A. Awareness Stage: DISENTANGLEMENT RESPONSE CHECKLIST Receive report. Ask reporting source to provide information on entangled animal. Follow and fill out Entanglement Reporting Form. (It is essential to the success of the disentanglement that we undertake the effort only when we have very good information on the characteristics of the entanglement). Important Information: Date and Time: Reporter's Name: _Reporter s contact#: Vessel's Name: Species Involved: Size of animal: Location: Anchored or Travelling: Speed and heading: Description of entanglement (loc, # wraps, gear type) : Condition of animal: (wounds, emaciated?,behavior): (the above should not be substituted for the actual "entanglement reporting form") Ask reporter to take still and video footage of the entangled animal if still on site. In description of the entanglement make sure: A white flipper humpback is NOT mistaken for gear Actual gear is seen and observer is not relying on behavior alone. Observed gear is actually seen attached to animal or at least moving with animal B. Preliminary Communications stage: Contact observer to attempt confirmation and/ or obtain additional information. (Important if report is secondhand): Contact PIRO (Schofield/ Van Atta) VanAtta: (808) 944-2257 Schofield: (808) 721-5343 Initial information on entanglement Initial assessment Response plan
Call NOAA Fisheries Hotline 888-256-9840 (unless initial call came from Hotline or PIRO has made the call). DEPENDING ON REPORT (i.e. confirmed/ likely a real report/ nature of report) Contact Network level 4 responders (Mattila / Lyman) Mattila: (808) 281-6234 Lyman: (808) 264-8023 Contact Sanctuary Managers (McIntosh/ Nichols) McIntosh: (808) 282-2814 Nichols: (808) 341-5727 Contact Network Island Coordinators: These are people that are primary first responders, have access to rescue gear and can transport gear to site, can assist with local (on-island) logistics, and act as a contact person. Big Island: Justin Viezbicke: (808) 987-0765 Chris Gabriele: (907) 723-2142 Jason Turner: (808) 217-6812 _ Maui :(Mattila/ Lyman as above) Davis (PIRO) : (808) 292-2372 _ Oahu: David Nichols (808) 341-5727/ Paul Wong (808) 282-2840 Chad Yoshinaga (808) 222-1072) _ Kauai: Jean Souza: (808) 651-1457 USCG Kauai (808) 246-1081 Contact NOAA Office of Protected Resources: Teri Rowles PhD (1º investigator under permit): (301) 713-2322 Janet Whaley: (301) 675-1827 Trevor Sprandlin: (301) 713-2322 Contact USCG in event of: Possible injury or loss of human life Requesting assistance in monitoring or disentangling animal. Eric Roberts (808) 535-3265 D14 Command Center (808) 535-3333 (see NOAA Requested USCG D14 Support for NOAA MMHSRP) Contact Enforcement: (800) 853-1964 In event of harassment of the entangled animal Contact media teams that may cover event or at least need to be aware of efforts Wende Goo (808) 721-4098 * See contact list for additional numbers
C. Evaluation of Event Stage: Evaluate information using decision protocol to arrive at a response plan. Time of day: _ Weather forecasts and sea state (next 36 hours): Current : Wind _/ Kts (< 15 Kts) Seas _/ Ft. Swell Ft. (< 4 ft.) (< 8 ft.) Forecast (next day): Wind _/ Kts (< 15 Kts) Seas _/ Ft. Swell Ft. (< 4 ft.) (< 8 ft.) Accessibility of site (location) Location: Position (GPS): Distance from shore: _(w/i 35nm) Network members involved: Severity of entanglement (life-threatening?): Immediate: Long term: Availability of personnel, support vessel, and transport: Personnel: Mattila (see disentanglement contact list) Lyman (logistics: e.g. Souza, Nichols, Wong, Viezbicke) Transportation (Airlines) Support vessel (NOAA, USCG): _ Transport: Time of pick up Location Hawaiian: (800) 367-5320 GO: (888) 435-9462 Pacific Wings (808) 873-0877 Island Air: (800) 652-6541 Paragon Air: (808) 741-5566 When requesting support from USCG, if immediate response is necessary, call CG Command Center. Otherwise, call Eric Roberts, Marine Mammal Species Program Manager or David Schofield (PIRO). Determine whether assistance is possible and extent of resources available. The Hawaiian Islands Entanglement Response Network/ NOAA Fisheries has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the USCG for assistance in large whale disentanglement efforts.
