By
Dr. Egil Ole Øen
Associate professor
Norwegian School of Veterinary Science
Section of Arctic Veterinary Medicine
Norway
June 2005
Management surveillance of hunting
Successfully managed harvesting of resources must ensure that harvesting
practices fit within long term resource sustainability goals. Most
commercial fisheries and hunting activities therefore utilize monitoring
programs to ensure compliance with the regulations in addition to
collection of information supporting fishery and wildlife management,
stock assessment and scientific research. The methods for management
surveillance of activities at sea have traditionally been at-sea inspector
and observer programs, logbooks and data collection by scientists and
trained observers. Most monitoring programs at sea are therefore costly
because of the high labour component associated with at-sea observers.
The traditional methods for at sea monitoring of the harvest of minke
whales in Norway have included logbooks and at-sea inspector programs. In
addition every boat is controlled and must be approved for hunting by
governmental inspectors from the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries and
the Norwegian Food Safety Authority before they are allowed to start the
hunt. The control includes relevant documents and licences, weapons and
hunting equipment, and that the standards of hygiene comply with Norwegian
regulations. In addition, at-sea inspectors have also been trained to
collect data for scientific institutions in addition to the scientists
that are at sea on several boats during the hunt.
The inspector program has given 100% coverage of the boats and hunting
activities, which is highly unusual both compared with most fisheries
management regimes, wild game hunting as well as several other activities
where animals are harvested or killed. For example at hunting of
terrestrial animals in Norway specially trained officers are present in
the area and monitor the hunting activities by random or periodical checks
in addition to hunter’s licence check and weapons control. The terrestrial
hunters themselves are also commonly ordered to sample specimen for
science and management surveillance.
The Norwegian minke whale hunt
In Norway only one whale species is targeted, namely the minke whale, and
it is hunted from small fishing vessels that are rigged for whaling in the
season. The IWC definition of this catching operation is “small type
whaling”, see Schedule, para 1 C. The whales are killed using a penthrite
grenade mounted on a harpoon. The dead whales are hauled on board across
the deck and butchered. The products are stored in ice in the hold before
it is brought to processing plants on land.
The boats operate in areas through which whales migrate or feed. A
stealthy approach is normally used to get close to the whale. There is no
chasing in high speed or support of electronic devices like sonar. The
hunters simply idle the boat slowly towards the position where they
believe that the whale will surface to take its next breath and the whales
are often shot when they are passing by or approach the boat. The hunt is
therefore depending on calm sea and little wind. In periods with windy
weather, which sometimes might last for days and weeks, the boats usually
must stay at port. From 1993 to 2004, one inspector was present on every
vessel through its whole season that normally could last up to 7-8 weeks.
Electronic monitoring and surveillance of minke whaling
Traditional methods for monitoring the hunt in the Norwegian harvest of
minke whales have included logbook inspection, at-sea inspectors from
Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, and North Atlantic Marine Mammal
Commission (NAMMCO) nation observers. The monitoring program using
inspectors on every vessel has gradually become extremely costly. The
costs have annually been about NOK 6 millions (€ 750 000/US $ 950 000).
The system has been useful in monitoring hunting regulations, but it has
unintentionally imposed important side effects on the execution of the
hunt and the hunting practice. The annual cost for the inspection scheme
has been far too high for the vessels to be paid from the income from the
harvest, and has been paid by the government. To keep the costs down,
inspection time has been limited (less than 2 months per boat). This time
restriction has prevented the hunters from their earlier and traditional
opportunistic “fair weather” hunt, which had quite many similarities with
the aboriginal hunting of whales, and forced them to start the season when
the inspectors are available. In periods with much “bad” or windy weather
the vessel’s “inspection time” will run without any hunting, which
sometimes result in a tendency to hunt the largest animals instead of the
young ones to secure their income before the time is over. Another serious
effect is that, for the smallest vessels, one of the crew has to stay at
port and consequently loose income, to make room for the inspector during
the season.
An electronic tamper-proof automated computing system to independently
monitor the whaling activities would ease some of these unnecessary and
unintended restrictions and be superior to the traditional monitoring
system in many ways. It would provide a lower cost alternative, it would
bring the hunt back to its traditional opportunistic “good weather” hunt
and still secure that the harvest fit within long-term resource
conservation targets and sustainable goals. It takes little space, it does
not sleep, eat, and does not socialize with anyone.
Program for development of Automated Electronic
Monitoring Technology for Minke Whaling 2001-2005
A project to develop an electronic monitoring system, a trip recorder,
named Blue Box (BB) system, started with governmental funding in 2001 at
Norwegian School of Veterinary Science after request of Norwegian
Fishermen Association.
The Blue Box system consists of a control and data logger box (Blue Box)
designed to independently monitor and log hunting activity data provided
by an independent GPS and different sensors (deliverers) placed in certain
areas and structures of the boat, data that prove that a whale is shot and
taken on board. The control box and the sensors are configured and
calibrated individually for each vessel. The system is automated with
programs designed for the continuous operation and logging of data for at
least 4 months and equipped with backup batteries and automatically
restarting functions following system interruption.
The Blue Box system includes in summary the following components:
• Control Box (Blue Box)
• Independent GPS - antenna
• Shock transducers
• Strain transducers
• Heel sensor
Control Box (Blue Box)
The heart of the electronic monitoring system is a metal, tamper-proof box
that houses the computer system, system and data disks, backup batteries
and heel sensor. The locked and sealed box is normally mounted in a cabin
that can be locked from outsiders and operates on an independent circuit
of 24 volts DC. Data are stored on high capacity disks. The system
operates within a temperature range of ±30°C (+85°F/÷20°F). Potentially
failures in the power supply or data supply from the sensors will be
logged and the system restarts itself and restores the sensor function.
