Bonn, 4 February 2010
- Toothed whales are currently suffering
from a major threat which is unsustainable
loss from by-catch in fishery operations.
For 86% of all toothed whale species,
entanglement and death in gillnets, traps,
weirs, purse seines, longlines and trawls
poses a major risk. Lack of food and forced
dietary shifts due to overfishing pose additional
threats to 13 species.
These are among the
findings of a report launched today on the
website of the Convention on the Conservation
of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS).
A corresponding poster available online
shows for the first time all toothed whale
species sorted according to their conservation
status as defined by the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.
This encyclopaedia on
all 72 species of toothed whales includes
the most recent scientific findings on the
distribution, migration, behaviour and threats
to this group of whales. Maps showing the
currently known distribution of each species
were provided by IUCN and the Global Mammal
Assessment.
UNEP/CMS Executive Secretary
Elizabeth Mrema said: "During the International
Year of Biodiversity, the Convention on
Migratory Species continues to address major
threats such as by-catch, ship strikes,
ocean noise impacts and climate change to
safeguard these charismatic marine mammals.
Governments need to enhance their efforts
towards implementing targeted action plans
under the Convention. "
Toothed whales occur
in a wide range of marine and freshwater
habitats, from the Arctic to the tropics.
Some species live in large river systems
such as the Amazon, Ganges, Indus and Yangtze.
For 41 of all toothed whales species, our
knowledge is too limited to even know if
they are threatened or not. At the same
time 6 species of toothed whales that are
listed on Appendix I of the Convention are
on the brink of extinction.
Many populations of
toothed whales were hunted almost to extinction
and 50 species continue to be hunted, often
at unsustainable levels. Ingestion of plastic
debris or the effects of pollution by an
ever increasing cocktail of chemicals have
been reported for 48 species. Habitat degradation
from dams and withdrawal of water from rivers
and lakes threatens 18 species while ship
strikes have a serious impact on 14 species.
Noise caused by seismic explorations, marine
construction projects as well as military
sonar pose ever increasing threats to these
marine mammals.
Based on the Review
of Small Cetaceans published by CMS in 2003,
this report includes the Sperm Whale as
the only large toothed whale as well as
the Australian Snubfin Dolphin and the Guiana
Dolphin as new species. Since 2003, the
conservation status of the toothed whales
has worsened dramatically. The Baiji River
Dolphin, which used to live in the Yangtze
River, is now probably extinct as no living
specimens have been documented in the wild
since 2002. With only 150 individuals remaining
in the wild, the Vaquita, a porpoise living
in the northern Gulf of California, is facing
the same destiny. Entanglement in fishing
gear claimed an unsustainably high death
toll on both species.
Data collection on the
distribution, behaviour and migration of
toothed whales, as reflected in research
for the CMS can facilitate the development
and implementation of action plans that
can help reduce the threats to many whale
species. Being an official partner of the
International Year of Biodiversity, the
Convention on Migratory Species has joined
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
to raise awareness of the importance of
biodiversity on a global scale. CMS, which
has been recognized as CBD's lead partner
on issues regarding migratory species, continues
to take steps to stress the importance of
biodiversity for our well-being and enhance
efforts to reduce the rate of biodiversity
loss.
Notes to Editors:
The full species reports
for the toothed whales can be downloaded
from www.cms.int. The publication is a joint
effort of CMS, ACCOBAMS, ASCOBANS, IUCN,
WWF and Loro Parque Foundation. The Convention
on the Conservation of Migratory Species
of Wild Animals, also known as the Bonn
Convention, works for the conservation of
a wide array of endangered migratory animals
such as whales and dolphins worldwide through
the negotiation and implementation of agreements
and species action plans. With currently
113 member countries, many of them in Africa,
CMS is a fast-growing convention with special
importance due to its expertise in the field
of migratory species.
Under the Convention,
the following regional treaties were concluded
to protect whales and dolphins: Agreement
on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the
Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous
Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS), Agreement on the
Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic,
North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas
(ASCOBANS), Memorandum of Understanding
for the Conservation of Cetaceans and their
Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region and
the Memorandum of Understanding concerning
the Conservation of the Manatee and Small
Cetaceans of Western Africa and Macaronesia.
Bluefin tuna main course of CITES world
conference