Authorization considerations under NOAA Fisheries MMHSRP (permit #932-1905): NOAA Fisheries MMHSRP permit allows Mattila and Lyman to disentangle cetaceans throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Network members may work under the Sanctuary s (Mattila and Lyman) or PIRO s (Schofield) authorization with their permission. If there are any questions call Teri Rowles or Janet Whaley Rowles: (301) 713-2322 x 178 Whaley: (301) 713-2322 D. Response planning Stage: E. Operation Stage: No response/ Monitor only: (Animal not in immediate need of assistance - see protocols) Contact NOAA PIRO (Schofield, Look, Davis) Contact local/ network members(see contact lists) Set up monitoring response: (Contact aerial surveys or vessels) Marine debris program Whale researchers Whale watch boats/ dive operations NOAA/Sanctuary vessels No immediate response/ Delayed response: (conditions not safe, resources not available) Contact NOAA PIRO (Schofield, Look, Davis) Contact local/ network members(see contact lists) Set up monitoring and rescue response: (Contact aerial surveys or vessels) Marine debris program Whale researchers Whale watch boats/ dive operations NOAA/Sanctuary vessels
Disentanglement or tagging response: (the conditions in the decision tree have been met.) Pre-effort communications Apprise all personnel and agencies that an effort will be mounted. * If reporting vessel still on site request that they standby. If not possible arrange for vessel to take over standing by. Contact Network personnel involved (**see contact list) Contact NOAA PIRO (Schofield, Van Atta, Look) NOAA OPR Contact USCG if involved Contact other agencies/ personnel involved (e.g. DLNR/ DoCARE) Establish 2 kilometer radius area around animal free of boat traffic, and aircraft ceiling of 1500 ft. If USCG is involved they will establish moving safety zone. Prepare and load equipment (**see equipment checklists) Carry permits, contact lists, equipment list, checklists. Assign support vessels and inflatables. Support vessel: _ Call sign: Contact: _ Inflatables: Assign personnel (roles): Offshore: Personnel Field Incident Commander (Mattila/ Lyman) Inflatable Inflatable Support vessel captain Onshore: Documenter / crew Documenter / crew Gear person/ crew Safety person Base Incident Commander (Schofield, Wong, Nichols) Media coordinator (Goo) POC for float plan (if different than above)
Establish communications link. VHF working Channel(s) Cellular phones Shorebased # _ (may be third party, e.g. USCG) * VHF communications etiquette and call signs NOAA RV Hihimanu (3605)... HIHWNMS support vessel NOAA RV Seacat ()... HIHWNMS support vessel Refer to HIHWNMS vessels and land station as listed above. Use call sign on initial hailing. Names may be shortened after initial communications (e.g. support inflatable). Hail station on channel 16 and use channel 16 for distress calls. Establish a working station (e.g.. 82). If USCG involved they may request that we use their working station (22A) or switch to other working stations. Refer to USCG patrol boats by their call numbers, larger vessels by name, and land stations as USCG "location" group or station (e.g. USCG station Maalaea Hbr ). Refer to other vessels by call name. Apprise involved and other appropriate organizations of effort's progress by communicating info to Base Incident Commander person. Post rescue or tagging stage: Apprise organizations of outcome of effort and tag frequency if animal was tagged. Outcome: _ Location of effort: Organizations involved: Tag freq.: _ Video/ photo taken: NOAA PIRO NOAA OPR DLNR Local agencies Network members Whale researchers Private/ tour organizations * if animal needs to be monitored (i.e. still entangled, tagged, or injured) also include: Whale watch organizations Cetacean research organizations Marine debris program NOAA vessels Private/ tour organizations Contact media and coordinate w/ other agencies' Public Relations Departments. : DLNR NOAA (OPR, Sanctuary, PIRO) Complete data forms and enter information into database.
Prepare media content (images and video) Clean, stow, and prepare equipment for next response Update website and post (update Network) Complete reports on rescue effort (update Network) Thank you letters