The IWC welcomed the opportunity to attend the FAO's Committee on Fisheries (COFI) meeting, held in Rome this week. Discussions included marine mammal bycatch and the need for best practice for prevention and management. It was agreed by the Committee that the FAO should proceed with developing best practice technical guidelines on how to mitigate marine mammal bycatch.

The annual report of the IWC Scientific Committee is published today.  It contains a comprehensive account of the discussions, conclusions and recommendations of the meeting of the Scientific Committee, which took place over a two week period in April/May in Bled, Slovenia.  To read this year's Scientific Committee report please click here.  Click here to read the report.

Good progress has been reported from a workshop to improve the process and handling of Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling (ASW) quota renewals. ASW is conducted in some of the world’s most remote regions. It is community-based and does not seek to maximise either catches or profits. Regulation of aboriginal whaling is an important responsibility of the Commission, whose role is to ensure that the whale populations remain healthy, and the nutritional and cultural requirements of indigenous people are met.

A programme aiming to build a clearer picture of southern right whale migration and feeding grounds has revealed a substantial variety of animal behaviours. 

IWC entanglement response training has concluded successfully in Sortland, Norway.  

Telemetry studies have become increasingly important in scientific studies of many animals including cetaceans. This Expert Workshop is co-sponsored by the IWC, the US Office of Naval Research and the US National Marine Fisheries Service, and will review and evaluate progress in tag design and attachment.  The workshop will emphasise recent tag attachment improvements and follow-up studies examining the effects of tagging.  The other major aim of the workshop is to develop Best Practice Guidelines for Cetacean Tagging.

The latest IWC entanglement response training has concluded successfully in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. The long-term training programme is a partnership between the IWC and Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown (CCS). This workshop was also supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) who provided an additional training component on strandings response.

Over the next two weeks, Slovenia will once again play host to the Scientific Committee of the IWC.  More than 120 of the world’s leading cetacean scientists are gathering in Bled to discuss the latest research on a wide range of subjects related to cetacean conservation and management.

Next week an expert panel will convene in Tokyo to review Japan's proposal for a new special permit whaling research programme in the western North Pacific. The proposal was circulated last November and, in accordance with the Scientific Committee's agreed process, will be reviewed by a small, specialist panel of invited experts.

Warm words and a lot of work to do as the 2016 IWCX Meeting ends.

Discussions on day three of the IWC Plenary were wide ranging and concluded with £60,000 of voluntary contributions.

The five-day Plenary session of the 2016 IWC biennial Meeting began today, on the Slovenian coast at Portorož.

The latest IWC entanglement response training has concluded successfully in Los Organos, Peru.  Conducted in partnership with the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS), Provincetown, the training is offered to help build safe and effective response capability around the world.

Over the next two weeks, Slovenia will once again play host to the Scientific Committee of the IWC.  Around 200 of the world’s leading cetacean scientists will gather in Bled to discuss the latest research on a wide range of subjects related to cetacean conservation and management.

A two year Pacific regional campaign to 'Protect Pacific Whales – Ocean Voyagers' has been launched by the Secretariat of the Pacific Environment Programme (SPREP) in Samoa. The IWC is one of a number of partner organisations supporting the campaign which aims to promote the conservation of whales through a range of initiatives and awareness raising activities.

New funding is available for scientists with research proposals focusing on conservation of dolphins and porpoises.  The IWC Small Cetaceans Voluntary Fund (SCVF) has launched its third call for tenders thanks to generous contributions from Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK and a consortium of non-governmental organisations.

An IWC workshop on cetacean stranding has concluded successfully in San Francisco, USA.  Biologists, veterinarians and stranding network investigators from a range of countries gathered for two days of information sharing and discussion, focusing on unusual large scale mortality events, mass strandings and disease outbreaks. 

The latest entanglement response workshop has concluded successfully in Viña del Mar, Chile.  The Chilean coast is an important habitat for a critically endangered population of southern right whale. They now number just 50 mature animals and entanglement response is seen as an important capacity by the Chilean government who requested the training as part of a Conservation Management Plan.

A cetacean research programme in Madagascar has delivered an unexpected breakthrough in knowledge of the Omura’s whale.  Habitat, feeding, social behaviours and song are all documented in the first known and confirmed study of the species.  Previously mistaken for Bryde’s whales, Omura’s was identified as a new and separate species in 2003 when genetic testing was performed on an animal stranded in the Sea of Japan and eight earlier specimens.  The lack of confirmed live sightings meant that virtually nothing was known about their ecology or behaviour until now.

Building Capacity – the Entanglement Response Network apprentices ready to share their knowledge

The IWC Whale Entanglement Response Network has gained two valuable new trainers who will continue work to build a professional, global response capacity, focusing on the extensive coastline of Latin America.

Around forty experts and stakeholders in aboriginal subsistence whaling will gather this week at a workshop in Greenland. Regulation of subsistence whaling is an important responsibility of the IWC. It is also a complex issue, and the workshop is in support of a Commission initiative to improve its procedures for considering aboriginal whaling catch limits.

