ASCOBANS News
The Last 300 - What do Germany's Native Whales Mean to You?
17 May 2013 - On the occasion of the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise, which is celebrated in
countries around the Baltic Sea every year on the third Sunday in May, ASCOBANS has partnered with NGOs Whale and
Dolphin Conservation (WDC), NABU and OceanCare to run a creativity competition in Germany.
Creative minds will have opportunity to explore through their art and
design work the importance they personally give to having these unique
animals in the Baltic Sea. More information, in the German language, can
be found here
from Sunday, 19 May onwards.
For the German-language press release, click
here.
19 May 2013: Celebrating the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise
© Olaf Kleinwegen / GSM
19 May 2013: Celebrating the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise
This year’s International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise (IDBHP) will be celebrated on the weekend of Sunday, 19 May 2013. It is the 11th time that this special day in honour of the critically endangered native whale species of the Baltic Sea is being observed around its shores.
The Secretariat has received notification of events planned in Denmark (Forside Middelfart Museum), Finland (Särkänniemi Dolphinarium), Germany and Lithuania (Lithuanian Sea Museum).
In Denmark, a historical society interested in the past tradition of huting porpoises is working with the Forside Middelfart Museum and other partners to participate in the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise for the first time. Middelfart has a hunting tradition going back to the middle ages, with about 30 hunters going out every winter in ten boats hunting porpoises in order to use their blubber for producing lamp oil. This hunt took place until 1892. Nowadays, porpoises are a protected species in Denmark, and the society is using the local tradition as a way of highlighting the need to protect the species, which now has many threats to contend with. There will be a competition for children, historic exhibition, whale watching on the Belt and other activities.
The Särkänniemi Dolphinarium in Finland will, as in previous years, provide a variety of information and activities centring on the harbour porpoise for children and adults alike.
The ASCOBANS Secretariat has partnered with NGOs Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), NABU and OceanCare for a competition targeting German-speaking areas. Details will be announced in a joint press release and will shortly become available online.
The Lithuanian Sea Museum is inviting primary class students to get to know the little whales of the Baltic Sea. During educational talks the children will learn about these rare Baltic Sea inhabitants and will also discuss with the museum's biologists the environmental issues threatening the species’ survival. In addition, a creative workshop is being offered, during which participants will jointly prepare a sculpture dedicated to the Baltic harbour porpoise. This sculpture will be placed at the entrance of the Sea Museum.
Information about IDBHP events of previous years is contained in the
Handbook, which can be downloaded here.
All participating institutions are encouraged to report back to the Secretariat
about their events. We will put a short report on the activities on this
website and include the information and photos in the next update of the
Handbook.
Jastarnia Group Recommends Crucial Actions for Harbour Porpoises in the Baltic Sea Region
© K. Skóra
Under the chairmanship of Rüdiger Strempel (Coalition Clean Baltic), the Group considered the progress made with respect to the various recommendations of the Jastarnia Plan. Also, for the first time the Group deliberated on the implementation of the new Conservation Plan for the Harbour Porpoise Population in the Western Baltic, the Belt Sea and the Kattegat, which was adopted by ASCOBANS Parties in October 2012.
The Group agreed recommendations to be forwarded to the 20th ASCOBANS Advisory Committee Meeting (27-29 August 2013, Warsaw, Poland), which identify actions to be taken and priorities for the effective implementation of the two Plans. Also, in a joint session with the project management team of SAMBAH – Static Acoustic Monitoring of the Baltic Sea Harbour Porpoise, a Life+ funded project, the Group reaffirmed their full support for the project and their keen anticipation of its results, which will fill a very important information need regarding the distribution and abundance of the critically endangered Baltic sub-population of the harbour porpoise. Population densities are so low that traditional survey methods are not suitable for assessing this population. The project results will therefore be vital not only for increasing our knowledge of the status of this species in the Baltic Sea, but also for deciding on appropriate management measures.
The report of the meeting, including all recommendations agreed, will become available shortly and will be published on this website.
Call for Tender: CMS Family Websites - Deadline 7 April 2013
4 March 2013 - The CMS Secretariat has issued a call for tender for the design and implementation of harmonized websites of the Secretariats of CMS, AEWA, ASCOBANS and EUROBATS. Details can be found at http://www.cms.int/secretariat/vacancies.htm. The deadline for submission of proposals is 7 April 2013.
Advisory Committee Workspace Now Online
29 January 2013 - After months of preparation, we are pleased to launch
the ASCOBANS Advisory
Committee Workspace, an online platform designed for progressing the
intersessional work of the ASCOBANS Advisory Committee. It provides an
innovative and powerful tool which facilitates participation, promotes
communication and supports goal-driven work of the Advisory Committee.
We are looking forward to constructive and lively discussions on the many
important topics we are working on!
The Workspace is structured in line with the Advisory Committee's Work
Plan and the terms of reference of the working groups. All topics have
been assigned to a Regional Working Group, a Thematic Working Group, or
if none of these were appropriate were listed under Other Topics. A menu
shows the individual tasks related to each working group or other topic.
Relevant documents have been linked to or uploaded for each task, and
information on the mandate given to the Advisory Committee has been provided
for each to aid the discussions.
Participants in recent Advisory Committee Meetings as well as members
of the various intersessional working groups have been individually invited
to the Workspace.
Countries Step up Protection for Small Whales, Porpoises and Dolphins in Europe
The full press release can be accessed here.
The meeting report will be made available on this website in due course.
Marine Debris Working Group – Call for Members
© Malik Naumann/Marine Photobank
- To establish recommendations for research methodologies to assess debris as seen during cetacean surveys conducted at sea, aiming for a standardised approach to recording types of debris
- To collate standardized information from beach surveys of debris
- To review the relevant literature and report back
- To facilitate investigations into micro-debris
- To liaise with working groups on marine debris established by the IWC Scientific Committee, OSPAR, HELCOM and relating to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive
- To advise on a standardized protocol for necropsies
- To examine and collate data available from stranding networks
On behalf of the Chair, the Secretariat is now calling for members for this Working Group. Besides addressing Members, Advisors and Observers of the Advisory Committee, the Group is also open for participation of external experts and would very much welcome such involvement. Interested persons should indicate their wish to be part of this correspondence group to the ASCOBANS Secretariat by 15 September 2012, stating their full name and affiliation.
The Oceans Compact – Healthy Oceans for Prosperity
Bonn,
15 August 2012 - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has launched
“the Oceans Compact”, a new initiative to protect the oceans
and the people whose livelihoods depend on it.
Mr Ban called on countries to work together to achieve a more sustainable management of this precious resource and address the threats it is currently facing. He was speaking at an event in the city of Yeosu in the Republic of Korea (ROK), to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the opening for signature of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, also known as the “constitution of the oceans”.
Among the policies outlined in the Compact are the conserving and restoration of marine habitats important for carbon sequestration and storage, the conservation and protection of marine and coastal biodiversity and halting the spread of invasive alien species. It also calls for strengthened implementation of existing instruments and measures and increased participation in global and regional agreements addressing the protection and preservation of the marine environment and its living resources. All of these are vital to the aims of the Convention on Migratory Species and its specialized instruments such as ASCOBANS, ACCOBAMS and ACAP and the Memoranda of Understanding on marine turtles, sharks and dugongs.
CMS, ASCOBANS and the rest of the CMS Family warmly welcome this important new initiative.
The Oceans Compact - Le Pacte pour les Océans - Pacto de los Océanos
An Overview of Events on the Occasion of the 10th International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise
On and around Sunday, 20 May 2012, the 10th International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise was celebrated in five countries along the shores of the Baltic Sea. Eight different events were organized, engaging the public in a variety of ways. Photos and short reports can be accessed here.
Since 2012 is also the year in which ASCOBANS celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Agreement, a special exhibition was hosted in the Zoological Museum in Bonn, Germany. An interactive panorama of the exhibition hall can be accessed by clicking on the preview below.
Panorama picture of the ASCOBANS exhibition celebrating the 20th Anniversary
of ASCOBANS and the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise (Bonn,
Germany, May 2012) – click
to open
The ASCOBANS Secretariat would like to express its gratitude to all those who with the many creative ideas and activities contributed to spreading the word about the critically endangered Baltic harbour porpoise!
Latest newsletter of the SAMBAH
5 July 2012 – The latest newsletter
of the SAMBAH (Static Acoustic Monitoring of the Baltic Sea Harbour Porpoise)
project contains some updates relevant to ASCOBANS. Several SAMBAH partners
organized events for the celebration of the International Day of the Baltic
Harbour Porpoise. Work towards realizing the SAMBAH add-on project in
the Russian Kaliningrad region (RUMBAH), which had been recommended by
ASCOBANS AC19, is progressing well.
SAMBAH is an international LIFE+ funded project involving all EU countries
around the Baltic Sea, with the ultimate goal of securing the conservation
of the Baltic Sea harbour porpoise. The lack of knowledge on the number
of animals and their habitat preferences makes effective conservation
difficult. Therefore there is an urgent need for collecting data on the
size and range of the population and the fluctuation over time. SAMBAH
seeks to address this. The project thus serves to fulfil recommendations
made in the Jastarnia Plan (Recovery Plan for Baltic Harbour Porpoises).
20 May 2012: The 10th International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise
On Sunday, 20 May 2012, the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise (IDBHP) will be celebrated around the shores of the Baltic Sea for the 10th time.
The Secretariat has received notification of events planned in the following institutions in Denmark (Fjord & Belt), Finland (Särkänniemi Dolphinarium) Germany (Meeresmuseum/Ozeaneum Stralsund, Zoo Duisburg and Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig) and Sweden (Aquaria and Gothenburg Natural History Museum).
The
Fjord & Belt Centre in Denmark will show a special exhibition
about the SAMBAH (Static Acoustic Monitoring of the Baltic Sea Harbour
Porpoise) LIFE+ project, which will contribute to more effective conservation
measures and population estimates for Baltic porpoises. The scientist,
Magnus Wahlberg, will give a public lecture about harbour porpoise conservation
in Denmark and the rest of Europe. The Centre will also run a quiz, where
the visitors can win nice porpoise-inspired gifts, and serve porpoise-shaped
biscuits from a local bakery.
In Finland at the Särkänniemi Dolphinarium the project leader for the Finnish part of the SAMBAH project, Olli Loisa, will give a lecture on the harbour porpoise. The dolphinarium will also be running a drawing contest for children.
The Meeresmuseum/Ozeaneum Stralsund is planning an event with posters and films providing information on the harbour porpoise, including the DVD “Fishing and Pingers” produced in collaboration with ASCOBANS.
In
Germany, the Zoo
Duisburg will celebrate the IDBHP a little later, on 3 June. For the
occasion, the blue whale-sized porpoise drawing created last year will
be refreshed and information booths by various marine protection organizations
will be erected to inform visitors. The ASCOBANS exhibition will also
be shown, and information material distributed. Lectures are also being
organized. In addition, a new permanent exhibition will be presented to
the public, which will feature a 5-metre-high and 35-metre- wide net spread
between three trees, in which 15 porpoise and dolphin species will be
portrayed.
Zoologisches
Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig in Bonn, Germany, will host the
ASCOBANS Secretariat’s IDBHP event, which at the same time celebrates
the 20th Anniversary of the Agreement. An exhibition with life-sized inflatable
whales, dolphins and porpoises will be shown from 18-22 May. School groups
and other visitors to the museum will have the opportunity to experience
the true size of “small” cetaceans, hear short interactive presentations
on the animals, the threats they face and how everyone can contribute
to their conservation, and browse the exhibition banners. In addition,
a colouring and origami area for children is being offered and of course
plenty of information material to take home.
In Sweden Aquaria, situated in Stockholm’s Djurgården, will be host to an event organized by SAMBAH, Kolmården Djurpark and Aquaria. There will be a quiz walk with nice prizes, a painting contest for children, balloons, and the SAMBAH service ship and crew will be present and provide information on the project.
