The ASCOBANS Secretariat team would like to express their gratitude to Carola Ahmed, an artist known by her pseudonym SAMACA, who kindly donated the design for our beautiful Season's Greetings card to us.

27-30 October 2008 ASCOBANS in recently opened Ozeaneum in Stralsund
ASCOBANS was invited by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to man a joint information booth at the Ozeaneum from 27-30 October 2008. This exhibition presenting cetacean-related conservation work was set up in line with the autumn vacation activities of the Ozeaneum, which attract more than 4.000 visitors a day. Such joint endeavours illustrate the growing collaboration between IFAW and the CMS Secretariat, a partnership that has also greatly benefited ASCOBANS.

The Ozeaneum, opened in July 2008, is an extension of the German Oceanographic Museum in Stralsund. It's one of Europe's biggest institutions for marine science and fascinates people with breathtaking aquariums showing the marine ecosystems of the Baltic and North Seas and the adjacent Atlantic. The Ozeaneum aims to make marine oceanography and species interactions easily accessible for different target groups and offers information about climate change, over-fishing and marine pollution. The "Giants of the Seas" exhibition sports life-size models of cetaceans and illustrates their biology and threats facing these unique animals.

The participation of ASCOBANS in this information week was highly successful. Visitors and staff alike took a profound interest in the approach ASCOBANS takes in international conservation measures. Information material and personal discussions helped to illustrate ASCOBANS' work and to inform people on progress implementing the programme of work agreed by the Parties.

10 October 2008: IMO Sends Positive Signals for Cetaceans
The 58th Session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 58) of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) was held on 6-10 October 2008 in the IMO headquarters in London, UK.

Two items on the Committee's agenda were of direct interest to CMS and its cetacean-related agreements:

1) The development of a guidance document for minimising the risk of ship strikes with cetaceans (Agenda Item 18)
The inclusion of ship strikes in the work programme of the committee was decided at its last meeting. Ship strikes of cetaceans remain a serious threat to the survival of several species or populations and the increasing number of vessels travelling at high speeds is a serious concern for a UN conservation body like CMS and the regional cetacean agreements ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS. Ships strikes are not only a conservation concern, though, but have also serious economic and safety impacts. The migratory nature of most cetacean species requires mitigation efforts across their entire migratory range. In order to be effective, these measures need to be coordinated and consistent; requiring close cooperation between the different intergovernmental bodies whose mandate is to protect the marine environment.
The United States had provided a draft guidance document on ship strikes, which was endorsed by the Parties as interim guidance and which will be refined at the next meeting of the Committee. UNEP/CMS stands ready to support the MEPC in this respect.

2) The proposal to include a new work programme item on the agenda of the MEPC on minimising the introduction of incidental noise from commercial shipping operations into the marine environment to reduce potential adverse impacts on marine life (Agenda Item 19).
Growing levels of noise pollution in our oceans are a serious concern for CMS and its cetacean-related agreements. Therefore, UNEP/CMS is pleased to note that IMO Parties endorsed the proposal made by the United States to address the issue of marine noise in the framework of the IMO MEPC.

In an evening side event, the representative of the UNEP/CMS Secretariat, also on behalf of ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS, gave a presentation on the activities of these bodies with respect to ship collisions of cetaceans and marine noise. The presentation was noted with interest by the attendees and information material could be distributed.

3 October 2008: New MoU for the Conservation of Small Cetaceans and Manatees in Western Africa and Macaronesia signed in Togo
After two days of negotiations during the WATCH II Meeting on 2 and 3 October 2008 in Lomé, Togo, the latest cetacean-related agreement under CMS was signed by representatives of 15 western African countries and three non-governmental organisations. This new sister agreement to ASCOBANS, the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Conservation of the Manatee and Small Cetaceans of Western Africa and Macaronesia, came into effect immediately. It will provide a basis for a suitable legal and institutional framework to enhance international cooperation in the conservation of these species throughout the region and will facilitate more effective collaborative conservation measures.
Read on (pdf, 135kb)

17 September 2008: Open Tender for the Revision of the Jastarnia Plan - extended deadline 31 October
The Recovery Plan for Baltic Harbour Porpoises, or Jastarnia Plan, is the result of a collaborative effort organised under the auspices of ASCOBANS. It is the culmination of a series of scientific initiatives and meetings over several years, starting in 1997. The ASCOBANS Parties adopted a series of Resolutions on this issue. The final Recovery Plan was endorsed by the ASCOBANS Parties at their 4th Meeting in 2003.

