Right Whale News Volume 7 Number 4 November 2000

RIGHT WHALE NEWS

The Newsletter of the Southeastern United States Implementation Team for the Recovery of the Northern Right Whale and the Northeast Implementation Team
Volume 7 Number 4 November 2000
Canada Takes Giant Steps Forward
With a Recovery Team, a Plan and Funds to Implement It

The final "Canadian Recovery Plan for the North Atlantic Right Whale" was officially released September 15. The plan's first recommendation, to establish an implementation team within six months of the publication of the plan, was also accomplished the same day, when the team met at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

The right whale recovery team includes representatives of government agencies, non-government organizations, scientists, and shipping, fishing and whale-watching interests. The co-chairs are Jerry Conway, Species at Risk Coordinator for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Cathy Merriman, Senior Manager for Conservation Science and Field Projects for the World Wildlife Fund - Canada. Other team members are: Don Bowen, Moira Brown, Derek Fenton, Patrick Gates, Tim Hall, Marianne Janowicz, Amy Knowlton, Scott Kraus, Jim McMillan, Laurie Murison, Randall Reeves, Bob Rutherford, Hubert Saulnier, Klaus Sonnenberg, Debora Tobin, Fred Webster and Larry Wilson.

The final plan makes four general recommendations: (1) an implementation team should be formed; (2) the capacity and resources of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans &endash; DFO &endash; should be increased immediately; (3) the government, private sector and non-governmental organizations should commit to providing adequate long-term funding for public education, research and conservation programs; and (4) the Canadian government should build on recent initiatives to consult and coordinate with relevant U.S. agencies and international bodies.

In addition, the plan makes 42 specific recommendations under five headings: (1) reduction of vessel collisions, (2) reduction of the impacts of encounters with fishing gear, (3) reduction of disturbance from human activities, (4) reduction of exposure to contaminants and habitat degradation, and (5) population monitoring and research.

Also on September 15, the Honorable Senator Bernie Boudreau announced the federal government's commitment of $250,000 for right whale recovery with additional financing to come as the plan is implemented. He announced that an additional $300,000 had been committed for the year 2000 through the Habitat Stewardship Program.

The Habitat Stewardship Program is part of the proposed Species at Risk legislation (SARA). Since the Prime Minister has called for new elections, the pending SARA legislation is dead, and the future of SARA will depend on the results of the elections. Observers speculate that if the Prime Minister is re-elected, SARA will proceed. If his opponent wins, all bets are off.

Further information on Canadian right whale recovery efforts can be found on DFO's web site: www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca



Updated Draft U.S. Recovery Plan Circulated

A "pre-release draft" of the "Updated Recovery Plan for the North Atlantic Right Whale, Eubalaena glacialis, and the North Pacific Right Whale, Eubalaena japonica" has been distributed to interested parties. At a later date, possibly early next year, a revised version of the draft will be circulated for formal public review, and a notice of its availability will be published in the Federal Register. When the plan is approved, it will replace the "Final Recovery Plan for the Northern Right Whale, Eubalaena glacialis" which was approved in December 1991, and which has guided recovery initiatives for the last decade.

The draft is organized in five main sections: (1) background information on species description and taxonomy, zoogeography and protective legislation; (2) natural history of the North Atlantic and North Pacific right whales; (3) effects of human activities; (4) recovery actions and implementation; and (5) appendices. Human activities addressed include vessel interactions, entrapment and entanglement in fishing gear, noise, contaminants, military operations, hunting, and climate and ecosystem change.

The plan identifies four recovery objectives for the North Atlantic right whale: (1) minimize sources of human-caused death, injury and disturbance; (2) identify, characterize, protect and monitor important habitats; (3) monitor the status and trends of abundance and distribution of the stock; and (4) coordinate federal, state, international and private efforts to implement the Recovery Plan.

