• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.456-460
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• 2018

Little is known about the movements of finless porpoises Neophocaena asiaeorientalis and their relationship with sea surface temperature (SST). A female finless porpoise that was stranded alive on the shore at Busan was rehabilitated for 16 months at the Sea Life Busan Aquarium. The porpoise was released off Geoje Island with a satellite tag on her mid-ridge and tracking data were received for 7 days. The porpoise moved directly to the southern shore of Gadeok Island, where an earlier study reported that finless porpoises were most abundant around the island. The tracking route revealed two other potential primary habitats. The porpoise moved to the middle of the east coast of the Korean Peninsula at Uljin, beyond the distribution boundary known from earlier studies. Satellite infrared images detected a cold water mass off the Uljin coast and the tracking route showed that the porpoise avoided this low-temperature area.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 2004

Visual line-transect surveys for the finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) were conducted in the offshore of the west coast of Korea (WCOK) from 18 April to 17 May 2001 $(34^{\circ}18'\;to\;37^{\circ}18'N,\;123^{\circ}00'\;to\;126^{\circ}00'E),$ and in the inshore of the west coast of Korea (WCIK) from 29 July to 2 August 2003 $(35^{\circ}17'\;to\;36^{\circ}17'N,\;126^{\circ}00'\;to\;126^{\circ}25'E).$ A total of transect survey efforts were 810.27 n.m. in 2001 and 216.09 n.m. in 2003, which cover a survey areas of $23,012\;n.m^2\;and\;1,550\;n.m^2,$ respectively. There were 76 and 24 sightings for the finless porpoise during the surveys in the WCOK (2001) and the WCIK (2003), respectively. More than $80\%$ of the finless porpoise occurred near the coast within 15 n.m. from the land. Porpoise were observed mainly in a depth range from 20 to 50 m $(78\%).$ Few porpoise were observed in a depth shallower than 10 m or deeper than 60 m. The hazard-rate model, truncated at the largest $5\%$ distance, showed the best fitting from the frequency distribution of perpendicular distance of the finless porpoise sighted from the trackline in the WCOK (2001), while the uniform model showed the best fitting from in the WCIK (2003). Abundance of finless porpoises were estimated to be 58,650 individuals ($95\%$ CI=34,961-98,389) in the WCOK (2001) and 1,571 individuals ($95\%$ CI=881-2,800) in the WCIK (2003), respectively.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.578-586
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• 2014

The seasonal appearance and distribution of finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) was investigated with sighting survey method around Wido in West sea, Korea. Fishing survey with drag net was also conducted to investigate the species composition of inhabitants and the consignment quantity data of fisheries cooperation was collected to confirm the seasonal change of the composition and quantity of them. Finless porpoise didn't emerged around Wido in winter season, but the number of appearance in summer season amounted to 1~15 indv. for 15 observing points and the appearance frequency became lower in open sea than in inshore. There was also significant relationship between the appearances of finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) and that of inhabitants. we consequently concluded that finless porpoise typically distributes from April to september, and moves to another area for wintering and food consumption from October to March.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.201-209
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• 2007

Line transect sampling in a sighting survey is one of most widely used methods for assessing animal abundance. This study applied distance data, collected from three sighting surveys using line transects for finless porpoise that were conducted in 2004 and 2005 off the west coast of Korea, to four models (hazard-rate, uniform, half-normal and exponential) that can use a variety of detection functions, g (x). The hazard-rate model, a derived model for the detection function, should have a shoulder condition chosen using the AIC (Akaike Information Criterion), as the most suitable model. However, it did not describe a shoulder shape for the value of g(x) near the track tine and underestimated g (x), just as the exponential model did. The hazard-rate model showed a bias toward overestimating the densities of finless porpoises with a higher coefficient of variation (CV) than the other models did. The uniform model underestimated the densities of finless porpoise but had the lowest CV. The half-normal model described a detection function with a shape similar to that of the uniform model. The half-normal model was robust for finless porpoise data and should be able to avoid density underestimation. The estimated abundance of finless porpoise was 3,602 individuals (95% CI=1,251-10,371) inshore in 2005 and 33,045 individuals (95% CI=24,274-44,985) offshore in 2004.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.43 no.6
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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.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.46 no.6
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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.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.295-298
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• 2014

Finless porpoise is the one of porpoises in Korean waters that frequently observed in the coastal area. This study reported parasite infection cases of stranded finless porpoise, Neophocaena asiaeorientalis which was stranded on the Saemangeum Dyke on the west coast of Korea 21 May, 2012. The finless porpoise was male, and estimated at 8 years old. Parasites were found in abdominal cavity, skull and lung. The parasites were identified as nematode, trematoda and lungworm. Nematoda in abdominal cavity was Crassicauda sp. Trematoda found in the skull was indentified Nasitrema sp. Lungworm in lung seemed one of genus Pseudaliids. Anisakis spp. has not been found.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.51 no.6
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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.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.5
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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).

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.861-871
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• 2016

The coastal water of Korean Peninsula is the major habitat for finless porpoises. However, hundreds of finless porpoises are currently caught incidentally by stow-net fishery every year. To prevent the mass mortality of finless porpoises and conserve marine animals, Busan Aquarium has been designated as a "Marine Life Ex-Situ Conservation Institution and Marine Animal Conservation Center," and Cetacean Research Institute, under the National Institute of Fisheries Science have started RRR (rescue, rehabilitation and release) project together since 2011. From 2012 to 2013, four individuals of finless porpoises had been rescued and two of them finally released to their original habitat after fully recovered in July 2013. As a result, according to growth curve of finless porpoise of Korea more than 140 cm of body length, 38 kg of total weight referred to adult, results of observation of the change in the hormone revealed that mating time of finless porpoises is January, Jun and July. To become the initial institution which rescues, treatment, husbandry and releases finless porpoise in Korea.