Science Advisory Report 2012/048
Abundance and total allowable landed catch for the Admiralty Inlet narwhal stock in 2010
Summary
- The previous surveys of Admiralty Inlet were conducted in August 2003. At that time, it was estimated that 5,362 (95% confidence interval 1,920-12,199) narwhals were summering there. The 2003 surveys had large confidence intervals and were thought to be biased by weather conditions and severe clumping of narwhals.
- In August 2010, two aerial surveys of Admiralty Inlet were completed using an adaptive sampling plan which combined visual line-transect sampling of the entire Inlet and aerial photography of aggregations.
- Combining the two survey results from 2010, using an effort-weighted mean, gave an estimate of 18,049 (coefficient of variation 0.23, 95% confidence interval 11,613-28,053) narwhals.
- For the Admiralty Inlet stock, Potential Biological Removal (PBR) for the combined 2010 estimate was 299 narwhals. The total allowable landed catch (TALC), corrected to include hunting losses, was 233 narwhals.
- This stock summers in Admiralty Inlet, winters in Baffin Bay and migrates between these areas during spring and fall. The PBR and TALC apply over the whole range of the stock.
This Science Advisory Report is from the March 30, 2011 of the National Marine Mammal Peer Review Committee (NMMPRC): 2010 Admiralty Inlet narwhal survey. Additional publications from this process will be posted as they become available on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Science Advisory Schedule.
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