The plan also identifies four different objectives for the North Pacific right whale: (1) determine current abundance, distribution and population structure; (2) assess the impacts, or the potential for impacts, of human activities upon the population, and develop appropriate mitigation measures; (3) maximize efforts to acquire scientific information from living and dead right whales; and (4) coordinate federal, state, international and private efforts to conserve and recover the population.

The pre-release draft was prepared by Greg Silber (Office of Protected Resources, NMFS) and Phil Clapham (Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NMFS). For information on the availability of the draft, contact Dr. Silber at greg.silber@noaa.gov


What Do We Call These Leviathans?

Among scientists who study and publish papers on the identification of right whales, there are the traditionalists, the lumpers and the splitters. The traditionalists (e.g., W.E. Schevill, 1986) recognize two species of right whales, the southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) and the northern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). The lumpers (e.g., D.W. Rice, 1998) argue that there is only one species of right whale (Balaena glacialis). The splitters (e.g., H. C. Rosenbaum et al, in press) advocate the recognition of three species: the southern right whale (Eubalaena australis), the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica).

The splitters, using genetic and other information, are now in the ascendancy. Their view of three species of right whales has been recognized by the International Whaling Commission. Readers will note that both the Canadian Recovery Plan and the draft U.S. Recovery Plan follow suit. The editor of Right Whale News will, too.


Budget Rumors

At press time, the budget for the National Marine Fisheries Service has been tied up in a larger tug of war between the Congress and the President. Thus, no budget figure is secure or final. The rumor is that $5 million will be available for right whales in Fiscal Year 2001. Of that, $2.9 million will go to a New England fishing gear consortium. That leaves significantly less than last year's $4.1 million for the agency's right whale initiatives.


Mandatory Ship Reporting Compliance

In July 1999, the U.S. Coast Guard started the operation of two mandatory ship reporting systems to protect right whales. One system, WHALESNORTH, covers the approaches to Boston Harbor in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts Bay and the Great South Channel (see NOAA Chart Number 13009 for details). The other, WHALESSOUTH, covers the approaches to Brunswick, Fernandina and Jacksonville (NOAA Chart No. 11009). The systems require all vessels of 300 gross tons or greater to report to the Coast Guard before entering the reporting areas. (The Navy and other sovereign immune vessels are exempt but are encouraged to participate.) (See the February 1999 issue of Right Whale News for additional background information.)

Kirsten Martin of the U.S. Coast Guard reports that between January and October 2000, reporting compliance in the northeast ranged between 57% and 75 %. Compliance in the southeast between November 1999 and April 2000 was 32% to 53%.

There are a number of possible explanations for these compliance shortfalls. Education is probably a key factor. Boston Harbor pilots are actively engaged in getting the word out to ship masters. In the southeast, the reporting requirement covers only the six-month calving season (Nov. 15-April 15), while the northeast requirement is year-round. This difference may cause some confusion as well. Also, the requirement has not yet been published in the U.S. Coast Pilot.

The Coast Guard is seeking to improve compliance in a number of ways, including the use of a new NAVTEX broadcasting tower near Savannah to fill a communications gap in the southeast. They also distribute educational materials to ship masters, including a color brochure, "Right Whales on the Brink," a description of the reporting requirements, a waterproof placard "Right Whales &endash; Guidelines for Mariners," and a video, "Right Whales and the Prudent Mariner." (Copies of the video may be obtained from Dr. Sal Testaverde at NMFS; e-mail: Salvatore.Testaverde@noaa.gov)


Fishing Gear Rules

The National Marine Fisheries Service is expected to publish Interim Final Rules (IFR) in a late November issue of the Federal Register, implementing some of the right whale take reduction measures recommended by the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team. These rules will include fishing gear modifications and will introduce dynamic area management concepts. The effective date for the IFR will be January 1, 2001.

Later, possibly by the end of this year, NMFS will also publish a proposed rule to cover other fishing gear modifications and proposals for the mid-Atlantic and southeast U.S. The IFR may be ready by the summer of 2001.

The agency's long-range regulatory plan includes being more proactive about protecting whales, requiring fishing gear that is "whale-safe" and improving our understanding of where the whales are and when.

