Whales, dolphins, and porpoises of the eastern North Pacific and adjacent Arctic waters: a guide to their identification

This is an identification guide for cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), that was designed to assist laymen in identifying cetaceans encountered in eastern North Pacific and Arctic waters. It was intended for use by ongoing cetacean observer programs. This is a revision of an earlier guide with the same title published in 1972 by the Naval Undersa Center and the National Marine Fisheries Service. It includes sections on identifying cetaceans at sea as well as stranded animals on shore. Species accounts are divided by body size and presence or lack of a dorsal fin. Appendices include illustrations of tags on whales, dolphins, and porpoises, by Larry Hobbs; how to record data from observed cetaceans at sea and for stranded cetaceans; and a list of cetacean names in Japanese and Russian. (Document contains 245 pages - file takes considerable time to open)

Forecasting Climate Impacts on Future Production of Commercially Exploited Fish and Shellfish

Foreword [pdf, < 0.1 MB] Acknowledgements PHASE 1 [pdf, 0.2 MB] Summary of the PICES/NPRB Workshop on Forecasting Climate Impacts on Future Production of Commercially Exploited Fish and Shellfish (July 19–20, 2007, Seattle, U.S.A.) Background Links to Other Programs Workshop Format Session I. Status of climate change scenarios in the PICES region Session II. What are the expected impacts of climate change on regional oceanography and what are some scenarios for these drivers for the next 10 years? Session III. Recruitment forecasting Session IV. What models are out there? How is climate linked to the model? Session V. Assumptions regarding future fishing scenarios and enhancement activities Session VI Where do we go from here? References Appendix 1.1 List of Participants PHASE 2 [pdf, 0.7 MB] Summary of the PICES/NPRB Workshop on Forecasting Climate Impacts on Future Production of Commercially Exploited Fish and Shellfish (October 30, 2007, Victoria, Canada) Background Workshop Agenda Forecast Feasibility Format of Information Modeling Approaches Coupled bio-physical models Stock assessment projection models Comparative approaches Similarities in Data Requests Opportunities for Coordination with Other PICES Groups and International Efforts BACKGROUND REPORTS PREPARED FOR THE PHASE 2 WORKSHOP Northern California Current (U.S.) groundfish production by Melissa Haltuch Changes in sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) recruitment in relation to oceanographic conditions by Michael J. Schirripa Northern California Current (British Columbia) Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) production by Caihong Fu and Richard Beamish Northern California Current (British Columbia) sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) production by Richard Beamish Northern California Current (British Columbia) pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and chum (O. keta) salmon production by Richard Beamish Northern California Current (British Columbia) ocean shrimp (Pandalus jordani) production by Caihong Fu Alaska salmon production by Anne Hollowed U.S. walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) production in the eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska by Kevin Bailey and Anne Hollowed U.S. groundfish production in the eastern Bering Sea by Tom Wilderbuer U.S. crab production in the eastern Bering Sea by Gordon H. Kruse Forecasting Japanese commercially exploited species by Shin-ichi Ito, Kazuaki Tadokoro and Yasuhiro Yamanka Russian fish production in the Japan/East Sea by Yury Zuenko, Vladimir Nuzhdin and Natalia Dolganova Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) production in Korea by Sukyung Kang, Suam Kim and Hyunju Seo Jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) production in Korea by Jae Bong Lee and Chang-Ik Zhang Chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) production in Korea by Jae Bong Lee, Sukyung Kang, Suam Kim, Chang-Ik Zhang and Jin Yeong Kim References Appendix 2.1 List of Participants PHASE 3 [pdf, < 0.1 MB] Summary of the PICES Workshop on Linking Global Climate Model Output to (a) Trends in Commercial Species Productivity and (b) Changes in Broader Biological Communities in the World’s Oceans (May 18, 2008, Gijón, Spain) Appendix 3.1 List of Participants Appendix 3.2 Workshop Agenda (Document contains 101 pages)

