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SC/S11/RW21
EFFORTS IN DEVELOPING SPATIAL PLANNING ANALYSIS
FOR THE SOUTHEAST PACIFIC RIGHT WHALE (Eubalaena
australis)
FERNANDO FÉLIX1 AND GABRIELA ESCOBAR2
1
Comisión Permanente del Pacífico Sur (CPPS). Av. Carlos J. Arosemena km 3 Ed. Classic,
Piso 2, Guayaquil, Ecuador
2
Escuela Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL). Facultad de Ingeniería Marítima, Ciencias
Biológicas, Oceánicas y Recursos Naturales. Vía Perimetral km 30.5. Guayaquil, Ecuador.
ABSTRACT
Spatial analysis is being conducted on southern right whales and other four large cetacean species
in the Southeast Pacific as part of the implementation of the broad–scale marine spatial planning
for marine mammals project (UNEP/Spain/CPPS). Information for this report comes from
different sources including scientific papers and unpublished reports, and compiled through the
Regional Information System on Biodiversity and Protected Areas in the Southeast Pacific
(SIBIMAP). Currently the right whale database contains 172 records from Chile, Peru and the
Antarctic Peninsula. Distribution maps showing oceanographic features such as sea surface
temperature and depth has been generated in this first stage. However, the goal of the project is to
carry out modelling work on the right whale habitat in the region to identify critical areas and
propose management measures for the recovery of this population. The regional Action Plan for
Marine Mammals adopted in 1992 by Southeast Pacific countries constitutes a valuable
mechanism to consolidate already proposed measures and obtaining political support in promoting
right whale conservation.
INTRODUCTION
The Southeast Pacific right whale is the most threatened and less known population of this
species in the South Hemisphere. Historical records show that this population was intensively
exploited in Antarctic waters and southern Chile since the IXX century where around 9,000
whales were taken (Aguayo-Lobo, et al., 2008). Exploitation off Chile continued during the XX
century with 180 additional whales (Clarke, 1980). This population has not given signs of
recovery and is considerate as critically endangered (Reilly, et al., 2008).
In similar way as other baleen whales, Southeastern right whales carry out annual migration
between summer areas in high latitudes and breeding areas located in temperate waters from the
north of Chile to central Peru (Aguayo-Lobo, et al., 2008; Van Waerebeek et al., 2009). This
population has the northernmost distribution range among right whale southern stocks.
In 2008 a workshop held in Chile concluded that that further work is needed to better
understand the status of right whales from this region. In following the workshop, the IWC
Scientific Committee recommended further international co-operation amongst researchers and
increased photo-identification and biopsy sampling effort, encouraged research into the value of
protected areas and carry out stock-specific assessments (IWC, 2008).
Resolutions 5 and 6 of the XV and XVI COP to the Lima Convention respectively, encouraged
countries of the Southeast Pacific to implement the recommendations issued by IWC Scientific
Committee to promote research on threatened species, particularly on blue and right whales
(CPPS, 2009, 2010). Such measures are in concordance with the Action Plan for the
Conservation of Marine Mammals in the Southeast Pacific (PAMM) elaborated in 1992 under
the framework of this regional Convention (UNEP/CPPS, 1992). The Permanent Commission
for the South Pacific - CPPS (Comisión Permanente del Pacífico Sur - CPPS) is the Executive
Secretariat of the Lima Convention.
The broad–scale marine spatial planning for marine mammals (UNEP/Spain) started its
implementation in the Eastern Pacific in early 2011 under the coordination of CPPS. The project
aims at providing an overview of essential habitats and regional-scale migration routes for
marine mammals in need of protection in the Eastern Pacific and introducing cross-sectoral
spatial planning approaches and management options. The first part of the project
implementation includes collation, GIS analysis and mapping of existing ecological and
socioeconomic data, including human threats. During a meeting held in May 2011 in Ecuador,
experts from the region included the Southeast Pacific right whale among five cetacean species
to implement spatial analysis on migrating routes and critical habitats.
