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In June, the IWC will hold two workshops to progress IWC Conservation Management Plans. The first will focus on the southwest Atlantic population of the Southern Right Whale and the second on the franciscana dolphin.  Each is a two-day event and both will be held in Curitiba, Brazil.

Conservation Management Plans provide a framework for countries within the range of vulnerable cetacean populations to work together and in collaboration with other stakeholders, to protect and rebuild those populations.  CMPs are currently in place for four cetacean populations.

Although some Southern Right Whale populations are reported to be recovering from industrial whaling, the southwest Atlantic population remains a concern, particularly due to widespread calf mortalities.  The CMP is supported by Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay and the workshop will review the latest research. One key action is to determine whale movements including migration routes and feeding grounds, in order to understand hotspots where human activity may adversely impact on the whales.  Monitoring is another identified priority, including enhancement of existing strandings networks and increased capacity to undertake necropsies.

The franciscana dolphin is the first small cetacean to be subject to a Conservation Management Plan.  The expansion of gillnet fisheries is accelerating the decline of this species, found only in coastal waters  of the southwestern Atlantic.  The June workshop will assess new information on abundance, distribution and ecology, and examine bycatch impacts and mitigations, as well as additional threats including pollution and collisions with ships.

Both CMP workshops will also discuss the importance of outreach and raising awareness of the threats and mitigation measures that can be taken, at regional, national and local level.

Click to read more about Conservation Management Plans.