ASCOBANS now seeks to hire a consultant to prepare a revised version of the ASCOBANS Recovery Plan for Baltic Harbour Porpoises. This work should be undertaken in consultation with the ASCOBANS Secretariat and the Jastarnia Group, in line with the revisions requested by the 15th Advisory Committee (2008).

Applicants are requested to make an offer to the Secretariat by 31 October 2008. Please refer to the Terms of Reference for details.

10 Sept 2008: Humpback visitor leaves Baltic Sea for Atlantic Ocean
The humpback whale spotted off the coast of Rügen in late July has made his way out of the Baltic Sea and back into the news rooms. After several weeks in the Baltic Sea, it was spotted making its way past the narrow Öresund strait, Kattegat, Skagerrak and into the North Sea and is likely headed towards the Atlantic Ocean. There the whale, who has suffered from scarcity of food in the Baltic Sea, will have the chance to recuperate and regain some of the pounds it shed during its unexpected detour. The 12-metre long whale was last photographed on 30 August near the island of Käringön off the Swedish coast, severely emaciated but seemingly healthy.

As the whale was not tagged with a tracking device, news on the development of its course of migration will be entirely dependent on further sightings. Relevant marine stations have been informed and will be poised for the whale to breach once more so that its course may be determined and followed by the general public and scientists alike.

30 July 2008: Migrating giant takes detour to visit small cetacean cousins
Online news service "Der Spiegel" reports that scientists spotted a twelve metre long humpback whale off the coast of the German island of Rügen on Friday, 25 July. This is the first such sighting in 30 years; the last documented incident was on 24 August 1978. Before that, the last recorded sighting of a humpback whale in the German Baltic dates back to 1851.

The two biologists, who were stationed on the island for bird observations, had already suspected that what they saw was a breaching humpback whale. This assumption was later confirmed by Harald Benke, Director of the German Oceanographic Museum in Stralsund. Benke reportedly commented that "this is a sensation - a very very rare occasion! The whale may have been following shoals of fish during its migration to the arctic. When crossing the North Sea it may then mistakenly have turned off into the Baltic Sea while feeding. It is quite likely that the animal will stay in the Baltic Sea for a few weeks - even if there isn't actually enough food to be found. But a humpback whale can deal with this for a while."

Photos of the sighting can be viewed here.

14 June 2008: UK Dolphin Strandings - Statement by the joint UNEP/CMS/ASCOBANS Secretariat
The joint CMS/ASCOBANS Secretariat is closely following the recent standings incident in south-west Britain, in which 26 common dolphins lost their lives and which has attracted considerable international attention. The ASCOBANS Agreement, administered by UNEP, protects dolphins and other small whales in Northern European waters. The Agreement was extended earlier this year and now covers the whole of the Irish Sea and the Eastern Atlantic, where these animals almost certainly originated. The Agreement requires the UK and the other nine Parties to work towards the prevention of significant disturbance to these animals, including disturbance "of an acoustic nature".
(Read on)

