the west kamchatka shelf 2. presented by wwf russia, kamchatka … · 2013-02-08 · the west...

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1. Title\name of the area: The West Kamchatka Shelf 2. Presented by WWF Russia, Kamchatka-Bering Sea ecoregion [email protected] 3. Abstract (less than 150 words) The West Kamchatka Shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk – located in the Northern Pacific, Russian Far East – the richest in bioresources marine area of Russia and one of the strongest in bio-productivity area of the World Ocean, plays a crucial role in ensuring food security of the country. The West Kamchatka shelf is an important reproduction and harvesting ground for crabs, Alaska Pollack, herring, cod, halibut, etc. It is also a key area for feeding and pre-spawning migrations for various species of Pacific Salmon. This region is unique regarding conserving productivity and biodiversity of the Sea of Okhotsk in its entirety. According to the scientists’ studies, the total commercial harvesting potential of the West Kamchatka shelf may exceed 1 million tones (Zolotov, 2000, 2004 1 ). Socio-economic development of the Russian Far East is closely connected with accelerating of natural resources development of various parts of the Sea of Okhotsk, and the West Kamchatka shelf inter alia. Besides highest bio-productive value, the shelf has mineral resources like oil and gas, exploration of which puts serious risks for biodiversity safety of the area. 4. Introduction - Geographic description: The West Kamchatka Shelf is located in the eastern part of the Sea of Okhotsk along the western coastline of Kamchatka peninsula in the Northern Pacific – see Fig. # 1. Fig # 1 – Geographical location - Depth range: The depth along the coastline steadily increases when moving away from the shore. The northern part of the area is more shelfy compared to the southern. The distance from the coastline to the 10-meter isobaths does not exceed 7 miles. Further of 10-meter isobaths out at sea there are several distinctive depths and banks\shoals. But overall, the sea-bed of the Western-Kamchatka shelf is flat and low-angle till 250-meter isobaths. Detailed depths scheme – see Map #2. 1 Золотов О.Г., Бабаян В.К., Балыкин П.А., Булгакова Т.И., Васильев Д.А., Максименко В.П. Оценка запасов восточноохотоморского минтая традиционными и альтернативными методами // Пробл. охраны и рац. использ. биоресурсов Камчатки: Докл. Второй обл. Камчат. науч.- практич. конф. Петропавловск-Камчатский: Камч. печатный двор, 2000. С.20-27. Золотов О.Г., Балыкин П.А., Винников А.В. и др. Рыбные ресурсы восточной части Охотского моря: ретроспективный обзор, современное состояние // Экономические, социальные, правовые и экологические проблемы Охотского моря и пути их решения: Матер. науч.-практич. конф. Петропавловск-Камчатский: КамчатГТУ, 2004. 244 с.

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Page 1: The West Kamchatka Shelf 2. Presented by WWF Russia, Kamchatka … · 2013-02-08 · The West Kamchatka Shelf 2. Presented by WWF Russia, Kamchatka-Bering Sea ecoregion PZhbanova@wwf.ru

1. Title\name of the area: The West Kamchatka Shelf 2. Presented by WWF Russia, Kamchatka-Bering Sea ecoregion [email protected] 3. Abstract (less than 150 words)

The West Kamchatka Shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk – located in the Northern Pacific, Russian Far East – the richest in bioresources marine area of Russia and one of the strongest in bio-productivity area of the World Ocean, plays a crucial role in ensuring food security of the country. The West Kamchatka shelf is an important reproduction and harvesting ground for crabs, Alaska Pollack, herring, cod, halibut, etc. It is also a key area for feeding and pre-spawning migrations for various species of Pacific Salmon. This region is unique regarding conserving productivity and biodiversity of the Sea of Okhotsk in its entirety. According to the scientists’ studies, the total commercial harvesting potential of the West Kamchatka shelf may exceed 1 million tones (Zolotov, 2000, 20041).

Socio-economic development of the Russian Far East is closely connected with accelerating of natural resources development of various parts of the Sea of Okhotsk, and the West Kamchatka shelf inter alia. Besides highest bio-productive value, the shelf has mineral resources like oil and gas, exploration of which puts serious risks for biodiversity safety of the area. 4. Introduction - Geographic description: The West Kamchatka Shelf is located in the eastern part of the Sea of Okhotsk along the western coastline of Kamchatka peninsula in the Northern Pacific – see Fig. # 1.

Fig # 1 – Geographical location

- Depth range: The depth along the coastline steadily increases when moving away from the shore. The northern part of the area is more shelfy compared to the southern. The distance from the coastline to the 10-meter isobaths does not exceed 7 miles. Further of 10-meter isobaths out at sea there are several distinctive depths and banks\shoals. But overall, the sea-bed of the Western-Kamchatka shelf is flat and low-angle till 250-meter isobaths. Detailed depths scheme – see Map #2.

1 Золотов О.Г., Бабаян В.К., Балыкин П.А., Булгакова Т.И., Васильев Д.А., Максименко В.П. Оценка запасов восточноохотоморского минтая

традиционными и альтернативными методами // Пробл. охраны и рац. использ. биоресурсов Камчатки: Докл. Второй обл. Камчат. науч.-практич. конф. Петропавловск-Камчатский: Камч. печатный двор, 2000. С.20-27. Золотов О.Г., Балыкин П.А., Винников А.В. и др. Рыбные ресурсы восточной части Охотского моря: ретроспективный обзор, современное состояние // Экономические, социальные, правовые и экологические проблемы Охотского моря и пути их решения: Матер. науч.-практич. конф. Петропавловск-Камчатский: КамчатГТУ, 2004. 244 с.

Page 2: The West Kamchatka Shelf 2. Presented by WWF Russia, Kamchatka … · 2013-02-08 · The West Kamchatka Shelf 2. Presented by WWF Russia, Kamchatka-Bering Sea ecoregion PZhbanova@wwf.ru

Fig. #2 – The depths scheme of Eastern part of the Sea of Okhotsk

- Oceanography features for the West Kamchatka shelf are well studied, documented and modeled by Russian scientific institutes (Pacific Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, All Russian Research institute of fisheries, Kamchatka research institute of fisheries). General features are shown on figures below.

Map #3 – Currents scheme of the Sea of Okhotsk and Kamchatka shelf (blue arrows – cyclone eddies, red

arrows – anticyclone eddies)

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Fig. #4 Temperatures of surface layer in August (based on data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Fig. #5 Temperatures of surface layer in February (based on data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Fig. 6 Salinity of surface layer in August (based on data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Fig.7 Salinity of surface layer in February (based on data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

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Fig.8 Dissolved oxygen in the surface layer in August (based on data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Fig. 9 Dissolved oxygen in the surface layer in February (based on data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

- Hydrology of terrestrial parts adjacent to the West Kamchatka shelf

Fig.10 Characteristic of river basins, which fall into the waters of the West Kamchatka shelf

Total number of stream-flows Total length, km. Total area of water

catch, sq. km.

over 42 over 4124 over 62000

Fig. 11 Major rivers of the West Kamchatka

- Location features: Though the West Kamchatka shelf is relatively big, it’s still possible to identify the hotspot area of the shelf which is located within national jurisdiction (Fig.12):

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Fig.12 Boundaries of proposed area

Boundaries description: from 57о15/ N along the parallel 57о15/ N till 200-meter isobaths, then to the

south along 200-meter isobaths till 50°51′ N 156°39′ E, then straight to the east till Cape Lopatka where

this parallel crosses the peninsula coastline (50°51′ N 156°39′ E).

The total area of the proposed EBSA zone is about 100000 km2.

- Feature description of the proposed area

High productivity of the West Kamchatka shelf is the result of favorable combination of hydrodynamic and

hydro-chemical factors. High speed of water recirculation in this area gives additional source for

fortification with biogenic elements. These factors favor intensive growth of primary planktonic producers –

planktonic microalgae, which give food supply and provision for zoo- and ichthyoplankton, and benthic

fauna.

The waters of the West Kamchatka shelf house over 150 taxons of phytoplankton with high level of biomass

per cubic meter (Fig. 12)

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Fig. 13 Biomass (mg/м3) of phytoplankton at the West Kamchatka shelf (Lepskaya et al., 2008)

Season Year

1949 1952 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Spring – – 547 22 80 95 54 267 – 36 4093 – –

Summer

– beg. of

Autumn

525 50 – – – 1050 99 – 0.1 398 661 1207 352

Zooplankton is also characterized by high level of abundance (Fig 13).

Fig 14 Structure and biomass of zooplankton at the West Kamchatka shelf (Lepskaya et al., 2008;

Максименков, 2007)

Groups

2005 2006 2007

July June July June

mg/м3 % mg/м3

% mg/м3 % mg/м3

%

Coelenterata + + 115.2 11.4 334.4 20.0 47.1 8.1

Polychaeta 505.3 26.7 317.4 31.5 663.9 39.8 135.5 23.3

Cirripedia 0.6 + + + + + 9.9 1.7

Copepoda 1002.1 53.0 167.6 16.6 303.3 18.2 261.4 44.9

Mysidacea 98.7 5.2 + + + + + +

Amphipoda 14.2 0.8 + + + + 2.8 0.5

Euphausiacea 185.8 9.8 18.7 1.9 16.5 1.0 0.5 0.1

Decapoda 25.0 1.3 + + + + 14.6 2.5

Mollusca 46.3 2.4 113.5 11.3 254.0 15.2 17.4 3.0

Chaetognatha 7.8 0.4 191.9 19.0 45.1 2.7 84.7 14.6

Echinodermata 0.2 + + + + + 1.2 0.2

Tunicata + + + + + + 5.5 1.0

Varia 5.5 0.4 83.3 8.3 50.8 3.1 1.3 0.1

Total 1891.5 100.0 1007.6 100.0 1668.0 100.0 581.9 100.0

Number of tests 30 32 27 57

Results of marine studies show that average biomass of key groups of zoo-benthos is 130,37 g/m2 at

the average abundance – 215,79 pc./m2 (Архипова, 2009).

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Fig. 15 gives averaged abundance and biomass of ground-fish at the West Kamchatka shelf in 2005-2010 гг.

Fig.15

The waters of West Kamchatka shelf are crucially important for wild salmon population of Northern Pacific. Besides the fact that major spawning rivers of Kamchatka peninsula flaw into the waters of the shelf, West Kamchatka is also a key feeding ground for salmon juveniles and also migration routes of Pacific salmon go through the waters of West Kamchatka.

Семейства (виды) Западнокамчатский

шельф, 20-250 м Участок в пределах 12-и

мильной зоны

Латинское наименование Русское наименование Численность

тыс. рыб

Биомасса,

т

Численность

тыс. рыб Биомасса, т

Rajidae Ромбовые скаты 1 486 3 769 87 289

Clupeidae Сельдевые 814 632 157 013 181 085 30 964

Osmeridae Корюшковые 500 226 11 339 142 207 4 477

Gadidae:

Eleginus gracilis навага 261 198 92 441 152 231 57 627

Gadus macrocephalus треска 74 093 99 403 37 454 30 820

Theragra chalcogramma минтай 3 991 580 1 521 329 210 711 116 307

Sebastidae Морские окуни 435 185 206 57

Hexagrammidae Терпуговые 15 588 2 442 12 383 1 985

Cottidae Рогатковые 426 786 196 893 161 530 56 462

Hemitripteridae Волосатковые 6 114 6 875 4 600 5 285

Psychrolutidae Психролютовые 1 790 632 121 21

Agonidae Лисичковые 422 471 31 673 123 050 7 675

Cyclopteridae Круглопёровые 760 81 11 2

Liparidae Липаровые 6 368 5 519 393 348

Zoarcidae Бельдюговые 35 614 5 146 3 160 374

Stichaeidae Стихеевые 374 143 12 260 115 944 4 438

Pholididae Маслюковые 52 3 43 2

Anarhichadidae Зубатковые 118 279 90 237

Trichodontidae Волосозубовые 56 755 2 838 41 237 2 000

Ammodytidae Песчанковые 1 127 668 30 368 846 513 22 565

Pleuronectidae:

Hippoglossoides elassodon Палтусовидная камбала 589 050 111 632 31 917 6 443

Lepidopsetta polyxystra Двухлинейная камбала 98 946 23 506 33 943 6 922

Limanda aspera Желтоперая камбала 629 225 126 286 319 120 52 080

Limanda sakhalinensis Сахалинская камбала 2 554 869 273 080 384 456 38 403

Myzopsetta proboscidea Хоботная камбала 119 698 25 125 49 496 9 494

Platichthys stellatus Звездчатая камбала 10 067 10 250 7 347 7 668

Pleuronectes

quadrituberculatus

Четырехбугорчатая

камбала

71 752 49 917 25 457 11 880

Reinhardtius h. matsuurae Палтус черный 414 466 18 15

Hippoglossus stenolepis Палтус белокорый 4 275 3 296 1 865 2 325

Atherestres sp. Палтус стрелозубый 7 295 1 918 1 946 298

Суммарно: 7 397 250 1 127 616 2 496 820 330 192

Species West-Kamchatka shelf

20-250 m

12 miles zone

Abundance

of fish,

thousands

Biomass,

tones

Abundance

of fish,

thousands

Biomass,

tones

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Fig 16 Fig 17

Fig 16 shows the total catch of pacific salmon at the Western Kamchatka (years: 1992 – 2012; thousand tones by 5 salmon species). Fig. 17 shows the percentage (right column) of western Kamchatka catches (red dash-line) in total harvest in the Russian Far East (1992-2010; thousand tones, left column). Fig. 18 visualizes fishery importance of the West Kamchatka shelf based on geographical distribution of commercial fish habitats, biomass and other features (feeding grounds, migration routes, etc.).

Fig.18

- Future condition and future outlook of the proposed area. The biodiversity of the Western Kamchatka shelf is currently threatened by oil & gas exploration projects to be launched in the next 2-3 years.

The western Kamchatka shelf is estimated to have 3,5 bln.t. of oil & gas; perspective exploration area

is estimated to be about 70 th.km2 (Fig.19)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Годы

Су

мм

ар

ны

й в

ыл

ов

(ты

с. то

нн

)

Чавыча

Кижуч

Нерка

Кета

Горбуша

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Годы

Вы

ло

в н

а Д

ал

ьн

ем

Во

сто

ке Р

осси

и (

ты

с.

то

нн

)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60Д

ол

я З

ап

ад

но

й К

ам

чатки

(%)

Суммарный вылов лососей на Дальнем Востоке России

Доля Западной Камчатки от общего вылова на ДВ России (%)

Page 9: The West Kamchatka Shelf 2. Presented by WWF Russia, Kamchatka … · 2013-02-08 · The West Kamchatka Shelf 2. Presented by WWF Russia, Kamchatka-Bering Sea ecoregion PZhbanova@wwf.ru

Fig.19 Perspective oil & gas exploration fields at the western Kamchatka shelf.

