Transcript Predation on Northern Fur Seals In The Pribilof Islands: A Baseline Study Traditional Knowledge Survey and Local Fishery Logbook Program Andrew Malavansky1, Aquilina D.

Predation on Northern Fur Seals In
The Pribilof Islands: A Baseline Study
Traditional Knowledge Survey and
Local Fishery Logbook Program
Andrew Malavansky1, Aquilina D. Lestenkof2, Desiree
Lekanof1, Michael C. Brewer2, Kate M. Wynne3, Amanda M.
Merklein4, and Bruce W. Robson4
1St.
George Traditional Council, Kayumixtax Eco-Office
2Aleut Community of St. Paul Island-Tribal Government, Ecosystem Conservation Office
3School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks
4Community and Ecology Resources
Study Design
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Baseline information about predation on fur seals
around the Pribilof Islands.
Community-based approach: local fishermen and
residents with a year-round presence on the islands
Two methods:
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Fishery logbook program
Local and Traditional Knowledge (LTK) survey.
Trends in the location, numbers and seasonality of
killer whale observations and Steller sea lion predation
Nature and extent of marine mammal/fisheries
interactions
Methods – Fisheries Logbook
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Compact, water-proof
logbook
Standardized format
Location, date, time and
other relevant information
for killer whale sightings and
predation observations.
Additional observations of
interest recorded
Fishermen were contacted
regularly in dockside surveys
Logbook Example
Methods – LTK Interviews
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Interview Subjects
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Standardized survey
instrument
Target Information:
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local and non-resident fishermen
subsistence hunters
community residents and elders
Spatial and temporal occurrence
of killer whales
Predation events
Photographic documentation
Fisheries interactions
Observations spatially
referenced to a lat/lon grid for
GIS analysis
Results – Fisheries Logbooks
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15 boats from St. Paul and 3 from
St. George
Mid-June through late-September
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17 sightings of KW in logbooks
4 KW sightings in dockside and
LTK interviews
Near-shore waters and shelf break
No predation events reported by
fishermen in 2006
Other species observed: fin whales,
minke whales, northern fur seals,
short-tailed albatross, ancient
murrlets, and coho salmon
Killer Whale Encounters
Date
Time
Encounter
Group Size
Location
Vessel Activity
KW Behavior
21-Jun-06
13:00
1
7
Shelf-Break
Retrieving Gear
Gear Interaction
22-Jun-06
NA
2
7
Shelf-Break
Retrieving Gear
Gear Interaction
24-Jun-06
NA
3
4
St. George Near-shore, NW
Setting, Retrieving Gear
Following Vessel
06-Jul-06
21:30
4
2
St. Paul Near-shore, SW
Traveling
Traveling, Feeding
07-Jul-06
18:05
5
7
St. Paul Near-shore, SW
Traveling
NA
07-Jul-06
NA
6
3
St. Paul Near-shore, SW
Retrieving Gear
Traveling
07-Jul-06
20:39
7
4
St. Paul Near-shore, SW
Traveling
NA
08-Jul-06
10:45
8
1
St. Paul Near-shore, N
Retrieving Gear
Traveling
09-Jul-06
18:00
9
2
St. Paul Near-shore, SW
Traveling
NA
13-Jul-06
20:30
10
1
St. Paul Near-shore, N
Retrieving Gear
NA
14-Jul-06
20:30
11
1
St. Paul Near-shore, W
Traveling
Traveling
19-Jul-06
20:00
12
4
St. Paul Near-shore, SW
Traveling
NA
Jul-06
NA
13
4
St. Paul Near-shore, NE
Traveling
Traveling
Jul-06
NA
14
4
St. Paul Near-shore, NE
Traveling
Patrolling, Traveling
17-Aug-06
11:30
15
6
Zhemchug Canyon
Retrieving Gear
Gear Interaction
23-Sep-06
NA
16
3
St. Paul Near-shore, SW
Traveling
Traveling
25-Sep-06
NA
17
3
St. Paul Near-shore, W
Traveling
Traveling
Results – LTK Interviews
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Forty-nine LTK interviews ( July
to November of 2006).
87 killer whale observations
1976 – 2006
76% were from 2000 or later
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48 on St. Paul
39 St. George
17 from the Island Sentinel
Programs (St. George n=2; St. Paul
n=15).
26 sightings of killer whales
during 2006 May - November
LTK Distribution
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The highest percentage of observations on each island
occurred in the Lat/Lon grid cells surrounding the
villages.
Group Size
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LTK (2000-06)
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2.9 at St. George Island
(n=16)
3.3 at St. Paul Island
(n=53)
16.0 for off-shore
sightings (n=4)
Logbooks – 2006
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3.7 whales per encounter
Predation
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No predation observed by local
fishermen in 2006
Last observation by a St. Paul
Island fishing vessel was in 2004
LTK predation events 1981-2006
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9 Killer whale events
7 Steller sea lions events
Two observations of SSL feeding
on fur seal pups in 2006 on St.
George Island.
No observations of SSL feeding
on fur seals reported on St. Paul
Island.
Additional Observations
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LTK: fin whales minke
whales, gray whales,
humpback whales, sperm
whales, unidentified large
whales, dall’s porpoise, and
sharks.
Logbooks: fin whales, minke
whales, northern fur seals,
short-tailed albatross, ancient
murrlets, and coho salmon.
Summary Observations
 No
gear interaction between
killer whales and halibut fishery
near shore, only at shelf break
 Small killer whale group sizes
near islands
 No predation by sea lions on
fur seal pups at St. Paul, only
St. George
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the support and
participation of the communities of St. Paul and
St. George Island. This research could not have
been conducted without the help and
cooperation of local fishermen and the CBSFA
and APICDA. This study was funded under
UAF/PCCRC Grant 06-0036 to the St. George
Traditional Council.