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Luna Update |
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Friday, July 1, 2005 Starting with an article run in The Record this week we are directing the public to visit Tuta Marina if they want to view Luna unobtrusively. My spotting scope will be available to visitors to use at the land-based (non-intrusive) observation post. We have the cooperation of the marina owners, Larry and Shirley Andrews, who are Mowachaht/Muchalaht. We purchased some hand-held scanners yesterday so the crews and visitors to the observation people can hear the underwater sounds on the hydrophones while watching Luna all without disturbance. We are encouraging the public to take the Mowachaht/ Muchalaht Yuquot National Historic Site interpretive tours via scheduled day-trips on the Uchuck III, and catch a glimpse of Luna along the way. We hope this discourages boat traffic and allows people to see Luna without further risk to the whale. A joint coordination workshop will be held at Tsaxana, on July 7th to work out details of coordinating two agencies with our stewardship operation. We will focus on roles, coordination, and protocols. Coast Guards role is SAR. DFO patrols fisheries and will respond to calls for assistance. The Stewardship crews will receive Observe, Record and Report training from our local Fishery Officers. MMFN will be educating the public at their Muchalaht Marina, on the water and Observation Post. Over 90% of recreational boaters in Nootka Sound will pass over the newly widened boat ramp. DFO is working on boundaries of a requested temporary recreational fishing closure through Zuchiarte Channel as a path to the outside for Luna without noise and boats. We gave four supporting reasons for the closure from advice at the May Luna Stewardship Workshop. MMFN has recommended specific meets and bounds for the area to DFO for the closure to be most effective in meeting the four objectives. The most important message we learned at the 2004 Luna Stewardship workshop is that Luna will survive longer if there is fulltime pro-active oversight to minimize interaction by the public. MMFN and NTC have committed Jamie's time and my time, and the boats and some fuel. This funding comes at the expense of the loss of other long term fisheries assessment and monitoring programs. MMFN need additional funds for the education effort, and for three people to fill the two shifts on the water, fuel, and food. My latest budget projection is attached. We thought the land-based site would also reduce fuel costs but that is offset by extra food costs for staying all week at Tuta Marina & Campground. We are still about S100,000 short. We need the sound equipment (or to borrow it, any volunteers?) for ultrasound monitoring. Any funding you can raise and provide for Luna until he decides to depart would be very helpful. MMFN put up a 4' X 8' information board at the Muchalaht Marina tonight. We are posting information and have put up the MMFN sonar non-use request signs up. We will be putting up a poster summarizing the 2004 Stewardship Review results and noise findings. Wayne Lord has got the staff at the marina handing out last years Luna Boating Guidelines for the weekend. We await DFOs revisions of the 2005 Guidelines, and our final review, before printing. An old acquaintance, who is a fund-raiser called me and is going to try to help out collecting donations for Luna Stewardship through a school distributed coupon book. I hope lots of people buy the coupon book from students next fall all over BC. Several other NGOs have offered to help fund raise for Luna including the Centre for Whale Research. Keith Wood of ANON put in a huge effort much at his own expense into the Lunalive.net sound monitoring hydrophone system. Source: WCVI Aquatic Management Board Luna Website For More Information: |
© The Orca Zone 2005