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Table of Contents and Preface
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1 Strategies for conserving marine mammals
Marine mammals are often considered as a group by the general public, biologists, natural resource managers and legislators. Nonetheless, they comprise members of three very different orders of animals with different evolutionary histories: Carnivora (seals, sea lions and walruses as well as the polar bear and two species of marine otters), Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises) and Sirenia (manatees and dugongs).
H. Marsh, P. Arnold, M. Freeman, D. Haynes, D. Laist, A. Read, J. Reynolds and T. Kasuya
pp. 1-30
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2 Marine mammals and fisheries: The role of science in the culling debate
Wherever the distribution of a marine mammal population overlaps with that of a commercial fishery, there exists the potential for various interactions between them. Such situations frequently result in calls for culling the marine mammal population, ostensibly to benefit fish stocks and commercial fisheries. Calls for culling then almost invariably lead to conflicts between groups of humans, pitting those who advocate the culling of marine mammals against those whom advocate for their protection.
D. Lavigne
pp. 31-47
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3 Ecological consequences of Southern Ocean harvesting
Seals, whales and seabirds were the initial targets of harvesting but as stocks of these were depleted attention was focussed on fish, then krill, and finally crabs and squid being taken. Because much of the earlier exploitation happened rather rapidly and resulted in a series of catastrophic stock collapses of key organisms, there must have been severe ecological consequences.
S. Nicol and G. Robertson
pp. 48-61
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4 Trophic interactions between marine mammals and Australian fisheries: An ecosystem approach
In most marine systems, marine mammals are major consumers of production from a range of trophic levels, and because of their large body size and energetic needs, are considered to be important in structuring trophic interactions. Inevitably this puts them into conflict with human use of marine resources, especially commercial fisheries.
S. Goldsworthy, C. Bulman, X. He, J. Larcome and C. Littan
pp. 62-99
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5 Interactions between marine mammals and High Seas fisheries in Patagonia: An integrated approach
During the last 40 years, fisheries grew exponentially worldwide, leading to the need for new strategies and approaches for their proper development and management. Interactions between fisheries and top predators, like marine mammals, represent some of the problems that have arisen from fisheries growth.
S. Dans, M. Alonso, E. Crespo, S. Pedraza and N. Garcia
pp. 100-115
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6 Management of Cape fur seals and fisheries in South Africa
The Cape (South African) fur seal Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus is the only indigenous pinniped occurring in southern Africa, distributed around 3000 km of coastline. A profitable fishing industry is sustained along the west coast of South Africa and the overlap between fishery distribution and the seal population is the source of ongoing conflict.
J. David and P. Wickens
pp. 116-135
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7 Pinnipeds, cetaceans and fisheries in Australia: A review of operational interactions
Marine mammals and fishers are active predators of fish, cephalopods and crustaceans. Because marine mammals may not detect the presence of fisheries equipment or because they learn that fishing operations make good foraging sites, they often interact directly with fisheries operations. Attempts to reduce operational interactions invariably involve costs to the industry, whereas benefits contribute to the public good.
P. Shaughnessy, R. Kirkwood, M. Cawthorn, C. Kemper and D. Pemberton
pp. 136-152
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8 Hector's dolphins and fisheries in New Zealand: A species at risk
Incidental entanglement (‘bycatch’) in gillnets is a global problem that affects at least 40 species of cetacean. Small coastal cetaceans, such as some dolphins and porpoises, are particularly susceptible to entanglement mortality. In general, the impact of such fisheries mortality is difficult to determine, but for a few species such as the vaquita (Phocoena sinus) there is compelling evidence that the rate of bycatch is sufficiently high to be causing population decline.
P. Pichler, E. Slooten and S. Dawson
pp. 153-173
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9 Effects of fishing bycatch and the conservation status of the franciscana dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei
The franciscana dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei, is endemic to the coastal waters of southeastern Brazil and Argentina found mainly in coastal marine waters with occasional occurrences in estuaries. Mortality of franciscana in fishing operations has been observed for almost sixty years and bycatch for bottom-dwelling fish became the major conservation concern for franciscana in the 1980s.
E. Secchi, P. Ott and D. Danilewicz
pp. 174-191
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10 New Zealand sea lions and squid: Managing fisheries impacts on a threatened marine mammal
The New Zealand sea lion, Phocarctos hookeri, also known as Hooker's sea lion, is New Zealand's only endemic pinniped and was classified as a threatened species in 1997. As one of the world's rarest pinnipeds, with a highly localised breeding distribution centred on New Zealand's subantarctic Auckland Islands, there has been considerable concern about the interactions between sea lions and the arrow squid trawl fishery.
I. Wilkinson, J. Burgess and M. Cawthorn
pp. 192-207
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11 Aquaculture and marine mammals: Co-existence or conflict?
Marine and freshwater aquaculture is the fastest growing world food industry; 11% per year during the 1990s with marine aquaculture making up about 35% of world aquaculture production. Almost all operations are in sheltered coastal or estuarine waters and therefore add pressure on environments already influenced by human impacts. Pinnipeds and cetaceans have been recorded in operational interactions (damage to gear, stock predation, fatal entanglements, etc.) and biological interactions (habitat loss/degradation, reduced wild food supply, etc.) with aquaculture.
