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New Citizen Science App for Cetacean Sightings
A new citizen science app ‘Sea Watcher’ has been released to log sightings of marine megafauna in the European waters. |
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ASCOBANS Outreach and Education Award 2020 to Marine Mammals Science Education
‘Marine Mammals Science Education’ project is the winner of the ASCOBANS Outreach and Education Award 2020, announced at the 9th Meeting of the Parties. |
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Baltic Proper Harbour Porpoise in Focus
The Baltic Proper sub-population of the Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) was categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and the population is thought to number only a few hundred. |
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ASCOBANS Common Dolphin Group Meets Online
The second meeting of the Steering Group for the ASCOBANS Species Action Plan for the North-East Atlantic Common Dolphin - also known as the ‘Common Dolphin Group’ - took place on 3 December 2020. |
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Better Protection for Europe’s Dolphins and Porpoises Agreed at ASCOBANS MOP9
The 9th Meeting of the Parties to ASCOBANS concluded on 11 September 2020. Eleven new resolutions were adopted. |
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16th Meeting of the Jastarnia Group
The Steering Group for the ASCOBANS Recovery Plan for Baltic Harbour Porpoises (Jastarnia Plan) and the ASCOBANS Conservation Plan for the Harbour Porpoise Population in the Western Baltic, the Belt Sea and the Kattegat (WBBK Plan) met on 8-9 June 2020. |
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| Species Action Plans and Working Groups |
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Intersessional Working Group on Beaked Whales Established
The topic of beaked whales was raised at the 9th Meeting of the Parties (MOP9, 7-11 September 2020) because of the recent strandings that had occurred. |
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Best Practice on Cetacean Post-mortem Protocol
Jointly developed by ASCOBANS and ACCOBAMS, the Best Practice on Cetacean Post-mortem Investigation and Tissue Sampling protocol offers a framework for data collection. |
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Prey Depletion - Another Threat to Small Cetaceans
Small cetacean distributions are influenced by the distribution and diversity of their main prey species. There is evidence that prey depletion is posing a threat to small cetaceans within the ASCOBANS Agreement Area. |
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Bycatch – Still a Major Cause of Small Cetacean Mortality
Despite the efforts made by Parties to date, bycatch remains a major cause of mortality for small cetaceans in the ASCOBANS Agreement Area. |
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New Guidelines Help Minimize the Impact of Bycatch of Small Cetaceans
CMS in collaboration with WWF has published Guidelines for the Safe and Humane Handling and Release of Bycaught Small Cetaceans from Fishing Gear. |
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Marine Debris – Ghost Nets and Plastics – a Deadly Hazard for Cetaceans
Worldwide, marine debris, which includes abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) and plastics, has a negative impact on a substantial number of marine animals. |
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In Memoriam - Patricia Stadié
The ASCOBANS Secretariat is saddened to have received the news that its long-standing former Administrative Assistant, Patricia Stadié, passed away on 11 September 2020, at the age of 70. |
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ASCOBANS 25th Anniversary Book
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 its 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. |
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