Working Group on Marine Mammal Ecology (Wgmme)
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WORKING GROUP ON MARINE MAMMAL ECOLOGY (WGMME) VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 39 ICES SCIENTIFIC REPORTS RAPPORTS SCIENTIFIQUES DU CIEM ICES INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE EXPLORATION OF THE SEA CIEM CONSEIL INTERNATIONAL POUR L’EXPLORATION DE LA MER ICES Scientific Reports Volume 2 | Issue 39 WORKING GROUP ON MARINE MAMMAL ECOLOGY (WGMME) Recommended format for purpose of citation: ICES. 2020. Working Group on Marine Mammal Ecology (WGMME). ICES Scientific Reports. 2:39. 85 pp. http://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.5975 Editors Anders Galatius • Anita Gilles Authors Markus Ahola • Matthieu Authier • Sophie Brasseur • Julia Carlström • Farah Chaudry • Ross Culloch • Peter Evans • Anders Galatius • Steve Geelhoed • Anita Gilles • Philip Hammond • Ailbhe Kavanagh • Karl Lundström • Kelly Macleod • Abbo van Neer • Kjell Nilssen • Graham Pierce • Janneke Ransijn • Bob Rumes • Begoña Santos ICES | WGMME 2020 | I Contents i Executive summary .......................................................................................................................iii ii Expert group information ..............................................................................................................iv 1 ToR A. Review and report on any new information on seal and cetacean population abundance, population/stock structure, management frameworks (including indicators and targets for MSFD assessments), and anthropogenic threats to individual health and population status........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 New abundance and distribution information ................................................................ 1 1.1.1 Seal abundance and distribution ..................................................................................... 1 1.1.1.1 Abundance, Iceland ......................................................................................................... 4 1.1.1.2 Abundance, Baltic Sea ...................................................................................................... 6 1.1.1.3 Abundance, Atlantic Scandinavia ................................................................................... 10 1.1.1.4 Abundance, Continental coast, Wadden Sea to France ................................................. 12 1.1.1.5 Abundance, UK .............................................................................................................. 15 1.1.1.6 Abundance, North America ........................................................................................... 17 1.1.1.7 New information on seal distribution ............................................................................ 18 1.2 Cetacean abundance and distribution ........................................................................... 19 1.2.1 Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) of harbour porpoises in the Baltic Sea .................. 19 1.2.1.1 Visual monitoring and strandings .................................................................................. 20 1.3 Management frameworks (including indicators and targets for MSFD assessments) .................................................................................................................. 32 1.3.1 Seal management frameworks ...................................................................................... 32 1.3.2 Cetacean Management frameworks (including indicators and targets for MSFD assessments) .................................................................................................................. 33 1.4 New information on anthropogenic threats .................................................................. 34 1.4.1 Update on cumulative effects ........................................................................................ 34 1.4.2 Foodweb ........................................................................................................................ 34 1.4.3 Fishery bycatch .............................................................................................................. 35 1.4.4 Pollution ......................................................................................................................... 35 1.4.5 Underwater noise .......................................................................................................... 36 1.4.6 Disturbance .................................................................................................................... 41 1.5 References ..................................................................................................................... 41 2 ToR B. Review foraging areas and estimate consumption by relevant seal and cetacean species in case study areas .......................................................................................................... 48 2.1 References ..................................................................................................................... 56 3 ToRC. Review selected aspects of marine mammalfishery interactions. Details of this ToR to be agreed with WGBYC ........................................................................................................... 60 3.1 Conservation objectives and targets with respect to maximum mortality ................... 60 3.2 New legislation at the European Union level ................................................................. 61 3.3 Stranding records of marine mammals.......................................................................... 62 3.3.1 Country by country stranding information .................................................................... 63 3.4 Seal fisheries interactions .............................................................................................. 67 3.5 References ..................................................................................................................... 73 4 ToR D. Update the database for seals ......................................................................................... 76 4.1 The ‘ICES/WGMME seal database’ ................................................................................ 76 4.2 Other species and missing areas .................................................................................... 76 4.3 References ..................................................................................................................... 80 5 ToR E. Address the special request from EU on emergency measures bycatch Northeast Atlantic by: .................................................................................................................................. 81 Annex 1: List of participants.......................................................................................................... 82 Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... 84 ii | ICES SCIENTIFIC REPORTS 2: 39 | ICES Annex 2: Resolutions .................................................................................................................... 85 ToRs 2020 .................................................................................................................................... 85 ICES | WGMME 2020 | III i Executive summary The Working Group on Marine Mammal Ecology (WGMME) meeting 2020 was chaired remotely by Anita Gilles (Germany) and Anders Galatius (Denmark) and on-site chairs Matthieu Authier (France) and Ross Culloch (Scotland, UK). Two terms of references were standing ToRs; under the first of these, ToR A, new and updated information on seal and cetacean population abundance, population/stock structure, manage- ment frameworks as well as anthropogenic threats to individual health and population status were reviewed. The latest abundance data on harbour, grey and ringed seals are also reviewed under this ToR along with findings on threats to marine mammals such as bycatch, pollution, marine debris and noise. ToR B arose to facilitate the work of WGBIOIV’s ToR A; “Investigate mechanisms linking trophic guilds under contrasting levels of pressure and/or primary production in case study areas”. The initial focus of work should be on harbour porpoise, grey seal and harbour seal in the North Sea as a case study and, therefore, a number of recent studies addressing diet, foraging distribution and trophic interactions were reviewed. Additionally, an overview of published and un- published data on diet and distribution of marine mammals in the North Sea was synthesized. ToR C was implemented to review aspects of marine mammal-fishery interactions not covered by ICES WGBYC. In 2020, WGMME focused its efforts on i) reviewing conservation objectives with respect to maximum mortality since the lack of conservation targets was identified as hin- dering the ability to address marine mammal-fisheries interactions, ii) assessing the use of stranding records as a source of information to identify abnormal mortality and possible rela- tions to fisheries. A country-by-country review of current stranding network activities was in- cluded. ToR D, updating the database for seals, is the second standing term of reference. The database format generated in 2019 was updated with the most recent data on seal abundance. IV | ICES SCIENTIFIC REPORTS 2:39 | ICES ii Expert group information Expert group name Working Group on Marine Mammal Ecology (WGMME) Expert group cycle Annual Year cycle started 2020 Reporting year in cycle 1/1 Chairs Anita