147 



suggested by Gaskin) demonstrated a statistically significant increase (Kenney, 

 1991, 1992; Kenney, Winn, and Macaulay, in prep.). After attempting to 

 quantify the portion of the increase due to improvements in sighting efficien- 

 cy, there was still an increase in sighting rate of 3.8%. This is close to rates 

 calculated from calf production and photoidentification, however still lower 

 than rates in South African or Argentine right whales. 



P 3-11/1 3/L 7: Kraus (1990) suggested that adult mortality rates were lil<ely less 

 than 1 % per year. 



P 3-12/1 1/L 1-3: No one has done any quantitative study of sei whale abundance 

 since CETAP, but the population should be expected to be growing in the 

 absence of whaling (ended in 1972) or any other l<nown anthropogenic or 

 natural source of increased mortality. In 1987, 1988, and 1989, we saw lots 

 of sei whales in the Great South Channel where they had been extremely rare 

 before (Kenney, in prep.), perhaps evidence for a growing population. 



P 3-12/1 2/L 1-2: There are two species of Ammodytes in New England and 

 Canadian waters, A. americanus and A. dub/us. 



P 3-13/1 3/L 8-10: See earlier comment (pp. 6-7) about right whales in the Mid- 

 Atlantic. 



P 3-16/1 2/L 3-5: Only a very small proportion of the population winters off Geor- 

 gia and Florida, with the location of the majority still unknown. 



P 3-16/1 3/L 1-2: What is the source for this? I am not aware of evidence for 

 southward coastal migration. 



P 3-16/1 5/L 5-6: This is only one of a number of possibilities, all of which are 

 only speculation at this point. 



P 3-17/1 3/L 10: There is no basis for suggesting that the wintering ground, 

 except for the calving area, is south of Nova Scotia. 



P 3-17/1 4/L 4-6 and 11-13: There is little or no evidence for "frequent trips" 

 between feeding areas. Mate's tagged whales did make some long excur- 

 sions from Nova Scotian waters, but the number tagged was very small, and 

 only in the late-summer/fall. 



P 3-18/1 3/L 6: Watkins and Schevill described the speed of a feeding right whale 

 as "up to 3 knots" or "2-3 knots," which I presume is the source for 4-. 5 

 km/hr (ca. 2.5 knots). But Mayo's studies in Cape Cod Bay suggest that 



