The North Atlantic right whale population faces a severe threat of extinction, with only around 400 individuals remaining. Entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes are the primary causes of death for these endangered whales in both the U.S. and Canada. Specifically, trap/pot gear used in lobster and crab fisheries poses a significant entanglement risk to adult whales. To mitigate this critical issue, regulations are being developed to reduce right whale entanglement in U.S. commercial pot/trap fishing gear by 60 percent. Achieving this ambitious goal requires innovative solutions and effective decision-making tools. This article reviews a newly developed decision support tool designed to aid in this crucial conservation effort.
Understanding the Need for a Decision Support Tool
The Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team, comprising stakeholders dedicated to both whale welfare and sustainable fisheries, recognized the necessity for improved tools to assess the effectiveness of different fishing management strategies. They sought a way to quantify the potential risk reduction associated with various fishing scenarios. In response to this demand, scientists developed a decision support tool to provide data-driven insights for informed decision-making.
Peer Review Validation of the Tool’s Scientific Rigor
To ensure the reliability and validity of the decision support tool, it underwent a rigorous peer review process. An independent panel of scientists, possessing expertise in relevant fields but not directly involved in the tool’s development, meticulously evaluated it from November 19-21, 2019. Their reports, now publicly accessible, affirm the tool’s scientific quality and rigor. This peer review process underscores NOAA Fisheries’ commitment to utilizing the best available scientific information in its decision-making processes, including the development and evaluation of new methodologies like this decision support tool. The scientific community widely recognizes peer review as a cornerstone of robust research and reliable findings.
Key Features and Functionality of the Decision Support Tool
The reviewers concluded that this decision support tool offers a valuable and transparent platform for stakeholders, including the fishing industry and fisheries managers, to compare the relative entanglement risk changes for right whales under different fishing conditions. The tool enables users to input various parameters, such as fishing gear characteristics, rope strength, and fishing location. By overlaying gear deployment data with whale density data across different areas and seasons, the tool calculates a relative risk “score.” Importantly, it also considers the correlation between rope strength and entanglement severity, acknowledging that stronger ropes can increase the likelihood of serious or fatal entanglement. This comprehensive approach provides a nuanced understanding of risk factors.
Implications and Next Steps in Whale Conservation
It is crucial to understand that the model’s output is not definitive but rather serves to inform management decisions. The decision support tool empowers the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team, NOAA Fisheries, and state collaborators to compare and evaluate different management alternatives for potential rulemaking. NOAA Fisheries will integrate the insights from this tool, alongside other analytical resources and existing research, during the rulemaking process. This integrated approach aims to assess whether proposed management strategies effectively achieve the target of a 60 percent reduction in entanglement risk. The anticipated publication of a proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement in summer 2020, followed by public comment periods, demonstrates a commitment to inclusive and transparent decision-making. Ongoing collaboration with the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team, regional stakeholders, and Canada remains vital to support both right whale recovery and the sustainability of fisheries.
Conclusion: A Valuable Tool for Collaborative Conservation
In conclusion, the decision support tool represents a significant advancement in the effort to protect North Atlantic right whales. Through its transparent and data-driven approach, validated by rigorous peer review, it provides a crucial resource for informed decision-making in fisheries management. While not a definitive solution, this tool empowers stakeholders to collaboratively explore and evaluate strategies for minimizing entanglement risk and fostering the recovery of this critically endangered species, while striving to maintain viable fisheries.
