Whale Research Articles

A Bayesian assessment of the conservation status of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the western South Atlantic Ocean

The population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) wintering off the eastern coast of South America is referred to by the International Whaling Commission as ‘Breeding Stock A’ (BSA). This population was heavily exploited in 20th century modern commercial whaling operations. After more than 30 years of protection, its present status remains unknown. A deterministic sex and age-aggregated population dynamics model was used to estimate the pre-exploitation population size (K), the maximum net recruitment rate (rmax), the maximum depletion level (Nmin/K), and other quantities of interest of BSA. Input data included modern whaling catch series, absolute estimates of abundance, observed growth rates and indices of relative abundance. A Bayesian statistical method was used to calculate probability distributions for the model parameters. Prior distributions were set on rmax – an uninformative (Uniform [0, 0.106]) and an informative (Normal [0.067, 0.042]) – and on the population size in 2005 – N2005 (Uniform [500, 22,000]). A total of 10,000 samples were used to compute the joint posterior distribution of the model parameters using the Sampling-Importance-Resampling algorithm. Sensitivity of model outputs to the priors on rmax, a genetic constraint, data inclusion and catch allocation scenarios was investigated. Medians of the posterior probability distributions of quantities of interest for the base case scenario were: rmax = 0.069 (95% probability intervals [PI] = 0.013–0.104), K = 24,558 (95% PI = 22,791–31,118), Nmin/K = 2% (PI = 0.31%–12.5%), N2006/ K = 27.4% (PI = 18.3%–39.5%), N2020/K = 61.8% (PI = 23.8%–88.6%), and N2040/K = 97.3% (PI = 31.6%–99.9%). Despite apparent recovery in the past three decades, the western South Atlantic humpback whale population is still low relative to its pre-exploitation size and requires continued conservation efforts.

Robinhoods and the Nasdaq whale: The makings of the 2020 big‐tech bubble

AbstractThis article discusses the big‐tech bubble of 2020, which has all characteristics of the positive‐feedback trading model bubble. The rational speculation activity successfully attracted the positive feedback traders (or the retail army of novice investors), which overpowered the rational arbitrageurs (fundamentally driven hedge funds and market makers) and inflated the stock price valuations well beyond the fundamentals.

A study of Chronotops in blooming whales

A study of Chronotops in blooming whales

Appropriate Targets

With the International Whaling Commission’s 1982 moratorium on commercial whaling in force, much of today’s cetacean hunting is done by traditional or indigenous communities for subsistence use. However, many communities continue to face pressure from other global stakeholders to stop. Informed by my research with marine hunters in Indonesia, this article combines scholarship from biology, philosophy, and law with global anthropology on cetacean hunting groups to explore a set of recurring arguments arising between hunting communities, management and conservation bodies, and publics. These include the role of charismatic species in Western imagination and conservation; how understandings of animal sentience determine acceptable prey; disputes about the authenticity of and control over traditional hunting practice; and the entanglement of cultural sovereignty and rights to animal resources. Bringing these arguments together allows for an examination of how the dominant global discourse about traditional whaling is shaped and how it affects extant hunting communities.

Characterization of 25 new microsatellite markers for the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) and cross-species amplification in other cetaceans.

Cetaceans are large mammals widely distributed on Earth. The fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus, is the second largest living animal. In the 20th century, commercial whaling reduced its global population by 70%, and in the Mediterranean Sea not only was their overall population depleted but the migration between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean was reduced. Previous genetic studies identified isolation between these two regions, with a limited gene-flow between these adjacent populations based on nuclear and mitochondrial markers. However, only limited information exists for the Mediterranean population as genetic diversity and abundance trends are still unknown. In this study, 39 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers were tested, including 25 markers developed de novo together with 14 markers previously published. An average allelic diversity of 8.3 alleles per locus was reported, ranging from 3 to 15 alleles per locus, for B. physalus. Expected heterozygosity was variable among loci and ranged from 0.34 to 0.91. Only two markers in the new set were significantly deviant from the Hardy Weinberg equilibrium. Cross-species amplification was tested in four other cetacean species. A total of 27 markers were successfully amplified in the four species (Balaenoptera acutorostrata, Megaptera novaeangliae, Physeter macrocephalus and Globicephala melas). A multivariate analysis on the multilocus genotypes successfully discriminated the five species. This new set of microsatellite markers will not only provide a useful tool to identify and understand the genetic diversity and the evolution of the B. physalus population, but it will also be relevant for other cetacean species, and will allow further parentage analyses. Eventually, this new set of microsatellite markers will provide critical data that will shed light on important biological data within a conservation perspective.

