Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) abundance estimate from aerial surveys of the Eastern Beaufort Sea population in 2019

Abstract

Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) of the Eastern Beaufort Sea (EBS) population represent the second largest beluga population in Canada. The last abundance assessment for this population was conducted in 1992 through an aerial survey, which included coverage of the offshore Beaufort Sea, west Amundsen Gulf, and the inshore bays of the Mackenzie estuary. In July 2019, Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducted an aerial survey of the Eastern Beaufort Sea beluga population using a visual survey of offshore waters of the Beaufort Sea, Amundsen Gulf, and Prince of Wales Strait, and a photographic survey for inshore of the Mackenzie estuary. The objectives of this study are to 1) update the abundance estimate for this beluga population with the July 2019 survey data and 2) calculate the Potential Biological Removal. The total abundance estimate for the EBS beluga population in Canadian waters in July 2019 was of 38,451 belugas (CV = 0.327, 95% CI = 20,735–71,304). The associated Potential Biological Removal was estimated to be 588 belugas.