• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제45권5호
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• pp.486-492
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• 2012

In the late 1970s, the National Fisheries Research & Development Institute (NFRDI) started cetacean research to submit the Korean whale catch record to the International Whaling Commission. This continued until the moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986. The NFRDI resumed cetacean research with a pilot whale sighting survey in 1999. Subsequently, the NFRDI has conducted 53 cetacean sighting surveys within the Korean exclusive economic zone between 2000 and 2010. The surveys took a total of 760 days and cruising for 23,866 nautical miles. The finless porpoise Neophocaena asiaeorientalis was sighted most frequently (735 times), followed by the minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata (396 times), the long-beaked common dolphin Delphinus capensis (102 times), and the Pacific white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus obliquidens (27 times). Minke whales were distributed in the Yellow Sea and coastal area of the East Sea from spring to fall. Pacific white-sided dolphin sightings were restricted to the middle and upper coastal areas of the East Sea in summer. Common dolphins were sighted from east of the southern coast to the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula from spring to fall. Finless porpoise occurred in all Korean coastal areas, except the middle and upper eastern coast.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제49권6호
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• pp.875-882
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• 2016

The numbers of books, news articles, and documentary films on whales and dolphins have increased dramatically in Korea. The translation of 37 species with established Korean names, as reviewed and reported by Sohn et al. (2012), Kim et al. (2010), and Kim et al. (2013) in those books and public media, was not a problem. However, 52 cetacean species, which do not have proper Korean names, have been translated into Korean, causing confusion in the public. This short note suggests Korean translations for common names that have no Korean names based on the origins of the English common names, recent scientific information, and books on cetaceans.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제46권6호
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• pp.892-900
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• 2013

In 2011, the system for conserving and managing cetacean resources in Korea changed. The status of the cetacean bycatch was analyzed using a distribution certificate that was issued by the coast guard. During 2011.2012, 12 species were bycatch in Korean waters: three species of baleen whale and nine species of dolphin. The finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) was the dominant species, followed by the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), and Pacific white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens). Among the baleen whales, the common minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) was first and Bryde's (Balaenoptera edeni) and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) whales appeared in the Korea Strait and East Sea, respectively. Among the dolphins, the finless porpoise ranked first in the Yellow Sea. The common dolphin, Pacific white-sided dolphin, and harbor porpoise were more frequent in the East Sea than in other waters. The cetacean bycatch was caused mainly by pots, set nets, gill nets, and stow nets. Among the three species of baleen whale, the common minke whale was caught by pots and set nets, and comprised over 68.9% of the total bycatch in 2011 and 56.2% in 2012. Comparing the bycatch caused by fishing gears by area in 2011 and 2012, 97.9% and 99.6%, respectively, of the finless porpoise bycatch in the Yellow Sea was by stow nets. In the Korea Strait, trawl bycatch comprised 67.3% in 2011 and 73.0% in 2012, followed by gill nets, set nets, and pots targeting finless porpoise and common minke whales. In the East Sea, gill nets were responsible for 46.7% in 2011 and 61.2% in 2012, followed by set nets and pots.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제51권6호
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• pp.704-713
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• 2018

Globally, the survival of many marine mammals is threatened by entanglement in fishing gear and there is also a high bycatch in Korea. This study analyzed the bycatch data of most cetacean species for Korean waters from 2011 to 2017, including the narrow-ridged finless porpoise Neophocaena asiaeorientalis, common dolphin Delphinus delphis, common minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata, and Pacific white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus obliquidens. A total of 12,262 cetaceans were captured as bycatch. In the Yellow and South Seas, the main species affected was the narrow-ridged finless porpoise, with 82.9% caught in stow nets and 11.5% captured in trawls. In the East Sea, the common minke whale, common dolphin, and Pacific white-sided dolphin were reported. The main common minke whale bycatch (43.5%) was in set nets, while common dolphins (49.0%) and Pacific white-sided dolphins (91.4%) were mainly caught in gill nets. The narrow-ridged finless porpoise, common dolphin, and common minke whale were most commonly reported in March, April, and May, while the Pacific white-sided dolphin was most frequently captured as bycatch in January and December. Each of these factors (season and gear responsible for bycatch) depended on the characteristics of the cetacean species. To conserve cetaceans, it is necessary to reduce the bycatch.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제42권6호
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• pp.650-656
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• 2009

Recently, bottlenose dolphins have frequently appeared in coastal waters of the Jeju Islands. To determine whether these individuals belong to one or more pods, the Cetacean Research Institute (CRI) established visual and photo-identification surveys in the Jeju Islands from November 2007 to July 2009. During visual surveys, pods composed of 10 to 80 individuals were sighted mainly in the northeastern and northwestern of Jeju Islands. Eighty-nine individuals were identified and cataloged by photo-identification using natural nicks and notches on their dorsal fins. Thirty-six individuals were identified three times or more, and nine individuals were identified five times during seven surveys. One individual appeared in November 2007, August 2008, October 2008, April 2009, and July 2009. The results of our study confirm that these dolphins represent a coastal resident stock. Futhermore, we will establish dolphin abundance, management, and usage studies using continuous visual and photo-identification surveys.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.665-669
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• 2010

To confirm the distributon of finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides, in the South Sea of Korea, data on bycatch, stranding, and drifting of finless porpoises from 1999 to 2009 were used and a sighting survey was conducted from the R/V Tamgu No. 9 and 10 in June and November, 2009 and March, 2010. The total number of bycaught, stranded, and drifting finless porpoises was 607, with position being known for 186 of these. At the center of Yeosu, there were few position data on bycaught, stranded, and drifting finless porpoises, and data could not confirm the distribution of finless porpoises. Thus, there were limits on the usefulness of bycaught, stranded, and drifting data for confirming the distribution of finless porpoises. In the three sighting surveys, the sighting rate was highest at 0.231 ind./n.m. in the western South Sea in June, 2009. Sighting rate was less than 0.1 ind./n.m. in November, 2009 and March, 2010. This is likely to be due to seasonal migration in western South Sea. All sighting rates in the eastern South Sea were over 0.13 ind./n.m.. According to the results of the sighting survey, finless porpoises are distributed around the islands and inner bay along the path of the research vessel in the South Sea. There were numerous finless porpoises in the offshore areas of Mokpo, Yeosu, Tongyeong, Dadaepo, and Gaduk-do. This study will be utilized as part of a future abundance assessment of finless porpoise in the South Sea of Korea.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제55권6호
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• pp.938-945
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• 2022

National Institute of Fisheries Science conducted a total of 39 sighting surveys for marine mammals over 624 sighting days that covered 20,771 nautical miles in Korean waters during 2011-2020. Marine mammals were detected when 83.9% of the marine environment was less than or equal to three on the Beaufort wind scale. Thirteen species of marine mammals were identified, including two species of pinniped, with a majority of cetacean species. Frequently found species were narrow-ridged finless porpoise, followed by common dolphin, minke whale, Dall's porpoise, and Pacific white-sided dolphin. Narrow-ridged finless porpoises and minke whales were located in and offshore around the Korean peninsula, common and Pacific white-sided dolphins were exclusively found in the East Sea for most seasons. The other marine mammals were spotted in some seas and for limited durations.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.340-344
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• 2010

Identification of individuals is a standard tool used to study animal behavior and ecology. Numerous studies based on photographic identifications of various marine mammal populations have been successfully conducted. The objective of this study was to validate a photo-identification method for spotted seals. We tested the method using 4,939 photographs gathered in 30 field surveys from 2006 to 2008 on Baekryongdo, Korea. In 2006, 20 individuals were identified and cataloged using unique spot patterns on their left chick pelages as a natural marker. In 2007 and 2008, three and nine individuals, respectively, were recaptured, with six individuals continually recaptured during the entire survey period. We confirmed that the spot patterns of spotted seal pelages were constant in shape and location throughout time. These characteristics offered an opportunity to consistently identify individuals within a population over the long survey period. The use of photo-identification has great potential for mark-recapture studies.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제50권5호
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• pp.561-566
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• 2017

Few studies on the finless porpoise Neophocaena asiaeorientalis have been conducted on the south coast of Korea. This region includes Gadeok Island, which is located off the Korean peninsula in an area of heavy maritime traffic. Sighting surveys of finless porpoises were conducted at seven predetermined spots around Gadeok Island in January, May, July, September, and November 2016. Finless porpoises (127 individuals in 24 schools) were sighted at all but one (spot P5) of the survey locations. Fewer porpoises were spotted in summer (Jul and Sep) than in other seasons (P<0.05). Porpoises were most abundant around the south coast of the island, where they were spotted in every season, and in significantly higher numbers than at other locations (P<0.05). Single individuals accounted for 20.8% of sightings, while 25.0% of sighted schools consisted of only two porpoises. The mean school size was 5.29 individuals (SD=6.72).

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.411-416
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• 2015

We estimated abundance of the finless porpoise Neophocaena asiaeorientalis in the west coast of Korea in 2011 and compared it to the abundance data estimated by Park et al. (2007). The two researches used same line transect method operated by a vessel, and the study area were divided into the offshore and the inshore regions to assess variations in their abundance. In offshore regions population density of finless porpoises was $0.122ind./km^2$, which was lower than $0.565ind./km^2$ estimated in 2004. In inshore regions the population density was $0.151ind./km^2$, which was much lower than $0.638ind./km^2$ estimated in 2005. Thus, we estimate that the population densities of the finless porpoises in both the offshore and the inshore regions of the west coast of Korea has decreased by approximately 70% between 2004/2005 and 2011.