Using a Crew-Based Observer Programme as a Platform of Opportunity for Understanding the Distribution of Whales in the Northern Arabian Sea

Sightings of baleen whales made by observers posted on tuna gillnet vessels operating along Pakistan’s coast were previously reported to the 2017 Scientific Committee meeting (SC_67A_CMP_05). WWF Pakistan’s crew-based observer programme has continued over the past year during which a total of 95 whale sightings were reported, including 42 sightings of Arabian Sea humpback whales, 13 sightings of blue whales, 5 sightings of Bryde’s whales, 4 sightings of sperm whales, 1 sighting of killer whales and 30 sightings of baleen whales that could not be identified to species level due to lack of adequate photographic or video evidence. The data also revealed three areas of main concentration: between Ormara and Phor; southwest of Karachi, and the Indus Canyon area. Further studies including dedicated whale surveys are recommended for the area. The authors strongly recommend that the crew-based observer programme, for which funding expires in December 2018, should be continued, as it is an important source of information about whales in the Arabian Sea.