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International Counoil for theExploration of the Sea

MARINE MAMMALS COMMITTEE

by F.O.Kapel

1976

Canada

(A.W.Mansfield and K.Ronald)

C.M.1977/N:1Administrative Report

The following programmes of research were carried out by staff of the ArcticBiological Station, Fisheries and Marine Service, Department of the Environment,Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Que.

Whales

tt Bowhead whale (E.D.Mitchell).

Skulls and periotie bones obtained from the excavated ruins of Eskimo stone housesof the Thule period were examined at Somerset Island, N.W.T. in July.

Fin whale (E.D.Mitchell).

In August a whale tagging project in the St.Lawrence River was undertaken incollaboration~withG.Carleton Ray (Johns Hopkins University). A radio tag, firedfrom a hand-held gun, was successfully implanted in a fin whale and tracked bysmall boat and aircraft for just over a day.

Porpoises and tuna (E.D.Mitchell).

In his capacity as Canadian observer, E.D.Mitchell made observations on thebehaviour of porpoises in purse seine nets from the research vessel DAVID STARRJORDAN and the tuna clipper ELIZABETH C.J. in the eastern tropical Pacific inOctober.

ttKiller whale (M.A.Bigg).

A flve-year study was completed on the abundance and distribution of killer whalesin southern British Columbia.

Narwhal (n.E.Sergeant).

Studies on narwhals were continued in Lancaster Sound. Samples were taken from theEskimo hunt to provide further information on the life history of this species.A large part of the sampling, for the first time, came from the early summer huntat the edge of the fast iee, and these animals gave the best information to dateon feeding. Another new feature was a month-long watch in early summer from aclifftop at Cape Hay, northern Bylot I., paralleling a study done 19 years earlierat the same aite by an ornithologist, Dr.L.M.Tuck. The survey allowed comparisonof numbers of passing narwhals (about 6000 seen in 1957 and 1976) and bowheads(an increase from 3 in 1957 to 23 in 1976), with observations also on harp seals,walruses and bearded seals.

A two-week study of the CGtuarine concentrations of white whales in the MackenzieRiver estuary in relation to developing oil traffic was again carried out andsome observations were obtained of bowhead whales.

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Seals

Harp and hooded seals (D.E.Sergeant).

Age sampIes were again obtained from shore fisheries and ships' catches in orderto monitor the survival of recent year classes following kills of differentmagnitude under recent, partly controlled regimes of catch. All four year classesfrom 1912, when the reduced quota began, up to 1975 show qualitatively excellentsurvival, at kill rates up to 140 000 young harp seals.

A voyage was made on achartered sealing vessel to the Newfoundland icefields inearly to mid April. A sampIe of 350 moulting harp seals was collected, from whichit was possible to study age frequency end age-specific reproductive frequency.This population continues to exhibit a younger age at first maturation, thoughit is supposed that there is a lag in this effect corresponding to the time tofirst maturation (ca. 4 years). For the first time we studied the selectivity ofa shooting fishery for harp seals towards younger, tamer animals, by comparingthe distribution of pelt types, as observed at the outset from the barrel of theship, with the distribution of pelt types in the catch. This distribution wasthen related to age, as determined from tooth layers of seals in the caught sampIe.A correction was made to the apparent mortality rates deduced from the sampIe,which should be valid for all other sampIes from the shooting fishery obtained in.the paste Another correction was applied, resulting from crossover of immatureanimals from the Gulf of St.Lawrence to the "Front" ice. The degree of thiscrossover was calculated from tag recoveries.

Tagging of young and some adult hurp seals with Dalton "roto-tags" was carriedout in March at both Gulf and "Front" ice regions.

Two men travelling on a commercial sealing ship collected age samples fromadditional moulting harp seals, observed pelt types of young harp seals in orderto assess distribution of birth dates, and collected a sample of breeding hoodedseals. This sampIe, added to previous sampIes, was used to plot percent of 5 yearfemale hooded seals against catch of young of the same year-class, in order tocalculateproduction of hooded seals in the NW Atlantic.

A number of young hooded seals were tagged with Dalton "roto-tags" in the Gulfof St.Lawrence.

Surveys from an Argus long-range military patrol plane in Davis Strait located agroup of whelping hooded seals during late March. For the first time strips ofphotographs were taken, although the survey did not succeed in covering all sealsseen.

Grey seal (A~W.Mansfield).

A further count of pups was made at Sable Island in late January and early February.Out of a minimum of 2006 pups born, 1931 were still alive on 1 February. The totalcount represents an increase of 25.3 percent per annum since the previous countof 1278 made in 1974, but the average annual increase in population since 1962 hasbeen 11.3 percent. J

In April a bounty was placed on the grey seal in an endeavour to reduce loealpredation of inshore fisheries for herring, mackereI, eod, salmon and lobster.Later in the year the bounty was removed from the harbour seal, numbers of whichhave been much reduced by bounty hunting since the 1930's.

Ringed seal (T.G.Smith).

During March and early April 1976 work was continued in the Holman area, westernVictoria Island, N.W.T., on the population dynamies and birth habitat of the ringedseal. Specimens were colleeted from Inuit (Eskimo) hunters, end plane table mappingof the birth habit in the ice of Prince Albert Sound was begun.

From April to early June a party of 3 men, using two snowmobiles, travelled fromHolman to Resolute. This survey was undertaken to quantify the number of ringed

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seal birth lairs in the ice of the proposed Arctic Islands Pipeline marinecrossing areas. The region covered were M'Clintock Channel, Barrow Strait andPeel Sound.

From mid August to freeze-up in early October we occupied our camp at Brown'sHarbour on Cape Parry in southern Amundsen Oulf. This netting site is used as ,part of a continuing mark-recapture program to study the movements of ringed seals.We have had a few surprising recoveries of seals, the furthest coming from easternSiberia.

Northern fur seal (M.A.Bigg).

A study was begun at the Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C., on the estrouscycle and food requirements of captive nonpregnant adult females. Reasons for therecent deeline in pregnancy rate will be examined. A joint Canada-U.S. re-analysisis now underway of all pelagic data collected in the eastern Pacific for 1958-74.

Other species (M.A.Bigg).

Aerial censusing of harbou= seals j SteIler sea lions and California sea lions inBritish Columbia was continued •

The following programs of research were carried out by staff of CanadianUniversities and their collaborators.

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Whales

White whale (Delphinapterus leucas).

Data obtained from completed field studies on the behaviour and soeial structureof white whales in the Saguenay region of the St.Lawrence estuary are beinganalysed and prepared for publication (DoGaskin, University of Guelph).

Baleen whales (Balaenoptera spp. and Eubalaena glacialis).

This study off the coast of Nova Scotia had to be discontinued temporarily in 1976.Despite intensive observations, no large whale speeies were seen off the NewBrunswick coast of the Bay of Fundy (D.Gaskin, University of Ouelph).

Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena).

Studies on the harbour porpoise population in the Bay of Fundy, including taggingexperiments, were continued. Accumulated data on distribution and movements, bothseasonal and diurnal t are being prepared for computer analysis (D.Oaskin,University of Guelph). '

Seals

Harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus).

An examination of the mother-pup loeation and identifieation behaviour and studyof the aetivity patterns of the herd, as indieated by underwater voealization wasearried out by J.Terhune, University of New Brunswiek, and K.Ronald, Universityof Guelph.

A simulation programme for heat balance in harp seal pups haa been developed. Theprogramme is also applieable to whales end other phoeids. Initial simulationsindieate that high metabolism may be obligatory for maintenance of bodytemperatures and the survival of small ( 100 kg) whales, and seals of the familyPhoeidae. Heat dissipation from the limbs is neeessary to avoid overheating ofharp seal pups on the iee when exposed to solar radiation.

According to the simulations, both newborn white whales and harp seal pups mayeope with all conceivable naturally occurring cold stress by a eombination ofincreased metabolism and tolerance to body eooling. An advantage of the simulation

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programme is that data on deep body and skin temperatures, body and limb surfaceareas and blubber thickness are readily available (N.0ritsland and K.Ronald,Universities of Oslo and Guelph).

Surface preparations and 1f um Epon (acrylic plastic) sections were used to studycochlear pathology producetl by methyl mercury intoxication. Surface preparationsof the sensory epithelium showed that seals on a high mercury diet (a daily doseof 25.0 mg/kg) suffered 20-24% sensory cell damage within the middle coilapproximately 19-26 mm fram the cochlear base. Similarly, in the same region ofthe cochlea, 4-5% sensory cell damage was found in the seals fed on a low mercurydiet (a daily dose of 0.25 mg/kg of methylmercury). Damage to the sensory haircells was confined to the three outer rows, especially the outermost row. Damageto the sensory cells appeared as missing sensory cells. Epon sections of thestria vascularis and sensory hair cells showed more vacuolation and cytoplasmiccondensation than similar sections from the control seals 9 also cytoplasmicextrusions and pseudocapillaries were constantly found in the cells cf thestria vascularis in the mercury treated seals. The bipolar ganglion cells andcellular population were unaffected by methylmercury (F.Ramprashad, Universityof Guelph).

The metabolie and respiratory response of free-diving harp seals is being examinedewith respect to water temperature (J.Gallivan and K.Ronald, University of Guelph).

A multi-dimensional study of the harp seal, including the first intensivescientific investigation of its whole annual migration, has been undertaken by agroup of scientists at the University of Guelph (C.K.Capstick, D.M.Lavigne,K.Ronald, and R.Stewart). This study is an integrated programme involving twomajor topicsg

1) Population Dynamies.

Background preparation for a "systems model" of harp seals and other polar specieswas initiated with a review of seal bioenergetics. In 1976 a Guelph harp sealpopulation model was developed from the Allen (1975) model (card input and largeprinter output model) which can be used to evaluate alternative managementstrategies wherever there i8 a telephone and a computer terminal. The model hasbeen made more realistic by the addition of changing maturity rates associatedwith declining herd size. Other technical improvements are at the planning stageand will be implemented in 1977. The historieal literature 1s being reviewed,with particular attention to catch statistics, in order to develop a progressiveperspective of the exploitation of the harp seal to better understand today'spopulation status. 4t2) Remote Sensing.

In March 1976 this project 7 sponsored by the Committee on Seals andSealing, wascarried out in cooperation with the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing and theFisheries and Marine Service, Environment Canada, in order to determine thepopulation of the harp seal. The ground-truth and censusing operation consistedof a multi-level monitoring system, incorporating a satellite (Landsat)~ a DC3aircraft equipped with an ultra-violet camera, a helicopter, and a ground crewwho walked the margins of the ground grid. Censusing was greatly curtailed owingto bad weather and ice conditions, but useful information on logistics and theapplication of the ground-truthing grid was obtained. Continuous stallitemonitoring via Landsat provides imagery of the entire harpseal range off easternCanada, enabling correlations to be made of seal movements and.migration inrelation to ice conditions.

During three field operations, harp seals have been examined tor morphometries,bioeides residues, reproductive status and age. A data bank of scientificinformation has been established with emphasis on morphometrics of animals ofknown age and detailed analysis of feeding habits from stomach contents andpollutant levels.

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Harp seals from the whelping patch in the Gulf 01' St.Lawrence were sampled inMarch 1976, while in April the "Frontl! moulting patch'was sampled by R.Stewartand N.Lightfood who accompanied D.E.Sergeant's ship-borne expedition.'Sampleswere taken in West Greenland in August-October 1976. In addition to bodymeasurements and weights, routine samples were collected 01' tissues: blood, hair,blubber, muscle, jaw, brain, 'heart, lung, spleen, kidney, gonads and uterus.With the exeeption of the jaw end gonads, tissues were frozen for futurepestieide and heavy metal analysis.

A jaw bone collection has been established in Frobisher Bay, Pangnirtung,Repulse Bay and Resolute Bay in the Northwest Territories. Teeth from these jawswill indicate not only the age frequency of the aboriginal catch, but will alsoprovide information on the distribution and movements of various age categoriesin Canadian Arctic waters.

Catch statistics are also being received from other Arctic settlements. Thesestatisties will be used with those provided by the Danish Ministry for Greenlandfor analysis 01' northern eatches •

Socio-economic studies aimed at determining the dependence 01' local peoples onthe harp seal and conversely, their influence on its population dynamics, areunderway. Recently, observations were made on the utilization of pelts andcareasses, and on historieal and present hunting teehniques in West Greenland.Estimates of the number 01' seals killed, but not retrieved, will enablesuitable adjustments to be made to the catch statistics. \

Observations were also made on the effects 01' human and mechanical disturbanceon the behaviour 01' harp seals in whelping areas, and the influence of diurnalrhythms on censusing techniques.

Bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus).

A Study 01' reproduction and the effect of hunting 01' the bearded seal in theBeleher Islands has been completed (L.Griffin and M.Dunbar, MeGill University).

Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus).

A study 01' the course 01' infeetion and pathology of anisakine nematodes in greyseals nears completion. Results 01' experimental transmissions indicate that sealsdevelop a complex forD of immunity to Phocanema (=Terranova, =Porrocaecum)decipiens similar to that observed in other mammals.

A survey of anisakine infections of gastro-1ntestinal tracts of field killedseals continues. Incidence 01' various anisakine species may prove useful as anindicator of migratory activities of the seal§ e.g. a high ineidence ofContracaecum osculatum and a trace incidence of Phocanema sp in 5 01' 18 adultseals eollected from the whelping colony at Camp Ioland suggests that the fivewere recent arrivals from the Gulf 01' Ot.Lawrence rather than long-term residents01' the,eastern shore 01' Nova Scotia (G.McClelland, Dalhousie University).. "

Previous studies 01' grey seals haye indicated that they are territorial duringthe breeding season, but these studies were only.qualitative and did not relatethe pattern of behaviour to reproductive" succ'ess. In the ,present study, spatialpatterns and movements of grey seals onSable Island, Nova Scotia were,examinedby photographing a,fixed area at ,30-45~minute intervals each day,throughoutthe breeding season. Detailed records 01' the behaviour 01' identified animalswithin this area were madc~ Females tend to aggregate 9 and males tend to forma patternof overdispersion. Pemales move araund somewhat, especially in thefirst few days after partur1 t10n, but _they become more loc'alized as they "approach estrus. Males wh1ch succeed in oecom1ng establlshed among females tend"to consort with'different females o'ver'time, ,though these"m8J.es also 'def~md" :other 'nearbyfemales'.' Males occasionally move to maintain a position near aparticular female o The occurrenoe 01' su~h moves depends on the sexual stateof females •. Male movement results in overlap in the areas used by different

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males. Frequent aggressive eneounters between males are mainly non-eontaetthreats, but fights oeeur to a lesser extent. These eneounters are importantin aehieving and maintaining a position among females. Males who sueeeed inbecoming established aceount for nearly all of the observed eopulations. Greyseals on Sable Island are not territorial, but eonsort sequentially throughouttheir period of tenure with different fe~ales. (D.J.Boness, Dalhousie University).

Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina)

Anisakine, heartworm (Dipetalonema spirocauda). and coeeidial (Eimeria phoeae)infeetions are being studied in field k1lled seals. Experimental aspeets ofthe anisakine study have been eompleted (G.McClelland, Dalhousie University).

Ringed seal (Fusa hispida),

Energy requirements, gastrointastinal absorption efficiency and basal metabolierate ofcaptive ringed seals are topies eurrently under investigation (J.Parsonsand J.Geraci, UniversitY,9f Gueiph), as weIl as a study of lung worm (D.Onderkaand J.Geraei, University of Guelph).

SteIler sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) andCalifornia sea lion (Zalophus ealifor- •n1anus

Investigations are still eontinuing on the faetor influeneing the distributionof breeding females and pups on thc Cape St.James rookery. One sea lion taggedat Cape St.J~es was sighted in 1976 at the head of Prinee Williams Sound,Alaska (A~E~Edie and H.D.Fisher, University of British Columbia).

Winter interactions between California sea lions and Steller sea lions at themajor haul-out site in south~cntern British Columbia are being studied (E~M.Brenton and H;D.Fisher, Uni~crcity of British Columbia).

In eonneetion with the above studies, compilation of all aerial censuses ofsea lions earried out in British Columbia is in progress (H.D.Fisher, Universityof British Columbia).

Other Mammals

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

Additional data on heart'rate, relating to various levels of exereise, wereeolleeted during 1976. Temperature measurements (R.Best, 1976) have substantiated •earlier suggestions(N.A~0ritslandfC.Jonkel, and K.Ronald, 1976) that theenergy eost of locomotion is high for polar bears. Heart aetivity and stridefrequeney may bc'the best indices of aetivity levels in polar bears, whiledeep body temperature will'not ~e useful in separating low aet1vity levels(R.Best, 1976). ',' ,

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Retransmissionsystems for long range telemetry of heart activity and bodytemperature are being ~ested (Hangstand, Lentfer, 0ritsland, Jonkel, and Ronald,1976). '. ,

An AGA thermovision infra-red scanner has been used to deseribe the heatradiation from simulated and natural snow dens. A radiative temperature differeneeof about 1·C may oeeur between den openings and the surrounding snow. Nodetectable radiation is emitted from Snow covering the dens (P.Watts, N.A~0rits­land, C.Jonkel, and K.Ronald, 1976).

Twenty-one adult and 12 immature polar bears, captured between September andDeeember 1975, were examined for haematologieal values and blood ehemistry.Some findings were: higher alkaline phosphatase and calcium levels in cubs thanin adults, and an overall increase in blood glucose from October to November feonvulsions in field drugged bears were aasociated with low levels of eonjugatedbilirubin; significant levels of serum glutamie-oxalecetic transaminase andlactic dehydrogenase were found in bears that had been'snared rather than

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captured in culvert traps; there was also a reduction, but less marked, inleucocyte numbers in the culvert trapped bears.

A captive bear is now being examined for changes in blood values with age.There appears to be a difference between haematological values of wild bearsand captive bears since the latter are fed on a regular diet, are subjectedto little environmental stress and have limited opportunities for exercise(K.Ronald, J.Lee, N.A.0ritsland, M.Hammil, University of Guelph).

Respiratory frequency, core temperature, cardiac and stride frequencies wereevaluated as indirect indices of activity and metabolism in the polar bear.Respiratory frequency was found to be an inadequate index owing tO its roleao a thermoregulatory effector and its "resonant" nature. The core temperatureof the bears was highly correlated with activity or metabolie rate. However,the relationship was strongly curvilinear, resulting in only a 0.5·C change incore temperature over a five-fold metabolie change. It was impossible toaccurately define different levels of activity. The cardiac frequencies ofresting bears were extremely variable and, therefore, not good indices of theseactivities. However, in the active or walking animal, cardiac frequency is anaccurate index of activity or metabolie rate. Stride frequency may also beused to accurately predict walking speed and, thus, metabolie rate in the polarbear (R.Best, K.Ronald, and N.A.0ritsland, University of Guelph) •

Visual acuity in polar bears is being measured by operant teehniques. Initialindications are that the polar bear is well-tuned to the blue, green end yellowwave lengths of light, and less adapted to other extreme frequencies. Furtherexperiments will be carried out to establish the audiogram of the polar bear.It is hoped that this will allow man to devise successful deterrants againstpolar bear attack (K.Ronald, N.A.0ritsland, J.Lee, P.Watts, C.Cuyler, M.Hammil,University of Guelph).

Denning in polar bears is being studied in Fort Churehill, Manitoba, in anatural situation. General activity patterns and behaviour will be observedand air temperatures and composition monitored in occupied dens. In an artificial'den, completed last year, baseline data are being colleeted on the occupant'soxygen consumption, heart rate, body temperature and behaviour (N.A.0ritsland,P.Watts, C.Jonkel, and K.Ronald, University of Guelph).

A simple model aimedat describing polar bear energetics at the population level,has been programmed in APL, by linking apolar bear energetics model with apopulation dynamies model via age and sex-specific weight distribution. Whilethe model is not intended to be used for detailed analysis of population dynamies,it is hoped that it will provide the demographie values of a realistic population(N.A.0ritsland, K.Ronald, and C.Jonkel, Universities of Guelph and Montana).

General

The study of disease in captive and non-eaptive marine mammals, investigationof cetacean mess stranding, studies of Vitamin C and A requirements of captivecarine mammals, and distributions and blood levels of seven clinical enzymesin phocids and cetaeeans are being continued (J.R.Geraei, T.Austin, and D.St.Aubin, University of Guelph).

Another three studies currently in progress are: clinical and physiologicalparameters associated with moult; steroid and thyroid hormone physiology in thelife cycle of wild and captive phocids; and effeets of petroleum pollution onArctic ringed seals (F.R.Engelhardt, University of ottawa).

The functional anatomy of the thoracic and cranial arterial retiel systems intoothed whales is being studied. So far details of gross, mieroscop1c, andultrastructural anatomy have been completed for two species, the white whaleand the narwhal (A.W.Vogl and H.D.Fisher, University of British Columbia).

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Denmark

(F.O.Kapel)

Research on marine mammals in Danish waters was earried out by: Department ofPhysiology, University of Odense; Game Biology Station, Kalß, 8410 R0nde;and the Salt Water Aquarium, 6700 Esbjerg.

Harbour seal (Phoea vitulina)

In 1976 areport was published on the past and the present status of seals ~;.

(mainly Phoea vitulina) in Denmark.

The report eonfirms that the population of Phoca vitulina has been drasticallydeclining in nearly all Danish waters over the last 2-3 decades, and that insome waters their numbers are presently so small that the future existance ofthe speeies is endangered. The total population in late summer has roughly beenestimated to 2,000 animals, most of which oceur in the Kattegat and the DanishWaddensea, the latter population being elosely assoeiated with populations inthe German and Duteh Waddensea areas. On the basis of these findings the GameBiology Station reeo~ended conservation measures to be introduced immediately,including limitations, in hunting and establishment of seal reserves in breeding ..grounds where publie access should be limited as mueh aS possible. On this ..background the Ministry of Agrieulture introdueed full proteetion of seals inSE-waters and the Limfjord and reduced the hunting season in all other watersfrom 9 to 4 months. This regulation being valid for the hunting season 1976/77.Introduction of even strieter hunting regulations for the following year arepresently being diseussed. Furthermore plans are developing for 5-6 experimentalseal reserves, being the first in aseries of reserves comprising most of theimportant breeding grounds.

The situation in the population is still being followed by surveys eoncerninghunting of seals, the size of the population and its production etc. (A.H.Joensen, Game Biology Station).

During 1975 and 1976 65 seals,(found dead or shot) have been collected foranalyses of diseases and parasites (earried out at the Section for Game diseases,Bjarne Clausen), and for contents of toxie chemieals. ,Thc rcsults'of ~his'study

willbe'presented' in'1977'. (Royal Veterinary and Agrieultural University,Ole Karlog) •

In Esbjerg a newly established (June 1976) seawater tank (capacity 500,000 litre)..now gives the possibility of experimental work on the harbour seal under optimal ..conditions.

Since the opening of the tank the main technical and chlorination problemsarebrought under control, 'and in: near future a program on behaviour of the harbourseal, especially on localization of objects in the tank, will be started.

In conneetion with the main tank a little tank was builx to isolate breedingfemales and seal pups found on beaches. (S.Tougaard, Salt Water Aquarium, Esbjerg).

Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)

Some factors connected with the H20-balance of the harbour porpoise have beeninvestigated. The fourth meeting of the European Association for Aquatic.Mammals was attended (by S.Andersen, University of Odense p as chairman).

Work has been eontinued on the acoustie behaviour of the harbour porpoise,espeeially on mechanism of sound production (M.Amundin, University of Odense).

Partlyon the background of lCES' resolution (C.Res.1976/4g25) a project foran inter-Scandinavian research program on harbour porpoise has been preparedfor ~~ (Projeet 1440 - Dolphins and Porpoises, North Sea and Baltic Sea).(S.Andersen and M.Amundin, University of Odense) •

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Sperm whale (Physeter catodon)

In order to elucidate the mechanism of sound production of the sperm whaleacoustic measurements were carried out on dead specimens in Iceland, andpreliminary results of these studies were presented at the FAO/ACMRRconsultation in Bergen. (B.M~hlt E.Larsen, University of Aarhus, andM.Amundin, University of.Odense).

Research on marine mammals in Greenland was carried out by Greenland FisheriesInvestigations, Charlottenlund.

Harp and hooded seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus and Cystophora cristata)

Colleeting of jaws for analyses of the age eomposition of eatehes wascontinued in Northwest Greenland (both speeies) and in South Greenland (hoodedseal). Some preliminary results of previous colleetions, and catch data, werepresented in a working paper at the ICNAF Panel A Special Meeting in Copenhagen,October 1976, and the material is now being worked up for publication (F.O.Kapel).

Greenland Fisheries Investigations assisted in the planning of a cruise inUpernavik district (Northwest Greenland) in August-September with the purposeof colleeting additional material and information on migrating harp seares intheir summer range (K.Ronald, R.Stewart et al., University of Guelph, Canada).

Ringed seal (Pusa hispida)

The eollecting of material for analysis of the catch of ringed seals in thenorthern part of Upernavik district (Northwest Greenland) ended in the autumn1976. By that time the sample consisted of more than 7000 jaws eovering a twoyear period.

Another part of this project, sponsored by the Danish Natural Seienee ResearchCouncil, was observations and counts of ringed seals in the sampling area.From mid April to mid June 3 scientists travelled by dog sledge with localhunters to suitable areas, where counts of seals basking on the ice were carriedout by means of spottingscopes. Beeause of unfavourable weather and ieeconditions only a few observations were carried out in the southern part ofthe area, whereas several localities were visited in the northern parts.

From mid June to the beginning of August a 36' vessel (M/B SILA) was used fortranspatation and as an observation base, during the first weeks in combinationwith a dog sledge, so that suitable observation points could be reached fromthe ice edge.

Finally,.a cruise was carried out in Oatober-November with the purpose ofgathering~informationon the movements of ringed seals immediately prior tothe formation of the winter ice. 22 seals were caught alive in nets, tagged,and released. 6 of these were recaptured farther south in the district between2 weeks and' 3!'months later (J.Christiansen andF:O.Kapel).

During the cruises tissues were colleeted from 82 ringed seals, 9 harp sealsand 10 hooded seals for analyses of the contents of heavy metal salts anddeehlorinated hydroearbons (Sv.Dalgaard-Mikkclsen and O.Karlog, Royal Veterinaryand Agrieultural University, Copenhagen).

Cetaeeans

Further analyses of the Greenland cateh statisties for minke whales and smallerodoneetes were presented as working doeuments at meetings of the scientifioeommittees of the International Whaling Commission.

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Finland

(O.Stenman)

Ringed seal (Pusa hispida)

The study on the reproduction of the ringed seal in the Gulf of Bothnia hascontinued. As before, the material consists mainly of individuals caught withseal nets during October and November. Particular attention was paid toobtaining further knowledge on the influence of DDT and PCB on the reproduetionof the speeies, and some results were published together with Swedish researehers.SampIes were also colleeted for biometrieal purposes, and for food and heavymetal analysis. In order to obtain data on the size of the population in theGulf of Bothnia, aerial surveys were made and seals were observed trom thelighthouses. Information received by radio tram the icebreakers was utilized.(E.Helle, Department of Zoology, University of OUlu).

Studies on the ecology and etology of the ringed seal in the Gulf of Bothniahave eontinued. Observations were made on the ehanges in the occurrence of theseal at various time of the year and in different iee conditions. The individualseaught were examined biometrically, and the stomaehs and genitals were takenfor detailed study. (Dr. EoSoNyholm, Kuusamo). .

In order to obtain data on the oceurrence ofthe ringed seal in the Gulf ofFinland, trips were made by helicopter during the ice period in April and byboat during the summer. (O.Stenman, Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute).

As in 1975, tbe pups of the ringed seal were protected from March 10 to May 31.

Saimaa seal (~ hispida saimensis)

The individuals found dead in fishing gears were examined and sampIes weretaken for DDT, PCB and heavy metal analysis. Tbe aaimaa seal is proteeted.(M.Valtonen, State Veterinary Medical Institute, Helsinki, and O.Stenman).

Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)

Boat trips were made in the Gulf of Finland in order to obtain data on theoeeurrenee of the species in tbe outermost archipelaga during the summer.(O.Stenman).

As in 1975, grey seals were protected from March 10 to May 31.

Damage eaused by seals

A questionnaire on damage to salman fisheries caused by seals was sent in theautumn (as in autumns 1974 and 1975). The final report on the results will bepublished for the Symposium on the Conservation of Baltie Seals, Finland 1977.(OoStenman).

France

(R.Duguy et HoAlonele)

La partie fondamentale des recherches poursuivies en 1976 a ~t~ constitu~e parl'etude des Mammiferes Marins trouv~s sur nos cBtes. Les echouages de 55 Cetaceset les observations de 12 Phoques ont ~te mentionnees dans le rapport annualqui rend campte de la frequenee des espeees et de leur repartition sur lesdiff~rentes parties du littoral franeais.

Lorsque l'etat de l'animal et les condition d'echouage l'ont permis - soit unetrentaine de cas - un releve detaille des mensurations a ~te effeetue. Parailleurs, des prelevements destines aux collections osteologiques, ou d'anatomiecomparee, ont permis de conserver trois squelettes, sept cranes, et quelquespieces diverses au Museum de la Rocbelle, ainai qu'une dizaine d'organes internespour le laboratoire d'Anatomie Comparee du Museum National.

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Mais l'orientation principale des recherches sur 1es animaux trouves morts surnos cBtes a ~te oonsacIrie a l'etude des facteurs de morta1ite. Une premi~re

partie de donnees proviant des autopsies, parfois sommaires, qui ont pu etrepratiquees chez une vingtaine d'animaux. Cent vingt echanti110ns ont ete ainsirecuei11is pour 1a poursuite des dosages de metaux 10urds et de pesticides qui,comme 1es annees precedentes, ont ete effectu~s aliInstitut Scientifique etTechnique des ~eches Maritimes (Service de M11e Soudan). Par ai11eurs, unevingtaine de prelavements d'organes ont ete effectues en vue de 1eur interpre­tation histo-patho1ogique au Laboratoire d'Anatomo-patho1ogie du C.H.U. dePoitiere.

Des travaux portant sur la faunistique des o8tes de France ont eta poursuivisen utilisant les oolleotions osteologiques conservees dans les Museums. Leurrevision et 1eur analyse critique ont perrois 1a pub1ication de deux cata10gues:l'un consacre aux co11ections du Museum de Marseille, et l'autre a ce11es duMuseum de Bordeaux.

Dans un domaine voisin, nos recherches ont concerne 1es observations faunistiqueset eco10giques sur 1es oetaces en mer. Pour l'At1antique, les donnees proviennenten majeure partie des fregates meteoro10giques FRANCE I et FRANCE 11, stationnairesau point R (47°N/17°W), ainsi que des campagnes thoni~res du N/O P~LAGIA(A.A10nc1e). En Maditerranee, les observations sont regulierement transmisespar 1es navires de la Compagnie Generale Transnediterranee, ainsi que par dif­ferents bateaux des laboratoires, ou par 1es guetteurs des semaphores notammenten Course.

Une mention particu1i~re doit etre faite en ce qui concerne 1e Phoque moine(Monachus monachus) sur 1eque1 de recherehes ont ete poursuivies grace a 1aco11aboration de nos co11egues J.Maigret et J.Trottignon, pour 1a Mauritanie,et D.Marchessaux, pour 1a Grece. On doit egaleroent mentionner, a la suite deces travaux, 1a recommandation concernant 1a protection de cette espece quenoua avons proposee au Comite des Vertebres narins et Cepha10podes lors de 1areunion de 1a C.I.E.S.M. a Sp1it.

Cet ensemble de recherches a donna lieu a 1a presentation, au cour de l'annee1976, de rapports de travaux dans les reunions internationales suivantes:

-Symposium de European Association for Aquatic Mammals, a Palma de Majorque, mars.-International Whaling Commission(Small Cetacean SUbcommittee)a Londres, juin.-Scientific consu1tation on Marine Mammals, sous l'egide de la FAO, aBergen,aout-septembre.

-Conseil International pour l'Exp10ation de la Mer, a Copenhague, octobre.-Commission Internationale pour l'Exploration Scientifique de 1a Mediterranee,a Sp1it, octobre.

Germany, Federal Republic of

(D. Sahrhage)

The ecology of the harbour seal, Phoca vitulina, is being studied in the Waddenseaof Schleswig-Holstein. The research in 1976 covered regular aerial surveys tostudy the population size, pup production, and seasona1 f1uctuations of the sealnumbers in the Waddensea. 70 seals, shot and found dead, were dissected toobtain data on the causes of natural mortality, parasite load, diseases,reproductive status, and food habits. 30 young harbour seals were markedduring a tagging progran. The study of the impact of man on the seal populationby disturbances and pollution was a major aspect of the seal research in 1976and will be of great importance for the future work. (H.E.Drescher, Kiel).

Investigations on concentrations of heavy metals and organochlorines in sealsand whales are being carried out in cooperation with the BundesforschungsanstaltfUr Fischerei, Hanburg. (U.Harms and E.Huschenbeth).

In Niedersachsen, aerial surveys and dissections'of seals were carried out byhunting and government officials, and the results are also collected in Kiel.

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All information on whale strandings ·along the German North Sea and Baltic coastsis collected in Kiel (W.Schultz).

Investigations are being carried out in the fields of comparative gross anatomy,osteology and myology of Cctacea, and on problems related to the evolution ofthe central nervous system. (Klima, Olschläger and Wünsch, Centre of Morphologyof the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main).

Work on the anatomy of the sperm whale head wascontinued. (P.Deimer, ZoologicalInstitute and Museum, University of Hamburg). .

Field survey on the biology and catching of sperm whales on Madeira Island wasalso made. (P.Deimer).

The hearing organ and its adaptive radiation in dolphins, whales, manatees, andseals is being studied. The main interest is the adaptation of the ear tohearing under water, whicn also include~ the ~echanisms necessary to suppressunwanted vibrations ofthe skulle Main topics are 'the analysis of the tunedvibrating systems in the middle e~r, as well as,the structural specialisationswhich enable the cochlea itseif to r~spond to very high, or very low frequencies.Methods have been developed to determin~ the hearing capabilities in extinctmammals, based upon the bony micrdstructures of'the inner ear. The evolutionof the sonar system in dolphins has b~en out~ined, already: it was first developed ttby the squalodontids in the Oligocene. (G.Fleischer, c/o Umweltbundesamt, Berlin).. .

Ieeland .

(J6n Jonsson)

Whaling was carried out i~ the usual way in 1976. A total of 389 whales werecaught by the four catchers operated by "Hvalur",h.f.(whaling station):275 fin whales (Balaeno tera physalus), 111 sperm whales (Physeter catodon),and 3 sei whales Balaenoptera borealis). .

Biological material was collected by the whale, research unit of the NationalInstitute of Oceanography as in former years. . .

A total of 197 minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) were caught in 1976mainly in the months July-September off the central north coast of Iceland.

Biological studies of this species will be started from Icelandic side in thesummer 1977.

Ireland

(E.Twomey and C.Moriarty)

No research on marine mammals was carried out in 1976.

Netherlands

(J.L.van Haaften and R.Boddeke)

Seals

In the Dutch coastal waters the number of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) declinedfrom about 1500 in 1968 to less than 400 in 1976.

Recoveries of tagged young seals have shown thatseals in the.Dutch, GermanandDanish part of the Waddensea must be considered as one population.

This fact was the background for the formation, in 1970,of an internationalworking group with participation from the Netherlands and Niedersachsen, lateron also from Schleswig-Holstein und Denmark.,

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In each part of the Waddenseaa census is made in the breeding and mating season(June-october), migration is studied by tagging, various kinds of disturbancesare investigated, and post-mortems are done in order to find the causes of death.Various tissues (liver, brain, blubber) are being collected for toxicologicalresearch.

Once a year the Working Group meet to compare and discuss results, and makeplans for future research. At the last meeting in Arnhem, March 1977, sealresearch workers from England, Sweden, Germany,(Fed. Rep. of),Belgium and the Nether­lands:came to the following conclusions:

that pollution in the North and Baltic Seas is affecting the reproductionof harbour, grey and ringed seals in these waters, leading to a seriousdecline in the seal populations, and endangering their environment;

that various disturbances by human activities during the pupping andsuckling period are having a bad effect on the populations of seals,and that the establishment of seal reserves is an important factor inproviding suitable places for successful reproduction of the seals;

.. that these problems are occurring in a large area, involving at least

.. 20-30% of the European coastline, and may soon be problems also inother areas, affecting not only seal populations but entire ecosystems.(J.L.van Haaften, Research Institute'for Nature Management, Arnhem).

Research is carried out on the possible enzymatic degradation of methylmercuryin the liver of seals. (J.H.Koeman and W.S.M.van de Ven, in cooperation withA.Svenson, I.V.L., Stockholm). .

Whales

The following items are being studied at various institutes and universities:

Systematics of Cetacea. (P.J.H.van Bree, Institute for Taxonomic Zoology,Amsterdam) •

Functional anatomy of the retina of Tursiops truncatus. (A.D.G.Dral,Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel).

Data on size and weight of organs of small toothed whales in order toestablish the relation between growth and age. (W.L.van Utrecht, ZoologicalInstitute, University of Amsterdam).

_water composition and treatment, and medical problems in Tursiops, notably onblood values and toxic elements. (W.H.Dudok van Heel, Dolphinarium Harderwyk).

Behavioural studies on sound relations, and communication in Tursiops.(W.H.Dudok van Heel, in cooperation with the Laboratory of Comparativephysiology, University of Utrecht, and the Laboratory of Information Theory,Technical University of Delft). .

norway

(Ä.Jonsgärd and T.0ritsland)

Whales (Ä.Jonsgärd)

In 1976, 2146 minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) were reported caughtby 83 vessels participating in the Norwegian whaling in the northern NorthAtlantic Ocean. Catch data have been received from forms filled out by thewhalers for each whale caught, and biological research has been performed bythe Institute of Marine Research, Bergen in connection with the whalingoperations. In the Bear Island, Svalbard and Barents Sea waters, 89 minkewhales were examined by two observers. Almost all mature females were pregnant(96.6%) in agreement with what is known from earlier investigations. In theNorth Sea 7 minke whales were examined by one observer; in the waters off

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East and West Greenland 17 and 24 minke whales respectively were examined bytwo observers in July and August. Both males and females taken off West "Greenland are larger than those taken in the Barents Sea, and the number ofCorpora lutea in the ovaries of mature females are mueh higher. These evidencespoint to the faet that mature female minke whales inhabiting the West Greenlandwaters are in general older than those found in the Barents Sea p also indieating'that the stocks of minke whales in these waters are different.

In July and August 1976 a 4 week marking cruise covering 1600 n.m. sailingdistanee was made in the Bear Island-Svalbard are~ under the supervision of IvarChristensen. The weather was extremely bad during the cruise, and only 15 minkeand 4 humpbacks (Megaptora novaeangliae) were marked. Sightings of eetaeeansbeing made during the eruise included 150-200 minke, 20-40 humpbaeks and about100 dolphins.

At the Department of Marine Zoology and Marine Chemistry, University of Oslo,biological material from large whales collected in post-war seasons at the landstations in Norway is being anal~sed. A paper on the eastern North Atlantiesei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) is in press, and will be published in theearly summer of 1977. Studies on the propagation of fin whales (BalaenopteraEQysalus)are in progress. A paper on eolleetion and eryopreservation of whaleblood being prepared in cooperation with the Department of Microbiology, ..University of Oslo, will be ready for publieation in the very near future.Special papers on the regulation of whaling for minke whales and small whales,and on the value of bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) as compared tominke whales are in press. In cooperation with the Marine Research Institute inIeeland a program for minke whale research in Ieelandie waters is now being ,worked out.

Seals (T.0ritsland)

Studies of harp and hooded seals were continued in 1976 by the Sea MammalSeetion of the Institute of Marine Research, Bergen (T.0ritsland, T.Benjaminsenand B.Bergflßdt). Sampling and eharting of seal eoncentrations in relation toice edges were earried out on a eommereial sesler on the IiFront" offNewfoundland-Labrador from 13 March to 9 April~ on a sealer in the West lee(the Jan Mayen area of the Greenland Sea) from 17 March to 1 may and the reliefvessel in the West lee from 18 March to 7 May~ on a sealer in the East lee (thesoutheastern part of the Barents Sea) from 3 April to 3 May; and finally, on achartered sealer in the Denmark Strait from 20 June to 11 July.

Surveys of grey seals and common seals on parts of the coast of Norway were ..continued, and the work in the laboratory was concentrated on the processingand analysis of age material from harp and hooded seals; Age determinationswere made for nearly 4000 seals.

Harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus)

The Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, partieipated in attempts at groundcontrol of Canadian aerial surveys of harp seals in the Gulf of St.Lawrence andon the Front off Newfoundland-Labrador. However, the surveys were not carriedout aecording to the sehedule.

General b1010gieal studies were made on the Front at Nawfoundland, in the Westlee and in the East lee. Age samples were eollected from 429 breeding femalesand 775 moulting one-year-olds and older moulting seals at Newfoundland andfrom 897 moulting seals in the East lee. Reproduative organs were colleetedwith the age material from 209 females at Newfoundland and 102 females in theEast lee. Measurements and weights were reeorded for 60 seals in the West rceand 131 pups in the East lee.

A total of 300 pups were tagged at Newfoundland and 18 of these were recapturedduring the sealing season. Six of the tagged pups have been recaptured at WestGreenland later in the year. No pups were tagged in the West lee this year,but three older seals tagged in this area in 1968(1) and 1972(2) wererecaptured during the sealing season 1976. In the East lee 80 pups were tagged

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and 6 of these were recaptured before the end of the season.

The age samples collected at Newfoundland and in the East lee have been proeessed.An analysis of age frequencies and eatch statisties for Newfoundland harp sealshas been updated with estimates of production, mortality and sustainable yield.These estimates indieate that the present sustainable yield of Northwest Atlanticharp seals is·210 000.

In a eooperative Norwegian-Canadian projeet a stoehastie model has been developedfor estimates of sustainable yields for the Northwest Atlantie stock. Estimatesfrom this model indicate that the stock now can sustain an annual catch of190 000 seals.

The age analysis for the East lee support the results of previous estimateswhieh indieate that the Northwest Atlantic stock now is inereasing at a rate ofabout 5% per year.

Hooded seals (Cystophora cristata)

An age sample was collected by institute personel from 687 breeding hoods atNewfoundland. Additional samples were eollected by sealers from 1065 seals,bringing the total sample from Newfoundland up to 1752 hooded seals. A s&lpleeonsisting of no more than 370 breeding seals was eollected in the West lee, buthere work was seriously hampered by exceptionallY,adverse iee and weather '.eonditions. Weather and iee also hindered effective work in the Denmark Strait,and the total nge sample from moulting seals eollected in June-July eomprise nomore than 323 seals, hardly enough to give a basis for any est1mate.

Reproductive organs were collected from 30 of the females at Newfoundland and2 adult females and 3 pups were tagged in this area. In the West lee 8 pupswere tagged and one adult hooded seal, tagged in the same area in 1972 wasreeaptured during the sealing season. More remarkable is the recapture duringthe year of 3 hooded seals tagged among moulting seals in the Denmark Straitin 1974. 2 were reeaptured on the Front off Newfoundland during the sealingseason, and one near Julianehab , West Greenland (60 5 35'N) in May. Togetherwith 2 previous reeaptures of hooded seals tagged with Norwegian marks atNewfoundland, one at Kap Farvel and one near Angmagssalik on the East Greenlandeoast, these reeaptures eonfirm the assumed eonneetion between moulting hoodsin the Denmark Strait and breeding seals at Newfoundland.

The large age sampIe collected at Newfoundland has been analysed and will beincluded in estimates from stochastic model to be developed by joint Norwegianand Canadian effort during 1977. The amall samples eolleeted in the West leeand in the Denmark Strait have not yet been processed.

Common seals (Phoca vitulina)

Attempts to survey common seals in the Harcy area in M0re and Romsdal countywere eontinued. The data are not complete, but they suggest an increasingnumber of seals in the area.

Grey seals (Halichoerus ~ypus)

Grey seal pups were eounted in repeated aerial surveys on the Norwegian coastfrom Fr0ya (about 64°N) to Lofoten (about 68°N) in the period from 28 Septemberto 10 November. Fairly complete counts were aehieved at some of the most .important breeding locations. Because of differenees in the timing of birthsbetween loeations, only minimum estimates of production were obtained at otherlocations. Th1s 1s the ease also for the Halten-Froan area, probably the mostimportant breeding area for grey seals on the coast of Norway. A total of 270pups were counted, corresponding to a minimum total stock of about 1100 greyseals. However, the total stock of grey seals on the coast from Frcya toLnfoten now probably exceeds 3000, and data from the locations which were weIlcovered indicate adefinite inerease during the last deeade.

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At one location off Vega all seals which could be approached, 70 animals in all,were killed in an experiment to study the effects of culling. Of these seals 12adults were salvaged and sampled. These seals had an average of 2005 nematodesin their stomachs, 95% of which were cod worm (Phocanema decipiens). Cod wormswere also found in fish sampled in the same area.

The limited material collected indicate that female grey seals at Vega reachsexual maturity at an earlier age than in the United Kingdom. Control counts onfoot on some of the islands indicate a nearly complete coverage by the aerialsurveys. No stnrving or dead pups were found during these control counts, andthis suggests that pup mortality is very low.

Other seal research

Studies of the physiology of seals were continued in 1976 at the Institute ofZoophysiology, University of 0810 (A.Pasche and N.A.0ritsland).

Poland

No report received.

Portugal

No report received.

Spain

(O.Cendrero and H.Quiroga)

The record of cetaceans stranded on Spanish coasts has been continued, as wellas the study of some specimens landed at the whaling factory in la Coruna (NWSpain).

Sweden

No report received.

United Kingdom

(SoG.Brown and CoF.S~ers)

Seals in British Waters (C.F.Summers)

The Seals Research Division (SRD) of the Institute for Marine EnvironmentalResearch (a component body of the Natural Environment Research Council), theDepartment of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and the National Trust,continued investigations of seals in British waters.

A survey of common seals (Phoca vitulina) in Co.Down, Northern Ireland, byR.G.WoNairn (National Trust), suggests a minimum stock size of about 500individuals. The discrepancy between these and earlier data probably reflectsa more intensive survey rather than an increase in population size. Comparabledata from elsewhere in Ireland are lacking.

SRD's common seal programme was disrupted because in July the Division movedfrom the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food laboratory in Lowestoftinto the British Antarctic Survey building at Cambridge. However, throughoutthe summer, time-lapse cameras were used at two sites in Orkney to obtaininformation on common seal haul-out patterns. This is particularly importantin connection with surveys of common seal populations based on direct countsof the number of individuals in a particular area. Fluctuation in the numbers

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of seals hauled out which ean be eorrelated with measurable environmentalvariables (eg tide state) will allow the correetion of data eollected in previoussurveys.

Routine monitoring of grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) stocks was by aerialphotographic survey, and covered the major breeding assemblies at Orkney,North Rona and the Outer Hebrides.

At the Farne Islands, following the 1975 adult eull, the National Trust obtaineda direct assessment of pup production amounting to 1343 pups born on the fourtraditional breeding islands, plus a further 82 pups born on other islands.While there are always a few pups born on or washed onto islands within theFarnes group which are not traditional pupping sites, in 1976 these representeda considerable increase over previous years, presumably an effect of theforegoing adult 'culls'. In order to prevent the establishment of new breedinggroups, eolonising cows, tagether with their pups, were shot.

Work on the large sample of grey seal teeth colleeted during the 1975 adult cullat the Farne Islands, was completed. This, together with information collectedfrom the 1972 sample, yielded estimates of age at first pupping and adultmortality. This work has facilitated the development of a grey seal populationmodel, which will be used to predict the effects of potential managementstrategies for British grey seal stocks.

Two new projects on the grey seal were begun in 1976. At Ramsey Island in Wales,a study of the neo-natal mortality and its causes was made. This involvedpost-mortem examination of corpses and an investigation of the influence on pupmortality of pupping site topography, adult aggression and the stability of themother-pup bond. In Orkney, the first phase of a study of the.energy relationsof the mother-pup pair involved the collection of 10 such pairs for bodycomposition analysis.

An SRD scientist participated in a joint study on the role of female aggressionin the grey seal at Sable Island with biologists from Canada and the US, andalso accompanied a field party from the Canadian Fisheries and Marine Serviceto observe a number of grey seal breeding sites, ineluding the iee breeders inthe Gulf of St.Lawrence.

As in previous years, information on the incidence of damage eaused by seals atScottish eoastal salmon net stations was eollected by DAFS seientists.

4t Seals in the Antarctic (W.N.Bonner)

Seals research by British Antaretic Survey has been concentrated.at South Georgiain the Southern Ocean. The monitoring of the population increase of the Antarcticfur seal, Arctocephalus gazella, continues. The stock is eurrently estimated atbeing in excess of 300 000 animals and is inereasing at about 17% per annum. Newbreeding eolonies are appearing at South Georgia as well as at islands manyhundreds of kilometres distant. The origin of some of these distant coloniesfrom the South Georgia parent stock has been confirmed by the sighting in theSouth Orkney Islands of seals tagged as pups at South Georgia. Other observationson tagged animals are revealing much information on patterns of colonisationand recruitment to the breeding herd, and it i6 hoped to follow a sub6tantialproportion of the 16 000 animals originally tagged throughout their lifespan.Detailed observations of cows' feeding trips to sea between suekling bouts ispart of a long-term aim of investigating potentially density-dependent faetorsof the population. An elevated walkway has been built at South Georgiaon abeach in an early stage of colonisation by fur seals. It is planned to makeobservations on pup mortality there to compare with similar observations at ahigh-density beaeh. Observations will start in 1977/78.

A study of elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) at South Georgia has eompleted itsfirst field season. The work attempts to relate ehanges in population strueture

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in the elephant seal herd to the cessation in 1964 of co~ercial sealing inwhich some 6000 adult males were removed fram the stock yearlyo Initial resultsindicate a decline in the size cf the study population o

As in previous years~ specimens have been collected from crabeater (Lobodoncarc1nopha~)9 leopard (Hydrurga leptonyx)~ and weddell (Leptonychotes weddell1i)seals for population analysis o A decline in the observed age of sexual maturityin one stock of crabeater seals (as determined fram examination of incrementallayers in the teeth) has been related to the greater availability of krill~

(Euphausia superba) consequent on the reduction of baleen whales o

Whales (SoG.Brown)

Work carried out by the Whale Research Unit of the Institute of OceanographicSc1ences included the following programmeso

Studies of fin (Balaenoptera physalus)~ sei (Boborealis), and sperm (Physetercatodon) whales caught in Iceland are continulng. With the co-operation of theIcelandic whaling company, and the Marine Research Institute in ReykjaYik 9 acollection of ear plugs and other biolagical material:'from fin and sei whales9and of teeth from sperm whales g was made by the wha11ng inspector in the 1976 •whaling season o

Records of protected blue (Balaenoptera musculus) and humpback(Megapteranovaeangliae) whales seen on the Icelandlc whaling greunds during the whalingseason continue to be reported by the whaling company to the Unit o Abriefanalysis of the resulta for the period 1969-74 i8 in presso This indicatesthat there are fluctuations in the numbers cf whales seen in aach season butthere is evidence of steady increase in the numbers ef humpback whales, but notof blue whales, over the nix seasons. A more detailed analysis i8 beingprepared o .

The wild but sociable male Tursiops truncntuo;observed off the Pembrokeshirecoast in 1975, moved southwards to the coast of Cornwall in 1976. Three visitswere made to study the dolphin in th1s new area and an account of ita behaviourand an outline of its histery in Br1tish waters is in press o A film of the'animal's activit1es has been madc o

Yachtsmen taking part in the 1976 Single-Handed Transatlantic Yacht Race fromPlymouth to Newport (Rhode Island) were encouraged to record sightings ofcetaceans during their voyages, end a amall series cf records were received oSightings made during the voyage ef the curragh BRENDAN from Ireland to ..Iceland have also been received c The two series will be compared with recordsobtained from earlier transatlantic yacht races~

Through the courtesy cf Dr ö Sahrhage of the Institute fUr Seefischerei, Hamburg,copies of the series of observations of whales made during the first Germankrill expedition to the Antarctic 1975/76 haye been made available to the Unit o

The whale mark incorporating an externally visible plastic streamer, which i8being developed with the aid of funds from the World Wildlife Fund and theInternational Union for the Conservatian cf Nature and Natural Resources 9 wastested in the field in August and October on southern right whales (Eubalaenaß!acialis) off the South African coast o 21 whales were successfully marked butlater mon1toring of the marked animals suggested that the streamer were lostafter few dayso Modifications in the design and in the materials used are nowunder considerationo

Work on the energetics and growth of cetaceans 18 cont1nuing o Preliminaryestimates of growth and energy budgets for sperm whales and for large baleenwhales have been prepared and were circulated at the FAO/ACMRR Marine Mammal,'Consultation in Bergen in September.

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United States

(Robert V.Miller)

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducts four principal researchprograms on marine mammals. The porpoise research program conducted at theSouthwest Fisheries Center in La Jolla, California, concentrates its studies onthe population dynamics and biology of porpoise, and gear modification to reduceincidental mortality cf porpoises in the eastern tropical Pacific yellowfin tunafishery. The other three major programs are carried out at the Northwest andAlaska Fisheries Center (NWAFC) in Seattle, Washington. These consist of theNorthern Fur Seal Program, which involves monitoring studies on the status ofthe fur seal herds, basic population dynamies studies, and behavioural andecological research in accordan~e with provioions of the Interim Convention forthe Conservation cf Northern Fur Seals. St.George Island has been establishedfor an indefinite period as a no-harvest, research control area for comparativestudies with the harvested population on St.Paul Island.

The pinniped and cetacean programs are aimed primarily at assessing the statusof the stocks and obtaining life his tory information about such species as thebowhead 9 killer, gray, and humpback whalesf commercially harvested species oflarge whalesf and California sea lions. Although the pri~ary geographie areaof concern i5 the North Pacific Ocean including the Bering and Chukchi Seas andthe Arctic Ocean, the Marine Mammal Division of NWAFC maintains an interest inmarine mammal research throughout the world.

Seals

Northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) program

Long-term objectives of the northern fur seal program are to determine whatmeasures may be necessary to make possible maximum sustainable productivity andto determine the relationship between fur seals and other living marineresources.

Population assessment stud1es being earried out are designed tc build a database on population structure essential to management of the resouree. Inoludedare counts of living adult males and of dead pups on land, and determination ofthe number of pups born and the age composition cf harvested seals.

Behavioural research on St.George end St.Paul Islands involves the identificationand quantification of behavioural oomponents that may aot to control populationsize. Studies include experiments on the length and regularity of femalefeeding cycles and on the female estrus cycle. The program i6 also designed toreveal the optimum ratio cf males to females. Radio telemetry is used to definethe movement patterns of subadult males on hauling grounds p and the diving andfeeding effort of female fur seals on normal feeding excursions is measured usingdepth-time recorders.

Population assessment and behavioural research are correlated to determine howsurvival relates to changes in abundance of the fur seal population in order todetermine an optimum population level.

Pelagic data collected trom 1958 through 1974 15 being analyzed o Specific sUbjectsinclude distribution end abundance, feeding habits 1 age~ growth, intermixture offur seals cf different origina, and age-specitie pregnanoy rates~ The results areessential for ealculating the productivity of the fur seal resouree and as inputinto an analysis of ecosystem dynamica.

A program of physiology and medicine involves adetermination of oauses of deathamong pups, development of new methode cf marking fur seals, and research on theinfectious diseases of fur seals.

