Recovery Strategy for the North Pacific Right Whale in Pacific Canadian Waters [Proposed] 2011: Recovery

It is important to note that it is not possible to develop detailed recovery criteria, including quantitative population and distribution objectives, at this time due to the lack of data on the biology, distribution, abundance and threats affecting the North Pacific Right Whale. Nor will it be possible to acquire enough data in the short-term (i.e., within a few decades) to develop and measure recovery criteria for such an extremely depleted and long-lived species. Due to the significant species knowledge gaps, the recovery goals, objectives and approaches outlined in this document are primarily qualitative and research based. The information gathered from the identified research activities will help to provide the information that is necessary to determine specific, quantitative recovery criteria.

Although it is difficult to accurately assess the feasibility of recovery for the North Pacific Right Whale due to the lack of understanding of factors affecting the survival and productivity of the species, based on the best current available information, recovery of the North Pacific Right Whale in Canadian waters is determined to be feasible¹¹. The current small population size of the North Pacific Right Whale is thought to be the main factor limiting its recovery and presence in Pacific Canadian waters. However, the population has the potential to increase in size and re-occupy Pacific Canadian waters, because evidence of reproduction exists, suitable habitat is available in Pacific Canadian waters, no direct threats have been identified, and effective measures are available to mitigate threats if they are identified.

1. Are individuals capable of reproduction currently available to improve the population growth rate or population abundance?

Answer: Unknown.

It is unknown whether individuals capable of reproduction are currently available to improve the population growth rate or population abundance in Canadian waters. However, it is known that individuals capable of reproduction exist outside of Canadian waters. Recently, a few females and calves have been sighted in the southeastern Bering Sea, U.S. Genetic analysis identified seven females and two calves in a group sighted in September 2004, and one female and one calf was sighted on August 24, 2002. Although the last confirmed sighting of a North Pacific Right Whale in, or just outside Canadian waters was in 1970 (Wada 1975), the fact that there has been a lack of long-term survey effort, and that there have been three sightings of seven right whales in close proximity to Canadian waters between 1959 and 1992 (in U.S. waters near the B.C./Washington border), suggest that the species could potentially be using Canadian waters.

2. Is sufficient suitable habitat available to support the species or could it be made available through habitat management or restoration?

Answer: Yes.

The current distribution, migration routes, and feeding and calving grounds of the North Pacific Right Whale are unknown (COSEWIC 2004). However, whaling records indicate that right whales historically occurred in Pacific Canadian waters from April to October (Townsend 1935, Clapham et al. 2004, Josephson et al. 2008). Despite the presence of threats, other species of baleen whales (particularly Humpback and Fin Whales) currently occupy some of the areas formerly occupied by right whales in Pacific Canadian waters. Right whales in the U.S. North Pacific continue to occupy habitat susceptible to potential threats that also exist in Pacific Canadian waters. Habitat occupied by right whales in the past is thought to be functionally similar to habitat currently available as that habitat is known to be suitable for other baleen whale species. For these reasons, it seems reasonable to conclude that suitable habitat is available for right whales in Pacific Canadian waters.

3. Can significant threats to the species or its habitat be avoided or mitigated through recovery actions?

Answer: Yes

There are insufficient data on occurrence, distribution, reproduction or genetics of North Pacific Right Whales to directly determine threats to the species specifically in Pacific Canadian waters. However, based on information from other right whale populations around the world, as well as from other large whale species, threats that could potentially affect right whales in Pacific Canadian waters have been identified (see Section 1.5 ‘Threats’). Actions to mitigate threats to right whales in other areas have been demonstrated to be effective. For example, in the western North Atlantic, shipping lanes in the Bay of Fundy have been moved, reducing the relative potential for accidental ship strikes by approximately 80% (Brown et al. 2009); an acoustic monitoring network to reduce the likelihood of ship strikes has been implemented to provide early warning to ships travelling through the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to the Northeast Gateway Deepwater Port, Massachusetts (Bruce 2008); and protocol and a rescue team have been developed for releasing whales entangled in fishing gear (Brown et al. 2009). Actions that have been successful in mitigating threats to other baleen whale species could also be effective for mitigating those same threats for the North Pacific Right Whale. For example, gear modifications that have the potential to reduce the severity and frequency of Humpback and other whale entanglements have been implemented on both Atlantic and Pacific coasts (Johnson et al. 2005, Kozuck 2003). Mitigation strategies have also been developed in a number of jurisdictions to reduce the impact of seismic surveys and military-related sonar use (e.g., Australian Government 2007, DFO 2007, JNCC 2004).

