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Presidential Letter on Cacouna Harbour Project and Beluga Whale Endangerment

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada

Monsieur Philippe Couillard
Premier ministre du Québec

The Honourable Gail Shea
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

Monsieur Laurent Lessard
Ministre des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs

Monsieur David Heurtel
Ministre du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques

Dear Sirs and Madame:

The Society for Marine Mammalogy is the world’s largest professional group dedicated to the study of marine mammals, with a membership of approximately 2,000 scientists from 60 countries. Its goal is to facilitate the understanding and conservation of marine mammals and the ecosystems that support them.

The Society is very concerned about the proposed Cacouna Harbour terminal project which involves construction of facilities for the export of crude oil in tankers that would travel into and out of the St. Lawrence River estuary. Cacouna Harbour is near the center of what government scientists have defined as “critical habitat” for a beluga whale population that is listed as Threatened under the Species at Risk Act (Department of Fisheries and Oceans 2012). To be more exact, the site is within one of the few well-defined areas of high residency of female belugas and their young (Lemieux Lefèbvre et al. 2012).

St. Lawrence belugas are the most southerly population in the circumpolar range of this iconic species, which is of particular symbolic and economic importance to Quebec and to Canada. This population has been studied by researchers from Canadian universities, government agencies, and environmental organizations over a longer period of time than any other beluga population in the world. All of this is to Canada’s credit, as is the fact that the St. Lawrence beluga population, which had declined to only a few hundred animals in the 1970s as a result of hunting and environmental degradation, recovered to around 1,000 by the late 1990s.

Unfortunately, it seems that this encouraging example of environmental stewardship is now in jeopardy. Recent research by Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) scientists indicates that the beluga population has been declining slowly since the early 2000s (Department of Fisheries and Oceans 2014). Although the reasons for this change in trend are uncertain, the recent DFO Science Advisory Report (Department of Fisheries and Oceans 2014) notes that it occurred during a period coinciding with increased noise and marine traffic, and also that these animals continue to suffer from high levels of contaminants. The DFO report draws attention to the need to reduce anthropogenic stressors such as disturbance in sensitive areas and during critical periods for female belugas and their calves.

Members of our Society with extensive experience in beluga biology and conservation consider that construction and operation of a tanker terminal in the critical habitat of a small and declining beluga population is incompatible with the aims of the Beluga Recovery Strategy (DFO 2012). Such a project is bound to have serious impacts on the suitability of the area for use by female belugas and their calves. It will further degrade the physical and acoustic environment, increase the risk of ship strikes on belugas, and possibly also reduce the availability of beluga prey; the possibility of a catastrophic oil spill is ever-present. These stresses may well prove to be too much for a population already considered threatened with extinction under Canadian law.

Given the strong scientific capacity at DFO and elsewhere in Canada, I encourage you to take full advantage of these enviable resources as you make decisions concerning this high-risk, controversial proposal. As with any such major project, scientific advice from relevant specialists should be obtained at every stage as part of a transparent consultation process. This advice should apply equally to preparatory work such as geophysical seismic and geotechnical drilling surveys that could have deleterious impacts on the beluga population, as well as to the overall assessment of potential impacts and consideration of alternative sites and mitigation measures.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like further advice from Society members with appropriate technical expertise.

Sincerely,

helene-marsh-sig
Helene Marsh
President

Read acknowledgement of receipt and response on behalf of the Premier of Québec received 23 June 2014

Read acknowledgement of receipt and response on behalf of the Office of the Prime Minister of Ottawa received July 11, 2014

Presidential Letter on Don Sahong Dam and River Dolphins

Mr. Hans Guttman
Chief Executive Officer
Mekong River Commission Secretariat
Vientiane, Lao PDR

Minister H.E. Lim Kean Hor
Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology
Chairperson of Cambodia National Mekong Committee
Member of the MRC Council for Cambodia
Cambodia

