86 
Winter 
Alaska 
Bering Sea 
Gulf of Alaska 
Aleutian Islands 
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Fishery Bulletin 120(1) 
Spring 
Alaska 
Bering Sea 
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= Pa Gulf of Alaska 
ee 
Aleutian Islands 
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\\ 
Summer 
Alaska 
Bering Sea 
Gulf of Alaska 
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geo 3 ( 
Aleutian Islands 
Alaska 
Bering Sea 
. 2 Gulf of Alaska 
% N 
Aleutian Islands 
— 
180° 160°W 140°W 
180° 
Figure 5 
Map of locations, by season, where observers on board fishing vessels recorded that killer whales (Orcinus orca) were feeding off 
catch or discards or that deterrence was used during 2001—2016 in the waters of the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of 
Alaska. The seasons are as follows: December, January, and February (winter); March, April, and May (spring); June, July, and 
August (summer); and September, October, and November (fall). 
subsequently released with the hopes that they would sur- 
vive. A determination of serious injury (i.e., an entangle- 
ment that ultimately results in the death of the whale) 
was made for 3 whales caught in trawl gear, raising the 
total number of dead killer whales to 27 for the period 
between 1991 and 2016. 
In addition to the deaths documented as a result of killer 
whales interacting with the fishery, observers reported 
16 dead killer whales (Table 1) that had died prior to the 
recorded fishery interaction. Three of these whales were 
observed during longline operations, and 13 were reported 
during trawl operations. The level of decomposition of the 
previously dead whales varied from minor (suggesting the 
whale recently died) to considerable decomposition. 
Ecotype 
From 1986 through 2015, a total of 9828 photographs of 
killer whales (2643 images of sufficient quality for analy- 
sis) were collected during 375 observed cruises and were 
reviewed to determine the killer whale ecotype. During 
longline fishing operations, photographs of killer whales 
were collected during 266 cruises in the same period 
(1986-2015), and 1955 images of sufficient quality were 
reviewed. For the examined photographs from longline 
cruises, all depredation events were associated with the res- 
ident killer whale ecotype. Individuals from all age classes 
(from calves to adults) and from both sexes of killer whales 
can be seen close to the vessels in photographs taken during 
these depredation events. 
For the 109 cruises that occurred in 2008-2014, after 
the interaction type for feeding on discards was added, 688 
images of killer whales of sufficient quality were reviewed. 
The resident killer whale ecotype accounted for all the 
discard interactions associated with fishing operations. 
Again, individuals from all age classes and both sexes 
of killer whales can be seen close to the vessel in photo- 
graphs taken during these events of discard feeding. No 
photographs of killer whales of the live transient ecotype 
were collected during this study. 
Genetic analysis 
Seven samples from killer whales representing animals 
killed by gear or by propeller were collected and available 
for genetic analysis (Table 3). Genetic analysis identified 
