Marine Mammals

About

The main objective of this twinning, entitled ‘Marine mammal protection, a way to enhance transatlantic cooperation between MPAs’, is to enable MPA managers to contribute more effectively to marine mammals conservation.

Specific objectives include:

  • To build technical capacities of MPA managers by sharing knowledge, expertise and good practice.
  • To provide MPA managers with a toolbox (a self-assessment tool to ‘track’ the integration of marine mammals into MPA management plans and a checklist).
  • To create a peer network to provide assistance to other MPA managers.
  • To promote the toolbox.
  • To adapt the toolbox to other migratory species such as turtles or other significant species in South-East Asia.

 

Activities and results

  • Expand the twinning project.
  • Further refine and develop the products created in the previous phase: a self-assessment tool (for the integration of marine mammals into MPA management plans) and a checklist. The self-assessment tool will be tested at a larger scale; the checklist will be enhanced.
  • Promotion and uptake of the toolbox to become a reference tool for marine mammals managers.
  • Workshops and capacity-building for marine mammals MPA managers.
  • Support to the development of a twinning project on marine turtle protection with partners in the Atlantic and SE Asia.
  • Promote and share results and tools with the other twinning projects in order to multiply and maximise the learning, feedback and results.
  • Apply a monitoring and evaluation methodology to the twinning project’s processes and results.

 

Partners

University of Iceland, CARI’MAM, Agoa Sanctuary, Government of Bermuda’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources, The Iris Marine Nature Park, The Azores Marine Park, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, “Yarari” marine mammal and shark sanctuary, SPAW-RAC, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Cape-Verde.

 

Tools

https://marine-mammals.info

Images: (top) Humpback whale, Mexico. Credit: Michele Roux. (right) Humpbacks. Credit: François Baelen.

Images: (top) Humpback whale, Mexico. Credit: Michele Roux. (right) Humpbacks. Credit: François Baelen.