Annual Assessment of Subsistence Bowhead Whaling Near Cross Island, 2004: canimida Task Order 7

Transcription

1 Annual Assessment of Subsistence Bowhead Whaling Near Cross Island, 2004: canimida Task Order 7 Prepared by: Michael Galginaitis Applied Sociocultural Research 608 West Fourth Avenue, Suite 31 Anchorage, Alaska For: Minerals Management Service Alaska OCS Region United States Department of the Interior Presentation at the Barrow Information Update Meeting Barrow, Alaska -- March 18, 2005

2 Acknowledgments Residents of Nuiqsut, especially the whalers and the Kittick (2001), Ahkiviana (2002), Oyagak (2003), and Napageak (2004) crews for serving as hosts Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC) Minerals Management Service for sponsorship and overall oversight BP Exploration, for help with logistics and graphics For help during the ANIMIDA effort: LGL (Dale Funk) for advice and editorial help ANIMIDA Scientific Review Board

3 Why is canimida Task Order 7 Important? Continues data collection (time series) from ANIMIDA Task Order 4. The goal is to collect measures to assess the direct effects of oil and gas activity on one community s participation in this critically important activity. Oil and gas production is important for both Alaska and the U.S. Alaskan oil mainly from the North Slope area, primarily from onshore sources but with possibilities of increased offshore production. The benefits of northern oil development are shared broadly, but the direct negative effects are much more locally confined (NSB). The North Slope population is predominately Native. Subsistence is a key cultural value, and the most culturally salient activity is whaling.

4 canimida Indicator Matrix for Decision Making, Task Order 7 MMS Issue Addressed Will OCS oil development activities at Northstar and/or Liberty result in changes to bowhead whale subsistence hunting or hunting success at Cross Island? Monitoring Hypotheses Methods Key Monitoring Result or Parameter for Decision Making* H1: Subsistence whaling activities and behaviors in the vicinity of Cross Island do not vary significantly over time. H2: Variation in subsistence whaling activities and behaviors (and more general subsistence activities) in the vicinity of Cross Island are not related to (caused by) by offshore oil developments at Northstar and/or Liberty. The first question is whether Cross Island subsistence whaling displays variation over time. The second is whether such variation can be attributed to offshore oil and gas industrial activities. Both general hypotheses will need to be implemented by more specific hypotheses based on measurable variables, described in methods. As a continuation of the ANIMIDA effort, systematic retrospective (2000, prior years as possible) and observational/interview data collection ( ) on: (a) number of whales taken, (b) GPS location of whale strikes (direction and distance from Cross Island), (c) number of crews, composition of crews, total number of crew, (d) periodic census of whaling participants on Cross Island, (e) duration of whaling (days of active whaling), (f) timing of whaling, (g) length of trips and area searched while whaling (possible GPS track), (h) catch per unit effort," (i) observations of whaling participants. Systematic retrospective and observational/interview data collection on: (a) Non-whaling subsistence activities on and near Cross Island (who, what, where, when), (b) observations of local subsistence users. NOTE: Systematic observation and recording of weather and ice conditions will also be required, as they directly affect the subsistence behavior in question. Time-series (every five minutes for the duration of whaling) readings from a weather station (temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction) will be collected for seasons after 2001 (2002 information spotty). Detailed information about industry activities at Northstar and Liberty will also need to be available (but compilation of same is not a part of this project). Will also need to consider informant explanations for changes in behavioral patterns. Annual tabular information on harvest levels and locations of subsistence resources taken on or near Cross Island. Hard copy map appended as required for clarification of location information. Annual tabular summary of people involved in whaling number of crews, size of each crew, number of active days whaling, number of crews/people present each day, estimation of total effort. Annual tabular summary of people involved in other subsistence activities number of people each day for each activity, estimation of total effort. Annual narrative summary of Cross Island whaling season and associated subsistence activities. Contractor will alert MMS COTR of any important trends or changes. GPS locations of whale sightings and strikes, and tracks of whale scouting trips. Maps (printouts) of same. This will be key statistics, datum/data, or data stream(s) selected from each Task Order which provide the most management-useful information for decision making.

5 canimida Monitoring Indicator Framework for Task Order 7 Issue -- Effect of oil development (Northstar, Liberty) on Cross Island subsistence whaling Hypotheses -- There will be effects (in null hypotheses form, there will not be effects) Key Monitoring Parameters -- linked to more specific hypotheses about potential effects Methods -- GPS mapping, on-site observations and interviews, systematic retrospective information collection (as possible) Data collection only -- no provision for analysis of data (needs a great deal of additional effort on possible industry and non-industry factors)

6 canimida Monitoring Indicator Framework for Task Order 004 Summary Continuation of ANIMIDA is terms of main issue, hypotheses, key monitoring parameters, and methods There will be a synthetic final report incorporating all years for which data was collected ( ). This report will test the hypotheses of year-to-year differences with statistical methods. It will also discuss possible explanatory factors for any year-to-year variation that appears to be statistically significant, and suggest ways in which these explanations could be tested. Testing of hypotheses for explanatory factors will probably not be possible using statistical methods, due to lack of quantitative data on industry activities and other possible causal factors.