18 May 2008 UPDATE: 6th International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise
This year, the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise coincides with International Museum Day, which will occur on 18 May 2008. Once again, numerous institutions in the region of the Baltic Sea are honouring the day with various activities and events revolving around a common theme and striving towards a common goal: disseminating information, promoting understanding and generating interest on the preservation of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise.
Below you will find a selection of some of the activities culminating on this day:
The Göteborgs Naturhistoriska Museum (Goteborg Natural History Museum) will be hosting an exhibition showing a frozen porpoise found stranded off the west coast of Sweden.
In Finland, the Särkänniemi Dolphinarium in Tampere will be offering children's activities including puzzles, drawing competitions and selling dolphin balloons to raise funds for porpoise research in the Baltic Sea.
Since this year's International Day on the Baltic Harbour Porpoise coincides with the International Day of Museums, the National History Museum in Latvia is planning joint activities to educate visitors on issues regarding the Baltic Harbour Porpoise. The Lithuanian Sea Museum in Klaipeda, in partnership with the Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Lithuania and the Coastal Research and Planning Institute is organising public a seminar on a range of topics regarding small cetaceans in the Baltic Sea, followed by a night event in the Dolphinarium on "The Truth about Baltic Harbour Porpoise".
In Germany, the NGO GSM Gesellschaft zum Schutz der Meeressäugetiere (Society for the Conservation of Marine Mammals) is holding its annual press conference at the Zoological Institute and Museum of the University in Hamburg on 15 May.
Then, on the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise itself, 18 May, the German Oceanographic Museum in Stralsund is planning a variety of activities, at least one of which will inform visitors about International Baltic Harbour Porpoise Day.
The ASCOBANS Secretariat team will make use of the unique outreach opportunity presented by the 9th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP9, 19-30 May), which will take place in Bonn. ASCOBANS will share a large tent with CMS and the other Agreements along the Plaza of Diversity outside the conference venue. During the first few days, special room will be given to drawing attention to the Baltic Harbour porpoise. A new IDBHP banner will be used as an eye-catcher and matching postcards will be distributed to the visitors.

18 May 2008: The 6th International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise
The CMS/ASCOBANS Secretariat is pleased to announce that an updated and revised version of the IDBHP Handbook is available for download from the ASCOBANS Website (link) and upon request as a hardcopy from the Secretariat (please contact Tine Lindberg to be sent your copy).
As one of the tasks undertaken by the first intern of the new ASCOBANS team, Mr Christian Bogen, the Handbook has been restructured and compressed, allowing the reader to locate topics of interest much easier. We hope that it will serve as a useful guide for those planning their own events for 2008 and will motivate many to join in this outreach event, intended to raise awareness among the people around the Baltic Sea, who often know little or nothing of their native cetacean species and its plight.
In 2008, the 6th IDBHP will be celebrated on 18 May. We hope that many institutions will use this opportunity to organise dedicated events. The Secretariat stands ready to assist in every way possible. Also, we would like to ask you to keep us informed about your plans, which we will announce on the ASCOBANS website before the event, and to submit a short report on your activities, the feedback received and some photos to the Secretariat afterwards, to help us prepare again an update of the Handbook.

31 March - 3 April 2008 UPDATE: 39 Delegates came to Bonn for AC 15
The ASCOBANS Advisory Committee held its 15th meeting from 31 March - 3 April 2008 at the Secretariat's premises, the historical high-rise building Langer Eugen in the city of Bonn, Germany. All ten member states to the Agreement were represented at the meeting, as well as two intergovernmental and five non-governmental organisations and two invited experts, who presented to the delegates on relevant EC legislation and underwater noise, respectively. A report of the meeting will be made available on this website shortly. The ASCOBANS Advisory Committee provides advice and information to the Secretariat and the Parties between the sessions of the decision-making body of the Agreement, the Meeting of Parties (MOP), thereby facilitating the implementation of the Agreement.

31 March - 3 April 2008: 15th Meeting of the Advisory Committee, UN Campus, Bonn, Germany
In late March/early April, the Advisory Committee (AC) to ASCOBANS will meet for the 15th time. The venue is at the Secretariat's premises, the historical high-rise building Langer Eugen in the city of Bonn (more information on the venue, transport and accommodation can be found here). The AC provides advice and information to the Secretariat and the Parties between the sessions of the decision-making body of the Agreement, the Meeting of Parties (MOP), thereby facilitating the implementation of the Agreement. Its dual role in overseeing both issues of administration and conservation science is reflected in the programme, which foresees separate sessions for these thematic blocks. The Administrative Session will take place on 31 March, followed by three days focusing on Science and Conservation.
Meeting documents will be made available here in due course. For any questions, please contact the ASCOBANS Secretariat.