NMFS' rule-making can be followed through the Federal Register web site: www.access.gpo.gov/nara


Humane Society Files Suit Against NMFS

The Humane Society of the United States has filed suit in Massachusetts' Federal District Court asking the court to order the National Marine Fisheries Service to "make immediate and substantive moves to protect the North Atlantic right whale from deaths and injuries that threaten the species' survival." The HSUS suit demands that the NMFS require changes in lobster and fishing gear, restrict or close high whale-use areas to fishing, convene a ship strike committee and expedite fishing gear research and development.



People

Dr. Nancy Foster, NOAA's Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management, passed away on June 27. Nancy was an outstanding public servant and a leader in right whale recovery initiatives. Among her many awards was the 1993 Gold Medal from the U.S. Department of Commerce for leadership in providing stewardship of the nation's living marine resources while Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service's Office of Protected Species. Among her many actions affecting right whales was her decision to form a Right Whale Recovery Team. The team drafted the document that became the "Final Recovery Plan for the Northern Right Whale, Eubalaena glacialis."

The Pegasus Foundation is a private independent foundation committed to protecting the earth and all living creatures. The foundation has established an awards program to acknowledge heroes in the environmental and animal protection community. This year's Outstanding Elected Official award was presented on November 17 to Congressman Bill Delahunt, in part for his work to protect right whales. His leadership was instrumental in the adoption of the Mandatory Ship Reporting System (see article on page 3).

Craig McDonald is the new Superintendent at the Gerry E. Studds/Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

Dr. Steve Swartz, Chief of the Protected Species and Biodiversity section of the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, will be moving shortly to Charleston, South Carolina, where he will work out of the National Ocean Service lab. Steve can be reached at Steven.Swartz@noaa.gov

Roz Rolland and Scott Kraus were married on October 7.



Summary of the 1999-2000 Calving Season in the Southeastern U.S.

The numbers are finally in: A total of 33 different adult North Atlantic right whales and one calf were observed off the southeast coast this past season. Twenty-six adults and one calf were seen off the Georgia-Florida coast and an additional seven adults were seen off South Carolina. The surveys were conducted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Florida Marine Resources Institute, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the New England Aquarium.

Only ten calves have been observed in the last three years, and all are from "non-Bay of Fundy mothers" &endash; that is, cows that are not seen in the Bay of Fundy between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Thus, there has been a reproductive crash of the Bay of Fundy cows. According to Stormy Mayo of the Center for Coastal Studies, this crash may be attributable to reduced concentrations of copepods, the right whale's main food supply, in Cape Cod Bay and possibly elsewhere.

The notion that right whales swim south in the early winter to the calving ground off the Georgia and north Florida coast and stay there until they return north in the early spring was shaken by the travels of a ten-year old adult male (#2010) earlier this year. According to Amy Knowlton of the New England Aquarium, the whale was sighted off Florida on January 12, 2000. Eleven days later, the whale was seen in Cape Cod Bay, approximately 875 nautical miles away. By February 16, the whale had returned to the Georgia and Florida coast, where he was seen periodically until February 29. On March 23, the whale was back in Cape Cod Bay.


Review of Right Whale Protection in the Southeast US

By Cyndi Taylor Thomas, Florida Marine Research Institute
Chair, Southeast Implementation Team

In addition to the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, right whales are also provided protection under various policies implemented by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and other organizations.

As required under the Endangered Species Act, in December 1991 NMFS published the Final Recovery Plan for the Northern Right Whale, which recommends various actions to reduce or eliminate factors adversely impacting the northern right whale population. One recommended action was the establishment of an implementation team to assist with the recovery effort. The Southeast US Right Whale Recovery Plan Implementation Team was formed in 1993 and consists of representatives from state and federal agencies, port authorities, the US Navy, US Coast Guard, and other organizations. This team provides recommendations to NMFS regarding right whale research and management in SEUS waters, and provides a forum for the input and involvement of representatives from all sides of the issue. Recently, NMFS has determined that, as required by law, no human-related right whale mortality is allowable.

