Over the past few decades, boat-based wildlife watching and in-water interactions have rapidly increased in occurrence and popularity worldwide, generating a pressing need to understand and manage any detrimental effects on the behaviour, welfare and biology of the target species, and the consequent indirect effects on local environments and human communities.

To address these issues, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), in collaboration with its specialized daughter agreements, has developed guidelines on both forms of wildlife interactions, presenting measures to mitigate risks and enhance conservation outcomes. By aligning recommendations across species and activity types, they provide a comprehensive framework to ensure that wildlife interactions are conducted sustainably.

Now combined in an issue of the CMS Technical Series No. 49, CMS Parties endorsed the Guidelines for Recreational In-water Interactions with Marine Wildlife in 2024 and the Guidelines for Boat-based Wildlife Watching in 2017. They provide a robust framework for mitigating the impacts of boat-based and in-water interactions for marine species and are specifically designed to help policymakers develop robust national measures suited to the nature of recreational activities and the species in their waters.

This poster will be presented at the 36th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, which takes place on 14-16 May 2025 in Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal.