Structure and Assessment of Beluga Whale, Delphinapterus leucas, Populations in the Russian Far East

In 2000, the International Whaling Commission conducted a global assessment of beluga whales, Delphinapterus leucas. Following this assessment, five beluga stocks were recognized in Russian Far East waters: Western Chukchi-East Siberian Sea, Anadyr Gulf, Shelikhov, Sakhalin-Amur, and Shantar. This p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine fisheries review 2019-06, Vol.81 (3-4), p.72
Main Authors: Shpak, Olga V, Meschersky, Ilya G, Glazov, Dmitry M, Litovka, Denis I, Kuznetsova, Daria M, Rozhnov, Viatcheslav V
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Beluga (Whale)
Biological research
Cetacea
Distribution
Marine biology
Observations
Whaling
Wildlife conservation
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Summary:In 2000, the International Whaling Commission conducted a global assessment of beluga whales, Delphinapterus leucas. Following this assessment, five beluga stocks were recognized in Russian Far East waters: Western Chukchi-East Siberian Sea, Anadyr Gulf, Shelikhov, Sakhalin-Amur, and Shantar. This paper provides a revised assessment of beluga abundance, distribution, and population structure in the Russian Far East. This region encompasses the Okhotsk Sea, and the coastline of the Chukotka Autonomous Region (CAR), which includes the western Bering, western Chukchi, and eastern East Siberian seas. Published results of genetic analysis are updated with our original unpublished data. Based on information available to date, we propose recognizing seven beluga stocks in the Russian Far East. Five stocks in the Okhotsk Sea: 1) Sakhalin-Amur, 2) Ulbansky, 3) Tugursky, 4) Udskaya, 5) Shelikhov, and two stocks in the CAR: 6) Anadyr, and 7) Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort (BCB). Natural and anthropogenic threats to these stocks are described and include ice entrapment, over-fishing of key prey, live captures for aquaria, bycatch in fisheries, exposure to effluent, and seismic and military activities.
ISSN:0090-1830
1939-2044
DOI:10.7755/MFR.81.3-4.3