In June 1994, NMFS designated three northern right whale critical habitats in US waters, including a region in the southeast US. A critical habitat, as defined in the Endangered Species Act, is an area which exhibits physical and biological features essential to the conservation of the species and which may require special management consideration or protections. The southeast US critical habitat extends from 31°15'N to 30°15'N out to 15 nautical miles from shore, and from 30°15'N to 28°00' N out to 5 nautical miles from shore. Based on increased knowledge regarding the distribution of right whales while in the southeast US, the boundaries of the critical habitat may be modified in the future. The critical habitat currently encompasses the ports of Brunswick, Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville and Canaveral. This designation essentially provides notice that a listed species is dependent on these areas for its continued existence and that any federal action that may affect these areas or features is subject to the consultation requirements of Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. (50 CFR part 226 in FR/Vol.59, No. 106)

Also in 1994, under authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the National Marine Fisheries Service instituted a 500-yard no-approach rule for right whales in all US waters. This regulation states that it is unlawful for any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to approach within 500 yards of a right whale by vessel, aircraft or other means; and/or to fail to undertake required right whale avoidance measures, including steering a course away from the right whale and immediately leaving the area at a slow safe speed. (50 CFR part 222.32 in FR/Vol. 59, No. 247)

In an effort to avoid ship strikes by notifying mariners of the presence and locations of right whales in southeast US waters, an Early Warning System was developed in the mid-1990s. This program consists of aerial surveys covering the waters within and adjacent to the critical habitat. On any given day three to five survey teams report right whale sighting information to an extensive communication system, which has been expanded and improved over the years. With the assistance of the US Navy FACSFAC office in Jacksonville, the right whale sighting information is disseminated in a timely manner to various agencies, including the US Coast Guard, which then sends a notice via the NAVTEX system to large vessels in the SEUS. In 1999 another component was added to this system when the International Maritime Organization instituted the Mandatory Ship Reporting system. Ships weighing more than 300 gross tons are required to report when entering the southeast US region, and in return they receive the most up-to-date sighting information available for right whales, thus increasing the awareness of mariners in the area.

Further efforts to increase awareness and protection for right whales in southeast US waters resulted in the addition of language to the Coast Pilot 4 publication for the southeast US and to regional nautical charts. These documents identify the right whale critical habitat and provide information about when mariners should expect right whales to be present in the area.

Finally, right whales also have received protection from commercial fishing operations in the southeast US. The Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team was established by NMFS to develop a Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. Members of the advisory team include fishermen, scientists and representatives of environmental groups and state agencies. As a result of this plan, the area from approximately Sebastian Inlet, FL to Savannah GA, extending offshore to the 80°W, is closed to shark gillnet fishing, except for strike-netting, each year from Nov. 15 to March 31. Strike-netting is permitted under certain specific conditions set forth in the rule. These conditions were established to protect right whales from gear entanglement while in southeast US waters. (50 CFR part 229 in FR/ Vol.64, No.30).


Surveys and Management Recommended for the Mid-Atlantic

Unlike the southeast and northeast regions, there are no dedicated surveys for right whales in the mid-Atlantic region between Rhode Island and North Carolina. Even without a dedicated survey effort, Amy Knowlton of the New England Aquarium estimates that of the right whales sighted in the mid-Atlantic, 84% occur between November and April, with peaks in December, March and April. The majority of the sightings are within five miles of the shore and 80% occur within 20 miles of shore. These figures have not been corrected for effort, although records from two satellite-tagged whales support these findings. What is known about right whale distribution suggests that until we have better information on the width of the migratory corridor, management considerations are needed for the area within 35 miles of the coast.

The need for more accurate information on right whale distribution in the mid-Atlantic prompted the mid-Atlantic sub-group of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team to recommend that dedicated surveys be conducted between the Chesapeake Bay and Cape Hatteras.



