BIO358 001 1st Edition Lecture 21 Outline of Last Lecture I Answers to questions Outline of Current Lecture I 1972 a events II Marine Mammal Protection Act a Definition of take b Definition of Marine Mammals i Division of responsibilities III Events Leading up to the MMPA a Whaling b Seal Clubbing c Tuna Dolphin Problem IV Exemptions a Aboriginal tribes b Permit System V Tuna Dolphin problem Current Lecture 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute 1972 Vietnam war Apollo 17 Nixon just reelected WATERGATE dishonorable but in the realm of marine mammals he did remarkable things passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972 MMPA 1 Affords protection to a specific group of organisms marine mammals 2 Goal prevent depletion of marine mammal populations as a result of human activities to restore depleted populations 3 Established a moratorium on taking marine mammals in US water and importing marine mammals and products into the US a Taking harassing hunting capturing killing or collecting or attempting to collect hunt capture kill or collect a marine mammal b Marine mammals Division of responsibilities US Fish and Wildlife Service Department of Interior o Sirenians o Polar bears o Sea otters o Walrus National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Department of Commerce o Cetaceans o Phocid seals o Otariids sea lions and fur seals Why odobenids in one and other otariids in the others NO GOOD REASON MMPA protects marine mammals they don t even have to be endangered ESA passed into law 1973 the year after MMPA Endangered any species in danger of extinction throughout all or part of their range Threatened any species in danger of becoming endangered YOU DON T HAVE TO BE ENDANGERED YOU JUST HAVE TO BE A MARINE MAMMAL 3 specific events made this act the way it is 1 Commercial Whaling a Commercial harvest of many species of large whales hunted to near extinction internationally b Method of killing high power mechanized harpoon hunting c Public awareness advocacy and conservation groups 2 Hunt of baby harp seals pagophilus groenlandicus a Mostly in maritime Cananda b Hunted seals for white coats newborns usually 14 days old c Method of killing clubbing seals on head and quickly skinning accused of this activity when the animal was still alive d Public awareness through Canadian government promotional tourist video for Newfuondland and Greenpeace filming event e Canadian harp seal hunt is on going white coat hunting has been prohibited since 1987 f Age group is 25 to 13 months beaters considered independante animals g Allowable take is 335000 harp seals from 2010 2014 h 2008 HIGH NUMBERS OF TAKES IN CANADA 2009 number drops dramatically European union banned commercial sales of all seal products big market disappeared There are also bad ice years harp seals don t have the ice they need for reproduction less seals i Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans stats the hunt is sustainable current population estimate for harp seals 7 3 million 3 Tuna Dolphin Problem a Tuna purse sein fishery b William Perrin NOAA c Late 1960 s the high dolphin takes kills in eastern tropical pacific ocean 4 CONSTELATION OF EVENTS PUBLIC PRESSUR AND INFLUENCED LEGISLATION public pressure can change the law MMPA Exemptions 1 Aboriginal hunts a Makah Indian Tribe 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay up to 20 gray whales 5 years under review hunt not on going now individuals went out without permission and attacked a grey whale got punished by tribe not endangered b Alaskan Inupiat hunters may take up to 67 bowhead whales yr ENDANGERED number based on increasing individual numbers and projected survival of the population protecting culture while protecting marine mammals 2 Permit System a Aknowleging that human activities have the potential to injure marine mammals b Taking and importing marine mammals for some scientific research education and public display Areal survey team has a permit to be close to marine mammals c Taking incidental to military and commercial activities e g seismic testing d Taking as an incidental catch in fishing operations we don t want to harm them but some activities WILL weather we like it or not so a permit is needed for these fisheries Tuna Dolphin Problem How do you weigh the intrinsic value of a dolphin vs the intrinsic value of a diversity of other marine organism and ecosystems Back in time yellow fin tuna fishery Early 1900 s hook and line fishery along California and Mexico Coast targeted low by catch fishery 1940 s HUGE body of water Eastern Tropical Pacific ETP US fleet dominates other nations latin America entered the ETP and caught tuna more cheaply and US fisheries suffered Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission IATTC developed to promote the responsible fishing of tuna 1957 development of purse sein net strong synthetic fibers VERY BIG Strong and hydraulic power block structure that permits net to be mechanically lifted on board CATCH OF TUNA DOUBLES Consequences o Overexploitation of Tuna o Incidental takes of dolphins large school of mature yellowfin tuna associated with dolphin herds Tuna swim under the dolphins Relationship not understood DOLPHINS ARE EASY TO SEE AND ARE TARGETED BY FISHING FLEETS likely to find mature yellow fin tuna under dolphins industry began at force in late 1950 s 1968 William Bill Perrin went out on US tuna purse seine vessel and brings back first scientific data that suggested that HUGE numbers of dolphins were being killed in the fisheries Mandated fishery observers go out on US fishing vessels to count of fish and dolphins killed Only 9 of 4 250 fishing trips observed Estimate 350 000 dolphins killed year spotted spinner common bottlenose 5 million in 14 years 1 Observers on boats make it less likely that the dolphins will be taken 2 Ways to reduce dolphin catch and Dolphins corralled and boat stops and reverses the engine back portion of net submerged Medina Strip really fine mesh allows dolphins to get out fisherman in the water that help them get out changes in the fishery that help the dolphins get out Reduction in dolphin takes 3 US Fleet decreasing 85 of tuna fleet in 1960 in 1984 only 35 of tuna fleet in 1984 Less US vessels more Non US vessels no one to observer them a IATTC 1986 decides we need to start an observer program for all fisheries every vessel fishing US or not has an observer b