The Gothenburg Natural History Museum and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) in collaboration with SAMBAH and Kolmården Djurpark are organizing various activities for the IDBHP. A frozen harbour porpoise, which had stranded on the Swedish west coast will be put on display. The specimen was collected in order to determine the cause of death and test for environmental toxins. A harbour porpoise skull will also be presented to visitors, as well as a slide show of harbour porpoises with click sounds. Some short lectures about the species, its conservation status, the threats it faces, current research and conservation measures for harbour porpoises and their habitats will be delivered. The Museum also features a unique Whale Hall.
Information about IDBHP events of the past is contained in the Handbook,
which can be downloaded here.
All participating institutions are encouraged to report back to the Secretariat
about their events. We will put a short report on the activities on this
website and include the information and photos in the next update of the
Handbook.
ASCOBANS Advisory Committee Paves Way for Meeting of the Parties
4 April 2012 - The 19th Meeting of the ASCOBANS Advisory Committee (AC),
held from 20-22 March 2012 in Galway, Ireland, concluded with a list of
action points and decisions. More than twenty government representatives
as well as observers and invited experts discussed progress in the implementation
of the decisions of the last Meeting of the Parties (MOP). They agreed
on priority actions for the next months and prepared decisions to be taken
at the 7th MOP, which will be held in October
2012.
In particular, intersessional tasks for working groups on bycatch and
marine debris were set, as well as those for the joint working groups
with ACCOBAMS on underwater noise and relating to the EU Marine Strategy
Framework Directive. A Conservation Plan for the Harbour Porpoise Population
in the Western Baltic, the Belt Sea and the Kattegat will be finalized
and forwarded to MOP7 for adoption. This document will close an important
gap in the coverage of the two action plans for the species already in
place, which relate to the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.
At the 2013 Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society (ECS),
a joint workshop with ECS and ACCOBAMS will be held on the management
of marine protected areas for cetaceans. The AC also determined funding
priorities, since the Agreement is again in a position to support at least
two conservation research projects in 2012. Further, first comments were
made on draft decisions to be taken at the upcoming MOP.
A list of action points and decisions, as adopted by Parties at the end
of the meeting, can be accessed here.
20th Anniversary of ASCOBANS: Marine Wildlife Roadshow in Galway
From 22-25 March 2012 the Marine Wildlife Roadshow took place in Galway parallel to the ASCOBANS AC19 and ECS meetings. The Roadshow, which was kindly hosted by the Galway Shopping Centre, was brought to the city of Galway by ASCOBANS and was intended to raise awareness amongst the local citizens on the marine diversity of the region and the conservation challenges that the animals living in the coasts of Ireland face. The Roadshow featured life-size inflatable models of marine species including an impressive 15-metre sperm whale, a killer whale, bottlenose dolphins, porpoises and turtles amongst many others. More information and pictures can be accessed here. This Roadshow can be booked for events throughout Europe. More information on the special ASCOBANS Anniversary Offer can be accessed here.
8th Meeting of the ASCOBANS Jastarnia Group Successfully Concluded
6 February 2012 – Last week, the 18 participants of the 8th ASCOBANS Jastarnia Group Meeting gathered at the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany. This working group was established to take forward the implementation of the Recovery Plan for the Baltic Harbour Porpoise (also called Jastarnia Plan). Under the leadership of Karl-Hermann Kock (Germany) and Penina Blankett (Finland), who kindly stepped in as chairs on short notice, the Group considered the progress made with respect to the various recommendations of the Jastarnia Plan and agreed on action points to be forwarded to the ASCOBANS Advisory Committee. These cover topics such as bycatch reduction, research and monitoring priorities, the development of management plans for marine protected areas and public awareness. The Group also considered a draft Conservation Plan for Harbour Porpoises in the Western Baltic, Belt Seas and Kattegat, which will be proposed to AC19 (20-22 March 2012) for endorsement and subsequent adoption by the Meeting of the Parties in October 2012. The report of the meeting will become available shortly and will be published on this website.
