Independent International Advisory Panels and Western Gray Whales

1. -- Randall Reeves Independent International Advisory Panels and Western Gray Whales

2. Acknowledgments Thanks to Dave Weller, Sergio Martínez, and Bob Brownell for sharing photos and other materials for this presentation. Thanks to numerous other colleagues as well who have invested so much time and effort in the various WGW panels. Thanks to IUCN and Sakhalin Energy for their continued willingness to support the panel process.

3. Contents of Talk • Gray whale history and background • Summary of panels • Positive outcomes • Major ongoing challenges • Where next?

4. History and Background

5. Northern Hemisphere endemicN Atlantic population extinct since 1700’s(?)N Pacific post-whaling: strong recovery in east (ca 20,000), very slow recovery in west (130+ at Sakhalin) (but it’s complicated)

6. The “Old” Paradigm

7. WESTERN GRAY WHALES Russia Okhotsk Sea Pacific Ocean Sea of Japan East China Sea China South China Sea

8. Mouth of Piltun Lagoon

9. Ancient whaling in China, Korea, Japan and Russia(?)Excerpt from: “The cetaceans of the Neolithic rock carvings of Bangu-dae (South Korea) and the beginningof whaling in the North-West Pacific” by Sang-Mog Lee and Daniel Robineau (2004). Neolithic site near Ulsan, 3000-8000 years before present. Clear evidence of whaling on various species including gray whale.

10. American (Yankee) whaling in 19th century

11. Modern whaling: Ulsan whaling station, Korea, early 1900’s

12. This research was conducted by A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) and Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute; in collaboration with the University of Washington, Sakhalin Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, and Kronotsky State Nature Biosphere Reserve. The research was contracted through the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with funding from Exxon Neftegas Ltd. and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd.

13. Jan 2007, female, set net, Pacific coast of Japan Off Piltun Lagoon, Sakhalin Island, Russia Nov 2011, female, unspecified fishing gear, China (Taiwan Strait)

14. Western Gray Whale Panels

15. 2003-2004: Panel Beginnings • Potential lenders for Sakhalin II Phase 2 oil and gas project wanted assurance (Critically Endangered whale population in the Company’s action area) • SEIC approached IUCN to convene independent panel of experts • Business & Biodiversity Programme created Independent Scientific Review Panel in Summer 2004, first meeting in September of that year

16. Panel Composition and Character • 14 scientists from Russia, Canada, USA, UK, Germany • Expertise in whale acoustics, whale behavior and population dynamics, benthic ecology, environmental impact assessment, population modeling • Nominated by stakeholder groups • No recent association with industry • Under contract to IUCN

17. Published in February 2005

18. Outcomes of ISRP • Pipeline re-routing to avoid near-shore (Piltun) feeding area • Framework for ongoing population assessment (Cooke’s individual-based model) • Independent evaluation of risk factors (noise, oil spills, ship strikes, benthic disturbance) • IUCN ensured Panel’s independence and provided transparency • Basis for ongoing engagement concerning risk management and identified need for rangewide efforts

19. Follow-up Workshops and Panels • Lenders’ workshop 2005 – loan decisions • Interim Independent Scientists Group 2006 (ISRP-WGWAP bridging) • Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel established October 2006 by Global Marine Programme • Composition similar to ISRP • 5-year mandate, renewed in 2011 • Meetings twice per year (until recently)

20. Key Features of WGWAP • Independence: similar to ISRP but with more collaborative elements – task forces (photo-ID, noise, oil spill, environmental monitoring; associated scientists) • Observers (NGOs, MNR, lenders) attend meetings, provide important information • Transparency: meeting (and task force) reports, letters, public statements – all on public website • Recommendations: target completion date, Company response, status, >350 (including all panels from ISRP forward)

22. Accomplishments and Challenges

23. Positive Outcomes • Recent monitoring and mitigation program for Astokh 4D seismic survey • Reconciliation of photo-ID catalogues and assessment using combined datasets • Beach monitoring surveys on NE Sakhalin (until recently, now stopped) • Inspections of oil spill clean-up equipment, protocols etc. • Transparency • Engagement

24. Ongoing Challenges • Failure to get other oil and gas companies to participate • Inability to achieve meaningful engagement with Russian governmental bodies • Lack of mechanism for rigorous necropsies (Sept 2009 stranding, Chaivo Lagoon) • Difficulty of addressing cumulative effects • Frequent changes in Company priorities (driven by shareholders and political/economic climate), organizational structure, personnel, etc.

25. Rangewide Conservation • 2002 IWC Workshop on Western Gray Whales, Ulsan, Korea (report published 2004) • 2008 IUCN Rangewide Workshop, Tokyo, Japan (report available on IUCN website) • Conservation Plan 2010 (joint IWC/IUCN; see IUCN website, but NEEDS REVISION) • Satellite tagging (together with ongoing photo and genetic matches) – changing the paradigm • Set nets in Japan; other fishing gear throughout range; ship traffic (strikes, noise); climate?

26. What Lies Ahead?

27. Much uncertainty! • Population assessment – how to assess what may be a mixed feeding aggregation? • Scaling back of SEIC/ENL joint programme to monitor whales and environment • Aggressive efforts to reduce investment in whale monitoring and conservation and to increase Russian financial benefits from PSA • Construction of a third Piltun-Astokh platform

28. Thank you for your attention