News

Bonn, 1 June 2026 - Andy Raine has been appointed as Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), effective Monday, 1 June 2026. In his role, Mr. Raine will also serve as the Executive Secretary of the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS).

This Sunday, 17 May 2026, marks the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise (IDBHP), observed each year on the third Sunday of May. Introduced in 2002 by ASCOBANS, the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas, the day exists for one reason: to remind us that the Baltic Sea's only native cetacean is running out of time.

The 22nd Meeting of the Jastarnia Group (JG22) was held online from 14–16 April 2026, bringing together representatives of Baltic Sea Range States, partner organizations and experts. Across a series of thematic sessions, participants exchanged updates on research projects, shared recent findings from relevant studies, and discussed policy amendments. The meeting aimed to review progress on implementing the Jastarnia Plan and the Belt Sea Plan as well as identify actions to strengthen protection efforts for the harbour porpoise in the Baltic Sea.

The 6th Meeting of the ASCOBANS Common Dolphin Group (CDG), held online on 13–14 January 2026, brought together over 40 participants from Range States, including government representatives, researchers, IGOs, NGOs, and fisheries organisations. The meeting reviewed the status of common dolphins across the Northeast Atlantic and the progress in implementing the Common Dolphin Species Action Plan, and coordinated conservation actions for the coming years.

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The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) has reached the threshold for entry into force. This historic milestone marks the beginning of a new era for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in the high seas—an area covering two-thirds of the world’s ocean.

The 29th Meeting of the ASCOBANS Advisory Committee took place online from 16-18 September 2025. The meeting discussed key issues facing cetaceans such as underwater noise pollution, ocean energy, maritime spatial planning, as well as emerging issues such as shallow-water mining.

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP), also known as Marine Spatial Planning, is an integrative policy instrument concerned with the coordination and management of human activities at sea, with the aim of facilitating the sustainable development of ocean resources and the protection of the marine environment. MSP should include measures to ensure a Favourable Conservation Status for cetaceans is maintained or achieved. Being of high relevance to small cetaceans, the first ASCOBANS resolution on MSP was adopted at the 10th Meeting of Parties (MOP), held in September 2024. Along with the resolution, the MOP adopted the Guidelines for Cetacean-sensitive Maritime Spatial Planning for the ASCOBANS Area and requested Parties to implement these when reviewing and/or updating their national MSP.

This Sunday marks the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise (#IDBHP), an annual day dedicated to raising awareness about the only cetacean native to the Baltic Sea: Phocoena phocoena.