Operaciones balleneras tradicionales en las costas sudamericanas

Historians distinguish two major categories in commercial whaling, with a technological regime specific: traditional and modern whaling. The use of vessels, open boats, manual harpoons and spears defines traditional whaling, and modern whaling by the presence of whale catchers armed with an explosive harpoon gun mounted on its bow. In traditional whaling, two varieties, "Basque" and "Yankee", which come in South America at different times, operates on pre-existing knowledge and practices (processing of whales and/or hunting properly) in the local coastal communities. The presence of foreign whalers makes it possible to explain the emergence of local operations in Brazil, Chile and Peru, which successfully integrates technological, social and productive elements of the visiting groups with their own in a complex set of transformations and continuities, constituting "local whaling traditions". Our studies have been focused on the Chilean case, but the literature tell us if the Brazilian and Peruvian experiences are "different" or "similar" to the Chilean experiences, considering their exposure to foreign influences. Traditional Atlantic and Pacific whaling operations show a lot of technological similarities but some organizational differences, especially in terms of the relevance of private initiative and the role of the State.

In the hands of one nineteenth-century whaling cooper: Finding ourselves at sea

The cooper, or barrel maker, on an American nineteenth-century commercial whaling voyage occupied such a valuable position that his life was not risked hunting whales. The cooper was both part of the action and distanced from it, enabling him to create, through his collection of casks of whale oil, the archive of the whaling voyage. A close reading of one cooper’s logbook from the 1850s allows us to consider the process of whaling from his standpoint, as well as to theorize how the cooper was like the archivist, the chronicler, of the voyage. The cooper gave the ocean a history by creating its archive with his barrels, bearing them safely to shore, and sharing them with the world. The single cooper discussed here presents readers with two archives – his barrels of whale oil and his private logbook – which expose two different temporalities in which the potential archives of scholars exist.

New Records of Fraser’s Dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei) from the Whale Temples and Fishing Communities of Vietnam

New Records of Fraser’s Dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei) from the Whale Temples and Fishing Communities of Vietnam

Entre territorialidades da pesca artesanal no maretório de Caravelas e Nova Viçosa-BA

O Banco dos Abrolhos, região analisada nesta pesquisa, concentra a maior biodiversidade marinha do Brasil e uma série de atores que utilizam o território. Dentro desse contexto, o objetivo da pesquisa foi o de compreender as transformações históricas, econômicas e ambientais que influenciaram na territorialidade dos pescadores artesanais de Caravelas e Nova Viçosa entre 1960 e 2019. Para isso, utilizei a observação participante, entrevistas semiestruturadas, grupos focais e mapeamento participativo. Foi possível categorizar 4 marcos temporais, o primeiro foi marcado pela pesca da baleia, o segundo pela influência da Estrada de Ferro Bahia-Minas e o abastecimento dos navios, já o terceiro pela estruturação da pesca, com a chegada do gelo e das embarcações motorizadas, e o quarto, que foi influenciado pela chegada das Unidades de Conservação. Com efeito, o território passou por inúmeras transformações e a reterritorialização foi necessária para a manutenção do modo de vida tradicional da pesca artesanal local.
 
 Abstract
 
 ARTISANAL FISHING TERRITORIALITIES IN MARITIME TERRITORY OF CARAVELAS AND NOVA VIÇOSA-BA
 
 The Abrolhos Bank concentrates the largest marine biodiversity in Brazil and a series of actors that use the territory. Within this context, the objective of this research was to understand the historical, economic and environmental transformations that influence the territoriality of artisanal fishermen of Caravelas and Nova Viçosa in the last 60 years. For this, I used participant observation, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and participatory mapping. It was possible to categorize 4 time frames, the first was marked by whale fishing, the second by the influence of the Bahia Minas Railroad and the supply of vessels, the third by the structuring of fishing, with the arrival of ice and motorized vessels. Finally, the fourth is influenced by the arrival of the Conservation Units. It can be said that the territory has undergone numerous transformations and that reterritorialization was necessary for the maintenance of local artisanal fishing.

