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New Study Shows the Importance of Migratory Connectivity for Global Ocean Policy

Shortfin Mako © Oceans and Coast Team South Africa

Migratory species in the oceans and seas travel across interconnected ecosystems throughout their lives. Highly migratory species, such as Mako Sharks, cross entire oceans, while a single Leatherback Turtle can travel 10,000 miles or more during its annual migration. As they travel, sometimes on journeys of thousands of miles, these species are especially vulnerable tohuman induced threats. To mitigate the impact of these threats, conservation and management plans need to consider geographical, spatial and temporal factors of migration.

25 September 2019

Action Plan for the Common Dolphin Launched

© IFAW

© IFAW

The Species Action Plan (SAP) for the Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis), proposed in ASCOBANS Resolution 8.4 on the Conservation of Common Dolphins (2016), has been adopted in line with Resolution 8.4 and as per instructions from the 24th Meeting of the ASCOBANS Advisory Committee. The ASCOBANS Species Action Plan for the North-East Atlantic Common Dolphin sets out objectives for addressing the threats faced by the species in this region and describes a series of research, mitigation and monitoring actions aimed at improving its conservation status. The SAP seeks to involve a variety of stakeholders including national bodies, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs and regional bodies to achieve regional sea level actions.

30 August 2019

Inger Andersen Visits CMS Family

The newly-appointed UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, Inger Andersen, paid a visit to Bonn to meet the staff of the CMS Family © Aydin Bahramlouian

As part of a series of meetings in Europe, including attending the opening of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Geneva, Inger Andersen, the newly-appointed Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) paid a visit to Bonn to meet the staff of the CMS Family.

21 August 2019

Joint ACCOBAMS-ASCOBANS Cetacean Necropsy Workshop in Padua

Workshop participants in Padua. © Cristina Otero Sabio

Workshop participants in Padua. © Cristina Otero Sabio

A joint ACCOBAMS-ASCOBANS workshop on the best practices for conducting necropsies on cetaceans took place in Padua, Italy from 24 to 25 June 2019.

28 June 2019

Acting CMS Executive Secretary Enters on Duty

Ms. Amy Fraenkel, Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals © Florian Keil

Ms. Amy Fraenkel has been appointed as the Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), as of 13 May 2019. She brings to CMS a wealth of experience, both as Party negotiator and as a senior United Nations official.

20 May 2019

Symposium on Harbour Porpoise in the Wadden Sea

Harbour Porpoise © Hinrich Bäsemann / GSM

Harbour Porpoise © Hinrich Bäsemann / GSM

The ASCOBANS Secretariat participated in a scientific symposium entitled ‘Bright Future? Harbour Porpoises in the Wadden Sea’ which took place on 11 April at the UNESCO Wadden Sea World Heritage Visitor Centre. The aim of the symposium was to gather new information on the population status, monitoring and threats in the Wadden Sea. Opening speeches were delivered by Rüdiger Strempel, Executive Secretary of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat; Roger Staves, Head of Education at the UNESCO Wadden Sea World Heritage Visitor Centre; and Jenny Renell, Coordinator at the ASCOBANS Secretariat.

15 April 2019

Jastarnia Group Meets in Turku

Meeting participants of the 15th meeting of the ASCOBANS Jastarnia Group © Olli Loisa

The 15th meeting of the ASCOBANS Jastarnia Group has successfully concluded in Turku, hosted by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment and the Turku University of Applied Sciences. As well as reviewing progress under the conservation plans for the Harbour Porpoise in the Baltic Sea (the “Jastarnia Plan”) and in the Western Baltic, Belt Sea and Kattegat (WBBK), the meeting heard a presentation from a representative of the European Commission on the EU Technical Measures Regulation, which will replace Regulation 812/2004 governing bycatch mitigation.

20 March 2019

World Wildlife Day – Life below Water: for People and the Planet

World Wildlife Day 2019: Life below Water : for People and the Planet

The theme of this year’s World Wildlife Day campaign is “Life below Water: for People and the Planet” and is closely aligned to the 14th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG14), which aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.

28 February 2019

ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS Establish a Joint Bycatch Working Group

The current ASCOBANS Bycatch Working Group will be replaced by ACCOBAMS/ASCOBANS Joint Bycatch Working Group (JBWG), created according to decision of and endorsement from the 24th Meeting of the ASCOBANS Advisory Committee and the 12th Meeting of the ACCOBAMS Scientific Council last year. The Working Group will be run by two Co-chairs, Dr. Ayaka Amaha Oztürk and Dr. Peter Evans, each with bycatch expertise from ACCOBAMS or ASCOBANS areas.

26 February 2019

New Paper on Animal Culture Published in the Journal Science

Striped Dolphins © E.Pirotta / Tethys

A paper compiled by an international team of researchers with expertise in animals as diverse as birds and whales has been published online today by the journal Science. The paper sets out the evidence accumulated over the years of the importance of social learning in a wide range of vertebrate species. The research shows that knowledge passed on through the generations by young animals learning from their elders is as important to the survival of species as genetic transmission especially in adapting to new migration routes and finding sources of food.

26 February 2019