Posters and Web Site Promote the Eubalaena Award

The Canadian Whale Institute has established the Eubalaena Award Competition to encourage the discovery of solutions to prevent entanglements of right whales in fishing gear. The first award will be presented at next year's meeting of the Right Whale Consortium (October 25-26, 2001 in Boston). To promote the award, the CWI is distributing three dramatic posters. One features the face of a man wrapped in dental floss and the title, "Imagine dental floss slicing its way into your flesh." Another shows a dead right whale entangled in fishing gear and notes, "We desperately need a Houdini."

The CWI has also created a web site to provide further information on the competition, the fishing gear problem and what people can do to help. The web address is: www.savetherightwhale.com



Wanted: Useful Web Sites for Right Whale Recovery

Thanks to a generous grant from the Savannah Presbytery's M. K. Pentecost Ecology Trust Fund, a new web site is being created for Right Whale News. The web page will feature the current issue of the newsletter and links to other useful sources of information on right whale recovery efforts. In an effort to make these links helpful to all, we ask our readers to recommend web sites that you find useful in keeping up with right whale recovery efforts. Please send your recommendations on useful sites (i.e., timely, accurate and informative) to Hans Neuhauser, Editor, Right Whale News, at: gepi@ix.netcom.com

We will publish the results in the next newsletter and post links to appropriate sites on our web page: www.GEPInstitute.com


Right Whale Consortium Meeting Covers a Broad Range of Topics

Thirty-seven papers were presented at the annual meeting of the Right Whale Consortium in Boston on October 26-27. Topics included habitat studies, acoustics, ships and whales, genetics, fishing conflicts with right whales, reproduction, distribution information and GIS analysis, new studies and studies underway, and other right whale activities. Discussions were also held on aerial surveys, research priorities and conflicts, and tagging. Over 120 people attended the meeting. Financial support was provided by a grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust.

A list of the presented papers and their authors follows. Abstracts for most of the papers and contact information for the authors are available for $5.00 plus postage from Marilyn Marx, the Consortium Secretary. She can be reached at mmarx@neaq.org

