DRAFT CONSERVATION PLAN for the COOK INLET BELUGA WHALE

0,81

MB

(Delphinapterus leucas)

156

stron

4813

ID

National Marine Fisheries Service NMFS - Alaska Region

2005

rok

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ii

INTRODUCTION . 1

1. PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN . 1

2. BIOLOGY AND LIFE HISTORY 1

A. Species Description . 1

B. Population Status . 2

C. Distribution and Movement . 6

D. Feeding Behavior 12

E. Habitat Use and Requirements 13

F. Management 18

G. Recovery 19

3. KNOWN AND POSSIBLE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE POPULATION 20

A. Natural Factors 21

a. Stranding Events . 21

b. Predation . 23

c. Parasitism and Disease . 24

d. Habitat Capacity and Environmental Change . 26

B. Human-Induced Factors . 26

a. Subsistence Harvest . 26

b. Commercial Fishing 29

c. Pollution 33

d. Vessel Traffic 34

e. Tourism and Whale Watching . 35

f. Coastal Development 36

g. Noise 38

h. Oil and Gas . 40

i. Research 42

4. CONSERVATION STRATEGY AND STEP DOWN OUTLINE 43

Objective I 43

I.a. Stranding Events . 43

I.b. Predation . 47

I.c. Subsistence Harvest . 48

I.d. Commercial Fishing 51

I.e. Vessel Traffic 56

I.f. Tourism and Whale Watching . 58

I.g. Noise 60

I.h. Oil and Gas . 61

I.i Research . 63

I.j. Oil Spills . 68

I.k. Enforcement . 69

I.l. Outreach and Education . 69

I.m. Marine Discharges and Pollution . 70

I.n. Habitat Alternation and Coastal Development 71

I.o. Knik Arm Development 71

I.p. Legal and Administrative Conservation Measures . 72

Objective I

II.a. Subsistence Harvest . 73

II.b. Habitat Condition . 73

II.c. Abundance and Distribution 74

II.d. Contaminants 75

Objective III

III.a. Coordinate efforts with tribes, other agencies, and countries . 75

III.b. Alaska Native Sentinel Program . 75

III.c. Promote joint research and collaborative programs . 75

III.d. Education and outreach programs as conservation actions . 76

III.e. Distribute Conservation Plan 76

III.f. Enforce existing regulations 76

5. COOK INLET BELUGA WHALE IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE . 76

6. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT STATUS REVIEW OF COOK INLET BELUGA WHALES . 85

7. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . 87

8. LITERATURE CITED 89

9. LIST OF PREPARERS 96

APPENDICES

A. Co-management Agreement 97

B. Harvest Management Plan 103

C. Turnagain Arm Marine Mammal Stranding Response Plan 104

D. Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Research Plan . 114

E. National Marine Fisheries Service Enforcement Plan for Cook Inlet Beluga Whales 137

F. National Marine Fisheries Service Publications and Reports on Cook Inlet Beluga Whales 139