Off Kaikoura, New Zealand: Effects of Tourism

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Off Kaikoura, New Zealand: Effects of Tourism Behaviour and movement patterns of dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) off Kaikoura, New Zealand: Effects of tourism David J. Lundquist A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand July 2011 ii ABSTRACT Tourism targeting cetaceans near Kaikoura, New Zealand began in the late 1980s and five commercial operators offer tours to swim with or view pods of dusky dolphins. These dolphins are part of a large, mobile population of dusky dolphins found around the southern New Zealand coast. The New Zealand Department of Conservation commissioned a study in the mid-90s (Barr and Slooten 1999) examining the effects of tourism on dusky dolphins, and placed a 10-year moratorium on new permits. This study was designed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of tourism on dusky dolphins by collecting current data and comparing it to data collected by previous researchers. It was also timed to provide further recommendations for management of this activity at the end of the 10-year moratorium. Focal group follow methods were used to track movement and behaviour of large pods of dusky dolphins from a shore station, and the number of water entries (swim drop) and length of time swimmers spent in the water were collected onboard tour vessels. Behaviour and movement of dusky dolphins was variable by season and time of day, sophisticated analytical techniques accounted for this variability and described responses of dolphins to vessels. Dolphins spent less time resting and socialising and more time milling when vessels were present. Bout lengths for all behavioural states except milling were significantly shortened in the presence of vessels. Group swimming speed slowed as the number of vessels present grew, and all leap types except porpoising increased. The magnitude of changes grew as the number of vessels present rose, but was not highly dependent on vessel type. More than three vessels were present in 2.0% of observations. During the midday rest period, vessels were within 300 meters of dolphins 25.8% of observations. When the number of swim-tour vessels increased from two to three, there was a significant increase in the number of swim drops required and a corresponding significant decrease in the length of each swim drop. Comparison with data collected by other researchers indicated that responses of dusky dolphins to tourism vessels have grown over time, from prior to the advent of tourism (1984- 1988), during the growth of tourism (1993-1999), until the present (2008-2010). Resting has significantly decreased, while milling has increased. Group swimming speeds have decreased. No large-scale habitat shift has occurred, though there may be fine-scale shifts toward shallower water and southward. iii Responses of dolphins have grown in magnitude, an indication that the animals are less tolerant of vessel traffic than in the past. Because this study examined group behaviour, it is not clear if lowered tolerance is due to individual sensitisation, disinterest, or a general response to increased boat traffic. The potential short-term effects of the reported responses include changes in energy expenditure (positive or negative), reduced ability to communicate, displacement from preferred habitat, and increased exposure to predators, but it is not apparent that any of these effects are occurring. Chronic exposure to disturbance has been linked to habitat displacement and reduced reproductive success in bottlenose dolphins, so the results described here indicate there is potential for population-level impact on dusky dolphins. Research into the mechanism of disturbance is proposed, to determine whether acoustic masking of dolphin vocalisations is occurring. The physiological effects of behavioural changes must also be investigated. The energetic cost of changes in behavioural state should be quantified, and research is needed to determine if stress hormone levels increase in the presence of tourism vessels. In order to determine if reproductive success is affected by vessel traffic, individual levels of exposure must be quantified, and correlated with pregnancy and birth rates. Better population estimates are needed to evaluate whether population-level effects are occurring, and aerial survey work around New Zealand is needed. Local abundance near the tourism area should also be tracked to see if habitat displacement occurs. Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) were initially developed to manage visitor numbers within the national park system in the United States. Managers recognised the ecological impact that large numbers of visitors had on the park, and devised a system which established limits which would allow the maximum number of visitors but not degrade the resource. This system was adopted by wildlife managers, and is dependent upon setting threshold LAC parameters which are based on measureable limits of change. The work proposed above is needed to establish meaningful levels at which biologically significant change occurs. These threshold values should be established as the (LAC) for management of this activity. A consistent 5-year cycle should also be set for re-evaluation of responses of dusky dolphins relative to the LAC criteria. Annual data collection should be established to continue building the long-term time-series data needed to evaluate LAC criteria. Shore- based observations of tourism vessels should be used to enhance monitoring of operations for compliance with regulations. In 2010, changes to permit conditions were instituted which included limits on the number of swim drops per tour, an increase in the number of swimmers allowed per tour, and mandatory observance of the midday rest period. If these changes do iv not succeed in reducing vessel traffic near dusky dolphins, managers must consider reducing the number of commercial permits or the number of vessels allowed within 300 meters until appropriate LAC criteria are established. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sitting down to come up with a list of people to thank was a pleasant journey through memories from the last 4 years, and in the end it’s hard to believe my name is the only one at the top. There are so many people who have helped along the way, and I will endeavour to include everyone here. Please accept my apology if you’re not listed – I’ve tried to remember everyone! There were a great many people who helped me in the field, including three full classes of university students and many others who assisted for a week or less. But there were a few who committed months of their life to helping me full-time: Jenna Soulliere, Joana Castro, Sarah Piwetz, Stephanie Milne, Marloes Baltus, and Lesley Lundquist. We shared some good times up on the hill at Goose Bay, and saw some beautiful things. I appreciate your hard work, and if I can repay you in the future I’ll do so happily. A number of colleagues also played a big part of my time in Kaikoura. Help in the field, talks of methodology, writing reports, housing, home cooking, wine, and heaps of card games were shared with: Bernd Würsig, Tim Markowitz, Wendy Markowitz, Sam DuFresne, Alejandro and Lisa Acevedo, Jody Weir, and Jack Van Berkel. Each of you played a big part in this work, and I appreciate your efforts! An incredibly important part of my thesis is dependent upon the efforts of researchers who came before me and were willing to provide data they collected as many as 27 years ago: Frank Cipriano, Kirsty Barr, and Nichollette Brown. A remarkable fact is that each of these scientists sent me their data without ever having met me. I’ve still never met Kirsty or Nichollette, but I hope to deliver my thanks in person some day. I’m still amazed that Frank had his data accessible after 20+ years, and even more so that he could talk about it in detail. Thank you all for sharing in good faith, and I hope I’ve lived up to the standard you set in the past. I owe a great deal of thanks and good will to the tourism operators in Kaikoura. Without their cooperation, much of what I’ve done here would have been impossible. The principals of Encounter Kaikoura – Ian Bradshaw and Dennis and Lynette Buurman – set the tone of cooperation, and if sustainable cetacean tourism is possible I believe they are the responsible sort of owners who can make it happen. The staff at Dolphin Encounter were universally accommodating and accepting, from the office to the sea crew. There are more than I can name, but Alastair, Pete, Mick, Hank, Gary, Vic, Tracey, Mal, Jess, Bev, Alex, Jo, vi Helene, Leigh, Ruth, and Caroline deserve special mention for their efforts. They put in incredibly long hours in a demanding job, and probably go unrecognized by their guests far too often. As someone who saw their work up close, I’m even that much more thankful they were willing to accommodate “dead weight” such as a researcher. It goes without saying that I would not be here chasing this dream without the support of my family back in the US. Mom, Dad, Di, Erika, Kristina, Randy, Nate, Gavin, Mark, and Conni – I can’t put in words how much your support has meant. Thank you! Friends back in the US probably don’t really understand what I’ve done with my life, nor how they’ve played a part. Richard and Shelley win the award as the only ones who managed a visit during my PhD (next cold one is on me!), but the others are forgiven based on a “child exemption”. I’ve also made a huge number of friends here in New Zealand who have helped with adjusting to a new country and making a home here. I truly can’t name everyone who fits in one of these categories.
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