C. Kemper, D. Pemberton, M. Cawthorn, S. Heinrich, J. Mann, B. Wursig, P. Shaughnessy and R. Gales
pp. 208-228
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12 Evaluating the effects of nature-based tourism on cetaceans
Public demand for close-up experiences with whales, dolphins and porpoises at sea is at an all time high. Commercial tourist ventures include opportunities for people to observe, swim with, touch, or feed wild cetaceans from shore, sea or air. Is this good news for marine mammals in the wild?
L. Bejder and A. Samuels
pp. 229-256
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13 Pinniped-focused tourism in the Southern Hemisphere: A review of the industry
Along with most forms of eco-tourism, pinniped-focused tourism has increased rapidly in recent years. Viewing experiences with pinnipeds range through guided tours on-shore, boat cruises, and swimming and scuba diving interactions. Peak time is during summer, when the viewing spectacle of pinniped pupping coincides with public holidays. A tourism industry around a wildlife attraction both indicates and stimulates public interest.
R. Kirkwood, L. Boren, P. Shaughnessy, D. Szteren, P. Mawson, L. Huckstadt, G. Hofmeyr, H. Oosthuizen, A. Schiavini, C. Campagna and M. Berris
pp. 257-276
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14 Swimming with wild cetaceans, with a special focus on the Southern Hemisphere
Swimming with free-ranging cetaceans is increasing in popularity but the scope of these activities and the effects on animals are not well known. Here we present a review of this form of nature-based tourism to determine what is known about effects on the animals’ behaviour and well-being, to provide a body of scientific literature to inform management decisions, and to emphasise where gaps in information exist.
A. Samuels, L. Bejder, R. Constantine and S. Heinrich
pp. 277-303
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15 The effects of provisioning on maternal care in wild bottlenose dolphins, Shark Bay, Australia
Tourism is currently the world’s largest industry and ecotourism is its fastest growing sector and ecotour companies frequently advertise that their tours offer close encounters with wild animals. One way to bring wild animals close to people is to entice them with food. Descriptions of the effects of supplying food to wild animals range from controlled experiments to anecdotal accounts of human and non-human interaction. How provisioning affects female care of dependent Offspring is critical, given that provisioning affects not only female diet, but potentially activity budgets, ranging and patterns of association.
J. Mann and C. Kemps
pp. 304-320
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16 Ethics and marine mammal research
Working with free-ranging marine mammals is a challenging experience. The animals are often large, powerful and dangerous. As air breathing marine endotherms, they require specialised handling and research techniques, responding to physical and chemical restraint in ways that are often unique to their taxon. Marine mammals live in environments that may be remote and require expensive, potentially dangerous, and often uncomfortable access for the researcher. Given the iconic, high profile image of marine mammals in most countries bestows upon the scientist a responsibility to be particularly sensitive to community attitudes and concerns.
N. Gales, A. Brennan and R. Baker
pp. 321-329
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17 Ecosystem monitoring: Are seals a potential tool for monitoring change in marine systems?
Marine ecosystems are vast and complex biological networks, which are dynamic in structure at a range of spatial and temporal scales. The dynamic activity of these systems is driven ultimately by variation in climatic conditions which has important repercussions for the location and abundance of primary production (i.e. phytoplankton), which in turn contributes to the distribution and abundance of secondary producers (grazers) and ultimately, top predators.
M. Hindell, C. Bradshaw, R. Harcourt and C. Guinet
pp. 330-343
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18 Acoustics and marine mammals: Introduction, importance, threats and potential as a research tool
Active vocalisations play an important role in the daily lives of most, if not all, marine mammals. Signals may be used to find prey and probe the local environment in an echo-location mode, or to communicate between co-specifics in social interaction and for breeding. Passive listening offers marine animals information on their local environment and other acoustically active biological sources.
R. McCauley and D. Cato
pp. 344-365
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19 DNA surveys and surveillance of marine mammals: Species identification, discovery and management
Molecular genetics provides a powerful new tool for the conservation and management of marine mammals. DNA can now be recovered from almost any biological source, including small samples of skin, hair and even faeces. The ability to amplify and sequence DNA has lead to an explosion of interest in phylogenetic relationships of marine mammals and helped resolve many questions about systematic relationships among species and the distribution of diversity within species.
C.S. Baker, G. Lento, M. Dalebout and F. Pinhler
pp. 366-382
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20 A future for the dugong?
The dugong (Dugong dugon) is the only herbivorous mammal that is strictly marine while other members of the Order Sirenia, the three species of manatee, all use fresh water to varying degrees. Prospects for the survival of the dugong are the best among the Sirenia, because each manatee species has a more localised distribution than that of the dugong.
H. Marsh, H. Penrose and C Eros
pp. 383-399
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21 Pollution and marine mammals in the Southern Hemisphere: Potential or present threat?
Pollution is one of a number of contemporary environmental threats that face marine mammals. While many man-made organic compounds are no longer produced in most developed countries, they are still in use globally and are being produced in developing nations. The persistence of these compounds and their ability to be transported both through the atmosphere and oceans from source points to remote areas, suggests that even if their usage was to stop, levels will not decline in the near future, but will eventually reach a long-term global equilibrium.
K. Evans
pp. 400-446
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