Diet of minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata in Scottish (UK) waters with notes on strandings of this species in Scotland 1992–2002
During 1992^2002 approximately 110 strandings of minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata were recorded in Scotland (UK). Most strandings were recorded between April and November, with a peak of strandings of males in July and August. There were two length modes at 4^ 6ma nd 7^10 m. Stomach contents samples were obtained from ten animals. The diet comprised mainly sandeels (Ammodytidae, around two-thirds of the diet by number or weight) and clupeids (herring Clupea harengus and sprat Sprattus sprattus). Results on diet are consistent with results from whaling catches in the North Sea. The possibility that minke whales compete with ¢sheries is discussed.
The present report provides an overview of the development of household consumption in Finland in the 20th century. The study has been carried out in the framework of the AESOPUS study funded by the Academy of Finland. The AESOPUS study aimed to map out the stocks and flows of nitrogen and phosphorus in Finland, as well as to analyse the man made influences on those flows. For this reason special attention was paid to the consumption of foodstuffs in the VATT study. Next to an overview of the developments during the entire 20th century, various features with respect to the last decades are discussed, based on micro-data available for years in the period 1985-2001. Apart from describing the developments in consumption, the report also highlights the evolution of main driving forces behind the consumption developments. Actual estimation of consumption functions and the construction of a simulation model are treated in a separate report.