Whale Entanglements and Gear Modifications

December 2014

Jason How

Entanglements per season

Entanglements per season

• Big reduction entanglements• Three possible causes:

– Gear Modifications– Change fishing practice– Change whale migration

Season (Gear) Evaluation

Migration Timing

• Preliminary• Depth

– 2-20 fathom (9-15 fthm)• From coast

– 5-21 km (10 km)• More Data

– Satellite Tagging– Sightings

Spatial Model

• Go into spatial model• Occasional sightings• Power Users

– Steam in– Log start– Record all whale (#)– CDR port

Whale Sightings WAas of 20 September 2014

Fisher Behaviour

Recovered Gear70 WRL (28 %)

3 Octopus (17 %) responded

Conclusion• Gear modifications used in 2014

– Total entanglements down 32 to 14– WRL entanglements down 18 to 6– Octopus entanglements down 3 to 2

• Investigating whale migration and fishing effort

• Assistance in data collection– Power user (whale sightings WA)– Surveys of gear

Forum• Gear modifications used in 2014

– How were they….• Gear modifications for 2015

– Improvement / Issues

Minister

Ministerial Whale Entanglement Taskforce

Operational Whale Entanglement Reference Group

Forums• Dongara• Hillarys

Survey