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

marine conservation priority. Progress has beenmade on capacity building and making educationalmaterials available, including brochures onspecies, cetacean ecology, fisheries interactions,marine mammal stranding and rescues.Needs for additional researchResearch is needed on <strong>the</strong> distribution, abundanceand ecology <strong>of</strong> all marine mammal species foundin Indonesian waters. Identification <strong>of</strong> habitatrequirements <strong>of</strong> endangered and vulnerablespecies and assessment <strong>of</strong> threats to such habitatsis most important.Indonesia’s level <strong>of</strong> marine resource exploitationis high and human pressures on marine mammalpopulations are intense. Thus, cetacean anddugong research in Indonesia tends to beconservation-driven and focus on outcomes thatassist <strong>the</strong> development and implementation <strong>of</strong> threatmitigation and conservation strategies. Because<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lack <strong>of</strong> knowledge for most populations, ahabitat focus is <strong>of</strong>ten most effective in providingguidance toward short-term conservation goals,while at <strong>the</strong> same time allowing research onspecies to address ecological questions relevantto long-term management.For <strong>the</strong> Irrawaddy dolphins in <strong>the</strong> MahakamRiver, continued population monitoring and threatmitigation are crucial. Proposed mechanisms forconservation include alternative employmentfor gillnet fishermen and improved enforcementagainst destructive fishing practices and illegallogging (Doc. 12). Expanded survey effort isneeded, including statistical testing <strong>of</strong> models usedto estimate dolphin abundance. Toxicological andgenetic analyses <strong>of</strong> tissues obtained from strandedor incidentally killed dolphins, and investigationsinto habitat destruction.analysis <strong>of</strong> sampled and harpooned cetaceans(for local consumption) are needed (Kahn andPet 2001, Kahn et al. 2001). Additional capacitybuilding and collaboration with National Parksstaff and environmental NGOs are paramountfor long-term continuation <strong>of</strong> survey activitiesand successful implementation <strong>of</strong> managementmeasures.An assessment <strong>of</strong> marine mammal by-catchin commercial fisheries operating withinIndonesia’s EEZ is urgently needed. Targetedcatches <strong>of</strong> cetaceans and depredation on fishcatches by cetaceans need to be investigated andquantified. Realistic mitigation measures shouldbe considered as soon as a problem has beenidentified, and trial solutions may be implementedduring <strong>the</strong> initial fishery assessment. Aprecautionary approach should be applied tothose fishing practices that have been implicatedin extremely high cetacean by-catch levels ino<strong>the</strong>r SE Asia countries.Research is also urgently needed on <strong>the</strong> extentand locations <strong>of</strong> live-capture operations and <strong>the</strong>potential effects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se on local populations.Present and potential whale and dolphinwatching operationsWhale and dolphin watching in Indonesia is arelatively new industry and has grown rapidly in<strong>the</strong> last five years. Most activities are based onBali (Fig. 1). On <strong>the</strong> island’s rugged south coast,dolphin-watch tours focus on spinner dolphins inopen waters 5-15 km south <strong>of</strong> Uluwatu. On <strong>the</strong>relatively sheltered north coast <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> island, toursfocus on pantropical spotted dolphins and, to alesser extent, spinner dolphins. These activitiesare largely unregulated and more operators areactive each year.Continued photographic identifications, additionaltelemetry research, toxicological and geneticAggressive boat handling and crowdingincreasingly result in harassment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><strong>Second</strong> <strong>Workshop</strong> on <strong>the</strong> Biology and Conservation <strong>of</strong> Small Cetaceans and Dugongs <strong>of</strong> SE Asia 43