Call for Nominations for the 4th ASCOBANS Outreach and Education Award - deadline 29 February
Bonn, 25 January 2012 - This year, ASCOBANS will for
the fourth time present the Outreach and Education Award to an individual
or institution in recognition of outstanding conservation-related awareness-raising
or educational initiatives. The first ASCOBANS Award went to Hel Marine
Station, Poland, in 2005. A second one was awarded to Petra Deimer and
her NGO Society for the Conservation of Marine Mammals (GSM) in 2007.
In 2009, Peter Evans received the third Award, acknowledging his role
in connection with the Sea Watch Foundation and the European Cetacean
Society.
Nominations for the fourth ASCOBANS Award, which is to be presented in
2012, should reach the Secretariat by 29 February 2012
and should be accompanied by a description of the nominee’s relevant activities
and a statement of support by the proponent. Please note that nominations
can be made by Parties, NGOs or others.
All nominations received by the deadline will be presented to a jury that
will be formed, meet and come to a decision on the margins of the 19th
Advisory Committee (20-22 March 2012). Their decision will be based on
which initiative has made the most valuable contribution to the aims of
the Agreement.
The formal presentation of the award will then take place during the 7th
Meeting of Parties in October 2012.
We are looking forward to receiving your nominations! For any questions,
please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Secretariat!
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema Takes up New Assignment in Nairobi
Bonn,
6 January 2012 - CMS Executive Secretary and ASCOBANS Acting Executive
Secretary Ms Elizabeth Maruma Mrema has been appointed Deputy Director
of the Division of Environmental Policy Implementation (DEPI) at the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as of 9 January. Ms Mrema joined
the UNEP/CMS Secretariat as Officer in Charge in July 2009. At the end
of the same year, UNEP Executive Director, Mr Achim Steiner appointed
her as the new Executive Secretary of the UNEP/CMS Secretariat.
Her longstanding expertise as a senior environmental lawyer at UNEP with
a particular focus on international environmental law, compliance and
enforcement of environmental conventions proved to be a huge asset in
leading the CMS Secretariat. Building on her work at the UNEP/Division
of Environmental Law and Conventions (DELC) with a focus on Multilateral
Environmental Agreements Support and Cooperation and later as the Head
of the Biodiversity, Law and Governance Branch, Ms Mrema succeeded in
shaping CMS as a lead partner of other biodiversity related Conventions.
At both the 38th meeting of the CMS Standing Committee and the 10th Meeting
of the Conference of the Parties in Bergen Norway in November, 2011, Ms
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema informed the Parties of her intention to step down
from the position of UNEP/CMS Executive Secretary so as to take up new
functions at the Headquarters.
In a memorandum soon after, UNEP Deputy Executive Director, Ms Amina Mohamed
appointed Ms Elizabeth Maruma Mrema to continue to manage the UNEP/CMS
Secretariat from Nairobi, in an acting capacity, together with her new
functions until her successor is recruited. This arrangement will apply
equally to the management of the ASCOBANS Secretariat and the Gorilla
Agreement Interim Secretariat for which she has been serving as the Acting
Executive Secretary. The Deputy Executive Secretary of UNEP/CMS Secretariat,
Mr Bert Lenten, will manage day-to-day operations of the Secretariat in
addition to his regular responsibilities.
In line with Resolution 10.29 adopted by the CMS Parties at their November
Meetings, this interim arrangement will ensure continuity of the management
of the Secretariat after the departure of the UNEP/CMS Executive Secretary
to take up her new assignment at UNEP Headquarters.
The UNEP/CMS Secretariat wishes Ms Mrema all the best for her new responsibilities
while continuing to manage the Secretariat from a distance.
29 December 2011: Consultancy Position – Support to the ASCOBANS Secretariat in the Anniversary Year 2012 – deadline for applications 20 January 2012
2012 is a special year for ASCOBANS. Not only does the Agreement hold
its annual Advisory Committee Meeting (March 2012) and its triennial Meeting
of the Parties (October 2012), the year also marks the 20th Anniversary
of the signing of the treaty. This occasion will be commemorated by means
of a special publication as well as a series of events throughout the
Agreement Area, aimed at raising awareness. In order to support the small
Secretariat team in this busy period, a short-term consultant will be
hired.
