Inventories of harbour porpoise Phocaena phocaena phocaena presence in Russian territorial waters of the Baltic Sea

Project ID:
PP/2010/01
Activity start date:
Activity end date:
Contract number:
SSFA/ASCOBANS/2010/1
Contract signed date:
Closed on date:
Executive summary

The project aimed to find out if there were any observations or recordings of harbour porpoises made by fishermen or locals and also to try to find any remains or bones of the animals
on the Gulf of Finland islands in order to prove or disprove occurrence of this subspecies in the Russian water area in the Baltic Sea. Depending on the results future investigation activities and/or conservation measures should be proposed.

The main activities were the following:
- To work out questionnaires for fishermen and locals working in the Russian Part of the Gulf of Finland or living near the coast line.
- To establish a network of contacts with commercial fishing brigades and individual fishermen in Kaliningrad region and Leningrad region.
- To implement questionnaire survey by distribution (and further collection) of questionnaires among target groups and conducting of verbal interviews.
- To implement a few field observations (using boat or catamaran) around the main islands, located in the Russian part of the Gulf of Finland in order to find bones or other remains of P.p. phocaena on the shores.
- To process collected data and write a report based on the results achieved. If the results are positive then develop a major project for more precise investigation of P. p. phocaena
population in the Gulf of Finland and propose measures for its effective conservation.

Conservation

Harbour porpoise is an object of Jastarnia group work. For example during the 16th meeting of ASCOBANS Advisory Committee it was agreed to submit a draft Resolution on the adoption of the revised Jastarnia Recovery Plan for Baltic Harbour Porpoises and the Conservation Plan for Harbour Porpoises in the North Sea to the 6th Meeting of Parties. It was also agreed that the Harbour porpoise population needs urgent conservation measures and for instance south-western Baltic sub-region seems to be a geographic gap between the Baltic and North Sea Action Plans. We suppose that Eastern part of the Baltic sea also needs to be studied in order to complete the data on P.p. phocaena distribution.

Objective
Surveys and Research
Habitat conservation and Management
Information and Education
Budget line (BAC)
Fund:
BAL
Organizational unit:
2236
Programme:
2661
Object code:
220100
Activity

To work out questionnaires for fishermen and locals working in the Russian Part of the Gulf of Finland or living near the coast line. R42

To establish a network of contacts with commercial fishing brigades and individual fishermen in Kaliningrad region and Leningrad region. T47

To implement questionnaire survey by distribution (and further collection) of questionnaires among target groups and conducting of verbal interviews.

To implement a few field observations (using boat or catamaran) around the main islands, located in the Russian part of the Gulf of Finland in order to find bones or other remains of P.p. Phocaena on the shores. S44

To process collected data and write a report based on the results achieved. If the results are positive then develop a major project for more precise investigation of P. P. phocaena population in the Gulf of Finland and propose measures for its effective

Schedule of payments
Amount:
5212.5
Date:
Comments:

1st Instalment (75%)

Amount:
1737.5
Date:
Comments:

2nd Instalment (25%)

Group:
Instrument: