Examinations of ears in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena from the North and Baltic Seas

Harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena are the most common cetaceans in the North and Baltic Seas (Hammond et al. 2002). Several threats, including commercial fisheries bycatch, caused severe declines previously (Vinther 1997). Danish North Sea bottom-set gill net fisheries created serious concerns wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBioacoustics (Berkhamsted) Vol. 17; no. 1-3; p. np
Main Authors Prahl, S, Ketten, DR, Siebert, U
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.01.2008
Subjects
Brackish
Cetacea
Marine
Phocoena phocoena
ANE, North Sea
ANE, Baltic Sea
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Summary:Harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena are the most common cetaceans in the North and Baltic Seas (Hammond et al. 2002). Several threats, including commercial fisheries bycatch, caused severe declines previously (Vinther 1997). Danish North Sea bottom-set gill net fisheries created serious concerns with annual bycatches of 7,000 animals in 1992 and 1993 and similar estimates for 1994-1998 (Vinther 1999). To reduce bycatch, the EU ratified mandatory use of pingers in bottom-set gill net fisheries in European waters. However, it is not known if pingers are effective in the long term. Pingers can have unintended effects, e.g., habitat degradation, habituation, or even hearing loss. To address these concerns and to specifically monitor any acoustic related pathologies, we need standardized baseline data on ear health for these animals.
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ISSN:0952-4622