Applicants are requested to make an offer to the Secretariat by 20 January
2012. Please refer to the Terms
of Reference for details.
Best wishes for the holidays and the year 2012 - our 20th Anniversary!
Thank you to our CMS colleagues Laura Cerasi
and Laura Aguado for the photo and design!
Call for Proposals for Project Funding through ASCOBANS – deadline 15 February
22 December 2011 – As in previous years, the ASCOBANS Secretariat expects
to be able to support a few research and conservation projects in 2012.
At the next Advisory Committee Meeting, to be
held 20-22 March 2012, Parties will make a decision on the use of any
available funds.
If you would like to apply for funding for your project through ASCOBANS,
please use this form
and return it to us in Word format. The general conditions of funding
are outlined in the document and give information on the type of project
we can support through the Agreement. The maximum sum the Agreement will
spend on any one project is 15,000 Euro. Co-funding from other institutions
is welcome. All projects should clearly outline how they would contribute
to achieving the conservation objectives of ASCOBANS.
The deadline for submission to the Secretariat is 15 February 2012.
More information on the procedure for submitting a proposal is available
here. For any questions, please contact
the ASCOBANS Secretariat.
CMS COP10 in Norway Strengthens Cetacean Conservation Worldwide
25
November 2011 – After intense negotiations over the entire week, Parties
to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
(CMS) at the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP) adopted numerous resolutions
that call for better protection of marine species, including cetaceans.
Besides decisions of an overarching nature on topics such as ecological
networks (Res.10.3) or climate change (Res.10.19), four resolutions focus
specifically on marine species.
Res.10.4, originally proposed by the Government of Australia,
highlights the negative impacts of marine debris on migratory species,
caused by ingestion, entanglement and habitat degradation. Besides a call
for the identification of hotspots where marine debris accumulates and
originates, Parties are encouraged to develop and implement their own
national plans of action to address this problem, and to report available
information on the amounts, impacts and sources of marine debris within
their waters in their national reports.
Res.10.14 deals with bycatch of CMS-listed species in
gillnet fisheries. This widely used fishing method has so far received
relatively little international attention when it comes to its impacts
on migratory species and the assessment of mitigation methods. Seeking
to fill that gap, CMS Parties are calling for national assessments of
the risk of bycatch arising from their gillnet fisheries, and urged the
implementation of best practice mitigation measures tailored to each particular
situation. Mitigation measures should be regularly reviewed in order to
evaluate their effectiveness, also bearing in mind any effects on other
taxa, and research to identify and improve them should be carried out.
Res.10.15 adopts a global programme of work for cetaceans.
The mandate to develop this work programme had come from Res.8.22 on human-induced
impacts on cetaceans. The resolution instructs the Aquatic Mammals Working
Group (AMWG) of the CMS Scientific Council to work intersessionally on
the actions requested in the work programme and to invite external experts
to participate in these activities. The detailed work programme instructs
the CMS Secretariat, the Scientific Council and in particular the AMWG
to enhance collaboration with other relevant bodies, including CMS Agreements,
to address jointly the threats identified for each region. For the North
East Atlantic Ocean, entanglement and bycatch as well as pollution and
noise pollution were weighted as high priorities.
Res.10.24 on underwater noise pollution was submitted
to the COP by the European Union following the initiative of the Government
of Germany. Building on Res.9.19 on the same subject, Parties focused
especially on the impact of new or increasing sources of underwater noise,
such as those from offshore wind farms and associated shipping. Parties
are strongly urged to keep the emission of underwater noise to the lowest
necessary level in order to prevent adverse effects on cetaceans, and
the application of Best Available Techniques (BAT) and Best Environmental
Practice (BEP) is recommended. The issue should also be integrated in
the management plans of relevant marine protected areas.
The final versions of all resolutions passed by the 10th Meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to CMS will be uploaded on the CMS
website shortly. ENB reports of the meeting can be accessed here.
31 January-2 February 2012: 8th Meeting of the Jastarnia Group, Bonn, Germany
26 October 2012 – The 8th Meeting of the ASCOBANS Jastarnia Working Group
will take place at the Secretariat’s premises in Bonn, Germany, from 31
January to 2 February 2012.
