Protect whales while promoting Oman tourism

One of the world’s rarest animals—the Arabian Sea Humpback Whale—which lives off the coast of Oman, is on the verge of extinction. Less than 100 of them are now living off the Sultanate’s coast, in the Arabian Sea.

Both the Environmental Society of Oman (ESO) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are concerned about how Oman’s tourism development plans could hamper efforts to increase whale numbers, with the Arabian Sea Humpback Whale also listed as ‘endangered’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of species that are facing extinction. 

It is one of four endangered species of humpback whales, which are found across 14 different locations across the globe.

“As the tourism sector continues to grow, there is also a concern for the possible expansion of the whale watching industry, which could be detrimental to the population, if not done correctly,” said Suad Al Harthi, programme director for ESO, who’re working in collaboration with Renaissance Oman.

Conservation

“It is imperative for us to collaborate with stakeholders for the appropriate conservation management of this unique population.”

What makes saving these whales all the more crucial is their unique genetics: unlike other species of humpback whales, those that live in the Arabian Sea don’t migrate in search of food or to give birth to their young: the annual monsoon winds also bring result in tides, which bring nutrient-rich seawater, providing a viable source of food for these whales.

Consequently, though, the Arabian Sea Humpback Whale is the world’s most isolated species of whale, having been cut off from the rest of the world’s whale population for more than 70,000 years. Across Oman, these whales are found in the Gulf of Masirah, and in the Hallaniyats Bay in the Dhofar region.

“Fishing is viewed as a chronic and severe threat and probably the most serious threat to the Arabian Sea Humpback Whale in Oman,” said Gianna Minton of the Arabian Sea Whale Network (ASWN).

“Individuals in the Oman bear signs of net entanglement. The hotspot in the Gulf of Masirah is a particularly problematic area.”

Habitat modification

“The issues of habitat modification and competition for prey with fisheries are poorly understood,” she added. “Port development and shipping are increasing and will continue to do so with the expansion of the Salalah and Sohar ports and the construction of the new multi-purpose port within the prime humpback whale habitat in Duqm. Recent seismic surveys in the Gulf of Masirah have raised concerns about noise and potential oil pollution.”

However, ESO is taking steps to reduce the impact of man-made activities on whale populations.

“We’ve engaged with port and industry stakeholders to put mitigation measures in place taking into consideration the sensitivities of this population,” added Al Harthi. “A successful example of these efforts includes the development of guidelines by Port Duqm to minimize ship strikes that all ships entering their port are requested to follow.”

Recent studies by the ASWN were conducted on 49 whales between 2005 and 2015. 27 males and 17 females were identified, in addition to another nine whales being tagged by satellite to observe their behavioural and mating patterns.

UN Convention

In addition, the UN Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) showed that the number of whales found stranded mean the population is unsustainable at present. Both of Oman’s whale habitats are outside its protected areas.

“The Arabian Sea Humpback Whale serves as a flagship species for all cetaceans in the Northern Indian Ocean, and conservation measures that mitigate threats to this will benefit a wide range of marine migratory species,” said Giuseppe di Sciara, the U.N.’s Councillor for Aquatic Mammals.

“A concerted action under CMS is almost certain to involve the Sultanate of Oman, which is thus far not a party to CMS, but which is a current member of an existing CMS regional conservation effort. Successful participation may serve as a catalyst for the Sultanate of Oman to join other CMS-led initiatives or to become a contracting party to the Convention itself.”