April 2014: Research by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has contributed to increased understanding on the distribution, movements and population structure of western and eastern North Pacific gray whale populations. IWC has coordinated a rangewide review of the North Pacific gray whale as part of its joint Conservation Management Plan (CMP) with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

IWC has documented the migration of the western North Pacific gray whale from feeding grounds in Sakhalin Island, the Russian Federation, to breeding grounds in Mexico, the longest known mammal migration. In contrast to previous assumptions that the eastern and western gray whale populations remained separate and followed different coastal migration routes between southern breeding grounds and northern feeding grounds, this finding demonstrates that some gray whales travel from west to east across the North Pacific.

IWC’s Scientific Committee began the rangewide review of the North Pacific gray whales’ population structure and status in April 2014 and has held a series of workshops to develop and evaluate hypotheses on the species, using a combination of methods, including genetic “fingerprinting,” photo identification and satellite tagging. The group of gray whales numbers less than 200 and is classified by IUCN as critically endangered.

IWC’s Scientific Committee is expected to discuss the most recent results at its May 2015 meeting. Japan, the Russian Federation and the US signed a Memorandum of Cooperation at a 2014 IWC meeting to collaborate on whale conservation and research efforts. Scientists from the Russian Federation and the US conducted the research.

Also in April, IWC’s Global Whale Entanglement Response Network is meeting to discuss and evaluate a programme that trains individuals in whale entanglement response techniques. Participants will discuss how to determine the origin of fishing gear and other entanglements, with the aim of better understanding the types of gear that pose the highest threats, where the gear originates and how far it travels. It is expected that this information will contribute to a better understanding of whale entanglements and how to prevent them. Nearly 400 individuals from 18 countries have been taught professional response techniques through the program, which is a partnership between IWC and the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS). [IWC Press Release on Gray Whales CMP] [IWC Press Release on Stage Two of the Gray Whale Rangewide Review] [IWC Press Release on Whale Entanglement Response]