This paper presents the results of the first mapping analysis on Southeast Pacific right whales
with emphasis on spatial and temporal distribution of the species along its known distribution
range.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Source of information
Information on cetacean species from the Eastern Pacific has been collected and processed since
2009 through the Regional Information System on Biodiversity and Protected Areas (SIBIMAP,
www.sibimap.net), developed by CPPS with the support of the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) and the Flanders Government. SIBIMAP
currently contains around 16,000 geo-referenced data on 33 cetacean species. Available data on
right whales in the region include 172 records of the period 1964-2011. Data were extracted
from scientific papers and unpublished reports. An additional dataset was provided by the
Chilean navy (DIRECTEMAR) from its cetacean sighting network program. SIBIMAP has a
viewer through which is possible to obtain other information associated to each data such as
date, position, numbers of animals and the original source.
Environment data sets
Data on sea surface temperature were obtained from the International Research Institute for
Climate and Society, CARTON-GIESE SODA version 2.0.2-4 with a resolution of 0.5 degrees
(http://iridl.ldeo.columbia.edu/SOURCES/.CARTON-GIESE/SODA/).
Topography
was
downloaded from the Environmental Research Division's Data Access Program (ERDDAP),
global
model
ETOPO1
with
a
resolution
of
0.01666667
degrees.
(http://coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov/erddap/griddap/etopo180.html).
Analysis
Current spatial analysis includes distribution maps using the GIS software ArcMap. In order to
address partially the temporal scale, sightings were divided in two periods June-November and
December-May. Data on group size/class associated to sightings was also included to assess
group structure. Finally available records of killer whales (Orcinus orca) were plotted with right
whales’ to compare their distribution.
RESULTS
Group size/composition
Most groups recorded in the Southeast Pacific were of single individuals (n=79, 46.2%) and
pairs (n=79, 42.2%). Pairs include 36 mothers with calf (21% of the total records). There were
six trios (3.5%) and seven groups with more than 3 individuals (4.1%). Finally, a record of 30
animals in small groups (1-3 individuals) were observed in June 2003 during a three day period
2 at Magellan Strait (Gibbons et al., 2006), and included as one individual record because the
report does not indicate the exact number of groups seen.
Distribution and seasonality
Available records confirm the presence of the species along the central and southern coasts of
west South America (Peru and Chile) and the west of Antarctic Peninsula. Most records come
from Chile and only seven from Peru, including one not confirmed sighting in the border with
Ecuador at 4 ºS (Fig. 1). Around 73% of the sightings were made during winter and spring
months (June-November) all of them off Chile and Peru. During summer months (DecemberMay) most sightings concentrate in southern Chile and the Antarctic Peninsula, confirming that
this last is a major summer destination for this population. The earliest sighting off Peru was
made in April and the latest in December (a mother/calf pair), suggesting that the migration
process is extended.
All but one mother/calf pairs were recorded between June and December with the peak in
September and October. One mother/calf pair was recorded in Antarctic Peninsula in February.
Most mother/calf pairs were recorded in the central and northern part of the species distribution
range between 15ºS in central Peru to 40ºS in Chile. Water temperature in this area during the
calving season varies between 15 and 20ºC (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Seasonal distribution of right whales by group class, periods December-May and JuneNovember. The map also shows the difference in sea surface temperature between both periods. Values of
SST in the map correspond to February and August 2000 respectively.
3 Depth
Records confirm the coastal distribution of the species along its entire distribution range (Fig.
2). Most records were made within bays or near coastal cities in water of 100m or less in depth.
There are just a handful of records off shore. Sighting distribution respect to depth likely is
biased towards shallower areas, showing the preference of mother/calf pairs for coastal areas
during the migration process.
Figure 2. Right whales sightings and water depth in the Southeast Pacific.
