Promoting public awareness is an essential element of conservation work and an area in which ASCOBANS has an important role to play. Unless people are convinced that porpoises are present in their local waters, that these creatures are worth saving, and that the animals’ existence is threatened, they are not likely to support recovery efforts.

While the ASCOBANS Secretariat engages in outreach and educational activities of its own, successful awareness raising is dependent on the efforts of various actors at national and international levels. Among these are governmental and other public institutions, non-governmental organizations and scientific and educational institutions.

Outreach and Education Award 2009 for Peter G.H. Evans.

Objectives

• Promoting and supporting educational initiatives and activities related to the aims of ASCOBANS
• Increasing public awareness to achieve a better understanding of the need to conserve Small Cetaceans and the means by which this aim can be achieved

Jury

A jury consisting of:

1. The Advisory Committee Chair (or his/her nominee)
2. The Executive Secretary (or his/her nominee)
3. An NGO with educational experience
4. Those Party delegates that wish to take part

will evaluate educational initiatives that relate to the aims of ASCOBANS.

The jury may decide not to present the award if it feels that no suitable candidates have been nominated. The team will not include anyone with a direct interest in any of the projects to be evaluated.

Nomination of Candidates

These initiatives will be brought to the attention of the working group (“Jury”) by Parties, NGOs or others and the team will be tasked with judging which has made the most valuable contribution to the aims of the Agreement. Nominations should reach the Secretariat no later than 31 December of the calendar year preceding the Meeting of the Parties, at which the presentation of the award will take place.

The nominees will be requested to produce a document to be presented to the working group supporting their initiatives.

Prize

The winner will be awarded a certificate and efforts will be made to find sponsorship for a small financial or other material prize. The prize will normally be awarded on the occasion of a MOP.

Winners

• 2005: Hel Marine Station, Poland
• 2007: Petra Deimer and Hans-Juergen Schuette, Society for the Protection of Marine Mammals (GSM)
• 2009: Peter Evans, Sea Watch Foundation
• 2012: Mats Amundin, Sweden
• 2016: Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) - more here
• 2020: Marine Mammals Science Education -project - more here

Outreach and Education Award for Petra Deimer and Hans-Juergen Schuette (l.& m.)

Mats Amundin, 2012 Winner © Krzysztof E. Skora