong>of</strong> fishermen who had experienced by-catch wasvery high for <strong>the</strong> driftnet fisheries (60% in <strong>the</strong>Penghu Islands, and 71% in eastern waters). Itwas also surprisingly high for <strong>the</strong> longline fishery(55%) in eastern waters. Annual incidental catchrates were estimated from <strong>the</strong>se questionnairedata at 0.4 cetaceans per boat for <strong>the</strong> PenghuIslands (n= 50 questionnaires; 3.7 cetaceans perboat for 12 driftnet fishing boats for 15 months)and 5.1 cetaceans per boat (n= 21 questionnairesin 2001) in <strong>the</strong> eastern waters. The number <strong>of</strong>actively operating boats was 150 for <strong>the</strong> PenghuIslands and 50 to100 in eastern waters (although<strong>the</strong> numbers registered were 363 and 571 boats,respectively). Based on <strong>the</strong> estimated number <strong>of</strong>operating fishing boats, <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> cetaceanskilled incidentally each year can be estimated as57 by <strong>the</strong> Penghu Islands’ boats and 185 to 2900by <strong>the</strong> boats from Hualien and Taitung counties,eastern Taiwan. The cetaceans by-caught by <strong>the</strong>Penghu fishermen included bottlenose dolphins(both species), finless porpoises, and longbeakedcommon (with <strong>the</strong> former two being mostcommon). The by-caught cetaceans in easternwaters include at least nine species: Risso’s,pantropical spotted, Fraser’s, common bottlenose,spinner and rough-too<strong>the</strong>d dolphins and pygmysperm, dwarf sperm and long-finned pilot whales(<strong>the</strong> first three species being most common).Distant-water fisheriesWang reported that fishing vessels based inTungkung Harbour (many operating in <strong>the</strong> EEZs<strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r countries), especially longliners, could betaking significant by-catch. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se boatsare known to fish illegally in Philippine waters forbluefin and o<strong>the</strong>r species <strong>of</strong> tuna, so some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>cetaceans observed at <strong>the</strong> Tungkang fishmarketmay have originated <strong>the</strong>re. Recent information(post-workshop, supplied by Wang) also suggeststhat Taiwanese far-seas tuna purse-seine vesselsare killing large numbers <strong>of</strong> cetaceans in some<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> foreign fishing grounds. The activities<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> far-seas fleet need to be investigatedthroroughly.The Fishery Administration, Council <strong>of</strong> Agriculturehas sponsored a far-seas by-catch study led by Chousince 1997 on a small scale. Many questionnaireswere distributed to Taiwanese purse-seinevessels operating in <strong>the</strong> waters <strong>of</strong> Micronesiaand Guam. Only one boat returned a completedquestionnaire. According to this vessel’s report,seven cetaceans (two large ones, five small ones)were killed accidentally during <strong>the</strong> operation fromJune 1999 to July 2000. Pr<strong>of</strong>essional observerswere not sent on board until 2000. The firstone was on board a tuna purse-seine vessel inMicronesia for 45 days (19 Aug – 8 Oct 2000) anddid not record any by-catch. The second wassent out on a tuna long-line boat in <strong>the</strong> IndianOcean for 64 days (Aug-Oct), and no by-catch wasrecorded. Currently 9 observers have been trainedand assigned to various boats. Their reports areexpected in <strong>the</strong> near future.Legal status and present managementarrangementsExcept for bottlenose dolphins, which were listedin <strong>the</strong> third category, all cetaceans were listed in<strong>the</strong> highest two categories in <strong>the</strong> list <strong>of</strong> protectedwildlife under <strong>the</strong> Wildlife Conservation Law in1990. The Wildlife Conservation Law was amendedin 1994, and <strong>the</strong> status <strong>of</strong> bottlenose dolphinswas upgraded. Under this level <strong>of</strong> protection,<strong>the</strong> capture, sale, possession or consumption<strong>of</strong> cetaceans, in whole or in part, is strictlyprohibited. This law falls under <strong>the</strong> jurisdiction <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> Council <strong>of</strong> Agriculture.The continuing exploitation and traffic incetaceans suggests that enforcement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>Wildlife Conservation Law is inadequate for<strong>the</strong>se animals. The three most recent arrests forpossession <strong>of</strong> cetacean parts for sale resultedin acquittals. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, a permit for <strong>the</strong>34 CMS Technical Series Publication Nº 9 - 2005