Current Population Status Reports - Right whale reproduction, mortality and population status: 2000. A. Knowlton - Report on the IWC workshop on status and trends of Western North Atlantic right whales (Woods Hole, 24-27 October 1999). P. Clapham - Reproduction workshop report. R. Rolland
Habitat Studies - Right whale diving and foraging behavior. M. Baumgartner and B. Mate - Characterization of Western North Atlantic right whale spring feeding habitat. R. Haebler, R. Kenney and R. Comeleo - Long-term patterns of abundance of Calanus finmarchicus in the Gulf of Maine associated with regional climate. A. Pershing and C. Greene
Acoustics - Characterization of acoustic advertisement of the North Atlantic right whale. S. Parks - Acoustic sampling for right whale vocalizations in the Great South Channel using sea-floor pop-up recorders. C. Clark, D. Gillespie, A. Moscrop, T. Fowler, T. Calupca and M. Fowler - Right whale passive acoustic research conducted by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, 1999-2000. S. Brown, D. Gillespie, T. Lewis, J. Matthews, R. McLanaghan and A. Moscrop - Locating right whales using multiple hydrophones. M. Laurinolli, A. Hay, F. Desharnais, C. Taggart and K. Louden - On the vocalization behavior of northern right whales and the practicality of remote acoustic detection. M. Johnson, D.P. Nowacek and P.L. Tyack - Quantitative characterization of North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) vocalizations in the Bay of Fundy. A. Vanderlaan, A.E. Hay, and C.T. Taggart
Ships and Whales - Collisions between ships and whales. D. Laist, A. R. Knowlton, J.G. Mead, A.S. Collet and M. Podesta - Update on assessing and reducing the risk of collision between North Atlantic right whales and vessels in Canadian waters. M. Brown - Mandatory Ship Reporting System: A one year review. G. Silber and R. Clarke - Studying risk factors for vessel collision using controlled exposures of noise to tagged right whales. P.L. Tyack, D. Nowacek, S. Parks and M. Johnson - Right whale diving behavior and approaches by vessels: Early insights into ship strikes. D. Nowacek, M.P. Johnson, A. Shorter and P.L. Tyack
Genetics - Genetic analyses of the North Atlantic right whale. T. Frasier, T. Rastogi, C.R. Sorge, M.W. Brown, P.K. Hamilton, A.R. Knowlton, L.A. Conger, C.K. Slay, S.D. Kraus and B.N. White - A genetic estimate of ancestral population size in right whales. M.P. Hare and S.R. Palumbi
Fishing Conflicts with Right Whales - Summary of entanglements in 2000. E. Lyman - Advances in the fishing community. G. Salvador - The Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan through 2003. D. Beach - Humane Society of the United States lawsuit against NMFS &endash; consequences to right whales. S. Young - Canada's take reduction efforts. J. Conway and D. Tobin - Unusual entanglements alert. M. Marx
Reproduction - Investigating reproductive dysfunction in the Western North Atlantic right whale: Measuring steroid hormones in free-ranging whales. R. Rolland, S. Wasser, K. Hunt, S. Kraus and T. O'Hara - A comparison of caloric availability in Cape Cod Bay with North Atlantic calving rates: 1984-2000. C. Mayo, E. Lyman and A. DeLorenzo
Distribution Information and GIS Analyses - Synthesis of current right whale spatial assessments and future directions. C. Good and G. Silber - Right whale distribution and survey effort in the Great South Channel, Gulf of Maine and southern New England. A. Knowlton, J. B. Ring and B. Russell
New Studies and Updates on Studies Underway - Stable isotopic analysis of baleen from "Staccato," a known individual: preliminary results. S. Wetmore, S. Brault, R. Michener and P. Clapham - Bay of Fundy satellite tagging. B. Mate - Fluctuating asymmetry: A new tool for assessing right whale health? C. Schaeff and A. Knowlton - Project update: Correlation between the spatial and temporal variability of a tidal mixing front and distribution of the North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis, in the Great South Channel, Gulf of Maine. S.A. Wagner and J.J. Bisagni - New statistical approaches to spatial analysis of right whale distribution vs environmental parameters. R. Schick - Other NMFS studies (morphometrics, sonar, etc.). P. Clapham - Health assessment study in right whales. S. Kraus - Sedation in right whales: Recent technological developments. M.A. Stamper, S. Kraus, T. Hammar and D. Brunson - Digital right whale catalog. T. Lewis and S. Martin
Other Right Whale Activities - A review of right whale permit activities from 1995-present. S. Roberts - The Eubalaena Award. S. Haney - The Rosita Cruise. P. Hamilton


Right Whale Consortium Elects Officers and Board

The Right Whale Consortium sponsors the annual meeting described in the previous article and approves the use of photographic, genetic and other right whale databases maintained by member organizations. Officers for the next 12 months are: Scott Kraus, chair; Amy Knowlton, vice chair; Marilyn Marx, secretary; and Deb Tobin, public information officer. Board members are: Michael Moore, Brad White, Moe Brown, Bob Kenney, Stormy Mayo, Laurie Murison, Roz Rolland and Anna Moscrop. Phil Clapham serves as liaison to the National Marine Fisheries Service.


Northeast Workgroup for Marine Emerging Diseases
and Population Status

By Romona Haebler, DVM, PhD
National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency

The Atlantic Ecology Division of the US Environmental Protection Agency is forming a multi-disciplinary group of individuals from state and federal agencies, academia and non-governmental organizations to focus on emerging marine diseases. The purpose of the group will be to create a network to investigate and consult on emerging diseases and population status of marine organisms in the coastal waters from Maine to New York, in the US, and extending north into Canada.

