Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground in northern Luzon, Philippines

Transcription

1 Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground in northern Luzon, Philippines Project Final Report 2013 Balyena.org

2 Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground in northern Luzon, Philippines PROJECT FINAL REPORT Chief Investigator Jo Marie V. Acebes Project duration January to December 2013 Project implemented by Balyena.org Funded by Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 2

3 Background Information The Babuyan Islands is the only known humpback whale breeding ground in the Philippines and its significance as a breeding destination for humpbacks in the western North Pacific has been underestimated. Recent matches of individual whales between the Philippines and feeding grounds in Russia and further links with other breeding grounds in the western North Pacific presents increasing evidence that the Philippines may be part of the hypothesized missing breeding ground for North Pacific humpback whales. With a minimum of 160 whales migrating to the area and an average of 11 new photo-identified whales each year, it is anticipated that this number will continue to increase with future monitoring. Increasing pressure on this highly diverse marine ecosystem is alarming. Signs of decreasing fish stocks coupled with environmental degradation are evident around the Babuyan Islands from years of destructive and unsustainable fishing practices. With increased ship traffic and higher fishing boat density (i.e. long-lines and gill nets) direct and indirect threats to cetaceans have also become apparent. However, the receptiveness of local communities and their willingness to participate in project initiatives is encouraging and presents an opportunity to further conservation initiatives. Map of the Babuyan Islands, northern Luzon, Philippines Project Objectives This project will build on earlier research and conservation initiatives that have been ongoing since We will continue to monitor the population of humpback whales breeding in the Babuyan Islands in order to expand the Philippine humpback fluke catalogue and work towards estimating the abundance of the population wintering in this region. We will further substantiate links with other populations in the western North Pacific through increased effort and further comparisons of fluke photos and song recordings with groups from Russia, Japan Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 3

4 and Hawaii. Boat-based surveys will allow us to monitor the status of cetaceans in this area by documenting species occurrence, distribution, and cetacean-fishery interactions. Together with the local community, the project will promote and strengthen the proposed Marine Protected and Humpback Whale Conservation Area in Camiguin Island through the cetacean data and educational outreach efforts contributed by our work. The complementary technical support provided by the Project will also enhance the capacity of local stakeholders in implementing and managing the marine tourism plan for the island. Assistance will be given in delineating and marking the marine tourism area around Pamoctan Island and print materials will be provided for the proposed visitor centre. The local fishers association who serve as the sea patrol (bantay dagat) will be provided with uniforms. This local group will also be trained in proper marine life tour guiding that is suitable for their area. Our work will enhance the environmental education and awareness campaign established in previous years at both local and national levels. This will be accomplished by expanding the coverage of schools on the island and mainland Cagayan Province, improving the educational materials and visual aids, and conducting an interactive youth camp. The newly established website will be maintained and updated regularly to disseminate current and interesting information targeting a wider, world-wide audience. Accomplishments and Highlights Humpback whale research The discovery made last year of a new migratory linkage between the humpback whales breeding in the Philippines and the Commander Islands region is significant and the results of our study this year further strengthens the hypothesis suggesting the Philippines may be part of the 'missing breeding ground' for North Pacific humpback whales. Based on our photoid study, 45% of whales captured this season are new while the other 55% are re-captures from previous seasons. This not only shows the whales fidelity to the Babuyan Islands wintering ground but also indicates that there are more whales utilizing this area than initially thought. The number of whales in the Philippine humpback whale fluke catalogue is now 179. In addition, two of the newly identified whales matched with whales in the Ogasawara and Ryukyu (Japan) breeding grounds. Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 4

