From 13 to 15 March 2024, Zandvoort, Netherlands, was the host to the 20th Meeting of the ASCOBANS Jastarnia Group, a gathering aimed at advancing the conservation of the harbour porpoise in the Baltic. This annual meeting brought together members of the Steering Group for the ASCOBANS Recovery Plan for Baltic Harbour Porpoises, commonly known as the Jastarnia Plan, alongside representatives working on the Conservation Plan for the Harbour Porpoise Population in the Western Baltic, the Belt Sea, and the Kattegat.

The 4th Meeting of the Common Dolphin Group (CDG4) took place online from 9 to 10 January 2024. The virtual event brought together numerous stakeholders, including governments, scientists, and conservationists, with 32 participants attending. The meeting produced 16 key recommendations related to improving surveys, addressing bycatch, and enhancing data on strandings. These recommendations are designed to strengthen efforts to conserve common dolphins in the Northeast Atlantic, particularly in light of growing environmental threats.

Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year 2024 from the ASCOBANS Secretariat!

A technical workshop was organized on 27-28 June 2023, online, to present an overview of the feedback received to the draft Guidelines for cetacean-sensitive marine spatial planning, and to discuss any points that need to be solved before the draft could be presented to the 28th Meeting of the ASCOBANS Advisory Committee.