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Marine MammalsMARINE MAMMALS (MT)

BackgroundBACK TO TOPRETOUR AU SOMMET

Marine mammals are mammals that rely on marine (saltwater) ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses), sirenians (manatees and dugongs), sea otters and polar bears. They are an informal group, unified only by their reliance on marine environments for feeding and survival. Marine mammals were first hunted by aboriginal peoples for food and other resources. Many were also the target for commercial industry, leading to a sharp decline in all populations of exploited species, such as whales and seals. Other than being hunted, marine mammals can be killed as bycatch from fisheries, where for example they can become entangled in nets and drown or starve. Increased ocean traffic causes collisions between fast ocean vessels and large marine mammals. Habitat degradation also threatens marine mammals and their ability to find and catch food. Noise pollution, for example, may adversely affect echolocating mammals, and the ongoing effects of global warming degrade Arctic environments.

CONTEXTEBACK TO TOPRETOUR AU SOMMET

Marine mammals are mammals that rely on marine (saltwater) ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses), sirenians (manatees and dugongs), sea otters and polar bears. They are an informal group, unified only by their reliance on marine environments for feeding and survival. Marine mammals were first hunted by aboriginal peoples for food and other resources. Many were also the target for commercial industry, leading to a sharp decline in all populations of exploited species, such as whales and seals. Other than being hunted, marine mammals can be killed as bycatch from fisheries, where for example they can become entangled in nets and drown or starve. Increased ocean traffic causes collisions between fast ocean vessels and large marine mammals. Habitat degradation also threatens marine mammals and their ability to find and catch food. Noise pollution, for example, may adversely affect echolocating mammals, and the ongoing effects of global warming degrade Arctic environments.

WHAT THE CWHC IS DOING

The constantly evolving impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities on the health and conservation of wildlife in Canada have made apparent now more than ever before the need for systematic health monitoring of wildlife species. Canada needs a surveillance program focused on the health of marine mammals specifically in order to ensure conservation of these species both now and in the future. A comprehensive marine mammal (particularly cetacean) health surveillance program is dependent upon four main pillars including: 1) Stranding response and/or carcass retrieval, 2) necropsy investigation, 3) research sampling, and 4) data archiving. The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) has been conducting wildlife health surveillance for 30 consecutive years and embodies multiple essential qualities of these four pillars that make it both a natural leader as well as an enthusiastic collaborator with the many stakeholders across Canada involved in marine mammal health and stranding response.

ACTIONS DU RCSF

Le RCSF a mis en place deux nouveaux groupes de travail dont il supervise le fonctionnement, à savoir un groupe de travail stratégique sur les cochons sauvages invasifs et un groupe de travail opérationnel. Chacun de ces groupes réunit des représentants des ministères fédéraux, provinciaux et territoriaux de l’Environnement et de l’Agriculture ainsi que des chercheurs et des intervenants. Le RCSF collabore actuellement avec ses partenaires, entre autres avec ECCC, pour tenter d’obtenir la participation de groupes autochtones. Les groupes de travail ont identifié des buts et priorités nationaux conjoints en collaboration avec les principaux spécialistes en la matière. Des travaux sont en cours pour orienter le processus de décision entourant la gestion des cochons sauvages invasifs au Canada.

Ce projet vise essentiellement à définir et mettre en œuvre un plan d’action pour la prévention et l’atténuation des dommages sociaux et écologiques pouvant résulter de l’invasion des cochons sauvages et des sangliers au Canada.

Resources BACK TO TOPRETOUR AU SOMMET

Brochures, Factsheets & Reading Material

Cryptococcus gattii in stranded marine mammalsCryptococcus gattii in stranded marine mammals

 ENGLISH

Prédation de marsouins communs par les phoques gris

The Wild Boar

 FRANÇAIS

North Atlantic Right Whale mortality event, 2019

CWHC

 ENGLISH

Incident Report - North Atlantic Right Whale mortality event

CWHC

 ENGLISH   FRANÇAIS

ENTANGLEMENT OF MARINE ANIMALS IN PLASTIC

Entanglement of marine animals in plastic

ENGLISH / FRANÇAIS

Beaufort Beluga Whales Health Assessment-2015-2016

 ENGLISH

Field Guide to Diseases and Parasites of Marine Mammals of the Eastern Canadian Arctic

ENGLISH

Blog ArticlesARTICLES DE BLOGBACK TO TOPRETOUR AU SOMMET

Predation of grey seals by great white sharks in the Gulf of St. Lawrence: an increasing cause of mortality?

Prédation de phoques gris par de grands requins blancs dans le Golfe du Saint-Laurent : une cause de mortalité en augmentation?

Host-parasite relationships in marine mammals: a fragile and sometimes fatal balance

Relation hôtes-parasites chez les mammifères marins : un équilibre fragile parfois fatal

Adrenal tumour (pheochromocytoma) in a harbour porpoise

Tumeur de la glande surrénale (phéochromocytome) chez un marsouin commun

Bottlenose Whale Stranding Event

Colla’beer’ation and Conservation!

After spending several days in the region of Montreal, the humpback whale is found dead: A collision with a boat is suspected.

Le rorqual à bosse qui a passé plusieurs jours dans la région de Montréal a été retrouvé mort : Une collision avec un bateau est suspectée

Evidence of predation of a grey seal by a shark in the Magdalen islands

Update on the North Atlantic right whale mortalities

Mortalité de baleines noires de l’Atlantique Nord

Whale of a Time….

Workshop on the management of marine mammal strandings

Atelier sur la gestion des échouages de mammifères marins

2nd International Workshop on Beluga Whale Research & Conservation

Toxoplasma gondii: A Cat Parasite in St. Lawrence Beluga Whales

Toxoplasma gondii un parasite du chat chez les bélugas du Saint-Laurent