Report of the Southern Right Whale Die-Off Workshop

RODOLFO WERNER; MARCELO BERTELLOTTI; ENRIQUE A. CRESPO; DANS SILVANA; DEGRATI MARIANA; ANA FAZIO; MARÍA FLORENCIA GRANDI; ROCIO LOIZAGA DE CASTRO; MARIANO A. COSCARELLA; LUISINA BOSSIO; ALEJANDRO CARRIBERO; NADIA GEREMIAS; MARIA SOLEDAD LINDNER; ET AL

Workshop; REUNIÓN DEL COMITÉ CIENTÍFICO DE LA COMISIÓN BALLENERA INTERNACIONAL; 2010

International Whaling Commission

The workshop considered the evidence and concluded that there is reason for concern about the relatively high level ofmortality, particularly of calves, experienced in recent years by the population of southern right whales that uses thePenínsula Valdés region as a calving/nursery area. A total of 366 whales, including 333 calves, were found dead atPenínsula Valdés between 2003 and 2009. For the vast majority of these, the cause of death is unknown. The workshopfurther took note of the statement by the IWC Scientific Committee in 2009 that the long-term databases developed byresearch projects in Argentina and Brazil have great value for monitoring the population dynamics and health ofsouthern right whales in the western South Atlantic. Participants in the workshop wished to express support for thestrong recommendation by the SC that the monitoring work on the right whale population off the east coast of SouthAmerica should continue without interruption. In addition, it was noted that a programme of right whale research hadstarted in Uruguay and participants agreed that it should be expanded and integrated with the programmes in Braziland Argentina.