Whales and Dolphins at the Forefront at Meetings in March

© Ocean ConservancyBonn,
15 February 2012
- Research and conservation of
whales, dolphins and porpoises, collectively referred to
as cetaceans, will be subject of a series of meetings to
be held in the Irish city of Galway in March. Galway’s
“cetacean fortnight” will start with the annual
meeting of the Advisory Committee of ASCOBANS from 20-22
March. At this meeting, participants will review progress
of the Agreement’s implementation and will formulate
recommendations to the Meeting of the Parties (22-24 October
2012).

This will be followed by related workshops
and the scientific conference of the European Cetacean Society
(ECS). On 24 March and organized jointly by ASCOBANS, the
Mediterranean sister-Agreement ACCOBAMS and the ECS, a workshop
on the “EU Habitats Directive and its implementation
in relation to cetaceans” will be held. It aims to
review implementation of the Habitats Directive across Europe,
and to discuss ways to address some of its challenges. Additionally,
links with other directives e.g. the Marine Strategy Framework
Directive and other intergovernmental treaties, such as
ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS, will be explored. The full-day event
will focus on the legal framework, i.e. the European Directives
and their relationship to other regional treaties. Participants
will also consider methods for assessing favourable conservation
status of cetaceans; progress with the establishment of
the Natura 2000 protected area network as well as the implementation
of strict protection measures throughout EU waters. Speakers
and participants will include both policy-makers and scientists.

More information can be accessed at the ASCOBANS
website

Last updated on 16 June 2014