Minister H.E. Noulinh Sinbandhit
Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
Chairperson of Lao National Mekong Committee
Member of the MRC Council for the Lao PDR
Vientiane, Lao PDR

Minister H.E. Vichet Kasemthongsri
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
Chairperson of Thai National Mekong Committee
Member of the MRC Council for Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand

Minister H.E. Nguyen Minh Quang
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
Chairperson of Viet Nam National Mekong Committee
Member of the MRC Council for Viet Nam
Hanoi, Viet Nam

Minister H.E. Dr. Ouk Rabun
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Minister H.E. Say Sam Al
Minister of Environment
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Minister H.E. Suy Sem
Minister of Mines and Energy
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Minister H.E. Thong Khon
Minister of Tourism
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Secretary General H.E Te Navuth
Secretary General Cambodia National Mekong Committee
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Ambassador Daniel A. Clune
U.S. Ambassador to Laos
Vientiane, Lao PDR.

Ambassador William E. Todd
U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia
Phnom Penh,Cambodia

Ambassador David B. Shear
U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam
Hanoi, Vietnam

Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney
U.S. Ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand

Ambassador Alison Burrows
Australian Ambassador to Cambodia
Phnom Penh,Cambodia

Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen
Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

14 May, 2014

Dear Sirs and Madames,

The Society for Marine Mammalogy is the world’s largest professional group dedicated to the study of marine mammals, with a membership of approximately 2,000 scientists from 60 countries. Its goal is to facilitate the understanding and conservation of marine mammals and the ecosystems that support them.

The Society is very concerned about the future of river dolphins, including the critically endangered Mekong population of Irrawaddy dolphins. The recent extinction of the Yangtze dolphin (or baiji) illustrates the extreme vulnerability of river dolphins to the impacts of human activities.

Construction of any dam in the Mekong River’s mainstream would represent a great risk to the survival of these dolphins. A dam would exacerbate already existing problems associated with degraded water quality and negative changes in the hydrologic and geomorphic characteristics of the river. It would also interrupt the movements of migratory fish.

Most immediately, construction of the Don Sahong Dam would lead to the disappearance of dolphins in Lao PDR, because of their close proximity to the dam site, and have serious downstream impacts on the dolphins in Cambodia. In contrast, the alternative Thako Hydropower Project would not involve constructing a barrier across a mainstream channel of the Mekong River and thereby would appear to present less of a threat to the dolphins.

Along with a group of international dolphin experts, I recently attended a workshop in Phnom Penh concerning Mekong dolphins. The group agreed that, given the state of knowledge of the population of Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River, range states should abide by the 10 year moratorium on the construction of mainstream dams in the Mekong River as recommended in the Strategic Environmental Assessment of Hydropower on the Mekong Mainstream prepared for the Mekong River Commission (http://www.mrcmekong.org/assets/Publications/Consultations/SEA-Hydropower/SEA-FR-summary-13oct.pdf).

It is important to note that further hydropower development in the Mekong Basin is also bound to have detrimental impacts similar to those listed above for dolphins  on other threatened aquatic megafauna such as the Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas), giant pangasius (Pangasius sanitwongsei), Siamese giant carp (Catlocarpio siamensis), giant river carp (Probarbus jullieni), Mekong freshwater stingray (Himantura chaophraya), and Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis).

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like further advice from Society members with appropriate technical expertise.

Sincerely,

helene-marsh-sig

Helene Marsh
President

Risk to Cape Verde Humpback Whales from Explosives in the Port of Sai-Rei

Directora Gabinete: Maria Edelmira Carvalho
E a DGI: Odete Lima Dias
Dr Moises Borges
Dr Nuno Ribeiro
Sr. Anibal Medina
Mrs Sara Maria Duarte Lopes

22 April 2014

Dear Sirs and Madams:

The Society for Marine Mammalogy is the world’s largest professional group dedicated to the study of marine mammals, with a membership of approximately 2,000 scientists from 60 countries. Its goal is to facilitate the understanding and conservation of marine mammals and the ecosystems that support them.