Environment and resources of seamounts in the North Pacific: Proceedings of a workshop, March 21-23, 1984, Shimizu, Japan

The trawl fishery for pelagic annorhead, Pseuaopentaceros wheeleri(fonnerly referred to as Pentaceros richardsoni), and alfonsin, Beryx splendens, over the central North Pacific seamounts has a relatively short history. Before 1967, fishery scientists were generally unaware of the resources on seamounts; however, the discovery of commercial concentrations of pelagic armorhead on seamounts in the southern Emperor Seamounts by a Russian commercial trawler in November 1967 led to almost immediate exploitation of the species by the Soviets. Unconfinned reports indicated that the schools of pelagic annorhead on the seamounts averaged 30 m thick and catches averaged from 3 to 50 metric tons on 10-20 min hauls (Sakiura 1972). Japanese trawlers entered the fishery in 1969. To assist in the development of this tishery, Japanese research vessels conducted extensive surveys in 1972 on the distribution and potential for development ofthe pelagic armorhead and alfonsin resources. The results of their surveys to the central North Pacific and mid-Pacific seamounts showed that many had summits that were too deep for trawling. Those found suitable were concentrated in the southern Emperor-northern Hawaiian Ridge. (PDF file contains 113 pages.)

Das M74-Syndrom des Ostseelachses (Salmo salar): Symptome, Verbreitung und Ursachen

An overview is presented on the M74-Syndrome of Baltic salmon which is known since 1974 and which, since 1992, has caused considerable losses of artificially produced yolk-sac larvae in Swedish and Finnish hatcheries responsible for compensatory salmon stocking programmes. The syndrome only affects offspring of wild salmon ascending the rivers for spawning and not offspring derived from salmon broodstocks permanently kept in hatcheries. The syndrome seems to be restricted to the Baltic Sea where it has been recorded in all of the remaining Swedish (except the west coast) and Finnish salmon rivers as well as in populations of Estonian rivers and the Russian River Neva. In Sweden and in Finland, the syndrome has been recorded in recent years in offspring of up to 80 % of female salmon used for spawning and resulted in a larval mortality of up to 90 %. A nutrition-associated thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency is considered as primary cause. However, other environmental factors seem to be involved in addition. There is concern that the syndrome constitutes a major threat with respect to the survival of the few still naturally reproducing populations of Baltic salmon.

Bestandserfassung und -überwachung des atlanto-skandischen Herings. EU-Studie "Hydroacoustic Surveys of Atlanto-Scandian Herring in the Norwegian Sea, 1998-2000 (ASH-II)"

The atlanto-scandian herring consists of two major stocks, i.e. the Icelandic summer spawner and the Norwegian spring spawner. Both stocks have recovered well after complete collapse in the seventies and allow for a controlled fishery. The total allowable catch of the Norwegian spring spawner is currently 1.3 mill. t. The resumption of the fishery is accompanied by an annual and multi-national survey with Norwegian, Faeroe Islands, Icelandic and Russian contribution. In 1998 the EU will contribute to the survey with the Swedish vessel ”Argos” and in 1999 with the ”Walther Herwig III” under Dutch, Swedish and German participation. About half of the survey costs are covered by the EU by means of a funded study, the other half is contributed by the participating nations.

Radioaktives Cäsium im Fisch der Barentssee weiterhin abnehmend

A decrease of 137Cs concentration in cod flesh from Barents Sea is shown by six years random sampling. This reduction runs parallel to reduced emissions from the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant Sellafield (Great Britain). It must be emphasized that even the highest values from 1992 are lower than comparable ones from the North Sea and from the Baltic. Although there is no increase of the radiation dose on people by consuming these fishes further monitoring should not be stopped. Potential risk arises from radioactive wastes of the russian nuclear navy in their coastal area. Obviously a safe storage seams almost too expensive.

