(e) developing developing decoys to lure killer whales away 

 from fishing vessels retrieving longline gear; (f) using 

 explosives, rubber bullets, electric shock, emetics such as 

 lithium chloride, or other aversive stimuli to condition 

 killer whales to avoid fishing gear or fishing areas; or some 

 combination of these measures. It was also noted that the 

 same problem has been occurring in the Bering Sea since the 

 1960s. 



During the telephone conference, Commission represen- 

 tatives pointed out that: there are no obvious solutions to 

 the problem other than prohibiting longline fisheries at 

 times and in places where killer whales are present; trial 

 and error experimentation with explosives or other possible 

 deterrents could result in habituation and positive rather 

 than negative reinforcement, making the problem more diffi- 

 cult to overcome; better understanding of acoustic or other 

 cues attracting killer whales to vessels retrieving longline 

 gear might suggest ways for avoiding or reducing interac- 

 tions; and a workshop involving the affected fishermen, 

 cetacean biologists, acousticians, and other relevant experts 

 might be the most effective way to determine how best to 

 identify and evaluate possible ways to prevent or reduce 

 interactions. 



During the summer and fall of 1986, researchers from the 

 Alaska Sea Grant Program conducted additional studies to 

 assess and monitor the killer whales affecting and being 

 affected by the sablefish fishery in Prince William Sound, 

 and to determine whether entangling caught fish or other 

 non-lethal means might be useful for preventing or reducing 

 killer whale depredation of caught sablefish. In addition, 

 the National Marine Fisheries Service continued to extract 

 and analyze data from existing observer reports and asked 

 observers placed aboard Japanese longline vessels operating 

 in the eastern Bering Sea to record and report any interac- 

 tions with killer whales. The results of these and prior 

 studies were reviewed and discussed during the Commission's 

 meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, on 28-30 October 1986. During 

 the meeting, there also was discussion and general agreement 

 on the desirability of holding a workshop to identify and 

 describe the types of research that would be necessary or 

 desirable to evaluate the potential costs and benefits of 

 alternative approaches to the problem. Representatives of 

 the Alaska Marine Advisory Program drafted terms of reference 

 for a possible workshop and sought comments from representa- 

 tives of the Commission, the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service, and other organizations present at the Commission's 

 meeting. A final determination on the proposal for a 

 workshop will be made early in 1987. 



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