Fin whale

22 December 2005

Species at Risk Act: public consultations for addition of the fin whale

The status of the fin whale (Atlantic and Pacific populations combined) was first assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in April 1987, and designated as being "of special concern". In May 2002, after a COSEWIC reassessment, Atlantic fin whales and those from the Pacific were considered as two distinct populations. The Atlantic population retains its "of special concern" status, while the Pacific population is designated as being "threatened". The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans must now decide whether to recommend that the Governor in Council add the species to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk. Before deciding how to proceed, the federal government wishes to consult Canadians to obtain their opinion in order to properly determine the social and economic impacts, both positive and negative, of the addition of the fin whale to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk. After listing, a management plan should be developed in collaboration with the industries and different interest groups. This management plan could include awareness measures, developing "good practices", or more restrictive measures with consequences on the activities of related stakeholders. The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans encourage the population thoroughly read the consultation guide the Species at Risk Act (SARA) Public Registry Website, answer the questions (any or all) at the end of this workbook and add any relevant comment. All answers and comments will be taken into consideration in the decision-making process. [List of Wildlife Species at Risk]

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On Government of Canada site:

25 August 2005

Fisheries and Oceans Canada proposes a Recovery Strategy for Pacific blue, fin and sei whales

On August 18, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) published a draft copy of its Recovery Strategy for Pacific blue, fin and sei whale populations. This strategy outlines the status of these whale populations and defines objectives for their recovery. DFO is inviting the public to become familiar with, and comment on, the suggested Strategy up until 16 September 2005.

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) designated Pacific blue and sei whale populations as endangered in 2002 and 2003. In 2005, the Canadian government listed these two populations as endangered under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), which means that they are now officially protected species. This same year, COSEWIC designated the Pacific fin whale as a threatened species. It is still under consideration for SARA listing. Decimated by commercial whaling in the first half of the XX Century, these populations of rorqual whales are now threatened by noise pollution—caused by industrial and military activity—, ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear and habitat modification due to human activities and climate change. The possible expansion of scientific whaling by Japan also represents a potential threat to these three Eastern North Pacific populations.

Once the government lists a species under SARA it must develop a recovery strategy. As these three populations appear to share the same habitat and face the same threats, the government proposes to deal with them with an integrated, multi-species recovery strategy. Thus, the main goal of the proposed Recovery Strategy is to bring blue, fin and sei whale populations in Canada's Pacific waters back to viable levels where there survival is no longer threatened. In order to meet this goal, the team working on the Strategy has come up with the following objectives:

12 May 2005

COSEWIC meeting: fin whale and bowhead whale under study

Two species of whales—the fin whale and the bowhead whale—were evaluated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) during its biannual meeting that took place near Newfoundland's Gros Morne National Park in early May. Committee members considered a total of 41 reports, bringing to 500 the total number of species considered threatened by COSEWIC.

The Committee assessed two populations of fin whales: the Pacific population and the Atlantic population. The risk category of the Pacific fin whale has been changed from Special Concern—status attributed in 1987 to fin whales from both oceans—to Threatened, a higher level of risk category. According to the report submitted to Committee members, the present population still represents only 50 percent of population of 60 to 90 years ago. Ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear continue to threaten this population. The Atlantic fin whale population has conserved its status of Special Concern. Ship strikes and entanglement are also limiting factors for this population.

Contrary to the Pacific fin whale, the various populations of bowhead whales, all classified as Endangered in 1986, have been attributed lower risk categories. The Eastern Arctic population was divided into two populations: the Hudson Bay-Foxe Basin population and the Davis Strait-Baffin Bay population. The first of these populations—estimated at 300 mature individuals—corresponds to the criteria of a Threatened status. On the other hand, while the size of the Davis Strait-Baffin Bay population has been estimated at 3000 whale, this estimation represents only 30 percent of its historic size. Although this evaluation criterion corresponds to the Endangered category, it has been designated as Threatened due to the cessation of commercial hunting, which was the main cause for its decline. Finally the Western Arctic population was renamed the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort population and attributed the status Special Concern. This population appears to be on the road to recovery, representing 50 percent of its historical size. Nonetheless, it continues to be the object of regulated whaling.

Taking the new COSEWIC evaluations into consideration, the Canadian government will decide over the next few years whether or not it will include these populations on the List of Endangered species by evaluating economic and social repercussions for Canadians. This designation provides legal protection for the populations so designated and bans all killing, harassing, capturing or injuring of any individual classified as Endangered or Threatened. The Species at Risk Act became law in June of 2003. Four new species of marine mammals will be assessed for the May 2006 COSEWIC meeting. These include Pacific and Atlantic minke whales, the Atlantic sub-species of harbour seals, Sowerby's beaked whale (an Atlantic species) and the Atlantic walrus population from the Eastern Arctic. [COSEWIC]

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On COSEWIC site :

21 April 2005

Whaling: Norway increases its quota while Japan hopes to double theirs

Norway will likely experience a record whaling season this year with an increased quota of 797 minke whales. Last year, 542 minke whales—of a quota of 670—were hunted over the course of a shortened season. Norway hopes to increase its kills in part to protect its commercial fishery and to bolster national trade in whale products. To accomplish this, the Norwegian whaling fleet of 30 boats will not only benefit from the higher quota, but also from a longer season, which began last Monday instead of in mid-May. Thus, whale products will be offered for sale during the entire whaling season. The season will come to a close at the end of August. Another novelty for the whaling programme: ships will head to sea without the government inspectors who normally monitor whaling activities to ensure that the techniques employed to kill the whales are humane. Whaling boats will instead be equipped with electronic sensors to record the number of harpoons deployed and the number of whales killed.

