ACCOBAMS 12th Meeting of the Scientific Committee

The ACCOBAMS Twelfth Meeting of the Scientific Committee (SC12) was held in Monaco from the 5 to 8 November 2018 in Monaco. It was attended by Members of the Scientific Committee, Representatives from International Organizations and Observers, including Partners of ACCOBAMS.

Issues considered were cetacean population estimates and distribution, anthropogenic underwater noise, bycatch/depredation  in the context of interactions with fisheries, ship strikes, marine debris, cetacean watching, conservation management plans, but also cetaceans critical habitats, and cetaceans stranding.

Among the points discussed, a particular emphasis was made on the preliminary results of the unprecedent large-scale survey, the ACCOBAMS Survey Initiative (ASI). Indeed, the Executive Secretary and the ASI Project officer presented the project and exposed the work with the main actions conducted since the beginning of the ASI, with a strong focus on the preparation, organization and implementation of the Macro regional survey that was carried on during the summer 2018. Mappings of the sightings collected during the ASI aerial campaign were presented by the ASI Scientific coordinator. Then, the Director of MCR International presented the first very preliminary analysis of visual and acoustic analysis of the approximately 22,000 Km of survey effort that was conducted over four months with the R/V Song of the Whale. Link to the ASI Preliminary Results

Since this is the last SC Meeting before the upcoming 7^th Meeting of the ACCOBAMS Parties in 2019, then the Scientific Committee prepared a set of recommendations that will help and guide the Parties in the adoption of new or updated Resolutions addressing cetacean conservation.