As President of the Society, I write to you concerning the use of explosives to expand the port of Sal-Rei.  I understand that this project is scheduled to start during the humpback whale calving season. Humpback whales visit the Cape Verde area from February to June each year to mate and give birth in the shallow, sheltered bays, with the Bay of Sal-Rei being the most important area.  The Bay of Sal-Rei is the only known breeding area for this genetically isolated and precariously small population (Bérubé et al., 2013; Ryan et al., 2013).

Use of underwater explosives, or blasting, produces one of the strongest point sources of anthropogenic sound in the seas, resulting in high intensity sound components that can travel great distances (Richardson et al., 1995). For humpback whales, displacement and even mortality following blasting has been documented (Ketten et al., 1993; Todd et al., 1996). The potential for displacement, injury or mortality of whales around Boa Vista as a consequence of blasting could be high.

In similar situations elsewhere, such risks to whale populations are commonly mitigated by restricting the times and/or areas where blasting is allowed. In the case of Bay of Sal-Rei the most effective mitigation measure would be for no blasting to occur before June 15, when whales typically have departed from Sal-Rey Bay.  I urge you please to ensure that the companies responsible for this work (Somague and MSF Engenharia) do not begin blasting until after June 15 and cease before February 1 when the whales typically return to Sal-Rey Bay.

I note that Cape Verde is party to Convention for Migratory Species, which lists humpback whales in its Appendix I, so this action would accord with the Cape Verde’s obligations to protecting the humpback whales in its waters.

Please contact me, if you would like further advice from Society members with appropriate technical expertise.

Yours sincerely,

helene-marsh-sig

Helene Marsh
President

Letter to New Zealand Minister of Conservation: additional protection is insufficient

Hon Dr. Nick Smith
Minister for Conservation
Government of New Zealand

Dear Dr. Smith,

Thank you for advising the Society of Marine Mammalogy that additional netting closures are planned to protect Maui’s dolphin.

We appreciate that such action is very difficult because of the resultant negative impact on the New Plymouth fishing industry.

Members of the Society have extensive experience with efforts to reduce interactions between marine mammals and the fishing industry. It is our professional opinion that to successfully conserve this sub-species, it will be necessary to reduce the risk of Maui’s dolphins being caught in nets to zero. This can only be done by extending the proposed netting closures to cover the entire range of the Maui’s dolphin.

While we realize the complications of such an action, the Society hopes that the New Zealand government will be able to take this critical step to save the world’s rarest dolphins.

Sincerely,

helene-marsh-sig
Helene Marsh
President

Response to letter to President Nieto Regarding the Vaquita

The following is a response to my letter addressed to the President of Mexico, Mr. Enrique Pena Nieto, in which I asked for the Mexican government to use alternative fishing tools for the artisan netting fishing overlapping the distribution of the Vaquita.

Mazatlán, Sinaloa, May 21th 2013.

HELENE MARSH
I refer to your attentive letter unnumbered, dated on March 4 of the current year, recently received in this General Administrative Office of Management of Aquaculture and Fisheries, by which you requests us to report on the extent of the area where the alternative fishing net designed by the National Fisheries Institute will be mandatory for the shrimp fishery, as well as the date on which regulation come into force.
In this regard, I comment you that the public consultation period for the Amendment to the Mexican Official Standard NOM-002-PESC 1993 ended on April 23rd. This NOM regulates the shrimp fishery, and considers the implementation of this alternative fishing gear, without limiting the possibilities to allow other gear whose efficiency and selectivity would to be previously evaluated by the National Fisheries Institute.
Note that during in the public consultation period, 716 comments were received, all questioning the use of the prototype fishing gear and only one proposal to amend the Official Standard to authorize the use of the alternative fishing net in another region of the country. In the near future we will have to decide whether is it advisable to implement the use of such active fishing gear for the shrimp fishery in the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve, except in the vaquita refuge zone where fishing activities are not allowed
The results of the consultation will be made known to the public through the publication of regulatory instrument in the Official Gazette of the Federation, which we hope to do in next July and will to go into effect 60 days after its publication.
With no further ado, I take the chance to send you my warm regards,

Atte:

Aldo Gerardo Padilla Pestano,
General Director and Coordinator of the Subcommittee for Responsible Fishing.

