Bycatch remains a significant threat to small cetaceans on both sides the South Atlantic, where millions of families depend on fisheries for their livelihoods. Consequently, the conservation of small cetaceans hinges on the commitment of fishers to implement effective management measures and practice community-based self-monitoring within their maret6rios (socio-marine territories), thereby serving as guardians of these vulnerable species. This must be coupled with multi-stakeholder support to ensure access to capacity-building, appropriate gear, and low-cost technologies aimed at reducing small cetacean bycatch, injury, and mortality associated with gill nets and ghost gear. 

To achieve these objectives, international cooperation remains fundamental. The Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic (ZOPACAS) provides a cooperative architecture for collaboration among countries that serve as a common habitat for endangered populations and as range states for migratory species, including small cetaceans. 

This panel will address joint initiatives by South Atlantic nations to conserve small cetaceans, focusing on measures to mitigate bycatch and the role of fishers and coastal communities in the design and implementation of these measures. Particular attention will be given to regional efforts to conserve populations of the Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) and Lahille's bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus gephyreus), within the frameworks of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), as proposed for COPlS. Building on these experiences, panelists will be invited to consider how South Atlantic governments, fishers, and diverse stakeholders can further collaborate within ZOPACAS to promote sustainable fishing practices aimed at mitigating small cetacean bycatch and addressing other fishing­ related threats to these species.