4. Do the necessary recovery techniques exist and are they demonstrated to be effective?

Answer: Unknown.

The best available population trajectory model of the North Atlantic Right Whale shows a population increase in the 1980s followed by a population decline in the 1990s, possibly due to an increase in anthropogenic threats (Fujiwara and Caswell 2001). This initial population increase illustrates the ability of this species of critically low abundance, to recover (Brown et al. 2009) and this likely applies for the North Pacific Right Whale as well. The North Atlantic Right Whale species experts consider the reduction of human-induced mortality to be feasible (Brown et al. 2009). Additionally, the anthropogenic threats considered to be the most significant (fixed-gear entanglements and vessel strikes) are less likely to affect the North Pacific Right Whale in Pacific Canadian waters to the same extent because they do not occur near densely populated areas like the North Atlantic Right Whale. Measures to mitigate threats that have been demonstrated to be effective exist and are available to be implemented if such threats are determined to be affecting North Pacific Right Whales. Given the relatively recent cessation of illegal Soviet whaling (1979; Brownell et al. 2001), the North Pacific Right Whale may not yet have had an opportunity to recover from this threat, or for the signs of recovery to be detected. Any recovery would be extremely slow even in the absence of anthropogenic mortality as right whales are long-lived, have delayed onset of breeding, and a long reproductive cycle.

In conclusion, recovery of the North Pacific Right Whale is determined to be feasible because there is recent evidence of reproductively successful individuals in adjacent waters, historic habitat is not physically degraded and is currently available for use, and mitigation of threats that can potentially affect right whales in Pacific Canadian waters has been proven successful for other right whale populations and other baleen whale species. Also, given the longevity of the species, it will take many decades for the benefits of recovery actions to be observed, so it would be inconsistent with the precautionary approach to rule out recovery feasibility.

Long-term goal:
Increase the probability of survival, and attain long-term viability, of the North Pacific Right Whale in Canadian waters.

The first step in addressing this long-term goal is to confirm species presence (objective #1 below). As basic information on presence, abundance, distribution, habitat, and threats is collected, recovery and population and distribution objectives and their associated strategies are expected to be further developed.

Short-term objective:

1. Confirm the presence of North Pacific Right Whales in Pacific Canadian waters.

Long-term objectives (contingent on first achieving #1 above):

2. Determine population structure, abundance, and seasonal distribution.

3. Work toward an increasing population trajectory.

4. Promote re-occupation of historical habitat in Pacific Canadian waters.

Quantitative long-term population and distribution objectives may be established once the presence of right whales has been confirmed in Pacific Canadian waters.

At this time, recovery objectives, as well as population and distribution objectives, are predominantly research based, as basic information about presence, abundance, distribution, habitat, and threats is required before recovery objectives can be clearly defined. To achieve progress towards reaching the recovery goal, the following objectives should be met.

Short-term objective:

5. Characterize and determine the extent of potential habitat in Pacific Canadian waters.

Long-term objective:

6. Maintain or increase the relative proportion of right whales in Pacific Canadian waters compared to the whole population, by ensuring that as threats are identified, they do not significantly reduce potential habitat or distribution of the North Pacific Right Whale.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada encourages other agencies and organizations to participate in the recovery of North Pacific Right Whale where possible, through the implementation of this recovery strategy. Table 3 summarizes the activities that are recommended to support the goal and objectives. The activities implemented by Fisheries and Oceans Canada will be subject to the availability of funding and other required resources.

Table 3. Recovery Planning Table

It is important to note that for a long-lived species such as the right whale, it may take many decades before increases in this population can be documented, and even longer before recovery is achieved. It is therefore imperative that the long-term nature of this strategy is recognized in the evaluation of the objectives and supporting strategies.

