Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-r6qrq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T12:52:45.075Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Using historical accounts to assess the occurrence and distribution of small cetaceans in a poorly known area

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2010

Cristina Brito  and
Nina Vieira
Cristina Brito*
Affiliation:
Escola de Mar, Edíficio ICAT, Campus da FCUL, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal CHAM, Centro de História de Além-Mar, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Avenida de Berna, 26 C, 1069-061 Lisboa, Portugal
Nina Vieira
Affiliation:
Escola de Mar, Edíficio ICAT, Campus da FCUL, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal Instituto de Oceanografia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: C Brito, Escola de Mar, Edíficio ICAT, Campus da FCUL, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal email: cristina.brito@escolademar.pt
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Historical science may play an important role in helping understanding and shaping the future of the world's oceans and to comprehend present day effects and conditions. Regarding cetaceans, historical accounts may be extremely useful to add new data to their occurrence and distribution in poorly studied regions. In Portugal, historical sources indicate that toninhas (possibly common dolphins Delphinus delphis) were observed since the 13th Century and were captured in large numbers during the late 19th and 20th Centuries. Historical occurrences given by naturalists and scientific surveys conducted by biologists indicate their regular presence with particular preference for certain areas. Also, recent observations of opportunity resulted in the same kind of accounts. Between 1976 and 1978, a study on captured cetaceans along the Portuguese shore found at fish markets was conducted and resulted in a total count of 45 cetaceans. Most captures were of small cetaceans (87% common dolphins), even though four baleen whales were registered. These cetacean captures were part of a local non-industrial fishery, as they were not the main target, but rather opportunistic catches or even by-catches of other fisheries. Delphinids were not protected by law at the time and were caught with hand harpoons or accidentally drowned in fish nets, sometimes sold at major fish markets such as Sesimbra, Peniche and Póvoa de Varzim. In geographical areas where recent cetacean sightings are rare and information is sparse, such as Portugal, it becomes important to take advantage of alternative sources of data. Our contribution towards the compilation of relevant historical and ‘forgotten’ science such as old natural observations, whaling data and observations of opportunity stresses the relevance of using historical data to access past occurrence and distribution of cetaceans.