7 North Slope Borough Planning Department GIS Division North Slope Borough Planning Department GIS Division

8 The North Slope Borough -- Nuiqsut and its Surroundings North Slope Borough Planning Department GIS Division

9 Location Map, Landmarks, and Routes Between Nuiqsut and Cross Island BEAUFORT SEA Figure Miles August Km Harrison Bay Thetis Island Spy Island Oliktok Point Pingok Island Route between Nuiqsut & Cross Island Simpson Lagoon Northstar Oil Field West Dock Cross Island Nechelik Channel Alpine Oil Field Milne Point Oil Field Gwydyr Bay Prudhoe Bay Niakuk Narwhal Island Endicott Oil Field Pole Island Nuiqsut Kuparuk River Oil Field Kuparuk River Prudhoe Bay Oil Field Dalton Highway TAPS Deadhorse Foggy Island Bay Liberty Prospect Stockton Islands Tigvariak Island Bullen Point Mikkelsen Bay Badami Oil Field Maguire Islands ms14953_location.mxd

10 Aerial View of Nuiqsut, 7/01/03

11 Aerial Photo of Cross Island -- from Carnahan 1979 (NSB)

12 Cross Island Cabins, 2002 (from the NW)

13 Recent Harvest of Bowhead Whales Near Cross Island Whales Year Quota Landed Struck & Lost Notes 1973 NA Oil industry vessel disturbance noted by whalers Oil industry disturbance noted, also rough seas Poor weather, bad ice conditions Very favorable conditions Very favorable conditions Whales farther from CI than normal Whales still farther from CI than normal Whales found in normal migration path Whales found in normal migration path Notes: Years of no harvest and no struck and lost are not listed. This does not imply that no whaling effort was made that year. Quota was not applicable in Source: Compiled from AWC records, personal communications from Nuiqsut whalers, and field notes from the whaling seasons

14 Summary of Boat Activity, Cross Island Whaling, 2004 Aqargiun Napageak 1 Nukapigak Oyaguk 2 Date Notes Aqargiun Napageak2 Napageak3 Nukapigak1 Nukapigak2 Nukapigak3 Oyaguk1 Oyaguk2 Boat Crew Trip Time Boat Crew Trip Time Boat Crew Trip Time Boat Crew Trip Time Boat Crew Trip Time Boat Crew Trip Time Boat Crew Trip Time Boat Crew Trip Time 8/15/05 To CI w/3 To CI w/2 5 people on CI 8/16/05 shorebound 5 people on CI 8/17/05 5 9:25 disabled 5 people on CI 8/18/05 shorebound 5 people on CI 8/19/05 To NQT w/6 3 6 people on CI 8/20/05 0 people on CI 8/21/05 0 people on CI In NQT- Disabled Still in Nuiqsut 8/22/05 0 people on CI 8/23/05 Nuiqsut Weather 0 people on CI left on CI 8/24/05 0 people on CI 8/25/05 To CI w/6 6 people on CI 8/26/05 shorebound Under repair 6 people on CI 8/27/05 3 3:31 2 3:31 6 people on CI 8/28/ : : people on CI 8/29/05 Still in shorebound CI to NQT w/2 Still in Nuiqsut 6 people on CI 8/30/05 To CI w/7 3 4:51 NQT to WD w/2 11 people on CI 8/31/05 shorebound disabled WD to CI w/2 13 people on CI 9/01/05 shorebound Under repair Under repair 13 people on CI 9/02/05 Weather Weather Weather Still in Nuiqsut Still in Still in Nuiqsut 13 people on CI 9/03/05 Weather Weather Weather 13 people on CI Nuiqsut 9/04/05 Weather 3 2:26 3 2:43 To CI w/4 To CI w/3 To CI w/3 To CI w/3 32 people on CI 9/05/05 8 7:17 shorebound 5 7:31 3 UNK 4 UNK 3 7:19 4 7:20 30 people on CI IAN crew lands whale 9/06/05 Finish butcher shorebound 3 4:30 3 4:11 disabled 4 6:06 5 6:01 29 people on CI BO crew lands whale 9/07/05 Shorebound/butcher 29 people on CI 9/08/05 Shorebound 2 9: :12 3 3:20 3 3:00 Shorebound/butcher 27 people on CI 9/09/05 butcher Shorebound/butcher 4 3:30 3 3:27 To CI w/2 33 people on CI 9/10/05 7 5:14 4 8:35 4 8:01 shorebound 4 7:38 4 5:44 4 5:25 4 5:04 33 people on CI 9/11/05 33 people on CI 9/12/05 Weather 33 people on CI 9/13/05 33 people on CI 9/14/ : : : : : : :13 32 people on CI BO crew lands whale 9/15/05 Cease shorebound disabled disabled shorebound 32 people on CI 9/16/05 Fire 3 13:08 disabled 3 12:17 4 8:46 Butcher 32 people on CI 9/17/05 To NQT w/7 packing To NQT w/ To NQT w/4 To NQT w/4 To NQT w/4 To NQT w/4 31 people on CI 9/18/05 To NQT w/4 To NQT w/2 8 people on CI 9/19/05 2 people on CI 5 NOTES 1 Napageak1 never went to Cross Island, as it was undergoing repair 2 Oyaguk3 also went to CI on 9/04/05 w/3, but served only as a support vessel and never went scouting for whales. 3 The sixth crew member had arrived at West Dock on 8/19 and was on Cross Island for only minutes before the crew left for Nuiqsut. 4 Total time for two trips 5 FWS polar bear researchers arrived on Cross Island 9/14/05 and remained after the whalers left See text for discussion of other vessel activity, or qualifications on entries above. "Weather" indicates that conditions were deemed by whalers to be too marginal for productive scouting. See discussion in text. Shorebound may also indicate weather, but weather was not given as an explicit reason for not going scouting and other factors may have been more primary. Travel days (not devoted to scouting for whales) indicated by "To" or "From" with an indication of the number on board. For whale scouting days, "Crew" is the number of people that went out in a given boat. "Trip" is the duration (hours:minutes). SHADED cells indicate days that boats went scouting for whales. Shading indicates whether a GPS track was obtained: GPS Track NOT Collected GPS Track Collected