The Jastarnia Group was established to take forward the implementation
of the Recovery Plan for the Baltic Harbour Porpoise (also called Jastarnia
Plan) and includes experts from the environment and fisheries sectors
from around the Baltic Sea. Each year, the Jastarnia Group reviews new
developments and research and makes recommendations to the ASCOBANS Advisory
Committee.
At the upcoming meeting, the Jastarnia Group will also consider a draft
paper on conservation measures for harbour porpoises in the western Baltic
and Belt Sea, which is intended to close the gap between the North and
Baltic Sea action plans currently in place.
Despite international recognition of the need for strict protection of
the Baltic sub-population of the harbour porpoise, which is classified
as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, and the long-standing efforts
on its behalf under ASCOBANS, its conservation status gives reason for
grave concern.
Participants are requested to register by 13 January 2012. More information
can be requested from the ASCOBANS
Secretariat.
ASCOBANS Joins UN Day Celebrations on 22 October
24
October 2011 - The ASCOBANS Secretariat joined 18 UN Bonn-based agencies
and several other international organizations in celebrating the annual
UN Day in Bonn this weekend.
UN Day is celebrated globally to highlight the aims and achievements of
the United Nations. The day marks the anniversary of the signing of the
UN Charter on 24 October 1945 and has been observed annually in Bonn since
the city became a host city to several United Nations organizations in
1996.
With this year’s theme “8:0 for development – If not me who else?” the
UN Day focused on the personal engagement of all of us to make this a
better world and to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals, which
include stopping extreme poverty and hunger and ensuring environmental
sustainability.
Thousands of people attended this year’s festivities in the city centre
of Bonn, which took place on Bonn's central market square. Accompanied
by a colourful variety of entertainment, including music and dance performances
from around the world, visitors got the chance to find out more about
the different activities and goals of the various UN Bonn organizations
and received give-aways, such as posters, stickers and other information
material.
The ASCOBANS Secretariat shared an exhibition tent with the Convention
on Migratory Species (CMS), its other Bonn-based Agreements
AEWA and EUROBATS and several other UN Bonn organizations.
Release of “Odontocetes – The toothed whales”
24
October 2011 – For 86 per cent of all toothed whale species, entanglement
in gillnets, traps, weirs, purse seines, longlines and trawls is resulting
in an unsustainably high death toll. This is among the findings of a report
published today by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species
of Wild Animals under the UN Environment Programme (UNEP/CMS).
The report is an encyclopaedia on the 72 species of toothed whales compiled
by Professor Boris Culik of Kiel University in Germany and represents
the most recent scientific findings on the distribution, migration, behaviour
and threats to this suborder of the cetaceans, which includes sperm whales,
beaked whales, porpoises and dolphins.
The UNEP/ASCOBANS Secretariat will present a free copy of the publication
to each participant in the upcoming 19th Meeting of the Advisory Committee.
The web version of the report can be accessed here.
Click here
to read the UNEP press release.
20-22 March 2012: 19th Meeting of the Advisory Committee, Galway, Ireland
4 October 2011 – Invitations for the 19th Meeting of the ASCOBANS Advisory
Committee have been sent out. It will be held from 20-22 March 2012 at
the Galway Bay Hotel in Galway, Ireland. The registration form has been
posted on this page, where also the Provisional
Agenda and more information on the venue and travel will be made available
along with documents prepared for the meeting.
The Advisory Committee was established to facilitate the implementation
of the ASCOBANS Agreement and the decisions of the Parties by providing
advice and information to the Secretariat and the Parties between the
sessions of the Meeting of Parties (MOP). Reports of past meetings can
be accessed here.
Observers are usually welcome to attend these meetings. Those interested
are required to inform the Secretariat in writing of their intention to
participate no later than 20 January 2012 to allow Parties time to decide
on their admission. Please refer to the official invitation
letter for details. For any questions, please contact the ASCOBANS
Secretariat.
News items of previous years can be accessed in the archive