The sixth IWC-POWER (Pacific Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research) cruise has now left Shiogama, embarking on a 60-day survey of cetaceans in an area of the North Pacific which has not been studied for decades.  This year’s cruise will focus primarily on the abundance and stock structure of Bryde’s whales. 

Recovery of humpbacks in the Southern Hemisphere, progress in the management of aboriginal whaling, a collaboration with New Zealand on Hector’s and Maui dolphins, and new management  information for the critically endangered vaquita are just some of the developments recorded by the Scientific Committee of the IWC in its annual report, published today. 

Approximately 200 of the world’s leading cetacean scientists are gathering in San Diego for the annual meeting of the IWC Scientific Committee.  Around one hundred separate sessions will take place over the next two weeks, as scientists scrutinise the latest research on a wide range of subjects, from ecosystem modelling and population estimates, to climate change and the impact of underwater noise.

The diverse work of the IWC Small Cetacean Voluntary Fund is the focus of a new area of the IWC website.  Research funds are allocated to high priority projects that improve conservation outcomes for populations of small cetaceans, particularly those that are threatened or especially vulnerable to human activities.  Click here to read more about the Small Cetacean Voluntary Fund.

A research programme completed under the auspices of the IWC has enabled scientists to satellite tag and follow three gray whales on a 14,000 mile migration across the North Pacific.  The research is an important step in implementing actions under the IWC/IUCN Conservation Management Plan for gray whales in the western North Pacific which aims to understand and mitigate the threats facing the small feeding group found off Sakhalin Island, Russia. 

This month, the International Whaling Commission will be attending the fourth annual Whalefest event to call attention to the increasing number of collisions between whales and vessels.  As ocean-going traffic increases, so does the risk of collision between ships and whales, and the IWC is raising awareness and support for a long term research and mitigation programme.

Expert review panel workshop of NEWREP special permit proposal

Later in February, Tokyo will host an expert panel tasked with reviewing Japan's special permit proposal NEWREP-A (New Scientific Whale Research Programme in the Antarctic Ocean) which was circulated in November 2014. Panel members are selected according the Scientific Committee Guidelines for Review of Scientific Permits (known as 'Annex P') in order to ensure balance and expertise relevant to the specific proposal. The report of this panel will be released to Scientific Committee members, and available on the IWC website at least forty days before this year's Scientific Committee meeting. The report will be discussed at the meeting and final Scientific Committee advice on the proposal will be developed. This advice will be put to the Commission at it's next meeting in 2016.

It’s three years since the IWC held its first entanglement response training workshop.  More than 250 individuals from over 20 countries have been trained by the programme, which aims to share the capabilities already built by countries like Australia, the US and Canada, with other regions facing entanglement threats.  The most recent training, the fourth in Mexico, shows the extent to which capacity now exists in some countries, where the emphasis is moving from safe and professional response, to advanced techniques and longer term considerations of data analysis and prevention.

Preparations are underway for the next phase of the IWC-POWER (North Pacific Whale and Ecosystem Research) programme.  An international team of scientists have met in Tokyo to review the first five years of work, agree the work programme for the sixth research cruise, and begin planning for the next stage of the project.

The latest IWC entanglement response network training concluded successfully on October 10^th 2014.  The two-day event was the most recent of several for Mexico, whose waters are the primary breeding ground for N. Pacific humpback and gray whales, as well as permanent home for other species.  The training was sponsored by CONANP (Comisión Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas) and coordinated by ECOBAC (Ecología y Conservación de Ballenas, AC) with additional support from the Center for Coastal Studies (USA). Attendees included representatives of local Fisheries and Environmental Agencies, Navy, Harbour Master along with local NGOs and boat operators nominated by CONANP. 

The latest IWC entanglement response network training concluded successfully on September 24th. The two-day event was the most recent of several for Mexico, whose waters are the primary breeding ground for North Pacific humpback and gray whales, as well as permanent home for other species.  The training was sponsored by CONANP (Comisión Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas) and coordinated by ECOBAC (Ecología y Conservación de Ballenas, AC) with additional support from the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS, USA).

Conservation measures for small cetaceans were discussed today at the IWC meeting in Slovenia, with particular attention focused on the critically endangered vaquita. Environmental concerns, safety at sea and infractions were also on the agenda, and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Russia, USA and Japan.  These are some of the range states for the western North Pacific gray whale.  Collaboration between range states is crucial if this critically endangered population is to stand a chance of recovery.  A welfare work plan was also endorsed by consensus, and will pave the way for a new, intersessional welfare programme.

The IWC's 65th meeting began in Portoroz, Slovenia, with welcoming addresses by the Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the State Secretary for Agriculture and the Environment.  The first day saw a quota set for Greenlandic aboriginal subsistence whaling following a vote (46 for, 11 against and 3 abstentions). Whale sanctuaries were also discussed: the ten yearly review of the Southern Ocean sanctuary and a proposal for establishment of a new sanctuary in the South Atlantic.

The IWC and its Scientific Committee have expressed concern over the conservation status of one of the world’s most endangered cetacean species, the vaquita, for many years. The most recent report of the Comité Internacional para la Recuperación de la Vaquita (CIRVA) is now available.  This  international vaquita recovery team includes some members of the IWC Scientific Committee. Click here for the report which is available in English and Spanish.

