香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播

础谤迟铆肠耻濒辞 26 Feb, 2021

New 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播-backed study finds gray whales at high risk from ship strikes in the North Pacific Ocean

Gland, Switzerland (香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播) 鈥 Ships operating in the North Pacific pose a serious threat to gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), according to the first scientific study that examines the impacts of vessel traffic on the species throughout its range.

In particular, gray whales are at 鈥渉igh risk鈥 from large ships operating in the Bering Sea (including the Aleutian Islands), Gulf of Alaska, along the entire west coast of North America, as well as near Kamchatka and in the Okhotsk Sea in the Russian Far East. An area of relatively high risk was also evident near Russia鈥檚 Sakhalin Island, where the Endangered western population of less than 250 whales feed every summer and autumn.

The study, published in the journal Endangered Species Research, found that the risk to gray whales appears greatest during their north and southbound migration, when much of the population is moving through waters with heavy vessel traffic. It found that areas of very high vessel density were evident year-round near many coastlines, along inter-continental trade routes, and at hubs of commercial shipping near port entrances.

It further suggests that fishing vessels are likely to pose substantial additional risk to the species, given the large number of commercial fisheries operating in North Pacific waters.

鈥淎ll whale species are susceptible to vessel strikes, but the range-wide risk of strikes of gray whales is not known,鈥 said Gregory Silber of Smultea Environmental Sciences, the lead author of the paper and a member of 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播鈥檚 Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP). 鈥淗owever, fatal or debilitating ship strikes of gray whales are more common than strikes of other North Pacific whales, such as humpback, fin and blue whales. The number of strikes of gray whales may range from the tens to low hundreds every year.鈥

The authors mapped specific geographical areas where gray whale habitats intersect with high-density vessel traffic areas. Based on these 鈥渉eat maps鈥, they identified locations that signal a conservation concern, both in terms of ship strikes and exposure to elevated underwater noise from vessels.

The study highlights the need to design measures to reduce gray whale mortality and injury from ship strikes. The authors suggest measures, such as establishing new navigation corridors, using speed limits, or placing marine mammal observers aboard ships to detect whales and advise captains to reduce speed or change course. Also, improved monitoring and reporting of vessel strikes and near misses would help scientists and managers assess and reduce the risk to whales.

鈥淭he volume of vessel traffic associated with offshore energy development is of particular concern when operations occur near areas, such as Sakhalin, where gray whales aggregate to feed, or in areas where they overwinter or migrate through. Important efforts have been made by companies like Sakhalin Energy to manage vessel routing and speed in their areas of operation, explicitly to mitigate the risk of striking gray whales, and to date, the company has not recorded any vessel strikes of marine mammals,鈥 said Randall Reeves, Chair of the Cetacean Specialist Group of 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播鈥檚 Species Survival Commission, WGWAP Chair and a co-author of the paper.

鈥淚t is also necessary to address cumulative impacts from all human activities likely to affect the whales,鈥 added Dr Reeves. 鈥淭he abundance of gray whales in the North Pacific is slowly increasing, but so too is vessel traffic and other pressures that put the species鈥 long-term recovery at risk.鈥

Since 2004, WGWAP has provided independent scientific advice to Sakhalin Energy and other actors on how to minimize risks to gray whales and their habitat off Russia鈥檚 Sakhalin Island, in the Sea of Okhotsk.

鈥淭his new study shines a light on one of the ongoing, and perhaps growing, threats to the great whales in this post-whaling era,鈥 said Giulia Carbone, Deputy Director of 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播鈥檚 Business and Biodiversity Programme. 鈥淲e are proud that the WGWAP recommendations and scientific studies are contributing to advance cetacean conservation at Sakhalin and globally.鈥

The full study聽鈥淐o-occurrence of gray whales and vessel traffic in the North Pacific Ocean鈥 is available for 聽(open access, including the Russian translation).

For more information:

  • please contact Anete Berzina-Rodrigo, 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播 Global Marine and Polar Programme & Global Business and Biodiversity Programme, at +41 79 174 61 86, e-mail: [email protected],
  • or visit the 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播鈥檚 Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel聽website.

Background:

  • This scientific article was produced within the framework of the process.聽 Established 17 years ago by 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播, WGWAP provides objective independent advice on the conservation of western gray whales with a focus on those that feed off Sakhalin in the Okhotsk Sea. The feeding areas near Sakhalin Island, off the Russian coast,聽just north of Japan聽鈥 a region with large offshore oil and gas deposits, and active exploitation of other natural resources 鈥 are used by the聽whales every summer and autumn and are vital for maintenance of the population.
  • The western gray whale population that feeds off Sakhalin is listed as an Endangered sub-population on the 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播 Red List of Threatened Species. In Russia, it is known as the 鈥極khotsk Sea population of the gray whale鈥 and is listed as critically endangered in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation. In the United States, the population is listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act and designated as depleted under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act.
  • From 1-5 March 2021, the Russian Marine Mammal Council is organizing the virtual 11th international conference 鈥溾, where 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播 WGWAP will share knowledge on population management and addressing anthropogenic impacts, including the topic of assessing cumulative effects using a threat severity framework.