Letter to New Zealand Prime Minister regarding seismic surveys and Maui’s dolphin

Rt. Hon. Mr John Key
Prime Minister of New Zealand

Hon. Mr. Nathan Guy
Minister for Primary Industries

Hon. Mr. Nick Smith
Minister of Conservation

Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

17 April 2013

Dear Sirs

The Society for Marine Mammalogy is the World’s largest professional group dedicated to the study of marine mammals, with a membership of approximately 2,000 scientists from 60 countries. Its goal is to facilitate the understanding and conservation of marine mammals and the ecosystems that support them.

I write to you as President of the Society concerning ongoing seismic surveys within the area of protection for Maui’s dolphins Cephalorhynchus hectori maui. The most recent science indicates that only about 55 individuals of this subspecies remain and government agencies are currently considering protection measures to eliminate deaths in fisheries by removing gillnets and trawling from the protected area.

Like porpoises, these dolphins use high frequency sonar to locate their prey. A recent study of harbour porpoises (Lucke et al. 2009) found them to be more sensitive to auditory damage from seismic testing than any other dolphin or whale. The direct damage to porpoises anticipated to result from a planned seismic project off California, USA resulted in the denial to permit this activity by the California Coastal Commission (see http://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2012/11/W13b-11-2012.pdf). It should be noted that the potential seriousness of the impact of the seismic activity was considered excessive for a stock of over 2,000 individuals that has no current conservation concerns. By comparison, Maui’s dolphin is Critically Endangered.

The Society’s letter of January this year commended the Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries for convening an Expert President Panel and preparing a Risk Assessment Report (www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/consultations/current/threat-management-plan-review-for-mauis-dolphin) to inform the review.

The letter went on to state:
Scientists from New Zealand and elsewhere have provided an exceptionally strong scientific basis for managing fisheries to prevent the extinction of Maui’s dolphins. I trust that you recognize the urgent need to act on that science and strengthen measures to protect these dolphins, which are endemic to North Island waters. Any bycatch of Maui’s dolphins is clearly unsustainable and, on behalf of the Society for Marine Mammalogy, I concur with the IWC recommendation to extend the North Island protected area and the IUCN resolution to ban gillnet and trawl fisheries in all areas where Maui’s dolphins are found as critical actions without which this population is highly likely to decline towards extinction.

I encourage you to act quickly and decisively to provide the leadership in marine conservation that the world expects of your country. The Society’s biennial international conference will be held in Dunedin later this year – I hope we will be able to receive reports of positive management developments benefiting Maui’s dolphins at that time.

We are very concerned that seismic testing is being allowed in the protected area not only because of the risk of direct harm to dolphin hearing but also because potential displacement from this habitat by Maui’s dolphins could result in increased bycatch in unprotected areas. Allowing this seismic testing thus appears inconsistent with the New Zealand Government’s stated goal of enabling this subspecies to recover. We urge you to reconsider the decision to allow this seismic testing in and near the protected area in light of the high risk to the Maui’s dolphin.

Yours sincerely,

helene-marsh-sig

Helene Marsh PhD, FTSE

President Society for Marine Mammalogy

Letter to New Zealand Prime Minister regarding Maui’s dolphin

Mr John Key
Prime Minister of New Zealand

Mr Nathan Guy
Minister for Primary Industries

Mr Nick Smith
Minister of Conservation

Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

11 February 2013

Dear Sirs,

The Society for Marine Mammalogy is the world’s largest professional group dedicated to the study of marine mammals, with a membership of approximately 2,000 scientists from 60 countries. Its goal is to facilitate the understanding and conservation of marine mammals and the ecosystems that support them.