Each system is signed individually. Data is encrypted and can be sampled
either at random or periodical checks or at the end of the season by
educated personnel. To get access to the data and for analysis a specific
encoded key (WIBU key) is needed.
GPS
The Global Position System (GPS) receiver is an important tool that
provides the Blue Box with continuous and independent information on time,
position, speed and course of the vessel. The data from the GPS can be
used to plot the activities of the vessel in connection with the hunt. The
search for, killing and hauling in of the dead whale can be read from the
plot by personnel that are well trained and with good knowledge about the
hunting practice.
Shock transducers
Two independent shock transducers mounted on each harpoon gun identify the
shock waves from the firing of the harpoon gun. The transducers are
configured and calibrated individually and for each gun in a testing
program set up for this purpose.
Strain transducers
Strain transducers provide data by measuring static and dynamic strains to
structures like beams and ribs, strains that occur in the structures when
a whale is hauled on board across the deck and processed. The strain
transducers that are attached to the measurement object where the surface
conditions are good are connected to the power supply, an amplifier and
the Blue Box in protected wires. If any risk of mechanical damage,
moisture etc. to the transducers and electrical wires, they are
additionally covered with enclosures.
Heel sensor
Due to the swelling, some heel movements will always occur on a boat at
sea. The Norwegian minke whale hunt is normally conducted in fair weather
with moderate swelling and heeling, but when the whale is hauled in and
across the deck, it produces a very distinct and characteristic heel
movement of the vessel. This movement, which is most distinct on the
smaller boats, can be registered on all vessels. The registration from the
heel sensor cannot be used alone to verify a catch but helps to verify the
data from the other sensors.
Field trials in 2004
In 2004, after 2½ years of development, testing of different computer and
sensor systems, and field trials, 13 units were installed on 13 whaling
vessels. Before installation, the electricians and other personnel working
with installation and calibration of BB were trained in a three days
workshop that also included installation of one vessel under supervision
of experts. The vessels chosen for the trials were of different size and
construction (steel and wooden boats) and were operating in 3 different
areas. Experienced and trained inspectors were chosen and taught to
supervise the function of the BB system. They were instructed to record
their observations in separate logs that were made for this specific
purpose and report directly to the manager of the development project, Dr.
Egil Ole Øen at Norwegian School of Veterinary Science. Simultaneously the
skippers wrote their official logbook used for control by the Directorate
of Fisheries. These logbooks (from inspector and skipper) were later used
to control and qualify the data sampled in the BB. Three to 12 weeks after
the conclusion of season the BBs were actively switched off and system and
data disks were removed for analysis.
Results
The analyses of data from the BB in 2004 showed that all trip recorders
had functioned and logged data through the whole season. When the system
was turned off, it had been actively logging data in average for 116 days
(range 68 - 159 days). 235 whales were registered caught during the
registration period. The number of harpoon gun firings, number of whales
caught, time and positions were in accordance with the data from the
logbooks from the inspectors (and the hunters). For some of the boats, GPS
and all sensors had functioned to a 100%, for some others, one or two of
the sensors had not functioned quite successfully for every whale taken,
and for three of the wooden boats, some of the strain transducers had not
functioned satisfactorily for several of the whales. However, data from
the GPS in combination with logged data from other sensors were sufficient
to verify the exact number of whales taken and when and where they had
been caught.
Field trials in 2005
System upgrading and instruction of personnel
After the 2004 season all BB hardware were upgraded and slightly modified.
By thorough studies of the raw data from the 2004 season it was discovered
that the flaws in the sensor data were mainly caused by inaccuracies in
placement and calibration of the actual sensors. It was therefore decided
to hold a new workshop prior to the 2005 season, where the main topics
were sensor installation and configuration. A new installation and
configuration manual was compiled and the personnel were trained in
installation and calibration on one vessel under surveillance of experts
before recalibration and modification of the system on the 13 vessels that
had been equipped with BB in 2004 and installation on 16 new vessels
started. In 2005 the program manager has been present at installation and
recalibration on most of the vessels.
The skippers on every boat attended a compulsory workshop in 2005. They
were given an introduction in the function and the planned routines for
the control of the BB in 2005. In addition they were given instructions in
recording of a new logbook that had been prepared for the season.
There is a strong focus on assuring the integrity of the logged data in
all parts of the system. In addition to the upgrading of Blue Box and
sensors and training of personnel for installation, 22 inspectors were
trained in a 2 days workshop to supervise and control the hunting in 2005
and to record a separate log that will be used for the quality control of
the system and logged data in 2005. The plan is that 7 of the inspectors
will be present and stay on board the same vessel the whole season (mainly
the largest vessels), while the other 15 will stay on board alternate
boats for shorter periods of time and do random checking of hunting boats
on sea and at port.
When the hunting season is closed, the encrypted data will be collected
from the BBs, decrypted and analysed. The development program is expected
concluded in 2005.
Analysis tool for data from BB
In 2004 the Ministry of Fisheries started an independent project to
develop an automatic configuration and analysing tool to analyse data from
the BB. An early version of this tool was used for the analysis of data
from the 2004 season. The analysing tool is still under development, but
is expected concluded in fall 2005.
Fig. 1. The Blue Box (Control Box) of the Automated Electronic Monitoring
System developed for monitoring the minke whale hunting in Norway. |