5 Newly identified humpback whale matched with Ogasawara, Japan breeding ground The Project team surveyed around Camiguin Island for a total of 26 days, allowing them to photo-identify 40 humpback whale individuals. Twenty-two of these were re-sights from previous years. There are now 179 humpback whales in the Philippine fluke catalogue representing a minimum population number of whales breeding around the Babuyan Islands. Eighteen newly photo-identified whales this year indicates that this number will still increase with continued monitoring. Although initial comparisons with the Russian catalogue did not result in any match with the newly photo-identified whales, efforts are underway to compare with the catalogue for other western north Pacific feeding grounds. Connection with researchers from the Japan breeding grounds are also being re-established for comparison of fluke photos with their updated catalogue. Initial comparison and analysis of songs between the Philippines, Japan and Hawaii have been completed by our research collaborators, Whale Trust. A manuscript has been submitted and it is expected to be published by the first quarter of Song recording this season was minimal due to the breakdown of the hydrophone at the beginning of the field season. Only approximately three hours of humpback song recordings were made. Small cetacean species diversity and threats The team encountered four other cetacean species this season: short-finned pilot whales, Fraser s dolphins, pantropical spotted dolphins and rough-toothed dolphins. Out of 11 small cetacean species that are known to occur in the Babuyan Islands, 3 are considered uncommon in the Philippines (Pseudorca crassidens, Feresa attenuata, Steno bredanensis) which could make the area significant as a potential site for detailed studies of these little-known species. Based on behaviors and pod compositions observed, it is suggested that this is an area where these species breed and interact with other cetacean species. Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 5

6 Commonly encountered small cetacean species in the Babuyan Islands: melon-headed whales (LEFT) and Fraser s dolphins (RIGHT) It is evident that certain small cetacean species interact with fisheries in the area. Evidence from dorsal fin photoid study shows that rough-toothed dolphins have high frequency interactions with fishing gear. Increased use of fishing gear such as long-lines and drift gill-nets pose a threat to cetaceans in the Babuyan marine corridor. Rough-toothed dolphin with cuts from fishing gear A new potential threat to cetaceans and other marine life in the Babuyan Island group was identified. Black sand mining began operating near the coasts of Camiguin Island in June If left unabated, this illegal, destructive activity will pose a serious threat to the entire coastal and marine ecosystem of Camiguin Island. Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 6

7 Ship extracting black sand from near the shores of Camiguin Island (photo taken using a mobile phone, June 2013) Educational Outreach and Public awareness The educational outreach of the Project was further increased with the success of the environmental education campaign on the Island and coastal municipalities on the mainland. Constant updating of our Balyena.org social media page (Facebook ) which is linked to our website and Twitter account increased our reach to the general Filipino public and worldwide. We have 1,279 followers and counting. Updates on the Project s work were consistently posted on social media pages: Facebook pages of Balyena.org and Marine Wildlife Watch Philippines). Be Whale Wise t-shirts were produced to promote responsible whale watching in the Philippines. This was officially launched on our Balyena.org Facebook page on October Environmental education outreach activities for elementary and high school students in Camiguin Island were conducted. An interactive lesson plan was devised to show the importance of the ecosystems in Camiguin Island. The activity had a total reach of 259 students from Camiguin elementary school and Lyceum High school. A three-day Environmental Youth Camp was held at the village of Balatubat in Camiguin Island. The activity was conducted in partnership with DENR Region 2 s ICRMP, BFAR and the Local Government Unit of Calayan. A total of 24 students from five different municipalities in Cagayan Province, including Batanes participated in the youth camp. Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 7

8 Clockwise from top left: Environmental Youth Camp in Camiguin Island; Educational Outreach in Camiguin Island; Outreach in Sta. Ana High School and Fisheries School. Environmental education outreach on three mainland coastal municipalities in Cagayan and Ilocos Norte covered 7 high schools: 2 in Sta. Ana; 3 in Aparri; and, 2 in Pagudpud. A special lecture session was also conducted at the College of Fisheries and Marine Science of the Cagayan State University (CSU) in Aparri. This activity reached a total of 1,212 students. Table of schools and number of students participated in the Educational Outreach on the mainland. SCHOOL NO. OF ATTENDEES LEVEL St. Anthony High School st and 2 nd year Sta. Ana Fisheries National 81 3 rd and 4 th year High School TESDA Aparri School of Arts st to 4 th year & Trades St. Paul School Aparri 227 Grade 7 to 4 th year High school CSU Aparri (College of Fisheries and Marine Science 66 Education, Fisheries and Marine Biology students Aparri East National High 48 Grade 7 to 4 th year High school School Pasaleng National High School 100 Grade 7 and 3 rd year High school Luzong National High School st and 2 nd year High school Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 8

