Embedded lead shot and infliction rates in common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland
The large numbers of common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland are subject to intensive hunting, and in addition to direct harvest an unknown number of birds are wounded and become carriers of embedded lead shot. We conducted the first assessm...
Main Authors: | , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2006
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/embedded-lead-shot-and-infliction-rates-in-common-eiders-somateria-mollissima-and-king-eiders-s-spectabilis-wintering-in-southwest-greenland(4ee84179-3f66-41c3-b9bd-298ea539d821).html https://doi.org/10.2981/0909-6396(2006)12[257:ELSAIR]2.0.CO;2 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33749532309&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
id |
ftuniaarhuspubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/4ee84179-3f66-41c3-b9bd-298ea539d821 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftuniaarhuspubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/4ee84179-3f66-41c3-b9bd-298ea539d821 2023-05-15T15:17:56+02:00 Embedded lead shot and infliction rates in common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland Falk, Knud Merkel, Flemming Kampp, Kaj Jamieson, Sarah E. 2006-09-01 https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/embedded-lead-shot-and-infliction-rates-in-common-eiders-somateria-mollissima-and-king-eiders-s-spectabilis-wintering-in-southwest-greenland(4ee84179-3f66-41c3-b9bd-298ea539d821).html https://doi.org/10.2981/0909-6396(2006)12[257:ELSAIR]2.0.CO;2 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33749532309&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Falk , K , Merkel , F , Kampp , K & Jamieson , S E 2006 , ' Embedded lead shot and infliction rates in common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland ' , Wildlife Biology , vol. 12 , no. 3 , pp. 257-265 . https://doi.org/10.2981/0909-6396(2006)12[257:ELSAIR]2.0.CO;2 Arctic Eider Embedded shot Greenland Hunting Somateria mollissima Somateria spectabilis article 2006 ftuniaarhuspubl https://doi.org/10.2981/0909-6396(2006)12[257:ELSAIR]2.0.CO;2 2020-10-21T22:47:05Z The large numbers of common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland are subject to intensive hunting, and in addition to direct harvest an unknown number of birds are wounded and become carriers of embedded lead shot. We conducted the first assessment of the magnitude of this undesirable side effect of hunting in Greenland by X-raying 879 common and 114 king eiders collected by local fishermen and hunters during three winters (2000-2002). On average, 22% of all common eiders carried embedded shot, but proportions were strongly age dependent; of first-winter (1W) birds 13.2%, of immatures (IM) 16.4%, and of adults (AD) 29.1% were carriers. For king eiders the proportions were similar: 11.3, 10 and 20%, respectively, were carriers. Adult common eiders collected in fjord areas were significantly less burdened (24.5%) than birds collected in the more heavily hunted coastal areas (35.0%). Among inflicted birds, 1W birds contained more pellets (mean 2.2) than AD (mean 1.7), despite the adults' longer time to accumulate pellets from multiple inflictions, which suggests that the most burdened juveniles die before entering the older age class. From the proportion of wounded 1W birds (13.2%) we modelled the infliction rates, i.e. the proportion of an age class that become pellet carriers each year, for older birds (IM+AD) to be at least 1.8-3%, assuming that annual survival of adult eiders falls within the range 0.8-0.9. Assuming that roughly 35% of the 463,000 common eiders estimated to winter in southwest Greenland are juveniles, 13% are immatures, and 52% adults (fourth winter and older), then each winter up to 30,000 eiders would become new carriers of embedded shot (21,000 juveniles, 1,200-1,800 immatures and 4,800-7,300 adults). As wounded birds may risk increased mortality in severe winters and reduced reproductive output, the infliction has implications for the demographic models used to assess sustainable eider harvest levels. There is a need for follow-up studies of regional variation in infliction, and to identify ways to possibly reduce the hunters' unintended impact on their game populations. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Greenland Somateria mollissima Somateria spectabilis Aarhus University: Research Arctic Greenland |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Aarhus University: Research |
op_collection_id |
ftuniaarhuspubl |
language |
English |
topic |
