Humpback Whales in Glacier Bay National Monument, Alaska Part 3

Chum L H H M M |---------------------|

=HALIBUT= |---------------------|

=CRAB=

Tanner ------------------| |--------

King -------| |---------------

Dungeness |----------------|

Key |---------| commercial fis.h.i.+ng occurs L Low level M Medium level H High level

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 6. FIs.h.i.+NG CHARTER BOATS AND PRIVATE BOAT VISITS TO GLACIER BAY 1970-1977 (from Hale and Wright, 1979)]

Natural changes in the environment and/or in the behavior of whales have occurred concurrently with increased human/vessel activity in Glacier Bay. Such natural changes include spatial and temporal trends or cycles in the physical (temperature, tides, currents, turbidity, etc.), chemical (salinity, dissolved gases, inorganic/organic substances--nutrients, etc.) or biological (primary productivity, zooplankton, nekton, benthic species, predators, etc.) properties or characteristics of the waters within and outside the Bay. Temporal and/or spatial differences in relative abundance of three different prey species within and outside the Bay may have occurred and been responsible, at least in part, for the movement of humpbacks from Glacier Bay. At this time, data are inadequate to relate the movement of humpback whales from Glacier Bay in 1978 and 1979 to physical, chemical, or biological factors. Meeting partic.i.p.ants felt that physical and chemical factors were unlikely to have changed sufficiently between 1976 and 1978 to affect humpback whales, while biological factors, perhaps as a result of physio-chemical changes, could have changed sufficiently to have caused or contributed to the movement.

Human activity may have caused changes in the physical, chemical, or biological environment, effecting humpbacks directly or indirectly.

Human and vessel activities may have occurred such that the s.p.a.ce (vertical and/or horizontal) available to whales for normal activities was less than that necessary (below some threshold level or value).

"Too many" vessels may have transited an area and/or approached whales "too closely" for "too long" a period of time, producing visual, acoustic, tactile, chemical, or other as yet unknown stimuli at levels or values (magnitude, intensity, duration, frequency, interval, etc.) greater than the whales would tolerate. The physical-acoustic environment may have changed as a result of sounds produced by vessels. Vessel sounds may be modified, amplified, intensified, etc., as a result of the geological/topographical features of Glacier Bay (and perhaps Lynn Ca.n.a.l as well). Direct interference with the whales'

own sounds may have occurred or "environmental" sound levels may have exceeded certain thresholds. Basic data on the acoustic properties and characteristics of Glacier Bay with and in the absence of vessels are lacking.

Changes in water quality may have occurred through pollution. Data are insufficient to doc.u.ment the past or present levels of pollution, but they were thought by meeting partic.i.p.ants to be relatively low.

Changes in the biological environment induced by human activity may be contributory to the movement of whales. Movement from Lynn Ca.n.a.l may have resulted from direct compet.i.tion for the same resource at the same time, by depletion of the resource below levels sufficient to support humpbacks or as a result of noise or the presence of fis.h.i.+ng vessels. Fis.h.i.+ng activity or overharvesting (depletion of resource) of other species at other trophic levels may indirectly impact humpbacks through the food web/chains. There are insufficient data to prove or disprove such hypotheses at this time.

In summary, a best interpretation of the available data is that uncontrolled increase of vessel traffic, particularly of erratic charter/pleasure craft, may have adversely altered the behavior of humpback whales in Glacier Bay and thus may be implicated in their departure from the Bay the past two years. The causal mechanism of this adverse reaction to increased vessel traffic remains unknown. The effects of increasing vessel traffic apparently are exacerbated by the narrow physical confines of Glacier Bay. This a.n.a.lysis is not clear-cut, however, and may be confounded, at least in 1979, by possible s.h.i.+fts in the occurrence and availability of preferred prey species of humpback whales.

[Footnote 5: This summary is based on information presented at the meeting and resulting discussions.]

ADEQUACY OF EXISTING DATA

In the Background and Possible Cause and Effect sections it was stated that insufficient data exist to indicate cause and effect relations.h.i.+ps. Data are not sufficient in many areas, e.g.:

1) environmental baseline data (biological, chemical, and physical) are inadequate;

2) data available (i.e., Juraszs') have not been a.n.a.lyzed fully;

3) changes in human use of areas are not adequately quantified (e.g., for fis.h.i.+ng, cruising, touring, pleasure boating); and

4) data on the acoustic characteristics of Glacier Bay or the vessels occurring in the Bay are not available.

MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES TAKEN OR UNDER CONSIDERATION[6]

The National Park Service (NPS) is responsible for managing and overseeing the use of Glacier Bay National Monument in support of the objectives defined for the Service, when it was established in 1916; an excerpt from the Act creating the Service in 1916 states that the purpose of the Service is:

"To conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

The intent in establis.h.i.+ng the Monument is defined in the Proclamations of 1925 and 1939, sections of which are excerpted and presented below.

"Whereas, there are around Glacier Bay ... a number of tide-water glaciers of the first rank in a magnificent setting of lofty peaks, and more accessible to ordinary travel than any similar regions of Alaska,

"And, Whereas, the region is said by the Ecological Society of America to contain a great variety of forest covering consisting of mature areas, bodies of youthful trees which have become established since the retreat of the ice which should be preserved in absolutely natural condition, and great stretches now bare that will become forested in the course of the next century,

"And, Whereas, this area presents a unique opportunity for the scientific study of glacial behavior and of resulting movements and development of flora and fauna and of certain valuable relics of ancient interglacial forests." (Proclamation establis.h.i.+ng Glacier Bay National Monument, February 26, 1925.)

"Whereas, it appears that certain public lands, part of which are within the Tonga.s.s National Forest ... have situated thereon glaciers and geologic features of scientific interest; and

"Whereas, a portion of the aforesaid public lands ... are necessary for the proper care, management, and protection of the objects of scientific interest situated on the lands...."

(Proclamation of April 18, 1939, adding lands to the Monument.)

The management plans developed by the National Park Service for the Glacier Bay National Monument did not antic.i.p.ate, and apparently have not been adequate to deal with, the increased visitor and vessel traffic and their use of the marine environment in the 1970's. t.i.tle 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, under which the National Park Service operates, contains a section requiring any commercial business conducted or operating within the boundaries of Service area to have a permit issued by the Service. The cruise s.h.i.+p industry companies have not as yet been placed under a permit system. However, it is the intent of the Service to establish a regular system in the future. All other commercial ventures operating on lands and waters of the Monument are under contract or permit. Fis.h.i.+ng vessel activity is unregulated although the take of Pacific halibut, (_Hippoglossus stenolepis_) is regulated by the International Pacific Halibut Commission, and the take of salmon and other finfish and sh.e.l.lfish is regulated by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG). The need for additional resource/use plans and regulatory programs is recognized by the National Park Service.

The NPS funded field studies of humpback whales by the Juraszs in 1976-1979, a.n.a.lysis of some of the Juraszs' data, and Hale's and Rice's (of the NPS Alaska area office) report, "The Glacier Bay Marine Ecosystem--A Conceptual, Ecological Model" completed in April 1979.

The movement of humpback whales in 1978 from Glacier Bay to surrounding waters and the suggestion by the Juraszs' field observations, that there may be a cause and effect relations.h.i.+p between vessel activity and the whales' movement, led the NPS to restrict some vessel activities in the 1979 season, and to seek Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultations with the National Marine Fisheries Service in August 1979. The Section 7 consultations were not completed at the beginning of the meeting. Based in part upon NMFS's recommendations, the NPS will consider various future management alternatives. Restrictions imposed in 1979 were temporary (emergency closure authority under t.i.tle 36 C.F.R.). Any regulations imposed for 1980 cannot be under emergency closure authority (unless an emergency does arise which was unforeseen in setting up regulatory systems). Regulations which can be foreseen at this time as being necessary would have to proceed through the normal Federal Register publication process. Enforcement of all Federal laws and regulations within Glacier Bay is considered to be the responsibility of the NPS.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has overall responsibility, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, for the conservation and protection of all whales including humpback whales. The National Marine Fisheries Service in cooperation with the Juraszs has conducted censuses of humpback whales in southeast Alaskan waters in 1975 and 1976, used radio tags to follow individual whales in Alaskan waters in 1976-78, maintains a catalogue of humpback whale photographs and has developed a computerized retrieval photo-identification system. No research was conducted by NMFS in 1979. NMFS enforcement of laws and regulations is conducted by a few people responsible for large areas in southeast Alaska. A contract with the State of Alaska until August 1, 1979, provided a broader presence of enforcement personnel. That contract was not renewed. The NMFS is now fully responsible for enforcement activities relating to humpback whales except in areas such as Glacier Bay where the responsibility is shared.

[Footnote 6: This summary is based on information presented at the meeting by National Park Service and National Marine Fisheries Service Personnel.]

ALTERNATIVE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS

Based on available information, vessel activity may have been a factor contributing to the movement of whales from Glacier Bay in 1978 and 1979. Alternatives available to manage vessel traffic (a.s.suming increased traffic has had or will have an adverse effect on humpback whales) include:

1. Total closure of Glacier Bay to all vessels.

2. Closure to all vessels during the whale season.

3. Closure to all vessels during part of the whale season.