Keywords

historical accountstoninhasDelphinus delphisPhocoena phocoenaPortugaloccurrencedistribution
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 90 , Special Issue 8: Marine Mammals , December 2010 , pp. 1583 - 1588
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Alves, J.L. (1993) A linguagem dos pescadores da Ericeira. Facsímile da edição de 1965. Assembleia Distrital de Lisboa, 258 pp.Google Scholar
AUC Fl. 141 v., volume AUC, III-1.°D-14-1-16. Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra.Google Scholar
Bearzi, G., Holcer, D. and di Sciara, G.N. (2004) The role of historical dolphin takes and habitat degradation in shaping the present status of northern Adriatic cetaceans. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 14, 363–379.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brito, C. (2009) Whaling on the mainland of Portugal since the 13th century: a first approach. In Brito, C. and Evans, P.G.H. (eds) ECS Special Publication Series, no. 50 (Proceedings of the ECS Workshop Marine Mammal History). European Cetacean Society, pp. 12–17.Google Scholar
Brito, C., Vieira, N., Sá, E. and Carvalho, I. (2009) Cetaceans' occurrence off the west central Portugal coast: a compilation of data from whaling, observation of opportunity and boat-based surveys. Journal of Marine Animals and their Ecology 2, 10–13.Google Scholar
Castro, A. (1966) A evolução económica de Portugal nos séculos XII a XV, Volume IV. Lisboa: Portugália.Google Scholar
Cavanilles, A.J. (1801) Description de dos géneros nuevos de plantas. Anales de História Natural III, 229–233.Google Scholar
dos Santos, M.E. (1998) Golfinhos-Roazes do Sado: Estudos de Sons e Comportamento. ISPA, Colecção Teses, 4, 279 pp.Google Scholar
Gama, M.M. (1957) Mamíferos de Portugal: chaves para a sua identificação. Memórias e estudos do Museu Zoológico da Universidade de Coimbra 246, 225 pp.Google Scholar
Holm, P. (2003) History of marine animal populations: a global research program of the census of marine life. Oceanologica Acta 25, 207–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Livro do Tombo da villa de Cezimbra e seu termo, e limite de Azeitam. De todos os privilégios, sentenças, e rendas, que o dito concelho tem, e alcansou (1728) Tresladados os originais por ordem do mesmo concelho. No anno de MDCCXXVIII (Historical Archive of Sesimbra, 1728).Google Scholar
Monteiro, R. (2001) Alguns mareantes desconhecidos da terra de Sesimbra e outros textos. Câmara Municipal de Sesimbra, 198 pp.Google Scholar
Nascimento, L.G. (1945) O delfim: um inimigo irreconciliável da sardinha. Boletim da Pesca 8, 18–25.Google Scholar
Nobre, A. (1895) Notes sur les poissons de l'Algarve. Annaes de Sciencias Naturaes Volume II, no. 4, 224–232.Google Scholar
Nobre, A. (1900) Sobre a presença de Delphinus delphis, var. Mediterranea, nas costas do Algarve. Annaes de Sciencias Naturaes Volume VI, 50.Google Scholar
Nobre, A. (1935) Fauna Marinha de Portugal: Vertebrados (Mamíferos, Repteis e Peixes). Porto, 574 pp.Google Scholar
Reiner, F. (1981) Guia de identificação dos cetáceos e focas de Portugal Continental Açores e Madeira. Memórias do Museu do Mar, Série Zoológica Volume I, 1, 58 pp.Google Scholar
Rick, T.C. and Erlandson, J.M. (2008) Archaeology, historical ecology and the future of ocean ecosystems. In Rick, T.C. and Erlandson, J.M. (eds) Human impacts on ancient marine ecosystems: a global perspective. Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 297–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silva, M.F. (1953) Da actividade marítima portuguesa na primeira dinastia. Dissertação de Licenciatura em Ciências Histórico-Filosóficas. Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa, 132 pp.Google Scholar
Sequeira, M.L. (1988) Mamíferos marinhos da costa portuguesa: Padrões de distribuição e ocorrência das principais espécies. Lisboa: Relatório de Estágio, FCUL, 187 pp.Google Scholar
Sequeira, M., Inácio, A., Silva, M.A. and Reiner, F. (1996) Arrojamentos de mamíferos marinhos na costa continental portuguesa entre 1989 e 1994. Estudos de Biologia e Conservação da Natureza. Lisbon: ICN, 52 pp.Google Scholar
Sequeira, M., Inácio, A., and Silva, M.A. (1997) Cetacean strandings in Portugal: 1993–1995. European Research on Cetaceans 10, 136–140.Google Scholar
Teixeira, A.M. (1977) Catálogo dos Mamíferos Aquáticos existentes no Aquário Vasco da Gama (Dafundo—Portugal), 10. Lisbon: Aquário Vasco da Gama.Google Scholar
Teixeira, A.M. (1979) Marine mammals of the Portuguese coast. Sonderdruck aus Z. f. Säugetierkunde Bd. 44 H. 4. S., 221–238.Google Scholar
Teixeira, A.M. and Duguy, R. (1981) Observations de delphinidés dans les eaux cotieres Portugaises. Relatório de Actividades do Aquário Vasco da Gama 9, 1–9.Google Scholar
Tingley, M.W. and Beissinger, S.R. (2009) Detecting range shifts from historical species occurrence: new perspectives on old data. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 24, 625–633.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wise, L., Ferreira, M., Silva, M., Sequeira, M. and Silva, A. (2005) Estudo das interacções entre mamíferos marinhos e a pesca de cerco na costa oeste portuguesa. Relatórios Técnicos e Científicos (Série Digital, http://ipimar-iniap.ipimar.pt) 25, 27 pp.Google Scholar
Wise, L., Silva, A., Ferreira, M., Silva, M.A. and Sequeira, M. (2007) Interactions between small cetaceans and the purse-seine fishery in Western Portuguese waters. Scientia Marina 71, 405–412.Google Scholar