ESTIMATED ABUNDANCE OF BELUGAS IN COOK INLET, ALASKA, FROM AERIAL SURVEYS CONDUCTED IN JUNE 2012

• Main Authors: Roderick C. Hobbs, Christy L. Sims, Kim E. W. Shelden
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: McArthur; McArthur River; West Foreland; Beluga; Beluga*; Alaska
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.297.7509; http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/protectedresources/whales/beluga/abundance/2012estimates.pdf

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducted aerial surveys of the beluga population in Cook Inlet, Alaska, from 29 May to 7 June 2012 as a continuation of surveys conducted since 1993. Six of the days in 2012 resulted in complete surveys of the beluga habitat in the upper inlet (north of East Foreland and West Foreland); and three days included surveys of the lower inlet. One other survey day included an incomplete survey of the upper inlet that was cut short due to poor weather conditions. During the six surveys of the upper inlet, 30 beluga groups were observed, and up to 11 counting passes were made per group. This season there was a fairly typical presentation of beluga groups, with two or more large groups in the Susitna area and a few smaller groups in Chickaloon Bay and Turnagain Arm. A beluga group was also observed just south of West Foreland headed toward Trading Bay where this group remained (near the mouth of the McArthur River) for the duration of the survey period. This is the first time belugas have been found consistently in Trading Bay since the July 1995 survey. No beluga groups were found in Knik Arm, or elsewhere in Cook Inlet. The estimated abundance for June 2012 is 312 (CV = 0.13, 95 % CI: 242 to 402, Nmin = 280) with a ten-year trend (2002-2012) of-0.6 % per year (SE = 1.1%). The trend since the management of the hunt began in 1999 (i.e. 1999-2012) is-1.3 % per year (SE = 0.8%).