4 March 2008: Year of the Dolphin News - Dolphin Manual Published in Portuguese
At a meeting today at the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany, the plans for the Year of the Dolphin campaign in 2008 were discussed by representatives of CMS, ACCOBAMS, ASCOBANS, WDCS and TUI. This included going through a list of conservation projects, which will now be evaluated by the Cetacean Liaison Group, a group of experts who are advising the CMS Secretariat and other CMS bodies on cetacean-related matters, with a view to identifying priorities. The most important projects should then receive support through the YoD Partners and other organisations. Another important topic was the continuation of educational and awareness campaigns worldwide, building on the broad array of educational materials available on this website.
At the occasion of the meeting, two website publications were also released. The first is a recap of some outstanding activities and achievements of Year of the Dolphin during 2007. The "Choice 20" list can be downloaded here.
Outstanding news is that the Dolphin Manual, a highly popular educational brochure for children, has been published in Portuguese now. This ninth language version was made possible though the free-of-charge translation kindly provided by the Portuguese NGO CETUS and the coordination through the ASCOBANS Secretariat. We are very pleased to have contributed to making this publication available in one of our new Range States and this way hope to help raise awareness of small cetacean conservation.

25-27 February 2008: 4th Meeting of the Jastarnia Group, Kolmården, Sweden
At the end of February 2008, the Jastarnia Group, a group of experts from the environment and fisheries sectors of the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, will meet for the fourth time to discuss progress made and further implementation priorities for the so-called Jastarnia Plan - the Recovery Plan for the Baltic Harbour Porpoise. This plan, finalised in 2002, was endorsed by the ASCOBANS Parties at their 4th Meeting in 2003. It takes into account the critical conservation status of the only cetacean species native in the Baltic Sea, which despite strict protection on all political levels still experiences higher human-induced mortality than the small population can sustain.
The Group will focus on topics like measures taken by the riparian states to reduce bycatch, research and monitoring activities, progress in the establishment of Marine Protected areas and public awareness activities. Another important Agenda Item will be the discussion of a draft revision of the Jastarnia Plan, which updates the document based on recommendations of the previous meeting. The agreed new version will then be presented to the Advisory Committee for endorsement.
Download Jastarina Plan (pdf, 820 KB)

3 February 2008: Extension of ASCOBANS Agreement Area Comes Into Force
We have good news and certainly reason to celebrate! The extension of the ASCOBANS Agreement Area, agreed on by Parties at MoP4 in 2003, will enter into force on 3 February 2008. Finland was the fifth country to formally accept the Amendment to the Agreement, following France, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. The Agreement's name will also change to reflect the new geographic coverage: "Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas".
With the significant enlargement of the area covered by ASCOBANS westward, not only did ASCOBANS gain three more Range States, Ireland, Portugal and Spain, who will continue to be encouraged to join the other ten Parties as member states, also its political footprint will be significantly larger. The new areas of the North East Atlantic and Irish Seas bring with them different species compositions and a wider set of issues and threats that need to be addressed. But they also increase the scientific expertise the Agreement bodies can draw from and provide a chance to coordinate conservation measures of small cetaceans more effectively in a wider context. The next Meeting of the ASCOBANS Advisory Committee in the spring of 2008 will further consider the implications of the extension for the organisation and work plan of the various Agreement bodies. The ASCOBANS area will then be contiguous to that of its sister Agreement, ACCOBAMS.

The CMS/ASCOBANS Secretariat will be very happy to assist those five Parties that have not yet completed their adoption in any way possible. All Range States joining ASCOBANS after the extension comes into force will automatically accede to the Agreement as amended.

News-Archive:
News 2010
News 2009
News 2008
News 2007
News 2006
News 2005
News 2004
News 2003
News 2002
News 2001
News 2000