Japan’s Resumption of Commercial Whaling and International Law

Japan officially withdrew from the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) on 1 July 2019 and resumed commercial whaling within its coastal waters for the first time in nearly 31 years. This chapter analyzes the reasons for Japan’s withdrawal from the ICRW and its potential implications under international law. It provides an overview of the Japanese legal system governing marine environmental conservation and Japan’s approach towards the management, conservation, and sustainable use of marine living resources, including whales. Commercial whaling is part of the broader international environmental law debate: ensuring environmental protection while facilitating sustainable use of the natural resources of the sea. Discussions on promoting sustainable whaling are needed. The answer may be, against popular opinion in some countries, to allow limited, but internationally-monitored, whaling in specific locations, while stopping whaling altogether in other locations altogether. Such approach could be adjusted based on independent and politically uncompromised scientific evidence. As scientific knowledge advances and whale stock management theories become more complex, scientific advice may not necessarily produce clear-cut answers. In situations of scientific uncertainty, the principle of precaution can allow to make rational decisions – provided the principle is not misinterpreted and transformed into a principle of inaction. The law must urgently keep pace with the many and multifaceted challenges facing the world’s oceans. Meaningful international cooperation to ensure the sustainability of commercial whaling is indispensable.

Reproductive capacity of an endangered and recovering population of humpback whales in the Southern Hemisphere

Estimating demographic parameters is essential to assessing the recovery potential of severely depleted populations of marine mammal species such as the baleen whales, which were decimated by commercial whaling of the past century. The Oceania humpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaepopulation is classified as endangered by the IUCN because of low numbers and a slow recovery rate. Nevertheless, an anomalously strong increase has recently been detected in the New Caledonia breeding population. To determine the drivers of population growth, reproductive parameters were estimated for the first time for a humpback whale population of Oceania. Based on an extensive monitoring program (1995-2018), recapture histories were reconstructed for 607 females and incorporated in multi-event capture-recapture models. As the females’ ages were generally unknown (87%), 2 models with contrasting age scenarios were investigated. For females of unknown age, the mature scenario assumed maturity at the first encounter, while the immature scenario assumed immaturity within 7 yr after the first encounter, unless the female was encountered breeding. These models respectively resulted in a calving interval of 1.49 yr (95% CI: 1.21-2.08) or 2.83 yr (95% CI: 2.28-3.56) and a calving rate of 0.67 or 0.35. The relatively high calving rate modelled by the mature model is consistent with high pregnancy rates recently observed in the migratory corridors of the Kermadec Islands and on the feeding grounds of the Antarctic Peninsula. Therefore, our results suggest that the recovery of the New Caledonia humpback whale population from past exploitation may be partially driven by an increased reproductive capacity.

Searching for humpback whales in a historical whaling hotspot of the Coral Sea, South Pacific

Humpback whalesMegaptera novaeangliaewere severely depleted by commercial whaling. Understanding key factors in their recovery is a crucial step for their conservation worldwide. In Oceania, the Chesterfield-Bellona archipelago was a primary whaling site in the 19thcentury, yet has been left almost unaffected by anthropogenic activities since. We present the results of the first multidisciplinary dedicated surveys in the archipelago assessing humpback whale populations 2 centuries post-whaling. We encountered 57 groups during 24 survey days (2016-2017), among which 35 whales were identified using photographs of natural markings (photo-ID), 38 using genotyping and 22 using both. Humpback whales were sparsely distributed (0.041 whales km-1): most sightings concentrated in shallow inner-reef waters and neighbouring offshore shallow banks. The recently created marine protected area covers most of the areas of high predicted habitat suitability and high residence time from satellite-tracked whales. Surprisingly for a breeding area, sex ratios skewed towards females (1:2.4), and 45% of females were with calf. Connectivity was established with the New Caledonia breeding area to the east (mtDNAFST= 0.001, p > 0.05, 12 photo-ID and 10 genotype matches) and with the Australian Great Barrier Reef breeding area to the west (mtDNAFST= 0.006, p > 0.05). Movement of satellite-tracked whales and photo-ID matches also suggest connections with the east Australian migratory corridor. This study confirms that humpback whales still inhabit the Chesterfield-Bellona archipelago 2 centuries post whaling, and that this pristine area potentially plays a role in facilitating migratory interchange among breeding grounds of the western South Pacific.

