The IWC was recently pleased to support a series of capacity building and information exchange sessions in Kribi, Cameroon, led by the Consortium for the Conservation of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (CCAHD).

Thirteen African countries were represented at the event, all range states along the Atlantic African coast where Atlantic humpback dolphins have been sighted or are likely to be present. 

Also known as Sousa teuszii, the species is one of the least understood coastal dolphin species, despite its dependence on nearshore habitats. This dependence brings the animals close to human activity and impacts including accidental bycatch in fishing gear, coastal development and pollution.  In 2017, Atlantic humpback dolphins were categorised as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.  

The IWC’s Bycatch Mitigation Initiative provided two days of training in Bycatch Risk Assessment (ByRA).  ByRA is a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based toolkit which allows assessment and visualisation of bycatch risk using whatever amount or type of data is available. This enables identification of critical areas for further research and/or immediate management actions to mitigate bycatch. The IWC has supported ByRA capacity building workshops in several countries, with training led by Dr Ellen Hines, a member of the IWC's Expert Panel on Bycatch and co-creator of the Bycatch Risk Assessment (ByRA) toolkit.

Learning to use the ByRA toolkit

The bycatch workshop was followed by sessions on strandings response and data collection, facilitated remotely by the IWC's Stranding Initiative. The Strandings Initiative has developed practical guidance which is used to provide real-time remote support and capacity building training. The training topics included how to form strandings networks and collection of data from carcasses.  Standardized, global data is vital to understanding the causes of cetacean stranding, and addressing those causes which are man-made.  

The CCAHD sessions ran from 2-7 December in parallel to the African Marine Mammal Conservation Organisation’s Streetwhale 2024 Event, and regional partner participation was funded in main part by the Dolphin Quest Foundation. In addition to the ByRA and strandings workshops, other sessions specifically for CCAHD participants included presentations, discussions and hands-on training related to regional and international conservation initiatives of the Convention on Migratory Species, boat-based dolphin survey methodology, legal and regulatory mechanisms for dolphin conservation (offered by Law of the Wild), and tips to identify and access funding opportunities for conservation initiatives. The Nuremberg Zoo also made it possible for Dr Federico Sucunza and fisherman, Nene, to attend the meeting and demonstrate how they have successfully used empty plastic drinks bottles to reduce dolphin bycatch in Brazil. See this paper presented to the IWC Scientific Committee in 2024.

Learn more about Atlantic Humpback Dolphins on the CCAHD website.