Elements of a Science Plan for the North Pacific Research Board (2004) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix D: Site Visit Summaries
Appendix D: Site Visit Summaries
Pages 107-116
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From page 107... ...
Attendees provided ancillary information that the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB) ought to consider in developing a research plan and offered suggestions about how best to approach these challenges.
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From page 108... ...
Participants advised that the committee consider evaluating the impact of commercial fisheries on local sea lion and sea otter populations. Fishermen asserted that they are not responsible for the decline in the marine mammals and that criticism has been misdirected.
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From page 109... ...
Also at issue were increasing ship strikes on baleen whales, net entanglement of marine mammals, intrusion of commercial fishing fleets from the Bering Sea-Chuckchi region, the impact of noise on marine mammals, and the environmental impact of the oil industry. The oil industry was specifically targeted for altering fish and whale migratory patterns, creating noise from drilling, and causing polluting (i.e., oil spills)
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From page 110... ...
Ancillary subjects included the coordination of Steller sea lion research from disparate sources and investigation of factors contributing to the increasing population of sea otters (a competitor for subsistence resources with indigenous peoples) in Southeast Alaska.
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From page 111... ...
Participants suggested that agencies do not invest heavily in research on ice seals or killer whales, and they are concerned about peculiar brown spots that have recently appeared in seal blubber. Since ice conditions correspond directly with successful hunting seasons, many were concerned about the prevalence of thin ice in the past four years.
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From page 112... ...
For example, diving bird mortality rates increased dramatically during a warm-water spike that relocated pollock fisheries 600 miles from their expected position. The gray whale population numbered in the hundreds five years ago; today there are roughly ten animals.
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From page 113... ...
The Bering and Beaufort Seas exhibit large seasonal variations, prompting concerns about the sensitivity of these regions to climate change. Specific issues shared with the committee included the effect of decreasing ice cover on commercial and subsistence activities, shellfish contamination and sustainability, harmful algal blooms, and gray whale habitats.
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From page 114... ...
In this region, there is a small commercial coho fishery, but the chum and king salmon fisheries no longer exist. Consequently, many participants focused on identifying the reason for the decline in salmon populations and criticized commercial salmon hatcheries for fear that farmed salmon might displace native stocks.
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From page 115... ...
In this context, some were concerned with research priorities, arguing that money spent on Steller sea lions was unreasonable, particularly given the decline in fisheries and the resulting impact on the socioeconomic welfare of the region. Participants suggested that the mortality of thousands of puffin birds in 1997 might have been an ecosystem response to similar processes causing the fisheries decline.
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From page 116... ...
The testimony from people representing the fishing industry stressed the economic benefits of the new management arrangements for Alaska pollock (the so-called fisheries cooperatives authorized by the American Fisheries Act)
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