At the beginning of July, the IWC-POWER research cruise set sail to survey cetaceans in an area of the North Pacific which has not been researched for decades.  Now in its fifth year, the IWC-POWER programme is an international collaboration which aims to build understanding of the abundance and stock structure of a number of key species.  This year’s cruise will focus primarily on Bryde’s, fin and sei whales, and involves scientists from the US and Britain, as well as Japan which also generously provides the vessel and crew.

This summer, Hawaii will host the second stage of an international and multi-disciplinary work programme that aims to understand and address the threat to cetaceans from marine debris.  The Hawaii event will focus on policy and management, assessing existing laws, initiatives and strategies.  Potential collaborations will then be identified which can use the IWC’s scientific expertise and international reach to best effect, to improve the conservation outcomes for cetaceans and for marine life generally.

The results of the most recent IWC-POWER Research Cruise have been reported and endorsed at the IWC Scientific Committee Meeting in Bled, Slovenia.  

A recent training in the San Ignacio Lagoon, Mexico, has resulted in the professional and successful release of an entangled gray whale calf by a newly trained team at the San Ignacio Lagoon. The Government of Mexico and the IWC have worked closely together for the past two years, building entanglement response capacity along the extensive coastline.

Experts from eleven countries have collaborated to assess and inform guidelines on stranded cetacean euthanasia.   Live stranding of large cetaceans is an increasing problem for coastal states.  Rescue is of course the ideal outcome but in reality, the prognosis is bleak when a large whale strands.  In most cases, successful re-floatation is impossible and euthanasia is the best outcome for the welfare of a suffering animal. To read the report click here.

On 8 April, international experts will come together to begin a range-wide review of the population structure and status of North Pacific gray whales.  The review is prompted by surprising new information obtained from satellite tagging undertaken under the auspices of the IWC, and from genetic ‘fingerprinting’ and photo-identification studies.  This new information has revealed movements of animals across the North Pacific, between populations previously thought to be separate.

The impact on cetaceans of increased marine activity in the Arctic is the subject of a workshop to be held in Anchorage, Alaska in March. It will bring together national, local and native authorities, scientists, industry, intergovernmental and environmental organisations. The aim is to hear views from all stakeholders, prioritise IWC work and coordinate efforts - before problems emerge. For more information click here. 

A new, collaborative study published in Aquatic Mammals sets out international best practice approach for minimising seismic survey impact on cetaceans.

The IWC Standing Working Group on Conservation Management Plans (CMPs) has reported on its meeting, held earlier this year in Brisbane, Australia.  CMPs were introduced by the IWC to improve conservation outcomes for the world's most at risk cetacean populations.  They are tailored, flexible tools which enable targeted management of human acitivities.  For more information click here.

The entanglement response programme is moving on from Panama to St Martin in the Caribbean. Entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris is a serious animal welfare issue and the risk involved in attempting disentanglement is often under-estimated.  This global programme shares best practice and experience, combining classroom and hand-on teaching to build a network of trained entanglement response teams around the world.

The first meeting of the new IWC Bureau will take place at the beginning of September.  The Bureau reflects the move from annual to biennial Commission meetings, and the increase and diversification of IWC work.  The new forum is using a combination of meetings and teleconferences to strengthen the co-ordination, delivery and communication of the Commission’s intersessional work programme.  

For more information, click here.   

 From 3-15 June, almost 200 cetacean scientists from around the world met at the annual IWC Scientific Committee meeting in Jeju, Republic of Korea.  Over 100 sessions were held and more than 200 scientific papers were discussed. The findings and recommendations of the Scientific Committee are incorporated into a single extensive report with a number of technical annexes. The reports of the Scientific Committee provide the scientific basis for IWC policymaking. All are published and publicly available and since 1998 have been included as a supplement to the Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. To read the 2013 report, click here.

The IWC co-ordinates and directs a major research programme, POWER (North Pacific Whale and Ecosystem Research). The report of the 3rd research cruise has been submitted to the IWC Scientific Committee, meeting on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea.... Read More

The Southern Ocean Research Partnership is an international consortium of scientists leading the development and application of non-lethal whale science. The SORP project leaders and interested parties will be meeting prior to the IWC Scientific Committee in the Republic of Korea.  The discussions and presentations will showcase the progress and discoveries made by the five SORP projects to date and coordinate future research activities that support cetacean conservation and management in the Southern Ocean.  View the agenda at the SORP website.

Whale watch operators, scientists, and government officials from over 20 countries will be gathering in Brisbane in May.  On the agenda is a 5 year Strategic Plan for Whale Watching and the development of a web-based ‘Living’ Handbook.  Whale watching is a fast-growing sector with economic benefits for a diverse range of coastal communities. However, unless well-managed it has the potential to have a negative impact on whales and their habitat. The IWC 5 year plan aims to develop and convey best practice, and the Living Handbook will become an evolving repository for all aspects of advice including training, governance, capacity building and compliance. The aim of the Brisbane meeting is get valuable input directly from the industry on implementation of the 5 year Strategic Plan to help ensure that whales can be watched responsibly now and by future generations.