Hvalur hf: Commercial Hunter of Whales!

This case study is based on the only Icelandic commercial whaling (whale hunting) company, Hvalur hf. The majority of the meat from whale hunting is exported to Japan because consumption of whale meat is insignificant amongst the locals in Iceland. This case reflects on the challenges and controversies of Hvalur hf. It further focuses on the personality of Kristján Loftsson, CEO of Hvalur hf. Commercial whaling has been a major concern against Iceland. European Union has offered union membership to Iceland in order to stop the cruelty caused by whaling. The tourism sector of Iceland is hence at risk as whaling and whale watching coexists. Both of these are deemed to be major contributors to the economy of Iceland.

SAYISAL SINIRLAMALI OPTIMIZASYON İÇİN BALİNA OPTİMİZASYON ALGORİTMASI

Balina optimizasyon algoritmasi (BOA) son zamanlarda gelistirilen nature-inspired tabanli meta-sezgisel bir optimizasyon algoritmasidir. Algoritma kambur balinalarin avlanirken kullandiklari kabarcik avlanma stratejilerinden esinlenerek 2016 yilinda gelistirilmistir. Gelistirilen her algoritmanin performansini ortaya cikarmak icin, optimizasyon test problemleri uzerinde test edilmesi gerekmektedir. Biz bu calismamizda, BOA sinirlamasiz optimizasyona adapte ederek, literaturde sikca kullanilan 13 sinirlamali test problemleri uzerinde test edilmistir. Elde edilen deneysel test sonuclari ayrintili olarak sunulmustur. Ayrica BOA’ nin deneysel test sonuclari, literaturden alinan diger meta-sezgisel optimizasyon algoritmalarinin sonuclari ile kiyaslanmis ve algoritmanin basarimi gosterilmistir.

Eclectic Approaches to Analyze Recreational Cruise Sustainability

This research note highlights eclectic approaches to analyze recreational cruise sustainability. Whilst recreational cruising have become increasingly popular, studies to date are largely fragmented, often adopting an economically-centric perspective based on a particular cruise market or specific destinations. This research note advances cross-disciplinary perspectives to analyze recreational cruise sustainability via novel data-collection methods such as geographical information systems (GIS), remote sensing data, along with underwater and surface audio recording of cruise-related and marine biology (dolphins, humpback whales) activities. These methods may prove extremely effective to inform contemporary and future theory and management practices related to sustainable real-time impacts on visitor mobility to manage parks and recreational zones. Subscribe to JPRA

The Bangudae Petroglyph: Whaling and Re-modernisation in a South Korean Industrial City

ABSTRACT The commemoration of whaling is a recent form of consumer culture in the Korean city of Ulsan, where the utilisation of the Bangudae Petroglyph as the emblem of the city is part of a wider process of re-modernisation in Korea. Starting with the concept of re-modernisation, developed by Ulrich Beck, I consider the extension of the concept by Bruno Latour, who has endowed it with a materialist emphasis. From the Latourean perspective, the petroglyph can be viewed as a non-human actor (‘quasi-object’ or ‘actant’) that allies with other actors (such as humans and whales) to create far-flung material networks. I present evidence from the re-enactment of a Neolithic Era whale hunt at a tourist festival to argue that the Bangudae Petroglyph is not merely a representation of whaling, but a portrayal of the relation between past and present which is crucial for sustaining the social solidarities of industrial capitalism in South Korea. From this study, I suggest that purposive nostalgia, the human desires and moralities that motivate human actors to seek the revival of modernisation, exercises a more powerful influence over the work of mediation in comparison to the weaker influence of non-human actants.

Correction: Aegicetus gehennae, a new late Eocene protocetid (Cetacea, Archaeoceti) from Wadi Al Hitan, Egypt, and the transition to tail-powered swimming in whales

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225391.].

