Koschinski Sven, Owen Kylie, Lehnert Kristina, Kamińska Katarzyna
Meereszoologie Nehmten Germany.
Department of Population Analysis and Monitoring Swedish Museum of Natural History Stockholm Sweden.
Ecol Evol. 2024 Sep 12;14(9):e70156. doi: 10.1002/ece3.70156. eCollection 2024 Sep.
Successful management requires information on pressures that threaten a species and areas where conservation actions are needed. The Baltic Proper harbour porpoise population was first listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in 2008. Now, 16 years later, there is no change in conservation status despite ample conservation policy calling for its protection and an urgent need for management action to protect this population. Here, we provide an overview of the current status of the population, highlight knowledge gaps on the impact of pressures, and make recommendations for management of anthropogenic activities. Based on an exceeded limit for anthropogenic mortality, the high concentrations of contaminants in the Baltic Sea, combined with reductions in prey availability and increases in underwater noise, it is inferred that this population is likely still decreasing in size and conservation action becomes more urgent. As bycatch and unprotected underwater explosions result in direct mortality, they must be reduced to zero. Inputs of contaminants, waste, and existing and emerging noise sources should be minimised and regulated. Additionally, ecosystem-based sustainable management of fisheries is paramount in order to ensure prey availability, and maintain a healthy Baltic Sea. Stranding networks to routinely assess individuals for genetic population assignment and health need to be expanded, to identify rare samples from this population. Knowledge is still scarce on the population-level impact of each threat, along with the cumulative impact of multiple pressures on the population. However, the current knowledge and management instruments are sufficient to apply effective protection for the population now. While bycatch is the main pressure impacting this population, urgent conservation action is needed across all anthropogenic activities. Extinction of the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise population is a choice: decision-makers have the fate of this genetically and biologically distinct marine mammal population in their hands.
成功的管理需要有关威胁物种的压力信息以及需要采取保护行动的区域信息。波罗的海波弗特海港口鼠海豚种群于2008年首次被国际自然保护联盟列为极度濒危物种。如今，16年过去了，尽管有大量的保护政策呼吁对其进行保护，且迫切需要采取管理行动来保护这一种群，但其保护状况并未改变。在此，我们概述了该种群的现状，强调了关于压力影响的知识空白，并就人为活动的管理提出了建议。基于人为死亡率超过限制、波罗的海污染物浓度高，再加上猎物可获得性降低和水下噪音增加，可以推断该种群数量可能仍在减少，保护行动变得更加紧迫。由于误捕和无保护的水下爆炸导致直接死亡，必须将其降至零。应尽量减少并规范污染物、废物以及现有和新出现的噪声源的输入。此外，基于生态系统的渔业可持续管理至关重要，以确保猎物的可获得性，并维持波罗的海的健康状态。需要扩大搁浅网络，以便定期对个体进行基因种群归属和健康评估，以识别该种群的罕见样本。关于每种威胁对种群水平的影响以及多种压力对种群的累积影响，目前的知识仍然很少。然而，目前的知识和管理手段足以立即对该种群实施有效的保护。虽然误捕是影响该种群的主要压力，但所有人为活动都需要采取紧急保护行动。波罗的海波弗特海港口鼠海豚种群的灭绝是一种选择：决策者掌握着这种基因和生物学上独特的海洋哺乳动物种群的命运。