A GEOPASS-NERC project on diatom deposition and sediment accumulation in Lake Baikal, Siberia

This new project is multidisciplinary, with physical and chemical palaeolimnological aspects mainly the responsibility of Swiss and Russian scientists, and the biological limnology and palaeolimnology components mainly undertaken by the British and Russian groups. The overall project aim is to improve palaeoclimate reconstructions using sedimentary diatoms by promoting better understanding of diatom ecology and sediment-forming processes. The initial work plan is divided into four main parts: To understand diatom phytoplankton ecology more fully, to assess taphonomic changes associated with the transformation of phytoplankton diatom communities into sediment assemblages, to demonstrate sediment core integrity and representativity and to calibrate modern diatom assemblages against contemporary climate records. The preliminary results from the interrelated studies of phytoplankton, sediment traps and sediment cores used in GEOPASS-NERC, demonstrate the complexity of links between the living and fossil systems. Furthermore, the nature of recent sedimentation in Lake Baikal is spatially variable and incompletely known. This poses a major challenge to palaeolimnological interpretation. Turbidite deposits and differential preservation of microfossils, combined with inadequate knowledge of the modern ecology of endemic diatoms, all conspire to obfuscate the sedimentary record of environmental change.

A bibliography of samplers for benthic invertebrates

This annotated bibliography covers literature to the end of November 1977, and includes references to samplers that could be used for the rapid removal of benthic invertebrates from natural substrata of rivers and streams. Marine samplers which have been, or could be, used in freshwater. Coverage of Russian literature is incomplete, although a selection of recent and important references are included. The references are arranged under the following headings, Reviews; Nets and quadrat samplers; Scoops, shovels and dredges; Grabs; Corers; Suction and air-lift samplers; Electroshocking samplers; Efficiencies and comparisons; and Samplers from catalogues. There is an index to samplers (by the common name) and an author index.

Determination of population structure and stock composition of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in Russia determined with microsatellites

Variation at 14 microsatellite loci was examined in 34 chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) populations from Russia and evaluated for its use in the determination of population structure and stock composition in simulated mixed-stock fishery samples. The genetic differentiation index (Fst) over all populations and loci was 0.017, and individual locus values ranged from 0.003 to 0.054. Regional population structure was observed, and populations from Primorye, Sakhalin Island, and northeast Russia were the most distinct. Microsatellite variation provided evidence of a more fine-scale population structure than those that had previously been demonstrated with other genetic-based markers. Analysis of simulated mixed-stock samples indicated that accurate and precise regional estimates of stock composition were produced when the microsatellites were used to estimate stock compositions. Microsatellites can be used to determine stock composition in geographically separate Russian coastal chum salmon fisheries and provide a greater resolution of stock composition and population structure than that previously provided with other techniques.

Occurrence and distribution of fish species off Yemen (Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea)

The species list is drawn from an analysis of catches taken by Sumalian and Russian trawlers in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea between 1985 and 1990. The southern coastline of the Republic of Yemen has been divided into 7 areas, including waters around Socotra Island. The average depth of each trawl was recorded in 50 m increments. Non-appearance of the species in the area does not mean that the species do not occur in that area or depth, merely that it was not recorded in any of the samples analyzed. Specimens that could not be identified to species level have been excluded. A total of 195 species from 75 families was recorded and is summarized. Most of the identification of species was from FAO species identification literature. Confirmation of some species and usage of common names is from ICLARM's FishBase and Al Sedfy, et al. (1982).