Arctic Eider Embedded shot Greenland Hunting Somateria mollissima Somateria spectabilis |
spellingShingle |
Arctic Eider Embedded shot Greenland Hunting Somateria mollissima Somateria spectabilis Falk, Knud Merkel, Flemming Kampp, Kaj Jamieson, Sarah E. Embedded lead shot and infliction rates in common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland |
topic_facet |
Arctic Eider Embedded shot Greenland Hunting Somateria mollissima Somateria spectabilis |
description |
The large numbers of common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland are subject to intensive hunting, and in addition to direct harvest an unknown number of birds are wounded and become carriers of embedded lead shot. We conducted the first assessment of the magnitude of this undesirable side effect of hunting in Greenland by X-raying 879 common and 114 king eiders collected by local fishermen and hunters during three winters (2000-2002). On average, 22% of all common eiders carried embedded shot, but proportions were strongly age dependent; of first-winter (1W) birds 13.2%, of immatures (IM) 16.4%, and of adults (AD) 29.1% were carriers. For king eiders the proportions were similar: 11.3, 10 and 20%, respectively, were carriers. Adult common eiders collected in fjord areas were significantly less burdened (24.5%) than birds collected in the more heavily hunted coastal areas (35.0%). Among inflicted birds, 1W birds contained more pellets (mean 2.2) than AD (mean 1.7), despite the adults' longer time to accumulate pellets from multiple inflictions, which suggests that the most burdened juveniles die before entering the older age class. From the proportion of wounded 1W birds (13.2%) we modelled the infliction rates, i.e. the proportion of an age class that become pellet carriers each year, for older birds (IM+AD) to be at least 1.8-3%, assuming that annual survival of adult eiders falls within the range 0.8-0.9. Assuming that roughly 35% of the 463,000 common eiders estimated to winter in southwest Greenland are juveniles, 13% are immatures, and 52% adults (fourth winter and older), then each winter up to 30,000 eiders would become new carriers of embedded shot (21,000 juveniles, 1,200-1,800 immatures and 4,800-7,300 adults). As wounded birds may risk increased mortality in severe winters and reduced reproductive output, the infliction has implications for the demographic models used to assess sustainable eider harvest levels. There is a need for follow-up studies of regional variation in infliction, and to identify ways to possibly reduce the hunters' unintended impact on their game populations. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Falk, Knud Merkel, Flemming Kampp, Kaj Jamieson, Sarah E. |
author_facet |
Falk, Knud Merkel, Flemming Kampp, Kaj Jamieson, Sarah E. |
author_sort |
Falk, Knud |
title |
Embedded lead shot and infliction rates in common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland |
title_short |
Embedded lead shot and infliction rates in common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland |
title_full |
Embedded lead shot and infliction rates in common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland |
title_fullStr |
Embedded lead shot and infliction rates in common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Embedded lead shot and infliction rates in common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland |
title_sort |
embedded lead shot and infliction rates in common eiders somateria mollissima and king eiders s. spectabilis wintering in southwest greenland |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/embedded-lead-shot-and-infliction-rates-in-common-eiders-somateria-mollissima-and-king-eiders-s-spectabilis-wintering-in-southwest-greenland(4ee84179-3f66-41c3-b9bd-298ea539d821).html https://doi.org/10.2981/0909-6396(2006)12[257:ELSAIR]2.0.CO;2 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33749532309&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
geographic |
Arctic Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Greenland |
genre |
Arctic Greenland Somateria mollissima Somateria spectabilis |
genre_facet |
Arctic Greenland Somateria mollissima Somateria spectabilis |
op_source |
Falk , K , Merkel , F , Kampp , K & Jamieson , S E 2006 , ' Embedded lead shot and infliction rates in common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering in southwest Greenland ' , Wildlife Biology , vol. 12 , no. 3 , pp. 257-265 . https://doi.org/10.2981/0909-6396(2006)12[257:ELSAIR]2.0.CO;2 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.2981/0909-6396(2006)12[257:ELSAIR]2.0.CO;2 |
_version_ |
1766348183215013888 |