Workshop To Assess Possible Systems for Tracking Large Cetaceans 



Radio-tagging and tracking appears to offer the only 

 cost-effective way to obtain movement and related information 

 necessary to adequately assess the possible effects of offshore 

 oil and gas development and other human activities on endangered 

 cetaceans. The Minerals Management Service, the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service, and other organizations have devoted 

 substantial effort to developing and testing technology and 

 techniques for radio-tagging and using satellites to relay 

 location and other data from tagged whales. These efforts, 

 although partially successful, have not demonstrated that a safe 

 and effective system has been developed. Thus, in late 1986, 

 the Minerals Management Service requested that the Commission 

 convene a workshop to: (1) determine what, if any, problems 

 must be overcome to develop a safe and effective system for 

 long-term tracking and/or relocation of large cetaceans; (2) 

 determine whether and, if so, how the identified problems 

 might best be overcome; and (3) estimate the time, money, 

 special equipment, and logistic support that would be required 

 to accomplish the identified tasks. 



The Workshop, funded by the Minerals Management Service, 

 was held at the Northwest and Alaska Fisheries Center, Seattle, 

 Washington, on 24-26 February 1987. Participants included 

 researchers who have been involved in radio-tagging cetaceans 

 and other mammals; representatives of organizations involved 

 in developing and manufacturing tracking equipment; and repre- 

 sentatives of the Minerals Management Service, the Marine 

 Mammal Commission, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the 

 Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Navy, the British Sea 

 Mammal Research Unit, the Canadian Department of Fisheries 

 and Oceans, and several state agencies. Participants concluded, 

 among other things, that: 



there are at least two radio-tag types that may 



be safe and effective for long-term satellite-linked 



monitoring of whale movement patterns and related 



behavioral characteristics. The first is a dart-type 



projectile tag, which is shot from a bow or gun and 



is imbedded in the whale with only the antenna protruding 



through the skin. The second is a barnacle-type tag 



which is attached, either remotely or directly, with 



only the attachment mechanism penetrating the skin of 



the whale; 



a high-frequency, high-power-output transmitter certi- 

 fied for use with the Argos satellite detection-relay 

 system has not been and possibly cannot be configured 

 to fit into a projectile tag of the size range currently 

 being used for conventional VHF radio tags. Although 

 Argos-certified transmitters have been configured to 



169 



