Bonn, 19 December 2019 - The ASCOBANS anniversary book European Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises: Marine Mammal Conservation in Practice presents an intimate view of the workings of a regional conservation agreement to protect small cetaceans.  It details the Agreement’s achievements over the last 25 years, whilst identifying weaknesses and recommending steps that governments, scientists, marine stakeholders and the public can take to improve conservation efforts.

The book provides a unique synthesis of current knowledge of whales, dolphins and porpoises in Europe, covering their status, distribution, and ecology. It presents a comprehensive review of the various threats to cetaceans, including fisheries bycatch, contaminants, noise disturbance, plastic ingestion, and climate change, and details the conservation actions currently being taken and under discussion for the future.  The book also describes the research methods that apply new and innovative technologies to study these challenging animals that spend 90 per cent of their lives underwater.

The volume includes contributions from scientists, conservationists, members of government, and international organizations, who have been involved in the work of ASCOBANS during its 25+ years of existence.

The book is written by Dr. Peter Evans, an experienced marine mammal scientist, award-winning conservationist, founding secretary of the European Cetacean Society, and a member of several international committees.  He is also the Chair of ASCOBANS Steering Group for the Conservation Plan for Harbour Porpoises in the North Sea, and co-Chair of the Joint Bycatch Working Group of ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS.

The publication can be ordered online at https://www.elsevier.com/ .

The production of the book was supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.