Why Determine Serious Injury?

Transcription

1 2007 Serious Injury Technical Workshop: Overview and Results NOAA- PIFSC NOAA NOAA Melissa Andersen Office of Protected Resources National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) September 9, 2008 Why Determine Serious Injury? Impacts of human activities on marine mammal populations MMPA 117- Stock Assessment Reports Include human-caused mortality and serious injury by source MMPA 118- Commercial Fisheries Categorize on List of Fisheries based on level of incidental mortality and serious injury Serious Injury Any injury that will likely result in mortality (50 CFR 229.2) 1

2 1997 Serious Injury Workshop Injuries from interactions with commercial fisheries Technical Memorandum (Angliss and DeMaster, 1998) Not codified through rulemaking or adopted as official NMFS policy CCSN Northeast Fisheries Science Center adapted Angliss and DeMaster and developed specific criteria 2007 Serious Injury Technical Workshop (SITW) September 10-13, 2007; Seattle, WA Expanded to include all injuries, regardless of the source CCS VAQS 2

3 2007 SITW (cont.) Objectives Review recommendations from 1997 Workshop Review new information since 1997 Frequency and types of injuries Evidence of survival of injured marine mammals Discuss use of, and needed changes to, existing guidance Two Sessions Open Session (Days 1-3) Closed Session (Day 4) SITW Organization: Open Session Government and non-government reps with expertise in marine mammal biology, management/policy, pathobiology, and veterinary medicine Plenary presentations, discussion, and breakout sessions Evaluations of current data and serious injury determinations systems Descriptions and causes of injuries Survival of injured marine mammals Pathobiology of injuries FFWC 3

4 Open Session: Key Outcomes Similar/Frequently Repeated Suggestions: Develop a nationally-consistent approach to serious injury determinations Incorporate flexibility while reducing subjectivity Convene a national panel to review determinations Revise and use consistent terminology to objectively describe injuries SITW Organization: Federal Closed Session NMFS, National Ocean Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammal Commission, Navy Marine Mammal Program Discuss and recommend potential changes to existing serious injury determination guidance VAQS 4

5 Key Outcomes from Closed Session Recommended NMFS: Update existing guidance Increase national consistency in the determination process Develop a mechanism to better account for undetected injuries Develop official NMFS policy to reflect these recommendations Retain serious injury definition, but clarify what is meant by likely Developed Table 1 outlining new potential new criteria for guidance in distinguishing serious from non-serious injuries Key Outcomes: Table 1 Purpose of Table 1: Starting point for distinguishing serious from non-serious injuries Provide guidance in data-poor situations Provide for national consistency while retaining flexibility Precursor for developing future NMFS policy Augments existing guidance based on updated scientific information Includes distinct types of injury arrayed across the 3 taxonomic groups: large cetaceans, small cetaceans, and pinnipeds 5

6 Key Outcomes: Table 1 (cont.) Expands from a 2-step to a 3-step determination: serious, serious, not serious, CBD/case specific CBD/case specific Insufficient information about the type of injury scenario to make the determination; and/or Determination of severity depends on incorporating findings about other factors associated with the injury event The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito Next Steps NOAA- SWFSC Technical Memorandum - October 2008 NOAA Assessment of Table 1 in practice Impacts of the updated serious injury guidance on the PLTRT? Modify and refine Table 1 NMFS Policy on Serious Injury Determination Criteria 6

7 Questions? 7