9 The Project participated in the 3rd Bohol Dolphin Festival 2013 in June at Tagbilaran City where people from all walks of life attended. The Project also participated in Pangdan day in Jagna, Bohol a half-day marine environmental activity for elementary school kids in the coastal village of Pangdan organized by partner non-profit organization, the Large Marine Vertebrate Project (LA.MA.VE.) of Physalus. A poster entitled Photographic identification of humpback whales in the Babuyan Islands, northern Luzon, Philippines was also presented at the 12 th National Symposium on Marine Science at Tacloban City on October Two posters were presented at the 20 th Biennial conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals held at Dunedin, New Zealand on 9-13 December: Small cetacean diversity in the Babuyan Islands, northern Luzon, Philippines and Steno bredanensis in the Babuyan Islands, northern Luzon, Philippines. Marine Protected Area establishment and management One of the most important outcomes of the Project is the finalization of the management plan and implementing rules and regulations for the proposed Balatubat Marine Protected and Humpback Whale Conservation Area (MPHWCA) and the signing of the village (barangay) ordinance declaring the MPHWCA by the village councilors. This makes it one step closer to a municipal ordinance which, if passed, will make it the first whale conservation area in the Philippines. As part of this effort, 100 t-shirts for the local sea patrol group (bantay dagat) and the Balatubat Fisherfolks Association in Camiguin Island were produced and distributed on July These are to be used by the locals as uniforms during their patrolling. Bantay dagat patrol shirts The Project also provided recommendations in the barangay (village) ordinance, including guidelines for tourism activities, a design for a proposed visitor centre, and Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 9

10 educational materials for display. Posters on different island wildlife will be displayed when the proposed visitor centre is established. The planned training-workshop on marine life tour guiding was suspended due to local political issues relating to black sand mining. Please see section on Challenges and Constraints for further explanation. Challenges and Constraints The Project hydrophone broke down during the second leg of the humpback whale survey and with the absence of a replacement unit, no humpback sound recordings were made from mid-march onwards. One of the Project s GPS units was lost during the second leg of the survey while another older unit malfunctioned during the third leg. One of our research collaborators, the DENR s ICRM Project was not able to deliver their counterpart of equipment, namely the digital SLR camera, GPS unit, laptop and hydrophone. This set back the field work significantly because the team was limited to using only one digital SLR camera and GPS unit. Volunteer researchers brought their personal laptops, GPS units and cameras. Adverse weather conditions hampered the survey during the first and third legs of the boat-based survey reducing our research effort. Due to the absence of sightings of humpback whales in the Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte area the planned land-based monitoring there was cancelled. The marine life tour guiding training-workshop planned for May 2013 was put onhold because of the unfavourable political situation in the island. A black sand mining operation began in June 2013 which upset the local community on the island. Amidst community protests, local village and municipality officials persisted that the operation was valid and beneficial to the community. In response to this we provided the locals with information materials regarding the detrimental effects of this activity to increase their understanding of the situation. We also assisted them in writing and sending letters of protest and complaint to various government agencies concerned, including a letter to the office of the President of the Philippines. We also launched a social media campaign to stop this illegal mining activity with the help of supporters and online news media contacts. As of writing of this report, the black sand mining operations have ceased however, it cannot be determined whether the extraction will resume in the coming summer To compensate for this activity cancellation, an alternative activity was conducted. A training for whale & dolphin operators and local women s group in Pamilacan Island, Bohol was conducted to teach them how to sew small stuffed dolphin toys ( Conservation Sew Mates ) as a possible supplementary livelihood project. This project was agreed upon with the locals as a sign of their commitment to adhere by and promote the national guidelines on responsible whale and dolphin watching. Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 10