A critical review of marine mammal governance and protection in Indonesia

The governance of marine conservation in Indonesia has been the subject of critique for decades. This paper elucidates and analyses the legal framework for marine mammal protection and current institutional arrangements, and reveals gaps and overlaps in the national legal and policy frameworks for marine mammal governance in the Archipelago. We reviewed available policies to assess the current regulation practices in the country's marine mammal protection. In total, five relevant international conventions, 28 Indonesian national regulations, and 16 provincial regulations on marine spatial planning were found. Progress on legal framework regarding marine mammal governance reveals three different phases: 1970s (species-centred approach), 1990s (site-based approach), and current (wider marine management approach). We summarized seven policies based on the following characteristics: species, site and other values. We identified functional overlap and unclear mandates as the main shortcomings of these regulations. Although marine mammal protection in Indonesia enjoys a set of regulations, the practical actions required by these regulations are still unclear. Protection gaps still exist, rendering conservation efforts less effective. The paper argues how an adequate and appropriate legal framework and institutional arrangements will ameliorate and strengthen marine mammal governance in Indonesia. We suggest some urgent-yet-lacking policies that should be added to the current regulations, including regulations on traditional whale hunting, the code of conduct for marine mammal watching tourism, standards for aquaria, and the legal basis for marine mammal stranding network and underwater noise pollution. We endorse the cetacean National Plan of Action for it is designed to enhance ecological and human-dimension research on cetaceans and address the detrimental effects of anthropogenic activities to the cetaceans. We suggest establishing a mechanism for cross-institutional coordination for more effective marine mammal protection in Indonesia. Becoming a full member of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals and International Whaling Commission will further strengthen the conservation management of marine mammals in Indonesia.

Evidence of Echolocation in the Common Shrew from Molecular Convergence with Other Echolocating Mammals.

Along with sophisticated echolocation found in bats and toothed whales, the common shrew (Sorex araneus) was confirmed to possess echolocation ability based on behavioral and experimental evidence such as high-frequency twittering and close-range spatial orientation. However, whether echolocation in the common shrew is convergent with bats and dolphins at the molecular level remains poorly understood. In this study, we gathered the coding region sequences of 11 hearing-related genes from genome data and previous studies. Convergent evolutionary analyses identified 13 amino acid residues (seven in CDH23, five in OTOF, and one in PRESTIN) under strong convergent evolution shared among the common shrew and other echolocating mammals (bats and dolphins). Furthermore, a phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the combined amino acid dataset of convergent/parallel substitutions, sites with parallel radical property changes, and sites supporting echolocator-convergence; it supported the converged topology of the simple echolocator Sorex araneus and sophisticated echolocating bats with high posterior probability. This study gives evidence at the molecular level that the common shrew echolocate and provides novel insights into the convergent evolution between the common shrew and bats and dolphins.

Quantifying Ship Strike Risk to Breeding Whales in a Multiple-Use Marine Park: The Great Barrier Reef

Spatial risk assessments are an effective management tool used in multiple-use marine parks to balance the needs for conservation of natural properties and to provide for varying socio-economic demands for development. The multiple-use Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) has recently experienced substantial increases in current and proposed port expansions and subsequent shipping. Globally, large whale populations are recovering from commercial whaling and ship strike is a significant threat to some populations and a potential welfare issue for others. Within the GBRMP there is spatial conflict between the main breeding ground of the east Australian humpback whale population which overlaps the main inner shipping route that services several large natural resource export ports. The east coast humpback whale population is one of the largest humpback whale populations globally, exponentially increasing (11% per annum) close to the maximum potential rate and estimated to reach pre-exploitation population numbers in the next 4-5 years. We quantify the relative risk of ship strike to calving and mating humpback whales, with areas of highest relative risk coinciding with areas offshore of two major natural resource export ports. We found females with a dependent calf had a higher risk of ship strike compared to groups without a calf and their inshore movement and coastal dependence later in the breeding season increases their overlap with shipping although their lower relative abundance decreases risk. The formalisation of a two-way shipping route has provided little change to risk and projected risk estimates indicate a three- to five-fold increase in risk to humpback whales from ship strike over the next ten years. Currently, the whale Protection Area in the GBRMP does not cover the main mating and calving areas, whereas provisions within the legislation for establishment of a Special Management Area during the peak breeding season in high risk areas could occur. A common mitigation strategy of re-routing shipping lanes to reduce risk is not a viable option for the GBRMP due to physical spatial limitations imposed by the reef, whereas speed restrictions could be the most feasible based on current ship speeds if mitigation were deemed necessary.