Meanwhile, according to reliable sources, it appears that Japan is set to propose a new Antarctic scientific whaling plan to the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The plan would see the number of minke whales hunted increase from 440 to 800. Furthermore, the plan would also propose the killing of 10 humpback whales and 10 fin whales. While Japanese authorities were not able to confirm this rumour—as the details of their proposition cannot be unveiled before it is submitted to the IWC—they nonetheless declared that their research programme must evolve and that the entire ecosystem must be studied. This would bring to six the total number of species taken by Japan within the context of its two scientific whaling programmes. Along with minke whales, Japanese whalers in the Pacific Northwest also hunt Byde's whales, sei whales and sperm whales. It goes without saying that, although it has yet to be confirmed, this rumour has provoked the anger and disapproval of anti-whaling countries and groups such as the Humane Society International (HSI). This organization, which fights to oppose the hunting of marine mammals worldwide, has been waiting for several months on a judgement from the Australian Federal Court to bring a court case against the Japanese Whale Company, which is illegally hunting minke whales in Australia's Antarctic Whale Sanctuary. The HSI has attempted to obtain the support of the Australian government, which prefers to engage in diplomatic discussions with Japanese authorities.

IWC member countries will be able to voice their opinions on the Japanese proposition during the next annual meeting set to take place in South Korea from June 20 to 24. [Whales Online, Planet Ark, HSI, CBC]

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On Planet Ark site :

10 April 2003

Iceland Announces its Proposal to Begin Scientific Whaling

Last week Iceland submitted its proposal to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to begin scientific whaling. According to the plan Iceland will hunt 100 fin whales, 50 sei whales and 100 minke whales annually. The fin whale and the sei whale have both been designated as endangered by the IUCN (World Conservation Union).

Those in favour of the scientific hunt justify their support by stating that the research aims to investigate cetacean diets, distribution and numbers. These arguments are the same as those put forward by Japan, which hunts several hundred minke whales per year. However, those who are against the hunt claim that information concerning all of these subjects can be collected without killing whales. Japanese market interest for Icelandic whale products played an important role in the decision to resume whaling.

Conservation groups, like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), condemn the project. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society is concerned about the effects this hunt may have on Iceland’s whale-watching industry. Greenpeace warns that whale populations are just beginning to recover from years of exploitation, breed slowly and are jeopordized by other human threats such as pollution and climate change.

The next IWC meeting will be held in Berlin, Germany in June of 2003. [Environment News Service]

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On Whales Online:

19 December 2002

Canada adopts the Species at Risk Act

The Species at Risk Act received Royal Assent on December 12, bringing to a close a nine-year legislative process. This new Act will come into force in 2003 with the adoption of an order in council. Until then, the Government of Canada will develop the regulations required under the Act.

The Species at Risk Act will provide for better protection of species at risk and their habitats. Species will be assessed through a scientific evaluation process independent of the federal government. Emphasis will be put on the elaboration of recovery plans. This Act is one element of the government’s Strategy for the Protection of Species at Risk along with programs like the Habitat Stewardship Program, which finances conservation projects (45 million dollars over five years).

Ten whale species are on Canada’s species at risk list: the bowhead whale, the right whale, the beluga whale, the killer whale, the blue whale, the humpback whale, the fin whale, the harbour porpoise, the northern bottlenose whale and Sowerby’s beaked whale. [Environment Canada]

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Environment Canada News Release:

26 July 2001

A catalogue to better understand the fin whales of the St. Lawrence

The GREMM (Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals) has just published a fin whale identification catalogue for the St. Lawrence Estuary in collaboration with Croisières AML. The fin whale is the second largest mammal to have ever existed, and the St. Lawrence Estuary is an excellent site to observe this species. The GREMM has been studying these animals, mainly through the use of photo-identification, since 1985. Individual identification is possible thanks to natural markings and scars that are visible on the whales’ bodies. Some fin whales even have names. The analysis of skin samples has enabled researches to determine the gender of certain animals. Seventy-four individual animals have been identified. The catalogue represents the 55 most easily identifiable fin whales as well as an overview of the herd. Of course, this family album is an indispensable research tool. However, it also constitutes an excellent educational tool for the captains and naturalists of the area. Croisières AML has been contributing to the GREMM’s fin whale research programme for six years now, with a total investment of $ 150 000. Better knowledge and understanding of these animals will help us to better protect them. [GREMM]