Soviet Illegal Whaling: The Devil and the Details

In 1948, the U.S.S.R. began a global campaign of illegal whaling that lasted for three decades and, together with the poorly managed “legal” whaling of other nations, seriously depleted whale populations. Although the general story of this whaling has been told and the catch record largely corrected for the Southern Hemisphere, major gaps remain in the North Pacific. Furthermore, little attention has been paid to the details of this system or its economic context. Using interviews with former Soviet whalers and biologists as well as previously unavailable reports and other material in Russian, our objective is to describe how the Soviet whaling industry was structured and how it worked, from the largest scale of state industrial planning down to the daily details of the ways in which whales were caught and processed, and how data sent to the Bureau of International Whaling Statistics were falsified. Soviet whaling began with the factory ship Aleut in 1933, but by 1963 the industry had a truly global reach, with seven factory fleets (some very large). Catches were driven by a state planning system that set annual production targets. The system gave bonuses and honors only when these were met or exceeded, and it frequently increased the following year’s targets to match the previous year’s production; scientific estimates of the sustainability of the resource were largely ignored. Inevitably, this system led to whale populations being rapidly reduced. Furthermore, productivity was measured in gross output (weights of whales caught), regardless of whether carcasses were sound or rotten, or whether much of the animal was unutilized. Whaling fleets employed numerous people, including women (in one case as the captain of a catcher boat). Because of relatively high salaries and the potential for bonuses, positions in the whaling industry were much sought-after. Catching and processing of whales was highly mechanized and became increasingly efficient as the industry gained more experience. In a single day, the largest factory ships could process up to 200 small sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus; 100 humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae; or 30–35 pygmy blue whales, Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda. However, processing of many animals involved nothing more than stripping the carcass of blubber and then discarding the rest. Until 1952, the main product was whale oil; only later was baleen whale meat regularly utilized. Falsified data on catches were routinely submitted to the Bureau of International Whaling Statistics, but the true catch and biological data were preserved for research and administrative purposes. National inspectors were present at most times, but, with occasional exceptions, they worked primarily to assist fulfillment of plan targets and routinely ignored the illegal nature of many catches. In all, during 40 years of whaling in the Antarctic, the U.S.S.R. reported 185,778 whales taken but at least 338,336 were actually killed. Data for the North Pacific are currently incomplete, but from provisional data we estimate that at least 30,000 whales were killed illegally in this ocean. Overall, we judge that, worldwide, the U.S.S.R. killed approximately 180,000 whales illegally and caused a number of population crashes. Finally, we note that Soviet illegal catches continued after 1972 despite the presence of international observers on factory fleets.

The Truth About Soviet Whaling: A Memoir

In November 1993, Professor Alexei Yablokov, who at the time was the Science Advisor to Russian President Boris Yeltsin, stood on a podium in Galveston, Tex., and delivered a speech to the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s biennial conference, the premier international event in the field of marine mammal science. Addressing the 1,500 scientists present, he made what amounted to a national confession: that, beginning in 1948, the U.S.S.R. had begun a huge campaign of illegal whaling. Despite being a signatory to the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling (signed in Washington, D.C., just 2 years before in 1946), the Soviets set out to pillage the world’s ocean

Effects of pot fishing on the physical condition of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) and southern Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi)

The effects of commercial fishing with crab pots on the physical condition of the snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) and southern Tanner crab (C. bairdi) were investigated in the Bering Sea and in Russian waters of the Sea of Okhotsk. In crabs that were subjected to pot hauling, the presence of gas embolism and the deformation of gill lamellae were found in histopathological investigations. Crab vitality, which was characterized subjectively through observation of behavioral responses, depended on not only the number of pot hauls but also the time between hauls. Immediately after repeated pot hauls at short time intervals (≤3 days), we observed a rapid decline in vitality of crabs. When hauling intervals were increased to >3 days, the condition of crabs did not significantly change. After repeated pot hauls, concentration of the respiratory pigment hemocyanin ([Hc]) was often lower in the hemolymph of crabs than in the hemolymph of freshly caught animals. Our research indicated that changes in [Hc] in crabs after repeated pot hauls were caused by the effects of decompression and not by starvation of crabs in pots or exposure of crabs to air. We suggest that the decrease in [Hc] in hemolymph of snow and southern Tanner crabs was a response to the adverse effects of decompression and air-bubble disease. The decrease in [Hc] in affected crabs may be a result of mechanisms that regulate internal pressure in damaged gills to optimize respiratory circulation.