>A NOTE CONCERNING THE NEWEST STRANDINGS OF HUMPBACK WHALE (Megaptera novaeangliae) RELATED TO THE BYCATCH IN ECUADOR

Juan JosÉ; Alava ⁽¹⁾⁽⁴⁾, María JosÉ BarragÁn ⁽²⁾, Cristina Castro ⁽³⁾, and RaÚl Carvajal ⁽¹⁾⁽⁴⁾
1) Fundación Natura Capítulo Guayaquil, casilla PO Box 09-01-11327, jj_alava@yahoo.com
(2) Fundación Yaqu Pacha, yacupacha@uio.satnet.net; majobarr@hotmail.com; www.yaqupacha.de
(3) Pacific Whale Foundation, pccastro@interactive.net.ec, www.pacificwhale.org
(4) Fundación Ecuatoriana para el Estudio de Mamíferos Marinos (FEMM), PO box 09-01-11905

Between June and September of each year, a significant number of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, arrive on the Ecuadorian coast to carry out reproduction processes. During July of 2001 and January of 2002, five new strandings of humpback whales were found at different places along the Ecuadorian coast. Most of them were related to the bycatch caused by fishing nets (gillnets) and one of them occurred outside of the humpback whales' reproductive season. We estimate that the average frequency of strandings of humpback whales is 1.57 ind. per year (range: 1-4) since 1994, principally in the central and southern parts of the Ecuadorian coast. 58.33% of the strandings took place in August and most of them were registered in the year 2001(n= 4). In addition, five humpback whales with fishing nets embedded in their pectoral fins and tails were observed in the marine area of the Machalilla National Park and the island of La Plata between July and August. In one of these cases a mother with cables and a net on her head accompanied by her calf was also observed. This bycatch caused by fishery interaction can be possibly related to the strandings occurring at the same time along the Ecuadorian shoreline. The most frequent fishery devices related to the bycatch are the superficial gillnets. Promotion and implementation of environmental education is vital for the conservation of marine mammals; this can be accomplished through the combined efforts of private and governmental organizations within the fishing industry. It is imperative that the Ecuadorian coast be divided into zones and certain areas be delimited for the conservation of humpback whales through agreements with local users of the marine areas.