Automatic Identification System vessel tracking data reports to promote conservation and restoration of the St. Lawrence Estuary beluga habitat

Abstract

Automatic Identification System (AIS) is an essential tool for effective management of marine protected areas and helps ensure better cohabitation between marine mammals and vessel-based activities. Physical and acoustic disturbances associated with navigation activities have been identified among the threats limiting the recovery of the endangered St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) beluga whale population. The Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park includes 37% of the population’s critical habitat and several of its areas of high residency. Among these areas, the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord is the one where marine traffic is the most intense. In 2017, Parks Canada implemented a regulatory slowdown measure to help reduce disturbances associated with navigation activities. This measure is effective from May to October and limits vessel speed to 15 or 20 knots, depending on the speed required to plane. Based on an initial assessment of compliance, only 14% of whale watching excursions had a maximum speed of less than 15 knots while 26% were between 15 and 20 knots. To improve compliance, an AIS reporting system was developed after consultations with whale watching industry representatives. These reports included statistics for individual boats and for each company’s fleet. After two years of implementation, the percentage of excursions with a maximum speed less than 15 knots was 35% and 59% between 15 and 20 knots. This change represents a substantial conservation gain for the SLE beluga population, reducing not only physical and acoustic disturbances, but the risk of collision in this key area of their critical habitat.