Federal agencies represented in the group will include the EPA, US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, and appropriate representation from Canada. Managers and field biologists from the Departments of Fish and Wildlife in each of the six states will be part of the network. Universities and non-governmental organizations have been selected based on particular areas of expertise: Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, wildlife medicine; University of Connecticut, wildlife pathology; University of Rhode Island/ Graduate School of Oceanography, marine sciences, remote sensing and geographic information systems; Harvard Medical School, public health; Cornell University, ecology and evolutionary biology, University of Maine and University of New Hampshire, fisheries.

State and federal field biologists and marine mammal stranding networks will collect most of the data during specific events: when, where, what species affected and sample archival data (data collectors). Agency, academic and NGO scientists will collaborate via distance and at regular meetings to apply good scientific method and standard medical practice to improve our understanding of disease processes (data interpreters). State and federal managers will use this information to improve effectiveness in managing natural resources (data users). EPA will provide a central repository for relevant information from disease events and population status and will create an information management system to organize, store and make this information usable for members of the network. This will ensure that relevant data is properly collected and stored for use in comparison with future events in the northeast or in supplying data to users in other areas of the US or world. EPA also will manage and maintain a web site for dissemination of information about these events to the public.

Dr. Romona Haebler works for the Atlantic Ecology Division of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882; tel. 401-782-3095; e-mail: haebler.romona@epa.gov


Scientific Permits for Right Whale Research Under Scrutiny

Both the United States and Canada are currently reviewing the processes by which scientific permits are issued for research on right whales. Jerry Conway issued a firm notice at the recent Right Whale Consortium meeting that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) would be carefully reviewing applications and that scientists planning to conduct work in Canadian waters should seek permits well in advance of need. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is also reviewing its procedures for permitting, to assess and minimize the effects of scientific research. Both DFO and NMFS plan to collaborate on the development of permitting procedures. One of the first initiatives will be a joint DFO/New England Aquarium meeting to discuss research in the Bay of Fundy (see calendar of events for details of the meeting). For additional information, contact Jerry Conway (DFO) at ConwayJ@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca or Simona Roberts (NMFS) at simona.roberts@noaa.gov


Brazil Protects Southern Right Whale Calving Ground

On September 14, Brazil's President Fernando Cardoso signed a federal decree creating a Right Whale Environmental Protection Area near Imbituba on the south central coast of Santa Catarina. The country's first whale sanctuary covers some 600 square miles and will protect southern right whales that gather in its waters from May through December for calving and nursing. The Brazilian sanctuary joins Peninsula Valdez in Argentina and the marine park off Hermanus, South Africa, in an international network of protected areas for the southern right whale.

President Cardosa's action culminates an 18-month long effort led by Jose Truda Palazzo, Jr., field coordinator of the Brazilian Right Whale Project (an initiative of International Wildlife Coalition/Brazil) and supported by many others including the Minister of the Environment and the Governor of Santa Catarina. Initially, opposition came from shipping and fishing interests, but sanctuary advocates were able to persuade the president that protection of the whales would be economically beneficial to the region. Already, eco-tourism is increasing as a result of the whales' presence off the Santa Catarina coast.

The national environmental authority of Brazil, IBAMA, will prepare a management plan for the sanctuary, defining specific restrictions needed to insure the whales' long term sustainability.


Southern Right Whale Cow and Calf in Hervey Bay, Australia

A research team from the Pacific Whale Foundation has encountered a southern right whale and her newborn calf interacting with a humpback whale cow and calf in the Platypus Bay region of Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia. Observed September 27-29, 2000, the cow/calf pair are the first right whales to be observed in the Bay. Normally, Southern right whales are found further south in the waters off New South Wales and Victoria. The sightings may also be the first time that an interaction between humpback whales and right whales has been documented in the South Pacific.

The observations were conducted as part of the Pacific Whale Foundation's Australian Humpback Whale Research Project, now in its 17th year. For more information on the Foundation's work, contact Anne Rillero at publicrelations@pacificwhale.org


Scientific Literature and Reports

Anon. 2000. Mandatory ship reporting system &endash; A guide for mariners &endash; northern right whales. Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce. Pp. 13.

