Demographic parameters of southern right whales off South Africa
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Aerial counts of right whale cow-calf pairs on the south coast of South Africa between 1971 and 1998 indicate an annual instantaneous
population increase rate of 0.068 per year (SE = 0.004) over this period. Annual photographic surveys since 1979 have resulted in 901
resightings of 550 individual cows. Observed calving intervals ranged from 2-15 years, with a principal mode at 3 years and secondary
modes at 6, 9 and 12 years, but these make no allowance for missed calvings. Using the model of Payne et al. (1990), a maximum calving
interval of 5 years produces the best fit to the data giving a mean calving interval of 3.12 years (95% confidence interval: 3.07, 3.17). The
same model produces an estimate for adult female survival rate of 0.983 (95% CI: 0.972, 0.994). The Payne et al. (1990) model is extended
to incorporate information on the observed ages of first reproduction of grey-blazed calves, which are known to be female. This allows the
estimation of age at first parturition (median 7.88 years 95% CI 7.17, 9.29). Updates of estimates and confidence intervals for the other
demographic parameters are: adult female survival rate 0.986 (0.976, 0.999); first year survival rate 0.913 (0.601, 0.994) and instantaneous
population increase rate 0.071 (0.059, 0.082). These biological parameter estimates are shown to be compatible with the observed increase
rate of the population without the need to postulate immigration.
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