11 Recommendations and next steps Conservation Sew Mates workshop in Pamilacan Island One of the important next steps is to further the work towards the protection of the coastal area of Camiguin Island for humpback whales and all marine resources. Technical and logistical support must be provided to the locals for the establishment and strengthening of their Marine Protected and Humpback Whale Conservation Area. The needs and capacity of locals must be met in order to sustain the conservation work initiated in the area. Para-legal and enforcement trainings for locals are recommended in order to empower and increase their capacity to protect their environment from illegal and destructive activities such as black sand mining. The environmental education outreach must be extended to all schools in the Babuyan Islands group (i.e. Fuga, Calayan, Babuyan Claro) and the coastal municipalities of Cagayan along the Babuyan channel (i.e. Claveria, Gonzaga). By making it a regular activity, local awareness in the region will increase and can be sustained. It is also crucial to continue the annual survey monitoring of humpback whales through photo-identification and sound recordings because it is evident that the number of whales utilizing this area as a wintering ground is significant. Regular seasonal monitoring will enable a better understanding of this vulnerable and little-known stock of humpback whales. This is particularly important given the increased direct threats to the whales and the compounding ecosystem threats to the area. It is highly recommended that the land-based monitoring program on Pamoctan Island (Camiguin) be re-established and strengthened as this will provide valuable data that will fill in gaps to the knowledge about the seasonality and abundance of humpback whales in the Philippines. If coupled with the expansion of the monitoring site to the other 2 Islands, Fuga and Calayan, and conducting genetic study through biopsy sampling, a better understanding of this subpopulation may be achieved. APPENDICES I. Posters: Small cetacean diversity in the Babuyan Islands, northern Luzon, Philippines and Steno bredanensis in the Babuyan Islands, northern Luzon, Philippines. Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 11

12 II. Poster: Photographic identification of humpback whales in the Babuyan Islands, northern Luzon, Philippines III. Barangay Balatubat Resolution Endorsing the Adoption of the Management Plan of Balatubat Marine Protected and Humpback Whale Conservation Area (MPHWCA). Acknowledgements This project would not have been possible without our local coordinator and volunteers, Mr. Junel Tagarino, Darius Macusi, Maita Verdote and Shotaro Nakagun; our associate investigators, Jose Mari Daclan and Mr. Elson Aca and our project partners, Whale Trust, Physalus LA.MA.VE. Project Team, BFAR-R2 and DENR2-ICRMP. We thank the volunteers who assisted in the conduct of the cetacean surveys in 2013: Ruby Magturo, Lizz Ubaldo-Ardary, Tanya Hong, Lourdes Tan, Amanda Prejger, Oscar Espenilla, Jason Marges, Adam Mohd Hanif, Sharleen Cedeño, Hairul Masrini Muhamad, Alisandra Abadia, Karla Vizcarra, Kim Lao, Stefania Basile, and Enriquo Velasquez. We are sincerely grateful for the generosity and hospitality of Mrs. Juanita Llopis and family, Sister Soraida and St. Anthony School Sta. Ana, Dir. Jovita Ayson, and our boat captain Mr. Harlie Aguinaldo. We thank WWF-Philippines for allowing us to gain access to past humpback whale project data. We also thank Mr. Pierre Palallos for designing our IEC materials and Mr. Kelly Dolan for making our maps. We are also grateful for the continued support of the LGU of Calayan, Barangay Captain of Balatubat, and the Provincial Government of Cagayan. Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 12

13 APPENDIX I

14 Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 14

15 APPENDIX II Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 15

16 APPENDIX III Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 16

17 Research and conservation of a humpback whale winter breeding ground Page 17