Bryden, M., H. Marsh and P. Shaughnessy. 1998. Dugongs, whales, dolphins and seals: A guide to the sea mammals of Australasia. Allen and Unwin, St. Leonards, NSW, Australia. Pp. 176.

Gregr, E.J., L. Nichol, J.K.B. Ford, G. Ellis and A.W. Trites. 2000. Migration and population structure of northeastern Pacific whales off coastal British Columbia: An analysis of commercial whaling records from 1908-1967. Marine Mammal Science 16 (4): 699- 727.

Reeves, R. and members of the Canadian Right Whale Recovery Team. 2000. Canadian recovery plan for the North Atlantic right whale. Fisheries and Oceans Canada and World Wildlife Fund - Canada. Pp. 62.

Silber, G. 2000. Update on the mandatory ship reporting system. Marine Mammal Protection Bulletin 18: 4.

Slay, C.K., A.Windham-Reid, S.M. Martin, A.R. Knowlton, J.S. Beaudin-Ring, S.D. Kraus, L.A. Conder, R. Kenney and J. Tobias. 2000. Early warning system 1994-2000 &endash; Aerial surveys to reduce ship/whale collisions in the North Atlantic right whale calving ground. Report to the National Marine Fisheries Service. Contract 50WCNF706010PW.

Wallace, R.L. 1999. A review and appraisal of the North Atlantic right whale recovery program. Yale University. Pp. 76.


Calendar of Events

January 17, 2001: Northeast Implementation Team meeting. Location to be determined. For further information, contact Dr. Sal Testaverde at: Salvatore.Testaverde@noaa.gov

March 22-23, 2001: Bay of Fundy research coordination meeting. St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada. For further information, contact Jerry Conway at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans: ConwayJ@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

May 3-4, 2001: Southeastern U.S. Implementation Team for the Recovery of the North Atlantic Right Whale meeting. Location to be determined. For further information, contact team chair Cyndi Thomas at 904-448-4300, ext. 229; e-mail: Cyndi.T.Thomas@dep.state.fl.us

October 24, 2001: Northeast Implementation Team meeting. Location to be determined. For further information, contact Dr. Sal Testaverde at: Salvatore.Testaverde@noaa.gov

October 25-26, 2001: Right Whale Consortium annual meeting. Pre-registration required. For further information, contact Marilyn Marx at mmarx@neaq.org

November 1-2, 2001: Southeastern U.S. Implementation Team for the Recovery of the North Atlantic Right Whale meeting. Location to be determined. For further information, contact team chair Cyndi Thomas at 904-448-4300, ext. 229; e-mail: Cyndi.T.Thomas@dep.state.fl.us

November 29-December 3, 2001: 14th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. For further information, go to www.vanaqua.org/mmconf2001.


Right Whale News

Right Whale News is the newsletter of the Southeastern U.S. Implementation Team for the Recovery of the North Atlantic Right Whale and the Northeast Whale Implementation Team. The editor is Hans Neuhauser. The editorial board consists of Bill Brooks, Moe Brown, Jim Hain, Scott Kraus, Mike Payne, Sigrid Sanders and Jerry Wallmeyer.

The Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, the Southeast Regional Office of the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Northeast Whale Implementation Team and the Savannah Presbytery M. K. Pentecost Ecology Trust Fund have underwritten the costs of Right Whale News. Thanks to their support, Right Whale News is published quarterly and is distributed free of charge.

The current issue of Right Whale News is now available on line at a web site maintained by the Georgia Environmental Policy Institute: www.GEPInstitute.com

An index of the first five years of Right Whale News (1994-1998) is available along with current and back issues on the Internet, thanks to Alex Score and the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. The web site address is: http://www.graysreef.nos.noaa.gov/rightwhalenews.html

To subscribe to Right Whale News or to submit news or articles for publication, contact the editor, Hans Neuhauser, at the Georgia Environmental Policy Institute, 380 Meigs Street, Athens, GA 30601, USA. Telephone 706-546-7507. Fax 706-613-7775. E-mail gepi@ix.netcom.com