The approaches listed above (Table 3) include efforts that will not only be essential to the survival of the North Pacific Right Whale, but may also be important for other baleen whale species that occur in the same habitats in the region (e.g., Blue, Fin, Sei, and Humpback Whales). This set of approaches should be coordinated with other baleen whale strategies in a multi-species approach. Recovery documents for other baleen whales and other cetacean species at risk (e.g., Grey Whale, Humpback Whale, ‘large whales’ (Blue, Fin and Sei Whales), Harbour Porpoise, Resident Killer Whale, Transient Killer Whale, Offshore Killer Whale) have or are anticipated to have similar objectives and strategies, and will directly benefit from the foresight of developing an efficient multi-species research program. Some of the approaches in Table 3 address potential threats in Pacific Canadian waters that can be acted upon immediately, while others call for action following the identification and assessment of new threats.

Table 4. Performance Measures

Under Section 2(1) of SARA, critical habitat is defined as “the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species’ critical habitat in the recovery strategy or in an action plan for the species.”

At this time, establishing ‘critical habitat’ for baleen whales that can have ranges on ocean-basin scales is difficult, although the knowledge base to help determine critical habitat is increasing. Critical habitat for the North Pacific Right Whale in U.S. waters has been designated in the southeastern Bering Sea and south of Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska (Figure 5; Federal Register 2008a). The identification of this critical habitat was based on sightings of right whales as a proxy for the existence of suitably dense copepod and euphausiid patches. For the North Atlantic Right Whale, the Grand Manan and Roseway Basins have been identified as critical habitat in Canadian waters. Although studies to refine this critical habitat and its boundaries are ongoing, these areas were identified for the foraging opportunities they provide as determined in part by the distribution of North Atlantic Right Whale sightings (Brown et al. 2009).

Figure 5. Designated critical habitat for the North Pacific Right Whale in U.S. waters (from NMFS 2009).

At this time it is not possible to identify critical habitat for the North Pacific Right Whale in Canadian waters because the presence, current abundance, distribution patterns, migration routes, and feeding and calving grounds are not known. Studies have not yet been conducted to identify the Canadian habitat required by North Pacific Right Whales to achieve and sustain a viable population. It is therefore impossible to identify either the habitat currently occupied by the species, or the extent needed to maintain the current population size or support population recovery. As set out in SARA, if information is inadequate to identify critical habitat within the recovery strategy, a schedule of studies must be prepared. This schedule, once implemented, will ideally yield new information that should contribute to the identification of the species’ critical habitat in the future.

The schedule of studies identified for the North Pacific Right Whale is included below (Table 5). Upon completion of these projects, it is hoped that the results will provide information to allow Fisheries and Oceans Canada to make progress towards identifying critical habitat for this species. It is important to note that the long lived nature of the species, lack of documented sightings in Canada, and the associated long-term scope of the recovery strategy, indicate that it may take decades to address the issue of critical habitat.

In order to identify critical habitat and habitat that is important to the recovery of right whales in North Pacific waters, research is needed both in Canadian waters and in other parts of the species’ range. Table 5 outlines the studies required to gather information that will contribute to the possible future identification of critical habitat. Because of the long-term nature of this recovery strategy, the timelines represent benchmarks at which evaluations of progress towards the identification of critical habitat will be undertaken.

The schedule of studies has been divided into studies of potential and occupied habitat (also called realized habitat). From an ecological perspective, potential habitat represents areas where suitable habitat exists, while occupied habitat describes where species actually occur. Occupied habitat should typically be a smaller portion of the potential habitat, particularly for severely depleted species. The distinction makes it possible to distinguish between unsuitable habitat and suitable habitat that is merely unoccupied. Additionally, given the lack of baseline data on species distributions and the knowledge gaps surrounding habitat use, definition of potential habitat will help prioritize limited survey effort. It is recognized that defining potential and occupied habitats preceding critical habitat identification will be challenging given the species knowledge gaps, relative scarcity of sightings, and the dynamic nature of the marine environment potentially leading to shifts in habitat use on inter-annual and inter-decadal time scales.

