Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) are defined as discrete portions of habitat, important to marine mammal species, that have the potential to be delineated and managed for conservation. Now, 33 new IMMAs have been created in the North East Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea by the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Taskforce.

A new paper, 'A negative trend in abundance and an exceeded mortality limit call for conservation action for the Vulnerable Belt Sea harbour porpoise population', has been published in Frontiers of Marine Science (open access). The study found that over the past 18 years, there has been a strong negative trend in abundance of the vulnerable harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) population in the Belt Sea due to bycatch.

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 19th Meeting of the Steering Group for the ASCOBANS Recovery Plan for Baltic Harbour Porpoises (Jastarnia Plan) and the Conservation Plan for the Harbour Porpoise Population in the Western Baltic, the Belt Sea and the Kattegat (Western Baltic Conservation Plan) took place online from 20 to 22 March 2023. Chaired by Dr. Ida Carlén, progress on the implementation of the Jastarnia and the Western Baltic Conservation Plan was discussed. Country representatives provided an overview of national activities to conserve the harbour porpoise since the last meeting .

The ASCOBANS Secretariat is welcoming Expressions of Interest (EOI) from organisations and individuals to provide technical coordination for the implementation of the ASCOBANS Recovery Plan for the Baltic Harbour Porpoises (Jastarnia Plan), and ASCOBANS Conservation Plan for the Harbour Porpoise Population in the Western Baltic, the Belt Sea and the Kattegat (WBBK Plan).

For the first time in nearly three years, participants could gather for a face-to-face meeting of ASCOBANS again. The 18th Meeting of the Jastarnia Group took place in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 28 to 30 March 2022, and was also attended by a small number of online participants.

Translation from German:

Harbour porpoises are often fatally injured in munitions detonations

A new ASCOBANS report detailing a cost-benefit analysis for mitigation measures in fisheries with high bycatch is launched today.  The report, authored by Fiona L. Read, reviews the implementation cost and pros and cons of different bycatch mitigation measures and alternative fishing methods.