Predation
No information on predation or natural mortality exists on this population. However, killer
whales would be the most important or even the unique predator on right whales. Figure 3
shows that the distribution of both species overlaps along the whole right whale distribution
range.
4 Figure 3. Sightings of right whales (blue dots) and killer whales (yellow dots) in the Southeast
Pacific. Data source: SIBIMAP.
DISCUSSION
Spatial planning and modeling are powerful tools to identify critical habitats for species
threatened by human activities, allowing the design of management measures based on species
conservation targets (Williams et al., 2011). The broad–scale marine spatial planning for marine
mammals project (UNEP/Spain/CPPS) constitutes a magnificent opportunity to assess the
habitat of the right whale in the Southeast Pacific, identify potential critical areas, conduct risk
analysis and define conservation measures to secure its recovery.
Records available on right whales along the west coast of South America respond to
opportunistic sightings made during surveys to study other cetacean species or onboard
oceanographic cruises and military ships. Although valuable in terms of distribution and
seasonality, the lack of information on effort in these records precludes in depth analysis on
density and abundance. In addition, there is a non-quantified misidentification error, particularly
in those cases reported by military ships without experienced personnel in whale identification.
5 Nevertheless, the initiative adopted by the Chilean navy is remarkable and if adopted by other
countries could become the most important non-scientific source of information on this species.
Permanent training programs are required to obtain maximum benefit from such a plausible
initiative.
With the exception of 30 individuals in the east of Magellan Strait observed in small groups
between 25 and 27 May 2003 (Gibbons et al., 2006) and eight individuals seen off Constitución,
Chile in 1986 (Aguayo-Lobo et al., 1992), no aggregation areas of the species have been
identified off west South America. There are several records in the same areas but most of them
correspond to isolated sightings of solitary individuals or small groups sighted in different years
(e.g. Brito, 1992; Aguayo-Lobo et al., 2008). This has lead to believe that only few dozens of
reproductive animals remain (Reilly et al., 2008). Better known is the annual breeding migration
toward the coastal upwelling areas off central and south Peru and north of Chile. These areas are
characterized with the highest productivity of South America (Chavez et al., 1989; Thiel et al.,
2007), which suggests that right whales may find food in these areas as well. However, conflicts
with fishing activities are foreseen in those areas of high fishing potential. Research effort at
breeding grounds should focus on identifying nursing areas, defines habitat use and identify
human activities that can interfere with calving and nursing processes.
Information on right whale mortality in the region is almost inexistent; only few data account
for strandings and in most cases without associated cause (e.g. Brito, 1992; Aguayo-Lobo et al.,
2009). There is one report of a stranding after a collision with a ship in the south of Chile (Van
Waerebeek et al., 2007). However, predation by killer whales may have an effect in the
recovery of the Southeast Pacific right whale population. Although no records of preying on
right whales have been reported in the region, data available show that killer whales distribution
overlaps the right whale’s. Other species with similar range of distribution such as the
humpback whale suffers predation by killer whales; scars and mutilations produced by those
encounters can be observed in 6.4% of humpback whale flukes off Ecuador (Félix and Haase,
2001). Since humpback whales and probably other whale species are recovering in the region,
the numbers of killer whales would be increasing in function of prey availability as well.
Because of the critical status and the scarce information on the species in the Southeast Pacific,
its recovery represents an enormous challenge that must be addressed from a regional
perspective. An Action Plan for the species with focus in Chile has been recently proposed
(Palazzo and Galletti, 2011). This is a first attempt to develop a framework of coordinated
actions for the conservation of the species in the Southeast Pacific. In that sense, we recommend
to start this process incorporating the issue in the regional conservation agenda at the highest
political level through the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific and its Action Plan for
the Conservation of the Marine Mammals in the Southeast Pacific (PAMM). The PAMM is a
regional instrument developed to implement measures that demand regional cooperation in
addressing the conservation of marine mammals in the Southeast Pacific. This may also be an
opportunity to set precedents on marine governance of endangered species in the region.
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