Joint ACCOBAMS-ASCOBANS Workshop with Navies on Underwater Noise and Cetaceans

Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) in Bay of Biscay. Photo by Rab Lawrence / flickr, CC BY 2.0

The Joint ACCOBAMS-ASCOBANS workshop with navies on underwater noise and cetaceans will take place from 26 to 27 November 2024 in Toulon, France, kindly hosted by the Préfecture maritime de la Méditerranée.

In 2019, the ACCOBAMS Secretariat organized a workshop with navies to showcase how the ACCOBAMS Scientific Committee can provide advice and assistance with respect to mitigating adverse effects on cetaceans for military exercises. The proceedings of this workshop are available here. During MOP8 in 2022, ACCOBAMS Parties expressed their interest in organizing a second workshop to facilitate the exchange of relevant information with the competent authorities before the start of any military exercises.

In 2021, the ASCOBANS Advisory Committee requested the ASCOBANS Secretariat to convene a workshop with representatives of national navies and NATO to consider underwater noise issues, such as navies' mitigation protocols for use of military sonars and management of other activities that can contribute to potentially harmful underwater noise, including the removal and/or detonation of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). In addition, solutions for acoustic monitoring and bycatch mitigation (deterrent devices) in synergy with national security activities could be addressed and discussed.

The two Agreements are now joining forces to organize this workshop. 

Objectives of the workshop

• To exchange information on best practice experiences and activities
• To promote collaboration
• To discuss steps towards improved exchange of information

Proposed workshop sessions

1. Use of sonar and impact on cetaceans.
2. Current mitigation procedures implemented by navies. 
3. Acoustic monitoring of cetaceans and acoustic deterrent devices. 
4. Critical cetacean habitats, IMMAs and MPAs. 
5. Communication.
6. Recommendations. 
7. Next steps. 

The Provisional Agenda, which will be based on the proposed workshop sessions, will be circulated to registered participants in due course.

Kindly note: Participation* to the workshop is by invitation only. If you are representing a national navy in the ASCOBANS or ACCOBAMS area and have not received an invitation, but would like to attend and contribute to the workshop, please contact the ASCOBANS Secretariat or the ACCOBAMS Secretariat.

*The Secretariats are unable to fund participation.