I write to you as President of the Society, concerning the review of the Threat Management Plan for Maui’s dolphins, Cephalorhynchus hectori maui. I commend the Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries for convening an Expert Panel and preparing a Risk Assessment Report to inform the review (see
(www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/consultations/current/threat-management-plan-review-for-mauis-dolphin)

The Society is committed to using the best available scientific evidence to support sustainable marine resource management, and thus supports conservation solutions consistent with the conclusions of the Expert Panel.

The data on fishing effort presented in the Risk Assessment Report show that gillnetting and trawling still occur in areas inhabited by Maui’s dolphins (see Figures A2.8 and A2.11 of the Report). Gillnets are used up to the boundary of the current protected area, and trawling continues inside and outside the protected area. In fact, the Expert Panel estimated that five Maui’s dolphins die each year from entanglement in fishing gear.

Thus, entanglement mortality annually removes about 9% of the estimated remaining population of 55 individuals (over one year of age), and greatly exceeds the level of human-caused mortality that this small population of dolphins can sustain. Scientific advice often involves a degree of uncertainty, but in a situation such as this one involving a critically endangered subspecies delay to resolve uncertainty could have dire, irrevocable results.

After reviewing research on Maui’s dolphins at its meeting in June 2012, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) expressed particular concern about the small size of the population and recommended immediate implementation of the proposal by the Ministry for Primary Industries to extend the North Island protected area to approximately 80 km south of the latest dolphin bycatch site, offshore to the 100 m depth contour and to include the harbours. As a further indication of international interest and concern, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) adopted a resolution at its World Conservation Congress in September 2012, urging the New Zealand government to ban gillnet and trawl fisheries in all areas where Maui’s dolphins are found.

Scientists from New Zealand and elsewhere have provided an exceptionally strong scientific basis for managing fisheries to prevent the extinction of Maui’s dolphins. Any bycatch of Maui’s dolphins is clearly unsustainable, You will appreciate the urgent need to act on that science and strengthen measures to protect these dolphins, which are endemic to North Island waters. On behalf of the Society for Marine Mammology, I concur with the IWC recommendation to extend the North Island protected area and the IUCN resolution to ban gillnet and trawl fisheries in all areas where these dolphins are found. These actions are critical and without them this population is highly likely to decline towards extinction.

I encourage you to act quickly and decisively to provide the leadership in marine conservation that the world expects of your country.

The Society’s 20th biennial international conference will be held in Dunedin later this year. I look forward to receiving reports of positive management developments benefiting Maui’s dolphins at that time and would be very happy to meet with members of the New Zealand government or their officers if you think that would be helpful.

Yours sincerely,

Helene Marsh PhD, FTSE.

Additional Letter to Japanese Government Regarding Dolphin and Small Whale Hunts

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Prime Minister of Japan
1-6-1 Nagata-cho
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.
100-8968 JAPAN

Director General of Fisheries Agency
Masanori Sato
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
1-2-1 Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.
100-8950 JAPAN

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Akira Gunji
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
1-2-1 Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.
100-8950 JAPAN

Dear Sirs:

The letter below was sent to the current, relevant, senior members of the Japanese government and bureaucracy on the 23rd May 2012 by the then President of the Society of Marine Mammalogy, Dr Randall Wells, on behalf of the Board of Governors of the Society. This professional Society consists of some two thousand scientists from 60 countries and is dedicated to the study, understanding, and conservation of marine mammals and their ecosystems.

The letter can also be accessed from the Society’s website see http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=65&Itemid=183

At the time of writing, the Board had recently reviewed information on the dolphin and small whale hunts in Japan. On behalf of the Board and Society, Dr Wells conveyed our serious concern regarding the sustainability of those hunts and requested clarification on a number of points as outlined in his letter.

As this is a matter of great interest to the members of the Society, I would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience, please.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Helene Marsh
President

[Letter to Japanese Government Regarding Dolphin and Small Whale Hunts included]