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16 Barometric Pressure and Wind Speed at Cross Island, 8/26/04-9/18/04

17 Cross Island Population and Scouting Activity, Whales taken 9/5, 9/10, 9/22 Whales struck 9/5 (2), 9/12, 9/13, 9/15 Whales taken 9/1, 9/5 (2), 9/6 Whales taken 9/5, 9/6, 9/14

18 Comparison of Composite GPS Tracks for 2001, 2002, and 2003 Figure Produced 13 August August Miles Km BEAUFORT SEA Selected Trip Statistics, Average Distance (miles) Year Round Trip Furthest from CI Whale Strike Boat Tract Lines 2002 Boat Tract Lines 2001 Boat Tract Lines NOTE: 2004 tracks not on this figure -- see next slide comparing 2003 and 2004 tracks (similar in distances and range) Northstar Oil Field West Dock Cross Island Narwhal Island Niakuk Prudhoe Bay Endicott Oil Field Pole Island Liberty Prospect Stockton Islands Prudhoe Bay Oil Field Foggy Island Bay Tigvariak Island Maguire Islands Deadhorse Mikkelsen Bay Bullen Point TAPS Badami Oil Field ms14953_all.mxd

19 Cross Island GPS Whale Scouting Tracks All 2003 Tracks (left) All 2004 Tracks (right)

20 Summary Scouting Trip Statistics, Cross Island Whaling,

21 Length of Season, Potential Boat Days and Actual Boat Days Cross Island Whaling,

22 Statistics for Distance and Furthest Distance From Cross Island For All Scouting Trips, Cross Island Whaling,

23 Frequency of Cross Island Scouting Trip Distance, By Ten-Mile Categories and Year

24 Frequency of Greatest Trip Distance From Cross Island, By Five-Mile Categories and Year

25 Statistics for Trip Duration and Total Annual Effort for All Scouting Trips Cross Island Whaling,

26 Frequency of Cross Island Scouting Trip Duration, By Hour Categories and Year

27 Some Images of Cross Island Whaling, 2004

28 Other Subsistence Resources at Cross Island, 2004

29 Cross Island Whaling Boats, 2004 Napageak 2 and 3 Oyagak 1 and 2 Aqargiun Nukapigak 1 and 2 a

30 Hauling Up Whales, Cross Island 2004 Loader, to the Beach Preparing to Attach Winch Cable Winch House Stretching Cable to the Whale

31 Whales Harvested Near Cross Island, 2004 Aqargiun, /05 Oyagak, /06 Oyagak, /14 9/06 - Oyagak whale just landed Aqargiun whale still being butchered

32 Cross Island Butchering, 2004 Hooking and Cutting Intestines Carcass after some meat removed Pulling out the Guts Rolling the carcass over

33 Some Butchered Products of the Whale Tongue Heart Loader moving tongue Flippers and Meat Muktuks Meat in bags

34 Processing Baleen, 2004

35 Transporting Butchered Whale

36 Some Cross Island Infrastructure and Support Systems

37 Cross Island Images, 2004

38 Parting Shots