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Pinnipeds of the Pacific coast

Biological and population studies are being carried out, on the'six species ofpinnipeds which haul out on San Miguel Isl~~d, one of the Channel Isla~ds ofSouthern California e Special attention 1s being given to deter~ining the causeof premature births in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). The numberof fur seal pups counted in Adams Cove, San Miguel Island, increased to 417, anincrease of 88 over 1975. On Castle Rock, 521 pups were counted which was anincrease of 125 over the 1975 count.

Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi)

The Hawaiian monk seal has been designated depleted under the Marine MammalProtection Act cf 1972 and endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.Therefore, a long-term study of the Hawaiian monk seal was begun in 1976.Included were studies of behaviou~ and biology and censuses to determinepopulation trends. Two surveys were carried out in 1976; aland survey in thenorthwestern Hawa1ian Islands between 17 March and 9 April t 1976, by biologistsfrom the NMES and the U.S.F1sh and Wildlife Service (USFWSJ, and an aerial surveywhich was flown by NMFS and the U.SoCoast Guard between 7 and 18 June 1976. Atotal of 695 animals were counted from these two surveys.

Judging from aga distribution of animals ashore and pup production during 1976(Table 1), the monk seal populations at French Frigate Shoals, Laysan andLisianski Islands are in good condition, and the populations on Pearl and HermesReef, Midway and Kure Atolls have declined to very low levels. The decline onMidway and Kure Atoll has been described by Kenyon (1972) and appears to be theresult of human disturbance. Reasons for the decline at Pearl and Hermes Reefhave not been advanced, but since the island is uninhabited, there should havebeen little human disturbance and the factors affecting the decline are expectedto be biotic.

Table 1. censuses 1) of Hawaiian monk seals during the 1976 pupping season2)

Island Dates Adults Subadults Juveniles Pups Total

French 20-22 98 57 24 16Frigate MarchShoals 15 June 37 37 269

Laysan 24 March 91 53 27 15 •14 June 25 25 236

Lisianski 2 April 79 10 18 2013 June 0 127

Pearl and. 4-6 April 20 4 0 2Hermes Reef 13 June 2 2 30

Midway 9 April 1 0 0 0 1

Kure 7 April 26 6 32

Total 695

1)March-APril survey accomplished by RoL.DeLong, C.H.Fiscus, and K.W.Kenyon.June survey accomplished by P.Chorney, NMFS, San Francisco.

2)pups and females recorded during the June census are added tO,those recordedduring the March-April survey. This is done as p~ps present during the earlysurvey have moul ted and are not .wi th femaJ,es. Parturientf~males record ed in

I June are believed not ,to' have 'been',present during lthe ,earlier'survey~:Otheradults recorded during the June ceneus may be the same as censused in March­April and are not recorded here e

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Cetaccans

Population studies of protected and exploitedwhales such as sei (Balaenopteraborealis) minke (~.acutorostrata), and sperm (Physeter catodon) whales,especially in the North Pacific Ocean, are conducted to develop the data basefor management recommendations to the International Whaling Commission. Estimatesof stock sizes of large whale species are developed through censuses, whaleobservation and marking cruises, and analysis of catch and effort statistics.The annual gray whale census off Pt.Loma, Californ1a, the cooperative killerwhale survey in Puget Sound, Washington, and humpback whale surveys in south­eastern Alaska and Hawaii are conducted under this program.

Annual gray whale census

Record numbers of southward migrating gray whales (Eschrichtius rObustus) werecounted during the 1975/76 annual census. The counts were made fram two shorestations on the coast of California: Grande Canyon, near Monterey, and PointLama, in San Diego. Two observers maintained a watch at each station duringdaylight hours (0700-1700) from m1d-December 1975 to mid-February 1976.

• Season

1952/531954/551956/571959/601967/681968/691969/701970/711971/721972/731973/741974/751975/76

Montereya)

312030813064303425883304349233483797

San D1ego b)

98216461839234413241154

2822

•a)~Comparison period" only - 18 Dec. to 4 Feb.,

except for 25 Dec. and 1 Jan.; total countfor 1975/76 was 4305 •

b)Total counts.

Tha record high counts this year were probably due to exceptionally good weatherfor whale spotting. Thera were few times when visibility was impaired by fog orhigh winds (which create whitecaps). Based upon the counts made during the"comparison period 01 at Monterey, the total population is about 11 000 and hasremained fairly stable ovar the past 9 years. The marked decline in the PointLoma counts during the late 1960's was thought to be due to harassment of thewhales by increasing boat traffic, causing them to migrate farther offshore.Even considering the better weather, the high count at Point Loma this year isanomalous, and indicates a need for further studies. Ceneusing will be undertakenagein at both stations during 1976/77.

Bowhead whale research

Monitoring of the Eskimo harvest of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) continuedduring the spring and autumn of 1976. Since 1973, biologists have been stat10nedat the two most important whaling villages, Point Hope and Barrow, Alaska, tocollect data on the numbers killed and recovered, k1l1ed und lost, and struck butlost:

..... : ....

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Year Killed and Killed but Struck butrecovered lost a) lost a)

1973 37 0 101974 20 3 281975b) 15 2 261976 48 8 35

a) Data obtained from interviews with whalersrather than direct observations.

b) Severe iee conditions prevailed during springand autumn hunts.

An ongoing literature search is being conducted to obtain data on the historicalsubsistence kill by Alaskan Eskimos prior to 1973 and provide a basis forcompa~ison with the recent kill figures. The nu~ber killed and recovered anuallyby Alaskan Eskimos since 1946 has varied from a low of one in 1959 to 48 in 1976.Prior to 1970 this annual take varied considerably but did not exceed 23 andaveraged 10 bowhead whales. However t in the 7 years since 1970 this annual take •has exceeded 23 bowhead whales 5 times and averaged 29.

In 1976, research was expanded with funding from the Outer Continental ShelfEnvironmental Assessment Program to obtain data on abundance, distribution, andmovement of bowhead whales. Aerial surveys were conducted to obtain informationon offshore distribution and migraticn and an Icebased station employed toobtain 24-hour counts on the nunbers of whales using near-shore leads during thespring migration.

During 30 April - 20 June, 11 540 km of trackline were flown and a total of115 bowhead whales was seen. Aerial surveys also indicated that bowheadsprimarily migrate in the spring through the near-shore leads rather than inoffshore leads. Thc current state of data analysis indicates that no bowheadswere observed in offshore leads north of Point Barrow. The icebased station wasestablished 25 April - 2 June on the shore fast iee approximately 8 milesnorthwest of Barrow. A total of 355 bowhead whales was seen through the season.Several more censuses will be required before estimates of abundance can bedcrived from these data.

•Killer whale census

During 1976, the Marine Mnmmal Division of the Northwest and Alaska FisheriesCenter completed a major part of a study of killer whales (Orcinus ~)occurring in the inland waters of Washington State. A seven month study wasundertnken to photodocument pods of killer whales, estimate their numbers, andfollow their movements throughout the area whenever possible. During April ­October 1976, 50 encounters with pods were achieved which significantly expandedthe data base of 304 encounters previously obtained by Canadian biologist,Dr. Michael Bigg. Moreover these encounters occurred primarily in the environsofPuget Sound, which essentially were not studied by Bigg.

It was found that approximately 68 killer whales, the same number estimated byBigg, can bc considered resident to the watere of Puget Sound, Strait of Georgia,and Strait of Juan de Fuca. Although the four resident podsranged throughoutthis aren, the study indicated that theywere more likely to be encounteredalong the west side of San Juan Island than anywhere else. Moreover, July, August,and September were thc peak ~onths for encounters, particularly in Puget Soundproper. Since the contract study was the culmination of a combined American ­Canadian research effort, final results will be published in aseries of papersco-authored by U.S. and Canadian scientists.

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Radio-tagging of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

During 7-12 August 1976, the Marine M~al Division, NWAFO, undertook a fieldtest of the remotely implantable radio tag recently developed by a group ofU.S. scientists (W.E.Evans, Naval Undersea Oenter, G.O.Ray and D.Wartzok, JohnsHopkins University; W.A.Watkins and W.E~Schevill, Woods Hole Oceanograph1cInstitution; and R.Maiefski Ocean Applied Research Corporations San Diego).Ocean Applied Research (OAR~ ultimately built the prototype radio tag which isnow generally ava11able to the scientif1c community for testing. This was thefirst year of a 5-year feasibility study evaluating the use of this device as atool for studying the migrations and distributions of cetacean populations.

The radio tag consists of a 200 mw radio tr~~smitter housed with1n a 24 cm long,cylindrical stainless steel tube. A 46 cm long, flexible polyurethane antennaprotrudes from the whale, and the pointed head of the radio tag 1s equipped withfolding barbs which deploy for retention after implantation. Depth of penetrationis controlled by a large, adjustable rubber stop. The tag is implanted in theblubber by use of a modified shotgun. In case cf a miss, a recovery system isavailable to prevent loss of the tag. Three lithium batteries provide 8.6 v andhave a life of 7 days continuous operation, however, a salt-water switch at theantenna's tip shuts off the radio when the whale is submerged, thereby extendingbattery life 2-6 months e The transmitter has a frequency in the MHz range andemi ts a signal of 50 msec durat1on, pulsed twice per sec,,·

Four attempts were made to implant the tag in adult humpback whales which resideduring the summer in the inland waterways of southeastern Alaska. Two tags wereimplanted but did not transmit, possibly due to improperly secured batteries.After solving the battery problem, the third attempt missed 7 but the tag wasrecovered. On the fourth attempt, the entire system worked perfectly, enablingthe tracking vessel to locate and follow the tagged whale fOT 6 days, at whiehtime the charter expired. The tests suggested that seyeral m1nor modif1eationsof the radio tag were desirable, including a means of making solid connectionsbetween batteries and radio. Otherwise~ no eircumstances were encountered whichwould suggest abandon1ng the feasib11ity study, and further tests will be made

·during FY 77.

Data report on marine mammals (H~E.Winn, Un1versity of Rhode Island)

Winn, Katona, and Steiner are preparing a voluminous report on the marine mammalsfram Cape Ihtteras to the Bay of Fundy. This report will include the extensivedata from the Smithsonian Institution str~~ding files as well as historieal datafrom other unpublished data basea involving at-sea observations includingstranding data and information on cause of death when available. Some of thesesources are the Smithsonian, the New England Aquarium and Winn, Katona andSchevill's files. The report will attempt to analyze the status of L~owledge ofeach speeies. All data will be entered in the Smithsonian computer system whereit will be available to all agencies e Data gaps will be identified, and thedistribution, abund~~ee, seasonal variation, migratory routes p stranding,population characteristics, relation to other oceanographic features, andinfluence of man's activit1es will all be cons1dered o .

Radio tracking cf dusky porpoises in the South Atlantic (B.Wuersig, Statel o :0University of New York)

Ten dusky porpoises (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) captured between December 1973and May 1975 in Golfo San Jose, a small-mouthed bay on the Argentine coast justsouth of the 42nd Parallel, were tagged with radio transmitters and released o

They ware tracked for a total time of s1xty-six days with receivers located onshore and in a 3.5 meter rubber boat. Signals ware received at distances up tofifty kilometers. Individual porpoises were tracked from one-half to 15 days,with the mean tracking time per porpoise being 6.6 days. The animals traveledthroughout the approximately 750 square kilometer area cf the bay, as weIl as

- 24 -

in an approximately equal-sized area in the adjoining open ocean. They seldomstayed in one part of this range for more than a few days. Travel within 20kilometers of the bay's mouth and its,swift tidal currents was generally in thesame direction as the tidal flow and travel through the mouth was always withthe tidal flow. Porpoises near thc mouth traveled significantly faster than whenthey were over 20 kilometers distant from the mouth. Dive:'lcngths showedsignificant differences between night and dny, with short dives and much timespent at the surface during n1ghttime, long dives and little T,J.me spent at thesurface during daylight hours. Repeated observations of recognizable lndividualsindicated that the porpoises travel in apparently stable groups of from six tof1fteen animals at least over a time perlod of several days. They joln withother groups while feeding, forming temporary groups 01' up to 300 animals, andseparate again after feeding. Dusky porpoises are foundin the bay all year long,and mnrking studies show that some of the same individuals are present duringdifferent seasons of the year.

Bottlenosed porpoise (B.Wuersig and M.Wuers1g, State Un1versity of New York)

Atlantic bottlenosed porpoises (Tursiops truncatus) were sighted in Golfo SanJose, Argentina, continually from July 1914, through March 1916. Porpoises were ..spotted on 191 days out 01' 433 days of possible observation. Their average ..subgroup size was fifteen animals, with a range of 8 to 22. Fifty-threeindividuals were recognized by dist1nct outlines and pigment spots 01' theirdorsal fins. These individuals constituted part of a population of unknown size.Six "core" subgroup individuals were found in the study area throughout the21 months, while six other individuals were not seen after September 1915. Fivenew animals appeared with the core subgroup at that time. Five of thc sixindividuals not spotted after September 1915 were located in March 1916 andcomposed a portion of a subgroup found over 250 kilometers from the study area.Other individuals of the known population appeared and disappeared from thearea for varying amounts of time. No seasonal migration pattern could bediscerned. Measurements from photographs of timed consecutive surfacings showeda mann dive time of 21 seconds for the animals. Incidences of individualssurfacing together are presently under computer assisted analysis.

Bottlenosed dolphin population surve~ (n.K.Odellj University of,Miami)

Bottlenosed dolphin population survcys along thc west coast of Florida werecompleted under the sponsorship of the U.S.Marine Mammal Commission. Dolphinsappear to be considerably more abundant in the panhandle regions of the state 4tthan in the lower portion. The surveys were made up to 15 mlles offshore andonly bottlenosed dolphins were seen. Similar surveys for both dolphins andmanatees (Trichechus manatus) were completed in the waters'of the EvergladesNational Park in 1916. Th1s ended a three-year survey effort. Basic results ofthe Park work will be published shortly in a symposium volume.

other marine mammal studios include a broad cetacean salvage program in Fl~rida

in ccoperation with the various oceanaria, universities and the SmithsonianInstitution. We handled a mass stranding of spinner dolphins (Stenella )ongi­rostris), a mass stranding of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens andnumerous indiv1dually stranded animals, particular'dwarf and pygmy sperm whales(Kogia breviceps and K.simus) and bottlenosed dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).We have in the past three years accumulated a significant body of information onpygmy sperm whales that have stranded in Florida and a manuscript is in therUdimentary stages of preparation.

...,., f'·,

\; .,. " '..... f'

. .' '. .-....,... ..... , • ..' ""' .. """." '" .... ,;<'.•'.

. ~. .,. ~. . , . '. ..." .;.

" .... , .. ... , ,,"'... ~ ~ ;~ ...

- 25 -

(L.A.Popov and V.A.Zemsky)

Investigations of different aspects of biology, ecology, distribution, abundanceand rational exploitation of marine mammals were carried out in the Greenland,Barents, White and Baltic Seas.

Investigations of marine mammals in the Northeastern Atlantic

Investigations of Pinnipedia in the Northeastern Atlantic (Greenland, Barentsand White Seas) were carried out according to the program approved by the 18thMeeting of Soviet-Norwegian Northeastern Atlantic Seal Commission. Besides, dataon Cetacea (beluga) were collected in the White Sea. All investigations in theareas mentioned were carried out by the scientists of the Marine MammalsLaboratory of the North Branch of Polar Research Institute cf Fisheries andOceanography (PINRO, Archangelsk) •

Biological data on harp seal of the White Sea and Jan Mayen populations, hoodedseal, ringed seal and beluga were obtained. No dsta on bearded seal wereavailable.

4t Harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandieus)

Only few data on the Jan Mayen population were obtainedJ these data characterizedthe distribution of animals during the breeding season. It was difficult tocollect material because of severe ice conditions in this area in 1976.

The number of breeding females of the White Sea seal population was counted byaerial surveys; between 2 to 4 March females formed only three large rookeriesin the White Sea. The survey was conducted from a height,of 400 m, the scalebeing 1:2000. 107 200 breeding femalea and 20 700 adult males were eounted oniee. On the covered area the density of adult females fluetuated in the limitsof 163-347 individuals per square kilometer, and for males 19-58 individualsper square kilometer. On the basis of the data obtained the limit for harvestingof seals in 1977 was reeommended (total 50 000, hereof USSR 34 000, Norway 16 000).In the area of native sealing in the White Sea material for age determination(teeth) was also collected from 498 adult females, their ovaries being collectedtoo. Scientists of the institute of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR collectedmaterial for studies on morphology and physiology of the harp seal.

Hooded seal (Cystophora cristata)

--Material on distribution of pup rookeries of hooded seal in the Jan Mayen areawas collected. An experimental count of hooded seal was oarried out from a vesselon one of the pup rookeriesJ the number of adult males, females and pups amountedto a total of 70000 In order to determine the age of adult seals on the puprookeries teeth from 172 animals (88 females and 84 males) ware collected o Theaverage age for females was 8 0 14 years, for males 10.31 years. 67 ovaries ofhooded seal females were also collected.

Ringed seal (~ hispida)

The work on collection cf material for morphologieal and ecologieal characteristicsof this species continud, 211 animals were studied.

Beluga (Delphinapterus laueas)

Observations on the run of beluga in the White Sea (the Canin coast) were performed o

Biological material was taken from harvested animals o 120 belugas were studied.Age, weight and other characteristics were obtained, sculls were collected andmorphometric measurements made.

Statistics of Soviet seal harvest in the seaS of the Northeastern Atlantic may befound in the "Report on USSR harvest and investigations on seals in the Northeastern

- 26 -

Atlantic, 1976" (document of the 19th Meeting of Soviet-Norwegian NortheasternAtlantic Seal Commission, Moscow, 1976).

Regulation of sealing in 1976

Rarp seal (the White Sea population)

As in previous years the kill of adult females during the breeding season, andof adult and immature animals on moulting rookeries was banned. The nativepopulation was allowed to take pups within the set limits of 29 000 animals.50 pups and 498 adult females were taken for research.

Rarp and hooded seals (Jan Mayen area)

Regulation of sealing was implemented in accordance with resolutions of the18th Meeting of Soviet-Norwegian NE Atlantic Seal Commission o

The kill of bearded seal frcm vessels in the White and Barents Seas was stillbanned 9 the kill of ringed seal by the native population was not limited •

The Baltic Sea

In the Baltic Sea (in the Gulf of Finland) data on two Pinnipedia species(ringed seal and grey seal) were also collected. These investigations werecarried out by scientists of the Marine Mammals Laboratory of Atlantie ResearchInstitute of Fisheries and Oceanographyo

In August-Oetober 1976 revelation of areas cf autumn concentrations of ringedand gray seals in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland was carried out.Observations on changes in diurnal activity of seals was conducted; seals onland rookeries were counted o Data of morphometric measurements obtained inprevious years were proeessed o The ban for grey seal harvesting was still inforce. The number of ringed seals to be harvested was limited to 1200 animalsbut aetual kill in 1976 was mueh lower o