Cetacean Research in Southeast Asia Waters: Whale Watching Program

( 2008 )

1. INTRODUCTION

In Southeast Asian Region, we familiar with cetacean as dolphin larger than whale. Many questions are always raised up that “do we have whale in our country/region”. People always think that whales are highly migratory species in the Ocean not on the continental shelf of the region. Not many researches on the cetacean have been conducted in particular whales. Why and when do whales migrate to the region in particular coastal habitat? What are they doing in the coastal habitat? Some push-net fishermen operated near shore for small shrimp in upper gulf of Thailand said that “large size of whale comes to this area every year to feed small fishes. Fishermen believed and respected to whale as GOD from the sea, they never harmful whales. Fishermen do not notice that how whale affects to the coastal habitat. No one knows how much small fishes and shrimp are taken away from the habitat. Same practices may occur in many countries in the region, such as Myanmar because there were group of whale (larger than 20m long) found death on the coastal areas at almost the same period.

Most of the coastal habitat where whale migrate to are the site of Fishery Refugia or not, that is a question. Since in the Southeast Asian Region, fisheries resources are declining, a way to improvement fishing grounds is to prevent the nursery and spawning grounds as call Fishery Refugia. Regarding this how to protect in case there is the same feed habitat of whale?

SEAFDEC have collected research works on the cetacean in particular dolphin in the Southeast Asian Region. So far there are not many research works on whale rather than just record dead whale found on the coastal areas.

With regards to the survey plan of SEAFDEC Research vessels in the Southeast Asia waters, cetacean species such as dolphin and whale were often found by sighting. Every year, more than 5,000 nm the research vessel, namely MV SEAFDEC2 has sailed to many sea areas in the region. If we could have watching program to collect and make inventory of cetacean species, it will be very useful information for the region .

2. OBJECTIVES

     1) Inventory of cetacean namely whale and dolphin found in the Southeast Asia Waters through the whale watching program on board research vessels namely MV SEAFDEC2 and national research vessels

     2) Information gathering of the accidentally death of cetacean on the coastal areas of the region

     3) Dissemination of the Species composition of Cetacean and their distribution in relation to their habitat/coastal ecosystem in the Southeast Asia waters

     4) To form of the working group party on information collection of tuna fisheries from concerned member countries

3. ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR 2008

1. Consultation Visit and Preparatory Works

Consultation visit to Japan for Collaborative arrangements of the whale watching program by MV SEAFDEC2 and national Research vessels will be made in the 1st quarter of 2008. The objectives are to discuss with the Japanese expert on SEAFDEC whale watching program in the Southeast waters based on MV SEAFDEC cruises of 2008, in addition to consult and invite Japanese expert as a trainer to build the SEAFDEC human resources capacity on identification of cetacean through watching program in near future.
- Preparation for equipments and survey manual

2. Information Gathering and Actual Survey by Research Vessels

Based on the utilization of MV SEAFDEC2 by SEAFDEC member countries in 2008, there are 3 research cruises will be conducted (not finalized yet). Regarding this all cruising routes of MV SEAFDEC2 will be performed by whale watching program. In the 1 st or 2 nd cruises, a Japanese expert will be invited to join and transfer know-how on cetacean identification to SEAFDEC researchers.

3. Data Analysis and Information Dissemination

Data from the whale watching program and information gathering will be analyzed focusing on the list of cetaceans and their abundance found in the Southeast Asia waters. The preliminary outcome from the project will be drafted.

Expected Outcome:  

1. Inventory of the Cetacean species in the Sotheast Asia waters..(preliminary outcome) .

2. Database of the project

3. Information collection of all cetacean distributed in the Southeast Asia waters