Despite the efforts made by Parties to date, bycatch remains a major cause of mortality for small cetaceans in the ASCOBANS Agreement Area.  The available data indicate that levels of bycatch – the incidental capture of non-target species in fishing nets - may threaten the conservation status of some small cetacean populations, such as the Common Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise. Next week, the ASCOBANS MOP9 will consider proposed amendments to Resolution 8.5 on Monitoring and Mitigation of Small Cetacean Bycatch.