Developing of oil & gas exploration infrastructure, intensifying of shipping and transportation of hydrocarbons, and associated risks of oil spills and ship wrecks will definitely destroy the biological balance of this ecosystem and valuable feeding grounds and habitats. Decreasing of biodiversity value of the western Kamchatka ecosystems will also negatively impact the larger ecosystems of the Northern Pacific. To prevent negative scenarios and enable conditions for protection of biodiversity of the Western Kamchatka it’s required to establish a mechanism which ensures control and restrictions on oil & gas development. It’s also required to do researches on modeling of oil spills to improve understanding of needs to be addressed in case of emergency. The long-term goal is introduction of Integrated Management Plan for the Sea of Okhotsk which is required to ensure complex approach to biodiversity conservation of the Sea of Okhotsk. Though currently in general the ecosystems of the area are stable and healthy, besides upcoming threats of oil&gas exploration, there is another issue to be addressed - the fishing practices which require improvement in the area of introduction of EBM practices and sustainability tools to avoid growth of IUU fishing, by-catches of non-target species and overexploitation of resources. Assessment of the area against CBD EBSA Criteria Uniqueness or rarity: high – unique composition of biological, geomorphological, hydrological and climate conditions; rare composition of biological resources of national and international importance; high value of ecosystem services; feeding ground for 6 types of wild pacific salmon; pre-spawning accumulation of Pacific Mallotus villosus socialis; huge sea-bird colonies and migration routes, and Ramsar areas are neighbored; about 200 species and subspecies of fish out of which 1 species in Russian Red Data list, and 10 species in Kamchatka regional Red data list; dozens of zooplankton and phytoplankton species, around 100 birds species; over 20 species of marine mammals and whales, over 100 species of macrophytes, over 1000 benthic species. Special importance for life-history stages: high – important feeding cycles of pacific salmon, main habitats and feeding ground for crabs and economically important white fish (Alaska Pollack); Kamchatka trout -

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Parasalmo mykiss – has unique interspecies variability accounting over 10 populations which have 6 life-history strategies. Importance for threatened, endangered and declining species or habitats: high – Birds and sea birds:

- Gavia adamsii: use the area during spring-summer migration; in Russian Red Data list - Phoebastria albatrus\ Diomedea albatrus - IUCN 3.1 Vulnerable, Annex 1 Bonn convention, Annex 1

CITES - Branta (bernicla) nigricans: Russian red data list, 2 Annex Bonn convention - Anser erythropus: Russian Red Data list, IUCN 3.1 Vulnerable - Anas formosa: IUCN 3.1 Vulnerable, Russian Red Data list - Haliaeetus albicilla: Russian Red Data list - Haliaeetus pelagicus: Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1) - Sterna camtschatica: Russian Red Data list

Marine mammals - Eumetopias jubatus Schreber, 1776 (Steller Sea Lion)) - Endangered A2a / Version 3.1: IUCN (2001) - Callorhinus ursinus Linnaeus, 1758 (Northern Fur Seal) - Vulnerable A2b / Version 3.1: IUCN (2001) - Phoca largha Pallas, 1811 (Spotted Seal) - Data Deficient A2b / Version 3.1: IUCN (2001) - Enhydra lutris Linnaeus, 1758 (Sea Otter) - Endangered A1a / Version 3.1: IUCN (2001) - Delphinapterus leucas Pallas, 1776 (Beluga) - Near Threatened / Version 3.1: IUCN (2001) - Eubalaena japonica Lacépède, 1818(North Pacific Right Whale) - Endangered D / Version 3.1: IUCN (2001) - Eschrichtius robustus Lilljeborg, 1861(Gray Whale) – Russian Red Data list, rear - Balaena mysticetus Linnaeus, 1758 (Bowhead Whale) - Least Concern / Version 3.1: IUCN (2001) - Eubalaena japonica Lacépède, 1818(North Pacific Right Whale) - Endangered D / Version 3.1: IUCN (2001); Russian Red Data list - Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758 (Fin Whale) - Endangered A1d / Version 3.1: IUCN (2001)

Salmons Parasalmo mykiss - Kamchatka trout - Russian Red Data list; IUCN VU A4cd

Benthic species (in the rivers of the Western Kamchatka shelf) Dahurinaia middendorff Kurilinaia kamchatica

Vulnerability, fragility, sensitivity or slow recovery – high: due to temperatures and climate conditions the area is very sensitive to possible oil & gas emergencies and will take long period of time to recover from oil spills (like Arctic seas) Biological productivity – high: “fish basket”; the entire Kamchatka shelf ensures about one quarter of all the national fish and seafood harvest; Biological diversity – high: 200 species of fish, 20 marine mammals, 100 sea birds, 1000 benthic

invertebrates.

Naturalness - some: though the area is of crucial national and international importance for fishing industry, currently it is not degrading; nevertheless it is necessary to create a mechanism to keep the balance between intensive fishing and reproduction capacities of the area. EBSA status is the first stage and the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation of the area.