In order to predict potential habitat, the effects of variation in oceanographic conditions on whale occurrence are to be determined through correlation of historic occurrence with long-term ocean conditions. Further, the continued development and testing of biogeographic methods through habitat modeling assist in the prediction of the potential distribution of prey species. The evaluation of information on preferred habitats worldwide will allow for the characterization of potential habitat in Pacific Canadian waters.

As previously detailed in ‘Research in Canada’ (Section 1.6.1), progress towards potential habitat identification has been made through the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB)-funded development of a conceptual framework to provide a prediction model for the distribution of prey patches (Gregr et al. 2006) and the hypotheses developed by Gregr and Coyle (2009) to guide the prediction of foraging habitat for the North Pacific Right Whale. Critical habitat is anticipated to include occupied habitat (i.e., occupied and required for survival) and those portions of potential habitat that are required for recovery but are unoccupied due to low species’ abundance.

Although this schedule of studies focuses on the North Pacific Right Whale, the activities described herein are multi-species in nature, the majority of which are ongoing. Research and recovery activities directed at other baleen whales and cetacean species at risk overlap significantly, allowing for efficacious research and data collection methods (see Sections 2.5.2 ‘Narrative to Support Recovery Planning Table’ and 2.8 ‘Effects on Other Species’). Specifically, ongoing vessel and aerial surveys directed at other SARA cetaceans may contribute to the identification of occupied habitat for the North Pacific Right Whale ¹⁷.

Table 5. Schedule of Studies

* Acoustic monitoring from 2010- 2019 will focus on offshore locations, with an emphasis on areas of historic whaling catches.
** This study is essential to the identification of critical habitat; however, initiation and completion is contingent upon the completion and results of the previously listed studies. Most importantly, right whale presence in Pacific Canadian waters must be confirmed before #3 can be initiated.

As mentioned in Section 2.5.2 ‘Narrative to Support Recovery Planning Table’, the recovery strategy includes measures that will not only enhance the prospects for the recovery of North Pacific Right Whales, but can also directly benefit other baleen whales (i.e., research activities are multi-species approaches that will contribute to knowledge on other marine mammals). These strategies are not only beneficial to cetaceans, but also to other species, (e.g., fish, birds, etc.) that occupy the same habitats and may be vulnerable to the same threats.

An action planning document will be posted within five years of final posting of the Recovery Strategy for the North Pacific Right Whale in Pacific Canadian waters.

¹⁰ SARA requires that “the competent minister must determine whether the recovery of the listed species is technically and biologically feasible. The determination must be based on the best available information, including information provided by COSEWIC” [SARA, s.40].

¹¹ Determination of recovery feasibility shall be based on “the four criteria” (listed above). Species recovery shall be determined not feasible if the answer to any one of the questions is no. If the answer to all of these questions is yes or unknown, recovery should be determined feasible.

¹²SARA requires that the recovery strategy identify “a statement of the population and distribution objectives that will assist the survival and recovery of the species” [SARA s. 41(1)(d)].

¹³ SARA requires that the recovery strategy identify “a description of the broad strategy to address those threats” [SARA s.41(1)(b)] and “a general description of the research and management activities needed to meet those objectives” [SARA s.41(1)(d)].

¹⁴ SARA requires that “the competent minister must report on the implementation of the recovery strategy, and the progress towards meeting its objectives, within five years after it is included in the public registry… [SARA, s.46].

¹⁵ SARA requires recovery strategies to include “an identification of the species’ critical habitat, to the extent possible, based on the best available information, including information provided by COSEWIC” [SARA, s.41(c)].

¹⁶ SARA requires that the recovery strategy identify “a schedule of studies to identify critical habitat, where available information is inadequate” [SARA s.41(1)(c.1)].

¹⁷ Dedicated species at risk funded surveys have been performed since 2002. Additional data are available from approximately 20 years of non-species at risk funded surveys prior to 2002.

¹⁸ SARA requires that the recovery strategy include “a statement of when one or more action plans in relation to the recovery strategy will be completed” [SARA s.41(1)(g)].