RECOVERY PLAN FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE

2,52

MB

(EUBALAENA GLACIALIS) - REVISION

137

stron

4850

ID

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

2005

rok

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE .ii

DISCLAIMER iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY v

TABLE OF CONTENTS viii

I. BACKGROUND .IA-1

A. Brief Overview .IA-1

B. Description and TaxonomyIB

C. Distribution and Habitat Use IC-1

D. Critical Habitat .ID

E. Life History IE-1

E.1 Reproduction IE-1

E.2 Natural Mortality IE-1

E.3 Feeding and Prey Selection .IE-2

E.4. Competition IE-2

F. Abundance and Trends IF-1

G. Threats IG-1

G.1 Vessel Interactions .IG-1

G.2 Entrapment and Entanglement in Fishing Gear .IG-1

G.3 Habitat Degradation IG-2

G.4 Noise IG-3

G.5 Contaminants .IG-3

G.6 Underwater Explosives IG-4

G.7 Climate and Ecosystem Change .IG-4

G.8 Commercial Exploitation IG-4

H. Conservation Measures .IH-1

H.1 Establishment of Regional Recovery Plan Implementation Teams IH-1

H.1.1 Southeastern U.S. Implementation Team (SEIT) for the Right Whale Recovery Plan IH-1

H.1.2 Northeastern U.S. Implementation Team (NEIT) for the Right Whale Recovery Plan IH-2

H.2 Steps Taken to Reduce the Threat of Fishing Gear Entanglement IH-3

H.2.1 List of Fisheries IH-3

H.2.2 Take Reduction Teams .IH-4

H.2.2.1 Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team and Plan IH-4

H.2.2.2 Atlantic Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Team and Plan .IH-5

H.3 Efforts to disentangle right whales IH-5

H.4 Efforts to Reduce Mortality or Disturbance from Ship Activities IH-6

H.4.1 Vessel Approach Regulations IH-6

H.4.2 Aircraft Surveys in the Southeastern United States .IH-7

H.4.3 Aircraft Surveys in the Northeastern United States IH-7

H.4.4 Updating Navigational Publications IH-9

H.4.5 Mandatory Ship Reporting System IH-9

H.4.6 International Safety Management Code .IH-10

H.4.7 Educational Materials and Outreach IH-10

H.4.8 Ship Strike Strategy Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking IH-10

H.4.9 Canadian Ship Routing Measures .IH-10

H.5 Strandings and Necropsies .IH-10

H.6 Coordination of Federal agency recovery activities under the Endangered Species Act IH-11

II. RECOVERY STRATEGY II

III. RECOVERY GOALS AND CRITERIA .III-1

A. Reclassification to Threatened .IIIA-1

B. Delisting .IIIB

IV. RECOVERY PROGRAM IV

A. Step-down Outline .IVA-1

B. Recovery Narrative IVB-1

V. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE .V-1

VI. LITERATURE CITED .VI-1

VII. APPENDICES .VIIA-1

A. CONSULTATION HISTORY .VIIA-1

B. GLOSSARY AND LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .VIIB-1

C. THREATS ANALYSIS (THE FIVE LISTING FACTORS) VIIC-1

D. NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE CRITICAL HABITAT .VIID-1

D.1 Figure 1: Northeast Critical Habitat VIID-1

D.2 Figure 2: Southeast Critical Habitat VIID-2