SC/69A/SH/11Rev1  

Document Number

SC/69A/SH/11Rev1

Full Title

Progress report on Southern Hemisphere Blue Whale Catalogue: Period April 2022-March 2023

Author

Barbara Galletti Vernazzani, Paula A. Olson and Chandra P. Salgado

Authors Summary

The Southern Hemisphere Blue Whale Catalogue has a total of 2697 individual blue whale photo-identifications (photo-IDs) that include regions off Antarctica, Chile, Peru, Ecuador-Galapagos, Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), Australia, Timor-Leste, New Zealand, southern Africa, Madagascar and Sri Lanka. From April 2022 to March 2023, new collections of photo-identifications have been received (488 new IDs) from areas off Chile, Ecuador, Australia, Costa Rica Dome and Madagascar, representing a 22% of increase. Photo-ID comparisons were focused on new entries from Chile and have been completed. A total of 82 additional matches have been found for the entire Chilean datasets. Quality control of datasets from Australia, New Zealand and Chile has also been completed and data are now being prepared to be used for regional blue whale assessments. Important new collections from Australia have been received and matching is currently a priority to include these new data on the ongoing assessment. Other regions that have contributed important data but have still not been compared are Timor Leste, Sri Lanka, ETP, Galapagos and Madagascar.

Publisher

IWC

Keywords

Publication Year

2023

Abstract

List of authors changed and minor editorial changes